The Faculty Senate’s Executive Committee met Monday with interim President Lou Hencken and Blair Lord, vice president of academic affairs, to discuss various topics, including a current rumor that the Board of Trustees intends to remove the “interim” from Hencken’s title.

Hencken denied to the committee that anyone had approached him with such a plan, and reasons for the BOT to take such an action was discussed.

Faculty Senate Chair Anne Zahlan, professor of English, reported that an action by the BOT would be perceived by faculty as a violation of established search procedures and would go against principles of shared governance.

The entire Faculty Senate will meet with the BOT Monday.

The Executive Committee also discussed establishing a standing committee with cross-campus representation to consider proposed naming of campus facilities with the president and the provost.

Hencken will communicate a proposal to the Faculty Senate in the future.

Faculty workload issues also were discussed, as was the state’s refusal to fund health care benefits for university employees.

Zahlan’s report states the callback is a serious blow to higher education and proposed lobbying efforts by the Council of Illinois University Senates, the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Faculty Advisory Committee and the University Professionals of Illinois are necessary.

Hencken spoke about the debate that perceived university priorities, such as getting artificial turf on the field at O’Brien Stadium, as taking money away from academic programs.

The turf would be an improvement to the stadium, Hencken said, and the money for the project would come from private donors and state grants.

No other campus project would be eligible for the funding, Hencken said.

Zahlan reported the discussions from the Executive Committee meeting to the Faculty Senate at Tuesday’s meeting.