By Mary Jo Frank
Senate Assembly will soon launch a new monthly “Faculty Perspectives” page in The University Record to improve faculty communications.
Approved at last Monday’s Assembly meeting, the six- to eight-month pilot project was recommended by the Faculty Communication Committee.
Committee Chair Elaine K. Didier said submissions will be written or solicited and compiled by an editorial advisory board for the “Faculty Perspectives” page, composed of three to five faculty representatives from a variety of University units.
The editorial advisory board, to be appointed by the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA), will encourage faculty to submit articles and opinion pieces and will strive to include submissions that reflect diverse perspectives on current issues of importance to the University community.
The agreement, as worked out by the Faculty Communication Committee and University Relations Executive Director Walter Harrison, calls for the editorial advisory board to determine the content of the “Faculty Perspectives” page in consultation with the Record executive editor. Record staff will be responsible for the page makeup.
The communication committee also considered faculty publication of a newsletter or more use of electronic mail but decided to publish a page in the Record because of costs and the Record’s existing circulation system. Some 21,800 copies are printed each week and distributed through 65 racks on campus and through the U.S. mail to University retirees, state and federal government leaders, and subscribers.
At the end of the pilot period, SACUA and Harrison will evaluate the effort, including the level of faculty participation and interest, and adequacy of space and of monthly publication, according to Didier, director of information resources and librarian, School of Business Administration.
Other members of the Faculty Communication Committee are George J. Brewer, professor of human genetics and of internal medicine, and Robert L. Smith, professor of industrial and operations engineering.
Assembly Chair Ejner J. Jensen called on his colleagues to volunteer to serve on the editorial advisory board and to write interesting articles for the page.
