Academic Senate
Minutes from November 18, 1998

Present: E. Accampo, J.L Anderson, A. Crigler, D. Crockett, F. Feldman, G.A. Fleischer, J. Gates, R. Guralnick, T. Gustafson, V. Henderson, P. Heseltine, R. Jelliffe, M. Kann, H. Kaslow, B. Kosko, R. Labaree, A. Mircheff, J. Nyquist, N. Petasis, D. Polan, G. Schierle, C. Silva-Corvalan, N. Stromquist, C. Synolakis, W. Thalmann, W. Tierney, L. Wegner, M. Weinstein, M. Zeichner-David, R. Zimmer

Absent: G. Albrecht, M. Apostolos, W. Baer, M. Bolger, H. Cheeseman, S. Hamm-Alvarez, B. Jansson, D. Leary, K. Price, H. Schor, P. Starr, K. Wilber

Guests: L. Armstrong, D. Fabanish, M. Frutas, M. Jackson, N. Hanel, M. Levine, S. Pratt, L. Pulido, D. Stewart, B. Rutherford, H. Slucki, C. Sullivan, K. Taylor, W. Wolf

The meeting was called to order at 2:50 p.m. by President William G. Thalmann

Agenda Item #1: Announcements.

President Thalmann made the following announcements:

(a) Professor Steve Ross of History Department has been appointed as chair of the University Committee on Appointments and Promotion.

(b) Professor Thomas Henyey of Earth Sciences Department has been appointed as chair of Faculty Tenure and Privilege Appeals Committee. He replaced Professor David Slawson.

Agenda Item#2: Retirement Benefits Progress Report.

President Thalmann welcomed Professor G. A. Fleischer, Chair of the Task Force on Retirement Benefits. Dr. Fleischer gave an overview of what has been happening with the process of establishing a retirement plan. He mentioned that he had talked with administrators from several schools and he indicated that they all agreed that a plan should be put in place. However, the current proposed plan has not yet been approved by the administration. One reason for that is the fact that some Deans have some reservations. Dr. Fleischer noted that USC is the only major research university that does not have a retirement plan, despite the fact that such a plan would result in a net gain to schools, since most retirees are replaced by junior faculty or are not replaced at all. He also informed the Senate that those who retired within the last two years, including himself, have a customized retirement package which he is not allowed to disclose. President Thalmann thanked Dr. Fleischer for addressing the Senate.

Before proceeding to the next agenda item, President Thalmann informed the Senate that Ms. Debra Fabanish, representative from the Benefits office, was present at the meeting to answer any questions about the Benefits for 1999 and to make sure that everybody is aware of the Open Enrollment which ends on December 4th. Ms. Fabanish was asked to explain further the pre-tax benefits and the after tax-benefits. She mentioned that the pre-tax benefits include parking expenses which require enrolment, as well as child care and unreimbursed medical expenses up to five thousand dollars. She also pointed out that next year Health Plans A & B will be eliminated and be replaced with a new plan (Plan C).

Following the comments of Ms. Fabanish, several senators raised concerns regarding the decision of the administration to eliminate Health Plans A&B without consulting the faculty. It was noted that the Faculty Environment Committee was never informed or consulted on this change. Some members also claimed that this change would result in a significant increase in the cost of their health plan. Ms. Fabanish indicated that this issue was discussed at the Benefits Committee and that the proposed elimination of the plans were presented to the groups of faculty and staff. After additional discussion on this matter, the following motion was made to restore Plans A and B to those who are currently enrolled in the plan:

"As the notification of the faculty of the change in health plans was brief, the Academic Senate recommends that the Administration continue to extend Health Plans A & B for one more year to those currently enrolled, in keeping with reasonably standards consonant with good medical care."

The motion was passed with 20 in favor, one opposed, and no abstention.

Agenda Item#3. Faculty Center Plans Update.

This agenda item was not followed as planned due to the long discussion of the previous agenda items. D. Stewart, President of the Board of Directors of the Faculty Center, could not stay longer due to other commitments. He will address the Senate at the December meeting.

Agenda Item#4. Approval of Minutes.

The minutes were approved unanimously as presented.

Agenda Item#5. Provost's Remarks.

President Thalmann welcomed Provost Armstrong. In his remarks the Provost addressed two issues:

(a) Classroom Scheduling: The Provost announced that the administration is moving forward with a proposal to change class scheduling to a full 5-day schedule. He indicated that as a result of a prior Senate Resolution, the Senate's Immediate Past-President Lawford Anderson chaired a Classroom Scheduling Committee, which did a very good job in developing recommendations for changing class scheduling practices. The Committee's report was presented to the Deans who pointed to some possible exceptions. The Provost explained that classroom utilization is currently uneven in different days and times, leading to a greater need of new classrooms. Moreover, the current schedule, that includes mostly four-day middle of the day classes, has adverse effects on the overall academic climate. According to the proposed changes, all schools will be required to spread out the scheduling of classes and to have more uniform rules that would allow better organization of classes and improved utilization of classrooms. The proposed changes will be implemented in Fall 1999 and will apply mostly to undergraduate classes. The Provost concluded that, despite some inconveniences, these changes are a worthwhile goal since they will improve the academic environment, enhance the academic experience of students, and also allow a better use of resources. He also expressed his appreciation for the Senate's suggestion on this matter and mentioned that a letter jointly signed by him and President Thalmann will be sent soon to all faculty regarding this issue.

(b) Academic Reviews: The Provost announced that the administration is working on plans for instituting academic reviews of all programs. He indicated that in the past these reviews have been done sporadically and that it is time to develop more effective ways to do them. He noted that there is a large number of programs that need to be reviewed, and a more effective system needs to be developed. The Provost added that these reviews will continue to be at the hands of the Faculty, who may set-up Committees, invite external reviewers, and make plans according to the Committee's reports.

The Provost then entertained questions from the floor.

A senator raised a concern regarding the two arrests of DPS officers for child molestation charges and other unacceptable acts both inside and outside campus. The Provost was asked who is in-charge of reviewing these officers prior to hiring and whether there is an oversight Committee for DPS. The Provost said that he will look into this issue further, and he indicated that there is a regular discussion regarding DPS officers and that he believed that they should be receiving the best possible support in order to improve quality and ensure public safety.

In response to a suggestion by a senator regarding interdisciplinary areas and the possibility of granting degrees that cross barriers within areas, the Provost commented that the university is interested in developing interdisciplinary activities. He said that, while it may be difficult to go as far as removing all barriers among departments and schools, it may become possible to award certain degrees, such as Ph.D. degrees, in programs that cut through schools.

A senator asked the Provost if programs that have an ongoing review would have to stop it in light of his announced plans for program review. He responded by saying that each case has to be discussed separately.

Some questions regarding the coming changes in classroom scheduling were raised by a senator, who pointed out that the current teaching schedule was the result of attempts to accommodate commuting-related problems. Another senator noted that from his own experience the same class when scheduled in the morning had a much greater number of absent students than the same class scheduled later in the day. In response to these concerns, Dr. Anderson said that the proposed changes can be tried out for a couple of years and then they can be refined further. The Provost concluded by saying that it was important to move quickly on this matter in order to put the new schedule in the catalog. He also noted that some reasonable exceptions can be accommodated and he called upon the senate to help to work with the schools for improving the overall academic environment at the university.

President Thalmann thanked the Provost for addressing the Senate.

Before proceeding to the next agenda item, Dr. Thalmann introduced two guests: Dr. Laura Pulido, a faculty member in the Department of Geography and Marisela Frutas, a food service worker. These guests referred to the ongoing three-year labor conflict between the administration and the union workers of food services, who were on a four-day hunger strike to protest the lack of progress in their demands. They also asked for the Senate's support. Some senators spoke in support of the union, while others pointed out that it is not appropriate for the Senate to become involved in this matter since it is not a faculty-related issue. President Thalmann thanked the two guests for coming to the meeting.

Agenda Item #6. Resolution 98/99-03 Spring Semester Rush.

"In recent years, fraternities and sororities at USC have attained a commendable academic standing and have contributed to the social and intellectual life of undergraduate students. The Academic Senate believes, however, that the continuing practice of rush in the early weeks of the fall semester distracts entering freshmen from academic commitments when they are making the critical transition from high school to the university, may discourage them from exploring the range of academic and living opportunities available at USC (including residential colleges), and may inadvertently hinder their full integration into the broader university community.

Therefore, it is resolved that the Academic Senate supports the principle of moving fraternity and sorority rush from the fall to the spring semester, and urges the university to explore ways to cushion fraternities and sororities from any adverse financial effects that this change might entail."

President Thalmann introduced the resolution by stating that there are a number of problems with the current system of having the fraternity and sorority rush in the fall. He pointed out that the intend of this resolution is not to go against fraternities and sororities, who contribute greatly to the academic and social life of the students, but instead it is an invitation to help enhance the academic environment of the university. He suggested that a faculty position on this issue, given in a positive spirit, may help bring about positive changes. He also recognized the fact that the suggested changes may initially result in potential financial problems that should be taken care of.

After his remarks, President Thalmann invited Michael Jackson, Vice President for Student Affairs, to comment on this issue. Vice President Jackson said that he supports such a change and he appreciates the senate's effort on this matter. He indicated that currently the entering students during their first semester are forced to choose between entering a sorority/fraternity or getting involved in residential education or other campus activities. He agreed that the proposed change is not an attack on fraternities or sororities but an attempt to help students, especially in light of recent changes in residential colleges and other such opportunities that were not available previously. He noted that a spring semester rush is currently practiced at other universities and it should not be considered as an extended rush, but that it simply means that freshmen would be left alone during the fall semester. Additional comments were made by Professor Ken Taylor, Director of Fraternities/Sororities, who was also present.

A senator suggested that we should hear from the fraternities and sororities about this change, since it may not be appropriate to impose this on all students. Another senator expressed his support for this change and stated that in this manner students will have an opportunity to be acclimated at the university before they are ready to decide what to do. In support of the proposed change another senator referred to personal experiences with this matter and pointed that the enormous pressures placed on new students can have dramatic negative effects on their academic progress. Additional support for the resolution was expressed by a senator who noted that participation in rush makes it harder for new students to learn how to develop efficient time management skills and for some of them this may be an early negative experience that may have broader effects.

In objecting to the resolution, a senator explained that this change should not be judged by its intention but by its actual effect, which would be to limit the freedom of students to make choices. He further noted that we should not try to legislate culture in an area that took time to develop. Another senator pointed out that since he would not want other bodies legislating the actions of faculty members, he could not support this resolution. He also wondered what the actual financial consequences of the proposed change would be and what priority it would take. President Thalmann responded that due to the academic aspects related to this issue it was appropriate for the senate to be involved.

Several other senators also expressed their disagreement or their support of the resolution and it was also suggested that President Thalmann should send a letter to the fraternities and sororities explaining the intend of this resolution.

Following further discussion, the resolution was passed with 11 in favor, 10 opposed, and no abstentions. The vote was very close because those Senators who thought that the original resolution should be amended voted against it, although they actually were in favor of the resolution.

Due to time constraints, the scheduled Agenda Items 7 and 8 were tabled until the next meeting of the Senate.

President Thalmann reminded the floor that the December Senate meeting will be held at the Health Science Campus.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

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Respectfully Submitted,

Nicos A. Petasis
Professor of Chemistry
Secretary General of the Academic Senate