Friday, May 31, 1996
Newly-elected Chand Viswanathan prepares to help lead campus
facultyBy Rachanee Srisavasdi
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
From his office in the Engineering IV building, Chand
Viswanathan can watch the UCLA football players practice.
"I go to all the football and basketball games," the electrical
engineering professor said. "The fervor catches on after so many
years."
But as next year’s newly-elected vice chair of the Academic
Senate, Viswanathan may not have time to watch football practice,
let alone spend time in his office.
Viswanathan, whose appointment was announced Tuesday at the
senate legislative assembly meeting, will serve as the second in
command of UCLA’s faculty organization.
Viswanathan has a long and active history with UCLA, spanning
more than 30 years. A former UCLA physics graduate student, he
joined the electrical engineering department as an assistant
professor in 1962.
Though he has had opportunities to work at other universities,
Viswanathan has remained at UCLA and expressed his loyalty to the
university.
"I love UCLA, it’s very close to me," he said. "I’m a UCLA
person."
As vice chair of the Academic Senate, Viswanathan will serve on
the senate executive board, which reviews other committee
proposals. Additionally, he will take on the duties of Chair Aimee
Dorr in her absence and work on a type of long term project.
After the one year term, the vice chair automatically succeeds
to the chair position. Viswanathan would be senate chair during the
1997-98 school year, the first year under the new UCLA
chancellor.
Academic Senate members stressed the importance of an active
leadership role of the Senate during that first year.
"It’s important during the first year that the senate be
confident and strong," said Judith Smith, who served as chair
during the 1994-95 year. "The new chancellor needs to understand
the role of senate."
Viswanathan has extensive experience on Academic Senate
committees. During the last 30 years, Viswanathan has worked
various committees such as executive and undergraduate council, the
Council of Academic Personnel (CAP), and currently, the general
education workgroup committee.
Additionally, Viswanathan is currently serving on the board of
directors for the student’s association (ASUCLA), as the elected
faculty board member.
Many Academic Senate members expressed their support for
Viswanathan’s appointment.
"I have a high opinion of (Viswanathan’s) abilities and
leadership," added Smith, who previously worked with Viswanathan on
the executive board. "He cares deeply about undergraduate education
… it’s great to have a vice chair who has such experience."
The Academic Senate mainly governs academic issues but also
serves an advisory council to the administration. The university’s
code of "shared governance" between the administration and the
Academic Senate ensures that faculty members have a voice in key
university issues.
"Shared governance has developed into one of the finest
traditions in the UC system," he said. "The Academic Senate is
accomplishing shared governance."
But this past year, allegations from faculty members arose that
the administration violated shared governance. Specifically, they
have contended the Board of Regents ruling to repeal affirmative
action policies in admissions and hiring was made without adequate
consideration of faculty opinion.
Several UC senates issued resolution letters stating their
opposition to the rulings and their support of shared governance.
Academic Senate members explained that a strong senate is necessary
to maintain a balanced relationship between the faculty and
administration.
"Strong leadership is absolutely essential," said Charles Lewis,
the current chair of the Academic Senate. "Leadership is not
realized until its absence.
"If leadership is not strong, one would see this to the extent
of the administration doing what they want without answering to the
Senate," he concluded.
Historically, the relationship between faculty and
administration has been good, with the administration taking
recommendations by the senate in high regard.
Viswanathan emphasized that the senate’s presence is beneficial
to maintaining this relationship.
"It is not necessary that the administration take what the
senate recommends, but at least the senate should be there offering
its recommendation and pointing out what are important issues," he
said.
One of Viswanathan’s goals is to increase faculty participation
in the Senate. Academic Senate members, who consist of tenured,
associate and assistant professors, can volunteer to serve on a
Senate committee.
Additionally, Viswanathan also wants to increase the Senate’s
visibility to faculty departments. He hopes to create a closer
relationship among the senate and academic departments by attending
department meetings.
Increased faculty participation would result in more of an input
into university functions, Viswanathan emphasized.
Viswanathan will work next year under Dorr, an education
professor, and will assume the position immediately fall
quarter.
"I’m feeling a little trepidation, a lot of excitement," he
said, "and some anxiety over what might happen, what might not
happen … but it’s all capped by enthusiasm."