A body of MSU faculty will meet for the first time in eight years to discuss and possibly vote on issues affecting the university.

The Academic Senate division of Academic Governance will meet at 5 p.m. April 22 at a location to be determined. The senate last convened in 1996 and hasn't held a voting meeting since 1989.

The Executive Committee of Academic Council voted Tuesday to hold the meeting after a presentation by epidemiology and pediatrics professor Nigel Paneth. Only the executive committee or MSU President M. Peter McPherson can call a senate meeting.

"The Academic Senate is the only governance forum in which all faculty can openly deliberate important decisions of the university," Paneth said to the committee.

Paneth said the Academic Senate needs to assemble to discuss potential college reorganization, abolishment and relocation.

"Such changes must inevitably have profound effects on faculty and on students, on curriculum and on scholarship, and on the quality and reputation of the university."

Provost Lou Anna Simon said a meeting of Academic Senate shows the strength of the Academic Governance system and might help clear up some confusion among faculty members.

"Today has proven the bylaw process for Academic Governance remains robust," Simon said.

The agenda for the senate meeting will be set at next week's regular executive committee meeting on April 13.

On Tuesday, Paneth suggested three agenda items for discussion at the senate meeting - discussion of the proper role of faculty in working with university structural changes, the reorganization of the colleges of Arts & Letters, Communication Arts and Sciences, Social Science and Human Ecology, and a possible move or expansion of the College of Human Medicine into Grand Rapids.

Norm Abeles, executive committee member and psychology professor, asked for the committee to set the senate meeting date on Tuesday. The issue was intended for discussion only on the executive committee agenda.

"I think the sooner we let the faculty know, the better it is," he said. "People are busy, and there isn't a great deal of time."

Abeles also said he would like to see the Academic Senate focus more on the medical school issue because it is more pertinent at this time. The MSU Board of Trustees is expected to take action on the issue at its May meeting.

In order to have a vote on any issues set for the April Academic Senate meeting, at least 10 percent of the university's nearly 2,000 regular faculty members must be present.

Associate professor of English Scott Michaelsen is the chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee for Faculty Voice. He said he has no doubt that the necessary 200 faculty members will attend to express concern.

"The things that we're facing are very important things for the future of this university, and that always makes people interested," he said.

Michaelsen said his committee works to make faculty members comfortable expressing views and getting involved in the system. There are currently about 14 people on the committee, representing about seven colleges.

"The important thing is to remember a university is not a corporation, and that means in universities, faculty always have an important part to play in governance," he said. "They have roles to play in both planning and decision-making, and all of those things are provided for in university bylaws. And we just want to make sure that all those things happen and in their proper way."

Meghan Gilbert can be reached at gilbe109@msu.edu.