Mines Faculty Senate

Colorado School of Mines will change; it is inevitable. The uncertainties of State support demands that we take action to guarantee a stable economic future.

Though change is certain, what it will entail is not. Some see CSM developing into a research powerhouse with a graduate enrolment of 2000 or more, and sponsored research exceeding $100 million a year. Others see a residential campus with a larger undergraduate population majoring in fields, which, if we are to assure these students access to a quality education, will require the expertise of new faculty.

Clearly, the Mines’ faculty has a profound and inherent interest in cultivating our intellectual, research, and academic climate. The development of a few new multi-million dollar mega-centers does not promise individual researchers an easier time increasing funding or identifying quality graduate students. Large institutional research budgets alone do not promise an environment where new ideas can thrive. A residential campus does not promise a continuation of the ability to forge the personal relationships with students, especially undergraduate students, that many find so rewarding. In the face of the coming change, and in the context of stringent budget circumstances, it is the faculty’s responsibility to advocate for an environment that allows each of its members to achieve his or her professional goals.

The 2009/10 Faculty Senate is dedicated to working with both our new Provost and the new Vice President for Student Life to bring about the change that will make us financially secure while providing a rewarding and stimulating professional environment. To this end, we need your help. We need your ideas and creative energy, if the institution is to be successful. We ask that you participate in Faculty Forums, come to Senate meetings and voice your opinions, and to email us with your ideas and concerns. With your help, Mines can flourish financially as well as intellectually. Without it, the future may be far less attractive.

Mark Eberhart
President, Faculty Senate
 

The Faculty Senate promotes cooperation and understanding among the various constituencies that comprise the School by:

• providing a forum for the Academic Faculty to express its concerns to the Administration and the Board of Trustees;
• encouraging the involvement of the Academic Faculty in the overall operation of the School;
• and fostering and maintaining a stimulating atmosphere for teaching, scholarship and service.

Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month in Hill Hall Room 300 from 2:00 to 4:00.