UCA Bookstore District Manager T.J. McDonald took questions and concerns from faculty members at the Faculty Senate’s first meeting of this year Feb. 10.
“One thing that was a problem was the readings that have been on campus in the past, such as Jericho Brown,” associate writing professor Gary Powell said.
“It is embarrassing to not have any books after readings of that magnitude. It seems to be bad business to not keep the books in stock, especially when those readings are attended by so many,” Powell added.
Later discussion turned the blame away from McDonald and onto relations between UCA and the bookstore regarding financial aid documents not being filed on time. This problem could potentially postpone students’ financial aid refunds and not allow students to purchase their textbooks on time.
“Running the bookstore in league with all of the faculty’s needs is a balancing act and every action and situation has to be handled individually and that is what I intend to do,” McDonald said.
A decision on how to distribute the Coca-Cola allocation fund among faculty members was tabled along with almost every other issue on the agenda, but there was a considerable murmur that seemed to lean in favor of allotting the money in $500 increments via a lottery system to any faculty members who make under $50,000.
The next Faculty Senate meeting will potentially close not only this discussion, but also talk of an official UCA attendance policy and searches that have been started for different positions around campus, such as a director of online services, director of admissions and enrollment services and a College of Education Dean.
In other business:
- The meeting’s agenda stated that work on the Lewis Science Center renovations have already begun and that the official groundbreaking and demolition would be completed by May 1. The project is expected to be fully completed and budgeted by spring 2017.
