The Faculty Senate heard an update on preparations for a 2005 institutional review of Eastern.

A self-study has to be conducted almost every 10 years before accreditation by the North Central Association so such areas as academic freedom programs and degrees can stay officially recognized.

State funding, like student financial aid, also isn’t possible without the accreditation.

“In fact, it’s a prerequisite for Eastern to do business,” said Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs.

Eastern is judged on five new criteria: mission and integrity; preparations for the future; student learning and effective teaching; the fostering and application of knowledge and engagement and service.

So far, the university has named a steering committee to start planning for the review. Graduate school dean Bob Augustine and physical education professor Jill Owen have been named as co-chairs of the committee.

One work group for each of the five criteria are being formed. The chairs of the five groups are sociology professor Reed Benedict; associate speech communication professor Shane Miller; Linda Simpson, associate professor with the School of Family and Consumer Science; business professor Cheryl Noll and Linda Morford, educational administration department chair.

“We are going in the first group of schools subject to the new criteria. It’s a holistic view of the institution,” Lord said.

Now more membership will be found for the work groups and university councils such as the Council on Academic Affairs will be asked in assembling information.

Some concerns from the 1995 accreditation were issues of deferred maintenance must be addressed, the continuing development of general education and the professional development of faculty and staff.

The council is still focused on assessment and campus diversity.

“Diversity is important to every accrediting group on the face of the planet,” Lord said.

It is rare an institution like Eastern needs to be accredited more than every 10 years, he said.

The senate previously sent the Board of Trustees a resolution to suggest three faculty members serve on the university presidential search committee. Two currently serve while three have in the past.

Board chairman Nathaniel Anderson said the current size of the committee is manageable, without addressing a section of the senate resolution about an additional third faculty member serving as chair or co-chair in the search.

The senate will now consider further action, such as asking the board to reconsider.

“The motion to reconsider is a standard process in law,” said foreign languages professor Luis Clay Mendez. He said faculty and staff should take similar advantage of the right to appeal.

“I think we should express to the entire board that we are not pleased with the rejection of the request,” he said.

“I guess the question would be did the entire board consider it,” said Faculty Senate chair Anne Zahlan. “I had really assumed (Anderson) talked to people. How informally, I don’t know.”

The Faculty Senate discussed computer technology and tabled a motion on a technology grant committee. The senate also suggested membership for a total of four technology committees.