Specialized Faculty Task Force:
JoAnn Jacoby (Chair), Susan Avery, Tom Habing, Bill Mischo, Jen-Chien Yu
The Specialized Faculty Task Force was charged in January 2015 to “prepare a set of recommendations for consideration by the Executive Committee…that address the necessary steps, associated timelines, responsible groups, and dependencies in implementing Specialized Faculty” as laid out in laid out in Provost’s Communication 25 and 26 (https://provost.illinois.edu/policies/provosts-communications/communication-25-employment-guidelines-for-specialized-faculty-holding-non-tenure-systems/ and https://provost.illinois.edu/policies/provosts-communications/communication-26-promotion-to-teaching-research-or-clinical-associate-or-full-professor-titles/).
Communication 25, Section VII.B. Unit Involvement and Governance states “Tenure system faculty can adopt bylaws that extend certain faculty privileges to non-tenure system academic staff members (e.g, non-tenure system professorial titles, instructors and lecturers) within their units. University Statutes, Art II, Section 3(a)(2). After careful consideration and pursuant to a vote of the tenure system faculty, departments should develop consistent practices and policies related to specialized faculty appointments, including but not limited to, (a) attendance and participation in departmental meetings, (b) eligibility and expectations for service, and (c) participation in curricular discussions and decisions.”
The Bylaws Committee has identified questions that need further discussion by the Faculty and the Task Force, including the following questions:
Discussion Questions
- Would specialized faculty have voting privileges? (The previous task force suggested allowing specialized faculty to vote as members of the faculty, except on issues specifically related to tenure)
- Would specialized faculty be eligible to serve on elected committees: NEVP, Bylaws, AC, EC membership be extended to specialized faculty? (The previous Task Force suggested allowing specialized faculty to serve on the Executive Committee, but only up to two seats.)
- Would specialized faculty be eligible for Assistant/Associate University Librarian positions? Staff Director positions? Division Coordinator positions?