Minutes of the University Senate Meeting

The January meeting of the University Senate was held at 4:10 p.m. on Thursday, January 11, 2001, in room 7, Gamble Hall. Randy Lee presided.

The following members of the Senate were present:

Bagheri, Fathollah
Bass, Gerald
Berger, Kristy
Boyd, Robert
Cleveland, Mike
Davis, W. Jeremy
Drewes, Mary
Elbert, Dennis
Elsinga, Lillian
Erickson, Daniel
Ettling, John
Even, Brock
Fivizzani, Albert
Gallager, Robert
Greves, Cole
Grijalva, James
Hoffmann, Mark
Holdman, Linda
Hume, Wendelin
Jackson, Jon
Jeno, Susan
Johnson, Arnold
Khavanin, Mohammad
Kraidy, Marwan
Krogh, Nancy
Kupchella, Charles
Kweit, Robert
Lang, Gretchen
Lee, Randy
Lindseth, Glenda
Lowe, D. Scott
Mabey, Renee
Mann, Michael
Munski, Douglas
Nelson, Berly
Nelson, Enrique
Nelson, Theron
Nichols, Elizabeth
Norton, Theresa
Owens, Thomas
Pederson, Randy
Petros, Thomas
Poochigian, Donald
Rice, Daniel
Schletty, Chris
Shaeffer, James
Skramstad, Allan
Stevens, Wes
Stolt, Wilbur
Timmerman, Larry
Todhunter, Paul
Towne, Gary
Tschacher, Walter
Undlin, Heather
Wellcome, Dan
Zierdt, Candace

The following members of the Senate were absent:

Amjad, Sabrina
DeMers, Judy
Fox, Carl
Frost, Chris
Gabrynowicz, Joanne
Goodwin, Janice
Hafner, Andrew
Moen, Janet
Olsen, Glenn
Rankin, Elizabeth
Robertson, Charles
Smart, Kathy
Smith, Bruce
Stofferahn, Curtis
Wilson, H. David
Woehle, Ralph
Yurkovich, Eleanor

The following announcements were made:

A. Mr. Lee announced that there are three fora upcoming on the current status of the President’s strategic planning effort. The dates are Tuesday, January 30, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the Burtness Theatre; Thursday, February 8, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in the old Bookstore area of the Memorial Union; and Tuesday, February 13, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., in the Odegard Hall Atmospherium.

B. Mr. Lee announced that the Board, at its December meeting, adopted on second and final reading a policy, effective 7/1/01, on sick leave. Under the policy, sick leave provisions as to all academic staff---nine month or twelve--are left entirely up to each campus's own policy. Mr. Lee described this policy as precisely what this Senate has been asking for since it adopted Senator Susan Jeno’s report on behalf of the Senate's Compensation Committee last spring. Mr. Lee thanked President Kupchella and the Council of College Faculties, through its representative to the Board, Robert Kibler of Minot State, and its President Scot Stradley, for pushing against the draft policy that had been proposed at the November Board meeting. The Senate’s attention will now turn to watching what Vice President Gallager and other advisors recommend to President Kupchella as to what UND’s policy should be.

C. Mr. Lee asked Senator Berly Nelson, Student Body President, whether he had announcements on behalf of Student Government. Mr. Nelson announced that the students had held an election but there was no result yet.

D. Mr. Lee invited other announcements for the good of the Senate. None were offered.

Mr. Lowe was recognized, and he moved to add as item #1 on the Business Calendar the resolution distributed at the meeting to ask the Board of Higher Education to reconsider and retract its decision regarding the "Fighting Sioux" logo. Mr. Kraidy seconded the motion. Mr. Lee called for a voice vote on this procedural matter and the motion carried. The resolution was added as the first item on the Business Calendar.

The Chairman asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes of the December 7, 2000 meeting. There being none, the minutes were approved as distributed.

The Chairman introduced the Question Period at 4:13 p.m. No questions were asked.

                                       8.

There being no items on the Consent Calendar, the Senate considered item #1 on the amended Business Calendar. Mr. Lowe moved to adopt the Senate resolution he had distributed asking the Board of Higher Education to reconsider and retract its decision regarding the "Fighting Sioux" logo (see attachments). Mr. Grijalva seconded the motion. Discussion followed. The motion was vote upon and the resolution was adopted on a vote of 40 for, 1 against, and 15 abstentions.

Mr. Lee moved, on behalf of the Senate Executive Committee, to adopt the recommendation, presented to the Senate at the December 7, 2000 meeting, for a Senate Bylaws amendment adding the following language to the end of the present bylaw on Officers:

President Kupchella reported to the Senate on several issues.

A. Mr. Kupchella noted that the Board had adopted a sick leave policy, and remarked that the policy was accepted partly as a result of the Senate input on this issue. This policy allows us to continue our current practice. The Cabinet will examine our policy and may recommend changes, but he suggested that the simpler the policy, the better. Mr. Kupchella urged the Senate to continue to provide input on issues, as it is truly helpful.

B. There are a number of proposals currently under consideration in the State for different levels of tuition for out-of-state students. The proposals will affect NDUS institutions differently, and many of these proposals may be costly for UND. Mr. Kupchella said that his recommendation is to assure there is a floor on tuition, and to then allow each institution to adopt its own policy. He asked the Senate to consider and offer advice on this issue.

C. Mr. Kupchella presented a tentative list of institutions to be used as peers for UND in benchmarking. Budget allocations will be based on parity among NDUS campuses as to each campus’s equity within its peer list. The list was developed with assistance from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) for each NDUS institution. The UND list was developed by selecting universities with a medical school, the appropriate mix of full-time/part-time students, similar programs offered, undergraduate/graduate ratios, and research dollar expenditures, along with other criteria. UND had proposed some aspirational peers for the list, but they were not included. The lists are still under consideration and the Board will receive a report from NCHEMS at their January meeting.

D. Mr. Kupchella summarized the UND budget and the State appropriation process. He displayed several overhead charts detailing information about the UND budget and about requests for State appropriations. Mr. Kupchella stated that all information presented would be made available to anyone interested by his office.

E. The nickname issue was reviewed. Mr. Kupchella commented that there are good people on both sides of the issue with sincere convictions, and this issue was one of cultural differences and about a symbol, which, by definition, can mean different things to different people. Mr. Kupchella stated that it was within the Board’s authority to make this decision and that the Board had directed him to search for ways to better support Native American students. Mr. Kupchella said that the issue for us today is to decide what to do. He reported that since the Board’s decision, he has received many suggestions. He thought they fell into three categories: activities to enhance cultural understanding; support for programs for Native Americans; and public service programs for Native American people. Mr. Kupchella offered to share the list of suggestions with anyone interested and invited further suggestions.

Mr. Lee pointed out that the time was 5:30 p.m., and the meeting would automatically adjourn unless there was a motion to continue. Mr. Davis moved to extend the meeting until 5:45 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. Lowe and passed unanimously. Discussion continued about the nickname issue.

The meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.