Faculty Senate makes changes
In an effort to become more effective, the Utah State University Faculty Senate is streamlining its meetings.
The senate consists of faculty from each college elected by their peers, as well as representatives from the libraries and Extension.
According to the Faculty Senate Web site, http://www.usu.edu/fsenate, the senate’s main role is to act for and represent the faculty in all matters of educational policy, including requirements for admission and degrees. They also make recommendations based on committee findings to USU’s administration regarding matters of professional interest and faculty welfare.
The senate, under the guidance of President Martha Dever, hopes to strengthen its voice by making meetings more efficient.
Dever said in the past, the senate has been seen as a “rubber-stamp group,” because much of the meeting time was devoted to reading reports of actions that had already taken place.
“We don’t want to spend our time that way,” she said. “We have a finite amount of time and an infinite amount of information.”
One way the senate is streamlining is by condensing the reports of various committees into a single document called a “consent agenda.” This is given to senators before their monthly meeting. The senators have a chance to look it over before the meeting, then meeting time is spent discussing critical matters from it.
“We want it so they spend most of their time looking at the most important issues,” Dever said.
Faculty are concerned they did not receive raises this year because of budget cuts, she said.
“We have right now an administration working very hard to make sure the faculty doesn’t go another year without a raise,” Dever said. “We’re already behind our peer institutions [in terms of salary]. The president and provost are making sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Other prominent faculty concerns include early retirement plans, health insurance and the proposed new library that could help bring in research money for the university, she said.
“A new library is how you get the status you want as a research facility,” Dever said.
Besides discussing faculty concerns, the senate also spends time working in tandem with student government. The compromise reached between ASUSU and the senate concerning the honor code changes last year is an example, she said.
“Faculty and students have everything to gain by supporting each other,” Dever said. “Students are affected by faculty morale. They’re symbiotic.”
Dever hopes the streamlined meetings and the faculty newsletter she sends out each month will contribute to increased interest in the senate’s work, she said.
“We’re trying to strengthen the voice of the senate so people won’t be apathetic,” Dever said. “I expect us to become a powerful voice on campus. I think we should be. I’m optimistic that that’s where it’s headed.”
-heidithue@cc.usu.edu