SENATE From the Chair

Under the Faculty Senate Rules, formal notification to members may be accomplished by publication in Almanac. The following is published under that rule:

TO: Members of the Faculty Senate
FROM: Peter J. Kuriloff, Chair
SUBJECT: Senate Nominating Committee

  1. In accordance with the requirements of the Faculty Senate Bylaws, notice is given to the Senate Membership of the Senate Executive Committee's 9-member slate of nominees for the Nominating Committee for l996-97. The Nominating Committee nominates candidates for election to the Offices of the Faculty Senate (chair-elect and secretary-elect), to the at-large and assistant professor positions on the Senate Executive Committe, and to the Senate Committee on the Economic Status of the Faculty, the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, and the Senate Committee on Conduct. The nine nominees, all of whom have agreed to serve, are:
    Charles Bosk (professor sociology)
    Helen C. Davies (professor microbiology/medicine)
    Michael B. Katz (professor history)
    John C. Keene (professor city & regional planning)
    Herbert S. Levine (professor economics)
    Kathy McCauley (associate professor nursing)
    Henry Teune (professor political science)
    Peter Vaughan (associate professor social work)
    David R. Williams (professor psychology)

  2. Pursuant to the Bylaws, additional nominations may be submitted by petition containing at least twenty-five valid names and the signed approval of the candidate. All such petitions must be received by Tuesday, January 14, 1997. If no additional nominations are received, the slate nominated by the Executive Committee will be declared elected. If additional nominations are received, a mail ballot will be distributed to the Senate membership. Please forward any nominations by petition via intramural mail to the Faculty Senate, Box 12 College Hall/6303. Please forward any questions to Carolyn Burdon by email at burdon@pobox.upenn.edu or by telephone at 898-6943.

Annual Faculty Senate Meeting Abolished

On November 1, 1996 a ballot and explanatory material were mailed to all 2,025 members of the standing faculty and standing faculty-clinician educator on whether to abolish the annual Spring Meeting of the Faculty Senate. The votes cast by the December 4, 1996 deadline were 308 for and 288 against.

The adoption of the proposal carries with it the new requirement that the Faculty Senate Chair publish in Almanac by the third week in April a comprehensive report of the work of the Faculty Senate for the current academic year and probable significant issues for the succeeding academic year. No other changes in the Rules of the Faculty Senate have resulted from this vote. A meeting shall be called by the chair on the petition of twenty members of the standing faculty. Also, the Senate Executive Committee agenda and SEC Actions will continue to be published in Almanac as well as reports of other Faculty Senate committees. This information is normally available at the Faculty Senate home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.upenn.edu/faculty senate/.

SENATE From the Senate Office

The following statement is published in accordance with the Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Senate Chair Peter Kuriloff or Executive Assistant Carolyn Burdon, Box 12 College Hall/6303, 898-6943 or burdon@pobox.upenn.edu.

Actions Taken by the Senate Executive Committee

Wednesday, December 11, 1996

  1. Academic Planning and Budget Committee and Capital Council. Past Senate Chair William Kissick reported that there have been six Academic Planning and Budget Committee meetings since the last SEC meeting. One meeting considered the Campus Master Plan and the other five meetings dealt with benefits redesign.

    Capital Council dealt with expenditures to renovate laboratories for recruitment purposes or research changes.

  2. Senate Nominating Committee. SEC voted by paper ballot for the ninth member of the committee (see above).

  3. Senate Committee on Committees. A vote was taken on a slate of candidates for seven openings. The winners will be contacted.

  4. Just cause revision. Faculty Senate Chair Peter Kuriloff reminded SEC that it is dealing with revisions necessitated by the separation of the just cause procedure from the misconduct policy. SEC approved revisions in language, style, and cross-referencing in the just cause procedure that were carried over from the previous meeting. The Faculty Senate Chair will review the revised just cause procedure with the administration and the revised document will be sent to the standing faculty for a vote by mail ballot. The SEC subcommittee of Frank Goodman and Charles Mooney will continue drafting recommended changes in the misconduct policy and problems with that policy will be dealt with in the future by a joint administration-SEC committee. In the interim, the misconduct policy that is in place is the one currently in the Handbook for Faculty and Academic Administrators.

  5. NCAA Review Reports (Almanac December 10, 1996). An extended discussion was held with SEC members posing questions to Steve Golding and report committee chairs.

Almanac

Volume 43 Number 16
December 17, 1996

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