The University of Iowa
FACULTY SENATE
2001-2002 Organizational Meeting
Tuesday, April 24, 2001
4:45 p.m.
Members Present:
K. Abdel-Malek, J. Aikin, S. Aquilino, S. Armstrong, Z. Ballas, J. Berg, A.
Bhattacharjee, D. Bills, T. Boles, P. Chang, C. Colvin, J. Cowdery, H. Cowen, J.
Cox, K. Diffley, C. Dungy, L. Dusdieker, B. Fallon, V. Grassian, R. G. Hamot, R.
Hegeman, P. Heidger, R. Hurtig, E. Irish, J. Jew, S. Kurtz, R. LeBlond, J.P.
Long (Emeritus Council), C. Lynch, D. Manderscheid, T. Mangum, K. Marra, A.M.
McCarthy, J. Menninger, S.A. Moorhead, J. Moyers, P. Muhly, B. Muller, W. Nixon,
G. Parkin, J. Polumbaum, M. Raymond, C. Ringen, J. Ringen, P. Rubenstein, T.
Schmidt, H. Seaba, L. Snetselaar, C. Sponsler, K. Tachau, L.Troyer, J. Westefeld
Members Absent:
J. Altman, E. Anderson, N. Bauman, M. Browning, B. Doebbeling, L. Geist, L.
Hunsicker, M. Klepser, P. Kutzko, R. Miller, I. Nygaard, T. O’Dorisio, A.
Qualls, C. Porter, R. Slayton, J. Soloski, S. Stromquist, R. Valentine, S.
Vincent, E. Wasserman, P. Weller
Members Excused: R.
Bork, D. Brown, D. DeJong, S. Larsen, W. Stanford, R. Weir
Guests: Jim
Andrews (AAUP), C. Berman, J. Carlson, R. Cohen, Lee Anna Clark (Office of the
Provost), S. Collins, Charles Drum (University Relations), Julie Englander (WSUI),
A. Gratama, R. Hohl, B. Levy, D. Liddell, Mike McWilliams (Daily
Iowan), G. Milavetz, Alan Nagel (Cinema and Comparative Literature), M.
Pincus, C. Stanford, Julie Thatcher (Faculty Senate and Office of the Provost),
B. Thompson, Jon Whitmore (Provost), Heather Woodward (Press
Citizen), R. Zbiek
I.
Call to Order
President Bhattacharjee called the meeting to order at
4:45.
II.
Approval of Agenda
Prof. Kurtz moved and Prof. Tachau seconded the following:
MOTION 1: The Faculty Senate approves the Senate Agenda for April 24, 2001, the first meeting of the 2001-2002 year. The motion carried.
III.
Resolutions
Prof. Jew, on behalf of herself and Prof. Liddell, offered
a Resolution to thank Prof. Colvin for her hard work and successful term as
2000-2001 Senate President.
Resolution: On
behalf of the faculty of The University of Iowa, the Faculty Senate expresses
its deep gratitude to its 2000-2001 President, Carolyn Colvin, for her
demonstrated dedication and commitment to the principle of faculty governance;
and to the importance of constructive dialogue among members of the University
community--for the University's health and commitment
to excellence. Carolyn's leadership has created opportunities for
faculty activism on issues critical to faculty welfare, productivity, and
academic freedom. She has advocated for the resources and initiatives vital to
the University's education and research missions; and has worked tirelessly to
educate and inform constituents across the State about the University's vital
contributions to the lives of Iowa's citizens.
The Resolution was accepted by general acclaim.
Prof. Nixon then offered a Resolution to thank Prof. Mangum
for her efforts as Secretary during the 2000-2001 term.
Resolution:
The Faculty Senate, on behalf of the faculty of the University of
Iowa, expresses its gratitude to its 2000-2001 Secretary, Teresa Mangum, for her
extraordinary care and dedication in creating a clear record of Senate and
Council meetings. She has
successfully captured the subtlety and nuances of the discussions at each
meeting. We also appreciate her
careful and well-reasoned advice in discussions of great importance to the
faculty and the University.
The Resolution was accepted by general acclaim.
IV.
Old Business
Prof. Colvin moved and Prof. Jew seconded the following:
MOTION 2: The
Faculty Senate accepts the recommendations for 2001-2002 committee assignments
proposed by the Committee on Committees.
The motion carried.
V.
Election of Officers--David Bills, Chair of Elections Committee
Prof. Bills introduced the candidates nominated to stand
for the election of Secretary and Vice-President.
The committee proposed Erin Irish and Hazel Seaba as candidates for
Secretary and Jeff Cox and John Moyers as candidates for Vice-President.
Prof. Kurtz moved and Prof. Raymond seconded the following:
MOTION 3: The
Faculty Senate accepts the slate of candidates for Secretary--Erin Irish and
Hazel Seaba--and for Vice-President--Jeff Cox and John Moyers--presented by the
Committee on Committees. The
motion carried.
The Senators then voted by secret ballot.
VI.
Inaugural Address--President Bhattacharjee
President Bhattacharjee opened the new session of the
Senate with a formal address, thanking continuing Senators and welcoming new
Senators. He also noted objectives
for the year to come. A copy of his
remarks is attached to the minutes.
VII.
Announcement of Election Results
President Bhattacharjee announced that Erin Irish was
elected as Secretary and Jeff Cox was elected as Vice-President for 2001-2002.
VIII. Adjournment
Prof. Nixon made a motion to adjourn, which was seconded by Prof. Lynch. The motion carried.
The first meeting of 2001-2002 concluded at 5:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa Mangum
Former Secretary
It is a
tradition for the President of the new Senate to make a few introductory
remarks. I begin mine by thanking
all the outgoing Senators for their exemplary service.
I also extend a warm welcome to our newly elected senators.
It will be my honor and pleasure to serve with you.
The Senate is, first and foremost, the voice of the faculty. During my years in the Senate and the Council, I have come to appreciate the wisdom of this voice. It often takes time to articulates itself and does so with deliberation and foresight. Almost always it enunciates policies and positions that preserves the integrity of the University and upholds the democratic tradition that we have worked so hard to build.
We are witnessing significant
and, I believe, irreversible changes in the way public Universities all over
this country are perceived and funded.
While there are dark clouds on our horizon, the silver lining may be that
they present us with new opportunities to re-examine how we conduct business and
govern ourselves. If there is a
time when the Faculty Senate should play forcefully its constitutional role
“to express its concern for the welfare of the University and develop and
disseminate ideas for University improvement,” it is now.
If there is a time when the Faculty Senate should lead by being
pro-active and anticipating what lies ahead, it is now.
This is what I propose to facilitate, in partnership with other Senate
Officers.
To our senior administrators, I underscore what is sometimes forgotten: that you are, first and foremost, one of us. You may not be in the classroom quite as much as some of us, but in your hearts and minds you hold the same values of academic excellence and commitment to a community of learning that unite us. You have a broad perspective of the whole that is more than a sum of the parts, and we benefit from that perspective. We may not always agree with you, but there is no breach in our common purpose. The story of our University needs to be told time and again, and we shall do so together.
What is the story of our University? It is the story, not of a corporation, but of an ecology in which the multiple contributions and needs of students, faculty and staff are held in delicate balance. It is a great challenge to come up with tangible policies that move the University collectively forward and at the same time, remain responsive to the individual voices in our community. This ecology is vital and fragile, and we in the Faculty Senate have to be vigilant in sustaining it.
I would like to implement some small steps that will enable you to play a pro-active role in determining the Senate and Council agenda. To this end, beginning with the next Senate meeting, I will set aside time in each meeting for motions from the floor. Please bring to the Senate any issue pertaining to faculty governance that is of interest to you and those you represent. If we convince ourselves that the issue requires further attention and action, I will place it on the Council agenda and we will report back to you. As time permits, I will also report to you significant issues that come up in the continuing dialogue of the Senate officers with the Provost and the President. This will keep you informed and involved on matters that are looming on the horizon. Last but not the least, please continue to share with me your thoughts and concerns.
I wish you all
a good summer and look forward to working with you next academic year.