PURDUE UNIVERSITY CALUMET
COUNCIL OF FACULTY DELEGATES
MINUTES
4th Meeting December 1, 1997
Present: Professors H. Abramowitz, A. Ahmed, A. Chelich, R. Colon, S. Conners (Sergeant at Arms), M. Dakich (Parliamentarian), T. Dougherty, R. Evans (Presiding Officer), R. Foreman, J. Higley, J. Jennings, S. Lerner, L. Mura, K. Pierce, L. Rittenmeyer, S. Sil, R. Stankowski, C. Torres-Robles, J. Walker, G. Wegner, J. Wermuth (Secretary), Vice Chancellor L. Bryant, Chancellor J. Yackel, Student Representative J. Casas
Absent: Professors C. Chancey, T. Pavkov, D. Pick, C. Stacy, L. Willer, Vice Chancellor G. Newsom, Vice Chancellor S. Singer
I. The meeting was called to order by Professor Evans.
II. Professor Evans requested approval of the minutes of November 3, 1997, meeting of the Council of Faculty Delegates as distributed. Professor Lerner so moved and Professor Foreman seconded the motion. The motion to approve the minutes passed.
III. Professor Jennings moved approval of the agenda of the December 1, 1997, meeting of the Council of Faculty Delegate, with the correction that Council Document 97-13 Students Grade Appeal System be designated For Action.. Professor Lerner seconded the motion. The motion to approve the agenda as corrected passed.
IV. Chancellor's Report
Chancellor Yackel said that the university is encouraging all employees to have their payroll checks directly deposited to accounts of their choice. He said a letter will be forthcoming from his office to all monthly employees urging them to do so. In response to a comment by Professor Higley, Chancellor Yackel said that direct deposit authorizations completed by December 15 will allow monthly paid staff to receive their next paycheck funds on January 2, and that all others will have to wait until January 5 to receive their paper paychecks as the university will not re-open until then. He noted that the same situation will prevail in January of 1999.
Chancellor Yackel said that spring enrollment is down a bit from the previous year. He said the largest decline is in University Division students. He said that the old SPS department enrollments were up, and the old LAS departments were down slightly. He noted the budgetary implications of a decreased enrollment.
Chancellor Yackel said that the ceremony of administering the oath of office to Carolyn Curiel, United States Ambassador to Belize went very well and was attended by nearly 400 family members, friends, and university personnel. He said that Ms. Curiel, a Purdue West Lafayette graduate, had requested that the ceremony be held on this campus as a convenience to family and friends, and as a sign of her commitment to Purdue University. He said Purdue Calumet was pleased to accommodate her.
Vice Chancellor Bryant said that there will be two presentations on the Hope Scholarships to the community on December 11 and December 14. He said there will be a View Purdue Program on campus on December 4, and that ninety hight school counselors had recently attended an on-campus workshop on financial aid.
Presiding Officer Professor Evans said that the present bylaws do not provide a place for the presiding officer to offer comments, which oversight should be corrected in the new bylaws. He encouraged those present to read the new Vision Statement recently distributed, to ask their colleagues to do the same, and to attend and participate in the Vision Statement open house on at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 4 in Alumni Hall. He said the Statement, when approved, should serve as a guide to the various Council committees and their members as they carried forward the work of the Council.
Professor Evans reviewed progress toward the goals for the Council that he had proposed at the beginning of the academic year. He cited the hard work by the Bylaws Committee, and said the bylaws document should be available soon for review by the Council. He said he had received two letters from faculty, one concerning a scheduling matter and the other requesting support for recognition on campus of Veterans Day, which items will be discussed under New Business.
V. Special Business of the Day
- Council Document 97-13. Students Grade Appeal System. Faculty Affairs Committee. For Action.
Professor Jennings moved approval of Council Document 97-13. Students Grade Appeal System. Professor Lerner seconded the motion.
Professor Jennings reviewed the document, noting that the panels are no longer school dependent. He said comments received last time were incorporated into the document, except for the recommendation that the school chair direct the Registrar to make a grade change. He said that power is reserved to the university chair alone, thus reducing the potential number of individuals with whom the Registrar would have to deal. With no further discussion, and upon vote by the Council, the motion to approve Council Document 97-13 passed without dissent.
- Council Document 97-14. Constitution of the Faculty. Agenda Committee. For Discussion.
Professor Jennings introduced Council Document 97-14. Constitution of the Faculty. He reviewed the history of the document, noting that the eleven or so initial areas of discussion had been reduced to four by the Council at its November meeting, and these items were then reviewed by the Agenda Committee. He said the four issues included the definition of the faculty; the definition of the academic unit; the phrase added to item IV.B. which was considered by some to be a threat to the authority of the Purdue Calumet faculty; and the voting privileges of the President of the University, the Chancellor of Purdue University Calumet, and the Vice Chancellors. He reviewed the incorporated changes as approved by the Agenda Committee, the vote on each item by the Agenda Committee, said that the Agenda Committee considered the changes non-substantive, and said that the Agenda Committee is very willing to support moving Council Document 97-14 For Action.
Professor Lerner offered a typographical suggestion, and noted that as presented, there was an inconsistency concerning voting privileges for Vice Chancellors. In the discussion that followed, changes in typography and consistency were agreed to; with Professor Jennings noting that the sense of the items should be that the attendance by Vice Chancellors without academic appointment is both desired and valued.
Professor Rittenmeyer moved Council Document 97-14 to action. Professor Foreman seconded the motion. The motion to move Council Document 97-14 to action passed.
Professor Sil spoke against dis-enfranchising visiting professors. Professor Mura spoke in defense of the proposed definition of the academic unit. She said that her vote of dissent on the matter reflected her desire to include the definition in the bylaws rather than the constitution. Professors Pierce noted the effect of disenfranchising visiting professors on those departments that rely heavily on them. Professor Wermuth said that there were only nine visiting professors in the fall 1996 semester according to university employment records. With no further discussion and upon vote, the motion to approve Council Document 97-14. passed without dissent.
Professor Evans said that the constitution will be presented to the Board of Trustees as soon as possible.
VI. Unfinished Business
There was no unfinished business.
VII. Reports of Committees
Agenda Committee: Professor Jennings said the committee has met frequently as of late, and is focusing on the bylaws while completing the usual business at hand for this committee. He commended the Bylaws Committee for their hard work in attempting to make the Senate more effective. For this reason, he said the Agenda Committee has agreed to an extension of the Bylaws Committee’s deadline for a completed document.
Professor Jennings yielded to Professor Mura on the issue of the recently-established ad hoc Curriculum Committee. Professor Mura said that the committee met for the first time on November 17, and elected as chair Professor Gregory Neff. She said that she reviewed with the members the charge to the committee. She said that procedurally, the committee will receive documents through the fourth Monday of each month for consideration and action at its regularly scheduled meeting on the following second Monday of each month, She said that the next meeting of the committee is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3 at 12:00 noon. She said that Professor Colon has been designated liaison between the committee and the Council. In response to a question from Professor Lerner, Professor Mura said the committee had been charged to review the Form 40 procedure with the Office of the Registrar and Professor Colon said the discussion had occurred and that information will be forthcoming from the chair of the committee to the school deans. Professor Mura said that a fuller report will be forthcoming to the Council at its next meeting.
Professor Evans thanked the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the support received from her and her staff in this matter.
Faculty Affairs Committee. Professor Jennings said that the committee is now turning its attention to the promotion and tenure process and criteria. He said subgroups have been established to deal with individual issues.
Nominating Committee. Professor Walker said there was no report from this committee.
Research and Educational Policy Committee. Professor Mura said that the committee has sent out a letter regarding conformance to general education objectives. She said replies and revisions have been received and the committee is reviewing them.
Resources and Planning Committee. There was no report from this committee.
Student Affairs Committee. Professor Torres-Robles said there was no report from this committee.
Student Government. Mr. Casas said that Student Government continues to maintain its regular duties on university committees, but has also made it a priority to help out the community. He said that the previous Thursday, several student government members volunteered to help at the House of Glory care kitchen Thanksgiving Dinner for the needy. He said that Student Government is opening a special account to provide funds for a paver in memory of Cynthia Gomez.
Mr. Casas said that Student Government sent representation to the Indiana Campus Compact Advisory meeting on November 14 in Indianapolis, and to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education Leadership Conference on November 21. He said Purdue Calumet students did valuable networking with student leaders at other Indiana colleges and universities.
Mr. Casas said that the Purdue Calumet Student Government Web Site is scheduled to be operational by January 1, 1998.
VIII. Other New Business
Professor Evans read a letter from Professor Lerner concerning a change in class scheduling. After much discussion and with particular support for the proposal from Mr. Casas, it was agreed to refer the letter and the issue to the Resources and Planning Committee. Professor Evans read a letter from an un-identified faculty member who asked that Purdue University Calumet recognize veterans on Veterans Day. Mr. Casas offered several recommendations for such a program. After further discussion, the issue was referred to the Resources and Planning Committee.
IX. Adjournment
Professor Evans requested a motion to adjourn. Professor Lerner so moved, and Professor Higley seconded the motion. The motion to adjourn passed, and Professor Evans declared the meeting adjourned.
c:\cfd97-98\cfd1297.doc