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Academic Senate President, other Shared Governance Leader Participate in National Shared Governance Meeting

NCFS photo

Shown here is an image taken at the National Council of Faculty Senates meeting on Thursday, Aug. 4, at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Attending the event, representing Ferris State University, was Professor of Humanities and Sports Communication Sandy Alspach, who is president of Ferris' Academic Senate.

HOUSTON – Sandy Alspach, president of the Ferris State University Academic Senate, participated in a National Council of Faculty Senates meeting on Thursday, Aug. 4, at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas.

The 2022 gathering was the first face-to-face meeting of the National Council of Faculty Senates in three years. Alspach, a professor of Humanities and Sports Communication in Ferris’ College of Arts, Sciences and Education, welcomed an opportunity to gather with peers from colleges and universities across the country. Chairs of faculty senates typically spend their time representing and involving faculty in shared governance. At the National Council of Faculty Senates meeting, Alspach joined 21 other governance leaders in Houston to discuss national shared governance issues.

“I was proud to represent Ferris State at this meeting, especially since I was a ‘charter member’ of this group,” Alspach said before noting Ferris’ approach to shared governance. “But it is very clear that our triumvirate of Academic Affairs, Academic Senate and faculty unions is unique in the group.”

As president, SUNY Oswego professor Gwen Kay chaired the meeting. University of the District of Columbia professor Arlene King-Berry was elected vice president. University of Houston professor Wynne Chin was elected to replace the long-serving treasurer, Martha Horst, of Illinois State University.

Alspach joined leaders from the faculty senate of Virginia, Illinois State University, Mary Washington University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Sam Houston State University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Stockton University, SUNY Faculty Senate, SUNY Oswego, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University at Kingsville, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of the District of Columbia, University of Houston, University of North Texas at Dallas, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and Virginia Tech.

Alspach serves as president of Ferris’ Academic Senate. Emmanuel Jadhav, of the College of Health Professions, is vice president, and Melinda Isler, the university archivist and special collections librarian, is the secretary. The Academic Senate Executive Board at-large members are Katie Axford, from the College of Pharmacy; Michael Berghoef, of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, David Takitaki, of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education; and Katie O’Connor, of the College of Engineering Technology.

The first scheduled Academic Senate meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. Click Academic Senate for more information.