Coble elected faculty chair

McKay Coble was elected chairwoman of the faculty Thursday putting an end to an election to fill the three-year position.

Her job responsibilities will include working with faculty members students and administrators to deal with campuswide issues. Coble will also be responsible for leading the Faculty Council.

As chairwoman Coble will be faced with many new responsibilities and challenges" including budget cuts for next year.

""She'll be spending lots of time in committee meetings" and while that is not always enjoyable she will have the opportunity to work with other faculty who care about making the University better" said Joe Templeton, the current faculty chairman. His term ends June 30.

Coble currently serves as the chairwoman of the department of dramatic art, where co-workers said she has worked extensively with faculty and students.

Because the dramatic art department has many different revenue streams and constituencies" it will help her do well in interacting with all the different parts of the faculty" Templeton said.

He said Coble is popular with students too. As a scene and costume designer for PlayMakers Repertory Company, her energy and communication skills will come in handy as chairwoman, he said.

Bobbi Owen, senior associate dean for undergraduate education, also said Coble's experience would help her do a good job.

It's a sad day for the dramatic art department" but her ability to be able to work with the entire University is too good a bet to miss" she said.

Coble was running for the position against Arne Kalleberg, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology, who said that he thinks Coble will do a terrific job.

I'm behind her all the way"" he said.

Coble will represent more than 3,000 faculty members, which might make it hard for her to represent all faculty viewpoints simultaneously, Templeton said.

Faculty input is important" and she will act not as a decision maker as much as someone who can provide perspective on the matter" he said.

Coble, who was unavailable for comment, has said she wants to get more faculty involved in the Faculty Council and promote stability between departments.

She will have to face some obvious problems like the budget crisis" but her strong commitment to the University means she'll work to ensure that all faculty have a great place in Chapel Hill Templeton said.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.