Minutes
of the University Council Meeting
The
fall, 2004 University Council meeting was convened at
President
Kupchella called the meeting to order and welcomed special guests: Mayor Mike
Brown; State Board of Higher Education members, Bev Clayburgh and Kayla
Effertz; Senator Ray Holmberg; Grand Forks City Council member, Curt Kreun;
State Legislator, Lonny Winrich; and Congressman Earl Pomeroy.
President
Kupchella started his State of the University Address titled, “Taking it up yet
another notch,” by stating that the University of North Dakota “stands as the
largest, most heavily endowed, most complete University in a very large region
of the Upper Midwest.” He announced that
an updated strategic plan will be presented at the end of the year that will
give a more comprehensive report of our progress. He went on to highlight progress that has
been made in enrollment, research funding, program development, and the
construction and renovation of the University’s physical assets.
President
Kupchella reported on the University’s commercialization complex, the Bronson
property developments, facility improvements, and the new Summer Haven program.
President
Kupchella recognized many faculty and staff in attendance whose accomplishments
of the past year have been especially noteworthy.
President
Kupchella reviewed challenges and opportunities for the coming year. Challenges include: tuition increases, the post-911 environment,
expanding underserved minority populations, and the reauthorization of the
Higher Education Act. Opportunities
include: health and wellness, Centers of
Excellence, enrollment, development, intercollegiate athletics, and legislative
strategy. He went on to ask that all
individual faculty and staff focus on contributing to the strategic plan for
the University.
President
Kupchella introduced Walter Tschacher, past chair of the 2003-04 University
Senate, and turned the meeting over to him.
Mr. Tschacher began the University Senate activities report by thanking
the numerous Senate committee members, the members of the Senate and the Office
of the Registrar staff for their hard work and support of University Senate. The members present at the meeting were
recognized.
Mr.
Tschacher highlighted several issues approved by University Senate during
2003-04. Academic issues included: revisions to the undergraduate academic
probation/suspension/dismissal policy; endorsement of a one-semester pilot
project to evaluate web-based course description and faculty biography project;
and revision to the policy regarding graduate school membership for faculty
pursuing graduate degrees. Faculty
issues included: revision to the copyright
policy, a change in the Senate Scholarly Activities Committee membership;
support of a revision to the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education
policy on the selection of textbooks and other curricular materials; and a
resolution regarding the 15-day pay lag.
Revisions were also made to the Senate bylaws and standing rules.
Mr.
Tschacher then turned the meeting over to Jim Grijalva, current chair of the
2004-05 University Senate. Mr. Grijalva
began his status report by reminding the Council that the University
constitution authorizes the University Senate to exercise “all of the
(legislative) powers of the (University) Council.” He stated that this year, that work will
entail monitoring and participating as necessary in activities of the State
Legislature, the State Board of Higher Education, the President’s Planning and
Budget Committee, and the Council of Deans.
Mr.
Grijalva reported that two of the more substantive areas the Senate expects to
be involved in this year include: 1) the implementation of the University’s
student assessment plan; and 2) President Kupchella’s directive to the Council
of Deans to “undertake a complete review of our current array of program
offerings.”
Mr.
Grijalva called for questions from the floor or items to be addressed. There were none. The fall, 2004 meeting of the University
Council was adjourned at
Respectfully
submitted,
Nancy
Krogh, Council Secretary