University Senate to form committee on proposed reporting arrests policy

University Senate has yet to make a decision on the contested proposed reporting arrests policy that faculty assembly voted to return to them for further discussion on Sept. 10.

At its Oct. 7 meeting, senate passed a resolution to form an ad hoc committee, which will gather information on the proposed policy over a period of several weeks and present it to senate. The members of this committee haven’t been chosen yet.

Before this resolution was brought to the floor, Cathy Wagner, president of Miami’s American Association of University Professors (AAUP) advocacy chapter, encouraged senate to approve a motion to strike down the policy immediately.

“Because we know there are many faculty who want the policy gone — not just revised and resubmitted — there will be a motion made today to reject the policy in its entirety,” Wagner said. “Faculty assembly voted to return the policy to senate, not to ask the Executive Committee to devise a process for reconsideration.”

But no such motion was brought to the floor.

Dana Cox, Chair of the Executive Committee of University Senate, said that voting on the policy at Monday’s meeting would not allow enough outside voices to be considered.

“As senators, you have to represent not only your feelings about the policy but also a broad and very diverse constituency,” Cox said. “What we need is time, space and an education about the specific concerns faced by spouses, siblings and everybody in our community.”

Cox said that the Executive Committee would be using recommendations from college deans as well as members of senate to determine the membership of this ad hoc committee. Once formed, it will have until Dec. 2 to gather information on the proposed policy and present its findings to Senate.

The resolution to form an ad hoc committee passed, with all but two senators voting in favor of it.

phabymr@miamioh.edu