In May, due to the extraordinary circumstances presented by COVID-19, the Senate voted unanimously (via email) to approve the creation of an Ad-Hoc Faculty Senate Summer Advisory Council to offer the Senate’s perspective on emerging issues during the summer months. It consists of the Senate officers and one Senator from each college, the library, and contingent faculty. Membership is as follows:

Imam Alam (CBA representative)

Kenneth Hall (CHAS-Humanities)

Syed Kirmani (CHAS-Science)

Mark Hecimovich (COE)

Matthew Makarios (CSBS)

Gretchen Gould (Library)

William Koch (Contingent Faculty)

John Burnight (Chair of the Senate)

Danielle Cowley (Vice Chair of the Senate)

James Mattingly (Former Chair of the Senate)

Amy Petersen (Chair of the Faculty)

The council has consulted with the administration on a number of issues this summer, and on behalf of the Senate voted unanimously to approve the COVID-19 related syllabus statement and the additions to Policy 3.06 on attendance and make-up work. (The text of both of these can be found on pp. 91-92 of the Faculty Handbook: https://provost.uni.edu/faculty-handbook-updates.)

With the resumption of regular Senate meetings this fall, the council has served its purpose and the Senate officers recommend discharging it, with our thanks.