Report: Record of the Council--June 11 and 13, 1999

The Council of the Association met on June 11 and 13, 1999, in conjunction with the annual meeting at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. President James T. Richardson presided. Members of the Council (with the exceptions of Professors Richard J. Boris, Dennis M. Clausen, M. Elizabeth Derrick, Henry Edinger, and Carol S. O'Dell) were present, as was General Counsel David M. Rabban. General Secretary Mary Burgan and other members of the staff were in attendance. Professor William L. Meyer served as parliamentarian.

Professors Robert M. O'Neil, Carol A. Auster, James E. Perley, Larry E. Glenn, and Donald R. Wagner reported respectively for Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure; Committee B on Professional Ethics; Committee D on Accrediting of Colleges and Universities; Committee F on Chapters, Conferences, Members, and Dues; and the Special Committee on Distance Education and Intellectual Property Issues. Professors Jeffrey A. Butts and Estelle S. Gellman reported respectively for the Assembly of State Conferences and the Collective Bargaining Congress. Professor Rabban delivered the report of the general counsel.

1999-2000 Nominating Committee

The Council elected the following members to the 1999-2000 Nominating Committee: Rodger M. Govea, Cleveland State University (District VI); David F. Gruber, Truman State University (District IV); and Thomas E. Guild, University of Central Oklahoma (District II). The Assembly of State Conferences selected M. Elizabeth Derrick, Valdosta State University (District V), and the Collective Bargaining Congress selected Carol S. O'Neill, Emerson College (District IX) to serve on the committee. The committee elected Professor O'Neill to serve as its chair.

1998 and 1999 Association Budgets

Secretary-Treasurer Kerry E. Grant reported that the Association ended 1998 with a general fund surplus of $2,479, which decreased the general fund deficit from $182,205 to $179,726. The overall Association balance increased by $157,329, to a total of $962,415. For 1999, he reported that in light of unexpected revenue, the AAUP should be able to minimize the deficit.

AAUP Affiliations

The Council, in accordance with the policy on joint ventures, approved a recommendation by General Secretary Burgan to authorize the Wayne State University chapter to enter into a joint affiliation with the Michigan Federation of Teachers (MFT)/ American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The affiliation agreement provides for payment of two-thirds dues to the national AAUP. The Council adopted the following motion, offered by Professor Gellman on behalf of the executive committee of the Collective Bargaining Congress: "The agreement will expire on January 31, 2002, to coincide with the Wayne State University chapter's review of the MFT/AFT affiliation. It is understood that the agreement is contingent on the chapter's continuing to meet its full dues obligations to the Michigan Conference and the Collective Bargaining Congress."

The Council also approved an agreement for an organizational relationship between the AAUP and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. The agreement is intended to foster shared governance in California community colleges by advising senate members on resolving issues in accordance with applicable AAUP principles.

Academic Freedom and Tenure

Professor Robert M. O'Neil, chair of Committee A, received the Council's concurrence in statements from the committee to the 1999 annual meeting recommending that Johnson & Wales University (Rhode Island) and Mount Marty College (South Dakota) be placed on the Association's list of censured administrations. Also, the Council concurred in Committee A's statements to the annual meeting recommending that the University of Judaism (California), Alabama State University, Concordia Theological Seminary (Indiana), Saint Leo College (Florida), Wesley College (Delaware), Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey), and the University of Southern California be removed from the Association's censure list. The Council joined Committee A in endorsing the statement "Academic Freedom in the Medical School" that had been adopted by the Association.

Professional Ethics

Professor Auster, reporting for Committee B, informed the Council of concerns over the legal ramifications of portions of the statement "On the Obligation of Faculty Members to Respond to Misconduct." The Council remanded the statement to Committee B for further consideration.

Accreditation

Professor Perley, reporting for Committee D, discussed the committee's communication with the North Central Association regarding its accreditation of Jones International University, a totally online institution.

Membership Dues

The Council concurred in the recommendation of Committee F to continue the comprehensive dues programs for three additional years in Nebraska, Washington, and West Virginia. The Council also concurred in the committee's recommendation that the dues rate for graduate students be set at $10 a year, with membership in this category not to exceed five years. Regarding dues simplification, the Council adopted the annual meeting's amendment to Committee F's recommendation that the two entrant categories be replaced by a single entrant category for first-time, nontenured AAUP members, with dues set at the one-half rate for up to four years. This new category does not apply to entrant members previously enrolled.