UB Faculty Senate held an executive committee meeting on Wednesday in Capen Hall. A wide range of topics were discussed, including salary equity, the search for the next law school dean and campaigns that are underway.
Phillip Glick, Faculty Senate chair, is seeking an analysis of SUNY employees’ salaries. The Diversity and Equity Committee will perform the analysis and will determine if men and women are being paid fairly and equally.
“We actually care whether we have salary equity,” said Charles Zukoski, vice provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.
He said the Faculty Senate “plays an advisory role in these areas.”
Glick discussed The New York State education law during the meeting. He said the law is being amended so all SUNY campuses have a voice on councils. The amendment will allow all SUNY campuses to have professionals on their council. Implementation of the law is being discussed on a daily basis, according to Glick.
The search for the next dean of the law school was officially launched on Sept. 26. Glick said UB faculty will ultimately narrow down applicants to find the next dean.
Glick also discussed The UB Academy for Higher Education Leadership’s yearlong training program.
The program is mainly for new department chairs, but any new faculty members are invited to join the program, according to Glick. The program starts with a weekend retreat to talk about leadership on a “generic basis.” There are 27 participants in the program this year.
Caroline Lojacono, a sophomore biomedical sciences major and representative of the Office of Shared Governance, presented on how social media, mainly Twitter, can help strengthen Faculty Senate.
A tuition support system is currently being analyzed for faculty members looking to further their education while working at UB, according to Glick. He said UB faculty is trying to determine how much the system will cost and it will be implemented at all SUNY campuses if passed.
The Faculty Senate also discussed campaigns that are currently underway at UB.
The “UB’s Got Your Back” campaign aims to help victims of sexual assault and domestic violence by donating items of need. UB students, faculty and staff can donate items such as toiletries and shoes, according to Glick.
The UB Breathe-Free campaign is also being revitalized for a “version 2.0,” Glick said, so that the campus can become truly smoke free.
The next Faculty Senate Executive Committee meeting will take place on Oct. 5.
Victoria Hartwell is a news staff writer and can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com.
