In a packed session Monday, Miami University Senate reviewed and voted on the provisions of the proposal to establish a new academic division for regional campuses.
In a roll-call vote, the majority of the Senate voted down the creation of a new academic division on the regional campuses, with 21 members favoring the proposed division, 27 members opposing it and six members abstaining.
Senate Chair Steve DeLue said the Senate's vote was not binding on the administration but would be considered by President David Hodge, Provost Bobby Gempesaw and the board of trustees.
After a report from the Academic Policy and Ad Hoc Regional Campus Committees regarding its considerations of the proposal, the Senate discussed each of the first seven specific provisions of the proposal.
The first provision stated a new division will be created on the regional campuses. This new division would be given the authority to develop new degrees and programs with the same procedures used by other academic divisions. Additionally, the new division could not offer the same degrees offered by other academic divisions.
Faculty members voiced their opinions of the provision. History Associate Professor Charlotte Newman-Goldy said the proposal was confusing and left many questions unanswered.
"I'm very concerned," Newman-Goldy said. "We don't know really what this division is academically about. A lot of us have grave reservations on provisions having to do with faculty, and yet we're supposed to give a sense of the Senate on each one of these. I think this proposal leaves too many open questions and did not respond to the committees' report that showed that there was a widespread concern about parts of it."
Madelyn Detloff, associate director of English and director and associate professor of women's gender and sexuality studies said the proposal felt rushed.
"I'm a little worried this feels very, very rushed," Detloff said. "Even if it were a good thing, and my mind's not made up about that, it would have the flavor of something that was imposed."
Finance Department Chair Steve Wyatt said the provision could benefit the regional campuses by giving them a way to reach their own unique goals.
"I actually see this as a way to allow these people to have an identity, and have some degree of autonomy and power to reach their own mission," Wyatt said.
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Chair and Assistant Professor of the School of Engineering and Applied Science Diane Delisio said the university needs to find a way to view the regional campuses as complimentary to the main campus.
"I don't understand how this university can talk about diversity when we can't handle diversity within our own institution," Delisio said. "We should be able to figure out a way to value the regional campuses, integrate them and see that they're complimentary, not threatening to the Oxford campus."
The second provision of the proposal stated new faculty would be hired through the new academic division and that search committees may consist entirely of regional campus faculty. While final hiring decisions rest with the provost, Oxford faculty may serve on regional campus search committees as well.
Associate Professor of Zoology Paul Harding said this provision would impact what kind of faculty is hired.
"Implementing this proposal would make it impossible to hire quality faculty," Harding said.
The provision was opposed by 35 senate members, leaving five members in favor and eight members abstaining.
The Senate discussed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth provisions of the proposal very little.
The third provision of the proposal stated there could be joint appointments between Oxford academic divisions and the new academic division, should it be created, and was opposed by the majority of the Senate.
The fourth provision stated current faculty members on the regional campuses would continue to be tenured and promoted within the departments they are currently in, with 40 members in favor of the provision.
The fifth provision stated the new division would continue to collaborate with divisions in Oxford to enhance teaching, research and outreach partnerships. There were 29 members in favor of the provision and 21 abstentions.
The sixth provision stated that should a new division be established, its name will be determined after consultation with stakeholders. There were 36 members in favor of the provision with 12 abstentions.
The seventh provision stated the name of the academic division from which a degree is received will be specified on the diploma of all Miami students.
The provision was met with resistance from some Senate members.
"[The provision] really has nothing to do with the creation of a new division so there must be some other motive for it, and I wish that motive was more clear," Delisio said.
Information Security Officer for Information Technology Services Joseph Bazeley agreed.
"It seems a bit redundant, if the same degree cannot be offered [as part of the new division], so the degrees will have different names. Anyone who really wanted to know could figure out which campus it came from, and specifying that seems to carry an ulterior motive that we don't see," Bazeley said.
A roll-call vote was also requested for the seventh provision, with 12 members in favor of the provision, 35 opposed and six abstaining.
The board of trustees will vote on the proposal April 27.
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