The Faculty Senate Task Force for Excellence in Equity, Inclusion and Citizenship – 2015-16

During the 2015-16 academic year, several committees of the Faculty Senate explored mechanisms to effect the recommendations of the Senate Task Force for Excellence in Equity, Inclusion and Citizenship. Reports of activities during the 2015-16 academic year are:

Summary of work on the reports issued by the Faculty Senate Task Force for Excellence in Equity, Inclusion, and Citizenship

Report on Task Force Report 1 – AY 2015-16

Report on Task Force Report 2 – AY 2015-16

Report on Task Force Reports 3 & 4 – AY 2015-16

The complete history of the Senate Task Force and followup activities of the Senate are in this document.

Documents concerning the appointment and promotion of NTRC faculty

UA Faculty,

This past fall, the Office for Academic Affairs and the Faculty Senate created an ad-hoc committee charged with developing a university-wide policy that will govern the appointment and promotion of non-tenure track renewable contract (NTRC) faculty. This committee’s first task was to develop a policy for NTRC faculty with terminal degrees at the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Full Professor.  A separate policy for renewable contract faculty at the ranks of lecturer and instructor will be developed next. The committee is finalizing its draft of the policy and creating a set of recommendations for implementing the policy for faculty with terminal degrees at the ranks of Assistant Professor and higher.

The NTRC Policy Draft is found here: http://provost.ua.edu/uploads/3/9/7/6/39760652/ntrc_policy_draft_as_of_3_30.pdf

An FAQ is found here: http://provost.ua.edu/uploads/3/9/7/6/39760652/ntrc_faqs.pdf

The committee invites feedback from the campus community regarding the policy itself as well as implementation issues.  Faculty can offer their feedback through two methods:

All of the above links also are on the NTRC Policy Draft webpage: http://provost.ua.edu/ntrc-policy-draft.html

Reports of the Senate Task Force for Excellence in Equity, Inclusion and Citizenship

Following several disturbing campus incidents at the beginning of the fall semester 2013, the Faculty Senate charged a special task force consisting on faculty, administrators and students to investigate and suggest reforms to Student Government elections, campus diversity, and fraternity and sorority diversity.

The Senate resolution, its charge to the task force, and the membership of the task force are found here.

Three reports were submitted to and adopted by the Faculty Senate in Fall 2014, and an addendum to Report 1 and a new Report 4 in Fall 2015.

Report 1. WORKING AS A UNIVERSITY TO HELP SHAPE A MODEL OF EXCELLENCE FOR STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
(Approved by the Faculty Senate 19 August 2014)

Additions to Report 1. RECOMMENDATIONS FOLLOWING THE 2014 SGA ELECTIONS.
(Presented to the Faculty Senate 15 September 2015)

Report 2. BUILDING ON STRENGTHS AND CAPITALIZING ON NEW OPPORTUNITiES TO REALIZE OUR FULL POTENTIAL FOR EQUITY, INCLUSIVITY, AND MULTICULTURAL RICHNESS
(Approved by the Faculty Senate 21 October 2014)

Report 3. ENTERING A NEW ERA: COMING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE A GREEK SYSTEM WITH SUSTAINABLE DIVERSITY
(Approved by the Faculty Senate 21 October 2014)

Priorities of Task Force report 3
(As reported to the Senate December 2014)

Report 4. COMING TOGETHER TO DEVELOP MODEL CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY CITIZENS
(Presented to the Faculty Senate 15 September 2015}

The history of the core curriculum

In an attempt to understand recent changes in the process for approving core courses, the Academic Affairs Committee investigated the history of the core curriculum and presented a report to the Senate on 18 November 2014.

Clarification of the intention of the University System with regard to the Shepherd Bend site

The Faculty Senate of the University of Alabama received inquiries from the faculty with regard to rumors of the development of a surface coal mine on a UA-owned property, the Shepherd Bend Mine site. In response to these rumors, the Presidents of the Faculty Senates of UA, UAB and UAH and the Student Government Presidents of UAB and UAH wrote to Chancellor Witt requesting a clarification of the University System’s intentions with regard to the development of the site. The letter to Chancellor Witt and his response are as follows.

Senate_letter_to_Chancellor 1013

Chancellor_response 110813