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Immediately after the forum with the chancellor’s Task Force, the University of Maine Faculty Senate raised concerns about the Task Force and praised some of the suggestions presented at the discussion during its Feb. 25 meeting.
“Suggestions ranged from really dramatically re-examining the functions and missions of each of the campuses to more radical – I guess suggestions – to just bite the bullet and go back to the legislature,” said Dianne Hoff, president of Faculty Senate.
Hoff said the chancellor’s restructuring process is a tremendous opportunity but also a huge moment of risk.
“The largest area of cost-saving is union concessions . 10 years from now we’re going to be right back here with the same issues,” Hoff said, echoing the words of one person who spoke during the Task Force forum.
The Task Force is unsympathetic toward faculty schedules, Hoff said, noting the 1 p.m. forum that immediately preceded the Faculty Senate meeting.
“There seems to be no regard for the faculty’s teaching schedule at all,” Hoff said. “I probably received 50 to 75 e-mails from faculty saying ‘I wish I could be there.’”
Undergraduate student representative Nate Wildes suggested more direct communication between the Task Force and students would be more effective than methods such as forums and e-mails.
“Literally sitting down with one of them and having a face-to-face conversation is going to be the most effective manner,” Wildes said. “It’s all about what [the Task Force] writes . it has to do with how their pen moves.”
In response to a question about other University of Maine System campuses and how closely their goals align with UMaine, Hoff said the smaller campuses she recently visited don’t share them.
“There clearly was the most alignment of goals with the Faculty Senate at USM [University of Sothern Maine],” Hoff said.
Sue Estler, head of the Finance and Institutional Planning Committee, said the university is waiting to hear about the effects of President Obama’s stimulus package. She said it “looks promising so far.”
Sen. James McClymer cautioned that the university should expect to receive less than the expected $8.5 million because of the greater focus on K-12 education.
“Instead . it might drop to $6.5 million,” McClymer said.
Hoff put forth an informal proposal to plan for having a Faculty Senate meeting in May. Currently, the faculty has scheduled its final meeting of the school year for the end of April.
“I think it behooves us not to cut off our meetings in April,” Hoff said. “There’s just too much to do.”
The General Student Senate is working on drafting a formal precedence for how it distributes money to student organizations, Wildes reported during the meeting. He also said the GSS has been working with the library dean to improve library seating and fix electrical outlets.
The senate unanimously approved a proposal to change parts of its bylaws to reflect recent changes and eliminate unnecessary limitations. A proposal also unanimously approved was for a shared governance policy. Both policies will now be stored for 45 days before returning to the Faculty Senate for a final vote.
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