Administrators will now have to consider two resolutions that passed in the Student Senate last week recommending changing the university’s Honors Program to an Honors College and involving students more in the faculty hiring process.

A proposal to rename the Honors Program was written by Herbert Lasky, director of the Honors Program, and submitted to the Faculty Senate, but he also wanted student input, said Donna Fernandez, chair of the senate Student Relations Committee.

Fernandez co-authored the senate resolution that stated, “an Honors College will facilitate institutional development and fund-raising activities in direct support of its honors programs.”

Last week, the Faculty Senate passed a similar resolution saying they would support a name change as long as no substantial costs followed.

“I think that since Faculty Senate is backing it … with changing the name it will bring in more money,” said Amanda Sartore, also a co-author of the resolution and chair of the senate Academic Affairs Committee. “I think it will make the school more appealing.”

Fernandez said the proposed college, which will cost $2,000 to implement, could attract more funding even though student requirements and benefits for teachers will not change.

“In order to stay competitive with other schools this is something I feel, and others feel, is necessary,” she said. “A simple name change can change how people donate.”

She said the program becoming a college will help with such areas as enhancing study abroad efforts and the opportunity for scholarships.

She said Western Illinois University now has an Honors College, closely resembling the Eastern’s current program.

“They were trying to match our program and changed the name,” Fernandez said. “As more students are going to college across the country, it’s getting more competitive.”

The second resolution recommends such student involvement as adding one student to departmental faculty search committees, said Ronnie Deedrick, legislation co-author and student vice president for academic affairs.

Most departments now allow students to hear a candidate teach in a classroom setting when the applicant visits the campus.

Eastern might not be the right educational environment for more student involvement, said Blair Lord, vice president of academic affairs.

“In terms of involving students in search committees, faculty searches have a very long standing practice of usually only including faculty representatives,” he said. “I support the concept of getting meaningful student feedback.”

Lord said the increasing involvement would take a minimum of a year to implement, and the senate resolution could encourage the process. “I think it can only promote meaningful involvement.”

Deedrick said he still has to speak to most department chairs, but faculty reaction so far has been mixed.

“I think we do have a basis for it as far as we go on about our principles of shared governance,” he said.

At the senate meeting, Deedrick said students should help select faculty because of the amount of daily interaction teaching offers students.

“Students have served in administration searches before. Those people don’t affect us from day to day,” he said. “These people (faculty) do affect us every day. Hopefully you have an excellent interaction with your faculty.”

The resolution says students will have to abide by rules followed by those now serving on search committees.