The nomination period for this year’s Faculty Senate elections is open now and runs through March 6. The Senate, which represents UAB’s faculty in matters of shared governance, is made up of representatives from all of UAB’s academic units, as well as four officers elected at large. Each representative serves a two-year term. The group meets monthly during the academic year.
Why take part? Several current and past representatives shared with the Reporter the reasons they joined and continue to serve. A number of common themes emerged about the personal benefits of participating: a deeper understanding of how UAB works, the opportunity to meet colleagues from very different areas of expertise and, perhaps most of all, the opportunity to accomplish meaningful change.
Sarah Culver, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Marketing, Industrial Distribution and Economics
Member, Faculty Senate Executive Committee
“Faculty Senate is a commitment of time and energy, especially chairing one of its subcommittees. But lately I am thinking about the following motivation: Serving as a Faculty Senate committee chair provides me with the valuable opportunity to interact with colleagues from across the university. This engagement broadens my perspective on the diverse work being undertaken by UAB faculty and highlights the various issues that concern them.
“In any institution, it is crucial that employees feel empowered to have a voice in the direction of their enterprise. In large organizations, achieving this can be challenging, making a unified voice all the more essential. For faculty members at UAB, it is important that our voices are heard and respected. The Faculty Senate serves as an effective platform for this purpose, offering me a meaningful way to get involved and contribute to the university’s future.”
Merida Grant, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Member, Faculty Senate Executive Committee
“The most important aspect of Faculty Senate to me is the opportunity to speak with leadership and provide input from the faculty perspective to the president and provost. The Senate Executive Committee, on which I serve, operates in an advisory role to Senate standing committees and meets twice monthly with the UAB president and provost to discuss the needs and responsibilities of faculty and provide advice to the president and provost. In this capacity, FSEC is able to shape policy and procedures for faculty at UAB and provide input regarding senior-level search committee decisions and respond to state legislation impacting UAB faculty.
“Given the other commitments for faculty, it is easy to become isolated in your own department or division and not have full awareness of how the university functions as a whole. Because the Executive Committee can request meetings with leadership at UAB, you can see how each area functions in ways that influence each other, and you have an opportunity to have a say in how the institution itself is run.
“It definitely is work, and it can be time-consuming, but it is worth it. It certainly has been insightful to understand how the university works.”
Michael Herr, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology
Member, Faculty Senate Executive Committee
“I have been a part of the Faculty Senate at two separate institutions and joined right after I became a faculty member at my first institution. I highly recommend being a part of the Faculty Senate, especially early in your academic career. It is a great way to meaningfully fulfill your role in service to the university and contribute to a common mission with faculty from all schools and levels.
“It is very easy to get involved. As a first step, start to attend the meetings. Self-nominations are accepted if you would like to be a senator. Ask your department and any other eligible voting faculty to vote for you and write a personal statement. Once you are a senator, serve on at least one committee. If you are passionate about the committee’s goals, you could potentially lead the committee as chair.
“Many great changes have come from the Faculty Senate, and the discussions and work done in the senate are truly important to the mission and vision of the university at large.”
Peter Jones, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Political Science and Public Administration
Member, Faculty Senate Executive Committee
“I ran for the Faculty Senate to have a greater voice in around childcare on campus. Before I joined, the Faculty Senate had advocated for a new daycare facility, and I wanted to make sure we continued to make administration aware of any issues with the transition to the new Early Learning Center.
“Since then, being part of the Faculty Senate has significantly broadened my understanding of university processes and governance. Shared governance is something both faculty and administration have to take an active part in, and while the Faculty Senate takes some time and effort, I consider it the best way to influence how decisions are made and implemented at UAB. And because it provides direct access to administration, I am able to share perspectives from faculty who are sometimes left out of the conversation.
“Additionally, I’ve had a chance to meet and collaborate with faculty members across the university from a wide range of disciplines. I’ve been able learned a ton about all the things UAB does outside my small corner of campus, and it has amplified how proud I feel to be part of the world-class faculty at UAB. Maybe more importantly, though, serving on the Faculty Senate has given me a chance to get to know a lot of folks, and it a great feeling to know that my colleagues are not only exceptional professionals but also genuinely good people.”
