April 23, 1997

Faculty Senate Minutes

April 23, 1997

PRESENT: John Alexander, Judi Bailey, Steven Barkan, John Battick, Mary Ellen Camire, Christopher Campbell, Steven Colburn, George Criner, Max Egenhofer, Cathy Elliott, James Fastook, Ivan Fernandez, Michael Grillo Daniel Harrison, Dana Humphrey, Fred Hutchinson, George Jacobson, Mel Johnson. Peter Kleban, James Horan for Jean Lavigne, William Livingston, Philip Locke, Kathleen March, Henry Metcalf, Scott Morelli, Suzanne Moulton, Sean Murphy, Jennifer Nelson, Stephen Norton, Tina Passman, Hemant Pendse, Connie Perry, Brenda Power, Alan Rosenwasser, Howard Segal, Edmund Sheppard, Therese Shipps, Hayden Soule, Mary Ellen Symanski, Charles Tarr, David Townsend, John Ringo for Mary Tyler, Gloria Vollmers, Gail Werrbach

ABSENT: Francois Amar, Richard Blake, Tony Brinkley, Richard Brucher, Daniel Dwyer, James McConnon, Owen Smith.

I. President March called the meeting to order at 3:16 p.m. The March 26 minutes were approved as distributed.

II. ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Provost Bailey announced that Charles Slavin has been appointed Director of the Honors Program. Candidates for Dean of Enrollment Management will be on campus over the next two weeks.

2. Howard Segal announced that four candidates for President have been chosen from a pool of 41 completed applications and eight off-campus interviews. He encouraged faculty to attend meetings with the finalists.

3. President Hutchinson announced the publication of the Kellogg Commission Report on Public Higher Education. He will continue his membership as President Emeritus, and noted that much of the University of Maine vision statement appears in the Commission Report.

4. At this final meeting of the academic year, President March made the following acknowledgments:

To the Administration, a very unique group of individuals:

• President Hutchinson: I feel fortunate that my year coincided with your last year and have greatly appreciated the up-close look at your style, your natural fit with The University, your love of Maine itself

• Provost Bailey: Through you I have come to see the value of a creative approach to higher education leadership; you are the personification of tenacity and humor with a Southern accent, and above all, a workaholic who is hard to keep up with.

Both of you helped me acquire greater respect for administrative skills and commitment.

• To the entire Assembly, and particularly to Faculty colleagues: I have appreciated your efforts this year, which was one of transition; your dedication to this institution has been admirable. When The year began, I sensed morale was low, wondering where the months would take us. / believe we did what we needed to do; put shoulder to the grindstone, despite cuts that felt more like we were being put through the gristmill ourselves when what we wanted to be was not only the flagship campus but the showpiece for the UMS. You continued to devote hours through committee work task forces, hearings, interviews, information sessions, conversations (did/miss anything?). I have said repeatedly that UM has many very devoted faculty and l continue to be honored to have you as colleagues.

• To my Executive Committee: You are the ones who taught me the true meaning of my favorite vocabulary item: “to choreograph” To also borrow a little from feminist critic Sheri Ortner’s classic article, “Dancing Through the Minefield” every month we had our own minefield to dance through and you were superb, accepting short term, over-time assignments, finding solutions and words for situations where there were none, with a sense of the good, the grotesque, and the ironic which enriched this year immensely for me. Your total experience – its range and depth – has been impressive and the assembly should give allot you your due credit.

• To Dana Humphrey, who has already shown himself ready to assume his presidential role. la/ways feel that if one needs to find a way in or out of a solution, an engineer is a good bet. Faculty Senate is clearly in good hands with you for 97-98.

• To John Battick, who graciously accepted the job of parliamentarian for this semester completing William Soule’s term.

• To Helen Young, No one will mind if / say I left the best for last in expressing my appreciation for this year.

III COMMITTEE REPORTS

Academic Affairs (Tina Passman): A summary of the year’s discussions included the Division of Life-Long Learning, program elimination, general education requirements (moved to the PDCC), educational technology, class book, academic oversight, student handbook, transfer policy, and the honors program. The motion to accept The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken as the 1997-1998 class book was unanimously accepted.

Finance and Institutional Planning (Hank Metcalf): A summary of the year’s discussions and activities included review of AFFIRM, examination of University financial data (including the Athletic Department budget), and meeting with Chief Financial Officer Kelley. The committee recommends that the University’s annual operating budget be published and made available to the community.

Research and Public Service (David Townsend): The committee spent much of its time on a motion regarding Fundamental Changes in Research Procedures.

University Environment (Henry Metcalf): A summary of the year’s discussions included the loss of the University of Maine Credit Union branch office, the Pet Policy, and policies on the operation of first class.

Committee on Committees (Gloria Vollmers): Committee members were acknowledged. Constitutions and Bylaws (Dana Humphrey): The amendment to the constitution, indicating changes of composition of colleges was sent to all faculty and was approved 108 (yes) to 10 (no).

BOT (Ivan Fernandez): Discussed a series of meetings between the Chancellor and UMS faculty representatives. George Jacobson: NCAA Representative, announced that the new compliance program is in place and reviewed the Academic Support Program for athletes.

IV. ELECTIONS

Elections: Mary Ellen Symanski was elected Faculty Senate Vice-President/President-Elect and Gail Werrbach was elected Faculty Senate Secretary. Ivan Fernandez will continue as BOT Representative for two more years. Membership on the Committee on Committees will be announced.

V. RECOGNITION

Ivan Fernandez offered the following resolution which was applauded and passed unanimously:

• Whereas: the Faculty Senate of the University of Maine must soon bring to closure its deliberations for the 1996-1997 academic year, and

• Whereas: President Frederick E Hutchinson has made his intentions of retirement known to his colleagues and friends here at the University of Maine, and

• Whereas: President Frederick E Hutchinson has served the University Maine with distinction as student, assistant in agronomy, assistant agronomist, assistant professor, associate professor, acting head, professor, chairman, dean, vice president for research and public service, acting vice president for academic affairs, and president, and

• Whereas: Fred Hutchinson has exemplified a leadership style during both good times and bad forged of warmth. wit. integrity, and an unmatched dedication to the University of Maine that spans nearly half a century,

• Therefore, be it resolved: that the Faculty Senate of the University of Maine expresses its deep gratitude to President Hutchinson for his many contributions and leadership, wishes him health and happiness coupled with continued success in his future pursuits.

A resolution honoring Faculty Senate President Kathleen March was applauded and passed unanimously:

• Whereas, Kathleen N. March has presided over the Faculty Senate of the University of Maine for the 1996-1997 academic year with energy, dedication, and sincerity;

• Whereas, she has led us through issues ranging from the hot topic of Telecommunication & Technology to the cool proposal of Women’s Ice Hockey;

• Whereas, she has recognized the changing role of faculty and organized a faculty advance/retreat to discuss the issue;

• Whereas, she has skillfully led us through such controversial issues as the proposed Pet Policy which makes us al/realize that faculty members without pets can be rather intimidating;

• Whereas, she has effectively launched the Faculty Senate into the communications age by keeping us informed using e-mail, voice mail, campus voice mail, First Class, and BBS.

• Be it resolved, that the Faculty Senate of the University of Maine hereby expresses deep respect, gratitude, and admiration for a job well done,

Be it further resolved, that this resolution be incorporated into the minutes of the Faculty Senate of the University of Maine and that a suitably inscribed copy of this resolution be presented to Kathleen N. March as one measure of the high regard in which she is held.

VI. OLD BUSINESS

1. Division of Life Long Learning request for liaison status was approved by the Senate.

2. Women’s Ice Hockey: After much discussion of an amendment which failed, a motion to grant varsity status to Women’s Ice Hockey passed: 32 in favor, 3 abstentions; 2 opposed.

The Faculty Senate, understanding the ethical and legal issues surrounding compliance with Title IX regulations, supports the request of the Women’s Ice Hockey team for varsity status. The faculty expects that the financial support will be derived from the Athletics Department budget, donations earmarked expressly for athletic needs, and future athletic donations or fundraising. Increases in the institutional support for the athletics budget should be no larger than the per cent increase in state and tuition funding. The Athletics Department will be responsible for funding the new program.

3. Motion to create an ad hoc committee to recommend policies on the operation of First Class (and possibly other University networks). Issues include, but are not limited to, acceptable behavior in chat groups, Web page designs, network capacity, freedom of speech, settling disputes, and disciplinary actions. We suggest the committee be made up of members representing the library, IT, graduate students, undergraduate students, CAPS, Judicial Affairs, ACAC, System Administration Group, as well as staff and faculty from various disciplines. Passed 27 in favor, 1 opposed, and 4 abstentions.

4. The proposed Pet Policy was tabled.

5. Article 1V of the Standing Committees of the Bylaws was unanimously accepted (to comply with the restructuring of the colleges).

lV.2.B. Membership. The members of the Committee on Academic Affairs are the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, one faculty Senator from each college and one student Senator.

IV.3.B. Membership. The members of the Committee on the University Environment are the Vice President for Student Affairs, one faculty Senator from each college and one student Senator.

IV.4.B. Membership. The members of the Committee on Finance and Institutional Planning are the Chief Financial Officer and one faculty Senator from each college.

1V5.B. Membership. The members of the Committee on Research and Public Service are the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies, one faculty Senator from each college and one faculty Senator from Cooperative Extension.

VII. NEW BUSINESS

The motion to endorse the proposal from the Committee on Research and Public Service involving fundamental changes in the University of Maine’s approach to research was tabled for the fall of 1997.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:58 p.m. Submitted by Gail B. Werrbach, Secretary