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Faculty GovernanceThe Faculty Senate

Robert H. Ross

Faculty Senate President

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Welcome!

• You have already been welcomed to the University by our new President John Bardo, and by our Interim Provost Keith Pickus.

• Speaking as the elected representative of the Wichita State Faculty, and on behalf of that group, I officially welcome you to the faculty.

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Purpose

• At Wichita State University, The Faculty Senate serves as the voice of the Faculty. It is a representative forum for the entire faculty of the university and is charged with representing the faculty in university shared governance.

• The concept of shared governance is an important part of working at a university, in that it is what Hanley (in Academe on Line) refers to as the “factor which separates the academic life as a profession from the academic life as a career or a job.”

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Purpose (continued)

• The bulk of Senate business deals with academic issues, including issues of curriculum development and evaluation, methods of faculty evaluation, and issues related to assuring a smoothly functioning relationship between the faculty and the administration.

• The Senate is responsible for the Faculty Handbook. This Handbook is a great information source regarding many of the issues that you may confront as a new faculty member.

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Senate Meetings

• The Faculty Senate meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month in Clinton Hall Room 126, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. - All are welcome to attend.

• Participation in the Faculty Senate is an excellent way for new faculty to become acquainted with their colleagues from across campus, and to become familiar with how the University functions.

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Membership

• Senators are chosen by election within units• Constituent units are the colleges of Business,

Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Health Professions, the three divisions of Liberal Arts & Sciences (Humanities, Social Sciences, and Math/Natural Sciences) and the University Libraries

• Each unit elects one senator for each 12 faculty positions

• Presently, 44 senators, including 6 “at large” senators

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Executive Committee

• President – Bob Ross, Marketing• President Elect – Victoria Mosack, Nursing• Past President – Steve Skinner, Electrical

Engineering• Vice President – Peer Moore-Jensen, Anthropology• Secretary – Walter Horn, Aerospace Engineering• Elected – Rhonda Lewis, Psychology• Elected – Mehmet Barut, Finance, Real Estate and

Decision Sciences

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Standing Committees

• Academic Affairs• Academic Appeals• Faculty Affairs• Faculty Support• General Education• Honors• Library• University Admissions &

Exceptions Advisory

• Planning & Budget• Rules• Scholarship &

Student Aid• Undergraduate

Research

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Contacts

• Bobbi Dreiling, Office of the Faculty Senate– bobbi.dreiling@wichita.edu – Phone Extension: 3504

• Victoria Mosack, Rules Committee Chair (Grievances)– victoria.mosack@wichita.edu– Phone Extension: 5756

• Robert Ross, President– robert.ross@wichita.edu– Phone Extension: 3367

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Contacts (continued)

• You can find out more information about the Faculty Senate by referencing our website:

• Go to My WSU and log in to the faculty/staff portion of the home page. At the foot of the middle column is a section on Policies. Access is through the faculty senate tab.

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Conclusion

• I came to Wichita State in the Fall of 1977, with the intent of staying for two years, and then moving on to other opportunities. During that two years my wife (who is also an academician at our cross town rival Friends University) and I fell in love with Wichita.

• I hope that you will find, as we did, that Wichita is a dynamic, easy to live community which provides an excellent environment in which to live and raise a family.

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Conclusion (continued)

• Wichita as a community, has a great natural beauty.

• Living here you have the opportunity to take part in a variety of cultural, artistic and athletic activities.

• One of the ingredients that makes this the community that it is, is Wichita State.

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Conclusion (finally)

For thirty five years I have been (and continue to be) a proud member of the Shocker community, and to proclaim myself a SHOCKER!