Summary Report for UIUC AAUP Policy Committee Meeting on November 13, 2006

Present: Abbas Aminmansour, Geneva Belford, Lynn Belford, Connie Caveny, Bettina Francis, Harry Hilton, Walter McMahon, John Prussing, Arthur Robinson, Robert Spitze, Donald Uchtmann, H. F. Williamson

(1) The minutes for October 16, 2006 were approved.

(2) Report on Meeting with Jane Buck and Participation in Tribute to Cary Nelson. Those attending provided summaries of the meeting with Buck and the sessions at the Tribute.

(3) Impacts of a Restrictive University Policy on Faculty Re-hires. Uchtmann wrote a note to Associate Provost Rawles expressing our pleasure at the fact that the new policy had been implemented and noting that there may still be departments unaware of what has occurred. Rawles replied thanking him for the information and noting that it would be taken into account in future communications from her office.

(4) Global Campus Initiative (GCI). Aminmansour described the procedures the Senate is following to review the GCI. He is the member of the Task Force making a review for the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) who will get a draft of the report at today’s SEC meeting. The Task Force will meet with President White and Chet Gardner on Wednesday to discuss their conclusions. The SEC will report to the Senate at its next meeting on December 4, the last Senate meeting before a report is to be provided to President White on December 19. Hilton noted that the Senate Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee has also reviewed the GCI. They have concerns about the lack of faculty governance in the program and the degree to which instructors will have academic freedom. As at the October meeting, there was general concern about the speed with which the proposal was being made and the lack of information available to those who are attempting to evaluate the initiative such as members of the Senate, the Senate Executive Committee (SEC), and the University Senates Conference (USC). Some of the other items discussed were: (a) how quality will be assured; (b) the role of the other campuses and the USC; (c) how the project will be financed; (d) what decision-making procedures are being used; (e) who will have control over the courses; (f) how this will affect on-line programs already established on campus in particular and the reputation of the University in general; and (g) the impact on other institutions such as Parkland College. Spitze urged Uchtmann to maintain our review of the procedures that are being followed in this review. G. Belford noted that this is in line with the AAUP’s interest in being sure that faculty play a significant governance role in such matters.

(5) Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee. Robinson reported that he has a second case that involves an individual appealing the department’s decision not to propose to the College that individual be promoted. In the other case first reported in October, an appeal has been prepared.