After more than an hour of deliberation, Ohio University Faculty Senate split a vote yesterday for a resolution that would give tenured faculty the ability to evaluate OU President Roderick McDavis and Provost Kathy Krendl.
The petition for the resolution now will go to all Group I, tenured, and Group II, non-tenured, faculty for approval, said Phyllis Bernt, Faculty Senate chair.
When the 259 petition signatures were collected, non-tenured faculty were discouraged from signing, though some did sign, said journalism professor Joseph Bernt.
If the resolution is approved by a majority of Group I and II faculty, it will go to Krendl for approval and result in the inclusion of a Faculty Handbook clause that allows Group I faculty to anonymously evaluate the president and provost responding to questions on a scale of 1 (agree) to 5 (disagree). The clause also provides space for qualitative responses.
The purpose of this (American Association of University Professors) initiation is to provide faculty input
said Joseph Bernt, secretary of the association's OU chapter.
Some senators, though, opposed such an evaluation process.
Where was the Faculty Senate when administrators were being increased? G? Where were the faculty when the McDavis administration inherited the problems of the Robert Glidden administration? said Francine Childs, African-American studies professor.
The evaluation process is unrelated to the process the OU Board of Trustees adopted at Friday's meeting, which will field feedback from six campus groups, including Faculty Senate.
One reason there is a need for an evaluation process is increased concerns with university spending, Joseph Bernt said.
I think that for several years now there has been growing frustration with how administrators choose to spend money he said, specifically citing the OU-owned airplane and Vision Ohio.
Also at the meeting, senators passed a resolution that would require instructor permission for non-registered persons to observe a class and to record classroom activities electronically.
Student privacy is involved as well as my own said Kenneth Brown, chair of senate's Educational Policy and Student Affairs Committee.
Senators also expressed concern about actions OU's Board of Trustees is taking to alter general education requirements.
At the April 14 Board of Trustees meeting, the topic of Tier III courses was brought up and will be discussed further at the June 22 and 23 meeting.
I am not happy at all about the answers given by the Board of Trustees about (general education)
Brown said. As far as I am concerned
I see this as the beginning of the end of faculty control over curriculum.
This is an issue for the faculty and Faculty Senate
Bernt said.
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