Highlights of the College Park Senate meeting on May 6, 2008

Special Senate Meeting to Discuss and Vote on the Strategic Plan

• A number of amendments to the 10-year Strategic Plan were proposed, discussed, and voted upon at this special Senate meeting. The amendments fell into four categories.
  1. Eliminate changes undergraduate General Education requirements

     Faculty senators proposed to drop section of plan changing current Distributive Studies requirements to a new set of courses focusing on "Pathways to Knowledge and Creativity," "2020 Perspectives," and "Ways of Thinking."

     • For
       • Proposed changes should be evaluated along with plans for implementation, rather than standalone.
       • Changes appear superficial & oriented towards career training.
     • Against
       • Current CORE requirements are in need of change
       • Inclusion of proposal in plan would help initiate change more quickly.
     • Result
       • Amendment failed (24 in favor, 77 against, 7 abstaining)

  2. With regards to reducing compensation after post-tenure review, change "establish policy" to "investigate whether policy is needed"
     • For
       • More discussion & comparison with other universities is needed
       • Mechanisms (post-tenure review, merit pay, suspensions) already exist.
       • Would severely weaken tenure system
       • Reduce ability to attract new faculty.
       • "Suicide" to give opening for politicians to reduce faculty salaries.
       • Not good for long-term standing of university.
     • Against
       • Policy needed to combat abuse of tenure by unnamed faculty.
       • Many references to anonymous under-performing tenured faculty.
       • Policy is actually needed to protect tenure and reduce number of terminations of tenured faculty.
       • Deans & department chairs have been demanding tools for use against irresponsible tenured faculty.
       • Would benefit students taking classes from tenured faculty teaching poorly.
     • Result
       • Amendment failed (31 in favor, 55 against, 9 abstaining)

  3. Reduce scope of resource allocation outlined in Strategic Plan. Cut budget reallocation from 2% to 1% or zero. Reduce portion of salary & positions of retired/separated faculty going to Provost from 1/2 to 1/4 or zero.
     • For
       • Centralized control is not necessarily better than current decentralized system.
     • Against
       • Goals of Strategic Plan not implementable without resources from reallocation.
       • Amount of budget reallocation is in line with goals.
       • Most gains in resources in past 20 years from doubling tuition. No longer possible.
       • $600 million deficit in facilities budget.
       • Need to convince state politicians & donors that university is working hard to improve.
       • Graduate education needs resources from reallocation.
       • Should support reallocation as investment in needed areas even if painful.
       • Change is necessary.
     • Result
       • Amendment failed (6-12 in favor, 6 abstaining, most against)

  4. Change wording of various sections of Strategic Plan
     • For
       • Adding "water" and "natural resources" to reducing resource use.
       • Adding domestic partner benefits
       • Changing "business opportunities ethanol production" to "business opportunities"
       • Adding reference to "research" on diversity programs
       • Dropping "training" from "training programs"
     • Against
       • Strategic Plan committee members stated they did not oppose changes.
     • Result
       • Most amendments passed unanimously or near-unanimously.
       • Amendment to drop reference to ethanol production received 8 nay votes.

• On a final vote, the entire Strategic Plan passed (66 in favor, 5 against, 3 abstained).

• President Mote addressed the Senate, calling the Strategic Plan a "remarkable effort", and thanked the committee members for their efforts and the Senate for their thoughtful comments.

Clyde Kruskal and Chau-Wen Tseng