Closer relations with the administration and better senate leadership are priorities for new faculty senate officers.

Max Wortman, distinguished professor of management, was elected as president in January 2001, and will take office during the May 11 Faculty Senate meeting when current president Christie Pope steps down.

Wortman has served as president-elect during the 2001-2002 school year.

Jack Girton, associate professor zoology and genetics, was elected president-elect and Bill Summers, associate professor of horticulture, was elected as senate secretary.

Wortman said he feels the senate and the administration will be able to work together.

“The Faculty Senate will be able to work with the new president, interim provost and with the central administration,” Wortman said. “[President Gregory] Geoffroy is developing some really nice teams.”

Girton said he feels the senate and the administration should work together and that it is time to turn things around.

“Because we are facing difficult times, one of the things I would hope to do is to forge good relations with the administration,” Girton said.

Wortman said his vision of the Faculty Senate in the next year is to develop leadership.

“I feel we need to have leadership that is essentially trained,” Wortman said.

The senate passed an amendment to its bylaws at the March 26 meeting.

The new bylaw states that to be able to run for an office, a senator must have served two years on a council. Wortman thinks this will help the continuity of the senate.

“I’d like to see a couple of people run for each office. That is the development of the senate,” Wortman said.

“The Faculty Senate president over the years should be better because we intend to train them better. The Faculty Senate should be consistently getting better,” he said.

Girton said he would also like to see a strong Faculty Senate that will represent the faculty well and put forth its views.

A number of senators were also elected to serve as council chairs:

Tony Hendrickson, associate professor and chairman of logistics, operations and management information systems, will chair the academic affairs council.

Denise Vrchota, adjunct assistant professor of journalism and mass communication, will chair the governance council.

Connie Post, associate professor of English, will chair the faculty development and administrative relations council.

Clark Ford, associate professor of food science and human nutrition, will chair the judiciary and appeals council.

William Woodman, professor of sociology, will chair the university resource policy and allocations council.