Minutes of the University Committee
for January 28, 2003

Call to Order - The meeting was called to order at 2:05 PM by Prof Peggy James, Chair. Present in addition were Profs John Buenker, James Kinchen, Don Kummings, Greg Mayer, Gary Wood, members, and Prof Walter Feldt, Secretary of the Faculty, and, at 2:30 PM, Profs Rose Moore, Clara New and Simon Akindes.

Business - Academic Misconduct Committee

Prof James reported that Dean of Students Steve McLaughlin had asked her for 3-4 faculty representatives for a committee to study "the growing problem of student academic misconduct." Several possible nominees were discussed and Prof Feldt was asked to follow. Dean McLaughlin also suggested having some workshops on the issue.

Coordination of General Education

With Prof Duetsch's retirement, the interim plan is have Prof Jerry Greenfield coordinate General Education for the spring semester.

Committee on the Transformation of the Education of Educators - Meeting with Teacher Education Faculty

At the request of Prof Rose Moore, Chair of the Teacher Education Department, the Committee met with departmental faculty (TEDU) to discuss the work of the administrative Committee on the Transformation of the Education of Educators (CTEE). Profs Moore, Clara New and Simon Akindes attended. Prof Moore asked the Committee to suspend the work of the CTEE under the provisions of the Spoto Decision, which concerns the prerogatives of faculty vis a vis the Chancellor (see Wis Stats 36.09).
Some Committee members were not at all clear that the Spoto decision applied to this case, especially since the CTEE has yet to issue any findings or recommendations. More basically, the TEDU faculty was concerned that their governance rights were being usurped. Prof James tried to focus discussion on the procedural issues involved, but several Committee members often spoke of perceived problems with the Teacher Education program. It was pointed out that the TEDU faculty was represented on the CTEE by Prof Moore. The TEDU faculty thought that this representation was inadequate and continued to challenge the legitimacy of the CTEE. Prof Moore asserted that such study committees were a threat to all other academic departments on campus in that the departments had control over their academic programs under faculty policy. Prof James had to leave at 3:55 PM. Prof Buenker, as Vice Chair, then presided. Further discussion resulted in the following motion:

Resolved, that the Faculty Senate recommends that the work of the Teacher Transformation Committee be suspended until a larger discussion concerning the issues involved be conducted among the Teacher Education faculty, the administration and the Teacher Transformation Committee.