Michigan Technological University | Senate

The University Senate
of Michigan Technological University

Minutes of Meeting 576
March 23, 2016

Senate minutes are time-indexed [in square brackets] to the relevant segments of the streaming video of the meeting.

Synopsis:
The Senate

Joshua Olson, Chief Information Officer, gave an Update on Information Technology
Christopher Plummer, Academic and Instructional Policy Chair gave a report on inclusion
Proposal 18-16: Proposal to Shelve a Certificate: Undergraduate Certificate in Global Technological Leadership passed.
Proposal 19-16: Proposal for a Minor in Writing passed.
Proposal 20-16: Proposal for a Minor in Media Production passed.
Proposal 21-16: Proposal for a Minor in Global Community Development Partnership passed.
Proposal 22-16: Proposal to Amend Senate Policy 505.1 Policy on Early Term Surveys passed.
Proposal 23-16: Proposal to Move to a University Parental Leave Policy passed.

1. Call to order and roll call. [00:00 – 02:10]
President Brian Barkdoll called the University Senate Meeting 576 to order at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The Senate Secretary Marty Thompson called roll. Absent were representatives of Army/Air Force ROTC, Biological Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering, Administration, Technology, Staff Council and Undergraduate Student Government.

2. Recognition of visitors. Guests included Joshua Olson (Information Technology), Theresa Coleman-Kaiser (Administration), Jarrod Karau (Information Technology), Bonnie Gorman (Dean of Students Office), Yoke Khin Yap (Physics), Lorelle Meadows (Pavlis Honors College), Kari Henquinet (Social Sciences), and Jackie Huntoon (Provosts Office).

3. Approval of agenda. [02:11 – 04:53]
Froese moved to amend the agenda by adding Item 8.d. Proposal 32-15: Establishment of a Library Liaison and a Library Advisory Committee to unfinished business. Lucchessi seconded. No discussion. Motion passed.

The amended agenda passed unanimously on a voice vote.

4. Approval of minutes from Meeting 575. [04:54 – 05:31]
Clancy moved to approve. Wellstead seconded. The minutes passed unanimously on a voice vote.

5. Presentations [05:32 – 51:31]

a. "Update on Information Technology" presented by Joshua Olson, Chief Information Officer [05:32 – 25:20]
Olson, Chief Information Officer, discussed current status and future plans for customer service projects executed by IT [LINK to SLIDES]. Discussion.

b. "Inclusion Report" presented by Christopher Plummer, Chair, Academic and Instructional Policy [25:21 – 51:31]
Plummer discussed the impetus for taking action to change the climate at MTU. He noted Proposal 22-16 is one example of immediate action being taken by the Senate. Discussion.

6. President’s Report [51:32 – 1:14:55]

a. Administrative responses to senate approved proposals:

Proposal 3-16: Proposal on Automatic Enrollment in Michigan Tech's Defined Retirement Plan was rejected by administration on 01-22-2016.

Proposal 9-16: Reducing Deductibles and Out of Pocket Maximums on Michigan Tech's Healthcare-Insurance Plans was rejected by administration on 01-18-2016.

Waddell moved that the next years Senate President discuss Proposals 3-16 and 9-16 with the Board of Trustees to gain an understanding why the proposals have been rejected. Wood seconded. Discussion. The motion passed by majority vote.

Proposal 8-16: Amending Senate Procedure 507.1.1, Procedure to Enhance Confidentiality and Anonymity in Department Chairs/School Deans Review Surveys and Balloting was rejected by administration on 02-01-16 and several revisions were suggested by administration.

Nooshabadi moved that Proposal 8-16 be sent as originally approved by the Senate (with minor editorial changes for language and clarity) back to the Administration for approval. The administration will be invited to submit any substantive changes to policy 507.1.1 through the submission of a new proposal to the senate.

After some discussion the Senate President ruled that we will vote on the motion for amendment and the proposal 8-16 in the next senate meeting.

b. Forum on Fringe Benefits will be held on April 5 from 12pm to 3pm in Dow 642.

7. Reports from Senate Standing Committees [1:14:56 – 1:24:44]

Academic and Instructional Policy Committee. None

Administrative Policy Committee. President’s survey completed. A word cloud indicates benefits are the greatest concern of employees.

Curricular Policy Committee. Oliveira listed a series of proposals the committee is working on.

Elections Committee. Clancy noted a need for three open Senate Faculty-at-large positions and there are currently no nominees for Senate Secretary.

Finance & Institutional Planning Committee. DeWinter presented a comparison of non-union staff salaries at Tech with the Michigan universities and self-defined peer institutions [link to slides].

Fringe Benefits Committee. Waddell said no proposals were under development based on the salary and benefit presentations from last meeting.

General Education and Assessment Committee. None.

Information Technology Committee. None.

Professional Staff Policy Committee. None.

Research Policy Committee. Kerfoot …

8. Unfinished Business [1:24:44 – 1:42:25]

a. Proposal 18-16: Proposal to Shelve a Certificate: Undergraduate Certificate in Global Technological Leadership, Proposal 19-16: Proposal for a Minor in Writing, Proposal 20-16: Proposal for a Minor in Media Production, Proposal 21-16: Proposal for a Minor in Global Community Development Partnership

Introduced by Barkdoll on behalf of the Curricular Policy Committee. Discussion.

Waddell moved to approve all four proposals. Hamlin seconded. The proposals passed by unanimous vote.

b. Proposal 22-16: Proposal to Amend Senate Policy 505.1 Policy on Early Term Surveys

Hamlin moved to approve. No second. Discussion. The proposal passed by majority vote.

c. Proposal 23-16: Proposal to Move to a University Parental Leave Policy

Waddell moved to approve. No second. Discussion. The proposal passed by unanimous vote.

d. Proposal 32-15: Establishment of a Library Liaison and a Library Advisory Committee

Froese provided background for last year’s senate approved proposal that was referred to the Research Policy Committee (RPC).

Froese moved that the RPC be discharged of further consideration of this proposal. Brown seconded. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Froese moved to amend Proposal 32-15, including; define voting and non-voting members, and the text suggested by the past provost Max Seel, defining the charge of the committee. Lucchesi seconded. Discussion. The amendments passed by unanimous vote. The proposal as amended will be voted on at the next meeting.

9. New Business [1:42:25 – 1:50:35]

a. Proposal 33-15: Academic Calendar 2016-17 and Provisional Calendar 2017-18

Barkdoll introduced the proposal on behalf of the Academic and Instructional Policy Committee.

b. Proposal 17-16: Proposal for Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Proposal 24-16: Master of Science Degree Program in Cybersecurity, Proposal 25-16: Minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Proposal 26-16: Undergraduate Catalog Policy, Proposal 27-16: Amendment to Senate Policy 408.1 (Board of Trustees Policy 7.2) Residency Requirements Policy

Oliveira, Curricular Policy Committee, introduced each proposal. Discussion.

c. Proposal 28-16: Amending Senate Procedure 507.1.1, Procedure to Enhance Confidentiality and Anonymity in Department Chairs/School Deans Review Surveys and Balloting

Nooshabadi introduced the changes to the existing Senate Procedure 507.1.1.

10. Public Comments [1:50:36 – 1:59:40]

Provost Huntoon asked about administrative response options for senate approved proposals. Discussion.

11. Adjournment

President Barkdoll adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted
by Marty Thompson
Secretary of the University Senate

Meeting 576 Minutes