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Faculty Senate

Motions Passed

Motions Passed January 31, 2001

A) UMPSA Contract Negotiations Support: J. Maddaus made the motion as written, pointing out that there were three fact finders appointed through the Maine Labor Relations Board.  Seconded by J. Horan.

PREAMBLE:

 Professional staff of the university perform very important functions at the University of Maine , but are not being adequately and equitably recognized for their contributions in contract negotiations. The University of Maine Professional Staff Association (UMPSA) represents 1158 employees system-wide, and over 500 on this campus, as of December 2000. Negotiations between UMS and UMPSA have dragged since April 7, 1999 , over what was to have been a two-year contract, and still the contract issues have not been resolved. Fact finders have made recommendations which UMPSA has agreed to accept, but which UMS has refused. UMS persists in offering UMPSA less than what has been negotiated for other units and for state employees, despite a special legislative appropriation of $4 million to settle outstanding contracts (see comparisons below). The ability of the university to attract and retain highly qualified people for professional positions may be compromised by the failure of UMS to agree to an equitable contract.

Salary increase:

UMS offer to UMPSA:                                                7.5%

UMPSA position prior to fact finding:    9.0%

Fact finder recommendation:                             8.5%

AFUM settlement:                                            8.0%

ACSUM settlement:                                         7.875%

Service & Maintenance settlement:                    7.5%-10.5% depending on steps

Non-represented:                                             7.5%

State employee settlement:                                9.0%

Technical college settlement:                  9.0%

  Health insurance premiums:

                                                                        Single               Single+1           Family

UMS offer:                                                       379.92 581.64 790.56
UMPSA position:                                             332.64 433.00 593.00
Fact finder recommendation:                             332.64 510.00 750.00
AFUM settlement:                                            332.64 499.20 739.20
ACSUM settlement:                                         332.00 364.82 445.32
Service & Maintenance settlement:                    332.00 364.82 445.32

  Note: UMPSA believes the fact finders' recommendations of health insurance premiums were based on inaccurate information provided by UMS and that is why they are being asked to pay as much as they are--more than any other unit.

Salary Equity:

UMS offer:   Nothing
UMPSA position:  Find and fix equity problems
Fact finder recommendation:  Fix equity problems by 12/31/02

Salary system:

UMS offer:  Do a study
UMPSA position: Implement a system
Fact finder recommendation: Study other systems with UMPSA 

input, report by 12/31/01 , negotiate, implement

MOTION:

The Faculty Senate endorses an immediate, fair and equitable settlement of the UMPSA contract in accordance with the fact finders' recommendations, and asks the President of the University of Maine to represent the University in support of such a settlement.

Discussion:  This was headed toward arbitration - is it there yet?  No.

The motion was passed.

B.) End of Semester Grade Due Date: K. Hutchinson put forward this motion.  In terms of rules that are in place (i.e. 1983 faculty handbook), it states that grades are due one week from the final exam.  It doesn’t address term papers or art projects or the consequences if you don’t get them in on time.  The Faculty Senate has never addressed or changed these rules.  This is a timely moment for this discussion, given the current revision process for the faculty handbook.  K. Hutchinson contacted Alison Cox and Doug Gelinas, who agreed that we could go back to the one-week timetable from before, now that we have the additional week in December.  Seconded by J. McClymer

Preamble

The Faculty of the University of Maine strives to provide its students with the highest quality education possible.  There are many elements that go into the educational process that effect its quality, such as attention to detail in class preparation, attention to changes in the discipline, attention to student reactions and questions, attention to students.  There are, similarly, many ways by which progress in learning can be measured, such as examinations, discussions, reading assignments, term papers, laboratory reports, creative works.  To give the students of The University of Maine a quality education requires time.  To give them a fair measure of their progress and success also requires time.  It requires not only the time put into a well thought out examination/evaluation procedure but also the time to fairly assess the results of that procedure.  To do less would be to do disservice to our students particularly those students who similarly strive to obtain the most of their educational experience.

In recent years, under a directive of questionable authority, faculty has received a memorandum from the administration at the end of semester stating that final grades are due three working days after the final exam for their class or classes.  This time interval was apparently set to accommodate the need to inform, in a timely fashion, those students who are to be dismissed from the University.  It does not, however, allow for the fair and thorough examination and grading process deserved by all students.  This is particularly true for the upper level or advanced courses, the ones most likely to involve more complex exam questions (problem solving and essay questions), creative works, or term papers or writing assignments.

The Faculty Handbook of 1983 states in Section 6.6 Final Grade Reports: “final grade reports are required to be in the Registrar’s Office within one week from the time the final examination is administered.”  The Handbook is clearly in need of revision, a process now underway.  However, until the Handbook is revised the 1983 version remains the existing rulebook for faculty.  There is no evidence of the Faculty senate ever taking action to change the above rule, either on its own or at the request of the administration.  It is, then, this rule that is in place and established the time for final grade reports.

It should be noted that even the existing rule, though providing the time for a more complete and fairer examination process, does not address the issue of due date for final grades for those courses in which students are submitting other works, such as term papers, art projects or laboratory reports during or at the end of the final exam week.

  Motion

Therefore, in recognition of the desire of faculty to provide students with a process that fairly and completely evaluations their educational experience, and in recognition of the conflicting information faculty have been receiving regarding the due date for final grades, it is moved:

1. That the Faculty Senate, by their vote for this motion, reaffirm both the due date for reporting final grades and their control over the decision process that changes that schedule; and

2. That the Handbook Committee, as part of the handbook amendment process, be directed by the Faculty Senate to re-examine the issue of due date for final grade reports, including providing a schedule for final grade reports for those courses in which students submit final reports, projects, term papers, etc. during the final exam week, either in addition to a final exam or instead of a final exam.

Discussion:

K. March: The current draft of the revised handbook does not agree with this one week due date.  She read the current draft and cautioned us to keep in mind that this is only a draft and the committee would welcome faculty input on this and will extend its purview to create/suggest new deadline, address gaps in existing policy rather than simply edit existing. D. Gelinas: The whole process of review of documents before sending suspension/dismissal and the right of appeal is lengthy and a lot has to go on before classes begin.  Please keep it in mind when deciding how much time to allow for grade due dates.  R. Cook feels it’s good to remind people of these requirements, but he doesn’t feel the administration should be responsible if students who are candidates for dismissal or suspension decide to begin the spring semester.

It was a VP for Academic Affairs who set the current deadlines because of the process required.  Student records agreed to the terms of this motion.  K. March says the Faculty Senate constitution states that the Faculty Senate will consider administration needs when setting policy in this regard.
The motion was passed unanimously.

C.) Ad-Hoc Committee for Fostering Interdisciplinary Studies: O. Smith put forth a motion to form a committee to review interdisciplinary studies.

MOTION TO FORM A COMMITTEE TO REVIEW INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES INITIATIVES

Preamble

  Whereas interdisciplinary initiatives are an increasingly important aspect of developments in post-secondary education in the 21st century.

  Whereas there are many significant discussions of the nature and form of interdisciplinary studies taking place at a state and national level.

  Whereas there are several nascent as well as some established interdisciplinary initiatives at the University of Maine .

  Whereas there has been no general consideration of such initiatives and their role and place in the pedagogical and structural frames of the University of Maine .

  Be it moved that the Faculty senate establish an ad hoc committee to review current interdisciplinary studies programs and explore how we might encourage future interdisciplinary initiatives at the University of Maine .

The motion was passed.

Return to Motions Passed
 

Faculty Senate
The University of Maine
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Phone: (207) 581-1167
E-mail: ellen.woodhead@umit.maine.edu