Board elects new executive officers
Four executive officers were elected Monday to their current positions on Eastern’s Board of Trustees.
Board chairman Nathan Anderson will stay in his position, Betsy Mitchell was elected to vice chair, Roger Dettro to secretary and Jeffery Lezotte to board pro tempore.
The BOT approved recommendations for 10 faculty members to receive tenure.
Tenure is based on job rolls in areas such as teaching, research and creative activities, said Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs.
The tenure recipients include: Robert Chesnut of the chemistry department; Steven Lee Daniel of the biological sciences department; Norman Greer of the speech communication department; Eric Hake of the economics department; Ryan Hendrickson of the political science department; William Joyce from the School of Business; William Russell of the physical education department; Mukti Upadhyay of the economics department; Nancy Van Cleave of the mathematics department and Richard Whitaker of the School of Business.
Anne Zahlan, chair of the Faculty Senate, Sandy Bingham-Porter, chair of the Staff Senate, and Student Body President Alison Mormino reported to the board, tying in concerns with the state budget.
“Recent directives from Springfield prompted an administrative scramble to identify areas that could be cut, and this ad hoc process has reinforced faculty dissatisfaction with the way budgetary priorities are established at Eastern,” Zahlan said.
Many faculty want to see more of a discussion about appropriated funds for athletics and the TV station, she said.
Zahlan also summarized the senate’s recent progress, including action taken in the last faculty forum and elections.
Mormino discussed the Student Action Team’s lobbying efforts in Springfield and a letter writing campaign to legislatures, as well as university tuition and fees.
The Bureau of the Budget has classified administration to include many staff and non-teaching positions when talking about current budget issues, something surprising to staff, Bingham-Porter said.
“In my 27 years, I’ve seen good years and I’ve seen bad budgets,” but next year’s fiscal year will be a challenge, she said.
Board elects new executive officers
The Board of Trustees approved the third phase in plans for Teng Associates to upgrade the campus infrastructure Monday, a project funded by a student fee increase.
