Task Force on Faculty & Shared Governance
Task Force Bulletin Board
Task Force Bulletin Board
- Last updated on September 27, 2004 by Sarah Holloman. Copyright 1999-2004 Rice University
ISSUES UNDER DISCUSSION
Faculty Senate model
As one option, the Task Force has been considering a Faculty Senate model. The model calls for a Senate of approximately 40 to 50 tenured and tenure-track faculty to be elected for staggered two- or three-year terms by their respective Schools. The meetings of the Senate would be open to the University community. The Chair of the Faculty Senate would be either the President or the Faculty Speaker, who would be elected by the Senate or by the full faculty. The President and Provost would be ex officio members of the Senate. Once each year, the Senate would invite the President to deliver a "State of the University" address to the Senate.
In addition to Faculty Senate meetings, there would be one or two plenary meetings of the faculty in the winter and spring in order to approve candidates for graduation and consider other issues deemed relevant by the Faculty Senate.
Question 2. In a Faculty Senate, do you favor the President or the Faculty Speaker as the Chair?
POSTED FACULTY COMMENTS
(Posted according to date received)
Date: September 14, 2004 by Moshe Vardi <vardi@cs.rice.edu>
If we are trying to do "faculty govennance", then the Senate should not be chaired by the President.
Date: September 17, 2004 by Meredith Skura <skura@rice.edu>
It should be run by the faculty speaker.
Date: September 22, 2004 by Gale Stokes <gstokes@rice.edu>
I have always wondered why the president, with his many responsibilities and functions, not all of which are consonant with the interests of the faculty, should chair faculty meetings. I strongly favor having the Faculty Speaker chair a senate.
Submit your own comments to this question for the public bulletin-board