Veteran Chair Explains Collegial Governance, Its Role on Campus and Current Challenges
Q: |
What is the role of the
Academic Senate? Has it changed over the years? |
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A: |
Essentially, the Academic Senate
serves to represent faculty on a variety of venues –
this can be done either formally or informally. We provide
advice and counsel to administrative leaders, as well as insight
into how the faculty views various positions and policies.
I think part of our job is to ask tough questions.
We recommend actions to the president, and he listens carefully
to what the senate has to say. As the university has grown,
we’ve grown as well. We have 44 senators who represent
the various colleges and departments on campus, as well as
administrative representatives. |
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Q: |
What are some of the major
issues this year? |
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A:
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As you can guess, there are
several. One concern is the declining numbers of tenured faculty
members. As we bring in more students, the workload increases
and so we need more professors. In an area like Southern California,
where property values are high, it can be difficult to attract
and retain new tenure-track faculty.
I also think we need to look at our criteria for tenure.
It’s often more difficult to be published today and
many of these young professors are being encouraged to take
on leadership and civic roles. In some instances, I believe
we should reward service and civic engagement more appropriately. |
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Q: |
Are there other issues that
are causing concern? |
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A: |
We are reviewing policies –
many of them several years old. There are lots of rules and
regulations that may have been appropriate at the time they
were drafted but now no longer apply. I’m currently
looking at 149 university policy statements; 79 are out for
review. |
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Q: |
Seventy-nine policy
statements are out for review? |
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A: |
Yes, many of them are quite
old – some people have either forgotten them or weren’t
even aware of them. I’m getting lots of e-mails from
people who haven’t seen these in years. That’s
fine – we’re just doing some housekeeping to see
what should stay and what needs to be dismissed or revised. |
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Q: |
Another issue is civility
on campus? |
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A:
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This is a problem on a number
of campuses, not just Fullerton. In fact, I think it’s
a general problem in our society. People just aren’t
as respectful of others as they should be. For instance, when
I was giving a test last week, about a quarter of the students
had cell phones that went off. It’s distracting and,
quite frankly, rude to others – especially during a
test!
Of course, that’s just one example. I am concerned
when I see rudeness and disrespect on campus – faculty
to students, students to faculty, students and faculty to
staff members and vice versa. I think many have lost sight
of how to treat one another. I find that disturbing. |
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Q: |
Do Academic Senates differ
from campus to campus? |
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A:
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The composition differs, as
does the membership. In addition to faculty members, we have
two students, an emeritus professor, the president and vice
president of academic affairs. Other campuses may structure
their senate differently. We elect the chair and appoint committee
members. |
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Q:
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Is there a structure in
terms of how the various colleges are represented? |
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A: |
We want to make sure that there
is representation for each college, as well as administration
and student services. |
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Q:
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What are the qualities that
an Academic Senate should have to ensure that it is effective? |
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A: |
I think you need to focus on those
issues that are within your sphere of influence. Sometimes senates
will want to vote on issues that they can’t impact. To
me – while the goal may be worthy – it’s not
something that’s within our purview. We try to limit our
focus to areas that are germane to instruction. |
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Q: |
Why do you keep serving
as chair? |
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A: |
I ask myself that same question!
Actually, in my years of teaching, I’ve grown up with
the concept of academic governance. I truly believe in the importance
of this senate to the overall well-being of Cal State Fullerton. |
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Q: |
Are there any accomplishments
you are most proud of? |
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A: |
I think it’s important
to be a visible academic chair. I try to network and bring
in others. I advocate for the senate and try to encourage
others to become involved.
I also am proud of the number of faculty members who have
stayed here for so many years. They have become the institutional
memory for the campus. What I find very rewarding is the number
of emeriti, as well as faculty members close to retirement,
who still volunteer for this committee and others. To me,
that represents a commitment to this campus and to students.
That sort of loyalty and sense of purpose are what can set
a campus apart. |
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