Month: September 2010

Subcommittee to Examine Grievance Policies

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During its September meeting, the Faculty Council elected to appoint an ad-hoc subcommittee to examine the various faculty grievance policies and procedures in place in the various schools within the university. This subcommittee will gather information and examine options for improving and clarifying the processes and policies available to faculty involved in disputes. The Faculty Hearing Committee (a subcommittee of the Faculty Council) is charged with examining disputes concerning concerning contract terminations only. And in 1998 the Council passed a resolution outlining a mediation procedure limited to questions between a faculty member and his or her dean.

“There are places where we can get certain questions answered,” said Council President Steve Everett, “but there is not a clear sense for how to deal with grievance at this university. Many other universities have a clear website that points you to a team of people who are the first step in handling a dispute on campus.”

Four Areas of Focus for Council in ‘10-’11

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During the opening meeting of the Faculty Council for 2010-11, on September 21, president Steve Everett identified four areas of focus for the Council this year:

  • Faculty involvement in teaching and research (during the year, the Council will hear reports from various officials in research administration on specific issues and policies);
  • Faculty development (assisting colleagues in career development and putting some focused support in place);
  • Faculty governance at large (evolving out of discussions last spring on the ways faculty governance is structured in the university); and
  • Grievance policies and processes (see above post for more details).

Throughout the year, the Council will be taking a focused look at these four areas of development. “I’m hoping that we can find some progress in these areas,” Everett said.

From Your Faculty Council

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Welcome to the first post of Council Concerns, an electronic-only update of activities and issues before the Emory University Faculty Council. The Faculty Council comprises elected and appointed members representing all schools of the university. The Council is the main governance body for issues around academic affairs and faculty concerns. It provides faculty comment and perspective to the administrators responsible for a broad range of work in the university. Several committees of the Council address particular matters of interest to the faculty.

Please click here to view the .pdf version of Council Concerns. This new regular briefing document—which will circulate shortly after the monthly meetings of the Council—aims to keep Emory faculty members informed of issues and concerns before the Council and to encourage feedback to the Council from the faculty it represents. Please direct your questions and comments to a Council representative from your school (roster listed in right hand column).