The Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA) closed out the 2022鈥�23 academic year exchanging with Provost Russell Moore on the challenges of implementing the new budget model and with a polite disagreement on whether a new campus curriculum committee should report to Moore or have independent authority.听
Provost Russ Moore congratulates Professor Wayne Boss of organizational development and management (top) and Distinguished Professor Marv Caruthers of biochemistry (bottom) for 50 years of service to the university at the听final meeting of the Boulder Faculty Assembly for the 2022鈥�23 academic year.听Distinguished Professor Steven Maier of psychology and neuroscience was not present.
Moore reviewed the year鈥檚 achievements within his priorities, including the approval of the common curriculum;听progress on implementing the Academic Futures report recommendations;听receiving the report of the Faculty Salary Procedures Working Group;听progress in diverse faculty hiring and in diversity, equity and inclusion; and commitments for consecutive 4% raises for faculty, graduate students on appointment and staff during the next two years.听
In a question-and-answer exchange afterward, Moore said he was supportive of converting 鈥渓ongtime repeated lecturers鈥� to 鈥渢he teaching [professor] ranks,鈥� acknowledging that decision lies 鈥渁t the college and school level.鈥澨�
Another question centered on reduced salaries for tenured and tenure-track faculty for teaching Augmester and Maymester courses in the College of Arts and Sciences and whether or not the reductions were a campus policy.听听
Moore said that was 鈥渘ot a campus policy鈥攖hose are local and school policies.鈥澨�
Jennifer Hendricks of Colorado Law asked a pointed question on what she termed the 鈥渕oral question鈥� of why the law school鈥檚 heavily subsidized budget under the new budget model should come at the expense of budget cuts in Arts and Sciences.听听
鈥淚 want to know, what is the justification? How does it align with our highest priorities?鈥� Hendricks said.听听
Moore said under the model campuses will have to make 鈥渓ocal decisions鈥� and in some cases make use of budgets rolled forward as cash reserves.听
鈥淲e鈥檙e not in an environment of scarcity,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淭he focus should not be on supplemental but core funding鈥攖hat鈥檚 where the biggest changes can occur.鈥澨�
To close out the meeting, the BFA approved a resolution to support the creation of a campus curriculum committee of faculty members representing the schools and colleges鈥攊ncluding the three divisions of Arts and Sciences鈥攁s well as the University Libraries. The resolution expressed BFA鈥檚 preference that committee members should be appointed by these units鈥� faculty governance groups and be independent鈥攏ot merely advisory to the provost鈥攊n deciding and enacting matters centered in duplicative curricula, as well as interdisciplinary opportunities across colleges, schools and departments.听听
Professor Shelly Miller of environmental engineering, newly elected chair of the Boulder Faculty Assembly, thanks Tiffany Beechy, outgoing chair of the assembly, for her service as chair during the last two academic years.
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment Katherine Eggert reminded the group that the written policy was 鈥渁 draft鈥� and any resolution the body would craft would serve as 鈥測our review and opinion.鈥澨�
鈥淭he deans also review鈥攜our review is important;听the deans鈥� review is important;听and the policy belongs to the provost,鈥� she said, referring to the Academic Affairs policy proposal and adoption process.听听
The BFA took a different tack in amending amending its resolution, citing Article 5 of the Laws of the Regents, which holds that faculty have the principal responsibility for decisions concerning curriculum, and adding specific language to the resolution to bind the provost to decisions made by the committee.听听
The binding recommendation, one BFA member noted, raised 鈥渢he old question鈥�鈥攈ow would it be enforced?听
Beechy said, 鈥淲e鈥檇 have to develop this in our framework...that the provost is bound to enforce the decisions of the committee.鈥澨�
In other action at the meeting
- Moore opened the session by giving 50-year service awards to CU Professor Wayne Boss (organizational development and management), Distinguished Professor Marv Caruthers (biochemistry), and Distinguished Professor Steven Maier (psychology and neuroscience).听
- Eggert and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Joe Thomas outlined the year鈥檚 progress on the听Buff Undergraduate Success (BUS) initiative, pointing out 12 priority projects the initiative will seek to implement as of the fall 2023 semester.听听
- University Libraries officials presented on the libraries鈥� new service platform, FOLIO.听
- The assembly passed passed a motion sending the BFA constitution, drafted by the BFA Bylaws Committee, to a vote of the Faculty Senate (all faculty with 50% or higher appointment).听听听
- The assembly thanked Tiffany Beechy of English for her two years鈥� service as BFA chair and announced the election of Shelly Miller of Environmental Engineering as new chair.听听
For more information on the meeting,听visit the BFA鈥檚 website.
