Report of the Research Officers Committee for Increased
Representation on Senate Committees
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This year the Research Officers Committee resumes its quest for
representation on six Senate standing committees where Research Officers
currently have no seats. Specifically, we are asking for the addition
of one Research Officer seat on each of the following Standing Committees:
Executive Committee, Committee on Senate Structure and Operations, Committee on
Education, Committee on Budget Review, Committee on Rules of University
Conduct, and Committee on Alumni Relations.
Adding Research Officers to these committees will benefit the Senate by
allowing us to bring our complementary knowledge and experience to the deliberations
of these key committees. Research
Officers represent a constituency of 1800 members (82% with Ph.D.s); and we can
be found on all campuses and in almost every department or research center of
the University.
INTRODUCTION
The
University Senate established an Ad Hoc Committee on Research Staff Affairs in
January 2001 to (1) investigate the status of Research Officers at
After an
in-depth study into the number and role of Research Officers at
To rectify
this, the Committee submitted a detailed proposal to the Structure and
Operations Committee requesting changes in the Senate By-Laws and University
Statutes that would enlarge the role of Research Officers in three ways:
1. Increasing the delegation of Senators
representing Research Officers from 2 to 6;
2. Creating a nine-member standing Research
Officers Committee; and
3. Adding seats for Research Officers on Senate
Standing Committees.
A resolution
addressing Points 1 and 2 was drafted by Structure and Operations, passed by
the University Senate on
We now seek
to address Proposal 3 above. Currently,
Research Officers have formal representation on the following Standing
Committees: Physical Development, External Relations and Research Policy,
Honors and Prizes, Libraries and Academic Computing Facilities, and Housing
Policy. Additionally, we have a seat on
the Commission on the Status of Women, a long standing special committee
appointed by the Executive committee; a seat on the Elections Commission is
shared among the Professional Library Staff, Research Officers, and the
Administrative Staff; and we have a seat on Online Learning and Digital New
Media, another special committee.
We continue
to strive for representation in Senate deliberations through the formal
addition of one Research Officer to each of six Standing Committees on which we
currently have no seats. These
committees are Executive Committee, Committee on Senate Structure and
Operations, Committee on Education, and Committee on Budget Review, Committee
on Rules of University Conduct, and Committee on Alumni Affairs. These seats will benefit the Senate by
allowing us to bring our complementary knowledge and experience to the
deliberations of these key committees.
Additionally, as Senators we can vote on resolutions which these
Standing Committees draft and bring to the floor of the Senate. It seems appropriate that we should also be
able to play a role in the drafting of these resolutions by sitting on these
additional Standing Committees. With a
total of six Research Officer Senators and three non-Senators on the Research
Officers Committee, we now have sufficient personnel to fill these new seats
which we are requesting.
PROFILE OF
RESEARCH OFFICERS
Research Officers at
63% of all Research Officers are located on the Health Sciences
campus. 34% are located primarily on the
Morningside, Lamont-Doherty, and
556 of us hold the rank of Senior Research Scientist/Scholar, Research
Scientist/Scholar, or Associate Research Scientist/Scholar. According to the Faculty Handbook, in terms
of qualifications and contributions to one’s field, these ranks are equivalent
to the rank of Full Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor,
respectively. There are a total of
approximately 3200 faculty members of all ranks at
In short, Research Officers can be found on every campus and
in almost every department or center at
COMMITTEE
JUSTIFICATIONS
Executive
Committee
“The
Executive Committee shall consist of 13 members apportioned as
follows: 6 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 2 administrators, and 3
students. All shall be members of the Senate. The two administration
representatives shall be the President and another officer of administration of
his choice. Elected members of the Executive Committee shall be chosen as
follows: each category in the Senate entitled to members on the Executive
Committee as here provided shall nominate the requisite number and the
membership of the Senate as a whole shall vote on each of the nominees; a
nominee who receives a majority of the total number of affirmative votes cast
shall become a member of the Executive Committee; if a nominee fails to achieve
a majority, the category that nominated him shall nominate another person in
his stead. Following the election of the Executive Committee, the Chairman of
the Committee shall be nominated and elected from among the tenured faculty members
by the Senate as a whole.
“The
Executive Committee shall be the Senate’s agenda committee and its committee on
committees. It may authorize standing committees without regular and recurring
duties, if they request to be put on a stand-by basis, to meet once a semester
and otherwise be on the call of the Senate or the Executive Committee or of a
majority of the Committee concerned as the need for the activity of such
committees may arise. The Executive Committee shall have the power to call the
Senate into extraordinary session, and shall have such powers, functions and
duties as the Senate may delegate to it during periods when the Senate is not
in session. The Executive Committee shall serve as a continuing liaison between
the University Senate and the central administration. The Executive Committee
may create subcommittees and may delegate any of its powers, functions, and
duties. The Executive Committee shall participate pursuant to the Statutes of
the University and the By-Laws of the Trustees, in the selection of University
Professors, the President of the University, the Provost or Provosts, and six
Trustees. In performing these functions, the Executive Committee or the
appropriate subcommittee thereof shall act in executive session and in a confidential
manner and shall not be required to report its deliberations or actions to the
Senate as a whole.” (from The
By-Laws, Statutes, and Rules of the
The mandate of the Executive Committee is vast and covers
the entire workings of the University Senate.
Research Officers, because we span the entire University, provide a
broad and complementary view into the workings and needs of the
University. Additionally, our community
is directly impacted by the activities of the Senate and its various committees. For these reasons, we believe that our
constituents should be represented in the process of setting the Senate's
agenda and its committee activity. The
mandate of the Executive committee also states that the committee will “serve
as a continuing liaison between the University Senate and the central
administration.” Because Research
Officers comprise a unique component of the university community that is
impacted by the actions of the central administration, we feel that the needs
of our constituents should be represented on this committee and that our
perspective on administrative issues will be a useful addition to the
committee.
Committee on
Education
“The Committee on
Education shall consist of 19 members apportioned as follows: 8 tenured
faculty, 3 non-tenured faculty, 4 students, 2 administrators, 1 alumnus and 1
library staff. The Committee on Education shall review, and may from time to
time recommend, plans and policies relating to the educational system of the
University. The Committee shall receive
ideas, recommendations, and plans for educational innovations from members of
the faculty and others. The Committee shall inform itself of conditions in the
several schools, faculties and departments, and propose measures needed to make
the most effective use of the resources of the University for educational
purposes.” (from The By-Laws, Statutes, and Rules of the
Research Officers are the only Senate constituency which
does not currently have a seat on the Committee of Education (excepting
Administration Staff). However, Research
Officers play an important role at
Additionally,
the Committee on Education is charged with creating all new programs,
departments, and research institutes at
Committee on
Budget Review
“The
Committee on Budget Review shall consist of 11 members, all of
whom shall be members of the Senate. The membership of the Committee shall
consist of 5 tenured faculty representatives, 2 non-tenured faculty, 2 student
representatives, 1 alumnus and the Chairman of the Executive Committee or his
designee serving ex officio. The Budget Review Committee shall review the
annual budget of the University after its adoption to assure its general
conformity with short-range and long-range priorities of the University and
expressions of policy by the Senate. The Chairman of the Budget Review
Committee or his designee may sit with the appropriate committee of the
administration when it formulates its budget policy guidelines for the coming
year and when categories of the budget are discussed or adopted. The Budget
Review Committee shall report its activities to the Senate and shall bring to
its attention any instance of non-compliance of the budget with the existing priorities
or policies and any other allocations which, in the Committee’s opinion, are
not in the best interests of the University.” (from The By-Laws, Statutes, and Rules of the
Research
Officer’s involvement in
Deliberations by the Committee on Budget Review can have a
significant impact on budgetary spending and outcomes that are relevant to all
University employees.
Research Officers contribute to proposal-writing and grant acquisitions
at
Furthermore, our knowledge and experience cut across the
University. Research Officers can
provide an important perspective which is complementary to the current members
of the Committee. For instance, in the
2002-2003 annual report of the Committee on Budget Review (no 2003-2004 report
is available online), it was noted that: "Because of the size and
complexity of the Health Sciences budget, the committee decided to keep
studying it next year." The
Committee further noted that “the University's financial health and management
are sound, but we note two areas of concern, namely the overall debt burden and
the Health Sciences budget deficit.” 63%
of Research Officers are employed at
Considering the high proportion of Research Officers at
Committee on
Senate Structure and Operations
“The
Committee on Senate Structure and Operations shall consist of 12 members
apportioned as follows: 6 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 2 students, 2
administrators, and 1 administrative staff. The Committee shall observe and
review the operations and effectiveness of the University Senate and make
recommendations for the improvement of the structure and operations of the
Senate, through statutory amendment and otherwise. The Committee shall be the
University Senate’s committee on the Senate’s rules and procedures.” (from The By-Laws, Statutes, and Rules of the
Our
investigations over the last several years have given us a deeper understanding
of the structure and operations of the Senate.
We would like to use our experience to contribute to the continued
improvement of the Senate and therefore seek a seat on Structure and Operations.
The mandate of this committee includes the charge to “observe
and review the operations and effectiveness of the University Senate and make
recommendations for the improvement of the structure and operations of the
Senate”. Research Officers are a
significant component of the university community. Because the actions of the Senate directly
impact our constituents, we feel that Research Officers should be represented
on the committee that guides Senate activities.
Given our unique perspective within the university community, we also
feel that we will contribute to the review of Senate operations and
effectiveness.
Committee on
Alumni Relations
“The
Committee on Alumni Relations shall consist of six members apportioned as
follows: 1 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 1 student, 1 administrator,
and 2 alumni. The Committee shall encourage more effective communication with
alumni. The Committee shall stimulate alumni loyalty and support for the
University and shall serve as liaison between the University Senate and various
alumni groups. The Committee shall work with the administration in the
furtherance of these purposes.” (from The By-Laws, Statutes, and Rules of the
Research Officers
play an important educational role at
Committee on Rules
of University Conduct
“The
Committee on Rules of University Conduct shall consist of 15 members
apportioned as follows: 4 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 5 students, 2
administrators, 1 library staff, and 1 administrative staff. One of its members
shall also be a member of the Committee on Faculty Affairs, Academic Freedom
and Tenure, and one shall also be a member of the Student Affairs Committee. It
shall have jurisdiction to review and recommend revision of rules of University
conduct, as well as the means of enforcing those rules. In matters pertaining
to rules of conduct and tribunals for faculty, the Rules Committee shall
consult with the Faculty Affairs Committee, and in matters pertaining to such
rules and tribunals for students, it shall consult with the Student Affairs
Committee. The Committee shall, to the extent appropriate, incorporate its
proposals in the form of amendments to the University Statutes and shall submit
the same to the University Senate as a whole, to become effective upon adoption
by the Senate with the concurrence of the Trustees.” (from The By-Laws, Statutes, and Rules of the
Research Officers are the only Senate constituency which does not currently have a seat on this Committee. Yet our constituency is also affected by the Rules of University Conduct. It is only appropriate that a Research Officer seat should be added to this Committee. Our members span the entire University. Our experience is complementary to that of the other constituencies. And our perspective on the workings of the University will provide an important additional insight into all reviews and proposed revisions to the rules of University conduct.
PROPOSED
CHANGES TO THE SENATE BY-LAWS
In order to
address our desire for a larger, more representative voice in the Senate
deliberations, we have developed a set of proposed changes to the By-Laws,
Statutes, and Rules of the Columbia University Senate (following the June 2,
2001 Version). Our draft changes are
given below:
The first sentence of paragraph (h) (1) of
Section 3
(Executive Committee):
The
Executive Committee shall consist of 14 members apportioned as follows: 6
tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 1 research officer, 2 administrators,
and 3 students.
The first sentence of paragraph (h) (2) of
Section 3
(Committee on Education):
The
Committee on Education shall consist of 20 members apportioned as follows: 8
tenured faculty, 3 non-tenured, 1 research officer, 4 students, 2
administrators, 1 alumnus, and 1 library staff.
The first two sentences of paragraph (h)
(3) of Section 3 (Committee on Budget
Review):
The
Committee on Budget Review shall consist of 12 members, all of whom shall be
members of the Senate. The membership of
the Committee shall consist of 5 tenured faculty representatives, 2 non-tenured
faculty, 1 research officer, 2 student representatives, 1 alumnus, and the
Chairman of the Executive Committee or his designee serving ex officio.
The first sentence of paragraph (h) (8) of
Section 3
(Committee on Rules of University Conduct):
The
Committee on Rules of University Conduct shall consist of 16 members
apportioned as follows: 4 tenured faculty, 2 non-tenured faculty, 1 research
officer, 5 students, 2 administrators, 1 library staff, and 1 administrative
staff.
The penultimate sentence of paragraph (h)
(8) of Section 3
(Committee on Rules of University Conduct):
In matters
pertaining to rules of conduct and tribunals for Faculty, the Rules Committee
shall consult with the Faculty Affairs Committee; in matters pertaining to
rules of conduct and tribunals for Research Officers, the Rules Committee shall
consult with the Research Officers Committee; and in matters pertaining to such
rules and tribunals for Students, the Rules Committee shall consult with the
Student Affairs Committee.
The first sentence of paragraphs (h) (9) of
Section 3
(Committee on Alumni Relations):
The
Committee on Alumni Relations shall consist of 7 members apportioned as
follows: 1 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 1 research officer, 1
student, 1 administrator, and 2 alumni.
The first sentence of paragraphs (h) (12)
of Section 3
(Committee on Senate Structure and
Operations):
The
Committee on Senate Structure and Operations shall consist of 13 members apportioned
as follows: 6 tenured faculty, 1 non-tenured faculty, 1 research officer, 2
students, 2 administrators, and 1 administrative staff.
Respectfully yours,
Sen. Mercy Davidson, Senior Research Scientist, Neurology (mmd2@columbia.edu)
Sen. Lori Hoepner, Senior Staff Associate,
Dr. Wahida Karmally, Associate Research Scientist,
Ms. Irene Klotz, Staff Associate, Biostatistics
(rene@shallot.cpmc.columbia.edu)
Dr. Stephanie G. Newman, Saltzman IWPS
Sen. Daniel Wolf
Savin, Research Scientist, Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Chair (dws26@columbia.edu)
Sen. Christopher Small, Doherty Research Scientist,
Lamont-Doherty (cs184@columbia.edu)
Sen. Cathy Taylor, Postdoctoral Research Scholar,
Sen. Maya Tolstoy, Doherty Research Scientist, Lamont-Doherty