Senator Spotlight January 2021
Category
Senator SpotlightThis Month's Senator Spotlight is on Scott Day
What unit do you represent? Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at W.P. Carey School of Business
How many years have you served in the Senate? Two years
How many years have you been employed at ASU? Four and a half years
What other institutions have you taught at before coming to ASU? City College of San Francisco
What is your research and/or creative activities focus? Currently I am developing a leadership course titled Being a Leader that prepares students for leadership opportunities in a business environment. The course is a leadership laboratory where instructors work with the students to create direct access to the ways of being, thinking, planning, and action required to be a leader and to exercise leadership effectively – in any situation, and no matter the circumstances.
Why did you decide to get involved with the Senate? I was lucky enough to have been encouraged by my department head to research the possibility. I pursued his suggestion and discovered that the University Senate is an outstanding organization of people able to get results here on campus. I also spoke with some prior Senators and decided that I wanted to be even more involved in the University. I saw the Senate as an opportunity to represent and advocate for the interests of mydepartment, as well as to learn more about the University faculty, staff, and students.
Describe what you have learned (or hope to learn/takeaway) during your time in the Senate? During my time serving, I’ve seen firsthand how the Senate helps develop the culture here at ASU and have seen a deep caring for the students and a universal desire to see them succeed. I have also come to appreciate how complex the University system is. In order to be fully involved in the Senate, I’ve had to become further involved in all aspects of the University. I’ve learned how important the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) is to the University; I watch all their meetings now to get information directly from the source.
What committees have you participated in, or would like to participate in and what were you able to (or hope to) accomplish? This is my second year as part of the Student Faculty Policy committee; I am currently the chair for the committee. I’m proud that we were able to bring the faculty and students together for National Voting Day; faculty voluntarily opted not to assign any assignments, quizzes, or exams on that day to leave the students free to vote at any time.
We are currently working on solving the food insecurity issue on all four campuses, coordinating our efforts with ABOR Student Regents, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. Knowing that being hungry or lacking proper nutrition negatively impacts a student’s ability to perform well academically, our goal is to provide students with a real need with nutritious food that will allow them to fully take advantage of the opportunities in their academic career.
What would you say to your peers who might be considering accepting a nomination or nominating himself or herself for a position in the University Senate? I would encourage my peers to seriously consider serving. Being a part of the Senate gives you the opportunity to meet people throughout the University while adding value to your department and to the entire University. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to participate and have fun while making a difference.