Sinos began the discussion by explaining her reasons for proposing to remove Marx from the CAP. She stressed the importance of the separation of power between the faculty and the president, stating that the faculty directs academics at the College and can overrule the president on curricular issues, but that the president has a very different role.
Sinos addressed the fear the CAP expressed in a recent letter that the absence of the president on the CAP would compromise the committee's ability to make an effective case to the trustees. She said that the CAP's charge does not include presenting its findings to the trustees, and that the president could and should help implement the changes recommended by the CAP without compromising the committee by being its chair. "I want to be sure that academic priorities advise the fundraising campaign, not the other way around," said Sinos.
Sinos finished by saying that there is no precedent for a presidential seat on committees that oversee curriculum, and Marx's presence on the CAP would create a dangerous precedent.
Professor of Russian Stanley Rabinowitz said that he had opposed the presence of the president on a long-term planning committee he served on almost 30 years ago, but that his opinion had changed when he served on the Committee of Six, the committee that Rabinowitz most identifies with the CAP.
Professor of Political Science Uday Mehta opposed the motion. "If the relationship between the president and the faculty is purely adversarial,then the president becomes a spokesperson of the board [of trustees] on curricular matters," he said. "The changes Professor Sinos is recommending would result in a situation that is purely adversarial on curricular matters."
During discussion of the composition of the CAP, Professor of Fine Arts Joel Upton moved unsuccessfully to substitute Sinos' motion with one that would change the CAP's charge to assigning faculty committees the task of addressing curricular questions rather than addressing these issues itself.
Many of the faculty argued that the CAP will already consult the faculty heavily and that Upton's change was unnecessary. "This adds a superfluous step … an additional layer of bureaucracy," said Professor of English Barry O'Connell.
Marx temporarily stepped down as chair of the faculty, giving the gavel to Dean of the Faculty Greg Call. After resuming the chair, he commented on the outcome of the vote. "I have greatly respected and learned from the discussion [of the CAP] over the last eight or nine months," said Marx. "I would have respected that discussion regardless of the outcome of this vote."
The faculty also discussed a motion to add language to the faculty handbook to require all candidates for reappointment-tenure-track professors in their third year of teaching at the College-to submit a letter to their departments. The letter would address their experiences at the College thus far, including teaching experiences, present and future scholarship and engagement in College life. The faculty voted to refer the motion back to the Committee of Six.
Professor of Women's and Gender Studies Margaret Hunt explained the need for the motion. "The problem is poor communication at reappointment and during the fourth, fifth and sixth years," she said.
Hunt emphasized that the letters are not intended to be contracts that can hurt candidates during tenure decisions if the goals set out in the letter have not been met in full.
Many faculty still worried that the letters might have the opposite of the intended helpful effect. "I'm worried that this letter is still putting more of a burden on individual candidates because departments aren't doing the job we already ask them to do," said Professor of Political Science Thomas Dumm. Some professors also worried that the letter could be a much more difficult task than the Committee of Six had envisioned if faculty in highly technical fields were forced to explain their scholarship in language accessible to people outside of their departments.
Other members of the faculty countered that, as difficult as junior faculty might find it to explain their own scholarship, they would still be more effective than other members of their departments could do on th behalf of junior faculty members.
Professor of Theater and Dance Peter Lobdell, chair of the Committee on Educational Policy, moved to approve seven new courses, five for the upcoming spring semester and two for the 2005-06 academic year.
Professor of Classics Cynthia Damon suggested that course documents from previous semesters be made available to students through Blackboard during pre-registration so students can base their course decisions on more than the course catalog.
Call announced that the Mellon Eight Deans recently met and awarded the College two semester leave grants and two summer research grants. Call added that the College has received five of the last 29 grants awarded.