Category: Faculty Governance

Vote on University Tenure, Promotions, and Appointments Committee (TPAC)

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Following the March Town Hall discussion, the Faculty Council voted unanimously to support new processes to guide faculty governance in university-level promotion and tenure reviews and to nominate a writing committee to continue drafting the details of the new process. The newly endorsed processes include:

  • Forming a Tenure, Promotion, and Appointments Committee (TPAC)
  • Electing a faculty chair of TPAC
  • Implementing consistent, transparent review processes for TPAC
  • Implementing an advisory vote by TPAC elected faculty to the President/ Provost and Board of Trustees (BOT)
  • Implementing an advisory memo from TPAC elected faculty to the President/ Provost and BOT

 

A writing committee will begin work in the summer of 2015, and implementation of the new process is tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2016.

Town Hall on Faculty Governance in University-Level Promotion and Tenure Review

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The March Faculty Council meeting closed with a 45-minute Town Hall discussion of faculty governance in university-level promotion and tenure (UPT) review. Kathryn Yount led the Town Hall, beginning with a review of previously approved UPT processes and UPT processes currently under consideration by the Faculty Council, which included an elected faculty chair, consistent and transparent review processes, as well as an advisory vote and advisory memo to be sent to the Provost/President and directly to the Board of Trustees. Professor Justin Remais also presented an assessment of the proposed processes from the Task Force on Shared Faculty Governance, which found the proposal to be in strong alignment with the principles of faculty governance that the University Faculty Council adopted earlier this year.

Principles of Faculty Governance

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The Council approved a motion for revisions to the faculty handbook that provide a list of principles as guiding values across the university. The principles were developed after extensive deliberation of a task force for faculty governance, led by Associate Professor Justin Remais, and conversations of the task force with faculty across the university. These principles develop and reaffirm the set of fundamental principles for faculty governance, said Kristin Wendland, of the Department of Music. John Bugge of the Emeritus College listed the principles: interdependence, inclusiveness, transparency, communication, accountability, being democratic, deliberativeness, consistency, collegiality, fairness, recognition, and plurality.

 

Faculty Governance in Unit Assessment

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Jason Hockenberry, associate professor in the Rollins School of Public Health, gave an update on his committee’s work thus far on proposals to create a “culture of assessment” in response to the U.S. Department of Education and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) feedback from Emory’s recent successful conclusion to the reaccreditation process by SACS. The goal, Hockenberry said, is to move assessment from a box-checking report to strategic planning and setting aspirational goals. “The Department of Education is looking for meaningful assessment — not designing a syllabus or tests, but can you say what Emory students look like one, two, three years out when they’ve gone through a given program? They’re interested not so much in what students learn entering and exiting the program but what happens after, what they’ve done with it,” he said. Hockenberry’s committee is looking for more faculty members to join, particularly those with program assessment expertise. The committee will make recommendations to the provost’s office on creating the culture of assessment.

Standing Committee on Faculty Mediation

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The Faculty Council approved the creation of a Standing Committee on Faculty Dispute Resolution, which would provide informal, voluntary, faculty-led mediation services and training in conflict resolution for Emory faculty. The vote followed recommendations presented by Sheryl Heron, professor of emergency medicine, and Michael Sacks, associate professor in the practice of organization and management, who co-chair a special committee approved last semester to explore the creation of a process for faculty to address and resolve interpersonal conflicts and organizational challenges. The standing committee’s mission will be to “assist faculty with resolving conflicts that arise from everyday work life before these conflicts become formal grievances,” according to the report given by Dr. Heron and Dr. Sacks. “This initiative is an important opportunity for transformative cultural change,” says Council Chair Kathryn Yount.

Faculty Governance Around Campus

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Kristin Wendland, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, reported that ECAS faculty members are considering proposed bylaws revisions that would:

  • Replace GovCom with a College Faculty Senate comprised of 23 voting and 7 non-voting members;
  • Reform standing committees;
  • Reduce meetings to twice yearly and change format;
  • Revise the appeals process for committee and senate decisions.

Angela Amar, School of Nursing, presented updates in strategic plan initiatives, a branding retreat, new program and curriculum revisions, efforts to enhance diversity, and Ebola education opportunities.

Provost’s Remarks on Emory’s Values

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Provost Claire Sterk urged further discussion about the role of Emory faculty in promotion and tenure. “What should Emory’s practice be, what should Emory’s culture be?” she said. “This is a very important conversation and one that I actually think is perfect for the Faculty Council as a governance body to explore.” Sterk added that she and President Wagner have been in conversation with Emory deans to “to really think about Emory’s values and how those translate into what Emory stands for.” She anticipates additional discussion with the Council about “faculty quality and student quality and the student experience.” She stated: “I personally feel that at times we separate the two too much. But the reality is if we really want to have an identity as an institution, we need to start putting those two together.”

Faculty Governance in University Promotion and Tenure

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Yount updated the Faculty Council on the work of the University Promotion and Tenure Task Force, which convened from April through October to explore opportunities for greater faculty governance in university-level promotion and tenure processes. The committee examined promotion and tenure decision-making through a document review of 15 peer universities and interviews with 10 faculty chairs, including an examination of issues such as the size and composition of committees, selection of faculty representatives, term lengths, and leadership. Please contact your unit representative for further information about the results of this document review. Draft resolutions will be presented in November for further discussion in January, as needed.