Faculty Senate members clashed over a proposal to change the name of the Honors Program to the Honors College at Tuesday’s meeting.

The ongoing discussion on the proposal was the main focus of the meeting.

Senate Chair Anne Zahlan presented a draft resolution to the proposal made by Honors Program Director Herbert Lasky two weeks ago and senate members made friendly amendments to the resolution.

The amendments concerned promoting the continuation of the work the program has been doing, and ensuring that no substantial financial implications be imposed with the change.

Steven Scher, senate member and psychology professor, proposed the financial implications amendment.

“I’m concerned with an increase in budget and an increase in staff,” Scher said. “I want somewhere in writing (the Honors Program) will stick with what they said.”

David Carwell, senate member and political science professor, is strongly opposed to the proposal, and questioned Lasky’s contention that an Honors College, with a dean instead of a director, will increase recruitment of talented students.

“If we’re losing students because we don’t have a dean, we should abolish all departments, turn them into colleges and turn chairs into deans,” Carwell said.

The Faculty Senate decided to wait to vote on the proposal until Lasky can return and discuss it further, and the senate can publicize the proposal to gather input from its’ constituents.

“If there’s overwhelming support for it, I might change my position as well,” Carwell said.

In other orders of business, the Faculty Senate briefly reviewed a copy of the Illinois Administrative Code regarding Eastern showing changes submitted by Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs.

Many of the changes involved corrections on the Board of Trustees regulations. The Administrative Code requires all BOT meetings to be open, whether off campus or on campus, in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

The changes make it easier for the public to speak at BOT meetings.

“Most of this stuff is technical to bring things up to date with the Freedom of Information Act,” Lord said. “Changes were made primarily because the state asked for updated organization charts.”

A proposal to make the Women’s Studies Minor a part of the College of Arts and Humanities was approved, and a request to drop the convocation affirmation was approved by the Faculty Senate.

The Faculty Senate meets at 2 p.m. every Tuesday in Booth Library Conference Room 4440.