Eastern President Bill Perry was at it again.

He attended Tuesday’s Faculty Senate meeting unannounced to welcome the faculty back to campus as well as to thank them for their work.

He briefly talked about specific student accomplishments, faculty awards and alumni accomplishments.

Perry told the senate the National Science Foundation did a study of students receiving scientific doctoral degrees, and ranked Eastern atop the universities that provided those students with undergraduate degrees.

Approximately 570 doctoral degrees were awarded in that time period and more than 20 of them received degrees at Eastern.

“You represent a really excellent faculty, and last year you really showed it,” Perry said. “This is not administrative work, this is the heart of the university and I really appreciate it. This is shared governance.”

Perry had also submitted a written request before the meeting asking the senate to submit four names of faculty members who could represent the constituency on the search committee that will hire the new vice president for business affairs.

The names need to be submitted by Tuesday.

Provost Blair Lord said his department would be responsible for the first attempt to shaping the committee after suggested names have been received from all the constituency groups.

He also wanted to officially tell the senate that the Doudna Fine Arts Center is open.

“For those of you who are not aware, Doudna is open,” Lord said. “Aside from a fire alarm going off at 10 a.m., it’s gone smoothly.”

Senate member Ann Brownson asked Lord if any enrollment figures are available.

“I think we’re going to be pretty close to our target,” Lord said. “The president said last year that we should be at 12,000 students.”

The senate will hear a presentation from enrollment management during the Sept. 9 meeting.

Brownson, an assistant professor in the library, was later voted into the vice chair position for the second consecutive year.

John Pommier was originally the vice chair of the senate, but he became chair when Jeanne Snyder was hired as the new associate dean of the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences.

Pommier, professor in recreation administration, has been on the senate since about 1999, but this is his first time as chair.

Two additional positions need to be filled with Snyder’s departure from the senate and Robert “Bud” Fischer’s position.

Fischer accepted a position at University of Alabama at Birmingham as the chair of the biology department.

The schedule for fall senate meetings was released and while 10 of the 15 meetings have special events incorporated into them, such as presentations by the athletic director and president’s council, Pommier wants the senate committees to get ambitious.

He said the extra five meetings could feature in-depth discussions about topics from individual committees, allowing hard work to be showcased and advanced upon.

Rick Kambic can be reached at 581-7942 or at rwkambic@eiu.edu.

President Perry speaks to the faculty senate about the importance of their jobs and the appreciation of the university toward the work the senate does. (Robbie Wroblewski/The Daily Eastern News)

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