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agenda status: approved

Agenda:

1. Approval of the Agenda
   
   
2. Approval of the Minutes of the November 6, 2008 meeting
   
   
3. Comments from the Chair
   
   
4. Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
   
   
5. MSU Antidiscrimination Policy Presentation*
   Dr. Fred Fico, Department of Journalism
   
   
6. Selection of Academic Year Task Force Representative
   
   
7. Integrity of Scholarship and Grades Subcommittee Report
   
   
8. Roundtable
   

*Information item only. No committee discussion.

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minutes status: approved

approved at meeting of 12/04/2008

UCAP Minutes for meeting held on 11/20/2008

Attendees:
Mary Jo Arndt, Dennis Banks, R. Sekhar Chivukula, Peter Cobbett, Marty Crimp, Doug Estry, Richard Hallgren, Caroline Hartig, Linda Jackson, Chris Kline, Michael Lawrence, Carolyn Loeb, Brad McDonald, Matthew McKeon, Jerry Punch, A. Mahdi Saeed, Michael Schechter, Parita Shah, Michael Shields, Jim Smith, Tom Volkening

Absent:
Mandalyn Griffin, Hovig Kouyoumdjian, Sharif ShakraniThe Agenda was approved.

The Minutes of the November 6, 2008 meeting were approved.

Comments from the Chair
The Chairperson deferred to Vice Chair Jim Smith for the Faculty Council report. Dr. Smith reported that, at its last meeting, Faculty Council Report unanimously passed the charge for the Academic Calendar Taskforce. UCAP will need to elect a representative to serve on the taskforce. In addition, Faculty Council is looking for faculty volunteers for service committees. Many University-level committees are currently underserved by faculty.

Chairperson Chivukula reported Academic Council discussion about the current national and State economic situation centered on the possibility of the State of Michigan rescinding allocations to higher education, which could be 5 to 10% of state support for MSU. For now, University financial liquidity is good.

Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
Associate Provost Estry distributed two documents related to Course Repeat Policy, an updated chart of CIC member policies and a chart showing that MSU students graduating between FS01 and SS08 and who repeat a course show significantly better grade performance the second time. Most students stay the same or improve.

MSU Antidiscrimination Policy Presentation
Dr. Fred Fico, Department of Journalism

The committee unanimously granted voice to Professor Fred Fico.

Chairperson Chivukula reminded the committee that ECAC had asked UCAP to take up the proposed modification of the antidiscrimination policy. Due to other considerations, the committee would address the issue in the spring semester and it would not be a discussion item at this meeting. Dr. Fico had requested the opportunity to speak to the committee prior to committee discussion that, although granted, would limit conversation to Dr. Fico’s comments and questions of clarification only. In fairness to all concerned with this proposal, the committee would bring the matter to full committee discussion when all parties in the matter could be represented.

Dr. Fico stated that a speech sponsored by the MSU Republican student organization in 2007 was disrupted by other MSU students with the intention to shut down the event and to stop the speech. Subsequently, the MSU Republican student organization and its faculty advisors were accused of violating the rights of other students by hosting the speech. Dr. Fico maintains that the interruption and ensuing investigation of the MSU Republicans and its advisors was an egregious violation of first amendment rights. Dr. Fico suggested that, through this series of events, antidemocratic elements in the University were able to use the Office of Inclusion “as a club to shut down free speech”. Given that a core principle of Michigan State University is to protect free speech, Dr. Fico and others have proposed an amendment to the Michigan State University antidiscrimination policy. Dr. Fico urged UCAP to endorse the proposed amendment.

Professor Chivukula asked UCAP members to seek input from their constituencies as UCAP prepares to take up this issue. He reiterated that ECAC had asked UCAP and the Committee on Faculty Affairs to provide recommendations to ECAC. Final approval of an all-University policy would be given by the MSU Board of Trustees.

Selection of Academic Year Task Force Representative
Dr. Chivukula volunteered to serve as the UCAP representative to the Academic Year Task Force. In the absence of other nominations, Dr. Chivukula was elected by acclimation.

Integrity of Scholarship and Grades Subcommittee Report
Subcommittee Chairperson Carolyn Loeb reported that the subcommittee had begun the process of integrating suggestions from other University governance committees into the UCAP proposal for Integrity of Scholarship and Grades (ISG). The subcommittee plans to bring a draft revision to full committee at the December 4 meeting.

ASMSU representative, Brad McDonald stated that ASMSU generally accepted the ISG proposal language and would provide feedback to the subcommittee. ASMSU’s questions revolved around the implementation of the educational component of the policy.

Chairperson Chivukula reminded the committee that implementation of a revised ISG policy would require multiple steps once it had been approved. Realization of the education component, possible centralization of adjudication, and changes in the AFR would require coordination across campus committees and units to accomplish fully the intent of the policy. UCAP could encourage others to continue this work but responsibility for these issues resides with others.

Roundtable
Marty Crimp reported that an amendment had been made to the NCAA proposal regarding online courses that would make it possible for a student athlete to take only 50% of classes online.

Jim Smith reported that the proposed name of the committee would be UCUAP. He asked that members suggest a name with a more attractive acronym.

Matt McKeon reported that UCLL has held a series of mini- retreats at which the committee had made good progress describing the Liberal Learning Goals in ways to operationalize them across the curriculum.

Brad McDonald reported that ASMSU had would deliver a response regarding UCAP’s religious observance policy proposal before the next UCAP meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 10:48 A.M.

Respectfully submitted by
Sandra Walther

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