October 10, 2002

MEMBERS OF THE REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY, DAVIS DIVSION OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE

Re: October 21, 2002 Meeting

Dear Colleagues:

The call for the first regular meeting of the Davis Division of the Representative Assembly for the 2002-2003 academic year is attached.  The meeting is scheduled for 21 October 2002 at 3:00 PM in the MUII room of the Memorial Union.  This call is also posted on http://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/repassembly.htm.  A paper copy of the agenda is available upon request from the Academic Senate Office in Voorhies Hall, room 301 (2-2231).

As customary for the first regular meeting of the Representative Assembly of the academic year, we will hear the perspectives of the new student leaders, Chia-Saun-Lai, President of the ASUCD and Nicole Collette, President of the GSA.  We will also hear comments from Vice Provost Pat Turner regarding the UC Davis Strategic Vision document. 

Several standing committees are required to file their annual reports for presentation at this meeting; those reports are appended to the meeting call.  I want to call your attention to the report of the Committee on Academic Personnel because it provides details of CAP actions on the resolutions of the Representative Assembly, and to the report of the Graduate Council for information on graduate student matters.

The reports of three special committees are included in the meeting call.  The first is the Final Report from the Special Committee on Procedures for Appealing Recommendations of CAP (PARC).  This committee, chaired by Professor Howard Day, proposes an alternative to Davis Division Bylaw 45 for a revised appeals process for denied merits and promotions by the Committee on Academic Personnel.  To accomplish the goals proposed by the special committee, changes to Davis Division Bylaws 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 75 are shown in the attachment.

The Report of the Special Committee on Transportation and Parking will be distributed at the meeting.  The term of the special committee will expire at this Representative Assembly meeting.  The committee, chaired by Professor Carol Cross, believes that continued participation by the Academic Senate on transportation and parking issues is imperative. 

Provided for your information is the Summary of the Implementation Committee for recommendations on Work/Life Balance Policies for Ladder Faculty. The Implementation Committee evaluated the original recommendations, made in June of 2002, by the ad hoc committee on Work-Life Balance chaired by Professors Diane Wolf and Emily Goldman.  There is also the response to the implementation committee recommendations from Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Virginia Hinshaw, dated 30 September 2002.

There are several pieces of legislation that require action by the Representative Assembly.  The first is the proposal (tentatively designated DDB 121) to implement a standing Committee on Transportation and Parking.

The second proposal is to reconstitute the Instructional Space Advisory Group (ISAG) as a subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Planning and Budget Review.  This recommendation will facilitate senate participation in the management of general-assignment classroom facilities, and particularly, to allow ISAG to serve as advocate for incremental classroom space to meet the growing student enrollment. The revision to DDB 48 to create the Instructional Space Advisory Subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Planning and Budget Review is attached.

In response to a request from the ASUCD Academic Affairs Commission, the Committee on Educational Policy and the Executive Council have recommended a Diploma Notation for Undergraduate Minors.  Minors are already in evidence on transcripts, and the minor designation on the diploma is viewed as symbolic.  If this recommendation is adopted by the Divisional Representative Assembly, it must then be approved by the Academic Assembly. 

Proposed Davis Division Bylaw 152 will create the Faculty of Education for the new School of Education.  This bylaw will enable the faculty to draft bylaws to organize their senate structure and processes.

The complete agenda package is being sent to departmental, at-large and ex-officio members of the Representative Assembly and to department chairs.  Please check the membership list included with the meeting call to determine whether you are a member of the Assembly.  All members are asked to attend meetings to enable the Assembly to accomplish its business.  The sign-in sheet will be available starting 2:45 and roll will be called at the start of the meeting.  The meeting will start at 3:00 PM to ensure that business can be completed by 5:00 PM. It is important that any departmental representatives who are unable to attend ask their first or second alternate to attend in their place.

There will be many issues confronting the Senate this academic year.  As the newly appointed chair of the Academic Senate, I look forward to working with you and to seeing you at the Assembly meeting. 

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        BRUCE R. MADEWELL, Chair

                                                                        Davis Division of the Academic Senate