Board of Trustees Remarks

Marianna Walker, Chair of the Faculty

September 17, 2010

Good Morning. I bring greetings from the faculty – at the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year.

I am honored to serve the university again in my second term as Chair of the Faculty. I bring you greetings on behalf of the Faculty Officers (Mark Sprague, Vice Chair - Physics; Hunt McKinnon, Secretary - Interior Design and Merchandising; and Brenda Killingsworth, Parliamentarian - Business) who are also in their second year of service to the university.

Our theme for this year is “Come Together”, as you may have heard or seen in East Magazine or Pieces of Eight. We want to promote a sense of camaraderie and collaboration in our endeavors this year. We experienced a productive year rich with successful shared governance and communication with faculty, administration, and students. We will continue our stance and will work to lead the faculty toward common university goals and will continue to report our progress to the BOT this year.

A now a brief update on current issues -

Last year at this time, I began my term in outlining to the BOT, the Chancellor, senior administration, and the faculty how we would accomplish the major review and revision of the Faculty Manual. At the end of the year, I reported to you that we had completed approximately ˝ of this monumental undertaking. Our work continues this year, with not only editorial changes, but with contemporary additions and needed clarification of many issues including updates to tenure and promotion and issues affecting the curriculum. We are not simply reviewing and making minor changes to the faculty manual, but are considering a complete reorganization, which will result in a more concise and user friendly guide for both faculty and administration.

Projected date for recommendations of the Faculty Manual, from specific committees and faculty groups to the Faculty Senate is December, although there may be additions that occur after this point. At the beginning of Spring Semester, I intend to focus our efforts in the reorganization of the entire faculty, where appendices will become major sections of the faculty manual.

We still have many sections to review and update, but plan to have it reorganized by May 2011. I know David Brody would be pleased to have it completed by then.

- Other important issues include policies involving online teaching standards, which are needed for SACS reaffirmation (2013), an updated academic integrity policy and disruptive student behavior, retention and graduation, including a university self-study of first year and transfer student issues, copyright and intellectual property rights the university relating to such issues as Open Access databases, on-line education, and access to course syllabi.

- Budget – Of course this continues to be a concern to faculty, and of course to the university as a whole- In the past, ECU, under the leadership of the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor Seitz and of course the BOT, the academic core has been spared. Our leaders have advocated for the maintenance of quality education for our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.

- As always, the Faculty Senate plays an important advisory role to the Chancellor regarding the budget and its effects on the mission of the university, and particularly relating to the faculty and its students.

- Faculty continue to work hard in teaching, conducting and mentoring research/creative activities and other forms of scholarship (engagement and innovation), engaging in university and community service and outreach, and providing patient care. Even in the face of these daily responsibilities, faculty continue to volunteer for many committees to undertake the vast number of initiatives that are currently being considered and discussed.

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- We should be grateful for these faculty who unselfishly devote their time and expertise in the name of shared governance and excellence at East Carolina University.

The faculty officers and I will continue to represent all faculty by communicating, advocating, negotiating, and mediating with the senior administration. It is our responsibility to ensure that the faculty voice is communicated to the administration and that the voice of the administration is communicated with the faculty.