Faculty and administrative leaders at the University of Colorado are working to include faculty representation on the university’s systemwide Sustainability Steering Committee. The committee is responsible for identifying and advancing sustainability collaboration across the CU system.
Earlier in the year, Faculty Council considered forming an ad hoc committee focused on sustainability. During a remote meeting held on August 28, Chair Jorge Chavez indicated that campus faculty assemblies may instead provide representatives to serve on the existing administration committee.
“I think that this makes a lot of sense, at least for a trial period,” said council member David Paradis, who previously co-chaired the CU Boulder Faculty Assembly’s (BFA) Climate Science and Education Committee. “Then we’ll see if there’s a need for a separate Faculty Council committee.”
The August 28 meeting was also notable as it marked Chavez’s first as chair of Faculty Council. One issue discussed was faculty members seeking support for academic freedom in their teaching and research.
“Given the current climate, it’s understandable that there are concerns about academic freedom across our campuses,” said Chavez, noting he had recently spoken with President Todd Saliman about the matter. “I will continue to advocate on our behalf. As you see things happen on your campuses, please raise them to me so I can raise them to the president.”
The next Faculty Council meeting is scheduled for September 25. Chavez mentioned that this meeting might be held in person with a hybrid option available. Previously, meetings were conducted at 1800 Grant St., but shifted to Zoom after 2020 due to the pandemic.
