In September 2016, a group of non-tenure-track faculty (NTTF) began meeting with a single goal: gaining access to shared governance for NTTF.

For just over three hours on April 10, 2018, the Faculty Senate discussed proposed amendments to its Constitution and Bylaws.  The line-item changes agreed to during that meeting describe a more inclusive Senate than the current one.  If these changes are affirmed in further votes within the Senate and by tenure-line faculty, all faculty members, regardless of their rank or campus, would be formally recognized as contributing to our academic community, and full-time NTTF would be allowed to serve on the Senate.

We eagerly await the confirmation of these changes that will create a strong, unified Faculty Senate.

As we anticipate that confirmation, the Task Force for NTTF & Shared Governance wants to thank our colleagues across campus for their involvement in the process toward progress.  The conversations we have had, while difficult at times, have resulted in better awareness of the labor of all university faculty, especially that of our more vulnerable contingent faculty.  This awareness, alongside the more inclusive Faculty Senate that will soon take shape, will strengthen the university as a whole.

We are excited about the opportunity for NTTF to play a meaningful role in envisioning and creating our university’s future, and we are grateful to our colleagues for examining, refining, and supporting our cause – and for soon warmly welcoming NTTF to the Senate.

The Task Force for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty & Shared Governance
April 20, 2018