Bridget Gourley, chair of the faculty, stressed that the faculty members are central to the mission of DePauw University at the October faculty meeting yesterday.
The last meeting, held on Sept. 25, was closed to media and administration to allow faculty members to talk more freely about their concerns as a faculty, most notably about their role as major stakeholders in the university.
They expressed a desire to have a seat at the table during the Board of Trustees meeting. As a result, two members of the faculty, Gourley and Harry Brown, chiar of department chairs, were invited to attend the board meeting. Gourley related that their presence was well-received. The faculty saw this as the first of many positive steps toward gaining a voice. Though it is not official, Gourley indicated that board members felt that a faculty presence at the meeting was a good thing, and she hopes that it will become a regular occurrence.
Faculty were also given three dates for conversations about their concerns, though it is not yet known what the specifics of those conversations will be.
Dave Berque, dean of academic life, explained that students will now sign for Winter Term and May Term classes when they sign up for semester classes. Students are allowed to pursue at most 4.5 credits per semester. First semester will be comprised of Fall Term and Winter Term. Second semester will be comprised of Spring Term and May Term. Berque believes it will be beneficial for students to be able to know their options for the short term that follows the long term when they are signing up for their classes.
For the first time, Winter Term and May Term course signups will occur via a real-time interface. Students will know immediately if they are in a specific class, a desire expressed by many students.