The Faculty Senate addressed findings of the recent faculty survey, athletic programs and University security at yesterday's meeting.
In his presentation of the faculty survey results, Senate Chair Ricardo Padron noted an increased dissatisfaction among the general faculty with their position at the University.
The general faculty consists of those professors who are not yet tenured and therefore do not have access to the benefits available to tenured faculty. To ensure more consistent treatment of faculty in the future, the University plans to "conduct a review of the policies governing the faculty," Padron said, noting that doing so should help to, "enhance the voice of the faculty."
Athletic Director Craig Littlepage also discussed concerns regarding fair representation during his? report on athletic programs. Littlepage noted that the athletic department is currently working to ensure staff diversification. This pertains not only to the hiring of head coaches, Littlepage added, but also to the inclusion of more women and ethnic minorities in the athletic department workforce.
This goal could be achieved simultaneously with the implementation of other athletic department goals for improvement such as complying with Title IX regulations, building facilities valuable to both the academic and athletic communities and having 100 percent of student-athletes complete their eligibility at the University, Littlepage said.
Many of the initiatives are already underway, Littlepage noted, citing the completion of facilities such as the Aquatic & Fitness center and Memorial Gymnasium as areas where students can "congregate as a University community."
The well-being and regulation of student-athletes was also a central focus of Littlepage's report. The athletic department plans to initiate "stronger initial requirements" for academics along with closer and more frequent observations over the course of consecutive semesters for student-athletes at the University, he said.
Security for students, faculty and staff around Grounds was another top priority at yesterday's meeting. The meeting closed with an information update about safety measures on Grounds from Director of Emergency Preparedness Marjorie Sidebottom. So far, new safety measures for the University have been developed through extended "coordination and collaboration," she said, noting "Our goal is to ... create a culture of emergency preparedness across Grounds."
As a result of the Virginia Tech shootings, the University has joined the nationwide movement to increase security on college campuses. The University's emergency response program has been developed to incorporate many of the recommendations from the Virginia Tech report, said Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Sandridge also stressed the importance of greater participation in the U.Va. Alerts system.
Some additional planned University security measures include the installation of a new siren and public-announcement system across Grounds, better security designs for newly constructed buildings and a consistent relationship between medical counseling and security staff members, he added.
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