Spring Break
Fallout over faculty senate vote
A. Neely Eisenstein, Managing Editor, aeisenst@smu.edu
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: News
Blair thought Tunks thoughtfully articulated his concerns and the possible consequences of the resolution.
In all likelihood, there will be no revote since no Senate rules were violated. According to Blair, there is no stipulation in the bylaws for a revote.
Tunks reminded the Faculty Senate that negotiations for the Bush Library complex haven't been finalized, and if the university continues to send negative messages about the Institute it may end up costing SMU the library. He added that the main issues concerning the relationship between the institute and the university have been resolved for the most part, "and to keep hammering on it is like continuing to hammer on a nail that is already in place - you don't gain much, and could do damage."
Tunks thinks the resolutions themselves (with the exception of the one calling for the firewall) are not really an issue. He says the issue is the "continuing string of negatives" coming SMU's campus.
"I do respect the opinions of all concerned, including the Senators, and think healthy debate is what we should be about," said Tunks.
"This is the thing that's hard if you're not in the room to understand," said Foster. He called the debate "a great discussion" that the faculty took "very seriously."
As far as his presence during the voting, Tunks said he has attended nearly every Faculty Senate meeting for the past eight and a half years. If Senators had wanted to, they could have called for an executive session, which requires all non-Senators to leave.
"Although I am an ex officio member of the Senate, I would gladly have left if anyone had asked … but nobody asked for that," said Tunks.
Next week, the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church will meet with SMU about leasing campus land for the library, according to a report from The Associated Press.
SMU needs permission to build because the parcel was part of the original 1911 campus. SMU Vice President for External Affairs and Development Brad Cheves has declined to reveal specifics about the deal, saying the site selection committee is also considering locations that wouldn't require church approval.
In all likelihood, there will be no revote since no Senate rules were violated. According to Blair, there is no stipulation in the bylaws for a revote.
Tunks reminded the Faculty Senate that negotiations for the Bush Library complex haven't been finalized, and if the university continues to send negative messages about the Institute it may end up costing SMU the library. He added that the main issues concerning the relationship between the institute and the university have been resolved for the most part, "and to keep hammering on it is like continuing to hammer on a nail that is already in place - you don't gain much, and could do damage."
Tunks thinks the resolutions themselves (with the exception of the one calling for the firewall) are not really an issue. He says the issue is the "continuing string of negatives" coming SMU's campus.
"I do respect the opinions of all concerned, including the Senators, and think healthy debate is what we should be about," said Tunks.
"This is the thing that's hard if you're not in the room to understand," said Foster. He called the debate "a great discussion" that the faculty took "very seriously."
As far as his presence during the voting, Tunks said he has attended nearly every Faculty Senate meeting for the past eight and a half years. If Senators had wanted to, they could have called for an executive session, which requires all non-Senators to leave.
"Although I am an ex officio member of the Senate, I would gladly have left if anyone had asked … but nobody asked for that," said Tunks.
Next week, the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church will meet with SMU about leasing campus land for the library, according to a report from The Associated Press.
SMU needs permission to build because the parcel was part of the original 1911 campus. SMU Vice President for External Affairs and Development Brad Cheves has declined to reveal specifics about the deal, saying the site selection committee is also considering locations that wouldn't require church approval.
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Dennis Foster
posted 3/09/07 @ 12:01 PM EST
I regret that Provost Tunks sees the Faculty Senate's ongoing discussion of the relationship between the proposed Bush Institute and SMU as a "continuing string of negatives. (Continued…)
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