A Message from the Chair
Professor Joseph Konstan

Professor Joseph Konstan, chair, Faculty/Senate Consultative Committees

Fall 2017 has been a busy and interesting time in governance. I'll briefly review four of the key priorities we've been working on in the Faculty and Senate Consultative Committeess (FCC and SCC) this fall-- liberal education, sexual misconduct, lifting of the status quo order, and governance and consultation. Read more.

 

University Senate Governance Working for U

Each senate has an executive-- or "consultative"-- committee. Members of the consultative committees are elected to represent the respective bodies.

Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC)

The FCC began the year with an energizing, two-day retreat where members met with a number of senior leaders to discuss issues of mutual interest. Discussion topics included the state of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education; the System-Wide Strategic Plan; freedom of speech and a welcoming campus climate; faculty diversity and development; and risk recalibration and burden reduction. Read more.

Student Senate Consultative Committee (SSCC)

Priorities of the Student Senate Consultative Committee (SSCC) include concerns related to child care resources for student parents, coordination of the legislative efforts of the seven student governments, building infrastructure concerns, campus police interactions and philosophy, and concerns with the treatment and pay of student workers. Read more.

Ten staff and faculty members pose in front of a wind turbine on the Morris campus
Civil Service Consultative Committee (CSCC)

The Civil Service Consultative Committee kicked off the academic year by holding a retreat, which for the first time included the full Civil Service Senate. Discussion topics identified for the 2017-18 academic year included revisions to the Civil Service Employment Rules, the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS), parental leave, merit pay, short and long-term disability benefits, impacts of the Job Family Study, and the Regents Scholarship. Read more.

P&A Consultative Committee (PACC)

This semester, the PACC and its subcommittees focused on improving communication with constituents, filling vacant seats on the P&A Senate, and organizing opportunities for professional development via their Brown Bag series, as well as continuing to advocate for P&A staff on a number of issues, such as parental leave, vacation accrual, and the Regents Scholarship Program. Read more.

 

Senate Committees Collaborate on Issues

The work of the University and Faculty Senates is accomplished primarily through their 22 standing committees, as well as numerous subcommittees and task forces. Faculty, academic professionals, civil service staff, students, alumni, and administrators have designated positions on most committees. 

Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Equity Policy

Melinda Lee, assistant director, Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life, consulted with a number of committees on a proposed administrative policy on trans and gender non-conforming equity. Read more.

Training Module on Responding to and Reporting Incidents of Sexual Misconduct

In response to the resolution passed at the University Senate in spring 2017, a training module on responding to and reporting incidents of sexual misconduct has been purchased from Everfi, the vendor that supplies the student version of the training. Read more.

Tax Reform

The Republican tax reform plan, passed recently in the House of Representatives, that would impose taxes on graduate student tuition benefits is of great concern to members of the University community. Read more.

DACA and Immigration

The Trump Administration’s travel ban (affecting individuals from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea, as well as some groups of people from Venezuela) and the closing of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program have been topics of intense discussion for many senate committee meetings. Read more.

 

Shannon Farrell
Ian Ringgenberg
A View from the Inside

Advocating for Equity in Parental Leave

Ian Ringgenberg, chair, P&A Senate
Shannon Farrell, co-chair, P&A Senate Benefits & Compensation Subcommittee

In the Fall of 2016, the P&A Senate Benefits & Compensation Subcommittee began investigating how the University of Minnesota's parental leave policies compared to other universities, and how well they worked for University employees. Parental leave seems to be a perennial topic of consideration on the committee, but one that rarely provides easy answers. Read more.

 

University/Faculty Senate Meeting Recaps

Kevin Dostal Dauer, co-chair, Student Sexual Misconduct Subcommittee, addresses the University Senate in Coffman Theater. In the background, the Rochester campus, connected by ITV, is visible.
October Meeting of the Twin Cities Delegation of the Faculty Senate

On October 5, 2017, the Twin Cities Delegation of the Faculty Senate held a special meeting on the topic of liberal education. Read more.

November Joint Faculty and University Senate Meeting

The November 9, 2017, joint meeting of the Faculty Senate and the University Senate focused on responding to, reporting, and preventing sexual misconduct on campus. Read more.

 

Looking Ahead

State of the University Address

President Kaler will give the State of the University Address on March 1, 2018, in Coffman Theater, following concurrent meetings of the Faculty and University Senate. Watch for a public announcement in the Brief in February.

Spring 2018 University Senate Meetings

  • March 1
  • April 5
  • May 3

All members of the University community are welcome to attend. The full schedule is available on the University Senate Governance website.

 

End Matter

Get Involved!

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University Senate Resources

Looking for information on the structure of University Senate shared governance, the path of a resolution or letter, or University policies? All that and more is available on the University Senate Resources web page!

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