Penn\u2019s Faculty Senate is expanding its ranks to include associated faculty and academic support staff in advisory roles.<\/p>\n
Endorsed on Oct. 7, the resolution<\/a> broadens participation in faculty governance by creating a 10-member committee of full-time associated faculty and academic support staff. Each member will serve a renewable one-year term and help advise the Senate Executive Committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n One associated faculty member and one academic support staff member may also serve as non-voting members on four existing Faculty Senate standing committees. The committee\u2019s chair, to be selected by the Senate tri-chairs, will be invited to join SEC as a non-voting member.<\/p>\n According to the document, the committee will expand \u201copportunities for participation\u201d and guide \u201cfuture consideration of faculty governance structures.\u201d<\/p>\n As a standing faculty<\/a> body, the Faculty Senate consists of professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and clinician-educators. Officially, it does not include associated faculty \u2014 such as research and practice professors \u2014 or lecturers.<\/p>\n Get the DP delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n Sign Up<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe committee shall identify issues affecting associated faculty and academic support staff and shall convey those issues, together with its recommendations, to SEC,\u201d the resolution reads.<\/p>\n The effort to enhance engagement follows a recommendation<\/a> from the Senate Committee on Faculty and Academic Mission<\/a>. In June, the committee published a report<\/a> calling on SEC to \u201cmore effectively represent the interests of non-standing faculty.\u201d<\/p>\n The committee worked with an advisory subcommittee of lecturers and associated faculty during the formation of its report. It also examined the governance structures at peer institutions and within Penn\u2019s schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPenn\u2019s current governance structure is notably out of step with its peers,\u201d the report found.<\/p>\n After reviewing potential other models, the committee concluded that a \u201cunified governance structure\u201d \u2014 which includes both standing and non-standing faculty \u2014 \u201cshould be the ultimate goal.\u201d<\/p>\n The report acknowledged that \u201cpersistent concerns have been documented regarding the professional status, advancement opportunities, and evaluation processes\u201d of full-time lecturers<\/a>, who \u201cfrequently hold long-term or effectively career-length appointments\u201d despite their formal classification<\/a> as academic support staff.<\/p>\n