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Faculty governance nominations open

Jacobson will chair commission focusing on the faculty's role in decision making

By Lisa Street
Senior Staff Writer

Faculty Senate President Giles Auchmuty called for nominations to the Faculty Senate Commission on University Governance on Wednesday, announcing that the committee will consist of seven senators and four UH administrators.

The committee is responsible for reviewing University governance and examining faculty involvement in the academic, administrative and budgetary decision-making process. It is the result of a year of Faculty Senate work toward shared governance.

Former Faculty Senate President Anne Jacobson will chair the commission, and Auchmuty will appoint six other senators with the consent of the Senate's executive committee. UH President Jay Gogue will appoint the four administrators, including one assistant vice president or higher from the provost's office and three other administrators at the dean's level or above.

Nominations will close Feb. 27.

"I suggest that you (senators) talk to your colleagues about this. It's a very important commission," Auchmuty said at Wednesday's Senate meeting, adding that nominations should be submitted by e-mail to fsenate@uh.edu.

In other business, Vice President for Administration and Finance John Rudley and Associate Vice President for Plant Operations Dave Irvin updated the Senate on plans for a campus parking garage.

According to a study compiled by Walker Parking Consultants in November, annual parking rates for students, staff and faculty would initially increase 4 percent to finance the a 1,700-space garage. Retail space in the structure would also offset the cost, Rudley said.

Staff and student response to the report has been positive, Rudley said, and "we all agree that we need a parking garage."

Rudley said one problem with building the garage on Scott Street and Holman Avenue will be excess traffic, particularly when construction begins on a proposed rail line along Scott.

"We need to start looking outside our current vision of what the University of Houston looks like and start thinking about what it's going to look like in 2010 and 2020," Rudley said.

Rudley added that, based on the Walker report, the University will likely need to build a second garage to meet the campus' needs over the next 10 years.

However, no decisions on the construction of any garages have been made.
 

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