At its Spring term meeting yesterday, the Committee of Chairs, which consists of the chairs of all academic departments, discussed a proposal that could lessen its role on campus.
More than 30 professors attended the meeting in Alumni Hall, which was led by Acting Provost and Dean of the Faculty Jim Wright.
Committee On Procedure Chair and Religion Professor Susan Ackerman proposed changes suggested by the COP, a subcommittee of the COC. She said the COC provides a valuable function as a forum for discussion and deliberation, but its business functions seem insignificant.
Currently, the COC discusses business at its quarterly meetings and takes votes on items that have already gone through three or four committees, giving them a "rubber stamp" of approval, Ackerman said.
She recommended the COC meet once a year with the College president, provost and treasurer to talk about "institutional priorities and budgets." Now only the subcommittee on priorities attends this meeting.
Ackerman said the COP recommended the COC meet at other times to discuss and deliberate other issues in a less formal setting, but it does not need to meet every term.
Some department chairs were upset at the apparent suggestion to remove power and importance from the COC.
"What we need is more places to talk, not less," Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program Chair Marysa Navarro said. COC meetings "are one of the places where I see my colleagues."
Psychology Department Chair Robert Kleck suggested a COC retreat similar to the administrative retreat at the beginning of each year to "intensify the quality and nature of interaction" of faculty in different departments and as a "chance to reflect on the year that lies ahead."
Wright said although no department chairs spoke in favor of the COP recommendations, he thinks many agree the COC should be a deliberating body because it is "difficult to bring the COC together to do business."
Ackerman said she would take ideas from the COC meeting back to the COP for further recommendations.
Dean of Graduate Studies Edward Berger, who will become the dean of the faculty on July 1, said in an interview with The Dartmouth that he thinks the COC will evolve into "something more in line with what the chairs want it to be -- a meeting hall for chairs and the deans to discuss issues of importance to the faculty."
Next Wright discussed budgetary procedures pertaining to departments.
He said most department have specified endowment funds that "are not always substantial, but important." In the past, departments would use their operating budgets for expenses before using the interest off the endowment because that money could carry over.
But the federal accounting standards board, to which the College is accountable, made new regulations a few years ago requiring not-for-profit organizations to use returns from narrowly restricted endowments before using operating budgets.
"We are audited regularly, we have to follow the federal standards," Wright said. "These things are not discretionary."
Since departments had to use their endowment interest first, any left over funds came from the operating cost. Wright said departments may now allow unused operating costs to roll over to the next year so they can plan long term projects.
Berger said in the interview that Wright presented budget information because most faculty members were not aware of the details.
