Spectrum - Volume 17 Issue 09 October 20, 1994 - Council Approves Resolution

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Council Approves Resolution

By John Ashby

Spectrum Volume 17 Issue 09 - October 20, 1994

The University Council on Monday passed a resolution concerning restructuring of the College of Education on first and second reading, clearing the way for the plan's consideration by the Board of Visitors at its November meeting.

The plan will first be submitted to an ad hoc committee which will examine faculty concerns. If the committee finds no reason to delay the restructuring plan, it will be placed on the board's agenda.

The first and second reading procedure was used to gain earlier approval by the governance structure, allowing the college to proceed more confidently with detailed planning.

Interim Dean Wayne Worner of the College of Education gave a brief overview of the history of the plan. ( For a detailed description of the restructuring plan, please see accompanying article on page 1.) Commission representatives were invited to express their feelings based on discussions held in their commissions, and in meetings of the University Advisory Council on Strategic Budgeting and Planning held during the past several months.

Don Creamer, chairman of the Commission on Faculty Affairs, noted that his commission approved the plan, and commended the way the process was handled. He did offer a cautionary note, however: "We wouldn't want to leave the impression that even such a good plan has no negative effects on the university. We don't know yet the full effects of this plan on the university or the college. It may change the way the faculty does business and affect the tenure process down the road. While we endorse the proposal and the resolution, there are consequences we don't want to be forgotten.

The council also passed a Commission on Undergraduate Studies and Policies-sponsored revision of the undergraduate honor system.