Welcome Back and Governance Open Forum: University Governance Updates - Aug. 22, 2022
Dear colleagues and students,
We are eager to see you all on campus and hope you had an opportunity to enjoy the summer. Governance functions best when your energies and as many of your diverse perspectives channel through it. As we begin another academic year, we want to take a moment to invite you all to an upcoming open forum on governance and shared governance, hosted by University Governance in partnership with The Commons.
This open forum will introduce our different senates and invite your input on our advocacy and policy initiatives before the start of the new governance session. The Presidents of the Faculty, Staff, and Student Senates will discuss past and future initiatives, broader advocacy goals, as well as upcoming opportunities for your involvement. After these presentations, Provost Bichelmeyer will address efforts to define shared governance that University Governance is working on with the administration. You can join us either in person at The Commons or remotely via the zoom.
GOVERNANCE AND SHARED GOVERNANCE
Presentations and Q&A
The Commons
August 30, 3:30-5PM
Zoom access link:
https://kansas.zoom.us/j/95144224080
Meeting ID: 951 4422 4080
Passcode: 041472
We also want to make you all aware of the following code revisions implemented by the University and Faculty Senates last year. These revisions, which relate to faculty, staff, and students, have been approved by the Chancellor and updated in the Policy Library. Collectively, the policy changes related to faculty and staff serve two purposes: they affirm tenure while also taking steps toward the inclusion of staff and non-tenure track faculty in governance leadership and participation. The code revisions that affect students aim to facilitate the academic progress of transfer students, while also supporting all students academically when their studies are derailed by traumatic experiences or other unforeseen circumstances.
University Senate CODE revisions: This last year, the University Senate voted to change CODE 1.2 to alternate the University Senate Vice President role between Staff Senators (odd academic years) and Student Senators (even academic years). Changes were also made to CODE 10.2 so that both staff and faculty can chair several University Senate Standing Committees (Academic Computing and Electronic Communication, International Affairs, Libraries, and Retirees Rights and Benefits). Finally, CODE 2.1 was updated to formalize the election of teaching professors, clinical professors, research professors, lecturers, and all other unclassified academic staff to the Faculty Senate.
University Senate Rules and Regulations (USRR) revisions: This last year we added the 1.3.11, 1.4.8, and 2.1.6 amendments to the USRR code. These new amendments articulate the expectation of supportive measures in the academic space for students impacted by sexual assault, intimate partner violence, dating violence, or stalking. We also revised USRR 2.3.3 to allow for retroactive relief when students require medical or compassionate withdrawal.
Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations (FSRR) revisions: We amended FRSS 7.5 to formally reflect the language from the Faculty Handbook stating that tenured faculty may be removed “only for cause, in cases of program discontinuance, or in cases of financial exigency as defined in the USRR Article VII and VIII.” FRSS 2.5 has also been updated to reflect that KU can enter into a new transfer agreement with another institution in accordance with the new KBOR definition of the Baccalaureate degree to implement changes to the 64-hour university transfer policy.
The best policies and the most effective advocacy respond to your perspectives and needs and reflect a collective vision for where the university should be headed. We hope to see and hear from you in The Commons and beyond.
Thank you for all you do,
Ani Kokobobo, University Senate President
Nate Brunsell, Faculty Senate President
Jessica Chilcoat, Staff Senate President
Sadie Williams, Student Body President
Hollie Hall, Graduate Student Body President