The political appointment process represents business and other community interests. Only those most intimately aware of our students educational needs are not formally represented . Almost 300 universities in 36 states include faculty on governing Boards. The trend is increasing. As Boards wrestle with the challenge of allocating resources to the variety of services universities provide, faculty are best positioned to argue for the preservation of academic standards.
Academic excellence is protected if faculty have a seat at the decision-making table.
Currently, Boards lack direct, regular access to the professional expertise of faculty. SB 0054 remedies this defect. Decisions are best made when all facts are known, all points of view are thoroughly examined, and all relevant constituencies have an opportunity to share their particular expertise. Trustees make policy decisions that impact students education. Decisions about how to use that money were made by Boards without the benefit of direct exposure to the views of faculty.