Agenda Item #1. Announcements. President Chemerinsky welcomed Dean of Religious Life, rabbi Laemmle, who talked about two components to her role at the University. First, Dean Laemmle stated she serves in the capacity of performing the important rituals and functions at the University; she further promised to re-establish the importance of the Baccalaureate ceremony. Second, Dean Laemmle stated that she will be working to connect religion broadly to the academic center of the University; enabling the religious voice to be one of the voices heard with legitimacy in University life.
President Chemerinsky then made several announcements regarding progress of several of the Senate’s committees:
First, after a number of meetings with the Administration and others, the Faculty Grievance Guidelines will be presented at the February meeting of the Academic Senate.
Second, the Faculty Handbook committee is more than half way through re-working the Handbook. It is hoped that the Handbook Committee can complete the work efficiently and a new Handbook could be discussed at the March or April meeting of the Academic Senate. It is desirable to have a new Handbook available this year. A related topic is the issue of the contract . After much discussion the thinking was that the simplest contract would benefit the individual Faculty member. The Provost has agreed to let us couple those two issues. so the contract will be discussed at the same time as the Handbook.
Third, we will soon have a Faculty Newsletter. It is customary for there to be a President’s letter in the Newsletter, and President Chemerinsky previewed the contents of his letter. The President’s letter will focus on the disappointing address from President Sample, who stated that the Academic Senate plays a "consultative" role in the University governance. President Sample asserted that the authority in University governance rests is (a) the individual faculty member, (b) the department, and (c) special committees. President Chemerinsky will devote attention to the issue of governance, and the Academic Senate, in his letter in the Faculty Newsletter.
Agenda Item #2. Approval of Minutes. The minutes were approved as presented.
Agenda Item #3. Motion to table resolution concerning AAUP probation. president Chemerinsky reported on the Academic Senate’s previous discussions of the motion on the AAUP probation. A motion was made to Postpone voting on the motion. The vote on this motion was 15 in favor, 7 opposed, with 3 abstentions. The Academic Senate will not vote on the motion to attempt to remove the AAUP censure.
Agenda Item #4. Remarks from Provost Armstrong. Provost Armstrong could not attend the January meeting of the Academic Senate.
Agenda Item #5. resolution 96/97-06 re: ISSM Faculty. One friendly amendment was approved which resulted in additional language added on page one which reads "Whereas tenure resides in the University and not in the individual school or unit"--otherwise the motion was voted on as presented. The resolution passed unanimously, with two abstentions.
Agenda Item #6. Resolution 96/97-07 re: Campus Mailboxes. Item 6 will be postponed to the February meeting.
Agenda Item #7. Policy concerning tape recordings of the Senate meetings. Current Status: Our meetings are taped, from which the minutes are constructed, and the tapes are kept on file for one year. All Senators have access to tapes in storage. No motion was offered regarding the issue of taping, recording and storing the Academic Senate Meetings.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Submitted by: Michael Cody
Editor, Academic Senate Forum