In an introduction to Faculty Senate members on Monday, Wichita State President Jay Golden addressed transparency and shared governance. 

Late President John Bardo and his administration were often criticized by the senate for a perceived lack of shared governance and transparency in university decision-making.

“I have said multiple times that I want to ensure that we have shared governance, want to ensure that we have transparency on this campus,” Golden said. “I know that you will all do a very good job of holding me to that. And that is fine. Feel free to call me out when I’m Not helping us.

Golden also talked about his recent decision to create task forces that focus on bringing shared governance to a number of campus issues. The task forces will have 90 days to report back to him with “preliminary findings and recommendations.”

Innovation Campus is a group that does not have a task force, but instead an advisory council. Golden joked he wouldn’t put an Innovation Campus developer on the council.

“I have asked our group to create an advisory council of non-conflicted individuals across this campus and outside of campus — non-conflicted. I’m not really eager to have central developers,” Golden said.

At the same time, Golden announced that a Fortune 500 company not based in Kansas will be moving to Innovation Campus. Negotiations are still under a nondisclosure agreement, so he would not name the company.

“So I am at liberty to say . . . that [the company] is focused on convergent sciences, will attract companies from around the world to our campus, and has a strong dedication to working with students,” Golden said. “That to me, is what our Innovation Campus should be about moving forward.”

Senators also questioned Golden on the role of the humanities on Innovation Campus and other future campus developments.

Golden used ethics with autonomous vehicles as an example of how the humanities and sciences can work together. He also said he hoped to build a convergent science building that can serve as a community builder between various areas of study.

“You’re going to be sitting next to Dennis [Livesay], he’s gonna be sitting next to, you know — we can just go down the line and the students from all the different disciplines are going to be together,” Golden said. “And understanding that we can make greater – we can have stronger ideas, make a greater impact by working together.”