Minutes of 30 October 2006

Circulated: 31 October 2006

Approved: 6 November 2006

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs

6048 Fleming Administration Building

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1340

Phone: (734) 764-0303

Fax: (734) 764-6564

Internet Address:  http://www.umich.edu/~sacua/

Approved minutes:  http://www.umich.edu/~sacua/sacmin/sacuaminutes.html

MINUTES OF THE SACUA MEETING OF 30 OCTOBER 2006

Present: Combi, Frier, Giordani, Meerkov, Potter, Riles, Seabury, Smith (chair); Lehman; Carr, Schneider

Absent:  MacAdam

Guests:  none

MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED:

1.        Draft Agenda

2.        Announcements for Senate Assembly

3.        Outline of November Faculty Governance Update

4.        SACUA/Senate Assembly Planning Schedule, updated 30 October 2006

5.        Memorandum to N. Gramlich from B. Giordani, dated 23 January 2006, regarding The final report  of the SACUA Faculty Hearing Committee related to Professor William Kauffman

Chair Smith convened the meeting at 2:30 P.M.  The proposed agenda was approved.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/UPDATES

1. Chair Smith introduced Ms. Linda Carr, who has joined the Senate Office staff.
2. The president has appointed an advisory committee on public art. Faculty governance received no prior notice or consultation prior to the appointment of faculty to the committee.
3. On Thursday evening the chair, vice-chair, and Mr. Schneider will travel to Pennsylvania State University to attend the annual CIC conference on faculty governance.
4. The chair and Dr. Hollingsworth will be meeting with Dean Weiss and Mr. Krenz to discuss differing opinions about the AFLF lecture and professorship. 
5. The Nike Company aired a television ad that glorifies football at the expense of academics.  The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics objected to Nike, but Nike's corporate response letter was dismissive.  The U-M is presently re-negotiating its contract with Nike, and these concerns are a backdrop. 
6. A website reported that an Aerospace professor had been arrested in his office and led away in handcuffs.  The chair met with members of the General Counsel's Office, but unambiguous explanations were not available.

Chair Smith asked whether SACUA would approve rescheduling November and December meetings of the Senate Assembly, specifically:

a)      reschedule the November meeting from 20 to 27 November

b)      reschedule the December meeting from 11 to 18 December.

SACUA approved the rescheduling by unanimous vote.

CHAIR'S ANNUAL REPORT TO THE REGENTS

Members discussed an outline of the chair's November report to the Board of Regents.  The Chair requested and received unanimous support for the outline which will appear in the Regents' November notebook.

PREPARATION FOR SENATE ASSEMBLY MEETING

Members reviewed plans for the meeting of Senate Assembly that would immediately follow the SACUA meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 3:10 P.M. 

Respectfully submitted,

John Lehman

Senate Secretary

University of Michigan Bylaws of the Board of Regents, Sec. 5.02: 

Governing Bodies in Schools and Colleges