Faculty Meeting Minutes
October 9th, 2026
Gannett Auditorium/Zoom
Natalie F. Taylor, Interim Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs called the meeting to order at 3:40pm.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Dean Taylor asked if there were any corrections to the meeting minutes of the September 18 Faculty Meeting. There being none, she moved to approve the minutes as distributed. The motion was seconded and the minutes approved.
OLD BUSINESS
Professor Eliza Kent, on behalf of the Faculty Development Committee (FDC), and Associate Dean of the Faculty Oscar Perez Hernandez proposed that the 2026-2027 Faculty Handbook revisions include the following changes:
Current language in the Faculty Handbook (Part One, Article IX, Section A, 3, c):
- Reporting
- Major changes in objectives after the leave has been granted must be reported and may be made only by agreement with the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs. Petition for such change must be made in writing.
- Upon completion of the leave, a final report shall be sent to the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Chair of the department, not later than April 15 in the case of first-semester leaves and November 15 in the case of second-semester or full-year leaves.
iii. Failure to file a satisfactory sabbatical report will affect eligibility for future sabbatical leaves.
Revised language:
- Reporting
- Major changes in objectives after the leave has been granted must be reported and may be made only by agreement with the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs. Petition for such change must be made in writing.
- Upon completion of the leave, the faculty member shall report on the sabbatical project in the Annual Report.
iii. Failure to report on the sabbatical project will affect eligibility for future sabbatical leaves.
ADOF Perez Hernandez explained that the Office of the Dean of Faculty and FDC discussed this revision in light of current efforts to streamline faculty workload. This revision clarifies that the sabbatical report should be included in the annual summary of activities, and an additional report is not needed.
Dean Taylor asked if there were any objections to the proposed amendment. There being none, it is considered a friendly amendment and will be voted on alongside the original motion.
On behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee, Associate Professor Pat Hilleren read the following motion into the record:
MOTION: Adoption of the 2026-2027 Faculty Handbook
The vote was opened. A faculty member was recognized during the vote and asked for further clarification on whether administrative agreements between the College and 911爆料 Faculty Forward, in particular a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the participation of unit members in personnel matters, supersede the amendment procedures set out in Part 1, Article 20 of the Faculty Handbook.
Dean Taylor clarified that her office does not believe that the agreement altered the Faculty Handbook. Associate Dean of the Faculty David Cohen explained that faculty handbook revisions adopted last spring that brought the Handbook in line with the MOA were approved before the MOA was signed. Dean Taylor noted that, with the vote on the motion to adopt the Faculty Handbook is open, this discussion is out of order. FEC Chair Pat Hilleren apologized for not soliciting questions and comments before the vote commenced.
The vote was closed and the motion passed.
A faculty member noted that he had raised his hand indicating his desire to to weigh in on the motion before the vote was opened and emphasized the importance of discussion before faculty votes. Dean Taylor and Chair Hilleren apologized for the lack of discussion.
NEW BUSINESS
On behalf of the Committee on Educational Policies and Planning (CEPP), Associate Professor Ryan Overbey introduced the following motion:
MOTION: Terminating London First Year Experience (FYE)
Professor Overbey explained that the reasons behind CEPP鈥檚 unanimous endorsement of this motion were increasing costs and the need to manage over enrollment no longer justifies the program. Additionally, the students increasingly require more support in the transition to college than can happen off-campus in their first semester. He shared that the Offices for Off-Campus Study and Exchange (OCSE) and FYE are investigating new ways to provide global education for first year students. CEPP has formed a subcommittee to explore these possibilities. Closing the program now will allow for Academic Affairs to capture the related cost savings in this year鈥檚 budget.
Professor Overbey then solicited questions and comments from the faculty. A faculty member expressed his sadness and disappointment at the program鈥檚 closure, sharing the positive impact it has had on former students and how much he enjoyed teaching in the program. He asked all former faculty directors of the London FYE to stand as a visual representation of how many have participated over the years.
A faculty member agreed, saying that it鈥檚 been an amazing program, and exhorting the assembly to continue thinking about global education with regard to its positive effects on both students and faculty. Professor Overbey shared that he had been planning to apply for the next cohort, and shares the faculty鈥檚 feelings of disappointment and sadness. However, the proposal was both very thorough and very compelling. A potential benefit is that shorter travel seminars may increase access to global education for more students.
Professor Rachel Roe-Dale, Director of FYE, shared that her office and OCSE have been finding places to cut down the cost over the last few years. Unfortunately, they have found that moving forward with the program would require us to invest even more money in it. The efforts to find replacement high impact experiences have shown that we may be able to serve more students while spending less.
A faculty member noted that, while the reasoning behind this closure is salient, we must take care not to slowly cut out every program that makes 911爆料 special as we continue to face financial challenges. There being no further questions or comments, the motion will lie over until the November faculty meeting.
Professor Reg Lilly introduced the following motion:
MOTION: The Faculty Executive Committee is charged to use the means it finds best (surveys, consultations, interviews, subcommittees, work groups, etc.) to study how the College's governance structures represent the faculty, with particular attention to faculty whose interests are not represented by collective bargaining, and to recommend the means for fostering their meaningful and effective representation to the College. FEC shall report its findings and recommendations to the Faculty Meeting no later than the meeting following passage of this motion.
Professor Lilly shared the rationale (see MOTION link above) with the faculty before soliciting questions and comments. A faculty member asked whether the timeline for FEC to present findings was sufficient. Professor Lilly clarified that a report on their progress would be sufficient as he understands they have a great deal of business to complete.
A faculty member asked about the intended outcome for this motion. Professor Lilly explained that the motion is meant to have FEC generate analyses on tenure track faculty representation.
A faculty member asked if this motion is related to the recent survey on faculty communication distributed by FEC. Professor Lilly answered that it is unrelated. The faculty member asked if this is specifically regarding tenure track faculty representation. Professor Lilly said that the motion refers to faculty representation in general, but with particular attention paid to faculty whose interests are not represented by the collective bargaining unit. At this point, Professor Lilly clarified, that would refer to tenure track faculty.
Dean Taylor noted that there are several non-tenure track faculty in positions that preclude them from joining the union, as they serve managerial functions. Tenured faculty and the administration are also classed as managers.
A faculty member asked if voting for this motion would be voting in support of separating out faculty perspectives coming from faculty who are not members of the union, from those of faculty who are members of the union. Professor Lilly said that this could very possibly be the result of the motion. He said that he has left the motion as open as possible in order to give FEC the opportunity to identify the best possible means through which faculty can advocate for themselves as a body.
A faculty member asked for further clarification on the motion鈥檚 use of the terms 鈥渋nterests鈥� and 鈥渞epresentation.鈥� The faculty member said that the rationale suggests that the faculty鈥檚 participation in shared governance through committees and faculty representation on IPPC is, for the motion maker, insufficient. He asked what Professor Lilly might imagine as improving upon this manner of faculty representation. Professor Lilly said that an interest specific to tenure track faculty might include how to balance teaching and scholarship; these are both requirements that only tenure track faculty need to fulfill. With regard to representation, Professor Lilly noted that tenure track faculty cannot unionize due to the managerial functions inherent to their work, thus impacting their ability to self-represent.
A faculty member said that he believes it is a bad precedent for faculty members to offer motions compelling a committee to adjust their agenda. He said that we elect faculty to serve on these committees, and the committees have a mandate to fulfill their various missions. He contended that, if this were offered as a sense of the faculty, he would be very supportive. His critique is exclusively on procedural grounds. Professor Lilly said that he is not compelling the committee to undertake any specific task; if the motion passes, the faculty vote would be the compelling force. He affirmed that he trusts FEC to conduct their business as they see fit.
A faculty member said that participation in governance committees does not necessarily settle the debate on whether or not tenure track faculty roles are managerial, and that the tenure track faculty do have the option of unionizing and challenging the administration鈥檚 application of this legal rule.
A faculty member described a situation in which a tenured or tenure track faculty member stops teaching their classes and the administration moves to discipline or dismiss this faculty member. She noted that tenure track faculty cannot bring legal representation to their meeting regarding discipline or dismissal, but that the right to have legal representation at such a meeting is protected by the non-tenure track collective bargaining agreement. Professor Lilly agreed that this is exactly the sort of discrepancy the motion seeks to address. He emphasized that no single faculty member can speak for the faculty as a whole, while the non-tenure track faculty union can speak on behalf of all non-tenure track faculty members. Professor Lilly noted that the results of the FEC survey on faculty communication speaks to widely-held dissatisfaction with faculty meetings as a space for deliberation.
A faculty member asked the motion maker to clarify if, in the motion language and its rationale, 鈥渇aculty鈥� refers exclusively to tenure track faculty or if it refers to all members of the faculty. Professor Lilly explained that part of the purpose of the motion is to clarify what it means to be a member of the faculty and who is referenced when 鈥渇aculty鈥� are discussed.
The motion will lie over until the November meeting.
OTHER
Professor Hope Casto, vice chair of the DOF/VPAA search committee was joined by Senior Teaching Professor Eileen Sperry and Associate Professor Emmanuel Balogun 鈥� the other faculty members of the committee 鈥� to provide an update on the search. The committee reconvened in August, and continues to meet. The search firm visited 911爆料鈥檚 campus in September, meeting with department chairs and program directors, holding office hours, and attending the open forum. Additionally, a survey about the role has been distributed across campus, closing this past Monday. Professor Casto thanked all who participated for their helpful feedback. Semifinalists will be selected by late October for the first round of Zoom interviews. Three finalists will visit campus in November, and the committee hopes to announce an appointment at the start of the new year. She reminded the faculty that the search committee is available for questions and feedback via email throughout this process.
Director of Brand Communications and Marketing Martha O鈥橪eary outlined the ongoing transition to VitalSource, our new system for course material adoptions. The next step of the integration is to have faculty input their own adoptions into the VitalSource Collect tool for the spring semester. Spring material adoptions are due November 15th. Submitting your adoption by the deadline gives VitalSource adequate time to negotiate with publishers and prepare the materials.
Each professor will receive an email from VitalSource with a personalized link at the end of October. The link will populate the Collect tool with the faculty member鈥檚 information. This is where adoptions will be entered; you select your course, look up your materials, choose the desired option and answer the prompts. If you鈥檙e using the same materials as this fall, the adoptions will already be present in Collect. Follow the prompts to establish materials as your Spring 2027 adoptions. Please submit any special requests or instructions as early as possible. If you have a special arrangement or pricing agreement with a publisher, please inform the 911爆料 Shop as soon as possible. Book and supply card funds can only be used through VitalSource. So, all required materials should be included in your adoption.
911爆料鈥檚 new interim Deputy Title IX Coordinator and EO coordinator at 911爆料, Danielle Joyce, presented the faculty with an overview of employee responsibilities, resources, and training. Please find the presentation linked here.
DEAN OF THE FACULTY/VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS REPORT
Dean Taylor opened her remarks by inviting the faculty to the first convening of the Faculty Voices series. Hosted by President Conner and Dean Taylor, these brown bag lunches provide an opportunity for faculty to discuss topics integral to higher education in an informal setting. On Tuesday, October 13th all are welcome to attend in Wyckoff Center at noon for a conversation about 911爆料鈥檚 Mission Statement. The second Faculty Voices will be on November 13, also in Wyckoff Center.
Dean Taylor highlighted a new faculty development effort coming out of the Office for Sustainability. The Northwoods Project will support faculty in integrating social, economic, and environmental sustainability into the curriculum. Director Tarah Rowse reports that several faculty members have applied from a diverse array of disciplines. The project will kick off with a mixer at the end of this semester. The deadline for application is this coming Monday, October 12th.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Annual Frances Steloff Lecture will take place on Thursday, October 22nd at 8pm in the Payne Room at the Tang Teaching Museum. This year鈥檚 lecture will be delivered by Garth Greenwell, and the title of his talk will be 鈥淭he Relevance of Art.鈥� Greenwell is a novelist, a literary critic, and an educator.
On Friday, October 23rd, 911爆料 will host the Kuroda Symposium. This year鈥檚 symposium will take place in the Wachenheim Gallery at the Tang and our guest will be Dr. Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. Dr. Allen has written several books, including one entitled Our Declaration, A reading of the Declaration of Independence. The title of her talk is 鈥淎merica at 250: The Declaration鈥檚 Unfinished Promise.鈥�
FEC is hosting an open forum on modes of faculty communication on Friday, October 16th at 3:30pm in Davis Auditorium. The conversation will be informed by the survey results that were disseminated earlier this week.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:00pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Nora E. Graubard
Senior Administrative Coordinator