In recent months, MU’s Faculty Council has taken a number of steps to promote a stronger feeling of campus community, council chair Leona Rubin told faculty who attended the April 29 general faculty meeting.
Rubin, associate professor of veterinary biomedical sciences, gave an update on council initiatives and detailed several of the council’s “one Mizzou efforts.” For instance, the council recently passed an initiative urging the University of Missouri administration to extend benefits to same-sex domestic partners of employees. That recommendation has been forwarded to the UM System along with similar resolutions from UM-Kansas City and UM-St. Louis, Rubin said.
Although that policy change would require approval from the Board of Curators, Rubin said the council is exploring some steps the MU campus could consider taking unilaterally.
For instance, she said, the Student Recreation Complex already offers the option of reduced-cost membership for adult household members of MU faculty and staff who are rec center members. Other possibilities include extending employee perks such as library access card and golf course season passes domestic partners. Rubin also noted that the council has promoted a task force that is exploring ways to make Mizzou a more family-friendly campus.
Other council efforts to expand inclusion on campus include supporting representation on council for non-tenure track faculty members. Council representatives will soon be elected for non-tenure track faculty in the clinical, teaching, research and extension areas.
In addition, she said, the council supported efforts to eliminate administrative distinctions for course offerings from the MU in the Evening program and the regular schedule of courses.
She said the move would provide “a seamless blending between day and evening classes” and provide more opportunities for non-traditional students.
The council also agreed to allow, beginning this fall, transfer credit for courses taken in the military that have been accredited by the American Council of Education. Approval of the credit would remain within academic departments.