Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the 2024-2025 academic year! I respect and appreciate our collaborative efforts to promote shared governance and faculty rights at CSUSB. As Senate Chair, I am committed to continuing this important work.
Shared governance must include meaningful democratic control of decision-making that shapes the academic mission of CSUSB. In addition, faculty must develop a strong, collective voice to advocate for faculty rights on our campus. As Senate Chair, my priorities are to ensure consistent and fair application of the democratic norms and procedures of the Senate, and to foster collaboration, trust, and respect in and through our work.
Some initiatives to advance these priorities include:
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Facilitation: The role of the Senate Chair is to serve as an impartial facilitator during Senate meetings. I will ensure consistent, fair, and transparent application of the democratic norms and procedures that govern our work.
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Training and Preparation: Senators must be knowledgeable of rules and procedures to be effective advocates for the interests of faculty constituents. I will implement training for senators on parliamentary procedure and shared values of the Senate.
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Diverse Leadership: The Senate must continue to develop new leadership to sustain positive change. I will implement a collaborative model of leadership that opens pathways for faculty with diverse views and experiences to enhance their leadership skills and serve as effective leaders in the Senate.
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Navigating Relationships: It is essential to maintain a constructive relationship between the Senate and the administration to ensure meaningful democratic control of decision-making. I will effectively navigate the relationship between the Senate and administration to ensure support for the work of the Senate.
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Feedback and Communication: Discussion and decision-making in the Senate must be informed by input from faculty constituents. I will develop a process for the Executive Committee to share monthly updates with the campus on the work of the Senate and encourage engagement among faculty campus-wide.
I am committed to ensuring that all senators’ voices receive a fair hearing in the Senate. I believe that while we may differ in our approaches, all senators are united in seeking to develop policies and initiatives that protect faculty rights and address the needs of our campus. It is possible to embrace our differences and continue to move our work forward in an environment of collaboration and mutual respect. By leveraging the diverse views within our faculty as a strength and finding compromise where needed, we can strengthen our efforts to promote shared governance and advance faculty rights at CSUSB.
Sincerely,
Jordan Fullam, Ph.D.
Faculty Senate Chair