SEMO FACULTY SENATE RAISES CONCERNS ON PLAN

Members of the Faculty Senate at Southeast Missouri State University voiced concern Wednesday about an administration-backed plan to restructure the institution's student affairs division.

Faculty members expressed concern that the move would lead to greater bureaucracy at the administrative level and increased costs for the university.

The Board of Regents is scheduled to consider approving the plan at its meeting today.

The plan, crafted by Caryl Smith, interim vice president of student affairs, calls for greater coordination of services. It calls for the hiring of a new vice president of student affairs.

Under the restructuring, student affairs would involve two major units student development and enrollment development. New-student relations and admissions and records offices that deal with enrollment would be put under the control of the student affairs division.

University officials have said the plan involves a reshuffling of existing student services within the confines of the existing budget.

Faculty senator Bruce Parrish said it appeared the restructuring was being rushed through with little input from the faculty.

But a university official said late Wednesday afternoon that the faculty had a number of opportunities to provide input on the restructuring plan.

Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president at Southeast, said the plan was aired at two open forums on campus that were attended by a total of 63 people. It was also discussed before at least 18 different university groups, including the Faculty Senate.

"Relatively few faculty members chose to attend the open forums as I recall," Wallhausen told a Southeast Missourian reporter.

He pointed out that the Administrative Council, which includes representation from the Faculty Senate, reviewed the plan.

But at Wednesday's senate meeting, Parrish questioned the need for establishing a vice president position to deal with student services.

"Maybe I'm the only one who thinks we do not need another vice president," he said.

Allen Gathman, Faculty Senate chairman, said it appears the administration is "solidly behind" the restructuring plan. The administration, he said, wants to proceed with the process of hiring a new vice president.

Faculty senators questioned moving the enrollment functions of the university from the academic division to student affairs.

Faculty senator Ronald Clayton said the concerns of faculty were voiced at a meeting of the university's Administrative Council.

But Parrish said university administrators seemingly ignored those concerns.

"It's just a little venting of frustration," Parrish said of his remarks.

Faculty senator Al Robertson expressed concern about plans to fill other administrative positions and what he views as an "expansion of the administration."

Parrish said faculty have little input on administrative positions. "They don't go through any process of scrutiny other than upon the hill," he said, referring to decisions made in the administrative offices in Academic Hall.