January 28, 1998

Faculty Senate Minutes

January 28, 1998

PRESENT: John Alexander, Francois Amar, Steven Barkan, Richard Brucher, Mary Ellen Camire, Ryan Carnegie, Ted Coladarci, Steven Colbum, George Cnner, Lee Davis, Scott Delcourt, Daniel Dwyer, Harlan Onsrud for Max Egenhofer, James Fastook, Ed Ferguson, Ivan Fernandez, Virginia Gibson, Mac Gray, Michael Greenwood, Michael Grillo, Daniel Harrison, Jeffrey Hecker, Peter Hoff, James Horan, Dana Humphrey, Fred Irons, George Jacobson, Leonard Kass, Roger King, Peter Kieban, lrv Kornfield Phil Locke, Henry Metcalf, Suzanne Moulton, Stephen Norton, , Hemant Pendse, Connie Perry, Alan Rosenwasser, Steven Sader, Gary Schilmoeller, Howard Segal, Therese Shipps, Owen Smith, Mary Ellen Symanski, David Townsend, Gloria Volimers, Gait Werrbach

ABSENT: Tony Brinkley, Christopher Campbell, Tim Griffin, Mel Johnson, James McConnon, Scott Morelli, Jennifer Nelson, Tina Passman, Kristin Sobolik, Hayden Soule

I. President Humphrey called the meeting to order at 3:15 p.m. The December 10, 1997 minutes were approved as amended. Leonard Kass will replace Mary Tyler for spring 1998.

II ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. President Humphrey announced that the report on policies for use of First Class and other networks is expected in February.

2. Nominations for the Steve Gould Award are being solicited.

3. A draft of the “Bearworks” report, aimed at gathering information about the university, is anticipated.

Ill. MEMORIAL Tribute: Former Dean of Engineering Norman Smith

Norman Smith, Dean Emeritus of the College of Engineering and Professor Emeritus of Agricultural and Forest Engineering, died unexpectedly in B Paso, Texas, on December 7, 1997. He was 67. Not only for Norm’s family and Friends outside the University of Maine, but also for scores of colleagues and thousands of former students at the University of Maine, it was and remains a terrible loss The overflow crowd at the December12 memorial service at the Church of Universal Fellowship – so many persons that the downstairs auxiliary room could barely accommodate those for whom there were no seats in the upstairs chapel was a remarkable tribute in itself to Norm’s stature in the community.

It is therefore app-opnate that the University of Maine has established the Norman Smith Memorial Fund. Details are forthcoming in the Maine Perspective. Born in England, in farming country he described to countless classes as challenging but nurturing, Norm came to the University of Maine in 1958 as a graduate student for a year of study. He recewed an M.S. degree form the university of Maine in 1959. His other degrees were from British universities: a B.Sc. from Leeds University in 1952, an M.Sc. from Durham University in 1954, and a Ph.D. from the University of Newcastle in 1970. Norm returned to the University of Maine in 1962 to begin teaching in the Agricultural Engineering Department (now Bio-resource Engineering). He later chaired the Department for more than two decades before becoming Dean of Engineering in 1985. Throughout his administrative career at the University of Maine, Norm taught at least one course a year, often one or even two a semester Hardly neglecting his administrative duties, he nevertheless thought it important to remain in the classroom and to continue to interact with students. When Norm died, he was teaching without compensation, as he intended to do for years to come. That exceptional degree of commitment to teaching and to the University of Maine- speaks for itself. Upon becoming Dean of Engineering, Norm established the Technology and Society Project, an avowedly interdisciplinary program that has offered courses to thousands of students. Norm had a genuine grasp of the broader context of engineering and the need for engineering students- and non-engineering students as well–to be exposed to the social, cultural, economic, and not least, historical dimensions of technology along with the technical dimensions. Norm and! team taught two courses for a decade, Technology and Society I and II, given each ta/land spring respectively. Students loved Norm’s folksy style especially his bringing into lectures and discussions various aspects of his life and career, including slides of his home town, his family, his homes, and the British institutions where he had been educated. Norm did this not out of self-promotion but rather to illustrate points of value to future engineers and others. He was a natural teacher who was never too busy, even as Dean, to talk with students and to encourage them to do their best. Norm practiced the kind of academic freedom, the respect for views other than one’s own, all too often missing from contemporary higher education. We had very different views on politics and on technology, and we shared out differences with our students as appropriate–on nuclear power, for example—but never did those disagreements intrude on our courses or on our grading. Students learned that the classroom could be a place for the healthy exchange of ideas, not political indoctrination. Norm placed great stress on ethical conduct, not just professionally but also personally. He repeatedly cited in our courses a saying from grandfather: “You should leave the place better than you found it” It is surely true that Norman Smith left the University of Maine considerably better than he

found it. Delivered by Professor/-toward Segal—-

THE LAND GRANT UNIVERSITYANI) SEA GRANT COLLEGE OF MAINE

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IV. COMMITTEE REPORTS

Academic Affairs(Gloria Voilmers): Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to submit recommendations for the

1998 – 1999 Class Book.

Finance and Institutional Planning (Hank Metcalf): no report

Research and Public Service (David Townsend): The research resolution will come for a final vote today.

University Environment (Richard Brucher): The committee’s written response to Vision 2000 will be discussed at the

next elected members’ meeting. Faculty Senate sanction for implementation of a survey on academic climate will come

forward as a resolution. Discussions related to the University Club and gender equity in athletics continue. Committee on Committees (Connie Perry): The following committees need campus faculty representation: Memorial

Union Advisory Committee, ROTC Advisory Committee, Student Conduct Code Committee, and Environmental Health

and Safety Committee. The ACAC needs a faculty and a student representative.

Constitution and Bylaws (Mary Ellen Symanski): Discussion of Senate voting membership composition continues to

include the Division of lifelong Learning’s request. A proposal for the new apportionment of senators in the Faculty Senate is being developed.

BOT (Ivan Fernandez): The BOT met in Portland. The B.A. in Women’s Studies, the M.A. and Ph.D. in Marine Science were approved. The report on the Libra Professorships did not suggest any changes in the distribution with UM continuing with the present number of 10. The System Task Force on Diversity issued its report with the requirement that

each campus develop an action plan related to diversity. The funding formula discussions continue with a final vote in March. A task force on the Ncommunity college concept in Maine will be convened between UMS and the Technical College System.

NCAA Representative (George Jacobson): Details regarding the annual NCAA meeting were provided. The representative structure for NCAA will now be one vote for each conference. The elected representative for the UM conference is the Athletics Director from Delaware.

V. OLD BUSINESS

1. ConstitutIonal amendment: Motion carried with two abstentions.

(OLD) ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP, Section 3. Administrative Members. Administrative membership of the Senate Shall consist of the following persons: Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research & Public Service, one elected representative of the Deans’ Council, and Dean of the Graduate School.

(NEW) ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP, Section 3. Administrative Members. Administrative membership of the Senate shall consist of the following persons: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Vice Provost for Research & Graduate Studies, and one elected representative of the Deans’ Council.

2. Resolution on fundamental changes to UMaine’s approach to research: Motion carried unanimously. The Faculty Senate recognizes the need for the University of Maine to strengthen significantly its research capacity, and hereby encourages the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies to form a representative ad hoc committee to: (a) identify current University of Maine research strengths; (b) define and identify areas that represent new and emerging research opportunities across all disciplines; (c) identify existing barriers to the research enterprise at UM, including those related to equity, and remove them; (d) develop a plan to create new partially-funded research faculty positions in the above research areas, and to recruit top level researchers to fill those positions. The Senate further requests that the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies report back to the Senate, within one year, on progress.

VI. NEW BUSINESS

1. RESOLUTION on a Modification of Policy on Class Attendance: motion carried unanimously.

OLD: Every student is to accept the responsibility for satisfactory attendance in courses. Satisfactory attendance is determined in each course by the instructor. The instructor will inform the students at the first class meeting of the attendance requirements. Whenever, in the opinion of the Instructor, a student’s absences impair the quality of his/her work, the Instructor should report this fact to the student’s dean. Excessive absences may be considered sufficient cause for requiring a student to drop a course or to withdraw from the university.

NEW: Every student is to accept the responsibility for satisfactory attendance in courses. Satisfactory attendance is determined in each course by the instructor. The Instructor will put the attendance policy in the syllabus and will inform the students during the first week of classes of the attendance requirements. Whenever, in the opinion of the Instructor, a student’s absences impair the quality of his/her work, the Instructor should notify the student’s dean.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.

Next meeting February 25, 1998