Ohio University’s Faculty Senate met Monday night to discuss a resolution involving faculty management and to hear updates from OU President Hugh Sherman and Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs.
Alternate Senator Kyle Butler of the College of Arts and Sciences discussed a resolution that he said will allow associate professors and professors of instruction to be offered renewable contracts that will be in effect for five years, though the contract length is able to be negotiated. The resolution hopes to stabilize existing faculty and recruit talented new faculty in light of recent faculty layoffs and retirements.
Zanesville Campus Senator Susan Dowell voiced concern about the ability for negotiation and argued the resolution stands to present the same issues that eligible instructional faculty are experiencing with the lack of contracts offered.
The resolution passed and is scheduled to be given to the provost, who can decide whether to sign the motion into action.
The body also heard updates from Sherman and Sayrs, who talked about the university’s recent accomplishments, including the prestigious Research 1 Certification, which indicates a very high level of research activity taking place within the institution, according to a previous Post report.
During the time for questions, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Senator Jacqueline Wolf asked Sherman and Sayrs about the university’s vaccine mandate. She was concerned the university said it would hold unvaccinated people accountable, but has not taken any sort of action against those who did not receive the vaccination. She said that sends a certain message to students about how much the university cares about each other in terms of social responsibility.
Sherman said the university’s intent was never to prevent a student from being able to take classes, but simply to get as many students, faculty and staff vaccinated as possible.
