Speaker of the Faculty Senate Report
March 2010

 There has been a serious lapse in communication from the Speaker and this is entirely my fault. I apologize and promise to do a better job of providing the TWU faculty timely information on the activities of your Senate. 

Since the beginning of this semester, the TWU Faculty Senate has been very busy exercising its role in “Shared Governance” by advancing the cause of faculty involvement in the budgeting process at this university.  We have recently passed and sent on to Dr. Stuart and the Board of Regents a series of resolutions stating our concerns and suggestions for dealing with issues ranging from  a total ban on smoking on campus to financial exigency to summer salaries. I encourage you to peruse these documents and let us know what you think. 

At the February Faculty Senate meeting we invited Dr. James Stiles (Registrar) to attend and receive our thanks for more than 20 years of service to TWU. We wish Dr. Stiles well in the next phase of his life.  

Another recently announced departure caught us all off guard and has caused much angst. Dr. Kay Clayton, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, has taken a medical leave and will retire from the university at the end of the academic year. Since her arrival, Dr. Clayton had been readily available and most accommodating to the Faculty Senate. We have enjoyed a very healthy relationship based on respect and open communication. She listened to us and was willing to work with us. Dr. Clayton will be missed by us all. I have spoken with Dr. Stuart about the formation of a new provost search committee and will continue to press for a great deal of faculty input into this process.  

The Faculty Senate is your voice in the decision making process at TWU and I encourage you to contact your Senators (see list on this site) and let them know what you are thinking. Also, please consider adding your name to the list of candidates for election to the Senate when the call comes out this spring. We are trying very hard to keep TWU a place where students want to come to learn and work with a faculty dedicated to high standards and a commitment to scholarship.

Dr. Larry Petterborg, Speaker 2009-2010
Professor, College of Health Sciences