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University Senate Special Meeting

April 17, 2025, 1:30 – 3:30pm

Location: University Hall, Ruthven Bldg., Rm. 2000, and Virtually  (Zoom Webinar)

Zoom Link: https://umich.zoom.us/j/91877172924
(Full Zoom invitation with phone-in information at the bottom of this page)

This special meeting (hybrid) of the University Senate is open to the public, but only current Faculty Senate members (~7,600 members) will be able to vote or participate in the discussion.
 
Note: “University Senate” and “Faculty Senate” are two terms often used for the same body: the total membership of ~7,600 faculty automatically included in the Senate as a consequence of their faculty appointment. More information about membership is available on our Faculty Senate page.
 
In-Person Attendance: Please Register Here
If you attend in person, please bring a laptop or smartphone that can permit you to vote through a web browser at vote.umich.edu. There may be procedural motions that you will be invited to vote on, during the meeting.

 

 

Call of the Meeting

This special meeting of the University Senate has been called pursuant to a petition of more than 200 faculty. Per the rules of the Faculty Senate, which permits the calling of a special meeting by a petition of not less than fifty members of the Senate, a University Senate meeting shall now be convened. The purpose of the special meeting, as provided in the petition, is the following:
 

A significant number of faculty members — along with staff, and graduate students, lecturers, and Ann Arbor residents — have expressed grave concerns about the threats to the foundational principles of American higher education and the need for faculty to take collective action within the University of Michigan and in concert with other university faculties across the U.S.
 
 

Motions

Under the Senate Rules, all motions or resolutions, in order to be included on the agenda, must be submitted at least fourteen days before the meeting and shared with the membership at least ten days before the meeting. The deadline to submit motions or resolutions has now passed. The following timely submissions have been received and will be included on the meeting agenda:

 

Submitting Written and Video Remarks on the Motions

Immediately following the meeting, current Faculty Senate members may submit written comments on the motions using this Google form until 4pm on April 18th. Access to the Google form will require signing in to Google using umich.edu credentials (not med.umich.edu credentials). All written comments will be publicly available through a Google sheet. Faculty Senate members may also email video responses to the Faculty Senate Office (FacultySenateOffice@umich.edu). Recorded video statements will then be added to a publicly available Google folder.

 

Voting on Motions

Please note that electronic voting on the motions will commence after the conclusion of the meeting. When the ballot opens, all Faculty Senate members will be emailed an invitation to vote at vote.umich.edu. Voting will remain open for 72 hours until Sunday, April 20, at 4:00 pm.

Scheduled Speakers

All University Senate members were invited an opportunity to be scheduled to speak using this form. The deadline to request to be a scheduled speaker has now passed. Slots were filled by current Faculty Senate members on a first come, first served basis with up to three speakers for and three speakers against each motion. All the scheduled speakers have now been added to the agenda below. After the scheduled speakers, the floor will open for further discussion on each motion, but time will be limited and seeing the video from non-scheduled virtual speakers will not be possible.

Meeting Agenda

Print Version

Agenda Items 

Time

Topic

Action Item

1:30 Chair Opening Remarks and Approval of the Agenda Vote
1:45

Motion 1: Resolution to Establish a Mutual Defense Compact for the Universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance in Defense of Academic Freedom, Institutional Integrity, and the Research Enterprise

  • Scheduled Speakers
    • For:
      • Samuel Bagenstos (introduction of motion and then remarks), Frank G Millard Professor of Law, Arlene Susan Kohn Professor of Social Policy, Professor of Law, Law School and Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy
      • Sandra Levitsky, Arthur F Thurnau Professor, Associate Professor of Sociology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Professor of Law, Law School
      • Fred Terry, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering
    • Against:
      • Keith Riles, H Richard Crane Collegiate Professor of Physics and Professor of Physics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
  • Open Discussion
Vote electronically after the meeting at vote.umich.edu
2:10

Motion 2: Statement in Support of the Core Mission and Values of Higher Education in the United States of America

  • Scheduled Speakers
    • For:
      • Kentaro Toyama (introduction of motion and then remarks), W K Kellogg Professor of Community Information and Professor of Information, School of Information
      • Scott Greer, Professor of Health Management and Policy, Professor of Global Public Health, School of Public Health and Professor of Political Science, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
      • Yi-Li Wu, Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Associate Professor of History, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
  • Open Discussion
Vote electronically after the meeting at vote.umich.edu
2:35

Motion 3: Resolution to continue DEI initiatives that are in alignment with our university values, an extension of the mission of our schools, and legally compliant.

  • Scheduled Speakers
    • For:
      • John Carson (introduction of motion and then remarks), Associate Professor of History and Director Academic Program, History, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
      • Kevin Cokley, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, Associate Chair, Department of Psychology, Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Professor of Education, Marsal Family School of Education
      • Terri Friedline, Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work
  • Open Discussion
Vote electronically after the meeting at vote.umich.edu
3:00

Motion 4: Resolution Urging the University of Michigan to Protect International Students, Faculty, and Staff from Unwarranted Detention

  • Scheduled Speakers
    • For:
      • Derek Peterson (introduction of motion and then remarks), Ali Mazrui Collegiate Professor of History and African Studies, Associate Chair, Department of History, Professor of History and Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
      • Kirsten Herold, President of the Lecturers’ Employee Organization and Lecturer IV, School of Public Health
      • Rima Mohammad, Clinical Pharmacist Specialist and Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy
  • Open Discussion
Vote electronically after the meeting at vote.umich.edu
3:25 Adjourn

Tech Assistance

If you have difficulty joining the Zoom webinar or otherwise are in need of technical assistance, please contact us using the following email: fsotechhelp@umich.edu.

 

Accessibility

We aim to make Faculty Senate meetings accessible to all participants. This meeting will include human-generated live transcription for virtual attendees and an ASL interpreter in the room. If you anticipate needing additional accommodations to participate, please notify facultysenateoffice@umich.edu with as much notice as possible.

Full Zoom Webinar Invitation

You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: Apr 17, 2025 01:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: University Senate Special Meeting

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://umich.zoom.us/j/91877172924

Phone one-tap:
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+13052241968,,91877172924# US

Join via audio:
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Webinar ID: 918 7717 2924
International numbers available: https://umich.zoom.us/u/acmttZHLH