Questions regarding enrollment, the future of the University and the effectiveness of Faculty Senate were answered yesterday at the Faculty Senate meeting. The University is ahead by 113 students for summer enrollment and 859 students for fall enrollment compared to this time last year, Vice President of Academic Affairs Mark Gromko said. ‘People soft, [the new scheduling system], can handle more enrollment at one time so don’t get too comfortable,’ Gromko said. Applications for new and transfer students are down by 7 percent, but Gromko said the University is on target to admit 9,200 students, the same as last year. This means the University is looking at a flat enrollment rate. ‘Flat is the new up,’ Gromko said. With a perspective flat enrollment rate, a budget cut between $6 million and $12 million is still expected for fiscal year 2010, Chair of the Faculty Senate Budget Committee James Evans said. The eight colleges within the University are asking for $18.1 million though for internal reallocations, maintenance and other new requests, he said. These budget issues were presented at the Faculty Senate Budget Committee hearings last month. The committee, President Carol Cartwright, the four University Vice Presidents and the eight college deans were all present. ‘The meeting showed a positive step for shared faculty governance,’ Evans said. However, the spring 2008 evaluation of faculty senate showed mixed reviews. According to the evaluation produced by members of Faculty Senate Executive Committee – which represents all seven undergraduate colleges and the University libraries – shared governance, communication with the administration and the voice of the faculty on University issues were the most positive aspects of the current faculty senate. However, the survey also said the least positive aspects of faculty senate were the lack of communication with the entire campus, lack of faculty representation, lack of information and decision making and not enough action taken. Seventy percent of the respondents said shared governance in faculty senate is important and 58 percent of the respondents said a more effective way to represent the entire faculty would be a faculty union. The idea of a faculty union was also suggested by respondents as a faculty senate priority for the next 10 years, according to the survey. Attempts for a faculty union are already underway at the University. A card campaign for a vote on whether or not the University should have a faculty union began last month. In order to have an election, between 30 and 60 percent of the University’s full time faculty must submit the card to the BGSU Faculty Association showing their support for the election. One of the main goals of the union, if elected, would be to focus on faculty salaries. Faculty salaries was also ranked as a very important issue on the survey. This issue is already a high priority, Gromko said.