Three new SACUA members have been elected, including:. J. Caitlin Finlayson, Associate Professor of English, UM Dearborn; Allen P. Liu, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UM Ann Arbor; and Kentaro Toyama, W.K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information and Professor of Information, UM Ann Arbor. The three incoming SACUA members will replace outgoing members, including: Associate Professor Joy Beatty, Chair; Professor Neil Marsh, Past Immediate Chair; and Professor Sami Malek, SACUA member. The new SACUA members will serve three-year terms beginning on May 1, 2020.
J. Caitlin Finlayson
Associate Professor, English
UM-Dearborn
Candidate Statement: As a SACUA member, I will be a strong voice for the concerns and perspectives of the regional campuses, while also advocating for all faculty in governance and policy decisions. I wish to continue SACUA’s current efforts to broaden faculty awareness of and participation in emerging policy decisions, and to facilitate the equitable implementation of new policies and procedures on all three campuses. There is strength and value in faculty governance when diverse voices across the three campuses are heard and we act collectively to promote the interests of the faculty as a whole.
Allen P. Liu
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering,
College of Engineering, UM Ann Arbor
Candidate Statement: Faculty governance is a shared responsibility of all faculty, one which should be built upon “sharing” with our administration as the decision-making body. As a SACUA member working with our colleagues and administration, I will work to build shared vision, shared engagement, shared mutual respect, shared information and shared risk. I believe that the principles of sharing will result in decisions that will benefit our institution. As an engaged member of our university, it will be my honor to serve our faculty to convey faculty voice to decision-makers and to provide different perspectives to help guide university policies.
Kentaro Toyama
W.K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information
and Professor of Information
School of Information, UM Ann Arbor
Candidate Statement: Three years as chair of SACUA’s Academic Affairs Advisory Committee, Senate Assembly member, and Office of DEI advisory committee member have given me a good sense for what faculty governance can and should be at the University of Michigan. Faculty — all faculty — are the soul of any world-class university, and my ongoing commitment is to ensure that well-informed faculty views are strongly represented in university decision-making.