The election results were announced at the faculty meeting April 4.
Professor of Mathematics Greg Call will work closely with the Committee of Six next year in his role as Dean of the Faculty. "I'm very much looking forward to working with Professors Brandes, Cheney, Clark, Saxton, Townsend and Umphrey next year. I know them well as colleagues committed to our community, and I'm sure their insights will help us work through the challenges ahead," said Call.
As the executive committee of the faculty, "[The Committee of Six] acts in a general advisory capacity to the President, and to the Faculty as a whole, on all matters of College policy," according to the faculty handbook.
"[The Committee of Six] is elected to represent the interests of the whole faculty on collegewide issues," said Saxton. "In this capacity, it evaluates tenure, reappointment questions and other personnel matters."
According to the faculty handbook, the Committee, which normally meets every week during the academic year, is also charged with "responsibility for the review of recommendations made by departments or programs for degrees."
Committee members expect that the arrival of new President Tony Marx on campus will have an impact on the Committee's business.
"The Committee is obviously entering a new era with a new president and that means it will have a different kind of work cut out for it," Townsend said.
Professor of Fine Arts and American Studies Carol Clark, a current member of the committee who will continue for another term, echoed Townsend's sentiments.
Our new president has signaled that he wants to consider the curriculum and the committee will discuss the report and recommendation of the Special Committee on an Amherst Education, which we understand will be completed by the end of this semester," said Clark.
Umphrey expressed a similar sentiment. "Given the appointment of a new president and dean of the faculty, I expect to join a Committee that may have a real impact on the direction the College takes in the next few years," said Umphrey.
"Though I don't know in particular what our agenda will be, I imagine we will take up issues emerging out of the report expected from the Special Committee on Amherst Education, those attending the ongoing construction and reorganization of the campus' physical environment and perhaps those concerning faculty and staff benefits," said Umphrey.
"There are several issues that we believe should come up next year and we are preparing a list for the new committee and new administration," said Clark.
The faculty votes each spring to fill vacancies on the Committee.
"The dean circulates a list of names of eligible faculty members, and the faculty then vote for as many as there are vacant positions," said Saxton. "Through repeated ballots of fewer and fewer candidates, the final number of committee members needed emerges."
The new members have expressed excitement at being elected.
"I am most pleased and flattered to have been elected," said Saxton. "And I look forward to learning a great deal."
Townsend agreed. "A lot of people stop you and offer sympathy or extend their condolences, but I rather look forward to it," he said.
Cheney, Saxton, Townsend and Umphrey will join Clark and Professor of German Ute Brandes on the committee, making this group the first Committee of Six in the College's history of which a majority of its members are women, according to Umphrey.
Leaving the Committee at the end of this term are Professor of Physics Kannan Jagannathan, Professor of Economics Walter Nicholson, Professor of Russian Stanley Rabinowitz and Professor of History John Servos.
"Terms start July 1, but Committee of Six business doesn't usually begin until September," said Clark.
Clark also noted that the committee will be working with an entirely different administration than the current one.
The committee will work with a new president, Marx, a new dean of the faculty, Call and a new associate dean of the faculty, Professor of Classics and Women's and Gender Studies Rick Griffiths.