May 20, 2014
Thank you from Past Faculty Senate President Julia Keen
Faculty and Professional Staff:
Thank you for your support during my 2013-2014 term as Faculty Senate President. This year presented its share of challenges, for which I asked for faculty, staff, and student action and involvement. The most recent of these was the Kansas Board of Regents Social Media Policy.
I would like to provide a short update on this topic. The Regents passed the revised social media policy language, which unfortunately still contains punitive language. They did this at their meeting on Wednesday, disregarding the request of the Council of Faculty Senate Presidents during their report. I very much appreciate the attendance of many faculty, staff and students at this Board of Regents meeting. I believe we have made a difference — even if that is not apparent from the immediate results. Our university's Faculty Senate will be working on handbook policies over the next year, in response to the requirement that each Regents' institution must develop policies to address perceived abuses of social media. We will be seeking your input as those policies are developed.
I think it is important to consider the positive results that have occurred in response to some of this year's challenges:
1) We have been presented with the opportunity to meet and interact with individuals on our campuses we likely would not have otherwise.
2) Working in collaboration with faculty from other regents schools has made us a stronger system of higher education.
3) Faculty, staff, students and the administration were brought together with a common concern, and approached it with a united response.
4) People inside and outside the university have been educated about the importance of academic freedom. We plan to continue this education with new language that is being prepared for incorporation in syllabi for the fall semester.
It was an honor to represent the faculty and professional staff of K-State during the past year. The accomplishments of this year would not have been possible without the help and support of the Faculty Senate Leadership Council, Senators, and all those we have been elected to serve. As of last week, I am now a past president and Dave Rintoul has stepped into the role of Faculty Senate president. I have every confidence he will do an excellent job and I look forward to the success of K-State under his leadership.
Sincerely,
Julia Keen
Past Faculty Senate President