Meeting Minutes
ACADEMIC SENATE MINUTES
August 29, 2011
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Academic Senate held on August 29. 2011, was called to order at 3:05 p.m. by Patricia Hanna, Senate President. The meeting was held in room 220 Aline Wilmot Skaggs.
Roll:
Senators: Stephen Alder, Lisa Aspinwall, Amanda Barusch, Joanna Bettmann, Tully Cathey, Kathy Chapman, Reaz Chaudhuri, Kuan Chen, Margaret (Mardie) Clayton, Ronald Coleman, Kevin DeLuca, Tina Diekmann, Lee Dibble, Marianna Di Paolo, Richard Dorsky, Richard Ernst, Leslie Francis, Sabine Fuhrmann, Robert Fujinami, Bruce Gale, Michael Gardner, Timothy Garrett, William M. Gershan, Franz Goller, Michael Goodman, Joan Gregory, Gary Grikscheit, Bill Johnson, Thad Hall, Rachel Hayes-Harb, Martin Horvath, Howard Horwitz, Eric Hutton, Bradley J. Katz, Todd Kramer, Stephen Lessnick, Anthea Letsou, Karl Lins, Kim Martinez, Teri J. Mauch, Heather Melton, Duncan Metcalf, Joseph Metz, Allyson Mower, Dragan Milicic, Patricia Murphy, Chris Myers, Rachel Nardo, Chris Pantelides, Chris Peterson, Martin Rechsteiner, Sean Redmond, Alison Regan, Gary Rose, Sonia Salari, Janet Shaw, Clough Shelton, Gregory Smoak, Jeff Stratman, Orest Symko, Norm Waitzman, Margaret Wan, Li Wang
Ex-officio: A Lorris Betz, Robert Flores, Vivian Lee, Paul Mogren, James Metherall, Octavio Villalpando, Chuck Wight, Amy Wildermuth, Shawnee Worsley
Others: Bonnie Jean Beesley, Martha Bradley, Annie Christensen, Alicia DeLeon, Ann Floor, Jay Graves, Clark Ivory, Andres Maricq, Cameron Martin, Susan Olsen, Robert Payne
Excused: Dave Pershing
Absent without Proxy: Bob Allen, George Cassiday, Sharee Lane, Anne Mooney, Chris Nelson, Andrea Rorrer, David Viskochil, Angela Yetman
Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the Academic Senate meeting on May 2, 2011, were approved following a motion from Howard Horwitz which was seconded by Eric Hutton.
Special Order of Business
This being the first Senate meeting of the year, Pat Hanna, Academic Senate President, held a vote to have Paul Mogren continue serving as senate parliamentarian and Bob Flores continue serving as Senate Institutional Policy Committee liaison, for the year. This passed unanimously.
Michael Goodman, acting for the Personnel and Elections Committee conducted a special election to fill two vacancies on the Executive Committee. Rachel Hayes-Harb, Linguistics (Senator for Humanities) and William Johnson, Geology and Geophysics (Senator for Mines & Earth Science), were selected to fill these seats.
Request for New Business
(See new business items below.)
Consent Calendar
The resignations retirements, faculty appointments, auxiliary and limited term appointments, appearing in the Appendices dated August 29, 2011, received approval to forward to the Board of Trustees as moved by Larry DeVries and seconded by Steve Alder.
Executive Committee Report
Robert Fujinami, Executive Committee Secretary, provided a summary of the Executive Committee meetings held on June 7, 2011, and August 15, 2011.
Report from Administration
Interim President Betz welcomed the University of Utah Presidential Search Committee to the senate meeting. The committee asked for feedback from the senators regarding the presidential search. All faculty and students are encouraged to provide feedback either by email to presidentialsearch@utahsbr.edu or through the presidential search website: http://presidentialsearch.utah.edu.
Report from ASUU
Neela Pack, ASUU President, reported to the Senate the students are currently working on Recycle Rice-Eccles, a project where recyclable materials from the stadium are retrieved by student volunteers. Rock the U is expanding its focus to faculty and staff, not just students this year. This annual fundraiser for cancer research will include a 5K race, dance marathon and basketball tournament.
Notice of Intent
Ed Barbanell, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, gave a brief description of the proposed revision of Policy 6-003 that adds two new standing members to the Curriculum Policy Review Board. On motions made by Marianna Di Paolo and seconded by Leslie Francis, the proposal was first moved to the Debate Calendar, and then voted on and approved unanimously.
Debate Calendar
A proposal for the Center for Extreme Data Management Analysis and Visualization (CEDMAV) was presented by Valerio Pascucci. The CEDMAV is collaboration between School of Computing and the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI). With the increasing demand with technology and the storing of data this has become an issue throughout the world. This program would cover multiple departments and support theoretical and algorithmic research, systems development and tool deployment. A motion from Thad Hall to approve the proposal was seconded by Karl Lines ; the motion passed.
Andres Villu Maricq presented the proposal for the Center for Cell and Genome Science (CCGS). The center brings unique focus to fundamental questions in biology and medicine. The CCGS will partner with existing departments in the College of Science, the college of Engineering and the School of Medicine. A motion from Martin Rechsteiner to approve the proposal was seconded by Kuan Chen; the motioned passed.
The name change for the degree MS in pharmacotherapy to MS in Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research & Health Policy was presented by Michael Goodman. This change will make the MS degree consistent with the name of the PhD degree program. A motion was made by Bruce Gale to approve the proposal; the motion passed.
Information Calendar
The information calendar included a report of the Executive Committee’s summer recess action on new rule R1-007A Demonstrations and Picketing at Health Care Facilities, which the University President initially adopted as an Interim Rule (per Policy 1-001), and which the Executive Committee had then approved as a permanent Rule, acting on behalf of the Senate during the Senate’s summer recess (per Policy 6-002 Sec.4-A-1-i).
Robert Payne, Associate General Counsel explained that the Rule implements the overall University Speech Policy 1-007, by providing specific guidance to those demonstrating or picketing near facilities which provide patient care. It ensures patients’ safe access to facilities while still allowing for opportunities for exercise of free speech. The Rule was developed in response to a series of picketing activities at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, which had interfered with the flow of the patient drop-off area and had resulted in a number of patient complaints. When University officials attempted to instruct the picketers to move a safe distance back from the Hospital entryway, the picketing organization’s attorney asserted that the existing Policy 1-007 was insufficiently specific to serve as a basis for directing the picketing activities away from patients, and threatened legal action. The Rule was developed to provide greater specificity. Once the Interim Rule was implemented and enforcement began, the picketing organization complied, and has continued picketing to the present time, at a safe distance from patients accessing the Hospital.
Senators raised concerns about the adequacy of protection of free speech rights under the new Rule, focusing on what facilities would be covered by the Rule, and particularly on a provision restricting picketers from trampling on landscaping. Pursuant to the Senate’s authority for “reconsideration” of substantive decisions made by the Executive Committee during summer recess, a motion was made by Kim Martinez and seconded by Kevin DeLuca, to refer the Rule back to the Executive Committee for further discussion before placing it on the Debate Calendar of the October Senate meeting. There was a call for a division of the house, and the motion passed 39 ayes, 10 nays, 3 abstaining,
New Business
Associate VP for Faculty Amy Wildermuth gave an update on the Department of Ballet. The Ballet department has been placed into receivership, with law professor Linda Smith appointed as its acting chair. The graduate program has been suspended, this will not affect current students, but no new graduate students will be accepted. A report will be submitted to Senior Vice President David Pershing at the end of the academic year to determine if any of the restrictions should be modified.
Howard Horwitz presented a proposed resolution regarding the decision to close campus and cancel classes due to major events on campus (triggered by the recent weekday evening scheduling of a football game which attracted an unexpectedly large crowd), an issue that concerned many faculty. Associate VP Wildermuth explained the administration’s reasons for the recent closure decision, and invited further discussion to alleviate future concerns. From the discussion with the senators, they would like the following three issues addressed by the Executive Committee:
- How should the University manage declaring an emergency and evacuation of the campus during an emergency?
- What process should be used for deciding whether and when it is appropriate to close the University for a non-emergency?
- What types of non-emergency events warrant university closure (i.e. concerts, football games, etc.)?
A motion to have the Executive Committee discuss this and report back to the Senate was made by Richard Dorsky and seconded by Rachel Nardo. The motion passed.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Shawnee Worsley