Faculty senate will be looking to respond to a letter from the Council on Academic Affairs during its meeting Tuesday.

The letter comes from the council’s subcommittee on general education in response to the senate’s proposal to amend Article 13 of the Faculty Senate constitution. Faculty Senate Chair Grant Sterling said Article 13 states if someone were to bring a petition forward signed by at least 20 percent of the faculty calling for a referendum, Faculty Senate must hold the referendum.

“Some people, including the authors of the letter, interpret this to mean that Faculty Senate is forbidden to call for a faculty referendum without such a petition,” Sterling said. “ Others, including myself, think that Faculty Senate has the right to consult faculty about their opinions at any time, without any such petition.”

The letter from the council said the reason they are opposed to the proposed revisions is because they believe this move to be without a type of provision and is an overreach of power.

The proposal amendment to Article 13 came after the senate tried to bring forward three resolutions to be included on the ballot.

“At the last meeting, I brought forward three resolutions to (be) considered for inclusion on the ballot,” Sterling said. “Those resolutions were tabled because the dispute arose about whether such a referendum was allowed.”

Sterling said if it is agreed the senate does not have the power to do so, the resolution would be withdrawn, although a proposal will be made to amend the Constitution to give them such power.

The letter from the council addressed a question raised by one of the senators during the last faculty senate meeting about the council being uncomfortable with the proposed resolutions.

The letter stated the council was not uncomfortable with what they are doing because they do not operate in the shadows; the work they are doing is for the well being of the students, and the council is the one who gives recommendations to the president to changes to the curriculum.

The letter also said the article helps protect Eastern’s democratic process, and provides a way to deal with these concerns with due diligence.

Faculty senate will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Booth Library Conference Room.

Luis Martinez can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].