Story and photo by Grace Newton
University President Maria Hernandez Ferrier and Provost Brent Snow provided an administrative update Sept. 7 at the first Faculty Senate meeting of the 2012-13 academic year in Room 168 of Brooks City-Base Campus. Sixteen faculty members attended the meeting, including the four newly-elected officers.
Ferrier thanked the senate and congratulated them for their efforts over the last year. She said they would continue to “work together to make this University the best that it can be for our student body.”
Ferrier provided Faculty Senate an overview of the University’s funding requests for new buildings, student services and research studies.
From the Texas Legislature, Ferrier said Texas A&M-San Antonio, “the fastest growing University in the state of Texas,” is asking for $11 million for downward expansion, $8 million to support fundamental student success services such as tutoring centers that are standard at established universities but lacking at A&M-San Antonio’s start-up campus, and $2 million for a research project with A&M-College Station to investigate why first generation college students are leaving school. Information and data, she said, will help close the education gap in Texas.
In addition, Ferrier said the University is requesting $70 million for a science and technology building that would be funded through the tuition revenue bond.
The building is expected to be where the student parking lot is, she said. The facility, she added, will give faculty the opportunity to work alongside agencies and system centers such as the Water Conservation and Technology Center.
On downward expansion, Ferrier said the first phase will begin in 2014 or 2015, possibly with two or three specific areas of study. Ferrier said decisions would be made with faculty input.
She said that conversations with peers such as Ricardo Romo, president of the University of Texas at San Antonio, had helped her reach a decision to phase downward expansion with 300-400 incoming freshman and sophomore level students, rather than bring freshman and sophomores all in at once. A&M-San Antonio is currently a two-year institution serving junior and senior level students.
Snow announced that the University received approval to hire 10 new faculty members for the current academic year.
As of fall 2012, the University employs 194 faculty members: four full-time professors, 16 associate professors, 47 assistant professors, five professional-track faculty, three visiting assistant professors, 10 full-time lecturers, 98 adjunct faculty and 11 university supervisors who supervise School of Education students in area school districts.
The Faculty Senate executive committee — Megan Wise de Valdez, president; Dr. Brian Brantley, vice president; May Mayorga, parliamentarian; and Stefanie Wittenbach, secretary — worked together over the summer to create policy and procedures on how the senate will operate.
The committee will continue working over the next two months to revise the constitution and create and incorporate bylaws. An update on the faculty handbook was also provided.
The senate reviewed old business including an annual review update from the School of Business and School of Education and Kinesiology, a proposal on compensation for graduate research project administration and post-tenure review procedure.
The meeting concluded with discussion of the role and responsibilities of senators and Roberts Rules of Order.
The next Faculty Senate meeting will be 11 a.m. Oct. 5 in Room 204/207 of Main Campus Building.
