Status of Recommendations
Of Recent Senate Review Commissions
Robert C. Damrau
October 9, 2006

Fifth Senate Review Commission reported to the Senate on April 24, 2000; recommendations were referred to the SEC for referral to appropriate Senate committees.

1. Education policy as interpreted by the Faculty, the Students, and the Senate of UIUC is defined as relevant matters pertaining to or related to the mission of the University, namely “Teaching, Research, and Public Service” and encompasses all university related activities of the faculty and students of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Never presented to Senate.

2. The Senate will elect a special (i.e., ad hoc) committee that will write bylaws and rules for the Faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Never presented to Senate.

3. The Senate will elect a special (i.e., ad hoc) committee that will write bylaws and rules for the Students of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Never presented to Senate.

4. Article II, Sec. 1. d. of the Senate Constitution, allowing retired academic staff with the title of emeritus to be eligible in the electorate of the faculty, be removed.

Never presented to Senate.

5. Academic deans shall be full members of the Senate, with the same rights, responsibilities, and privileges as other Senate members.

Never presented to Senate.

6. The name of the Senate Council shall be changed to Senate Executive Committee.

Approved by the Senate.

7. The number of Standing Committees of the Senate be limited to twelve (12).

Some committee mergers (Calendar subsumed by Educational Policy, External Affairs by Public Engagement) approved by the Senate.  New IT committee approved by the Senate.

8. The Senate Executive Committee shall consist of (a) a chair and vice chair elected by the Faculty, (b) the chairs of the twelve (12) Standing Committees of the Senate, (c) eight (8) members elected at large by and from the Faculty, (d) four (4) members elected by and from the Students, and (e) a dean elected by the academic Council of Deans, for a total of twenty seven (27) members.

Only variations of (b) and (c) were approved by the Senate.

9. Faculty shall elect twelve (12) members of the Committee on Committees on an at large basis.  The term of office of faculty members shall be three (3) years, with four (4) members elected each year.   Student senators shall elect three (3) students each year from among the student Senators.

Never presented to Senate.

10. Each year the newly elected Senate shall meet prior to the end of the spring semester in order to organize itself and to begin its business.  In addition, the current and incoming chair of the Senate Executive Committee shall arrange for an orientation for both new and continuing members of the Senate.

The addition of the orientation to the organizational Senate meeting adopted and implemented by the SEC beginning with the April 16, 2001, organizational meeting.  

11. A reward structure should be developed that encourages participation in the Senate and its committees.

No action taken.

12 The Senate should meet in a different locale, which is more conducive to deliberation and discussion.

A number of venues were used, senators were polled about their preferences, and results were classically divided.

Fourth Senate Review Commission reported to the Senate on October 31, 1994; recommendations were referred to an ad hoc SEC subcommittee.

1. The quorum required for conducting business in the Senate shall be reduced. (The SRC recommends that the quorum be reduced to 100.)

Approved by the Senate.

2. The number of standing committees in the Senate shall be reduced.  (A proposed committee structure is specified in the SRC report, which can be used as a starting point in the detailed restructuring process.)

One committee merger (Elections and Credentials and Parliamentarians into USSP) was approved by the Senate; another (merging Budget and Faculty Benefits) was not.

3. Faculty members of the SEC will be chairs of policy-making committees, plus liaison persons currently on the SEC as specified in the SRC report.  

A variation providing for specified committee chairs to serve as automatic members of the SEC was eventually accepted by the Senate.

4. The Senate Executive Committee shall work to implement a consent agenda for the conduct of Senate meetings.

The SEC implemented a consent agenda beginning with the January 30, 1995, Senate meeting.