The Faculty Council approved the creation of a Standing Committee on Faculty Dispute Resolution, which would provide informal, voluntary, faculty-led mediation services and training in conflict resolution for Emory faculty. The vote followed recommendations presented by Sheryl Heron, professor of emergency medicine, and Michael Sacks, associate professor in the practice of organization and management, who co-chair a special committee approved last semester to explore the creation of a process for faculty to address and resolve interpersonal conflicts and organizational challenges. The standing committee’s mission will be to “assist faculty with resolving conflicts that arise from everyday work life before these conflicts become formal grievances,” according to the report given by Dr. Heron and Dr. Sacks. “This initiative is an important opportunity for transformative cultural change,” says Council Chair Kathryn Yount.
Month: February 2015
Faculty Governance Around Campus
Kristin Wendland, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, reported that ECAS faculty members are considering proposed bylaws revisions that would:
- Replace GovCom with a College Faculty Senate comprised of 23 voting and 7 non-voting members;
- Reform standing committees;
- Reduce meetings to twice yearly and change format;
- Revise the appeals process for committee and senate decisions.
Angela Amar, School of Nursing, presented updates in strategic plan initiatives, a branding retreat, new program and curriculum revisions, efforts to enhance diversity, and Ebola education opportunities.
Provost’s Remarks – January Faculty Council Meeting
Provost Claire Sterk discussed new faculty seminars that will be offered to Emory trustees at their February board meeting. Nine Emory professors will present a series of educational sessions to provide the experience of “what it is like to be a learner, to be exposed to different ways in which faculty can teach, to get a sense of what it takes to prepare a class,” she said. The second part of the seminar will focus on “the value of the topic being discussed, what’s the social impact, how does it contribute to the public good, how does it link to public scholarship?”