A Message from the Chair
Professor Jennifer Goodnough, chair, Senate/Faculty Consultative Committees
As another fall semester of shared governance wraps up, I’m reminded that through the dedication (and perhaps stubbornness) of our senators, committees, University Senate Office staff, and senate leadership we can move important things forward.
We’ve continued to work to sustain and even build momentum around the Workforce Reinvestment: Rebuilding a Better U for Employees Resolution (WRR), which the University Senate passed in 2023. I’m pleased to report that the focus on the WRR has expanded beyond shared governance and the Board of Regents (BOR) has named to “chart a financially sustainable course to invest in retaining and rewarding the University's talented faculty and staff" as one of their priorities for the year. As a result, the BOR has created a new Special Committee on the University Workforce, which will “... focus on employee compensation and benefits, employee engagement, and workforce development across the system…” At their December meeting, the Regents reviewed the WRR priorities and learned of the Workforce Resolution Governance Committee (WRGC) structure proposed by President Cunningham to carry forward the work. Compensation is specifically highlighted in this year’s legislative budget request, which was approved at the October BOR meeting with the words “the University must invest in its workforce” backed up with a proposed ask of the legislature and corresponding commitment from the University side. The sustained momentum of the WRR is noted in a Chronicle of Higher Education article, "Colleges Are Still Failing Their Employees."
We also have been successful in the multi-year effort on "unit statements." In December, the University Senate overwhelmingly approved a draft policy, Position Statements on Matters of Public Concern. The discussions around such a policy started in 2022, and in February 2024, a resolution passed at the Faculty Senate in which the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee (AF&T) asked to write a report on the issue. As part of the administrative response, a Presidential Task Force on Institutional Speech was formed and charged. The report from AF&T recommended allowing unit statements and was foundational to the work of the Task Force per its charge. The Task Force on Institutional Speech brought a draft of their report and draft policy, procedures, etc. to the October University Senate meeting for discussion, and that recommended allowing unit statements with clearly defined restrictions, requirements, and responsibility. The president and her policy team will now carry this work forward.
I wish you a semester break as productive or refreshing as you need it to be.
The Big Issues
Digital Accessibility
This fall, the Office of Digital Accessibility (ODA) visited several University Senate Governance committees, including the Disabilities Issues Committee, the Senate Committee on Information Technologies, Senate Committee on Educational Policy, the Equity, Access, and Diversity Committee, and the Faculty, P&A, and Civil Service Consultative Committees to introduce the new ADA regulations on digital accessibility. The current Administrative Policy: Accessibility of Information Technology will be replaced by the updated Accessibility of Digital Content policy, which implements the new federal regulations. The new law and policy require University digital materials, including websites, Canvas, communications, mobile apps, and multimedia, to meet the accessibility standards established in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA by April 2026. Proactive compliance is encouraged to avoid retroactive accommodations. The ODA will provide training, support, and resources to units systemwide to assist with implementing the new policy and legal requirements. Each college or vice president unit will have an assigned digital accessibility liaison, and faculty will have access to the ODA for support.
Over the next few months, the University Senate Office will work with ODA to ensure our website, minutes, and other documents comply with the standards.
Governance Responses to Protests
The Twin Cities campus has seen notable protest activity related to the ongoing conflict in Palestine. In October, a group of students occupied Morrill Hall. The occupiers were arrested and detained by the University of Minnesota Police Department. One of those detained was a student reporting for the The Minnesota Daily. The reporter’s detainment created additional controversy around the situation and prompted the creation of a resolution.
The resolution, titled Resolution Censuring the University of Minnesota Police Department Regarding the Improper Detainment of a Minnesota Daily Reporter, was authored by student senator Chase Krug. The Council of Graduate Students, the Undergraduate Student Government, and the Executive Committee of the Twin Cities chapter of the American Association of University Professors provided formal endorsements of the resolution.
The resolution was considered and passed by the Student Senate at their October meeting. Resolutions that pass the Student Senate are sent to the Office of the President and require a response from the administration. The resolution was also entered as new business at the University Senate later that day, but the resolution failed to meet the two thirds majority threshold required for immediate consideration, and the matter was referred to the University Senate’s steering committee, the Senate Consultative Committee (SCC). The University Senate held a special meeting on November 15 to consider the resolution, but the vote to approve the resolution did not pass.
The University Senate has previously addressed matters around the Palestine conflict. The body passed a position statement in Support of A Ceasefire and The Immediate Release of All Captives. The statement began as a resolution and eventually evolved into its current form after collaboration with the Student Senate, University Senate, and the SCC.
PEAK
The PEAK (Positioned for Excellence, Alignment, and Knowledge) initiative is a systemwide strategy supporting the University’s MPact 2025 goals, aimed at streamlining key services such as finance, human resources, information technology, and communications to enhance efficiency and equity. Introduced by former President Gabel in 2021, PEAK is structured into four phases. Phase 1 was implemented in December 2023 and included the Law School, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and system campuses, among other units. Phase 2 is currently underway and will be fully implemented in 2025. This fall, PEAK leadership visited the Senate Committee on Finance and Planning, the Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs, and the Civil Service Consultative Committee to provide an implementation update. They also presented to the Board of Regents’ Finance & Operations Committee at their October 2024 meeting. Plans for future phases include learning from earlier challenges, maintaining institutional knowledge, and ensuring local familiarity while balancing centralization goals. Transparent communication and broad engagement remain priorities as the initiative evolves to meet the University’s needs.
Senate Office Mailbag
In this section, we provide answers to frequently asked questions about University Senate governance.
Q: If University Senate and committee meetings are “open” meetings, why aren’t they subject to open meetings laws?
A: Senate and committee meetings are not subject to open meetings laws because decision-making authority lies with the Board of Regents, not governance. Meetings are open because the University Senate governing documents stipulate that senates and committees have a “policy of open meetings.” This means that non-members may attend meetings of senates and committees (with the exception of the All-University Honors Committee, Senate Judicial Committee, and Faculty Academic Oversight for Intercollegiate Athletics). While non-committee members can observe senate and committee meetings, they cannot engage in committee business unless permitted to do so according to the University Senate Rules.
Q: Help! I’ve got a policy that needs to be reviewed. Where do I start?
A: One of the important tasks of University Senate governance bodies is to review and offer feedback on administrative (and some Board of Regents) policies. The first step to having a policy reviewed is to consult the University Senate Governance Policy Review and Consultation Process and check the Senate Committee Policy Review Matrix to identify which committees the policy will need to go to. The next step is to contact Jaclyn Adair, our policy liaison in the University Senate Office, to let her know which policy is being reviewed and whether the changes are minor or major. It is helpful to provide a marked up version of the policy and/or a summary of changes. Jaclyn will assist you in developing a consultation plan, including meeting dates and mode of review.
Q: I have an issue I think is important for a committee to address. How do I get it added to their agenda?
A: The chair of each committee sets the agenda for committee meetings, so your first step is to reach out to the chair and senate associate to see if the chair is open to including your item and if there is room on an upcoming agenda.
Get to Know Our New Director!
Late last June, the University Senate Office welcomed Laurie Cooper Stoll to the role of director. Before joining the University of Minnesota, Laurie was professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She is the author of two books: Race and Gender in the Classroom: Teachers, Privilege and Enduring Social Inequalities, which received the 2015 Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Book Award by the Race, Gender, and Class Section of the American Sociological Association, and most recently, Should Schools be Colorblind? Laurie has also published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters focused on understanding and dismantling various intersecting systems of oppression.
In 2023, Laurie cut back on teaching and research to serve as executive director of YWCA La Crosse, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. In her new role, Laurie draws not only on her experiences as a professor and nonprofit leader, but also her tenure as an elected official. In 2017 and again in 2020, she was elected to two terms on the School District of La Crosse Board of Education, serving as president for two years and governance officer for one.
“What I have enjoyed most in my first six months on the job,” Laurie shared, “is getting to work with the amazing team in the University Senate Office and with governance leaders across the University of Minnesota system. I look forward to continuing to build relationships and to support and advance the work of shared governance as we move into 2025.”
Call for Nominations: Vickie R. Courtney Award for Outstanding Service to University Senate Governance
The Vickie R. Courtney Award for Outstanding Service to University Senate Governance recognizes faculty, students, and academic professional and administrative (P&A) and civil service staff systemwide who have made a significant impact on University Senate governance, have demonstrated a commitment to University Senate governance, and have served as an inspiration to others.
Award recipients will receive a one-time $1,000 stipend and an engraved plaque, and will be formally recognized at the University Senate meeting on April 24, 2025.
The deadline for submitting nominations to recognize individuals for their outstanding service to University Senate governance is March 7, 2025.
Please consider nominating a colleague who exemplifies the criteria. A complete description of the award and nomination requirements can be found on the Vickie R. Courtney Award for Outstanding Service to University Senate Governance webpage.
University Senate Governance Working 4 U
The University Senate and Senate Consultative Committee have general legislative authority over administrative matters concerning more than one campus or the University as a whole. In addition, each constituency (student, faculty, civil service, and P&A) has a separate senate, as well as an executive—or "consultative"—committee. Members of the consultative committees are elected to represent the respective bodies.