REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
TO: Senators and Executives
FROM: Belinda Orzada, Vice President
University Faculty Senate
SUBJECT: Regular
Faculty Senate Meeting
In
accordance with Section IV, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, the regular meeting
of the University Faculty Senate will be held on Monday, October 4, 2010 at
4:00 p.m. in 104 Gore Hall. The General
Faculty meeting will be held this month as well. This meeting will begin at
I certify that hard copies of the approval page for each undergraduate and graduate studies academic item on the agenda are filed in the Faculty Senate Office with the appropriate signatures of approval up through the Chair of the Faculty Senate Coordinating Committee on Education. The Agenda will be as follows:
I.
Adoption of the Agenda – Approved
as presented
II.
Approval of the Minutes: September
13, 2010 – Approved as presented
III. Remarks: Provost Tom Apple
IV. Announcements: Senate President John Madsen
1.
Proposal to
Faculty Senate to consider the listing of particular religious holidays on the University
academic calendar. Has been reviewed by
Rules Committee, Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Committees and is under
review by the Executive Committee.
2. At the
April 2010 meeting of the University Faculty Senate a motion presented by
Senator James Morrison to appoint an ad hoc committee to investigate the impact
that responsibility based budgeting (RBB) is having on faculty governance and
academic quality at the University was seconded and approved.
The Executive Committee
of the Faculty Senate is working with the Committee on Committees and
Nominations (COCAN) to select the members of this ad hoc committee.
3. At the April 2010 meeting of the
University Faculty Senate a motion presented by Senator James Morrison that,
when there are plans by the administration for reorganization of units within
the University, the faculty members of the affected units be informed within
one week and the faculty members have an opportunity with sufficient time to
discuss the proposal and respond with their recommendations to the Dean and
Chair of those units.
Currently
in review by the Executive Committee
4. Resolution sponsored by Senators
Galileo, Bruening, Hastings, Morgan, Izard introduced
at
This
resolution has been sent to the Rules Committee for discussion
Presentations by:
Dean George Watson – Arts and Sciences
Dean Suzanne Austin – Education and Human Development
Hans-Jörg Busch, Chair, Adhoc Committee on Calendar Issues at UD
V. Consent Agenda
VI.
Regular
Agenda
1. Unfinished Business:
a. Resolutions: Approved
as amended below.
1. Recommendation from the Committee on Faculty Welfare and Privileges (Jan Blits, Chairperson) with the concurrence of the Rules Committee (Jack Baroudi, Chairperson) and the Executive Committee (John Madsen, Chairperson) for the request to replace the University’s 1979 Academic Freedom Statement with a more protective Academic Freedom Statement located in the Faculty Handbook Section 4: Personnel Policies for Faculty – Academic Freedom and Standards of Conduct – Academic Freedom Statement (attachment)
Whereas: a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision (Garcetti v. Ceballos, 547 U.S. 410 [2006]) and subsequent U.S. Circuit Court rulings, including one by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (Gorum v. Sessoms 08-1741 [2008]), have removed Constitutional protections for public university faculty and students in all areas of “professional duties” other than teaching and research, and
Whereas: the University of Delaware’s 1979
Academic Freedom Statement (www.udel.edu/provost/fachb/IV-B-1-acadfreedom.html
)does not specifically protect the freedom of
faculty and students to address matters of institutional policy and action or
to conduct institutional governance, be it therefore
Resolved: that the Faculty Senate approves replacing the University’s 1979 Academic Freedom Statement with the proposed Academic Freedom Statement as follows:
Academic freedom is the freedom
to teach, both in and outside the
classroom, to conduct research and other scholarly or creative activities,
and to publish or otherwise disseminate the results. Academic freedom also
encompasses the freedom to address any matter of institutional policy or action
whether or not as a member of any agency of institutional governance. Faculty have the freedom to address the larger community
with regard to any social, political, economic, or other interest. The freedoms enumerated in this policy apply
without institutional discipline or restraint save for statements or actions a)
that demonstrate disciplinary incompetence or b) that violate the University's
Professional Ethics Statement (as edited on 2/12/99) or c) the University's standards pertaining to
disruptive behavior (as adopted on 6/1/70). Alterations to sStatements
or actions a), b) or c) standards under b) made
subsequent to the senate’s adoption of this academic freedom policy do not
restrict the freedoms enumerated herein, unless a new limitation on academic freedom
is specifically approved by the senate. {See Amendment
Below} Academic responsibility implies the faithful
performance of professional duties and obligations, the recognition of the
demands of the scholarly enterprise, and the candor to make it clear that, when
one is speaking as a citizen on matters of public interest, one is not speaking
for the institution.
Amendment from the Senate
Floor Approved by Senators:
The
freedoms enumerated in this policy apply without institutional discipline or
restraint save for statements or actions a) that demonstrate disciplinary
incompetence or b) that violate the University's Professional Ethics Statement
(as edited on 2/12/99) or the University's standards pertaining to disruptive
behavior (as adopted on 6/1/70). Alterations
to Statements or standards under b) made subsequent to the senate’s adoption of
this academic freedom policy do not restrict the freedoms enumerated herein,
unless a new limitation on academic freedom is specifically approved by the
senate.
2. New Business: None
VII.
Introduction
of New Business:
Senator James Morrison asked the
Senate President to look into the 6-10 rule and if it’s being followed. Senator Morrison indicated he didn’t believe it
was being followed and wanted the Senate to look into it. President Madsen agreed that the Senate would
look into the issue.
No formal motion was made.
Such items as may come before the Senate. (No motion introduced under new business, except a motion to refer to committee, shall be acted upon until the next meeting of the Senate.)
/khs