Faculty Senate

  • Senate Calendar 2023-2024
    • Meetings are Fridays 11:30-1:30 (11-11:30 lunch)
    • NOTE: This schedule is subject to change as details arise, including the addition of Special Senate Meetings as needed. We also anticipate Senate hosted forums for which we do not require a quorum but which we encourage Senators to attend.

    Fall 2023

    09/22 in AAC 290

    10/20 in Renaissance Room, Mary Reed Bldg

    11/10 in AAC 290

    Winter 2024

    01/19 in AAC 290

    02/16 in AAC 290

    03/8 in AAC 290

    Spring 2023

    04/05 in AAC 290

    05/17 in AAC 290

  • Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda

    February 16, 2024

    11:00 = Lunch

     

    11:30 A.M.

    • Call to Order, Senator Sign in and approval of September Minutes
    • Faculty Senate President Updates
      • FOE demonstration policy
      • Academic Program Review
      • Update on our requests re COACHE
    • Updates and Q & A with Provost Clark
      • COACHE response
    • Board of Trustees Update
      • BAM & Salary
      • Provost Conversation Event
      • Free Expression and Campus Climate

     

    ​​​​​​​12:15 P.M. (approximate)

    • Discussion of Senate Action on COACHE faculty (dis)satisfaction data
      • ​​​​​​​Small group discussion to generate action items

     

    1:25 P.M. = New Business

     

    1:30 P.M. = Adjournment

  • Join Faculty Governance Committees

    Send an email to the co-chairs indicating your interest in a committee, along with a few sentences about why you’d like to be on the committee and what you have to contribute. If you are nominating someone, please do the same in terms of what the person nominated would contribute.

    Teaching Excellence

    Co-chairs

    •Leslie Alvarez, Director leslie.alvarez@laibuying.com
    •Someone to be designated by the Faculty Senate President

    Teaching and Professional Faculty

    •Co-chairs:
    •Laura Sponsler, Clinical Series, laura.sponsler@laibuying.com
    •Barb Hurtt, Teaching Series, barbekka.hurtt@laibuying.com

    Workload Equity

    •Co-chairs:
    •Hava Gordon, hava.gordon@laibuying.com
    •Michele Tyson, michele.Tyson@laibuying.com

    DEI Committee for General Education

    •Co-chairs:
    •Lisa Martinez, lisa.martinez@laibuying.com
    •Renée Botta, renee.botta@laibuying.com
  • APT Updates

    Proposed Amendment to the “Policies and Procedures Relating to Faculty Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure”

    (Approved by the Faculty Senate by unanimous consent on March 18, 2022 and by the Board of Trustees in April 2022)

    This amendment applies only to faculty members in faculty series as specified below who were (1) first appointed to a faculty position during either the 2020-2021 academic year or the 2021-2022 academic year and (2) have a review either for reappointment and/or promotion or for tenure and promotion scheduled for either the 2022-2023 academic year or a later academic year in their current appointment agreement.

    1. Teaching and Professional Track Faculty

                A faculty member who was appointed to a faculty position in the Professorial Series in University Libraries, Teaching Professorial Series, Clinical Professorial Series, Professors of the Practice Series, or Research Professorial Series for the first time during either the 2020-2021 academic year or the 2021-2022 academic year will receive a one-year extension in their employment contract if they file a notice, in writing, for the one-year extension with the administrative head of their academic unit according to the following deadlines:

    A.        If the faculty member is scheduled for review for reappointment and/or promotion during the 2022-2023 academic year, the written notice must be filed on or before June 1, 2022.

    B.         If the faculty member is scheduled for review for reappointment and/or promotion in an academic year later than 2022-2023, the written notice must be filed on or before April 1 of the year before the review is scheduled. For example, if the review for reappointment is scheduled for the 2023-2024 academic year, the written notice must be filed on or before April 1 of 2023.

     

    2.         Tenure-Line Faculty

    A faculty member who was appointed to the Tenure-line Professorial Series without tenure for the first time during either the 2020-2021 academic year or the 2021-2022 academic years will be continued in rank for an additional year beyond the final year of the initially agreed-upon probationary period if the faculty member files a notice, in writing, for the one-year extension with the administrative head of their academic unit according to the following deadlines.

    A.        If the original review for tenure and promotion was scheduled to be conducted during the 2022-2023 academic year, the notice of extension must be filed by June 1, 2022.

    B.         If the original review for tenure and promotion was scheduled to be conducted during the 2023-2024 academic year or in a later academic year, the notice of extension must be filed by April 1 of the academic year before the review was originally scheduled. For example, if the review for tenure and promotion was originally scheduled to take place during the 2023-2024 academic year, the written notice must be filed on or before April 1 of 2023.

    AMENDMENTS FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

    (Both Motions were approved by the Faculty Senate by unanimous consent on April 22, 2022)

    (Motions approve by the Board of Trustees in June, 2022)

    Motion 1:

    To correct for oversights in the wording of the Policies and Procedures Relating to Faculty Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT), it is moved that the following changes (as marked by underlining) be made to the APT:

    5.5.3

    F.         Under special circumstances (e.g., when a faculty member is on an approved leave of absence or family leave), the time allotted for the leave need not count as part of the tenure probationary period, depending on specific arrangements with the Dean and approved by the Provost. Any change is agreed on in consultation with the faculty member.

    5.5.4.

    E.         Under special circumstances and at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, a tenure decision may be delayed and a faculty member may be continued in rank without tenure for one or two additional years beyond the final year of the agreed‑upon probationary period.  Any change is agreed on in consultation with the faculty member.

    Motion 2:

    Because the provisions in Sections 5.5.3.F and 5.5.4.E in the APT apply to tenure-line faculty but parallel provisions are not provided for faculty members in the Teaching and Professional Track, it is moved that the following Sections be added to the APT

    3.4.5    Special Circumstances

    The provisions in Section 3.4.5 apply to those holding a faculty position in the Professorial Series in University Libraries, Teaching Professorial Series, Clinical Professorial Series, Professors of the Practice Series, or Research Professorial Series.

    A.        Under special circumstances (e.g., when a faculty member is on an approved leave of absence or family leave), a review for reappointment and/or promotion may be delayed and a contract extended to adjust for the effect of the special circumstances, depending on specific arrangements with the Dean and approved by the Provost. Any change is agreed on in consultation with the faculty member.

    B.        Under special circumstances and at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, a review for reappointment and/or promotion may be delayed and the employment of a faculty member extended for one or two additional years beyond the final year of the faculty member’s employment contract. Any change is agreed on in consultation with the faculty member.

     

  • Moniker Report - June 2022

    This report is a supplement to the Senate's 2021 Resolution calling on DU to retire the moniker out of due concern for classroom outcomes for our students. The report was written at the invitation of the Chancellor and its aim is to specifically help amplify and contextualize the link between the moniker and classroom learning. Senate will talk with Board members, the Provost, and the Chancellor at FEAC on 6.2.22 as part of ongoing conversations on this important matter.

    Here is the report. This was written as a collaboration by 15+ faculty and staff with expertise in a range of interdisciplinary topics addressed in the report. The Table of Contents is click-able so you can move around the document. You can find an Executive Summary right at the top.

    Here is a Qualtrics link if you'd like to add any additional notes or resources as part of this conversation.

    Please also visit the DEI tab on the Senate webpage to view additional supporting materials.

  • Mountain Campus - Early Faculty Opportunities & Another Campus Visit

    Look for an invite in the coming days to take a visit to the Kennedy Mountain Campus in early December.

    Click here for the latest call for proposals for KMC curriculum and co-curriculum.

     

    Below, find the Provost's email from 4.6.22

    Click here for the faculty CFP for curricular and curricular-meets-co-curricular proposals for the Mountain Campus.

    Click here for the the invitation to the 5.13 and 5.20 faculty curricular ideation opportunities.

    *

     

    Provost note from 4.6.22:

    April 6, 2022

    Dear colleagues,

    The Provost’s Office and Faculty Senate are partnering to support faculty as they develop meaningful curricular and curricular-meets-co-curricular student experiences at the Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC). Toward this end, we are issuing our first (and certainly not our last) faculty-wide Call for Proposals for faculty-led programming at the KMC for innovative student experiences. The CFP is due June 15, and we are looking for projects starting after the conclusion of the Fall Term in November 2022 or later; you can find the full details here.

    To further help support faculty in this process, we are partnering with the Faculty Senate on a faculty/curricular ideation workshop on May 13, 2022 from 1:30-3 p.m. (by Zoom). Renée Botta, Sarah Pessin, and Jennifer Campbell (incoming and current Faculty Senate Presidents and the Chair of the Academic Planning Committee) have developed a fun set of exercises to help faculty share ideas and co-create new ideas for innovative, interdisciplinary curricular experiences for graduate and undergraduate students at KMC. We’re also featuring a Kennedy Mountain Campus curricular ideation lab as part of our upcoming 4D Symposium on May 20, 2022 from 10-11:30 a.m. Join us for one or both of these ideation events!

    For detailed information on these workshop and lab events (and the relevant Zoom links), visit here.

    We would love to have you join us as we co-create opportunities for faculty engagement at the Kennedy Mountain Campus. And please note: While we are beginning with faculty-led student-centered opportunities, we look forward to future CFPs supporting a wide range of faculty research and faculty-led community partnership opportunities as well.

    Lastly, to provide you with a fuller sense of our current timeline, DEI priorities, 4D connections, and student-focused kick-off, I wanted to highlight the following information:

    • Tribal engagement. In response to a request from the Faculty Senate’s mountain campus committee (a subcommittee of the Academic Planning Committee), the Chancellor and I have engaged DU colleagues with expertise in Native and Indigenous culture and history to engage in consultations with Tribal leaders. This includes planning for Native-led land studies with strong attention to DEI values and principles. We look forward to sharing more with you about this important work.
    • Student-centered start. While a primary objective is to provide an immersive co-curricular outdoor experience for our students (and Student Affairs and the 4D are in the midst of planning immersive experiences for all first-year and transfer students in Fall 2022), there will be substantial opportunity for faculty’s innovative ideas to engage students up at the Kennedy Mountain Campus beginning with the interterm following Fall 2022.
    • Next steps. Our first pilot for faculty-led opportunities (see the link to the CFP above) is to start after Fall 2022, beginning with Winter Interterm in November 2022. We expect engagement with the site beginning in Fall 2023. Over time, we aim to build an even wider array of curricular and co-curricular KMC offerings for all students and we will work with the AVC of the Mountain Campus to coordinate and implement those efforts.

    I look forward to working with you to envision new opportunities at the Kennedy Mountain Campus and to doing so in ways that support and supplement the work that we are already engaged with on main campus. I also look forward to working with you in ways that align with and deepen our core commitments around DEI, interdisciplinarity, innovation, and the 4D student experience. As always, please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

    With warm regards,

    Mary

     

    Faculty invite to two events, 5.13 + 5.20:

    http://r0c47z.laibuying.com/sites/default/files/2022-04/2_Faculty_Invites_KMC_4D_Spring_Events_2022.pdf

  • Gen Ed Summary & Faculty Vote - June 2022

    UPDATE: The 4 motions passed the All Faculty Vote in June, 2022

    Vote 1 Gen Ed Director 67% approved
    Vote 2 Gen Ed DEI committee 77% approved
    Vote 3 Gen Ed Pilots 81% approved
    Vote 4 Gen Ed New Names 83% approved
     

    I. Summary Overview / Introduction (posted 6.2.22)

     

    • Over the last few months, the Senate's Reconciliation Committee has been hosting campus-wide sessions on its four general education motions. These motions have been discussed, vetted, and revised in light of multiple conversations with the Provost, the Academic Planning Committee (APC), FSEC, Undergraduate Council, Deans' Teams, OTL, ODEI and many other groups on campus.

     

    • Additionally, these motions were discussed on the Senate floor at a pre-reading on 4.22, a First Reading on 5.6, and a Second Reading on 5.27. [As part of the Second Reading, Motion 4 was slightly amended from an earlier version, resulting in the version of Motion 4 you will be voting on; if you would like more details, see here].

     

    • On 5.27 Senate voted in support of all four motions by large majority.

     

    • As is customary for Senate votes on matters which impact faculty across campus, we are now conducting an all faculty vote due Friday 6.10@5pm; check your email (and junk mail) for the ballot (or contact sarah.pessin@laibuying.com if you don't see it). All full time appointed faculty from the following lines are eligible to vote on these motions:
      • Tenure-Line Professorial Series
      • Professorial Series in University Libraries
      • Teaching Professorial Series
      • Clinical Professorial Series
      • Professor of the Practice Series
      • Research Professorial Series

     

    • Equipped with data from the Senate Vote, the all-faculty vote, and Undergraduate Council, the Provost will determine next steps in relation to her office and members of the Board of Trustees.

     

     

    II. The Four Motions Approved by Senate on 5.27.22 Now Going to Faculty Vote

    Below are the motions approved by Senate and now going to faculty vote. (Note: References below to ‘RCR’ are to the Reconciliation Committee Report from May which you can find here (and regarding which you can watch a 32-minute video here)).

     

    Motion 1: Faculty Director of General Education

    To endorse the creation and hiring of a new position in the Provost’s office, a new Faculty Director of General Education, in accordance with the recommendations and details described in RCR, Section I (including the outlined spirit of “Sustained Partnerships” and “Iterative, Nimble, and Responsive Process”).

     

    Motion 2: New Gen Ed DEI committee --> New DEI Attribute

    To create a Gen Ed DEI Faculty Committee (whose charge and timeline are specified in RCR, Section I and Appendix B) to be co-chaired by Renée Botta and Lisa Martinez and to be seated under their leadership and in consultation with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and other relevant stakeholders.

     

    Motion 3: Curricular Innovation Pilot Courses

    To endorse a two-year funded* pilot for innovative new interdisciplinary “linked-teaching” courses that students can take for up to 12-credits of their general education requirements (detailed in RCR, Section I and Appendix C).

    • *Note: Based on ongoing partnership between the Reconciliation Committee, Deans’ Teams, and the Provost’s Team, the Provost supports this pilot for two years in the amount of $50k per year. The committee is pleased to be able to bring this pilot idea to faculty with fiscal support from the Provost, and with full support of the Senate.

     

    Motion 4: Refined Core Area Titles and Descriptions

    To update titles, acronyms, and descriptions of the general education curriculum (detailed in RCR, Section I and Appendix E)* within an expanded framing in terms of “Ways of Thinking, Creating, and Taking Action” (see RCR, Appendix D).

    • *Note: Appendix E has been updated with the titles and shorthand titles/acronyms as they appear below (see the right-hand column); these are the Senate-approved names you are voting on:

     

    Gen_Ed_Matrix_June_2022_LANG_updated

     

    Questions?

    Contact Senate President Renée Botta renee.botta@laibuying.com and Past President Sarah Pessin sarah.pessin@laibuying.com

     

     

The Faculty Senate is the primary body through which faculty participate in the shared governance of the University of Denver.

The Senate is composed of approximately 90 members elected to represent the academic units of the University.

Much of the Senate's work is accomplished through its five Standing Committees:

  • people

    Academic Planning Committee (APC)

  • people

    Financial Planning Committee (FPC)

  • people

    Nominations, Credentials & Rules (NCR)

  • people

    Personnel Committee

  • People

    Student Relations Committee (SRC)

PDF of the descriptions (drawn from the 

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee (FSEC) includes the Chairs of the five Standing Committees, the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, and several at-large members. Questions and concerns may be addressed through elected departmental or divisional Senators, or may be addressed to the Senate President at Renee.Botta@laibuying.com

Contact

 

Faculty Senate President