A month after President Roderick McDavis scrapped his proposed search committee for a new executive vice president and provost, Faculty Senate is considering a change in the wording of the Faculty Handbook, clarifying which search committees fall under handbook jurisdiction.
The resolution would require search committees for executive academic officers - including the provost, some vice presidents, associate provosts and deans - to have a faculty majority as well as a faculty chairperson. The wording currently applies only to academic appointments.
The resolution gives the clarification of what an academic appointment is
said Sergio López-Permouth, Faculty Senate chairman.
In January, the Senate passed a resolution condemning the construction of the original committee, claiming it violated the handbook's provisions for a faculty chairperson and faculty majority on search committees for academic positions.
McDavis argued that because Human Resources classifies the executive vice president and provost as executive positions, the handbook guidelines did not apply. But, after objection from the senate, McDavis announced a revised committee that complied with the handbook.
I believe that if this resolution passes and becomes part of the handbook we will not run into this problem again. Lopez said.
The president's original committee consisted of 23 people, but 8 faculty members were added after Faculty Senate passed a resolution asking invited faculty not to serve. In response, the senate re-affirmed its resolution, leading to the revised committee.
The current committee consists of 14 members, eight of whom are faculty. The committee is led by Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Chairman Tad Malinski.
The committee hopes to find a replacement for Kathy Krendl, who announced in December that she would accept the job of president at Otterbein College, by July 1.
Faculty Senate will vote on the resolution in its April 13 meeting.
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Wesley Lowery
