Board of Trustees Remarks

Mark Taggart, Chair of the Faculty

April 18, 2008

Thank you, Chairman Greczyn. Good morning!

As we approach the end of the semester, as is typical for this time of year, it becomes a bit of a challenge to keep up with all of the activities that are taking place here at ECU. I will try to address a few of these things, but, afterwards, I will be glad to answer your questions.

First of all, our Faculty Senate committees are looking forward to providing our UNC Tomorrow Task Force with their responses at our upcoming Faculty Senate meeting on April 22. Our Academic Awards Committee, Academic Standards Committee, Faculty Governance Committee, University Budget Committee, University Curriculum Committee, and University Environment Committee are prepared to give their responses to the UNC Tomorrow Report. I am very pleased to say that our ECU faculty have been very engaged in this process, in spite of the tight deadlines and all of the other responsibilities that occupy the faculty this time of year. Their responses demonstrate their commitment to shared governance, and their willingness to make every effort to make sure that ECU remains the very special place that it is.

Secondly, our faculty have been very much involved in the academic program planning process. The faculty in our various units have been identifying our program needs, and formulating the proposals to meet those needs. By identifying these needs, our faculty have demonstrated their dedication, once again, to make sure that ECU remains the very special place that it is.

Also, the faculty are ready to work with Keri Brockett, Abey Dessie, and the rest of the SGA leadership in order to discuss the proposed involvement of faculty members in both Honor Code and Academic Integrity violations.

Finally, as I look at the calendar, I realize that this will be my final report to you as Chair of the Faculty. It has been an honor for me to represent the faculty these past two years, and to know more about our university. Every day that I’ve been on this job, my respect for our faculty has grown. It has been a pleasure for me to discover that faculty member who, after joining ECU, becomes dedicated to providing our students with a rich, distinctive undergraduate and graduate experience. It has been a joy to hear from these faculty who, at first, thought they would stay here for a few years, publish, teach, and move on, but then become totally immersed in our mission to develop our students’ ability to discover, evaluate, and communicate knowledge. They realize that our motto, “to serve” means service through education, research and creative activity, leadership and partnership. That is when they become pirates!

Finally, our university, every university, is always in a time of transition. Program needs are continually identified and assessed. Situations arise that may demand our quick attention. And we face the prospect of changes in leadership. What keeps all of this operating, is a dedication to following our established processes, whether they be for academic program planning or for faculty and administrative searches.

Thank you.