The University Record, May 6, 1997
Assembly Roundup
By Rebecca A. Doyle
Senate Assembly members unanimously voted to support proposed changes to Rules of the Senate, Senate Assembly and Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA) that were presented at the April 21 meeting by Ruth Barnard, chair of the Rules Committee.
The changes, most of which were recommended by the Rules Committee in 1993 but never presented to the Assembly, would define the date Assembly members take office and make changes to allow a greater pool of candidates for SACUA, both requiring a change in the Regents Bylaws. Other changes that would not prompt bylaw revisions include an explicit statement of qualifications for membership in the University Senate, widening the pool of candidates eligible for secretary of the Assembly by opening it to retired faculty, changing the method for reapportionment to mirror that used by the U.S. House of Representatives, and recognizing electronic mail as a legitimate and frequently used method of communication with SACUA.
Copies of the proposed changes are available at the Assembly Office, Room 6048, Fleming Building.
Chair Tom Dunn noted upcoming agenda items for the May meeting. The budget committee report will be available, as will a report from the grievance committee. A draft of the report of the campus safety committee, headed by Vice Provost for the Arts Paul Boylan, has been submitted to Provost J. Bernard Machen and will be released soon.
Dunn passed the gavel to newly elected SACUA chair Louis D’Alecy after reviewing the year’s events with Senate Assembly members. Dunn noted that the choice of President Lee C. Bollinger to lead the University was “a sign of recognition by the University of the type of leadership we need.” He said that the relationship between SACUA and the University’s leadership is in very good shape and that communication is better between the two groups.
Dunn also said that faculty is playing a larger part in the rule-making in intercollegiate athletics, since there is now a faculty member chairing the committee.
He noted that the class of 1997 is distinctly from graduating clases of 10-15 years ago. Issues surrounding diversity have been set out, and the University must “prepare the population for all the duties and responsibilities we should be taking,” Dunn said.
With thanks to the staff and a comment that he felt very good about what the faculty is doing and feeling, he withdrew and D’Alecy closed the meeting.
