The Board of Regents met with representatives of Eastern Michigan students and faculty at the bi-monthly EMU Board of Regents meeting Tuesday in Welch Hall.
A 1 p.m. meeting with the Faculty Affairs Committee and a 2 p.m. meeting with the Educational Policy Committee helped work out details on policies like the shared governing duties of EMU staff, and the future of EMU’s public funding.
At the Faculty Affairs meeting, Susan Moeller introduced “Article XIII: Faculty Participation in Governance.”
The university’s governing body evaluates faculty members, develops new curriculum, and allocates university resources in the most responsible way. Moeller said input from faculty members at all levels is important to the decision making process.
A handout on Article XIII said “what is desirable and intended by the selections that follow is to ensure mindful participation by the faculty with the ultimate decision-making resting in Eastern Michigan University management.”
The Educational Policy committee meeting focused on other affairs facing the university, including funding received from federal and state government. The university receives less funding than other schools of its size, due to the nature of the students it attracts.
“We have a different mix of students than the other 15 universities [in the state],” Regent Thomas Sidlik said.
Sidlik explained EMU’s unique position allowed for less funding from Lansing, which allocates funding based on specific measures, like graduate research and student retention rates.
“The best measure for us is we recruit the most Michigan students that graduate here [in Michigan] and stay here,” he said.
The annual report on Eastern Michigan’s K-12 charter schools was delivered to the regents by Malverne Winborne, the director of EMU’s charter schools office.
Eastern Michigan sponsors eight charter schools: Academy for Business and Technology School, Ann Arbor Learning Community, Commonwealth Community Development Academy, Joseph F. Pollack Academic Center of Excellence, Gaudior Academy, Grand Blanc Academy, Great Lakes Academy, and the Hope Academy.
All eight schools passed their Adequate Yearly Progress benchmarks, according to Winborne. Two of the schools, however, the Grand Blanc Academy
and the Hope Academy, did not make AYP in the area of special education.
Lastly, the board was asked to approve awards, retirements, and promotions of key university staff and alumni. Among those honored will be Dean Coverly, the author of the weekly comic strip “Speedbump.”
“Speedbump” is a nationally syndicated comic strip and its author, Coverly, is an Eastern Michigan alumnus.
Coverly will be rewarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree, and is set to give a commencement speech at the April 29th graduation ceremony.
