As a new academic year begins, Ohio University's faculty senators hope to address old problems with renewed zeal.
Faculty Senate will continue to push for increased faculty compensation, affordability for students, rights for tenured and tenure-track faculty members, and a seamless quarters-to-semesters transition, said Joe McLaughlin, chairman of Faculty Senate.
I don't know that it's going to be a very different year again in terms of the budget
McLaughlin said. We want to continue to represent the views of faculty to (administrators) to make sure they're aware.
McLaughlin plans to continue conducting an annual evaluation of OU President Roderick McDavis and Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit, a practice senate began several years ago.
Senate's four committees have their own goals as well. The Finance and Facilities Committee - whose chair, John Gilliom, sits on OU's Budget Planning Council - plans to work specifically with OU administration to reach agreements on faculty compensation and student costs.
The Educational Policy & Student Affairs Committee, chaired by Allyn Reilly, will continue to work on easing the transition from quarters to semesters.
What we're looking at is the larger issues of advising and the quarters-to-semesters transition - making it as smooth and painless for students so everyone knows they're going to graduate Reilly said. We don't want anyone to get caught.
The Professional Relations Committee is still formulating its goals for this year, said Sherrie Gradin, the committee's chair. The committee handles faculty grievances and university policies. Gradin cited successes from last year and said she hopes the committee will continue on the same path this year. Gradin listed last year's accomplishments, which included collaboration on policies defining graduate faculty roles and pre-employment background checks.
McLaughlin expressed concern for the nationwide trend of fewer tenured and tenure-track faculty being employed on campuses, and said senate's Promotion and Tenure Committee should be looking into that this year.
Financial questions are always at the forefront when making decisions, McLaughlin said.
The budget issues aren't always about salary but just about everything ties back to the budget
he said.
As a representative body, senate often has to make decisions on matters of contention within the faculty, McLaughlin said. When the amount of a raise pool was under debate last year, Faculty Senate supported a 2-percent raise pool rather than the 1-percent raise they received.
There are a thousand faculty members; they don't think the same way
he said. Sometimes
senate becomes a place to help us figure out where a majority of faculty are and present that view.
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Rebecca McKinsey
