Present: Matthew Ando, Rick Kar, Richard Laugesen, Walter McMahon, David O’Brien, Robert Parker, Leslie Struble (electronic); H. F. Williamson; Guests: Jennifer Delaney, Michael Grossman
The meeting began at about 12:35 p.m. with O’Brien presiding.
- Introductions. O’Brien introduced Jennifer Delaney, the Public University Faculty Representative on the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
- Review of the Minutes for October 3, 2019 Meeting of Policy Committee. The minutes were approved.
- Comment Period Opportunity for guests to provide information to the Committee. (Period will last 5 – 10 minutes maximum)
- President’s Report. O’Brien distributed and discussed the October 3, 2019 President’s Monthly Report. He noted that the date for the annual Promotion and Tenure Workshop will be April 16, President Killeen has proposed March 12 as a date for the meeting of our leaders with members of the Board of Trustees, and he continues to work with the Chancellor’s office to arrange a date to meet with him and the Provost. He also summarized the discussion at the last Senate meeting of SP.17.12 at which the proposal passed though it was attached to a statement to the Board of Trustees regarding a concern raised by Bruce Rosenstock concerning the freedom of faculty to contest administrative decisions without fear of reprisal.
- Review of fall schedule of meetings: The final meeting of the Policy Committee will be Thursday, December 12 at 12:30 p.m. in 217 Illini Union.
- Review of spring schedule of meetings
- Regular Policy Committee Meetings: at 12:30 p.m. in 217 Illini Union
- January 23 (third Thursday; instruction begins Jan. 21; King Holiday is Jan. 20);
- February 20 (third Thursday);
- March 12 (second Thursdays) (spring vacation starts March 14)
- April 16 (third Thursday);
- May 7 (first Thursday, Reading Day)
- Promotion and Tenure Workshop: 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in 314A Illini Union.
- Date of Annual Meeting: to be determined. May 12 is the Tuesday of final examination week, the day chosen for recent Annual Meetings.
- Regular Policy Committee Meetings: at 12:30 p.m. in 217 Illini Union
- Presentation on the current activities of the IBHE from Jennifer Delaney. Delaney is the Public University Faculty member of the IBHE. She discussed activities of the Board on such issues as the bases (e.g., input-based vs. output-based) being proposed or used for determining the level state funding and the impact of ; the increasing privatization of “public” higher education. O’Brien thanked her for the report and noted we hope to continue this contact with her.
- Governance Survey. Esfahani was unable to attend to make his report. In the President’s Report, O’Brien reported that his efforts to encourage participation had included asking the News-Gazette to prepare a story, speaking at the September Senate meeting, and encouraging the Provost’s Office to send a reminder to the faculty. There were 229 responses (about 12 percent response rate) that came from a wide range of departments.
- Discussion of Sexual Harassment Report. At the December meetings we will prepare for the meeting with administration representatives to discuss the report. Each member of the Committee was urged to read the report to prepare for the meeting. The link to the report is: http://publish.illinois.edu/office-of-the-provost/files/2019/10/Final-Report-Task-Force-on-Faculty-Sexual-Misconduct.pdf
- Discussion of Chancellor’s Massmail Regarding Antisemitism. There are a number of concerning issues raised by this mailing, including issues related to academic freedom. The link to the mailing is:
https://massmail.illinois.edu/massmail/28689.html - Topic for Annual Meeting. O’Brien ask that the members start thinking ahead of a possible topic for the Annual meeting noting that possible topics that have been suggested:
- money, politics and the university (specifically, the impact of donations from politically motivated groups)
- the revision of the Statutes (including the recent debate about a clause addressing the Garcetti case)
- sexual harassment policy
- definition of and appropriate responses to hate on campus
- Adjournment. There were no reports so the meeting adjourned at about 1:36 p.m. As noted above, the next Policy Committee meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. on December 12, 2019 in 217 Illini Union.