Emory Report homepage  

November 3, 2008
University Governance Roundup

By leslie king

University Senate hears about morale, the economy
At the Oct. 28 University Senate meeting, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Mike Mandl noted the multiple impacts on the economy, including the stock market, lack of credit and lower interest rates and also family incomes and what that might mean for financial aid.

Provost Earl Lewis told the Senate the University would be spending time looking at the undergraduate program including retention of freshmen and the six-year graduation rate. He also summarized the different duties, some of which have recently changed, of the senior provosts.

President Jim Wagner was particularly concerned, Senate president Steven Culler said, about morale at the University, comparing the situation to riding a bike uphill in fog. Many of the problems are external and it’s hard to judge how near the top of that hill you are, Wagner said, but he also indicated there was a lot of momentum at Emory.

Culler said Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Susan Cruse presented an outlook at Campaign Emory, noting what Senate members can do to help.

Campus amenities among topics at Employee Council
Ron Sauder, vice president of communications and marketing, encouraged members at the Oct. 5 Employee Council meeting to direct questions from the media to his department, saying it helps turn the queries into trend reports.

Athletics and Recreation Director Tim Downes presented ways staff members can access athletics and recreation on campus, such as memberships at Woodruff P.E. Center, Clairmont pool, yoga/aerobic/dance classes, and free attendance at athletic events.

Human Resources Associate Vice President Theresa Milazzo said HR’s focus is on diabetes this year; approximately 8 percent of the Emory population (employees or their dependents) and 24 million Americans are affected. Two diabetes fairs are planned for Jan. 23 and Jan. 30.

Andy Wilson, director of residence life, talked about the campus plans for residence halls, those recently built and others to be soon built or renovated, then took about 30 council members on a tour of one of the new halls.

Faculty Council focus on hiring, promotion, tenure
The Faculty Council will look to its Nov. 19 meeting to approve its bylaws. Ten elected members are needed for a quorum to approve, Council president Steve Culler said, and not enough were present at the Oct. 21 meeting.

At that meeting, Alyssa Lederer from the Faculty Staff Assistance Program discussed National Alcohol Awareness Week, during which the council co-sponsored two events.

Sylvester Hopewell, assistant director of equity Equal Opportunity Programs, gave an overview of the faculty gender and diversity issue in each school, “a summary of where we are today,” Culler said.

The University has also started collecting data never gathered before on faculty promotion and tenure, according to Culler. Culler said Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Faculty Development Claire Sterk’s presentation showed that they are handled differently in every school.

Culler also moderated a roundtable on concerns related to hiring dual-career couples and what Emory is doing to increase the probability of hiring these.