Faculty Senate discusses plans for 2021-2022 fall semester

Faculty Senate meeting virtually on March 1. Photo by Claire Del Vita.

Ohio University Faculty Senate discussed Ohio U’s plans to move to a more in-person environment next semester at its meeting Monday night.

With the coronavirus pandemic still impacting the United States, Ohio U is deciding how it plans to approach the ongoing situation in the coming semester. Classes during the 2020-2021 school year have been online, with in-person labs safely monitored, and on-campus students required to take weekly COVID-19 tests. 

The university, however, plans on moving to a more in-person environment come summer.

“We will be far more normal, not totally normal,” Ohio U President Duane Nellis said, “I don’t know what normal is anymore … But we are working toward more normal.”

Ohio U plans to divide larger lectures, 50 students or more, into smaller groups, with those subgroups meeting in person. Spaces that were traditionally not meant to be classrooms will be transformed to accommodate the extra groups.

“We are looking at some alternative spaces that we have not traditionally used for classes, as well as asking campuses and departments to look at alternative scheduling,” Provost Elizabeth Sayrs said.  

Alternative scheduling could include a hybrid format of one day in class and one day in remote class, or maximizing the number of time blocks used. Individual schools’ scheduling plans are due on March 12, which will allow time for conversation between the schools and the registrar, Sayrs said.

The school will continue to implement many of the COVID-19 guidelines from the current semester. This includes maintaining six feet between students, mask mandates and weekly coronavirus testing and contact tracing. 

Faculty Senate also briefly discussed the ongoing discussion of Prof. Yusuf Kalyango’s tenure, budget concerns, and 2021 Faculty Senate elections. Several senators, including Sarah Webb and Valerie Young, brought up their concerns about the hearing. 

Webb asked whether the Board of Trustees had any training regarding sexual assault, domestic violence, rape culture or trauma. Nellis was unable to provide a response. Webb continued by asking whether Nellis believes the Trustees should receive training.

“Within the university community, we do go through training, and I think the Board is aware of general parameters,” Nellis said. “But, this is a decision the Board makes, and I really don’t think that I should comment on that at all.

Senate Chair Robin Muhammad shared a document detailing the processes of tenure revocation hearings after questions were asked during a previous meeting on Feb. 8. Young expressed her concerns with the datedness of the procedures.

“This process and procedure has carried through unchanged for 20 years when clearly a lot of things have changed,” Young said.

Young then said she was aware of three similar cases regarding sexual misconduct where the processes were not reviewed or remedied.

“I would anticipate that in the future it will be reviewed,” Muhammad said. “I think it’s important to note that … In the middle of something, it’s something you may not want to do.”

Young said while the process is not perfect, she believed it still must be reviewed. Webb and Senator Amy White seconded Young.

“Student safety should be the number one priority, so if a process and a procedure needs to be updated to ensure that, that’s what we need to do and we need to figure out a way to do it quickly,” Webb said.

The Senate will meet two more times before the end of the semester.