Stony Brook University Senate

A message from President Bernard Lane
18 Sept 2007

The Executive Committee of the University Senate meets year round and has weekly meetings during the school year. Our schedule includes a monthly meeting with President Kenny, a monthly meeting with the Provost and a monthly meeting with the chairs of the University Senate’s Standing Committees. We try to keep abreast of events on campus and to respond in a timely way to issues brought to our attention by the faculty, staff and students who are our constituency. This year, we will be using this website to report monthly to those we represent.

Right after the school year ended, at the invitation of the President’s office, the Executive Committee participated in the on campus visits of the Provost Candidates invited by the Search Committee. It gave us an opportunity to describe what Faculty governance consists of at Stony Brook and to discuss with the visitors their experiences and philosophy of management, education and campus advancement. We came away feeling that it was a valuable exercise for all involved and we are grateful to have been included in the process.

After the dust had settled, we also had a chance to talk about the missions of the Standing Committees of the University Senate. Since the campus is dynamic, the committees must be able to adapt to events, new organizations and changes in personnel and relationships. Most of the modifications which have been suggested are small but they will all be brought to the Senate for adoption. One of the important things related to the committees is the reconvening of the Research Committee and the University Affairs Committee. There is a great need for vital Committees in these areas and it is hoped that members of our constituency will join them to contribute to their effectiveness.

There are seats on the Executive Committee for the leadership of the Graduate Students Organization and the Undergraduate Students. It is very important that the student body has a role in governance both to enable students to be aware of faculty and staff activities and to make sure that ideas and positions of students are known. The students join the President of the Senate of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Leader of Faculty and Staff of the College of Engineering and Architectural Sciences, The Vice President representing the Schools of Nursing, Dental Medicine, Social Work, and Management and Health Technology, a Stony Brook Member of the SUNY Senate, a past President of the Stony Brook University Senate, the Chair of the PEG Board, the elected Secretary of the University Senate and the Current President of the Stony Brook Senate.

One of the most important functions of the University Senate Executive Committee is identifying some of the issues to be addressed by the Standing Committees. We take input from the University Senators and the Administration in making suggestions for the agendas of the Standing Committees. The bulk of the topics covered by the Standing Committees are selected by the committees themselves. The continuing progress of the committees will be made known on the University Senate website throughout the year and there will be an annual report from each of them at the end of the school year. The committees have a great deal of autonomy. In addition to matters which require a formal report to the University Senate, there are many with which the committees deal in the course of the year. Our website provides an opportunity for the faculty and staff to see the full range of activities and products of the Stony Brook University faculty governance.