Update from the Speaker

Speaker of the Faculty Senate Report

 

Dear Faculty,
This year has been an eventful, productive year. As a Senate we’ve come a long way in 12 months.

Personally, I would like to thank the members of the faculty, administration, and staff who have graciously supported the efforts of the Senate this year. Such support has only served to help make this a successful, productive year.

This year members of the Senate have worked tirelessly to accomplish a number of positive elements. Both individually and as a body, senators often spend much time behind the scenes working with committees, members of the administration and staff to accomplish tasks for which there is often little recognition.

In a year, we have:
• built a strong relationship with both the President and Provost;
• confirmed that the Provost is the academic leader of the institution, and the President has echoed those sentiments repeatedly to the university as a whole;
• welcomed a new Provost/VP Academic Affairs to the university, one who seeks to guide us in becoming the institution we’re called to be, and to support the faculty as we serve our students and promote the academic mission of the institution;
• made a major contribution to the university’s Academic Plan;
• won recognition of a smoke-free campus policy implemented June 1st;
• developed a strong relationship with the Provost and VP for Academic Affairs;
• been granted a seat at the Academic Council with the Provost, deans, and Council of Chairs;
• been active in working to help develop an improved approach for our workload policy, annual performance review, and tenure and promotion process, which we will discuss today;
• worked with administration advocating the need for a financial exigency policy that is being written right now;
• worked with administration to return the Faculty Handbook from the Office of the President, to the Office of VP of Academic Affairs;
• convinced the President to re-evaluate university committee reporting so that committees operating with an academic focus now report not to the President, but to the Provost;
• started to work with the administration on the creation of a policy addressing program discontinuance when not in a period of financial exigency;
• taken a leadership role in developing a pilot study to determine how to most effectively evaluate faculty’s teaching;
• offered leadership in developing an involuntary separation policy for troubled students that will be implemented during the next academic year;
The leadership of Senate activities has been guided by a number of individuals. Whether or not we agree with the courses they took, they’ve dedicated their time and efforts to accomplishing the purpose of the Senate. To each of the members of the Executive Committee, I thank for your commitment and service during the 2010-2011 year. To those members of the EC who are leaving us this year, know that your absence will be felt. For each of those, I’m eternally grateful. To the newest members of our Executive Committee, welcome, and I look forward to working together this year.

Working diligently as we have as a team takes its toll, on each of us, both individually and collectively. No doubt as sure as we savor our progress, we will occasionally stumble and fall. I’d ask that we praise one another when we succeed in our efforts, and that we offer comfort and forgiveness when we stumble. Personally, in the areas where I’ve stumbled, I’d ask your pardon.

To members of the Senate, I thank you for your support and collegiality this year during my term as Speaker. I thank you for your confidence in me, and I look forward to again serving as Speaker this year.

To close, borrowing from an old friend, “My friends, we did it. We weren’t just marking time. We made a difference. . . All in all, not bad. Not bad at all.”

As we continue to work as a Senate, I would encourage everyone to heed these words from Henry Ford: “coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

Thanks again to each Senator for all the efforts on behalf of the faculty here at TWU. To the faculty at large, we look forward to another productive year. I’d ask that as we take our first steps into the new academic year that you consider how you might be able to offer your input into the efforts of the Faculty Senate. Please get to know your Senator, and take time to thank her/him.

Our office is located on the Denton campus, on the third floor of Stoddard Hall. Ms. Jill Stover is our Administrative Assistant. Our door is always open. We look forward to hearing from you, and we look forward to serving you.

Cordially,

Chad E. Smith, Ph.D.
Speaker, Faculty Senate