Faculty Affairs Committee

Charges

Mandate from Policy B2.0

The Faculty Affairs Committee shall be responsible for policy recommendations concerning faculty tenure, rank, welfare, leave, and professional conduct and shall review all policies and procedures concerning the extended part-time and adjunct faculty of the university. The committee will also oversee the needs related to the professional development of quality teaching and serve to foster collegiality and mentorship among faculty. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall consist of the following: one faculty member per college, each to be elected by their collegial faculty; one dean elected by the Deans Council; three members at large elected by the Faculty Senate; and the provost or their delegate (ex-officio, voting).

Charges for AY 2024

New Charges

Include in evaluations for lecturers, senior lecturers, and associate professors a portion akin to GCCIS's "progress toward tenure" for promotion to the next level.

Supporting Language: Include in evaluations for lecturers, senior lecturers, and associate professors a portion akin to GCCIS's "progress toward tenure" for promotion to the next level.

Rationale: If our policies were clear, we wouldn't need so many "guidance for faculty" meetings and memos. Not that we need to eliminate such meetings, but a clear signal about progress in the evaluation would greatly help, especially regarding "murky" issues, as with Full Professor.

Provide clarification and specification for the conditions for a change in a chair’s term or the conditions for the removal of a chair including the definition of “extraordinary circumstances”. Clarify the definition and weight of what a “formal consultation with faculty” might entail.

Supporting Language: This proposed charge is to the Faculty Affairs Committee regarding policy E 8.0 on college academic administrative positions. In particular, E8.I; E8.V.B and E8.V.C. regarding the processes of term adjustments or removal of chairs.

E 8.I provides clear procedures for filling chair positions, but is less clear regarding adjustments to the length and number of terms of the chair or removal of the chair. It states that “individuals in administrative positions serve at the pleasure of their administrative supervisor,” but immediately adds that “In all cases, the procedures shall include formal input from the faculty and staff and be clearly outlined and available.” Given that E8.V.B and E8.V.C concern discretionary powers of the dean to adjust the length or the number of terms, or both, there is a need for clarification and specification of the processes of "formal input from the faculty and staff" that safeguard the department or unit's role of limiting overbroad discretionary powers of the dean. There is also a need to provide precision and substantiation for "extraordinary circumstances" by which a dean may remove or adjust the terms of a chair.

Thus, this charge asks that the procedures of clearly outlined "formal input from the faculty and staff" stated in section V.I, and "extraordinary circumstances" stated in V.B be reviewed for clarity and specificity in the following possible ways:

I. E.8.V.B. regarding: "...at the discretion of the dean after formal consultation with the faculty."

* Consider providing some precision to “after formal consultation with the faculty.”

For example, can policy help clarify "consultation" so as to ensure faculty's input?

Should this be individual or full department consultation; or both?

Can we clarify that this is a separate procedure from the Comprehensive Assessment which requires formal engagement of faculty and staff?

II. E.8.V.B regarding "extraordinary circumstances"

** Consider providing some precision and principles to “extraordinary circumstances” so as to substantiate decisions on term adjustment and removal.

This would be substantiation of decisions based on circumstances DISTINCT from those identified in the Comprehensive Assessment.

** Consider an additional process that provides for the chair to be informed of and to respond to extraordinary circumstances in advance of a decision on term adjustment and removal.

Rationale: Without clarification and specification of the conditions for a change in a chair's term or the removal of the chair, and without safeguarding the voice of the department in such matters, there is insufficient reasonable limitation on the dean's overbroad discretionary powers.

Carryover Charges