1966-06-03; Central Michigan Life

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The State Senate investigating committee climaxed one
year of work early yesterday
by recommending a "new, vigorous and dynamic" CMU administration.
The 87-page report containing 12 recommendations was
submitted by the Special Senate Committee on Faculty-Administration Relationships at
Central.
The Committee was authorized by Senate Resolution 88
and Senator Edward J. Robinson (D-Dearborn) was named
chairman of the committee.
Other members of the committee were Democrat Sena-
(Coniimiec. on Page 4)
President Judson W. Foust
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Life -_cm©£-m-cLw_
In issuing an 87-page report on the faculty-administra-
^S^S^S^' the StQte< ^ ^esSng^om-
mittee said it found a university with a low tolerance for
criticism or disagreement. This low \o\emncew™iaidv
widespread and applied to all groups." Y
The committee, composed of     - —-	
Senators Edward Robinson,
chairman (D-Dearborn), Roger
E. Craig (D-Dearborn), Jan
VanderPloeg (D-Muskegon),
Guy VanderJagt (R-Cadillac)
and S. Don Potter (R-Lansing)
issued the report on Thursday
morning.
VanderJagt and Potter dissented on the report.
The report contained seven
parts, ranging from the general background of the situation to specific recommendations and summaries.
In regards to faculty parti
cipation on appointments and
promotions, "it was apparent
that at times faculty members
were consulted and other
times they were not, depending on the judgment of the administration."
Officers 'Highhanded'
During the testimony before
the investigating committee,
Dr. Victor Coutant, foreign
language, brought up two
cases concerning interference
in grading procedure by the
administration and one case
(Continued @__ Page 2)
VOL. 46, NO. 33 Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan      Friday, June 3, 1966
What Events Led To Report
by Tony Sommer
Life News Editor
The investigation that probed the faculty-administration
relationships of this university and brought some measure
of political prominence to several members of the Senate
committee involved, moved toward its final stages yesterday when the formal report was released.
But where did it all start? What were the events that
led up to the report released yesterday, months after it was
promised by Senator Edward   	
parking tickets, smoking regulations, favoritism in summer
appointments and lack of keys-
to a building.
Because of these petty complaints and the importance often affixed to them, the committee, in its report, felt constrained to "question the sense
of proportion of the Central
Llichigan administration."
J.   Robinson   (D,   Dearborn)
chairman of the committee?
Early last spring, the State
Senate passed unanimously a
resolution commending Central for receiving the 1965-66
Distinguished Achievment
Award for Excellence in
Teacher Education.
Robinson asked that the resolution be delayed for what he
termed "a great deal of faculty
unrest and dissatisfaction un-
der the present administration."
FaeuMy D©f©_.ds Morale
A telegram was sent to Lansing by 200 faculty members
defending the morale of the
faculty as being high and the
quality of the instruction to
likewise be of high quality.
However, Robinson also received a number of letters
from faculty members and
former faculty members concurring with his position.
On April 1, 1965, Senate
Resolution No. 88 was introduced by Robinson. The resolution called for the creation of
a special five-man investigating committee to explore faculty-administration relation-
ships at all state-supported
' universities.
The resolution was sent to
the Senate Business Committee which reported to Senate
on April 13, recommending its
adoption with minor amend-
ments. The resolution and
amendments were passed the
same day.
f Later that same day, a motion was made and carried to
reconsider the vote by which
the resolution was adopted.
Sne next day, April 14, it was
again referred to the Senate
Business committee.
On April 15 the Business
Committee reported a substitute resolution to the Senate
limiting the investigation to
Central.
The substitute resolution
was adopted on April 15 and
on April 21 the committee was
appointed by the Senate. It
consisted of Democratic Senators Edward J. Robinson,
chairman and Roger E. Craig,
both of Dearborn and Jan B.
VanderPloeg of North Muskegon.
The two Republican Senators, both of whom opposed
the issuance of report, were
Guy Vander Jagt of Cadillac
and S. Don Potter of Lansing.
The committee found its job
to be an exploration not just
of the superficial complaints
received by Robinson but a
tangle of charges and countercharges from both sides on a
myriad of topics.
Charges included the inability of the administration to
understand the nature of a
university, the failure of President Judson W. Foust to provide academic leadership and
the loss of promising faculty
through a high turnover.
EE-fieEfedBf f Tampe_in_3?
The administration was also
accused of interference in determining grades, tampering
with standards for admittance
to a class, appointing department heads without consulting
the faculty, interfering in department operations, denying
pay raises to critics among the
faculty, a vague tenure policy
and creating low morale
among the teaching staff.
Petty   complaints   involved
The hearings began on May
17, 1965. At the first three
hearings, witnesses were invited to testify before the committee.
A decision was made in the
fall by the chairman to subpoena all further witnesses so
that their willingness or unwillingness to testify would
not become a part of the public record.
Trustees _!uppo_,_: Fousfi
When the committee reconvened last fall, the CMU Board
of Trustees unanimously approved a vote of confidence in
President Foust and the entire
administration.
sors pledged themselves to
"cooperate fully with and
furnish any information we
can to any administrator,
member of the Board of Trustees, legislator or any other
person or agency which is
legitimately concerned with
the university."
Student Senate circulated a
petition in support of the investigation and censuring the
Board "of Trustees for their refusal to hear five faculty members on the question of tenure
and salary raises.
The petition was signed by
approximately 3700 students
and was presented to Robinson
by Student Body President
Gene Ragland.
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