Minutes of 21 February 2000
Circulated 22 February 2000
Approved 20 March 2000

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
SENATE ASSEMBLY MEETING

MINUTES OF 21 FEBRUARY 2000

ATTENDANCE

Present: Andrews, Antonucci, Bartlett, Bonner, Burns, Deskins, Erickson, Gobetti, Kalisch, Karni, Karnopp, Kleinsmith, Konigsberg, Kossoudji, Lawson, Lubeck, Marshall, Masson, Robertson, Rosenthal, Schneider, Schteingart, Taylor, Uribe, Ward, Whitehouse Jr., Wingrove, Zorn

Alternates: None

Absent: Alcock, Anderson, Bernal, Birdsall, Boyd, Brophy, Brusati, Castle, Christiansen, Colletti, Dick, Dunkle, Feldman, Foss, Guthrie, Harrington, Hart, Jacobsen, Jamerson, Juster, Kabamba, Karr, MacAdam, Malamud, Malkawi, Mann, Marcelo, Mateo, Merchant, Moseley, Murphy, Navvab, Penner-Hahn, Perfecto, Rahme, Raisler, Rocchini, Rosenberg, Savage, Scheiman, Sears, Sedman, Sheil, Taghaboni, Teasley, Trumpey, Vicinus, Walker, Winger, Wright

Chair Kossoudji convened the meeting at 3:08 P.M.

MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED

Senate Assembly agenda

Draft minutes of the Senate Assembly meeting of 24 January 2000

Approved minutes of the Senate Assembly meeting of 13 December 1999

Item for Action, dated 21 February 2000

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chair Kossoudji announced that the annual election for new members of SACUA will occur at the 20 March 2000 meeting of the Senate Assembly. Nominees to date are Professors John Gobetti, Rudi Lindner, Charles Koopmann, and SeonAe Yeo.

Kossoudji reminded members that the annual Faculty Senate meeting will occur on that same date. Kossoudji reported that Professor Jackie Lawson has been voted chair-elect for SACUA for 2000-2001. Professor Moji Navvab has been voted associate-chair elect.

Kossoudji announced that H. Baier and P. Cunningham will return to Senate Assembly to discuss continuing developments about parking on campus. She said that SACUA will conduct a parking census in the meantime.

CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF 24 JANUARY 2000

Consideration of the January Minutes was postponed.

ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION

Chair Kossoudji called attention to Distributed Item 4. She said the item would be offered for vote at the next meeting. She said that the item called for Senate Assembly to report the vote count of its elections publicly in order to encourage the administration to report the results of Executive Committee elections.

VISIT OF ASSOCIATE PROVOST PAUL COURANT

The guest arrived at 3:15 P.M. He stated that he wanted to bring possible changes in budget matters to the Senate Assembly. He said that there were two issues, and that the first was the way in which University Year salaries are paid. Courant said that most faculty are paid salaries for 9 months but that the salaries are dispersed over 12 months. He explained that the University Year appointment from September to May is actually paid from July to June.

Courant said that owing to software changes that are underway, this would be an opportune time to reconcile the calendar differences. He said two possibilities exist: (1) pay the academic year salaries in 9 installments rather than in 12, or (2) change the University Year from September to August for new hires, while continuing to observe the former calendar for continuing employees. Courant said that he would like to go back to Payroll and tell the staff that the changes don’t bother anyone, and that they should proceed with the changes.

Professor Gobetti asked Courant to articulate the advantage to the U-M administration that would accrue from shifting the calendar of payments. Courant replied that it would save paperwork and some embarrassing cases. A member of the audience pointed out that a 9-month payment period would cause some faculty to feel less engaged in the academic enterprise during the 3 payless months. Professor Ward commented that the 9 month payment option could create cash flow and budget problems for some people. Professor Gobetti said that a 9-month pay period might also create problems regarding benefits coverage and payments. Courant replied that his office would work that out.

Professor Gobetti asked Courant to reveal the true motivation for proposing the payment shifts. Courant replied that there would be some advantage in grants management. A member of the Assembly pointed out that in his experience the present situation was extremely helpful in providing the cash necessary to establish residence in Ann Arbor when first hired.

No consensus was reached by the Assembly in support of Courant’s proposals.

Courant next reported that the long term disability insurance premiums will have to be increased soon. He said that the program is presently underfunded.

The guest completed his remarks at 3:42 P.M.

NEW BUSINESS

There was no new business.

The meeting adjourned at 3:42 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

John T. Lehman

Senate Secretary