The faculty senate voted to elect three members to assume executive positions beginning this summer and unanimously approved the re-election of John Pommier to serve as chair of the senate.

Pommier will be joined by Jon Coit on the executive board as the re-elected senate recorder, along with Michael Mulvaney, who will serve as the vice chair of the senate.

Mulvaney, a first-year senator, will transition to the position currently occupied by fellow member Dawn Van Gunten, whose term expires at the end of the school year.

Van Gunten nominated Mulvaney to succeed her position and said the opportunity would place him in favorable standing to move up in the faculty senate.

Before accepting, Mulvaney said he had a concern as far as taking on an executive responsibility and in turn nominated senate member John Best, who declined to fill the position of vice chair.

“I enjoy just being back here at the back of the table,” Best said. “I’m happy with that role.”

Andrew Methven of the biology department then nominated Marjorie Worthington of the English department to fill the position. Worthington also turned down the suggestion based on the extra responsibility potentially added to her present workload.

Mulvaney ultimately relented and was appointed to the executive board, along with 41 other committee appointees approved by the faculty senate out of the 69 people who volunteered.

Worthington said how many people volunteered for each position determined the process observed for nominating these committee members. She said each number was written on a slip of paper and drawn from a cup to facilitate the process of appointment.

The faculty senate is also looking to elect an at-large faculty member representative of Unit A to the council on academic affairs.

Van Gunten said a special election will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday staff the position, and those interested in running may file a nomination petition to her with 10 signatures by 4 p.m. on Friday.

Van Gunten also announced that she is seeking 100 faculty volunteers for Prowl Service Day to be conducted for new students the week before classes resume in August.

She prefers that 25 faculty members from each college be delegated for the event and said faculty volunteers to assist with the EIU Reads program are also in demand.

Erica Whelan can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].