 he
Faculty Senate moved one step closer to becoming reality when the faculty
voted unanimously to accept a proposal for its creation at the spring faculty
meeting, May 13.
"This has been a long time coming," said Donna Schlagheck, political science, co-chair of the Faculty Senate committee. "There has been talk of a Faculty Senate for at least 15 years." The Faculty Senate will replace the Academic Council, which voted overwhelmingly in April to support the creation of the senate. "For some time, faculty have felt the need for a distinct voice on campus," said John Fleischauer, provost. "The Student Government Association, Deans Council, Cabinet, USAC and CSAC all represent the defined interests of various campus groups, but there has been no uniquely faculty-oriented body to speak for our academic professionals. Faculty leadership studied possible formats for a clearer faculty voice in university activities and policy decisions. After more than a year of study, the committee proposed the establishment of a faculty senate." Schlagheck co-chaired the committee with Manley Perkel, mathematics. "Our mission was to give faculty a venue so we can clearly articulate a faculty voice on university and governance issues," Schlagheck said. |
"The senate will have a standing committee structure similar to
Academic Council with a couple of new standing subcommittees for faculty
affairs, including sexual harassment and discrimination and faculty diversity."
After deliberation, the senate will forward policy recommendations to the
faculty as a whole and to the president.
The proposal would do away with Academic Council and substitute the senate, which would be about the size and composition of the current faculty makeup of Academic Council. The 30-member senate will have proportional representation based on college or school size. Each member will serve a two-year term. Elections are underway pending final approval by the Board of Trustees. "The president hopes he can take the proposal to the Board of Trustees in June," Fleischauer said. "If their agenda permits, the new plan should be ready for implementation this fall." "I am very pleased that the president has supported the establishment of a Faculty Senate," said Perkel. "He has said he would eagerly forward the proposal to the Board of Trustees. The president has stated his support of a strong and empowered faculty governance system." |