The breakfast meeting was held at Frost Bank at 100 W. Houston St. This was the first meeting of the semester.
Megan Wise de Valdez, president-elect of the senate and biology professor, said Ferrier and Snow will attend a portion of each meeting through the fall term.
“The main reason for this is for communication between the faculty and upper administration,” Wise de Valdez said. She added that because this is a new university, faculty will be able to establish a close relationship with administrators.
Wise de Valdez said the senate will be an advocate, liaison and action body that exists to communicate issues between faculty to administrators.
“And not just communicate, but help advise on future decisions that involve faculty and the university,” she said.
Also, she said the senate is “a body to whom faculty with grievances can go to.” If faculty have legitimate, specific problems, the senate will solicit and brainstorm the idea, she explained.
Although Wise de Valdez said the senate doesn’t make decisions, she said they want it to be an action body.
“Perhaps we’ll develop programs for faculty, new systems of communication, a website, resources that students need,” she said, noting that the senate hasn’t made any specific, future decisions.
She said Snow already has a list of ideas for the senate, but was unavailable for further detail.
The senate was established in November 2010 and the constitution was written in January.
Wise de Valdez said the senate developed the constitution based on different constitutions within the A&M-University system.
The final draft was submitted in March, and the senators were elected in April.
Each of the three schools elected two senators to serve one term. The executive committee serves a one-year term, and president-elect serve two year; one year as president-elect and the second year as the senate’s president.
The School of Business elected Richard Green, president of the senate and business professor and Dennis Elam, secretary and business professor.
The School of Education elected education Professor Patricia Holmes and education Professor Kevin Kendrick.
Durant Frantzen, parliamentarian and criminology professor and Wise de Valdez were elected from the School of Arts and Sciences.
Wise de Valdez said Librarian Stefanie Wittenbach was elected as a senator because she plays an integral role in faculty issues and concerns.
Green said via email that the senate is polling its members to determine a time for an executive session to settle procedural issues.
“Following the executive session, the senate will establish a schedule of regularly-held meetings that are open to any interested party,” he said.
Although no date has been set for an open meeting to faculty, Wise de Valdez said she anticipates a meeting at the end of September.
