The University Council task force for the possible formation of a faculty senate plans to establish a spring semester agenda at its first meeting Feb. 5.

UC Executive Secretary Judith Bischoff said she has received affirmative replies from 10 of the 12 faculty members she asked to serve on the task force.

The UC Faculty Assembly voted at its Dec. 9 meeting to look into the possibility of creating a special faculty senate to better represent NIU faculty concerns.

Bischoff said the task force, when complete, will consist of faculty members from every NIU college. “The only representatives still missing are those from the Colleges of Business and Law.” Bischoff said she is waiting for replies from those schools.

“Some people even called me up to volunteer themselves or nominate others to serve,” she said.

Bischoff said she made sure she chose tenured faculty members to serve, “so that the people on the task force are those who really know the university and can add knowledge to our study.”

Not all of the task force members are members of the Faculty Assembly.

Bischoff said she will convene the meeting at 3 p.m. in Room 306 of the Holmes Student Center. She said, “At this meeting, we will try to identify what we want to do (about forming a faculty senate), and develop a timetable or agenda for the semester.”

A chairman for the task force will also be elected at the meeting.

Gordon Dorn, NIU art instructor and president of the American Association of University Professors, said he requested last October that the UC Faculty Assembly consider the formation of the senate for better faculty representation.

“The initiative for the faculty senate was started by the AAUP, and was followed up by the Faculty Assembly,” Dorn said.

He said Faculty Assembly member Sherman Stanage made the motion at the Dec. 9 meeting to develop the task force.