A Brief History of the Wentworth Faculty Senate
Fall 1991
Full Professors convene to discuss academic governance.
Spring 1992
Full Professors, chaired by Frank Nestor, discuss the ground rules for governance.
Tuesday, September 8, 1992, 3:00 pm in the Trustee's Room: first meeting of the Faculty Senate.
Fall 1992
Senate responds to the President's Mission Statement and Long-Range Plan; academic reorganization proposed with 8 departments and no colleges, and Senate responds. (The 3 colleges eventually are dissolved.)
Chairperson William Westland
Vice-Chairperson Ray Tavares
Secretary/Treasurer Charlene Solomon
Spring 1993
Academic Reorganization (7 departments, no colleges) implemented; Core Curriculum Committee formed under the leadership of Ray Tavares; Senate studies President's proposal on Summer sessions.
Summer 1993
two 7-week Day Summer Sessions implemented.
Fall 1993
Core Curriculum passed by Senate and then by full faculty; Senate evaluates pilot Summer session; first Faculty Senate Reception (December)
Spring 1994
Senate responds to Academic Reorganization by reorganizing Senate; 12-week Summer Session proposed.
President William Westland
Vice-President Charles Cimino
Secretary/Treasurer Robert Ashburn
Executive Committee Steve Diamond, Suzanne Kennedy, and Frank Walsh
NEASC accepts WIT's institutional report and recommends:
- increased participation of the faculty in institutional government.
- involvement of all relevant constituencies in comprehensive, long-range institutional planning.
- institution-wide assessment of the curriculum, with particular reference to the role of the humanities and social sciences in all institutional programs.
Summer 1994
12-week Day Summer Session implemented.
Fall 1994
Committee system revised under the auspices of Prof. Cimino; results of the First Senate Morale Survey distributed.
Spring 1995
First campus-wide Academic Planning Day held. Second Senate Morale Survey distributed; Senate decides to focus on three issues as a result of the two morale surveys: (1) department head accountability; (2) an 80%/20% ratio of full- to part-time faculty within each department; and (3) a revised perspective on faculty rank.
Late Spring '95
Senate charged to take on travel; Senate respectfully declines.
Fall 1995
Senate recommends procedure for evaluating Department Heads; revised form for evaluating departments passed by Senate in late Fall as a two-year pilot project.
Late Fall '96
Colleges of the Fenway proposal heard by Senate.
Spring 1996
Rank and Promotion Committee Report accepted; Travel Committee draft report heard by Senate; pilot project for department review collected by Senate; impact of Colleges of the Fenway discussed. Schedule Committee coordinates semesters with Fenway colleges.
Fall 1996
A revised Rank and Promotion Report passed; Travel Report passed. NEASC returns a glowing report on WIT, citing improved faculty governance. Senate recommends that merit raises be re-considered before implementation.
President William Westland
Vice-President Charles Cimino
Secretary Robert Ashburn
Executive Council Rachel Pike, Jonathan Ripley, and Ray Tavares
Spring 1997
Senate hears Provost's response to Rank and Promotion Report; Senate discusses impact of merit raises, passing a motion urging the President to reconsider.
Fall 1997
President Charles Cimino
Vice-President Jonathan Ripley
Secretary Robert Ashburn
Executive Council Francis Hopcroft, ? and ?
Senate develops Travel Policies and Procedures; oversees faculty travel.
Spring 1997
Senate reorganizes to match current departmental structure; develops Rules and Regulations to govern Senate structure and operations.
Fall 1998
Chair Jonathan Ripley
Vice-Chair Robert Ashburn
Secretary/Treasurer Francis Hopcroft
Executive Committee Charles Cimino, Suzanne Kennedy, and Thomas Lesko
Senate focuses on classroom support (boards, media and AV support); establishes regular meetings between the Executive Council and the Provost.
Spring 1999
Senate reviews faculty travel with Assistant Provost; surveys faculty on classroom support; votes to adopt Senate Rules and Regulations; meets with Provost to iron out Rules and Regulations; Senate states concern about lack of key prerequisite courses; Senate expresses strong concern about 80 series of courses.
Fall 1999
Senate focuses on inadequacies of computer support system on campus, especially the lack of response from the Help Desk; Senate requests change in Summer class times - new class times adopted; Senate Rules and Regulations finalized and ready to be signed by Wentworth's President and the Senate Chair.
Spring 2000
Senate runs a campus-wide forum on Academic Governance with Dr. Judith McLaughlin of Harvard University's Graduate School of Education; Senate discusses with Provost a situation that develops in the Applied Sciences Department; Senate continues to grapple with OIT situation; Senate Travel Committee, in conjunction with Assistant Provost Boas, distributes all of the travel budget for the 1999-2000 academic year (32 faculty members travel); President Van Domelen signs the Rules and Regulations.
Fall 2000
Chair Jonathan Ripley
Vice-Chair Scott Grenquist
Secretary/Treasurer Francis Hopcroft
Executive Committee Suzanne Kennedy, Anita Penta and Udo Hoppenz
Senate urges President to resolve issues related to computer and AV support in the classroom, particularly non-performance issues regarding Collegis, and recommends the hiring of an independent Director of Academic Computing. Paul Young is hired to direct OIT. Senate addresses the Club Advisor situation; Senate looks at the emerging bi-modal classroom; Senate studies the issue of academic freedom.
Spring 2001
Faculty Senate Chair attends meeting of the Board of Trustees' Academic Affairs Committee and provides report on academic governance; Senate establishes Committee to review student behavior issues; Senate works with the Development Office on the Grant Approval Process; Senate supports Engineering Task Force recommendation of a Dean of Engineering; Senate supports Assessment Task Force recommendation for a Director of Assessment.
Fall 2001
Senate responds to tragedy of 9/11 with a resolution to all members of the community and a forum on Teaching in a Time of Crisis; Senate addresses the classroom situation; Senate urges the college to address emergency planning issues; Senate reviews funding of the academic wing of the college and faculty perception that academics are under-funded.
Spring 2002
Senate supports recommendation of Grading Committee to incorporate minus grades; NEASC report notes inroads the college has made in faculty governance; Senate establishes Group to look at Teaching to begin in Fall 2002; Senate passes motion to invite Board of Trustees Academic Affairs Committee to a Spring Senate meeting.
Fall 2002
Chair Michael Greene
Vice-Chair Scott Grenquist
Secretary/Treasurer Chris Gleason
Executive Committee Mike Carter, Mildred Greenler, Tom Lesko, and Jonathan Ripley (ex officio)
Senate hosts a forum on Lconnect on the first day of the semester; Senate invites Kevin Moore to discuss safety issues in labs; Senate addresses governance issues in faculty hiring and decision-making..
Winter 2003 Senate meets with President van Domelen on January 28, 2003 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM in the Alumni Room of the Tansey Gymnasium.
Fall 2003
Senate recommends re-vitalization of the Institute Curriculum Committee
Senate invites Dr. Anita Gandolfo, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, United States Military Academy, West Point to speak about
- faculty ownership of curriculum as a means toward achieving teaching excellence, and
- Student Input Forms.
Spring 2004
Senate meets with President Van Domelen on Wednesday, April 21 at noon in the Alumni Room of the Tansey Gymnasium.
Senate participates in planning of Wentworth Centennial Celebration
Faculty Senate invites Dr. Cliff Fitzgerald, Senior Manager of Worldwide Educational Services at COGNEX, to speak about Contemporary Distance Education Learning Strategies for the 21 st Century. The time and date is March 3, 2004 at Noon.
August 30, 2004:
Election of new officers of the Faculty Senate:
- Chair: Peter Rourke
- Vice Chair: Chris Gleason
- Secretary/Treasurer: Mildred Greenler
Executive Committee:
- Tom Lesko
- Mike Carter
- Jon Ripley
Fall 2005
Secretary Mildred Greenler retires from Wentworth Institute of Technology; Ted Greene elected Secretary/Treasurer.
Senate meets with President Zorica Pantic-Tanner on Tuesday, November 8 from 4:00 - 5:30 PM in the Faculty-Staff Lounge of Beatty Hall.
May 2006 (effective Fall 2006):
Election of new officers of the Faculty Senate:
- Chair: Tom Lesko
- Vice Chair: Chris Gleason
- Secretary/Treasurer: Michael Greene
Executive Committee:
- Mike Carter
- Anne Pitt
- Amanda Hattaway
- Peter Rourke
May 2008:
Election of new officers of the Faculty Senate:
Chair: Tom Lesko
Vice Chair: Chris Gleason
Secretary/Treasurer: Ted Greene
