PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY

TACOMA, WA  98447

 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY

Friday, April 20, 2001

Leraas Auditorium

 

 

Call to Order – Norris Peterson, faculty president, called the meeting to order at 4:07 p.m.

 

Opening Prayer – Dennis Sepper offered the opening prayer.

 

Approval of Minutes – The minutes of the March 9^th meeting were approved as submitted.

 

Motion to Suspend the Rules – Ed Inch, Communications and Theater, moved to allow representatives from the Mooring Mast to attend the meeting under the condition that they not attribute stated opinions to any specific source.  Motion Passed.

Laura Polcyn, Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Services, moved to allow Greg Brewis, Executive Director, University Communications and Katherine Hedland, Director of News and Information Services, to attend.  Motion PASSED.
A motion was made to allow representatives from all student media in addition to those in the Mooring Mast to attend.  Motion PASSED.

 

Announcements and Communications – Philip Nordquist, History, announced that the first forums sponsored by the 2010 Commission start the week of April 23, 2001.  Faculty are encouraged to attend.
Chuck Bergman, English, reminded the Assembly that the week of April 23, 2001 is also the 31^st Earth Week.  Faculty members are invited to check the PLU homepage for a schedule of the numerous planned activities.

 

Reports- Patricia Killen, Religion, Chair of the Rank and Tenure Committee, identified a committee concern that the junior faculty are receiving mixed messages about the requirements to attain tenure.  As a result, the Rank and Tenure Committee will review how current practices and procedures in the various academic units and the institution as a whole affect tenure expectations.  Open for discussion:  How can we improve the tenure consideration process to be more fair, consistent and transparent?  Comments, questions and suggestions followed.

 

Question and Answer Period – [No questions were submitted to President Anderson]

 

Old Business – none

 

New Business – Nancy Neudauer, Mathematics, Chair of the Governance Committee, moved that “the faculty authorizes faculty participation on the Ad Hoc Committee proposed by President Anderson to conduct the search for a new Provost.”  Three (3) positions were defined:  two for the Arts and Sciences (one from the senior faculty; one from the junior faculty) and one from the professional schools (either senior or junior faculty).  The motion PASSED.  Nominations from the floor were invited.
The final nominations:

Position 1 (Senior): A. Bill Greenwood, Physics; B. Sharon Jansen, English; C. Dennis Martin, English (floor nomination)
Position 2 (Junior): A. Jennifer Hasty, Anthropology; B. Greg Johnson, Philosophy; Position 3 (Senior or Junior):  A. Steve Thrasher, Business; B. Karen McConnell, Physical Education; C. Peter Ehrenhaus, Communication and Theater (floor nomination).

Nancy Neudauer further offered faculty names to fill 19 positions for faculty committees for 2001-02.  For Position 11 (Instructional Resources Committee) Richard Farner, Music, was nominated to replace Jerry Kracht, Music, who will be in phased retirement next year.  For position 16 (Rank and Tenure) Michael Brown, Psychology, was nominated to replace Ann Kelleher, Political Science, after a motion was made to allow her name to be removed because of other commitments.  Motion PASSED.

Nancy Neudauer, for the Governance Committee, identified for the forthcoming ROTC proposal vote which of the assembled were allowed to cast a vote:  tenure track faculty and administrators with faculty status.  Those with voice, but no vote, were clinical, part-time and visiting faculty.  Dana Zaichkin, Nursing, raised a point of order to challenge this ruling based upon the past voting practices of the Assembly, wishing clinical faculty to have a vote.  Faculty president Peterson sought advice from the Assembly.  Discussion followed.  Provost Paul Menzel identified potential ambiguity regarding clinical assistant professors as being distinct from visiting assistant professors.  The Chair ruled to allow clinical assistant professors to vote today.  (Not resolved is whether or not page 40 of the Faculty Code will need to be revised for clarification for future voting issues).

Christine Moon, Psychology, Chair of the Educational Policies Committee, offered the motion for PLU to become a host institution for the Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) as specified in “Attachment B” to the meeting agenda.  There were three (3) parts to the motion, and the first part was offered for discussion:

“Therefore, let it be resolved that:  Pacific Lutheran University accept the offer to become a host institution for the Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps, and hence that:

A Department of Military Science will be created;

The Senior cadet member will be appointed by the president as Professor of Military Science, with rank of professor, and chairperson of the Department of Military Science after consultation with the Provost.

The Department of Military Science will be provided facilities equal to the facilities provided to other departments or other elements of the school.”

Chair Peterson identified that approximately one hour would be allowed for discussion.  He also identified that over a nine day period without a signature venue, students against the ROTC proposal had gathered 136 signatures; and that over a four-day period with a signature table in front of the UC, students in support of the ROTC proposal had gathered 771 signatures.

Laura Majovski, Dean of Student Life, read a letter from ASPLU which took a neutral stance, neither in favor of the ROTC proposal or against the proposal, referencing the diverse group of constituents served by ASPLU.

Discussion of the first part of the proposal followed.  At 6:31 p.m., a motion was entertained to call the question (a non-debatable motion).  Motion PASSED.

 

A motion was made to suspend the rules and allow all eligible faculty, whether present or not to cast their vote.  Motion FAILED.

A motion was made to suspend the rules and allow all full-time faculty regardless of status (includes affiliate faculty) the right to vote.  Motion FAILED.

 

A written ballot was conducted, twice – counted and resulted in:
                Yes/Accept:   80
                No/Reject:      62

Abstention:            1
                Blank Ballot:            1
                Total Ballots        144

A voice vote was taken on the second part of the proposal:  “Let it be further resolved that:  the Department of Military Science report to the Office of Special Academic Programs.”  Motion PASSED.

A voice vote was taken on the third, and final, part of the proposal:

“Let it be further resolved that:  the Department of Military Science be represented on the Educational Policies Committee by the provost or the provost’s designee.”  Motion PASSED.

 

Adjournment – Norris Peterson, frayed, but still standing, adjourned the (where did they all come from??) group at 6:48 p.m. Thus ended an experience filled with “episodes of eloquence.”

 

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

 

Steven Thrasher,
Faculty Secretary