At a time when a lot of us are feeling down, I hope we can all draw some inspiration and energy from the tremendous job that some of our students did this week staging a very large and very organized rally on the Las Vegas Strip on behalf of education. The "Shut Down the Strip" rally (which did not, rest assured, actually seek to shut down the Strip!) drew well over 1000 people (although the AP story, filed before the crowd had fully arrived, reported 500). The Sun has a nice photo essay and story. This is the first of several student-organized rallies scheduled for this month. More news will be forthcoming very soon about how faculty can -- and must -- become more involved in communicating our concerns to key legislators, Regents and beyond.
Secondly, if you have not seen it, please consult the letter from Faculty Senate chair Cecilia Maldonado updating the campus on the work of the Faculty Advisory Committee to consider the need for exigency. More news will be forthcoming, and all faculty should pay close attention to the Board of Regents meeting this Friday, when the budget cut plan is likely to be revealed publicly for the first time.
Thirdly, if you are not receiving our email daily news bulletins or weekly updates -- or if you have colleagues who would like to receive them -- please add your email to the mailing list (or the emails of others who would like to be added) at nevadafacultyalliance.org
Finally, today is the last day to return your ballot for the proposal to redefine roles on our chapter board and to create a broader and more inclusive steering committee. This is the first step in our chapter elections. As soon as the balloting for the by-law change has closed and the ballots been counted by our impartial, state board staff assistant and certified by the state secretary, we will open the period of nominations for chapter offices. Those nominations should really be self-nominations or if nominations of another person please confirm that person is willing to serve by asking them to send a brief bio for the ballot.
The offices open for election, subject to approval of last week's proposed changes, are
Chapter president
vice-president for meetings and events
vice-president for communications and community outreach
vice-president for membership and campus outreach
secretary/treasurer
The term of office will be for 2 years, beginning on 30 June 2011.
A formal call for nominations will be sent out later this week and the period of nominations will be at least one week.
As I have written before and told many of you in person at previous meetings, I will not be seeking an office on the next board. I will serve, as the bylaws direct, as an ex-officio member of the chapter board as immediate past president.
In solidarity,
Gregory Brown
Professor, Department of History, UNLV
President, UNLV Faculty Alliance
http://unlvfaculty.blogspot.com
unlvfaculty@gmail.com
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