University Senate Meeting - April, 2, 2009

[choyt3]

Received this in my Facebook:

Meeting info:

Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009

Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Location: Gamble 7

With as many students there as possible wearing Fighting Sioux Apparel, their votes will be heard, and they will fear supporting this resolution!

This Resolution is authored by Bill Sheridan of the Biology Department. Please contact him to show your disapproval of his actions with both of these contacts:

Email: bill.sheridan@und.edu

Office Phone: 701/777-4479

Make sure this professor knows who he's messing with!

GO FIGHTING SIOUX!!!!

The Resolution Reads:

University Senate Resolution

April 2009

Whereas, the University of North Dakota is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA); and

Whereas, following its 2004 reaccreditation visit to UND, the NCA issued a report explicitly linking UND

[The Sicatoka]

Dude, ...

... numerous online blogs and comment forums have revealed ...

Why not just quote your neighbor's dog too?

[The Sicatoka]

Whereas, the October 2007 settlement between the State of North Dakota, the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) provided a period of time until November 30, 2010 to seek approval for the use of the

[Butkus33]

I would agree that those that oppose the nickname are afraid that the vote will favor keeping the nickname, however, if the vote comes in for retiring the "Fighting Sioux" nickname, I for one will be sad. To me there are a lot of other prudent issues that affect the Native American population that would benefit greatly from all the effort and energy that has been put in to retire our nickname. To waste so much energy on removing the nickname rather than improving the lives of those that live on the reservation makes no sense to me. But what do I know. If any nickname should be retired it would be the Senators- what is respectful about them? Lets just remove all mascots that revolve around a culture. To say that a nickname promotes racism, and cripples those to succeed in life is B.S. I am Norwegian and Irish, I am successful, but again what do I know.

[Chewey]

The nickname opponents are petrified about the vote, in my opinion. Just look at how their framing it: The supporters of the nickname have all the money in the world to manipulate the reservation populations. How asinine is that. So, the voice of the majority is being heard and that causes "disruption" on campus but constant squawking of a few nickname opponents doesn't? The nickname opponents are really sickening and they are desparate.

[gfhockey]

I gt confused in all that jargon

what did the gist of it say? no more sioux logo apparal on campus or what did it say?

[Chief Illiniwek Supporter]

Methinks some on campus fear the April ballot measure at Spirit Lake.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

Isn't it amazing how all the "scholarly research", blah, blah, blah just doesn't seem to hold at Pembroke, FSU, Utah, etc.??

I'd love to see how that scholarly research differentiates between Native Americans and any other ethnic group. Sounds vaguely discriminatory to me. Hope our wonderful friends in academia aren't discriminating on the basis of national origin.

(BTW, can't ANYONE introduce a wordy resolution? I'd imagine some supporters can whip up some sort of blather and have it voted on.)

One other thing:

Whereas, the ongoing controversy over the Indian nickname and Indianhead logo is disruptive and divisive to the UND campus community and the Greater Grand Forks community;

Good point.

So do us a favor and shutup;

you're

the ones causing the controversy. There's PLENTY of people (including some people on a reservation taking a vote) who don't think it's very controversial at all.

[Goon]

Methinks some on campus fear the April ballot measure at Spirit Lake.

I think your right and the reason RHT doesn't want to allow a vote on the Standing Rock reservation.

[Goon]

I would agree that those that oppose the nickname are afraid that the vote will favor keeping the nickname, however, if the vote comes in for retiring the "Fighting Sioux" nickname, I for one will be sad. To me there are a lot of other prudent issues that affect the Native American population that would benefit greatly from all the effort and energy that has been put in to retire our nickname. To waste so much energy on removing the nickname rather than improving the lives of those that live on the reservation makes no sense to me. But what do I know. If any nickname should be retired it would be the Senators- what is respectful about them? Lets just remove all mascots that revolve around a culture. To say that a nickname promotes racism, and cripples those to succeed in life is B.S. I am Norwegian and Irish, I am successful, but again what do I know.

Personally I think this resolution lacks teeth. The only one that can change the name is the ND Board of HIgher ED.

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

The resolution (proper terminology?) passed. A large amount of people abstained.

[gfhockey]

What does that mean it passed? That the students want to ban the nickname?

[siouxforeverbaby]

What does that mean it passed? That the students want to ban the nickname?

no.

Just to make things a little clearer. There are three senates on the campus. Student Senate which is the students. Staff Senate which is the staff of UND. and University Senate which is mostly made up of faculty of UND, with one represenative from Staff Senate and a represenative, who I believe is Student Body President for the students.

The fact that a large amount of people abstained tells me that the amount should be looked into....if the majority abstained, that is not a true representation of the group. But what do I know and that won't be done.

[Goon]

What does that mean it passed? That the students want to ban the nickname?

No it means your leftwing extremist college professors want the name to change.

[siouxforce19]

no.

Just to make things a little clearer. There are three senates on the campus. Student Senate which is the students. Staff Senate which is the staff of UND. and University Senate which is mostly made up of faculty of UND, with one represenative from Staff Senate and a represenative, who I believe is Student Body President for the students.

The fact that a large amount of people abstained tells me that the amount should be looked into....if the majority abstained, that is not a true representation of the group. But what do I know and that won't be done.

Actually, the University Senate has more than one representative for students. I believe there are 10 student representatives, all of whom I believe are also members of the Student Senate. I actually served on U-Senate as a student a few years ago and let me tell you people would abstain from votes all the time. I think one vote on a particular resolution had a large majority of abstentions. It's pathetic. What, you don't have an opinion?! PLEASE! give me a break. Everyone has an opinion and if you don't want to use it you have no place on a governing body. (ok, i can understand obstaining b/c of a conflict of interest or something, but other than that OR something like that, PLACE A VOTE!) *end rant*

[Goon]

Actually, the University Senate has more than one representative for students. I believe there are 10 student representatives, all of whom I believe are also members of the Student Senate. I actually served on U-Senate as a student a few years ago and let me tell you people would abstain from votes all the time. I think one vote on a particular resolution had a large majority of abstentions. It's pathetic. What, you don't have an opinion?! PLEASE! give me a break. Everyone has an opinion and if you don't want to use it you have no place on a governing body. (ok, i can understand obstaining b/c of a conflict of interest or something, but other than that OR something like that, PLACE A VOTE!) *end rant*

Nice rant and I agree vote damn it.

[Chief Illiniwek Supporter]

Is the list of people and how they voted (or whether they abstained or voted present) a public record?

Ought to be interesting to see who put their money where their mouth is.

[Yote 53]

USD SGA (Student Government Association) is basically a joke. I think my high school student council had more teeth. Anyways, if your student government is like ours, and a majority obstained when they have no power. Talk about a dog and pony show.

Seriously, I love the Sioux name, but at this point it is holding you back. Sieze the opportunity to fashion your own name rather than fight for the Sioux name, because it is gonna be gone, and you don't want the liberal profs renaming UND the Green Wave or something stupid like that. Heck, us Coyotes wouldn't even wish THAT upon you. (But we would the Jacks, The Yeller Wave, I like the sound of that).

[GeauxSioux]

Nickname divides UND senate

True to its controversial nature, UND

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

I had the name of one of the authors, but I forgot it now. Sorry guys. But regardless, this whole thing yesterday was truly stupid. And if anyone is wondering, President Kelley abstained.

[choyt3]

I had the name of one of the authors, but I forgot it now. Sorry guys. But regardless, this whole thing yesterday was truly stupid. And if anyone is wondering, President Kelley abstained.

This Resolution is authored by Bill Sheridan of the Biology Department.

Except he wouldn't put his name to it.

[Chief Illiniwek Supporter]

Sorry Wendelin, it's

yours

now. You own it baby. There's absolutely

NO WAY

I can just put something on your desk and have you sponsor it unless you agree with it.

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

Does anyone expect this to do anything?

[Goon]

Does anyone expect this to do anything?

The only thing that matters is the NDBHE

[Chief Illiniwek Supporter]

Does anyone expect this to do anything?

No, not really.

What it does do is allow some people to say "look, the

UNIVERSITY SENATE

is against the nickname-how can North Dakota

continue to defy the overwhelming majority

of scholarly research, etc., etc.:

even their own campus is solidly against the nickname

!"

It's just like the language in the resolution. This is supposed to impress other people.

I do find it interesting that these 25 people won't stand up and say "we're the 25" and put their names to their support for this resolution. Even the guy who wrote it doesn't have the courage of his convictions.

Edit: Sorry, I guess that should be 23. The first post here identifies the author as Bill Sheridan of the Biology Department: and the person who raised the resolution was Wendelin Hume (apparently of the Criminal Justice and/or Women's Studies Departments). Wendelin is linked to quite a number of interesting websites.

[choyt3]

Here's a little gem piece from the KX network in western ND on the issue: http://www.kxmc.com/News/355090.asp

From the article:

Also at the Legislature today, The Senate voted 25-17 in favor of ending the use of the Fighting Sioux as UND's nickname.

The non-binding vote calls on the Board of Higher education to end the use of the Sioux nickname.

You can't make this stuff up.