As faculty at some public universities find themselves under increasing scrutiny, Penn State’s president said during the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday that Penn State has no such plans.
The board of trustees at Auburn University in Alabama recently decided to dissolve that school’s faculty senate and give the board academic oversight, including of courses.
In response to a question, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said she was aware of what’s taking place at Auburn.
“Obviously I’m not in a position to comment about what happens at any another university. But here at Penn State University, I do know that my entire administration and me and the board of trustees truly value the partnerships we have had and continue to have with the Faculty Senate, and we are committed to maintaining that shared governance for the university," she said.
Legislation passed in Alabama will require public universities to dissolve faculty senates and replace them with “advisory councils” by Oct. 1. Auburn is a land-grant university and exempt from the new law. But, the school's new policies are in keeping with it.
The University of Alabama chapter of the American Association of University Professors issued a statement earlier this year, criticizing the legislation, which it noted is not mandated for that university: "However, an attack on the core values of any Alabama institution of higher education is an attack on the integrity of all — particularly when legislators imply that the funding of constitutionally created universities may also be at risk if they do not comply."
