Galesburg Reporter

University of Illinois Senate Executive Committee met Nov. 29.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Present: Chair Rob Kar, Vice-Chair John Dallesasse, Nicole Arnold, Mike Bohlmann, Nicholas Burbules, Richard Gegg, Shawn Gilmore, Gay Miller, Linda Moorhouse, JJ Pionke, Chaya Sandler, Helga Varden

Ex officio: Chancellor Robert Jones

Absent: Prasanta Kalita, Kim Graber, Dana Yun

Guests: William Bernhard (Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs), Andreas Cangellaris (Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Provost), Sean Garrick (Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), Chris Harris (Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Public Affairs), Robin Kaler (Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs), Stacey Lowery Bretz (Fellow, American Council on Education), Angela Lyons (Chair, Faculty & Academic Staff Benefits), Kathy Martensen (Associate Provost for Educational Programs & Success Initiatives), Susan Martinis (Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation), Sharon Reynolds (Associate Provost for Faculty Employee Relations), Bruce Rosenstock (faculty senator, LAS), Christopher Span (Chief of Staff & Associate Chancellor for Administration and PreK-12 Initiatives), Allison Vance (Content Strategy Director, Public Affairs)

I. CALL TO ORDER 

A regular meeting of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) was called to order at 3:10 pm with Chair Kar presiding.

II. PUBLIC COMMENT 

No requests received.

III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 

The minutes of the November 8, 2021 meeting were approved as distributed by roll call vote.

Yes: Kar, Dallesasse, Arnold, Bohlmann, Burbules, Gegg, Gilmore, Miller, Moorhouse, Pionke, Sandler, Varden

No: None

Abstain: None

IV. APPROVAL OF FLOOR PRIVILEGES 

Rosenstock requested floor privileges to speak to RS.22.01, Resolution Regarding Notification of University Personnel in Cases of Students with Highly Infectious Diseases. Floor privileges were granted by roll call vote.

Yes: Kar, Dallesasse, Arnold, Bohlmann, Burbules, Gegg, Gilmore, Miller, Moorhouse, Pionke, Sandler, Varden

No: None

Abstain: None

V. CHAIR’S REMARKS 

Kar noted how well shared governance worked over the past couple of years during the pandemic and hopes it will continue to work well.

VI. CHANCELLOR’S REMARKS 

Jones welcomed everyone back from fall break and noted that the end of the semester is a stressful point in the semester. The SHIELD Team continues to monitor COVID-19 numbers. The family gathering, travel, and cold weather moving us indoors may create an increase in positive cases. Targeted testing will be increased when necessary. There is a new variant of COVID, the Omicron variant. It might be weaker, but more easily transmitted between individuals. The Omicron variant has not been detected in the US at this time. Jones urged unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated, those vaccinated to get the booster vaccination, and to follow face covering guidelines. SHIELD testing will be able to identify the Omicron variant.

Jones reminded attendees that this Thursday is the annual State of the University address at noon in-person at the Illini Union and will be live streamed as well. Provost Cangellaris will moderate the questions and answers portion after Chancellor’s formal remarks.

VII. OLD BUSINESS 

SC.21.05, Review of Senate Committees in Response to the 2018 Governance Audit SEC members reviewed the recommendations from the subcommittee that are listed in the spreadsheet along with additional comments from SEC.

Recommendation #8

Kar suggested a possible revision to the Bylaws tasking the SEC Chair with inviting the chairs of committees listed in Parts E and F to an SEC meeting to provide an annual update to the SEC. Gilmore reiterated that the committees in Parts E and F are not Senate committees.

Recommendation #9

SEC recommended updating the SEC Bylaws regarding the USC member to read “one of the Senate's representatives to the University Senates Conference who shall report regularly to the Senate Executive Committee”. Burbules suggested adding something about the USC member serving as a liaison in both directions, to and from the USC.

Recommendation #10

Dallesasse reported that the Senate Committee on Campus Operations (CO) do not feel it is feasible to add research duties to the CO Bylaws. SEC suggested creating a new Senate Committee on Research. Miller volunteered to join the subcommittee of Burbules, Dallesasse, and Gilmore.

Recommendation #11

Chair Kar will reach out to the Chair of the Senate Committee on Admissions (AD) to get more specific information on what AD would request be changed in the Bylaws regarding membership.

Recommendation #12

Kar suggested the SEC Chair and Vice-Chair reach out to the Senate Committee Chairs to make sure the administrative liaison position is working effectively. Burbules gave the example of how GP works with the ex officio administrative liaison on GP. Burbules added that there is a need for reciprocity and respect in both directions. Kar suggested a form email be sent annually to the administrative liaison. Bohlmann, Burbules, Dallesasse, and Kar will work with committees to review the nature and purpose of its partnership with its administrative liaison.

Recommendation #13

Burbules noted that he assisted in compiling guidelines for chairing a Senate committee. Kar suggested reviewing this document at the next regular SEC meeting. Pionke expressed concern about the lack of mentorship in becoming a committee chair. Dallesasse suggested that 10-15 minutes be set aside each SEC meeting for a committee chair or two to give a report on what their committee is currently working on. This time slot will be added to the SEC agenda template. Varden suggested integrating review of the chairing a Senate committee document into the meeting when the SEC Chair and Vice-Chair meet with all chairs each fall. Only chairs that are not on SEC would be invited to this meeting.

Recommendation #14

Burbules suggested taking excerpts from the Bylaws to create a document the importance of the committees and not only each committee’s duties. Gilmore suggested requesting a short paragraph from each committee chair on the importance of each committee.

Recommendation #1

A couple of SEC members suggested inviting H. George Friedman to participate in the discussion of broader policy roles regarding committees and possibly discuss the Bylaws of each committee versus the current activities of each committee. Varden suggested incorporating this evaluation into the spring meeting with the non-SEC chairs.

Kar suggested discussing the Research Policy Committee in Part F of the Bylaws and the necessity of each Senate committee at an upcoming SEC meeting. SEC will review committees to determine if each committee is necessary, appropriately charged, and appropriately structured.

SC.22.03, Election of a Graduate Student Member to the 2021-2022 Committee on Committees 

Kar will contact Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, Dean of the Graduate College, to encourage graduate students to become senators to meet the eligibility requirements of serving on Committee on Committees.

RS.22.02, Resolution Regarding Notification of University Personnel in Cases of Students with Highly Infectious Diseases 

Rosenstock noted that he met with the Senate Committee on General University Policy (GP) mainly to address legal concerns related to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996). Rosenstock still plans to meet with the Senate Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EQ) for additional feedback. The resolution is in response to concerns to safety in the classroom and requests additional deidentified information from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department (CUPHD). Due to time constraints, EQ will provide informal consultation since the next EQ meeting is after the December Senate meeting.

SEC will decide where to place RS.22.02 on the December 6, 2021 Senate agenda when setting the December Senate agenda.

VIII. NEW BUSINESS 

Spring 2022 Senate and Committee Meeting Modality 

Kar noted that the Senate and Senate Committees will continue to meet remotely unless the Governor’s disaster proclamation is no longer in effect.

Setting of the December 6, 2021 Senate Meeting Agenda 

The agenda was approved as amended by roll call vote.

Yes: Kar, Dallesasse, Arnold, Bohlmann, Burbules, Gegg, Gilmore, Miller, Moorhouse, Pionke, Sandler, Varden

No: None

Abstain: None

Urbana Senate Observer for the Board of Trustees Meeting on January 20, 2022 at the University of Illinois Chicago 

Pionke volunteered to serve as the Urbana Senate Observer at the January 20, 2022 Board meeting.

Additional New Business 

Burbules reported that a presentation by the University Senates Conference (USC) will be made to the Board of Trustees. Anecdotes about what faculty members have done in response to the pandemic, the choices that faculty have made, and how faculty are dealing with stress and mental health will be included in the presentation. If SEC members have additional anecdotes, please send them to Burbules.

IX. ADJOURNMENT 

The meeting was adjourned at 5:03 pm.

https://uofi.app.box.com/v/SenateExecutiveCommittee/file/923115493890