2148
DOCUMENTS OF THE GENERAL FACULTY
PROTEST TO RECOMMENDED NAME CHANGE FOR THE
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE (GSLIS) TO
THE SCHOOL OF INFORMATION
The secretary is hereby filing a protest to the
recommended name change for the Graduate School of Library and
Information Science (GSLIS) to the School of Information (D
2127-2132a). The reasons for the protest are stated below.
This item will be introduced at the regular meeting of the Faculty
Council on September 23, 2002.
John R. Durbin, Secretary
The Faculty Council
PROTEST TO RECOMMENDED NAME CHANGE FOR THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LIBRARY
AND INFORMATION SCIENCE (GSLIS) TO THE SCHOOL OF INFORMATION
In a letter to the secretary on July 15, 2002,
Executive Vice President and Provost Ekland-Olson wrote: “Given
that the name change reflects a slight shift in focus for the
School, it is felt that it would be useful for the Faculty Council
to review the proposal prior to its being sent to President Faulkner
for approval, from there to the UT System administration and
the Board of Regents, and finally the Coordinating Board. Therefore,
I ask that this matter be included on the agenda of the first
Faculty Council meeting in the 2002-03 academic year.”
The secretary subsequently circulated the proposal
to the members of the Council on a no-protest basis. Although
there is no protest from another member of the Council (one protest
was received and then withdrawn), it is clear that some members
have reservations about the proposal. It has been argued that
the Council was not consulted on the name change for the McCombs
School of Business, so there is no reason for it to be consulted
on this proposed change. There is a difference: in the present
case the use of the word “library” is being dropped
(which the secretary finds unfortunate), and the proposed name,
which seems vague and general, could lead to something more than “a
slight shift in focus.”
If the faculty’s role in University governance
is to work, then we must assume that if the rules are followed
and faculty and administrators are given a chance to speak openly,
then things will in most cases work out for the best. By putting
this item on the agenda for the September 23 meeting, Dean Dillon
of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science is
being given an opportunity to elaborate on the circulated rationale
for the proposed change, and to address questions from members
of the Council, should there be any.
