THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs 4008 Fleming Building Ann Arbor, MI

Transcription

1 THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs 4008 Fleming Building Ann Arbor, MI MINUTES OF SACUA MEETING OF 12 NOVEMBER 1990 ATTENDANCE: MINUTES Present: Debler, ~iana, Hollingsworth, Jensen, Ness, Penchansky, Rosenthal, Tentler, Warner; Savory, Schessler, Schwartz Guests: Provost Whitaker, Kay Dawson The minutes of the November 5 meeting were approved as revised. ANNOUNCEMENTS Debler attended the AAUP meeting. Tentler and Debler attended the CLB meeting. SACUAfs November 26 meeting with President Duderstadt has been cancelled. MEETING WITH PROVOST WHITAKER How are you proceeding on measures of evaluation and accountability? A component of your responsibilities is academic affairs. How are these duties being handled? Anything else you wish to discuss. PREPARATION FOR DINNER WITH THE REGENTS ON NOVEMBER 15, 1990 Several different topics that are potential areas for discussion with the Regents at the dinner meeting on November 15, 1990 were considered. HOUSING TASK FORCE REPORT Warner, Chair of the Housing Task Force and a member of SACUA presented background information on two recommendations raised by the report that potentially warrant faculty governance involvement because of their

2 Page 2 relevance to the faculty. She noted that the University's housing role is not a crisis issue, but a continuing, very important framework element for members of the university community. 1. Seniors housing project: Two sites are being considered; one is in downtown Ann Arbor while the other is adjacent to north campus. She indicated that the project will lease the land from the University, but the buildings will be privately built and owned. It is expected that it will function as a cooperative with owners paying property taxes to the city of Ann Arbor. Initially approximately 100 units will be built, which will be open to retired faculty and staff. 2. Mortgage loan program: The Task Force recommended that the program be restructured to be more helpful to young first time home buyer faculty and to faculty women and people of color. SACUA and Senate Assembly can help the task force accomplish its goals by supporting the recommendations. CONSIDERATION OF LETTER FROM SAVIT REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL TASK FORCE REPORT The memo dated 29 October 1990 from Robert Savit to Vice President Womack on the recommendations of the Financial Affairs Advisory Committee concerning the Environmental Task Force Report was discussed. The focus of discussions was the suggestion that a subcommittee of the Financial Affairs Advisory Committee be appointed to meet several times a year with the Chief Financial Officer and his staff to review activities on environmental issues in general, and on the implementation of the recommendations in the Environmental Task Force Report. The consensus among SACUA members was that the subcommittee should meet more frequently than several times a year. Rosenthal presented background information on the formation of the task force to aid SACUA in its consideration of the proposal. Alternative considerations for moving forward on the recommendations made by the task force were also discussed. Rosenthal and Diana will consider the ramifications of the proposal and present a charge to SACUA. MATTERS ARISING Some discussions centered on the structure of SACUA meetings and Hollingsworth noted that there have been

3 Page 3 several carry-over issues from the previous year that have consumed some of SACUArs time this year. She again suggested that we consider focusing on three central issues: 1. Growth in non-tenured track faculty appointments 2. Academic programs 3. Evaluation of executive officers Hollingsworth also suggested that SACUA consider producing reports describing the important issues that were dealt with during the year, since one of our primary responsibilities is to share information with colleagues and to raise awareness of issues among the faculty, the administration, and the Regents. It was suggested that Hollingsworth send a letter to retiring Regent Roach thanking him for his good working relationship with SACUA during his many years of service to the University. Some discussions centered on the retreat planned for members of the executive committees of the schools and colleges tentatively scheduled for early March. The focus of the retreat will be strategic planning and long-term budgetary issues. No additional information was available on a possible speaker for the annual meeting of the Senate. Next week will be the deadline for making a decision. Hollingsworth and Diana reported on the Michigan Student Assembly meeting they attended where discussions focused on the campus security force and a proposal from Col. Tackett to make Vietnam Veterans day a university holiday. Diana will respond to that proposal on behalf of SACUA. Further discussions on the Discriminatory Harrassment policy were held. Tentler reported from CLB that they have difficulty endorsing the policy. Plans to present the policy to the Senate Assembly for discussion will go forward as planned. It was suggested that SACUA seek expert advice on these issues from appropriate faculty. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted #.& AL-~LLLWL Diane G. Schwartz Senate Secretary, Pro tempore

4 Page 4 APPENDIX LIAISON REPORTS Tentler: Civil Liberties Board met on November 5, 1990 and two items occupied the entire meeting: a policy regulating information systems, and the Discriminatory Harassment Policy for Faculty and Staff. That meant that we did not get to Diag use or ROTC and sexual orientation. On the first, Virginia ~ezmierski came to the meeting and Timothy Killeen, later joined by Mark Sandler, asked questions motivated by the general guiding principle which might best be phrased l1we asked ourselves who might be hurt by this policy?11 Questions about wording, infringements on free speech, privacy (including Freedom of Information Act), and sanctions were raised. Ms. Rezmierski assured us that the University has an admirable record of restraint in gaining access to (and her figures on this are impressive: 5 searches in 20 years confined to transaction information, 2 entered content of messages, both with the permission of individual involved). Ms. ~ezmierski calls it a "strong culture of privileget1 for privacy. here is an official statement of policy, signed by Provost Vest last spring, published in a glossy flier called "Think About Iteft Observing those rules constitutes University observance of due process. Her emphasis, she says, in not on sanctions but on "opening upt1--and that device worked in soliciting reprimands in the tasteless jokes incident, leading to voluntary withdrawal of the Conference. The other item, ~iscriminatory Harassment Policy for Faculty and Staff, was discussed in some detail--a discussion continued in a special meeting called for Monday, 10:OO a.m., 12 November. Walter Debler and any others who can will attend. Jensen: Committee on the Economic Status of the Faculty met on November 6, 1990 and began with a consideration of plans for Eugene Imhofffs presentation to the Regents, scheduled for their next meeting. Members of the committee agreed that, although more data were required to make the case persuasive, the Chair should focus on the reduction of funds available for instructional purposes over the past several years. This reduction is related on one hand to the growth of administration and on the other to the weakened standing of the salaries of our Full Professors in relation to the salaries of Full Professors in our peer institutions. Much of this discussion focused on what would constitute adequate supporting data, though no one seemed to be moving away from CESF concerns toward matters more in the province of Budget Priorities Committee, and I urged that the committee keep some distinctions between those two realms clearly in mind.

5 Page 5 A second area of discussion involved a document on Post-Retirement Benefit Eligibility forwarded for discussion by Don Thiel. A good many issues arose from that discussion, especially concerning the so-called "rule of 80" and what it would mean, for example, in terms of efforts to recruit more mature faculty. The rule calls for a combination of years in service and age that totals 80 as a determinant of eligibility. The proposal is yet another of those that underlines the key role rising health costs have in determining staff benefits packages. The meeting ended after a brief but useful discussion of the faculty role in the Capital Campaign, a topic that we thought should be pursued in greater detail in the "dollars and senset1 group. Warner: Academic ~ffairs Advisory Committee (aaac) met on November 8. The committee was pleased to welcome its three student representatives who took an active and interested part in the discussions. The aaac reviewed and discussed Charles Smith's extensive memo responding to the Provost's proposal on Eliminating Barriers to Pluralism. It was decided that a section on the Michigan Mandate would be added to the memo and the document would then be finally reviewed for transmittal to the Provost at the next meeting. The aaac will be meeting with Provost Whitaker on December 10 The aaac is considering inviting several speakers to address the committee on topics related to the multicultural university, evaluating undergraduate education generally, and the curriculum. However, it was decided to hold off for the present until the aaac decided on its topical priorities and work schedule. The meeting closed with a discussion of the rewards system of the University, focusing particularly on criteria for promotion and tenure. It was agreed that the aaac would want to coordinate with other SACUA committees who were working on similar topics so hopefully the recommendations emerging from such deliberations would be complementary and mutually reinforcing. The aaac will next meet at 5:15 p.m. on November 19. Tentler : Research Policies Committee (RPC) meeting of November 9, The main business before Provost Whitaker's visit was discussion of SACUA's request that proposed Primary Research Faculty Committee be turned into a subcommittee. There was some confusion over the issues that made it desirable to do this. Vice President Kelly in particular did not seem to understand why this new arrangement was superior. I will distribute a message from Judith Nowack at the SACUA meeting Monday, 12 November. The main points of the arrangement RPC endorsed were: 1. Subcommittee reporting to RPC. 2. Review after 3 years members--three from RPC (Houk, Bookstein, and Zand). 4. Primary Research Subcommittee (PRS) may report directly

6 Page 6 to SACUA or the Vice President for Research if it sees a need. 5. CESF retains interest in all faculty, including Primary Research faculty. But PRS (or, as Judy Nowack calls it, "PRSSv1) will be resource of information on their economic status. 6. Recommendation that Nancy Houk be chair of PRS. 7. NO commitments have been made for staff or any other resources for the use of PRS, The next meeting will be Friday, November 16 at 11:OO a.m. Rosenthal: Medical ~ffairs Advisory Committee met on 9 November for another excellent background information session. ~riefings were provided by Drs. Goldstein, Associate Dean for Research, Shope, associate Dean for Academic Programs, and Yamada, chair of Internal Medicine. Selected facts follow: olds stein: The research enterprise at the Med Center is worth $100 million and is 9th in the country in Federal funding. This is 40% plus of all University research funds. Most investigators are contributing 25-30% of their salaries. A big cutback in NIH funding,,which is threatened, could be serious as 73% of med center research funds are from NIH. Shope: The Medical School is in the midst of a curriculum review to consider new approaches more reflective of new health care demands, rising costs, questions of access, behavioral and ethical issues. What kinds of patients are needed for students to learn? Is the lecture the best teaching vehicle? Yamada: Spoke eloquently about the conflicts between teaching, research and clinical work and the tremendous pressure on the departments to generate clinical income now although promotion criteria are still exclusively scholarship. Research funding is harder and harder to obtain; his department saw 10% more patients last year but this only generated 2% more income; the "Deans Tax" went from 6% to 8%. His department does 35% of the student teaching but has less than 35% of the faculty and only 10% of the Medical School general fund. He painted a picture of increasing challenges and decreasing job satisfaction. He feels the University should be much more supportive of the research enterprise, stating that in Sociology, the faculty spend 75% of time for research and the University supports this out of the general fund while in the Medical School, they have to generate the money themselves. A number of excellent questions ensued. At the conclusionm of the meeting, Zuidema asked for committee and SACUA help with the Drug and Alcohol Task Force, particularly in informing faculty and students. I assured him SACUA had already met with Beth Reed and stood ready to be as helpful as possible. It was suggested we bring in a Communications expert to advise on getting the appropriate information out in an effective manner.

7 Page 7 Diana: Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics met on November 1, The meeting was again mainly routine. A report was made on the upcoming NCAA convention. The board will be polled at the next meeting on advice for various votes. Bob De~arolis indicated that a study of student seating and access for football is beginning. There have been a lot of complaints about improper seating, etc. Fritz Seyferth indicated that a campaign will begin to raise funds for improvement of the UM Golf Course, as well as to construct a new site for intercollegiate tennis. ~ike Stevenson reported that a review of gymnastics is proceeding, and one of women's gymnastics will follow. This is a part of the Committee on Addition and Deletion of Sports. Also, he moved an increase of green fees at UM Golf Course, which was approved. Phyllis Ocker reported on SAT and ACT scores of women athletes, which are generally very good. Jack Weidenbach and an architect reported on repairs to Michigan Stadium. Concrete repairs are needed, with total projected costs of $4.4 to $7.9 million depending on the extent of repair. Weidenbach moved that $900,000 for be approved for the first phase of repairs. Those funds are to come from restricted expendable funds. After discussion, the board approved. Weidenbach then proposed installation of grass to replace the worn carpet at Michigan Stadium. The cost of grass is $1-1.2 million, while a new carpet would be $700,000+. Again, funds were to come from restricted expendable accounts. The coaches favor grass. After much discussion (mainly of hows and whens), the motion was approved. Pat Yocum reported on the Finance Committee agenda. They intend to evaluate revenue sharing in the Big 10, expense reduction in our athletic department, the success of bottom line budgeting (begun last year), and capital improvements.