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UC.07.07
1 October 2007

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE

University Senates Conference
(Final; Information)

UC.07.07 Report on the University Senates Conference Meeting, 30 March 2007

Members present: Bodenhorn (Chair), Burton, Chambers, Chapman-Novakofski, Ford, Fossum, Grossman, Jones, Kagan, Kaufman, Mallory (Vice Chair), Scheff, Tolliver, Wheeler, Wood

Members absent: Anderson, Fisher, Schacht, Strom, Weller

Guests: Larry Mann, Jim Weyhenmeyer, Joseph White

The USC met in Room 206, Student Center West, UIC. Chair Bodenhorn called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. The USC immediately went into Executive Session to meet with President White. The President discussed funding for the Campus Research Board at UIC and at UIUC, and expressed his hope that funding will be reinstated. President White discussed the university’s budget, and said that there are a lot of uncertainties, including the amount the university will receive from the state. 

Larry Mann discussed the proposed statutory language that would change the procedures by which senates and USC propose revisions to the Statutes. President White said that, although he questioned the forwarding of dissenting views to the President and Board of Trustees, he would, as a matter of good faith, forward it if that is what USC recommends. The USC will discuss the issue further at its next meeting.

President White discussed the Global Campus Partnership, and asked USC if it wanted to propose the makeup of the Interim Academic Council or react to one that another group comes up with.  Bodenhorn suggested that USC make the proposal.  The President commented that there needs to be broad, collective ownership of the Global Campus, which will be a support organization for the campuses, campus units, and the faculty.  The President and USC discussed ways to communicate an update on the Global Campus to the university community. President White provided an update on the Vice President for Academic Affairs search.

The USC recessed for lunch and a discussion with Jim Weyhenmeyer. During lunch, Jim Weyhenmeyer told USC that many of the changes that the senates and USC recommended went into the final General Rules document that was approved by the Board of Trustees.  He asked that USC also review three supporting policy documents: Conflicts of Commitment and Interest, Institutional Conflicts of Interest, and Courseware Development and Distribution.  He noted that the changes to the courseware document already recommended by USC had been incorporated.

Mr. Weyhenmeyer described the makeup of the University Intellectual Property Committee (IPC), which he chairs.  The IPC began the revision process of The General Rules and policy documents, and then went for assistance to the offices of the Vice Chancellor for Research.  Compliance officers incorporated changes into The General Rules to make the document consistent with federal laws.  The document went back to IPC and then was referred to USC and the senates.  He asked that these bodies review the three policy documents and report back.
Following lunch, the business meeting resumed with approval of the minutes of the 28 February 2007 meeting as written. Items to be classified from the three campus senates were approved. There were two old business items for USC action: it approved transmitting proposed revisions to the Statutes to eliminate USC term limits, and it removed a proposal for revisions to The General Rules, which had been approved by the Board of Trustees.

New business items included a discussion of issues regarding SEC chairs and their membership on USC. After discussion, it was approved that “On the occasion when a SEC chair is not elected to USC, the person will be offered ex officio membership without vote but otherwise with full privileges to participate.” Bodenhorn appointed the Nominating Committee for 2007-08 Officers and Executive Committee: Nancy Ford, Robert Fossum (chair), and Elliot Kaufman. The designation of Observer of Board of Trustees meeting 17 May 2007 is yet to be determined.

Old business items for information and discussion continued with USC’s recommendation regarding the Interim Academic Council of Global Campus to the President. Bodenhorn reminded USC that Jim Weyhenmeyer asked that the faculty review the three supporting policy documents. The USC decided that the documents should be resent to the senates for review. The UIC senate approved the UIUC senate’s proposed revisions to the Statutes, on changes in the academic organization.  The UIC senate discussed the relationship between tenure home in a department and the fact that tenure is granted at the University level by the Board of Trustees. Other items discussed included campus procedures to implement optional multi-year contracts, interactions with legislators, proposed revisions to The General Rules on naming of university facilities and programs, proposed guidelines for multi-institutional degrees, USC guests, and campus updates.

The meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Grossman
UIUC Senate representative to USC
Adapted from minutes approved at the USC meeting of 24 April 2007.
Thanks to Connie Sailor, USC Secretary.