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March 4, 2005 > Opinion > Faculty Senate will be more efficient for all

Faculty Senate will be more efficient for all

By The Rice Thresher Editorial Staff | Thresher Editorial Staff

Class and research aside, most things faculty — meetings, internal governance, full-faculty votes — fly below the undergraduate radar. However, faculty governance has affected students several times in the last few years. It was a full-faculty vote that approved the 2002-‘03 academic calendar without a Spring Recess, and it was a full-faculty vote that brought it back for 2004-‘05. And when Honor Council officers went to Faculty Council with concerns after former President Gillis lessened penalties in several Honor Council cases two years ago, Faculty Council helped to develop a proposal for a faculty appeals board that was later approved by students and is in place today.

That’s why we’re interested to see what happens when the faculty shifts from direct to representative democracy. The faculty voted in a new governance system — a 30-member Faculty Senate — Monday, and we think it’s a good idea.

Students will benefit if the faculty can make changes to the curriculum, the academic calendar and degree requirements more efficiently. If a problem comes up, the Student Association and other interested groups may be better able to communicate student opinion to those making the decisions.

We hope that the new senate will achieve its goals of streamlining faculty governance and that benefits will trickle down to students.

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