TO: University Faculty
FROM: University Faculty Senate Officers
It is a dynamic time at Georgetown. We have a new President –
Dr. John J. DeGioia. Construction continues on the South West Quadrangle.
With the MedStar transaction successfully behind us, our Medical Center
faculty are working to advance biomedical research and enhance the quality
of medical and graduate education. And at the Law Center, we are
about to break ground of a new international law building.
As your Senate Officers, we want to brief you on the issues of importance
that are likely to engage the Senate this academic year. We are attaching
a list of Senators. Please feel free to contact us or any of the other
members of the Senate for information or to make your views and concerns
known. The list is also available on the Senate website.
Medical Center Governance and Restaging
With the MedStar transaction complete, the research and education components
of the Medical Center remain with the University. While the clinical enterprise
is now operated by MedStar, clinicians continue to play a critical role
in teaching our medical students. Accordingly, one of the most important
tasks in the post-transaction environment is to
develop a structure that gives all components of the medical school
an appropriate role in governance. A draft governance structure has been
prepared and is currently being circulated to all constituencies for comment
and review. The Senate will be working on any changes in the Faculty Handbook
that might be necessitated by a new governance
structure. Needless to way, we invite any comments you may have on
the draft document or Medical Center governance in general.
Over the past several years, a restaging plan has been developed for
stabilizing the budgets for the research and educational enterprises of
the Medical Center. Through the expansion of biomedical research and increased
fund-raising, this plan seeks to eliminate the deficits currently
being run. The Senate Budget Committee will continue to carefully monitor
the progress of this plan over the next year.
Relations with the President and the Board of Directors
Relations between the faculty and the University Administration and
the Board of Directors have been on a strong upward trajectory for the
past several years. At the last Board of Directors meeting in May, 2001,
for example, faculty participation on Board Committees was significantly
increased. Under the leadership of President DeGioia, we look forward
to continuing this trend and will be working cooperatively to develop new
ways for bringing faculty voices to those charged with running the University.
Searches for New University Officers
This year is one of transition not only because we have a new University
President, but also because we will be searching for the chief academic
officers of both the Main Campus and the Medical Center. The Provost’s
Search Committee was established this summer. And we anticipated that the
search committee for the Executive Vice President of the Medical Center
will soon be set up. As provided in the Senate
Constitution, the Senate appoints two faculty to each of those important
committee. The Senate will also be exercising its Constitutional role to
provide consultation to the Board of Directors concerning these appointments.
Please feel free to contact any of us to express your views concerning
this critical searches.
South West Quadrangle
With the construction of the South West Quadrangle, the Main Campus
is erecting its first major building since the Leavey Center was built
in 1988. This completion of this project is critical to the future of our
Main Campus Plan and the construction of a performing arts center, a new
center for science, and a new business school complex. The Senate will
continue to review the progress of this project in an effort to avoid cost
overruns and see that it is completed in time for occupancy in the fall
of 2003.
Senate Constitution Revisions and Faculty Handbook Revisions
Faculty governance has seen a number of remarkable changes since the
mid-1990's. With the creation of the Main Campus Executive Faculty in 1995
and with the soon-to-be-implemented governance arrangement in the Medical
Center, faculty have become more engaged in the process of governing the
University. In light of this new environment and a variety of other developments,
efforts have been underway to revise the Senate Constitution. Over the
next year, the Governance Committee of the Senate
will be preparing a draft Constitution that will up-date and clarify
the role that the Senate plays in the institution.
Similarly, the recent developments at the Medical Center, as well as
administrative changes on the other campus, will require revisions to the
Faculty Handbook. Since the Faculty Handbook is part of our contract with
the University, it is important that this document be as accurate and current
as possible. One area that is currently under review is Rank and Tenure
Policy. As proposed revisions to the Handbook are developed, we will be
posting them on the Senate website.
Grievance Code and Committee
The Grievance Code, which is set forth in the Faculty Handbook, establishes
procedures that must be used when a faculty member wishes to address
a grievance arising from departmental, school or administrative actions
believed to materially harm the faculty member and violate University procedures
or academic freedom or other faculty rights. Grievances typically
arise from dismissal, denial of tenure or promotion, and salary actions.
The Grievance Committee contains faculty from all three campuses. The Grievance
Committee and the Senate have been particularly concerned to ensure that
tenure rights are not diminished. The Senate will be reexamining the Code
this year in light of both recent changes at the Medical Center and a decision
of the Board
of Director's to suspend the Code in a Medical Center grievance several
years ago. Such an action was not allowed by the Code, and raises serious
concerns about University governance. With the MedStar transaction finished,
we hope that we will be able to clarify the status of the Grievance Code.
You can keep track of Senate activities through its website, http://www.georgetown.edu/facultysenate/,
where minutes and other information is posted. Please feel free to contact
any of us if there is something that you believe the Senate should be doing.
Professor Wayne A. Davis - President
davisw@georgetown.edu
Professor Anthony Clark Arend - Vice President, Main Campus
arenda@georgetown.edu
Professor Richard Diamond - Vice President, Law Center
diamond@law.georgetown.edu
Professor Aviad Haramati, - Vice President, Medical Center
haramata@georgetown.edu
Professor Adam K. Myers - Secretary-Treasurer
myersa@georgetown.edu
Att:
Faculty Senate members List
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