Though the University Senate has devoted the majority of its meetings this year to hosting guest speakers, officials in the senate – which has often been criticized for its slowness – defended their choice, saying the annual visits from university President Dan Mote, Provost Bill Destler and others are a valuable and productive use of time.
Of the five meetings the senate has held so far this year, one has been canceled and three were devoted to visits from Mote and Destler. The senate voted on important student legislation that had been in committees for years only once during the year at their December meeting. Tomorrow, Vice President of Student Affairs Linda Clement will address the senate on the function of the student affairs office, and to discuss what it is doing to better help students obtain internships.
Guest speakers to the senate do not introduce new policy for a vote and take up time at meetings of a group often criticized for dragging to resolve issues; however, Senate Chair Adele Berline, a professor of English and Jewish studies, said the appearances by key university players are especially valuable to the student senators, who have limited contact with powerful officials.
Mote addresses the group at its first full-body meeting of the year every September in his annual State of the Campus address, and reappears once or twice more at later meetings to answer questions.
“I’ve noticed, for instance, when the president speaks many questions come from students, both graduate and undergraduate,” Berlin said. “I think it’s good that they have a face-to-face opportunity.”
Destler usually addresses the body in the fall, and the university ombuds officer – who mediates disputes between faculty members and the state – often makes an appearance in the spring.
Berlin said the time is also useful to introduce senators to officials whose jobs they may not understand, such as Clement’s.
Berlin said the senate’s delays in passing policy occur because issues become entangled in their committees, not because they’re stalled on the senate floor.
“Once they get to the senate floor, sometimes the discussion is long on the senate floor, but there will be a vote on them,” Berlin said. “The time is in the committee drafting the proposal or vetting the information.”
Since 2000 – a year in which Mote appeared before the senate four times for question and answer sessions – there have been an average of five speakers per year, including Destler and other administrators. The senate has canceled four meetings in the past five years – in 2000, 2002 and 2005.
Mary Giles, senate executive secretary and director, said the number of speakers this year is typical.
“One function of speakers is to educate, not just to roll out a list of achievements,” she said. “It’s to help the senate be better informed.”
Senators said they have found guest speakers to be helpful.
“It’s good for the senate to hear different things from people outside the senate so the senate doesn’t get too insular,” said James Baeder, a faculty senator and aerospace engineering professor. “They have people from different committees that may come in and talk about certain issues even though they’re not being voted on.”
As a new senator, librarian Marian Burright said the speakers helped her get acclimated – namely Destler’s presentation on the university’s rankings increase and progress in improving graduation rates.
“I thought it was extremely helpful in terms of gauging the progress of the university in terms of other schools across the country and our peer institutions and having statistics we can point to,” she said.
Contact reporter Kate Campbell at campbelldbk@gmail.com.
