Hundreds of faculty, including 69 who are new, were welcomed back to school during the University of Central Arkansas? annual general faculty meeting.
Provost Gabriel Esteban gave the welcome, emphasizing the importance of faculty at the institution.
He noted that eight faculty positions that were non-tenure-track, are now tenure-track positions, equity salary adjustments were made last year and could be made again this year, monetary awards for promotion were dramatically increased, and research and service awards increased five-fold.
Faculty Senate President Sondra Gordy addressed the crowd, calling them ?the most distinguished, most productive and most highly qualified faculty in the history of this institution.?
After reviewing UCA?s brief history in faculty governance, Gordy noted that faculty now have a role in the decision-making process at this institution and she encouraged faculty to get involved.
Gordy invited faculty to attend faculty senate meetings and stay informed about senate activities and decisions through the Web or by visiting the senate?s new office in Main 007. She also encouraged faculty to become familiar with the new faculty handbook.
UCA President Lu Hardin gave his annual address, also stressing the importance of faculty and identifying himself as one since he is teaching a class. ?My heart remains in the classroom,? he said.
Hardin addressed everything from enrollment to technology to parking. He asked faculty to be patient with the record number of students on campus and in their classrooms, reminding them ?the extra 1,600 students on campus made the 2.7 percent cost of living increase possible this year.?
Hardin bragged about the university?s contract with IBM, which will ?put us on the cutting edge.? The university will soon have more bandwidth, more fiber redundancy and a better firewall. He also said after the work is complete, sometime in September, network outages should last no more than 15 minutes.
Hardin touted the university?s acquisition of the Oxford American magazine, saying, ?I?m not satisfied just being on the map in the state or in the South. I want UCA to be known across the U.S.? He also mentioned that the university had turned away Ivy League students who wanted to attend because of the magazine.
Hardin told faculty that a new advertising campaign would be launched soon. This year, the goal of the ads is not to continue increasing enrollment dramatically, though he speculated that enrollment might still jump to 10,500. Instead, the ads, which highlight the Honors College, will be used as a branding campaign.
After echoing a pledge to work on salary equity among faculty, Hardin noted the importance of embracing diversity on campus. He said, ?I want you to set an example as professors and treat minorities with respect. I?m not suggesting that you don?t, but go the extra mile.?
This week a story was published by the Associated Press questioning the prudence of awarding a sabbatical to John Smith while he was running for political office. Hardin defended the action, stating, ?This was in the contract when I was hired. The board voted to award John Smith a sabbatical in appreciation of his 20 years of service to the university and for serving as interim president for nine months.?
Hardin also said he hoped to make sabbatical opportunities and leave time more available to faculty as their workloads continue to increase. ?I?m going to be very sensitive of what I expect of you,? he said.
The final item Hardin addressed was an annual complaint among the campus community ? parking. Hardin asked faculty to be patient about the parking situation, telling them that 300 more spaces would be available where the Armory used to stand within the next month. ?We are very sensitive to having you as close as possible to your classes,? he said.
-Jennifer Boyett
