Faculty Council Delays Vote on TF Attendance

The faculty council took up the proposal of the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE) to require teaching fellows (TFs) to attend lecture, but became entangled in the issue and postponed their vote, council members said on Wednesday.

The proposed measure would require the approval of the full Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), which will next meet to discuss new business in September.

"I think there is strong support among the faculty for making it mandatory that teaching fellows attend lecture in the course in which they are teaching," council member and Professor of Physics Gary A. Feldman said Wednesday. "But there is some controversy among whether it should be an absolute rule or whether an instructor should be allowed to exempt [TFs] from the rule."

The council asked Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell to bring a "more definite set of resolutions" for the council to vote on to its next meeting in two weeks, Feldman said.

Council member and Adams University Professor John G. Shearman said he "doubted" the issue of TF attendance could be decided by next semester.

"It has to come up again in the fall," he said.

"In the humanities, [TF attendance] should be a requirement," Shearman said. "It may be that the conditions are different [in the sciences]."

One council member said that the "cultural differences between the humanities and the sciences" can make it hard for professors to reach a consensus on the matter.

"The humanities content changes more than an introductory calculus class does," the member said. "So it can be hard for us all to understand where we are coming from."

McKay Professor of Computer Science Barbara J. Grosz said "a hard-and-fast rule is impractical," but supported instructors' requiring their TFs to come to lecture on days when new material is being introduced.

Professional Conduct

The council also reviewed a draft copy of the Professional Conduct Guidelines document which is to be circulated to faculty next week.

An older draft of the memo, which was obtained by The Crimson on Tuesday, discussed eight "issues for consideration" in professional conduct, including authority, equal treatment of all students and collegial conduct.

"Students deserve to be valued equally," thedraft overview said. "Equity is not necessarilyachieved, however, by treating all studentsprecisely the same way."

When discussing "collegial conduct," or conductbetween University staff, the draft memo read,"The implications of making particular requests ofone's juniors ought to be considered before makingthem; the right to refuse, for reasonable cause,without consequence ought to be guaranteed everymember of the community."

Other subjects addressed in the memo includeinterpersonal relations, clear communication,confidentiality and discretion, classroomengagement and services.

Services included the "timely return of papersand exams and a clear justification ofevaluation."

Council members said that the guidelines are agood point to begin a discussion of these issues.

"They are a set of statements on professionalconduct that are meant largely as a discussiondocument rather than as something to belegislated," Feldman said. "They are goodstatements, thought-provoking, that would be veryuseful for both TFs and faculty members to readand think about."

"It is a well-worded document," Grosz said. "Agood guide for discussion. And we need adiscussion."

Benefits

As expected, the council also took up thematter of the Corporation's decision to reject oneof the Faculty's recommendations on benefits,which dominated Tuesday's Faculty Meeting.

The Corporation announced last week it woulduphold a proposed one percent reduction in theUniversity's contribution to the faculty pensionfund. The Corporation did, however, soften aproposed ceiling on postretirement health carecosts.

The council did not discuss the substance ofthe issue, Fox said, but instead talked about therelationship between the faculty and the centraladministration.

"I was quite saddened by yesterday's meeting,"Grosz said. "I remain cautiously optimisticbecause of the resources committee being set up,but I hope that this response from the Corporationis not a signal that they are uninterested withthe faculty."

"I hope they remain interested in dialogue,"she added.

Free Speech

Professor of Government Michael J. Sandel metwith the council to discuss his work on theUniversity Committee on Free Speech.

The committee, which discusses free speech at aUniversity-wide level, is "not in the midst of anyparticular crises that needed any action," Feldmansaid.

The council decided that the lowprofilecommittee has been doing well, Secretary to theFaculty John B. Fox Jr. '59 said

"Students deserve to be valued equally," thedraft overview said. "Equity is not necessarilyachieved, however, by treating all studentsprecisely the same way."

When discussing "collegial conduct," or conductbetween University staff, the draft memo read,"The implications of making particular requests ofone's juniors ought to be considered before makingthem; the right to refuse, for reasonable cause,without consequence ought to be guaranteed everymember of the community."

Other subjects addressed in the memo includeinterpersonal relations, clear communication,confidentiality and discretion, classroomengagement and services.

Services included the "timely return of papersand exams and a clear justification ofevaluation."

Council members said that the guidelines are agood point to begin a discussion of these issues.

"They are a set of statements on professionalconduct that are meant largely as a discussiondocument rather than as something to belegislated," Feldman said. "They are goodstatements, thought-provoking, that would be veryuseful for both TFs and faculty members to readand think about."

"It is a well-worded document," Grosz said. "Agood guide for discussion. And we need adiscussion."

Benefits

As expected, the council also took up thematter of the Corporation's decision to reject oneof the Faculty's recommendations on benefits,which dominated Tuesday's Faculty Meeting.

The Corporation announced last week it woulduphold a proposed one percent reduction in theUniversity's contribution to the faculty pensionfund. The Corporation did, however, soften aproposed ceiling on postretirement health carecosts.

The council did not discuss the substance ofthe issue, Fox said, but instead talked about therelationship between the faculty and the centraladministration.

"I was quite saddened by yesterday's meeting,"Grosz said. "I remain cautiously optimisticbecause of the resources committee being set up,but I hope that this response from the Corporationis not a signal that they are uninterested withthe faculty."

"I hope they remain interested in dialogue,"she added.

Free Speech

Professor of Government Michael J. Sandel metwith the council to discuss his work on theUniversity Committee on Free Speech.

The committee, which discusses free speech at aUniversity-wide level, is "not in the midst of anyparticular crises that needed any action," Feldmansaid.

The council decided that the lowprofilecommittee has been doing well, Secretary to theFaculty John B. Fox Jr. '59 said