Subject:                                 University Senate Meeting Report

Date:                                      28 February 2005

Committee:                           Executive Committee

Submitted by:                       Dr. Betty A. Block, Chair

• Last month, the Executive Committee withdrew its motion that included a revision of the current Statues.  Since then, we consulted with the Chair of the Statutes and Bylaws team, Dr. J.W. Good after the vetting of issues surrounding concerns that students and staff brought forward.
  • Representatives from both the students and staff met at length with members of the Executive Committee and the Statutes and Bylaws team.
  • The team reviewed the recommendations from students and staff.
  • The current draft of the Statutes is included in the agenda documentation for this meeting.
• We are still receiving election results from School deans.  Thanks for being proactive in the recruitment and education of your constituencies during this process.
• The President’s Retreat with the University Senate has been scheduled at Port Armor on May 11^th.  Please mark your calendars. 
• The Executive Committee met with the Standing Committee Officers on Wednesday February 23 to discuss a draft template for the Senate Committee Annual Report – thanks to all of you who attended this meeting and provided valuable input.
  • The purpose of a Senate Committee Annual Report is
    • To serve as an historical document of committee work.
    • To promote committee continuity as the experience of the outgoing committee is shared with the incoming committee
    • To provide a means by which incoming committee members can become connected with the committee
  • We ask that all committee members reflect on the work of the committee throughout the year and participate in the preparation of the annual report for your committee.
  • We also request that chairs make this report an agenda item for discussion at one of your spring committee meetings.
  • As a result of the discussion at this meeting, Standing Committee Chairs will meet with the Executive Committee once a month for the remainder of this academic year to coordinate committee agenda items.
• Last year, we began functioning within the structure of shared governance; we refined the bylaws; and learned about how to function in the standing committee structure.
  • This year, I believe it is important for us to meet three major objectives:
    • The first objective has been the focus of much of our work on the Executive Committee the first half of this academic year. 
    • And, I am happy to report that we have succeeded in creating a reasonably sound set of procedures for the smooth flow of information, documentation and accountability. 
      • Our work is by no means complete; however I do believe that we have a handle on communication – as evidenced by our web page, on-line documents, motion form, annual reporting form, officers meetings, hearings, and email listserves.
    • Secondly, in our new culture of shared governance we need more senate leaders who seek out issues and who make opportunities - realities for the university and our constituencies. 
    • We encourage you to be proactive as a Senator, if you are not already. 
    • Ask to be included on the agenda of your departmental or school meetings, share information with your constituencies, and while you are managing the present – look to the future.
    • Lastly, as you know, the Executive Committee has been looking to the future by revising the Statutes and Bylaws. 
      • President Leland charged the statutes and bylaws team to streamline the statues to promote university autonomy
      • The statutes and bylaws team has met this charge drafting a revised set of statutes by
        • Asking three questions about each statute:
          • Does this Statute capture a "policy" or "fact" that we expect not to change with great frequency?
          • Is this Statute more appropriate for inclusion in the Bylaws or a "Handbook" of the organization/group to which it applies?
          • Should this Statute require BOR approval to change?
        • The result has been that the current statutes have been divided into two documents. 
        • One of these documents is the draft of the statutes that you have reviewed for this meeting, and the other is what might be called a Policy and Procedure Parking Lot and includes all statements removed from the existing Statutes during the revision process.
      • The statutes revisions will undergo an approval process.  This process begins with University Senate action today. 
      • Should you approve this draft, it would be sent to the Faculty for action at their March 23 meeting.  Should the faculty approve the draft, President Leland would decide whether to submit the draft to the Board of Regents for approval.
      • The Bylaw and Statutes team's next priority is to process the Policy and Procedure Parking Lot to make sure that nothing is lost should the proposed statutes revisions replace our existing statutes. 
      • Part of this parking lot relates to the University Senate bylaws while other parts may be more appropriately placed in a new document that might be called a "University Policy and Procedures Handbook".
• At this time I would like to present the following motion for your approval:  The motion is "To recommend to the GC&SU Faculty that the supporting document entitled “Institutional Statues February 9, 2005 DRAFT” replace the existing GC&SU Statues.”