Kleinman said that docket committee members—whose traditional role during Faculty meetings is simply to announce that the meeting’s docket is in order—will now describe the Council’s business to the Faculty in greater detail.

“Since the Faculty Council is the only elected body of the Faculty in FAS, it is important that it represent the Faculty,” he said. “One of the ways that we’re doing that is by...having more to say of our deliberations in the context of the full Faculty meetings.”

Council members also hope to inform themselves of the concerns of other faculty members. Kleinman is one of several Council members who attend the weekly meetings of the group of department chairs that has gathered regularly since the spring to discuss common problems. Kleinman reports on these meetings to the Council.

“The group of department chairs knows that I do this,” Kleinman said. “I think that’s a very important thing....[The chairs’ group] is contributing to important issues at Harvard, like issues of governance and problems facing FAS and facing the University by simply meeting together, getting a general sense of what chairs think on these issues.”

Kaufman describes the Council and the chairs’ group as “different sides of the same coin,” both looking out for the welfare of the Faculty.

Ulrich emphasized that the Council’s position as the Faculty’s only elected body gives it a responsibility to use its time in addressing Faculty concerns.

“It’s the one group that’s really elected by the faculty,” she said. “We want to make sure that we’re really using our time in a meaningful way.”

—Staff writer Sara E. Polsky can be reached at polsky@fas.harvard.edu.