Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 20, 1995 TAG: 9501200114
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG LENGTH: Medium
In a 21-14 secret ballot, the Faculty Senate approved its steering committee's motion to ask the entire faculty whether they have confidence in Carrier's leadership. The yes-or-no question will be posed Monday and Tuesday.
But senators - before a large audience of faculty, students and media - also passed a resolution to show they ``recognize the need for and support the principle of restructuring and reorganization at JMU for the purpose of more effectively delivering quality educational programs.''
The resolution focuses on the Faculty Senate's main point of contention with a recent academic shake-up, which included the merging of two colleges and the elimination of the physics department.
``Restructuring and reorganization should proceed ... only through cooperative and collaborative efforts of both the faculty and the administration,'' the resolution stated.
That was agreeable to JMU administrators.
``I was very pleasantly surprised by [Zimmerman's] resolution,'' said Jeff Nobel, assistant to Carrier. ``That's the first time I've heard restructuring and reorganization referred to positively [by the faculty] or even accepted as an idea.''
Asked why faculty members weren't consulted about the most recent restructuring announcement, university spokesman Fred Hilton said some decisions had to be made at administrative levels. He said a high-ranking administrative panel worked for some time to reach the restructuring decisions.
Hilton said faculty and staff would now be consulted in the implementation of the changes.
by CNB