Faculty Senate charge to revise Faculty Handbook

Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Handbook Revisions

Background

Several years ago, the Board of Trustees (BOT) noted that there were sections of the Faculty Handbook that should not require BOT approval.  This first originated around discussions of sections of the handbook related to voting rights for NTT faculty, but in further discussions it is apparent that the BOT feels it is unnecessary for them to regularly approve certain matters that it sees as best left to the discretion of the faculty and the Faculty Senate.  

There are other reasons to consider revisions to the document. The Faculty Handbook has not been reviewed/updated since 2008, so it is in some places simply outdated and/or inconsistent with the practices that have been adopted since that time. Moreover, some of the practices described in the Handbook overlap with parts of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).  

The ad hoc committee will therefore engage in a comprehensive review of the Faculty Handbook and propose to the Faculty Senate any modifications and/or updates that it sees as desirable.  Any proposed revisions will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate Executive Council, and then by the full Faculty Senate.  If the Faculty Senate votes to approve the proposed changes, they will be reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office before being submitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval.   

Charge

The Ad Hoc Committee on Revising the WWU Faculty Handbook is charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the Faculty Handbook, including the appendices, and drafting proposed revisions. The committee is expected to conduct most of its work during the Fall and Winter quarters of AY 20223-24 and make its report and recommendations to the Faculty Senate during the Spring 2024 quarter.  It is expected that once approved by the Senate, the revised draft of the handbook will be presented to the Board of Trustees for final approval by the end of the 2023-24 academic year.  

Membership

The committee will be comprised of the following Faculty Senate-approved voting members:

• Faculty Senate President
• 1 Faculty Senate Representative (appointed by the Faculty Senate)
• 1 UFWW Representative (appointed by the UFWW Executive Board)
• 3 At-Large Members of WWU Faculty (2 Tenured or Tenure Track plus 1 NTT, appointed by the Faculty Senate)
• 1 Board of Trustees Representative (appointed by the Board of Trustees)