Minutes of 4 December 2006

Circulated: 5 December 2006
Approved: 11 December 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 4 DECEMBER 2006

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

Absent:  Combi

Guests:  K Brown, S. Masten

MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED:

1.       Draft  Agenda

2.       Draft minutes of the portion of the Senate Assembly meeting of 30 October 2006 covering the visit of President Coleman reviewed by her and returned on 27 November 2006

3.       Draft minutes of the SACUA meeting of 20 November 2006

4.       Draft minutes of the SACUA meeting of 27 November 2006

5.       Faculty Governance Update for the December 2006 meeting of the Regents

6.       Letter from President Coleman dated 28 November 2006 announcing the plans of Vice President for Communications Lisa Rudgers to step down from her position in February 2007

7.       "Flagship Universities Earn Poor Grades on Access, New Report Says" 21 November 2006 article by Karin Fischer in Today's News from THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

8.       Draft agenda for the Senate Assembly meeting of 18 December 2006

9.       4 December 2006 draft Report of the Faculty Grievance Procedures Task Force, Comparison of Grievance Procedures at Major Universities, and an electronic mail message from J. Lehman to SACUA dated 4 December 2006 regarding the Grievance Task Force report.

10.     Memorandum to Charles B. Smith from the Central Faculty Ombuds Working Group dated 22 November 2006 regarding the central ombuds job description with attachments for review by SACUA

11.     SACUA/Senate Assembly Planning Schedule, updated 28 November 2006

Chair Smith convened the meeting at 2:15 P.M.  The proposed agenda was approved.

CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES

The minutes of 20 November 2006 were approved as submitted.

The minutes of 27 November 2006 were approved as submitted.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/UPDATES

Chair Smith announced:

1. Professors Smith, Giordani, and MacAdam accompanied the APG to the Detroit Center this morning.  The group visited Project Hope.
2. The December Faculty Governance Update (distributed item 5) has been submitted for inclusion in the Regents' notebook, and SACUA needs to develop a report for a 4 January 2007 deadline.  Professor Potter volunteered to prepare a draft. 
3. The university president will meet with SACUA next week.
4. Central Ombuds Bonnie Metzger is stepping down at the end of Winter Term; the position will be converted from a 33% to a 50% appointment.
5. The vice president for Communication will be leaving the U-M in February 2007, and an outside firm will be hired to conduct a national search.
6. The chair transmitted the news of the Assembly resolution about Faculty Benefits Oversight Committee to Laurita Thomas, with copies to a series of executive officers.  The EVPMA has arranged to meet with the chair on Thursday.
7. The office of provost has asked for a slate of nominees for the Diversity Blueprints Task Force.  SACUA members discussed potential candidates.  

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ACTION OF SACUA 120406-1

Chair Smith proposed that SACUA offer himself, Professor R. Megginson, and Professor-Emeritus B. J. Evans as nominees. Several members moved to accept the proposal.

Vote on the Active Motion:

Number approving: 6

Number disapproving: 1

Number abstaining: 0

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8. Chair Smith and Professor Frier met with the university president last week.  The president stated that establishment of a Faculty Benefits Oversight Committee must await further discussion among the executive officers. 
9. Professor Smith and Frier also discussed with the president a recent news article about a report from the Education Trust (distributed item 7) and U-M public response to it.
10. Smith and Frier provided the president with SACUA minutes reporting the account of the committee's discussion with Professor-Emeritus St. Antoine regarding the nature of the contract between faculty and the university. 

PLANNING FOR SENATE ASSEMBLY MEETING

SACUA discussed a draft agenda for the 18 December meeting of the Senate Assembly.  Members suggested that Central Ombuds Metzger be invited to speak for 10 minutes.

LIAISON REPORTS

Multicultural-

Professor Seabury reported that the committee met last Monday and talked about Proposal 2.  A subcommittee has been appointed to develop a resolution for SACUA and the Senate Assembly regarding next steps.   

University Secretary-

Professor Meerkov reported that the committee met last Friday.  The University Secretary has been introducing the newly elected Regent to executive officers and deans.  Professor Meerkov suggested that the new member be introduced to SACUA, as well.  He said that the suggestion was positively received by the University Secretary.  The suggestion was greeted enthusiastically by SACUA.

Budget Study-

Professor Riles reported that the committee met to set priorities.

AEC-

Professor Riles reported that evaluation results from 2006 are now posted to http://aec.umich.edu.

CESF-

Chair Smith reported that the committee met with the EVPMA, and that the EVPMA expressed the need for a faculty benefits oversight committee.  The committee also met with representatives of bargained-for groups, who expressed dissatisfaction with some representatives of the university administration, and the degree of adherence by university administration to contractual agreements.  

General Counsel Advisory-

Chair Smith reported that the committee met and discussed 3 topics: (1) issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act stemming from renovation of Michigan Stadium, (2) U-M responses to Proposal 2, and (3) alleged examples of faculty misconduct.

FASAP-

Professor Giordani reported that the group met and reviewed the ongoing work of FASAP, and discussed some specific issues, such as the success of the ongoing initiative for staff emergency funds support and the development of new outreach programs for faculty and administrative supervisors who might have office staff who have support needs.

DRAFT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Professor Lehman called attention to distributed item 9.  He outlined the key recommendations proposed by the Grievance Procedures Task Force.

OLD/NEW BUSINESS

Professor Meerkov inquired about the status of the Shared Governance Task Force.  Chair Smith replied that he did not know its status, but would find out.

There was no other business.

The meeting adjourned at 3:50 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