Faculty Affairs Committee
The Senate Faculty Affairs Committee is dedicated to fostering a closer relationship and a deeper appreciation between UT students and their faculty through various programs designed to showcase honorary professors. The main initiative Faculty Affairs takes to increase interaction between the two bodies is hosting Faculty Appreciation Week, which includes planning events and coordinating Senate’s Professor of the Year award. Additionally, members of the committee regularly research faculty policies at the University’s peer institutions to find best practices to implement at UT.
Policy initiatives for 2011-2012 will likely include, but are not limited to: improving the student/faculty ratio at the University, increasing faculty understanding and application of classroom technology on campus, Teaching Assistant rights, and Gender Equity.
Becky Pickert
Faculty Affairs co-chair
Contact: beckypickert@yahoo.com
Yaneli Rubio
Faculty Affairs co-chair
Major: Business
Year: 1st
Hometown: Friendswood, TX
Contact: yaneli.rubio@utexas.edu
Issues Committee is Currently Focusing On
Faculty and Technology – The role of technology is changing rapidly in the classroom. We are working to insure that both students and faculty members are being served in the most efficient manner using new technology.
Approach: We will work in unison with Curriculum Committee and their course redesign initiative, discuss with DIIA and create a focus group of faculty to figure out the inefficiencies.
TA rights and benefits – This issue needs to be further explored regarding the needs of graduate students.
Approach: Forum with GSA and graduate council presidents to discuss their needs.
Gender Equity follow up – Last year, legislation was passed regarding this issue. Thus, this year we plan to continue implementing changes in order for this measure to be successful.
Approach: We are aiming to create Gender Councils, like the one that the College of Liberal Arts currently has.
Committee Legislation for 2011-12
S.R. 1109 – In Support of Faculty Peer Review
Past Committee Legislation
Faculty Appreciation Week is a time honored tradition – a celebration of faculty-student relations at the University. Since 1999, the Senate of College Councils, the student governance organizations that represents students in academic affairs, has brought the University of Texas at Austin together to celebrate our world-renowned faculty members and encourage and foster student-faculty interaction on the 40 acres.
This year, Faculty Appreciation Week will include several student-run events in each of the 20 Councils, the Senate Professor of the Year Award, the Professors of the Year Reception, the President’s Reception, Faculty Discounts at neighboring businesses and athletic events and 3,000 thank you letters to faculty members.
Click here for the Professor of the Month Application
Professor of the Month is an award designed to honor outstanding faculty at our University through council nominations. Each month, one tenure or tenure-track professor is chosen by the Faculty Affairs Committee. The Professor of the Month should be someone who demonstrates outstanding teaching ability and a commitment to their students and the University. The professor will be chosen based on the quality of the responses to the questions in the application with careful consideration given to the nominee’s character, classroom interactions, and personal achievements. In addition, this year we will also have a Professor of the Year Award which will be announced during Faculty Appreciation Week (TBA). Each Professor of the Month will be automatically considered a nominee for Professor of the year.
Senate’s Professor of the Year is an award given to one tenure or tenure-track professor at the University. The Professor of the Year should be someone who demonstrates outstanding teaching ability and a commitment to their students and the University. The professor will be selected by a selection panel and the winner will be chosen based on the quality of the responses to the questions in the application with careful consideration given to the CIS results of the nominee. The winner will receive $1,000, courtesy of the Senate of College Councils, along with other rewards.
This year, Professor of the Year Award will be announced during Faculty Appreciation Week. Each Professor of the Month will be automatically considered a nominee for Professor of the year.