Minutes of the AAUP Executive Committee Meeting of November 14, 2007

Present: D. Burns (Chapter President), M. Crichton, W. Kaplan, J. Lehman, R. Lomax, J. Maddock, T. Moore, C. Smith, M. Thouless.

D. Burns called the meeting to order at 12:05 p.m.

Agenda. The proposed agenda was adopted by consensus.

Announcements: C. Smith announced that M. Coleman will present her plan for her next five years as University President at a public meeting of the Regents that will take place in the Founders Room of the Alumni Center at 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 15, 2007.

Minutes. The minutes of the October 31, 2007 meeting were adopted by unanimous consent.

Treasurer's Report. M. Crichton reported that the Chapter received $232.30 in payroll deduction dues since the last Executive Committee meeting and that there were no expenditures. She said that the balance in the Chapter's checking account is $1,487.64. The Treasurer's Report was adopted by unanimous consent.

Fall Chapter Meeting. D. Burns announced that he had reserved the Forum Room of the Palmer Commons for the Fall Chapter Meeting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12, 2007. He said that Patrick B. Shaw, a labor lawyer, who is Associate Secretary in the national AAUP's Department of Organizing and Services, will deliver the lecture and that his topic would address the organization of non-tenure-track faculty. He added that P. Shaw had requested a list of issues about which the Committee wished him to speak. The Committee discussed the role that Surgery Professor M. Orringer had in an earlier attempt to organize Medical School faculty. It also discussed those who should be invited to attend this meeting.

Active Cases. J. Lehman reported that a professor had indicated a desire to file a grievance about another professor who had failed to carry out clinical responsibilities for which the two professors had joint responsibility. C. Smith pointed out that the grievant had brought his case to the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA) office since the model grievance procedures endorsed by his unit called for the hearing of grievances between faculty members (as opposed to a dispute between a faculty member and an administrator) to be carried out by SACUA's Faculty Hearing Committee. C. Smith noted that University President M. Coleman has announced formally her decision that a 5.09 proceeding be held in the unit of a professor charged with refusing to teach an assigned course. The President's action has been taken against the advice of SACUA.

Faculty Governance. C. Smith reported that the Senate Assembly will meet on Monday, November 19, 2007, at which time Provost T. Sullivan will deliver her annual address on major issues before the University. He said that Interim General Counsel Gloria Hage will also speak at that meeting on the approach of the University to providing domestic partner benefits.

State Conference Developments. C. Smith reported on the meeting of the State Conference Board which was held at Western Michigan University on Saturday, November 10, 2007. He said that the Board had decided that the topic of the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Michigan Conference would be the future of higher education. Former State Senator and U.S. Representative J. Schwarz will be an invited speaker, and the Board asked C. Smith to contact University President M. Coleman to be another speaker. The remainder of the State Conference Board meeting was an evaluation of Conference Executive Director J. Lee.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

C. B. Smith

Chapter Secretary

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