Candidate’s Statement for President of the Academic Senate

I write regarding my candidacy for the presidency of our Academic Senate and qualifications to serve our faculty and CDU in an exemplary manner. Our ideal Academic Senate Presidential candidate must be credible as an educator, clinician, researcher, administrator, and as a colleague.

My history with CDU extends back to 1976 as a PA Student, returning to CDU as a faculty member 25 years ago. I have served as a faculty member and PI/Co- PI/Director of grants in both COSH and COM, giving me unique insights into each college that few have. Serving as the next Senate President will require not only advancing the gains the Senate has made as we mature as a faculty body but most importantly, optimizing faculty life. A critical function of the President is to provide feedback to inquiries of Council actions, to certify accomplishments and to be an effective spokesperson for the Senate, thereby the entire faculty.

I believe my academic experience, over 2½ decades with CDU between both colleges, and my relationships with our faculty, multidisciplinary professional organizations, community organizations, community members and community providers afford me the insight, familiarity, and connectivity to serve effectively as Academic Senate President. I thank you in advance for considering me in this role to serve our campus.

Candidate’s Statement for President of the Academic Senate

As the humble recipient of the Drew University’s first Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, I had anticipated spending the rest of my career at Charles Drew University working behind the scenes. After the shock of being nominated as President of the Academic Senate, and exploring the magnitude of the difficulties facing the University, I have decided to become an active candidate.

The newer faculty of CDU may not know me or my name, let me assure you that the last five years have been actively spent deeply involved in many “Organized Medicine Venues” (OMVs). This involvement, in addition to my 20 years of taking call in the hospital, training residents, and serving in leadership positions in almost every conceivable forum in the University and the hospital, have helped prepare me to serve as the President of the Academic Senate.

I look forward to the possibility of guiding the Academic Senate in its pursuit of rendering advice on the supervision of clinical programs and personnel; on addressing matters of budget, finance, and development; on serving as a forum for discussion; as a source of advice on academic and community-health issues; and, most importantly, on addressing the rights and welfare of faculty.

Candidate’s Statement for President of the Academic Senate

I am honored to have been nominated to represent my colleagues as President of the Academic Senate. Over the last two years, as I have served as COSH's Faculty Association President and more recently as Academic Senate Secretary, I have seen CDU faculty in both colleges become more involved and interested in the work of our institution and begin to use their collective voice for change.

This is a critical time in the history of our institution, and faculty must be prepared to keep up the work of remaking CDU under the principles of shared governance: fairness, transparency, and respect. We must work towards this goal as equal partners with administration and continue to hold each other and other members of the CDU community accountable for developing and maintaining a culture of excellence, focused on our mission of education, research, and service to the underserved. If elected, I promise to serve the faculty to the best of my ability as we move forward and to continue the work already begun.