The Faculty Senate addressed replacing Edward Ayers, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and Provost Gene Block as well as creating a committee on the future of the University and other goals for the upcoming year at its first meeting of the semester yesterday.
University President John T. Casteen, III discussed plans to find replacements for both Block and Ayers, with particular emphasis on the need to clearly define the functions of the provost by talking with former vice presidents of the University.
"The position itself is crucial to our success as an institution," Casteen said.
According to Casteen, a search committee is looking for a new provost both within and outside of the University. The committee hopes to complete the search by the end of March.
Casteen also spoke about plans to create a committee on the future of the University, which will address problems raised by the University's ten-year academic plan. The committee will be used to "connect the dots between the concern and the willingness to work," Faculty Senate Chair Kenneth Schwartz said.
One issue the committee will address is how to bring student interest in the sciences to the same level as that of other top universities, according to Schwartz.
Along with Casteen's report, the Senate voted on the Master of Science in Commerce proposed by the Commerce School. The proposal, which would allow recent humanities, social sciences, sciences and engineering graduates from the University and other top schools to earn a graduate degree in commerce, earned full approval at the meeting.
It will now be submitted to the Board of Visitors and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for approval, Schwartz said.
Faculty Senate Chair-elect Ricardo Padron also addressed the need for intellectual collaboration among the University's different departments. He stressed the importance of interdisciplinary communication, adding that "when it happens it works, but on the other hand when it happens it often happens on accident."
Padron said it is the Faculty Senate's job to work toward improving this communication.
The Faculty Senate will meet again March 27 for a work session.
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