Month: September 2014

Faculty Council examines governance

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Faculty governance will be a central theme that will guide the work of the Emory Faculty Council during the 2014-2015 academic year, according to Council Chair Kathryn Yount. The prospect of increased faculty governance advanced with the Faculty Council voting at its Sept. 16 meeting to approve a task force to help define the criteria. The vote followed a presentation by Justin Remais, associate professor of environmental health at the Rollins School of Public Health, who outlined the recent history of shared governance at Emory and suggested that the council create a structure for more specific study and action. The discussion that followed among the council members examined whether Emory’s existing governing bodies are sufficient, where faculty voices might help fill gaps, how university governing bodies should be structured, and the future of faculty governance at Emory.

 

Creating a process for faculty mediation

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A new faculty conflict and mediation process may be in the works after the Faculty Council voted at its first meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year to create a special committee to study this potential. The vote followed a presentation by Sheryl Heron, professor at the School of Medicine, and Michael Sacks, associate professor at Goizueta Business School. They noted that costs associated with unresolved conflict include lower job motivation, lost work time, departure from the university, increased health care costs, and damage to the university’s reputation. They also called for a program tailored to faculty needs, which currently are being unaddressed through existing options (including consultations with the Faculty-Staff Assistance Program and with the general counsel’s office). Council chair Kathryn Yount suggested that a faculty process for mediation could enhance the capacity to improve working relationships. Marc Bousquet, associate professor of English, and Deb Houry, past council chair, suggested that the committee involve faculty from different ranks.

Provost’s welcome to new academic year

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Provost Claire Sterk took the opportunity of the Faculty Council’s first meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year to welcome new faculty, and she encouraged council members to visit the provost’s website to learn more about their new colleagues. She called on faculty to consider interdisciplinary opportunities as the implementation phase of recommendations presented by the Commission on the Liberal Arts begins in earnest. With the addition of new programs, including a master’s degree in environmental sciences and a neo-natal nurse practitioner program, Sterk also suggested that the council look closely at the role of master’s degree programs at Emory and the opportunities they present for the university.