Fixed-term and retired faculty could have say at Faculty Council meetings

The committee on University government could give fixed-term and retired faculty a firmer voice in faculty matters at today’s Faculty Council meeting.

The committee will vote on a proposal that could amend the faculty code to give retired faculty a say at Faculty Council meetings. Another amendment would allow fixed-term faculty to vote on whether to hire or promote other fixed-term faculty members.

Vincas Steponaitis, chairman of the committee on University government, said the first change would give retired faculty two voting seats on the council, while the second will make it possible for all fixed-term faculty to vote.

Steponaitis said the amendment will tweak the faculty code to bring it in line with the way meetings actually proceed. Fixed-term faculty already vote, he said, but do not explicitly hold the right to do so.

“It will fix an oversight that crept in when the council amended the code in 2007,” he said.

The amendment would remove a line that currently states voting privileges are limited to members “holding tenured or probationary-term appointments.”

“This amendment makes it clear that fixed-term faculty have the right to vote on personnel matters,” he added.

However, it would add a line which states that fixed-term faculty are not eligible to vote on tenure-track appointments, reappointments or promotions.

Annual reports

Besides voting on the amendments, the Faculty Council will hear annual reports from the undergraduate admissions committee and the scholarships, awards and student aid committee.

The undergraduate admissions committee will present its report from the past year, an update on their fall 2010 activities and a demographic profile of students that entered the University in fall 2010.

Professor Bobbi Owen, chairwoman of the undergraduate admissions committee, said the committee will present on an increase to the number of applications.

She said that increase reflects the committee’s dedication to drawing a large and diverse applicant pool.

“Undergraduate Admissions works hard to tell Carolina’s story as effectively as they do,” she said.

But she said that often, credit for attracting applicants goes to athletic programs rather than undergraduate admissions.

“We can’t just leave it to our sports scores to attract students to the University,” she said.

Charles Daye, chairman of the scholarships, awards and student aid committee, will also present an annual report about the proportion of students receiving aid, grant aid, and loans.

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