By
Katie Clark
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Revisions underway for research policy
The University of Arizona Faculty Senate voted to hold off on a motion to acknowledge former UA football coach Dick Tomey.
The motion, proposed by Sen. John Warnock, an English professor, called for recognition from the senate Monday for the team's high graduation rate while Tomey was coach.
Warnock said in a statement read by Jerry Hogle that while Tomey was coach, his players had the highest graduation rates in the Pac-10.
"This is an achievement worth our recognition," the statement said. "He stood up for his players as human beings."
Sen. Peter Medine, though, disagreed.
"This is a student-centered research facility," he said. "We are involved in teaching and research.
"We are perilously close to losing our focus and losing our soul," he continued. "There is very good reason to doubt that varsity athletics have anything to do with education."
Sen. Andrew Silverman, a professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law, said that he believes all faculty who have an impact on graduation rates should be recognized.
"A lot of faculty members have a lot to do with graduation rates," he said, "not just coaches."
Sen. Roy Speace, also a law professor, said he doesn't think any recognition by the senate is necessary.
"He's a very secure man," he said. "He doesn't need our allocations."
In other faculty senate business, Sen. Charlie Hurt, associate dean for academic affairs in the Social and Behavioral Sciences college, asked the senate to read the policy on scholarly and research integrity and make any appropriate revisions.
Hurt said in the meeting that the policy needs to be revised in order to better protect all parties involved should any problems occur.
The proposed revisions come on the heels of the controversy regarding Marguerite Kay and the charges that she manipulated data in her Alzheimer's research last April.
Kay is currently suing the Arizona Board of Regents and UA for not allowing her due process.
Revisions will be discussed at the next meeting.
