Faculty Senate endorses Faculty Handbook amendments

The Faculty Senate endorsed amendments to the Faculty Handbook that would permit faculty to appeal a department’s decision to remove them from teaching and research duties if confirmed by higher authorities, aiming to address due process concerns.
The proposal initially presented in April had to be revised to ensure faculty removal from research responsibilities was not used as informal disciplinary measures.
Three Faculty Senate president-elect nominees were announced: Ana Maria Acosta, Ian Horswill, and Seth Lichter.
The Faculty Senate discussed potential generative AI classroom policies, with debate on whether a standardized policy respects faculty academic freedoms while still ensuring student academic integrity.
The Board of Trustees responded to letters from the Faculty Senate, reaffirming commitment to shared governance and agreeing to provide details on the decision to switch to UnitedHealthcare for faculty healthcare needs, while pledging to address faculty concerns on salary increases.