The Faculty Senate observed a moment of silence before it got down to business during its meeting Tuesday night.

The senate stood for a moment of silence for an Iowa State scholar from India, Vinaykumar R. Deshpanbe, who committed suicide in his room in Buchanan Hall on March 25.

Faculty Senate President Ron Peters said the university paid for the burial expenses. A manila envelope was passed around the room for donations to the Indian Student Organization, which is helping Deshpanbe’s wife and son through the difficult time. After the moment of silence, Sen. Hamilton Cravens gave a report on faculty development and administrative relations, which included the parking issue. About 3,000 signatures have been collected for a petition that expresses the faculty and staff’s concerns over the parking issue. “What it’s really about is the relationship between the employees of the institution and the employers of the institution,” Cravens said. “I hope faculty will start speaking out.”

In other business: Peters said he will not be running for senate president again, and he reported on the senate elections. Departments within the university have already voted for their senators, but the area representatives for each college will be elected by mail ballot during the next week. New senators will be seated at the next Faculty Senate meeting on April 30. During the April 30 meeting, the senators will nominate candidates for president of the senate. Senators Joanna Courteau of the foreign language department and Bill Woodman of the sociology department have indicated interest in the office, Peters said. Senators will elect a president at the May 7 meeting.