A&M Faculty Senate Executive Committe meets with interim president to discuss road ahead
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -The Texas A&M University System is taking active steps to overcome recent challenges that have come to light in the past weeks.
The Faculty Senate Executive Committee asked for a meeting with Interim President Mark Welsh III to discuss academic freedom, freedom of speech, and other issues at the university.
In a letter sent to the senate last month, Speaker of the Faculty Senate Tracy Hammond said there were concerns about how a professor’s suspension was handled. There were also concerns about errors made during the hiring process of a professor recruited to head the university’s new journalism program.
Acknowledging and apologizing for mistakes
Last week, the Texas A&M University System publicly acknowledged and apologized for errors made during the hiring process of a professor designated to lead the institution’s new journalism program. A joint statement by Kathleen McElroy and Texas A&M confirmed that a $1 million settlement had been reached, bringing resolution to the matter.
Focusing on academic freedom and freedom of speech
Interim President Welsh met with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for two hours on Monday to engage in discussions about academic freedom and freedom of speech at the institution. The meeting also focused on a recent investigation into alleged comments made by Professor Joy Alonzo, following her lecture on the opioid crisis. The investigation centered around accusations that she criticized Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Shared interests and constructive conversations
While the details of the meeting were not disclosed, reports indicate that both sides, the Faculty Senate and the Office of the Interim President, described the session as impactful and engaging. Statements from involved parties revealed that a shared commitment to advancing the university’s mission emerged during the conversation, fostering optimism for future collaborations.
Commitment to transparency and communication
In his inaugural press conference as Interim President Welsh emphasized a commitment to enhancing the university’s communication. He outlined a two-fold approach, emphasizing the importance of listening to feedback and addressing communication shortfalls promptly. Welsh stressed the significance of transparency, acknowledging that addressing mistakes openly is vital to moving forward as an institution.
“Number one, communicate, listen, get feedback, and make sure I understand what people think the problems and issues are or were and where it’s working really well, ‘cause it is working really well in lots of areas. The second thing is to adjust the communications game plan to fix those communications shortfalls where we find them,” said Welsh.
“Whenever we screw up we need to say we did it. And here’s what we can do to do better. If you try to hide it, it becomes a bigger story than it was before. Right now there’s something that happened that wasn’t right. Let’s all figure out what it was, let’s move on,” Welsh added.
Looking ahead
The university’s path forward will be discussed in an open meeting set for next Monday, where President Welsh and the full Faculty Senate will convene.
