There are truly few things in this world quite like Faculty Senate Tuesdays.

The Senate met yesterday in the Kern Building to discuss and vote on two motions that would send statements of disapproval to the NCAA on behalf of the Penn State faculty. Both motions seemed to garner very little verbal support, and neither passed following a vote.

A representative from the NCAA was present in the room as the resolutions were introduced by Senators Keith Nelson and Patricia Koch. The first motion, endorsed by Nelson, would have sent a statement to the NCAA outlining the faculty’s disapproval of the NCAA sanctions and the “victimization” of student athletes. The second motion, introduced by Koch, would endorse a statement signed by 30 past Senate chairs that condemned the Freeh Report and the NCAA.

Most discussion on the floor stemmed from the fact that both of these actions would be inconsequential, and that the Faculty Senate had little power or jurisdiction over this matter. Indeed, you can imagine the bemused smile of Mark Emmert when the mail would have come that day with a letter from the Faculty Senate telling him that he sucks (you can always just tell him that in a tweet @NCAAPrez, anyways).

Rick Pooler, the Academic Affairs Chair for UPUA, read a statement on the Senate floor, urging the delegation to vote no and move forward.

“As students, we, like many others, are hurt by the way Penn State has been represented in the media. We want our University to be in the spotlight for what it truly represents,” Pooler said. “We wish not to contest the sanctions, but rather to accept them and to cooperate with George Mitchell throughout their implementation.”

The full statement can be read on the UPUA website.

That was that.

Here are some notes from President Rodney Erickson’s remarks at the beginning of the meeting:

• Erickson said the University will receive a report regarding the Clery investigation in the next couple months.
• “We’re about three weeks from my one-year anniversary as president. I guess that means the honeymoon period is over.”
• Erickson says 40 of the 119 Freeh recommendations have been implemented.
• Admissions numbers are “lagging” right now compared to this time last year and resemble the numbers from 3-4 years ago.
• Erickson says Penn State research expenditures amount to over $700 million.