Faculty seek informal spot for sharing ideas, socializing
One possibility for the lounge is in Reynolds Alumni Center.
Published Jan. 26, 2010
Faculty members are trying to negotiate a time and place where socialization and collaboration can be encouraged among all faculty.
Faculty Council Chairwoman Leona Rubin presented various options to Faculty Council at its meeting Thursday.
"There has been a request by some faculty members to create a faculty lounge," Rubin said. "One of the ideas is trying to have some sort of weekly faculty gathering. The goal of this is to have a place where faculty from different units and colleges can interact, talk and share ideas."
Rubin said the idea of requesting space and funding for faculty get-togethers was previously considered untimely due to budget issues, but the issue has recently been revisited. Vice Provost Brian Foster and Rubin met in December to discuss the possibilities of a faculty lounge.
MU spokesman Christian Basi said administration is supportive of weekly faculty meetings, and such meetings would benefit the university and its goals.
"The administration is very on board with the idea," Basi said. "It really helps to promote Mizzou Advantage." Mizzou Advantage, a new set of initiatives to make MU more competitive in attracting students and faculty, operates on a $4 million budget.
"A key component of Mizzou Advantage is to get a lot of cross-disciplinary work and research done," Basi said. "This would be a very good tool to accomplish that."
Rubin said a proposal is in the works that will request a time and space to allow collaboration and interaction but would not drain resources or interfere with MU's academic mission. The proposal would initially be for one or two semesters, Rubin said.
"We're going to write a grant proposal to create an opportunity, place and situation where faculty from all places across campus can get together," Rubin said.
The plan is in motion, but several details still need to be discussed, Basi said. Funding, location and time are among those details.
Rubin said one possible location is University Club's Tiger Bistro, located in the Reynolds Alumni Center.
"The manager of the Bistro is agreeable about trying to work with us and create a time when the Bistro would be available to faculty, whether they have a membership at the alumni center or not," Rubin said.
Administrative Services Vice Chancellor Jackie Jones is also in support of faculty meetings, Rubin said. Jones is working to determine what the cost of various elements of the meetings, such as hosting, staffing and providing refreshments, would be.
