Emmanuel Jadhav
Emmanuel Jadhav, president of Ferris State University’s Academic Senate, was among the participants in the annual National Council of Faculty Senates meeting this summer at the State University of New York Global Center.
The topic this summer was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Impacts in Higher Education Across the Nation, led by Benson Cooke, University of the District of Columbia. The event also included a DEI panel discussion and more as Jadhav noted that 20-plus states have initiated some form of DEI legislation – with some still pending approval. He said the NCFS committed to closely monitoring these activities and their impact on academic programming.
“The meeting is about promoting Shared Governance and Academic Freedom in higher education,” said Jadhav, who is an associate professor of Public Health in Ferris State’s College of Health Professions. “The discussions at the meeting highlights opportunities for the Ferris State University Academic Senate to belong in the process of shared governance, maintain academic freedom and inform policies at our own university, those in the state of Michigan and around the nation.”
The group took a forward-thinking approach with its diversity, equity and inclusion emphasis for the Summer 2023 gathering.
“In the context of recent state-level legislative actions that have directly impacted some of the university initiatives,” Jadhav said. “It is imperative that Academic Senates participate in shared governance to uphold the vision, mission and values of the universities and higher education in general.”
The shared governance theme has been and continues to be a critical component of these meetings and his peers from across the country. As president of Ferris State’s Academic Senate, Jadhav said he is focused on instilling a spirit of “belonging” in the body’s work to ensure high-quality education for students. With student success at the forefront of the Academic Senate’s work, Jadhav remains optimistic about what can be accomplished at Ferris State.
“Fortunately, the Ferris State Academic Senate is grounded in a well outlined Senate Charter that specifies the functions,” he said. “I would summarize these functions as an intentional effort to mutually engage faculty and administrators in decision-making as it relates to academic programming. We all want to do our part to ensure the success of our students.”
Jadhav serves as president of Ferris’ Academic Senate. Michele Harvey, Melinda Isler, serves as secretary.
The Senate Executive Committee is comprised of Jadhav, Harvey and Isler, joined by Emily Beard, Michael Berghoef, David Takitaki and Kasey Thompson.
The Academic Senate meets monthly during the 2023-24 school year. The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Meetings are held in-person but can also be accessed virtually. Click Academic Senate for more information.