The biggest change in faculty governance since the introduction of the faculty senate 30 years ago was up for debate at the Feb. 1 meeting — a measure allowing non-tenure track faculty a vote in senate elections.
The move would add 55 senator positions to the existing 140, as the number of seats is tied to the number of voting members. While it wouldn't necessarily mean that non-tenure track faculty would be elected to senate seats, the voting power grants them a voice in the process.
The measure has been a long time coming. After a survey of non-tenure track faculty in 2015 revealed that they felt disenfranchised and frustrated because their lack of voice, a committee of four tenured and four non-tenure track faculty formed to make recommendations to address the issue. Historically, university faculty have resisted giving power to their non-tenure track brethren. Recently, though, universities across the region have been moving to include non-tenure track faculty in the governing process. Some individual academic units within USC, including the journalism school and the psychology department, have already granted voting rights to their entire full-time faculty.
"I don't expect it to have much effect," faculty senate chair Augie Grant said. "Adding a voice won't change what we are doing."
While there are some logistical concerns with the implementation of the change and how it will influence the balance of seats, senators and other faculty at the meeting seemed to accept the principle behind the effort.
"If this was 100 years ago, half of us in here wouldn't be able to vote for all kinds of different reasons," a female senate member said. "What are we saying? I think they should have a voice."
The earliest the change could be implemented is June of this year. The change will be voted on March 1 at the next faculty senate meeting. After that, it needs to be approved at the general full faculty meeting on reading day, April 25. Then it will move to the provost's office, followed by the academic affairs and faculty liaison committee of the board of trustees, before it will finally arrive at the board of trustees.