Grundy Reporter

Illinois State Senate Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures met Sept. 13.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Present: Chair Shawn Gilmore, H. George Friedman, Michael Grossman, William Maher, Joyce Tolliver, Kelli Trei

Ex officio: Jessica Mette, Sharon Reynolds, Jenny Roether

Absent: Walter Deering, Kassim Jaffer

Ex officio:

Guest: Sarah Zehr (Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs)

I. CALL TO ORDER

A regular meeting of the Senate Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures (SP) was called to order at 11:00 am with Chair Gilmore presiding.

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of the August 30, 2021 meeting were approved as distributed by roll call vote.

Yes: Friedman, Gilmore, Grossman, Maher, Tolliver, Trei

No: None

Abstain: None

III. PUBLIC COMMENT

No requests received.

IV. CHAIR’S REMARKS

Chair Gilmore noted that the focus of today’s meeting will be SP.20.05 (Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.8 – Senate Committee on Educational Policy and Standing Rule 13 – Formation, Termination, Separation, Transfer, Merger, Change in Status, and Renaming of Units) and SP.22.01 (Proposed Revisions to the Statutes (USC ST-83)). He commented that both items need some work before being put into proposal format for line-by-line review.

Chair Gilmore reported that he has reminded the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) that SP has some concerns regarding the proposal to change the name of the Conference on Conduct Governance (SP.21.05, Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.7 – Conference on Conduct Governance). He suggested that a discussion at the SEC level including the Chair of the Conference on Conduct Governance and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline should happen before any textual changes are made in the Bylaws.

V. OLD BUSINESS

SP.19.15, Proposed Revisions to the Statutes, Article IV, Section 1 – The Department, Section 2 – Department Organized with a Chair, Section 3 – Department Organized with a Head, and Section 4 – Change of Departmental Organization

No new discussion.

SP.20.05, Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.8 – Senate Committee on Educational Policy and Standing Rule 13 – Formation, Termination, Separation, Transfer, Merger, Change in Status, and Renaming of Units

Updated wording was received from the Senate Committee on Educational Policy (EP). Chair Gilmore gave an overview of the suggested revisions and noted that this version is substantially different than the previous version that SP reviewed in January 2021. SP noted concern with the narrative to describe EP that was proposed to be added to the beginning of the Bylaws, Part D.8.

A mapping of the differences between the EP version and the last SP version will be drafted for review at the next meeting. It was suggested to invite Linda Moorhouse, Chair of EP, to a future meeting to discuss the suggested revisions.

SP.20.07, Revision to the Bylaws, Part E (Governing and Advisory Bodies) and Part F (Senate Representatives to Other Bodies)

No new discussion.

SP.20.23, Proposed Revisions to the Statutes, Article I, Section 5 – Chancellors and Vice Presidents, Article II, Section 3a(1) – Faculty Role in Governance, and Article III, Section 1 – The Campus

No new discussion.

SP.20.25, Revision to Senate Governing Documents Regarding Emergencies No new discussion.

SP.21.05, Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.7 – Conference on Conduct Governance See Chair’s Remarks for additional information.

SP.21.09, Revision to the Bylaws, Part F.5 (Evaluation of the Chancellor) The updated draft proposal was sent prior to the meeting. SP reviewed and revised the draft. It will be updated for further review at the next meeting.

SP.21.10, Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.1.c – Senate Executive Committee, Membership

Chair Gilmore will prepare a draft document based on the feedback that was received from the Committee of the Whole discussion held at the April 26, 2021 Senate meeting.

SP.21.11, Revision to the Bylaws, Part A.1 – Meetings (Speaker of the Senate) Chair Gilmore will prepare a draft document based on the feedback that was received from the Committee of the Whole discussion held at the April 26, 2021 Senate meeting.

VI. NEW BUSINESS

SP.22.01, Proposed Revisions to the Statutes (USC ST-83)

Proposed revisions to the Statutes were received from University Senates Conference (USC). The revisions include clarifications of “faculty” and “staff” throughout the Statutes and a reorganization of Articles IX and X. Chair Gilmore identified the overview of these proposed changes included in USC’s transmittal letter and some potential early items of concern, including the removal of “academic staff” from the Statutes.

Tolliver and Maher are members of the USC Statutes and Governance Committee so provided an overview of the proposed revisions.

It was noted that SP will want to be timely in its review of the proposed revisions and forwarding of the document to the Senate.

SP will discuss this issue further at the next meeting.

VII. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 pm.

https://uofi.app.box.com/v/USSP/file/865363363269