Message from the President of the Faculty Senate
The University of Texas at Tyler
Greetings to the University of Texas at Tyler community,
On behalf of the Faculty Senate and its leadership, it is my pleasure and privilege
to welcome you all to this new year at UT Tyler. Before we chart this course, I would
like to express my gratitude to our immediate past-President, Harrison Ndetan. Dr.
Ndetan’s leadership over the past year has focused on listening to and learning from
the wide-ranging concerns of faculty from our recently merged institutions. Moreover,
he has shown us that the faculty, staff, students, and administrators of UT Tyler
make up one institution, and we rise together as one.
As a social scientist who appreciates history, it is my hope that the coming year
builds upon the past while allowing us to seize opportunities for productive change.
We have seen, for example, the value of shared governance throughout the Covid-19
pandemic as all members of our community have collaborated to ensure these unsettled
times were met with mature responses that kept us all as safe as possible. In the
same spirit of shared governance, faculty input influenced the creation of the new
strategic plan which, in the words of Dr. Calhoun, recognizes that “Every significant
accomplishment we reach is realized through collaborating both internally and externally
and innovating together.” In the context of Faculty Senate this means listening to
each other and looking for all the possibilities even if we may occasionally disagree.
We have built this institution of Faculty Senate through persistence, patience, and
open-mindedness. The recognition of this hard work comes in a variety of ways. When
our senate representatives meet with peers from other UT system schools, we are often
praised for our implementation of shared governance. Shared governance requires not
just faculty input, but also buy-in by our administration. When faculty shared their
concerns about end of course evaluations during the pandemic, the administration granted
leeway for tenure and promotion. Similar grace was given when it was shown that faculty
research agendas had to be put on hold during lockdown. And, when it was shown that
faculty compensation was below CUPA median, the administration committed to addressing
this problem.
I believe that a spirit of shared governance is the key to our institution’s continued
growth and success. This means active engagement by faculty in raising issues and
finding constructive solutions. Higher education is going through many changes at
present, and I believe it is important for faculty to recognize and realize their
potential to help sculpt those changes.
Sincerely,
Amentahru Wahlrab
UT Tyler Faculty Senate President, 2023-2024