2008 Woodie Awards
Faculty Senate addresses sustainability, diversity, insurance issues
Alina Selyukh
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: News
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln administration has taken a step toward becoming a little greener.
During the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman reported on the initiative to create a Sustainability Commission to make the university more environmentally friendly. The senate members called on him to form the commission in a unanimous vote.
Perlman also addressed a report by the UNL Diversity Committee and the issue of several committee member resignations.
The committee's slow progress may account for those resignations, he said.
"I'd be less than candid if I didn't say I was disappointed with that report," he said.
Perlman urged the senators to look at the report "with care and seriousness" before discussing it in the next meeting in April.
Faculty Senator Tom Zorn, a finance professor, had a question for the chancellor and president.
Several years ago, a change in the university's insurance system put retiring employees in a separate insurance pool with prices so high it's unaffordable to retire, Zorn said.
People stuck around longer and cost the university extra, he said. It didn't make sense.
University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken said the NU actuaries recommended the change to keep at least partial retiree insurance coverage.
He promised to present all interested parties with a report explaining the decision and discuss it later in the semester.
David Brooks, the chairman of the computing services and facilities committee, told the senate the wide spread of computational resources has created problems for the committee.
"For every IS (Information Services) employee there are two people who do IS work who are not on IS budget. It's become nuts," Brooks said, referring to uncoordinated, often duplicated work.
He also recommended the creation of an appointed position to deal with UNL cyber-infrastructure - a chief information or technology officer who would work with a vice chancellor.
The senate executive committee will consider the proposals.
In other business:
The senate unanimously approved the creation of a task force to research the need for travel grants for graduate students, proposed by the Graduate Student Association.
Milliken reported on NU's involvement with the legislative and appropriations process: NU didn't testify on the affirmative action bill, which has now been withdrawn, and opposed the initiative to remove benefits to undocumented immigrant students. The university is also in the process of settling on an amount of state funding for the revamping of the Student Information System.
alinaselyukh@dailynebraskan.com
During the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman reported on the initiative to create a Sustainability Commission to make the university more environmentally friendly. The senate members called on him to form the commission in a unanimous vote.
Perlman also addressed a report by the UNL Diversity Committee and the issue of several committee member resignations.
The committee's slow progress may account for those resignations, he said.
"I'd be less than candid if I didn't say I was disappointed with that report," he said.
Perlman urged the senators to look at the report "with care and seriousness" before discussing it in the next meeting in April.
Faculty Senator Tom Zorn, a finance professor, had a question for the chancellor and president.
Several years ago, a change in the university's insurance system put retiring employees in a separate insurance pool with prices so high it's unaffordable to retire, Zorn said.
People stuck around longer and cost the university extra, he said. It didn't make sense.
University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken said the NU actuaries recommended the change to keep at least partial retiree insurance coverage.
He promised to present all interested parties with a report explaining the decision and discuss it later in the semester.
David Brooks, the chairman of the computing services and facilities committee, told the senate the wide spread of computational resources has created problems for the committee.
"For every IS (Information Services) employee there are two people who do IS work who are not on IS budget. It's become nuts," Brooks said, referring to uncoordinated, often duplicated work.
He also recommended the creation of an appointed position to deal with UNL cyber-infrastructure - a chief information or technology officer who would work with a vice chancellor.
The senate executive committee will consider the proposals.
In other business:
The senate unanimously approved the creation of a task force to research the need for travel grants for graduate students, proposed by the Graduate Student Association.
Milliken reported on NU's involvement with the legislative and appropriations process: NU didn't testify on the affirmative action bill, which has now been withdrawn, and opposed the initiative to remove benefits to undocumented immigrant students. The university is also in the process of settling on an amount of state funding for the revamping of the Student Information System.
alinaselyukh@dailynebraskan.com
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