Announcement From President Murano
TO: Texas A&M faculty, staff and students
SUBJECT: Task Force on Enlightened and Shared Governance
I am pleased to announce the appointment of 24 individuals from within our University community, including an external representative, to the new Task Force on Enlightened and Shared Governance. The Task Force will be co-chaired by Dr. Jeffrey Vitter, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academics; and Dr. Robert Bednarz, Professor of Geography and Speaker-Elect of the Faculty Senate. Also, I am delighted to announce that at the first meeting of the Task Force, Mr. Jon L. Hagler ’58, who co-chaired the original committee that developed Vision 2020, will present his perspective , as it relates to the work his committee performed in identifying Enlightened Governance as one of the imperatives to becoming a top ten public university by the year 2020.
The Task Force will be charged with clarifying and reaching consensus on the definition of enlightened and shared governance. In addition to drawing upon key elements of Vision 2020, the group will review accepted definitions of enlightened and shared governance at other institutions, including American Association of University Professor (AAUP) members. The Task Force will share this information with the campus and outside groups to get ideas and feedback. Also, it will conduct a thorough assessment of the status of enlightened and shared governance at our University. Subgroups will be formed to focus on the issues that are important to students, departments, deans, and University administration. The subgroups will investigate and expand topics, such as best practices, and report back what they’ve concluded to the Task Force.
The culmination of the Task Force’s efforts will be to establish a set of “best practices” that will facilitate and support enlightened and shared governance at all levels of the University, particularly at the departmental level. Enlightened governance is one of the goals of my presidency, which I announced at my investiture last Fall. Therefore, implementing the Task Force’s recommended Best Practices will be one of my top priorities. I am very excited about this effort, and ask your support of the Task Force as they proceed with their charge.
Members of the Task Force on Enlightened Shared Governance and their representation:
- Students
- Drew Ambrose, Speaker Pro-Tem, Student Senate
- Julian Avila Pacheco, Vice President for University Affairs, Graduate Student Council
- Paul Boehm, Corps of Cadets Caucus Liaison, Student Senate
- Stephanie Burns, President, Memorial Student Center
- Joey Reed, Chief Justice, Judicial Court
- Faculty
- Robert Bednarz, (co-chair), Professor of Geography, College of Geosciences, speaker-elect, Faculty Senate
- Margaret Ezell, Distinguished Professor of English, College of Liberal Arts
- Peter Hugill, Professor of Geography, College of Geosciences
- Reza Langari, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dwight Look College of Engineering
- Eluned Jones, Professor of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- John McDermott, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, College of Liberal Arts
- Jim Woosley, Associate Instructional Professor of Health and Kinesiology, College of Education and Human Development
- Staff
- Kathy Collins, Associate Director of Dormitories Administration, Division of Student Affairs
- Kyle Page, Associate Director, Office of Admissions and Records
- Administration
- Jeff Vitter (co-chair), Provost and Executive Vice President for Academics
- Pierce Cantrell, Vice President and Associate Provost for Information Technology
- Evelyn Castiglioni, Professor and Head, Department ofVeterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
- Doug Palmer, Dean, College of Education and Human Development
- Paul Parrish, Regents Professor of English and Interim Dean of Faculties
- Dave Parrott, Executive Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Division of Student Affairs
- Dennie Smith, Professor and Head, Department of Teaching, Learning & Culture, College of Education and Human Development
- Jerry Strawser, KPMG Chair and Dean, Mays Business School
- Texas A&M System
- Frank Ashley, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- Don Aviles, President, Aviles Engineering Corporation, and Former Member, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents
I hope that you will take the opportunity to get involved and participate in this unique and important initiative.
Dr. Elsa A. Murano
President
