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October 3 , 2005
Council
opens defining year for faculty
BY Stacia
Brown
New Chair Michael Rogers, associate professor of mathematics at
Oxford College, convened the first Faculty Council meeting of 2005–06
on Sept. 20 in 400 Administration.
After approval of minutes from the last spring meeting and introduction
of new members, Rogers outlined four goals for the academic year,
including:
•
defining exactly what “the faculty” means at Emory;
•
working with administration to outline the future of the University
Teaching Fund (UTF), the University Advisory Council on Teaching
(UACT) and other teaching-related programs;
•
working with the Association of Emory Alumni to facilitate greater
faculty involvement with alumni; and
•
developing an appointment process for faculty counselors to the Board
of Trustees.
Richard Mendola, chief information officer and vice president for
information technology (IT), introduced himself and outlined his
priorities for the coming
months (see column, page 4). Mendola said he hopes to focus on IT governance
and prioritization; measurement of progress in IT service; streamlining electronic
directory services and identity management; business continuity and data storage/recovery
in case of disaster; and communication of IT services and policies.
In his remarks, Provost Earl Lewis echoed Rogers’ desire to
find a more precise and comprehensive definition of who Emory’s “faculty” really
are. Lewis said Claire Sterk, senior vice provost for faculty development,
will examine the question this year. Lewis also discussed Emory’s strategic
plan, which is now being rolled out to various University constituencies. Key
at this stage of preliminary implementation is the development of measurable
goals, he said.
UTF Chair Arri Eisen reported that the committee has been approved
to continue in its present form for 2005–06, though at the
year’s conclusion
it will likely be merged into a new centralized structure for teaching, learning
and research resources. Eisen asked if the council preferred UTF to conduct
one or two funding cycles, and the council decided to continue offering two
cycles.
In closing the meeting, President Jim Wagner said in his remarks
that the University’s
Comprehensive Campaign began Sept. 1 and is now in its silent, Prelude phase.
Wagner said this phase dictates that he spend more time traveling, though he
expressed a hope not to be away from campus too much.
The president then asked the council for feedback on a question
posed to him by an Emory student, who asked why Emory always seemed
to
be in “business” mode.
Does Emory, Wagner asked, project a tone or ethos that is too much “business” and
too little creativity and free thought? Several council members thanked Wagner
for being bold enough to bring such a potentially sensitive issue to the table.
Judy Raggi-Moore noted that “the logic of numbers” sometimes seems
to drive the University forward, more so than the individual gifts and strengths
of undergraduates. Other members suggested the administration spend less time
discussing the capital campaign in meetings with faculty and students; better,
they said, to mention the campaign and move on to a broader range of issues
important to building up Emory community.
The next Faculty Council meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct. 18,
at 3:15 p.m. in
400 Administration.
If you have a question or concern for Faculty Council, e-mail Chair
Michael Rogers at rogers@learnlink.emory.edu.
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