Faculty Senate members meet the newly appointed faculty ombudsman

UNT's recently appointed faculty ombudsman Gene Wright was introduced to Faculty Senate members during the group's regular meeting Feb. 9. The ombudsman will serve as a liaison between faculty members and the administration.

Wright told senators that his position as ombudsman is the culmination of several years of work and the efforts of many people, and that the hallmarks of his role include independence, neutrality, confidentiality and informality. He suggested that faculty consult the UNT policy manual to learn more specifics about his duties. (The policy can be read online at www.unt.edu/policy/UNT_Policy/volume3/15_1_34.html.

Wright began his new position Feb. 15. His office will be located in Wooten Hall, Room 161.

The meeting also featured a report from Howard Johnson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, regarding the status of faculty market adjustments, which are being implemented to improve faculty salaries.

Johnson said that adjustments were made to the salaries of 249 of the 743 tenure or tenure-track faculty members (34 percent). He said awards ranged from $500 to $29,650. He also said that 13 of 48 librarians (27 percent) received adjustments. The salary increases will be included in March paychecks, are retroactive to Sept. 1, 2004, and do not replace merit raises. Johnson said he has requested additional funds for more faculty market adjustments during the next budget cycle.

Senators also heard reports from Grant Miles, senate vice chair, and Frances Van Tassell, senate chair.

Miles reported on the Feb. 2 meeting of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee with Johnson and President Norval Pohl. Miles said Pohl provided the committee with an update on the tenure hearing process and responded to committee concerns that he has not been quoted in media reports regarding the tenure situation. Pohl told the committee he is reluctant to make public statements while the appeals process is under way. He also said he had finished reviewing four of the cases referred to him by the University Tenure Committee and one case from a previous year, Miles said.

Van Tassell began her report by responding to faculty concerns about a statement sent to President Pohl in support of Johnson. The January statement of support was signed by Van Tassell, Miles and Lou Pelton, former senate chair, using their Faculty Senate titles.

Van Tassell said she used her senate title to indicate that the experiences she has in her role as chair provide her with a different viewpoint. She pointed out that twice in the statement she indicated that she was speaking for herself as an individual. She said she has received as many positive responses to the statement from students, faculty and staff, as negative responses.

Van Tassell also encouraged senators to attend, and asked that they encourage their constituents to attend, the second annual town hall meeting sponsored by the Faculty Senate on April 27 at 3 p.m. in the University Union Silver Eagle Suite.

In other business the senate:

• Approved a report from the Committee on Committees.
  
  
• Accepted a report from the Committee on Faculty Participation in Governance, which included issues to be addressed by the committee such as investigating recruiting guidelines and evaluation guidelines for instructors and adjunct professors and guidelines for fair practices of student evaluations.
  
  
• Accepted a report from the Committee on Evaluation of University Administrators.

The senate meets again at 2 p.m. March 9 in Wooten Hall, Room 322.

BY MICHELLE HALE mhale@unt.edu

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