Faculty members will continue to discuss their thoughts on the proposed Sook Academic Center for student-athletes at the November Faculty Senate meeting Monday night.
During the October meeting, several faculty members expressed concerns that the new building was planned without their input and that the facility created segregation between athletes and other students.
Bill Reader, an associate professor of journalism, said at that meeting that the building of a separate academic facility for athletes would create a “caste” system that would give athletes “preferential” treatment. Ohio Athletics already has an academic center for student athletes in Peden Center which officials say is too small.
Since the October meeting, athletics has said only academic employees — like tutors for student athletes — of the athletics department will work in the Sook Center, not faculty. Officials have not enumerated the specifics of how the building will be funded, beyond saying only private donations will be used for the building’s construction.
President Roderick McDavis and Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit will return to senate to give remarks to the faculty after Board of Trustees Chair David Brightbill took their place with a question and answer session at the last meeting.
Martha Compton, director of the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility, will follow McDavis and Benoit with an update on the changes being made to the Student Code of Conduct.
Community standards is in the process of updating the code to make the language more clear so students will be able to understand the policies better. The update process will also eliminate the “A” and “B” level distinctions in the code.
Ruth Palmer, chair of Faculty Senate’s Educational Policies and Student Affairs Committee, said she and Compton were aiming to have a draft of the revised code ready for Monday’s meeting.
Chief Human Resource Director Colleen Bendl and Benefits Director Greg Fialko will also present an update on the Benefits Advisory Council.
The council aims to analyze and give recommendations for university benefit plans based on principles set by McDavis’ office.
The meeting will end with resolutions up for second reading: two related to updating language in the Faculty Handbook and one pertaining to the creation of an award for Group II faculty members.
The only new resolution up for approval pertains to updating language in the handbook for Group IV faculty.
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