Board of Trustees Remarks
Marianna Walker, Chair of the Faculty
November 20, 2009
Good morning. I bring
greetings from the faculty and the Faculty Senate.
It’s hard to believe that it
has been two months since I initially provided the Board of Trustees with my
first report as Chair of the Faculty. In
September, I pledged to provide you with updates on the role of the faculty and
progress made in university initiatives and goals. This month, I bring you
positive news regarding the work of the faculty and the faculty senate and the
collaboration between the faculty and administration on current initiatives.
In the last few months, the
faculty and the administration have been involved in some of the most important
endeavors ever in the history of the university. Two months ago, as I reported to you, the
review of the Faculty Manual became a major charge to the university and
faculty senate. At the beginning of this academic year, the faculty officers, University
Standing Committees, Faculty Senate, and the Faculty Manual Steering Committee
began their review of the faculty manual.
Words cannot describe the amount of time, attention, and communication
that has taken place in these arenas regarding review of the Faculty Manual. The tone of the faculty is positive, but
serious. They want to preserve traditional faculty responsibilities, but
understand that many issues should be discussed with other key constituencies.
The faculty are willing and eager to participate in roundtable discussions
involving issues such as advising, academic policies, faculty workload,
retention and graduation, and academic program development. Faculty and
administration are engaging in dialogue in a collegial and constructive manner,
which resonates a climate of camaraderie and forward thinking.
The Faculty Manual Steering
Committee has completed its second round of review of the manual and has made
interesting observations and suggestions for consideration by the university
committees and the faculty senate. In
this committee, faculty, administrators, and a Board of Trustee member (Mr.
Greczyn) are engaging in valuable, honest, and thoughtful discussion about the
Manual and relationship to future university policies that will be housed in
the University Policy Manual. We
appreciate Mr. Greczyn’s time and commitment to this committee. This
potentially controversial charge has resulted in collaborative and collegial
conversations about the nature of the faculty manual, including possible
reorganization and removal of particular sections. The committee consists of
six faculty, and 5 administrators including a department chair, two deans, two
vice chancellors, and a BOT member. The Provost (Dr. Sheerer) and I chair the
committee. In our last two meetings, we reviewed the entire manual, up to
Appendix I, a feat that astonished all of us! In our next meeting, we will
complete our review of the faculty manual and will consider university standing
committee recommendations regarding the emendation of the faculty manual.
Thanks to the entire group for all their hard work!
The University Standing
Committees (faculty senate committees) have also worked diligently in
reviewing, and contemplating reorganization and revision to the faculty manual,
specifically charged to the committee. These university committees, which also
include administrators and administrative representatives, are meeting in
addition to their normal monthly meetings, in order to complete their charge.
In addition to these regular committee members, a group of faculty advisors
knowledgeable about faculty manual and committee functions were chosen to
assist the committees in their charge to review specific faculty manual
sections.
At the present time and
within a two-month period, the Standing University Committees have already
completed an initial review of their respective faculty manual sections in a
logical, thoughtful, and meticulous manner. The committees are making
suggestions about vetting the issues with other appropriate university units,
staff, and administration, as needed. For example, Donna Payne, University
Attorney, will be meeting with the Hearing and Appeals Committee and the
Grievance Board regarding Appendix Y; and the Grievance Board has requested a
meeting with the EEO Officer, ECU Employee Relations Director, and the
University Attorney regarding Appendices J, V, W, and X. Faculty Governance will be presenting Appendix
D to the Faculty Senate in December and begin a discussion on Joint
Appointments.
The Academic Standards
Committee is reviewing, reorganizing, and revising Part V (Academic Policies),
which will involve future discussion regarding classroom management and
disruptive student behavior, and advising. I am so proud of these committees and
their dedication to making ECU’s faculty manual the best in the UNC system! I
have been meeting with these committees and have shared discussion with them,
from the Faculty Manual Steering Committee, in order to facilitate the review
this year. The faculty on these committees are providing an enormous amount of
time and effort in reviewing the faculty manual, with no extra pay or
reassigned time, in addition to a full faculty work load consisting of teaching
numerous classes, conducting and mentoring research, engaging in patient care
and clinical supervision, and service responsibilities.
Or course, all these
recommendations will be sent to the faculty senate for approval on these
committee recommendations. We are already discussing how to limit opening
remarks and reports so the senate can hear and discuss the university committee
recommendations regarding the faculty manual. As stated previously, this work
will take some time, but I assure you that significant progress will be made by
the end of the year, in the review and reorganization of the faculty manual. I
want to commend the faculty and the faculty senate for work done thus far this
year. We will continue our work and I will keep the Board of Trustees apprised
of the progress.
ECU is fortunate for the
structure of these standing university committees; a structure that is not
always present in other UNC university shared governance models. The structure
of these committees, and the standard for accountability and responsibility
underscores the work that they are carrying out in a timely manner.
Another university
initiative relates to the
In the last three months, I
have engaged in continuous discourse with the Chancellor, and senior
administrators regarding many important university initiatives. My job has been to provide opportunities for
discussion and to facilitate communication among the faculty and with the
administration. The working relationships between the faculty and the
administration have been commendable.
Joint meetings have been collegial, even when controversial issues are
raised and subsequently discussed at the table. Communication is the tool to
change and ultimately to contentment.
Faculty are openly communicating their ideas and requests in monthly
Faculty Forums and other meetings, especially in the review of the Faculty
Manual, the University Policy Manual, retention and graduation, and other
issues relating to the education of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral
students. The administration has been
very supportive of the faculty and their views, which is interpreted as a
renewed sense of shared governance. Thanks to Chancellor Ballard, Provost
Sheerer, Vice Chancellor Horns, and Vice Chancellor Mageean for all their
support.
So, I report to the ECU
Board of Trustees that significant progress is being made in the review and
emendation of the faculty manual. Faculty are at the table relative to
Retention and Graduation issues, Honors College, University Policy Manual,
Academic Integrity, Master Planning, Educational Planning and curriculum, and
issues relating to tenure and promotion, and Academic Standards.
In the season of
Thanksgiving that is approaching, let me give thanks for and accolades to the
faculty for all their passion, energy, and commitment to
I wish all of you good
health, happiness, and harmony as we celebrate Thanksgiving next week. Thank you for your time today and for all
that you do for our great university.