Council Alters Bylaws to Allow Chair a Third Year

Concerned that the upcoming departure of three key senior leaders will leave the university in an unprecedented period of transition, the Academic Council voted Thursday to change its bylaws to allow the current council chair to remain in office an extra year.

The council voted by acclamation to allow Dr. Nancy Allen to have a third year as council chair. Chairs normally sit for two years. The vote was taken after Dialogue went to press.

Allen's current term expires at the end of the spring semester, at the same time that President Nannerl O. Keohane, Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Ralph Snyderman and Arts and Sciences Dean William Chafe are all leaving office.

Council officials said they proposed taking the step to provide some consistency of leadership during the period of transition. "From the point of view of faculty governance, it's not an optimal situation to bring in a new council chair at a time of significant administrative leadership change," said law professor Paul Haagen, the Academic Council vice chair.

Council leadership considered several options, including letting Allen run for re-election in an early election. While Allen said she would be willing to serve a third year, she said she is not interested in serving a second two-year term.

To add a third year onto Allen's term requires an amendment of the faculty bylaws, which as currently written would require an election this February. The amendment postponed the operation of the bylaw requirement for one year and elects Allen by acclamation for an additional year.

No other member of the Academic Council's Executive Committee is affected by the action.