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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."

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