The Committee of Chairs yesterday quickly approved the new Linguistics major and debated whether to institute a formal policy for dealing with grievances against College faculty members.
The committee, which is composed of the chairs of all the College's departments and academic programs, meets periodically throughout the year.
The proposed new policy would shift the responsibility for dealing with complaints against faculty members. Currently, the department chairs hear all complaints.
Under the proposed policy, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action would deal with complaints concerning discrimination and the Dean of the Faculty Office would handle all other complaints with faculty members.
The committee debated whether to deal with such complaints in an informal manner or if they should include a formal policy in the Faculty Handbook.
Acting Dean of the Faculty Karen Wetterhahn said her office is considering incorporating a policy in the Faculty Handbook for dealing with these matters.
Wetterhahn said the purpose of the debate was not to hurriedly vote on the proposal, but to provide a forum for the chairs to voice their opinions.
"We're not asking for a vote, we're bringing it to you for discussion," she said.
College Provost Lee Bollinger said the idea of having a written policy was intended "to try to bring more order to the process."
Art History Department Chair Joy Kenseth said she thought the College should deal with cases on an informal basis.
"We've got to put our trust in our chairs and deans and leave it at that," she said.
Government Department Chair Nelson Kasfir said many complaints against faculty members can be handled informally, usually by department chairs, and suggested the Faculty "be careful about codifying everything."
English Department Chair Bill Cook said the department chairs currently deal with many complaints, and the effect of the proposal would be "to move this entire level of complaints to the Dean of the Faculty's Office or the Affirmative Action Office."
The chairs debated keeping complaint files on faculty members and whether such files would eventually be destroyed.
Kasfir said he opposed keeping files of all complaints and suggested a complaint should only be filed if it is proved to be true.
"It should not depend on the seriousness of the charge," he said. "But it should depend on whether the charge is true."
Kasfir said keeping a file of all complaints -- even frivolous ones -- against a faculty member could have "a chilling effect" on a professor's morale.
The chairs also quickly approved plans for a new linguistics major, which was earlier recommended by the Committee on Instruction and the Committee on Procedure.
The General Faculty will vote on the proposed new major at its Monday meeting.
