Frye said the he and President Bill Chace support the idea of creating the advisory committee because the group would provide them with a broader perspective on the merits of tenure and promotion applications than is currently available to them. Frye also said he believes such a group would strengthen the entire faculty governance process.
Ken Stein, director of the Middle East Research Program, warned that schools and departments likely would see such a committee as usurping their authority on tenure and promotion matters and would resist that "loss of prerogative."
Luther Smith of the theology school wondered whether such a committee could have the ability to "move inside the ethos and scholarship of a school or college without creating more anxiety" about the tenure and promotion process.
Frye said the committee's role would be purely advisory, and that one of its greatest strengths would be its ability to advise Chace and Frye on the integrity of the entire process of tenure and promotion review, but not in a way that would supersede departmental authority. Frye said he envisions the advisory committee as a means of making the top level of the tenure and promotion review process "work better than just two people can make it work."
Lanny Liebeskind, Dobbs Professor of Organic Chemistry, expressed support for an advisory committee. "I believe the quality [of tenure and promotion actions] would rise as a result," Liebeskind said. "The quality candidates will always stand out. If some of the people in individual departments are disturbed by the idea, that's just part of the process of raising standards."
The Council is expected to vote at a subsequent meeting on whether to recommend the creation of the committee.
Frye also addressed the role of the new vice president for research, for which a search is currently being conducted. Frye said he envisions the position as an extension of the President's Office performing a staff function of advising the president, vice president for health affairs and the deans. He said that he does not see the vice president for research as a line administrative officer with ultimate responsibility for policy areas such as care of animal research subjects or treatment of human subjects in clinical trials.
In other business, the Faculty Council voted to recommend changing the wording of the University's policy on granting emeritus status to retired faculty. The wording change states that faculty who retire with the required years of service to Emory will be granted emeritus status within the rank they hold at retirement. Previously, all faculty given emeritus status automatically received the title "professor emeritus," regardless of their rank at retirement.
Relating President Chace's support for continuing the Faculty Town Hall meetings begun last year, Frye announced that another Faculty Town Hall will be held in mid November. He said that the topic of the meeting will be publicized well in advance.
Marsteller also announced that the commission will hold a reception Thursday, Oct. 26, from 3-5 p.m. in Winship Ballroom, Dobbs Center. She said the primary purpose of the reception is to let minority members of the Emory community know "that there is a warm community here to welcome and mentor them."
Representatives of three PCSM committees discussed their group's goals for the coming year, which included:
*Faculty Concerns Committee: Recruitment and retention of minority faculty will be a primary issue, Marsteller said. She said the committee hopes that its survey of minority faculty currently being conducted will provide valuable information on what needs to be done in those areas.
*Staff Concerns Committee: Liberalizing the restrictions of the Tuition Reimbursement Program and finding ways to increase the number of women and minority staff receiving Human Resources training will be the committee's primary focus.
*Student Concerns Committee: Increasing the pool of funds for graduate and undergraduate financial aid, increasing scholarship funds available to minority students and improving the campus culture for people of color are the group's main goals for the year. --Dan Treadaway