Welcome back to campus

January 18, 2024

Greetings Faculty,

Welcome back from the winter break! I hope you were able to relax and enjoy spending time with family and friends. I know there is a lot of work required to be ready for the spring semester, which we are all feeling right now. So, I hope that as you work to prepare for the next few months, you are also able to pause and briefly reflect on the incredible impact of our shared effort to support student learning, contribute to our respective fields of knowledge and serve our campus and community. I am continually impressed by your many accomplishments, and know that together, we do indeed make an positive difference in the lives of those we touch as faculty. Reflecting on our collective impact fills me with optimism as we move forward in our continuing journey as a university community.

To kick off the new semester, I would like to use this note as an opportunity to offer some thoughts on the role of the Faculty Senate, as well as the many ways you can engage in the discussions and decisions that shape our experience as faculty. The Faculty Senate is the only entity that directly represents all academic and administrative faculty in the shared governance decision-making approach at our University. We have a long history of working productively with administrative leaders to ensure that faculty perspectives are included in all major decisions affecting our experience. To share a recent example, this past fall your Senate frequently engaged with President Sandoval, Provost Thompson and Vice President Clinger in discussions related to the University budget, including consideration of the recent cost of living adjustments as well as enrollment trends and their implications. We shared a goal of balancing the many important budget priorities across all units in fulfillment of our multidimensional mission as an institution. The Campus Conversation we hosted to discuss the budget illustrates the way in which meaningful, constructive, reciprocal engagement can occur. There are complex issues to be considered within our University, and this complexity transcends any singular budget priority or need. In the Senate, we strive to be mindful of both the granular and the big picture simultaneously. I remain grateful that we are able to engage together as a campus through productive, collaborative dialogue around these issues, and I look forward to continuing to do so moving forward as we plan for the next fiscal year and biennium.

I also want to highlight that there are many opportunities for you to stay informed and participate, if you have an interest. First, simply listening to the Senate meetings, which are now accessible via Zoom to interested faculty, is a great way to hear, firsthand, the meaningful discussions taking place between faculty and campus leaders. I suspect that many of your questions are asked, and answered directly, in these meetings. If you are unable to listen to the meetings, then reviewing the Senate meeting minutes that are released to campus through our meeting agenda will help you stay apprised. Connecting with your unit’s Senator(s) to share your ideas and questions is another way to be sure your thoughts are represented during our meetings. Finally, if you want to actively participate in relevant discussions and contribute positively to shared governance, I encourage you to seek a seat on the Senate or join one of the 10 Senate committees. Each spring, we conduct a committee service interest survey for faculty. If you are interested in being involved, you may use that survey to share your interest. While there is a wide range of opinions and sources of information available to you as faculty, I believe the Senate offers a direct, unbiased and objective source for credible, real-time information on key developments at the University, and further provides a way for you to directly participate in shared governance and contribute to the key decisions needed to balance diverse priorities across campus.

Whether you are academic or administrative faculty; whether you are funded on state lines, self-supporting budgets, grant or gift accounts; whether you work primarily on the instructional facet of our mission, or focus on research, community engagement, development, operations, athletics, campus safety or student support, your voice and your priorities matter, and the Senate represents you. We are a diverse community of professionals tied together by our shared strategic direction within a multifaceted institution. The Senate offers a home for learning about, and engaging in, the ongoing dialogue occurring as we work together to navigate and determine the optimal path forward.

I am appreciative for everything you do. I look forward to continuing to work with your Senators to serve and represent your perspectives within our University’s shared governance. Please feel free to reach out to me, your Senator or Heather Kemmelmeier, the Senate Office Manager, if we can answer any questions or support you in any way.

With sincere gratitude,

Peter Reed, PhD, MPH
2023-24 Chair, Faculty Senate, University of Nevada, Reno
2023-24 Chair, NSHE Council of Faculty Senate Chairs
Director, Sanford Center for Aging, School of Medicine
Professor, Public Health, School of Public Health