TECH FACULTY MAKE THEIR OWN CASE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 28, 1993                   TAG: 9301280232
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium
TECH FACULTY MAKE THEIR OWN CASE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Virginia Tech faculty on Wednesday unanimously endorsed a resolution backing college presidents in their concerns about a report on the future of higher education.
The resolution supports the college presidents, who had worried that a report by the State Council of Higher Education was asking for too many changes too soon, and sets forth a goal of academic leadership for the commonwealth.
It was the same resolution Tech's Faculty Senate passed a few weeks ago and was similar to the resolution the University of Virginia faculty passed last month.
"The faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University look forward to working with all who are concerned for our children's prosperity and happiness," the resolution says.
About 400 faculty members crowded into Virginia Tech's Litton Reaves auditorium for the first full-faculty meeting held at Virginia Tech.
They were there mostly to listen.
During the 30-minute meeting, Faculty Senate President Leon Geyer spoke briefly of the report drafted in November by the State Council of Higher Education.
Professors have expressed concern over the report because they fear that the council, which has the charge of representing universities in government affairs, and the general public don't know what, exactly, the professors do with their time.
There has been too much "professor bashing" in the past three or four years, Geyer said.
To combat that bashing, he suggested that faculty members start taking actions to protect their image, even if it seems self-serving.
"We can't assume that people know what we do is good and important," he said. "Let's ignore the [State Council] report. It's filed now and gone. We have to start making the case that higher education is just as important as any other part of the state budget." Geyer said faculty members may have to start thinking about hitting the Rotary circuit and talking to groups about their jobs. "We have to say more about what we're doing in a positive way. We can't afford not to."
Geyer also suggested that professors:

Work to bring research into the classroom and show the relevance of that research to students.

Communicate that the faculty care about students.

Think about forming a legislative lobbying group.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB