The Faculty Senate today will begin taking a closer look at fostering an academic environment on campus, faculty development and recruitment and retention of students.

Senate Chair Bud Fischer, biological sciences professor, said the three discussion topics were chosen by the senate earlier in the semester.

At a previous meeting, the senate members divided into three groups. Those groups will each discuss one of the topics today.

The senate also has five communications to discuss at today’s meeting.

The first is an e-mail from the Dean of the College of Sciences, Mary Anne Hanner, regarding dissemination of material related to the search for a new director of off-campus programming.

Fischer said that Hanner wrote that the information regarding the search would be dispersed through an electronic faculty newsletter.

The second letter, which pertains to long-term care insurance, comes from Lewis Coons, a retired faculty member.

Coons’ letter supports implementing the new insurance plan at Eastern. However, Coons’ letter also states that Eastern is not one of the universities where the insurance plan is being shown, Fischer said.

The senate will also discuss a letter form Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities Jeffrey Lynch regarding the senate’s stance on the new Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Fischer said that Lynch wanted to clarify that the brick on the new center would be treated to match the building’s copper roof. Lynch also expressed thanks for the senate’s resolution supporting the new center.

The final correspondence the senate will discuss is an e-mail from Kathlene Shank, special education professor, regarding parking behind Buzzard Building.