Senate Discusses Strike, Manhattanville

In an unusually short meeting Thursday afternoon, the University Senate touched on Columbia’s proposed expansion, the Core Curriculum, and the hunger strikes.

While chair of the senate and University President Lee Bollinger said in his opening remarks that he felt it would be “inappropriate” for him to address the demands of the hunger strike, he stressed that a team of faculty and administrative personnel are dedicated to resolving the issue. “This is a major, University-wide initiative, and the trustees are involved, so I am not going to comment,” he said.

Bollinger also emphasized his concern for the health of the strikers, and stressed that Health Services is monitoring the situation.

Other issues addressed included a report on the new ID system and the effort to address concerns about malfunctions, as well as votes to approve resolutions establishing two new dual Master’s degree programs.

Bollinger also discussed the state of the “critical rezoning process” regarding the Manhattanville expansion, which is expected to come to a vote in the City Planning Commission within the next two weeks.

When the question of the role of the senate in these issues was brought up by the students, University Provost Alan Brinkley said that the senate was created “precisely because of a strike, as a vehicle for the faculty and community to have a voice in response to a crisis.” He stated that the hunger strike’s level of crisis did not reach those levels, discussing that it would be “cumbersome” to bring the senate into the current negotiations.

Several student senators noted that there was little faculty response at the meeting, which was unexpected in light of faculty statements issued this past week appraising Bollinger’s conduct as a University President, specifically with regard to his protections of academic freedom.

John Johnson, co-chair of the Student Affairs Committee, said that he believed that a “useful discussion” about the role of the senate regarding controversial issues came out of the meeting. “At least you get in there to get the ball rolling, and then go to the proper committees for discussion.”