Meeting Updates from Sept. 14 and Sept. 19

On September 14 and September 19, Faculty Senate discussed, asked questions and reached a conclusion about how our group will be represented in the foreseeable future.  (Well, sort of!)

We began with the understanding that the university’s curriculum belongs to all faculty. Therefore, the question that faces Faculty Senate is: “How do we give everyone an equal say in the issues the Senate decides?” During the September 14 meeting, we spent a considerable amount of time brainstorming this question. I don’t believe Robert’s Rules of Order has suggestions for running active brainstorming, but I felt confident that we needed a robust brainstorming session.

On September 19, Senators got back to work and by the conclusion of our meeting, I’d certainly gained greater appreciation for the role and expertise of our Parliamentarian. Though I have been part of Faculty Senate for many years, I found this meeting to be a unique experience. We spent over 90 minutes discussing the pros and cons of a variety of membership structures and concluded that too many ideas and opinions were present in our group to effectively make an informed decision. We needed a smaller committee.

As I watched our colleagues during this discussion, I saw excitement, sadness, anger, confusion, realization — I’ll just say it was an emotional journey. It was an important journey as well. All who wanted to speak had an opportunity, and it’s my sincere belief and hope that all who spoke felt that they were heard.

As a result, we unanimously passed the following motion:

Motion to move to refer to the Committee of Past-Chairs to present representation options ranked to the Senate for a vote and distributes report via email to all Senators by the end of day October 11.

This was an important decision because it called for us to each put our trust in our colleagues to direct our future path. I think this smaller committee, which I’m part of, will serve Faculty Senate well. All colleges are represented in this group. Meeting times are already being determined, and I believe we have already elected our chair. This committee’s meetings, along with all meetings of Faculty Senate and its councils and committees, belong to all faculty members.

This committee will present a report to Faculty Senate on October 19, with a written report sent to all senators by October 11.

Until that time, please don’t hesitate to contact me for more information.