The University Senate approved minor committee changes and discussed President Michael Gottfredson’s decision to appoint a new athletic advisory group at its meeting Wednesday.
The senate meeting was added to the schedule to address procedural issues. The senate voted to approve minor revisions to seven committees after completing a 10-year review of the committees. Changes were made to the following committees:
Academic Council
Faculty Research Awards
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns
Nontenure-Track Instructional Faculty
Off-Campus Scholarships and Grants
Officers of Administration Council
ROTC Advisory
The revisions included things such as updating committee descriptions, specifying the make-up of committees, identifying length of terms, and adding background information.
During opening discussion, Senate President Margie Paris discussed a memo from President Gottfredson informing the senate that he will appoint an interim advisory group to provide advice and recommendations on intercollegiate athletic issues. Until now, the senate’s Intercollegiate Athletic Committee (IAC) was charged with considering athletic issues.
Gottfredson’s decision comes after the chair of the IAC delivered a report to the senate calling the IAC “ineffective” and “broken.” Gottfredson’s memo stated, “It is critical that the university have an advisory group, one that operates such that all members can participate in an environment free of the numerous problems the chair clearly identifies in his report to the senate.”
Paris said the memo does not disband the IAC but is a call for the senate to “fix the IAC.”
In other senate news, Paris encouraged students, faculty and staff to volunteer to serve on the University Senate or senate committees. The deadline to sign up for service has been extended to May 1. Paris said the need is great; pointing out that no one had yet stepped forward to serve on the Senate Budget Committee.
The next meeting of the senate will be Wednesday, May 14, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at a location to be announced.
-- By Jennifer Winters, Public Affairs Communication