Minutes of the Consultative Committee
November 17, 2006

Present:  Nancy Carpenter, Brad Deane, Pam Gades, Roland Guyotte (chair), 
LeeAnn Hedquist, Judy Korn, Margaret Kuchenreuther, Maggie Larson, Theresa 
McMenomy, Bonnie Tipcke, Jennifer Zych-Herrmann

Guest:  Mary Elizabeth Bezanson

Chair Guyotte called the meeting to order at 3 p. m. and introduced 
Theresa McMenomy, newly elected student member.

Mary Elizabeth Bezanson discussed the work of the Constitution Revision 
Task Force, a group of 12 which has been at work since February.  It held 
the first of two public forums yesterday, employing a small-group 
discussion format, and will conduct another one November 29.  By next 
semester, the group expects to have a writing group at work.  Members 
questioned Professor Bezanson about issues raised in the Committee.  She 
referred to a "power struggle between administration and Assembly," a 
perceived lack of idea exchange in the Assembly owing to a power shift to 
committees, and a duplication of effort.  A central question has been one 
of practice vs. policy, whether the Constitution is at fault or practice.

Two other issues surfaced during this discussion:  a perceived pay 
inequity unfairly Humanities faculty and concern about an alleged creeping 
dismemberment of one of UMM's academic majors.  The Committee concluded 
that the pay issue lay within the purview of the Faculty Affairs 
Committee, and the chair will write a letter to that effect.  Considerable 
discussion followed about dismantling a major by attrition, without formal 
action by the Curriculum Committee, the Campus Resources and Planning 
Committee, or the Assembly.  The chair will draft and bring to the next 
meeting a letter for the Curriculum Committee and the Humanities Advisory 
Committee.

Following Professor Bezanson's departure, Committee members expressed 
concern about the level of consultation in the just-completed program 
review process.   Members worried  that the reports of individual units 
have been truncated by unit administrators on the way to Behmler Hall.  
The chair agreed to write the Chancellor and Interim Dean expressing this 
concern.

The chair briefly reported to the Committee on the subject of review of 
administrators, following his meeting with Sarah Mattson and Chancellor 
Johnson.  Changing University  practice is recorded on the Human Resources 
page of the website with respect to review of Deans and annual performance 
appraisals of Professional Staff.  UMM still expects to periodically 
review Associate Vice Chancellors and above, with Lowell Rasmussen and 
Sandy Olson Loy scheduled for review this year.  Less clear is the status 
of periodic reviews of Directors.

The meeting adjourned at 4:10 p. m.