2013-2014 Legislative Actions

The NTE Committee moves to publish the most recent version of the NTE Faculty Data Table on the Faculty Senate website, within the section of the NTE Committee, under password protection, and to annually update this published table as necessary.

Motion to support the letter of Mike Bowen, Chair of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA), to President Emmert of the NCAA.

Consulting the Faculty Senate:

Whereas, on March 26, Regional Office 13 of the National Labor Relations Board ruled that grant-in-aid scholarship football players at Northwestern University are employees of the university, and entitled to a vote whether or not they desire to be represented for collective bargaining purposes by College Athletes Players Association (CAPA); and

Whereas, the Administration of Northwestern University has declared its intention to appeal this decision, basing its appeal among other grounds on the argument that scholarship football players at Northwestern University are primarily students, and secondarily athletes; and

Whereas, the Faculty by statute have a fundamental responsibility at Northwestern for decisions on academic issues, and the University's appeal argues that this is an academic issue; therefore

Resolved, that the Faculty Senate requests that before any future appeals are lodged, the University consult with the Faculty Senate, to ascertain the level of support among Faculty for such appeals.

The Senate asks the Committee on Cause [a Senate Standing Committee] to examine the paragraph in the faculty handbook titled “Procedures for Termination or Suspension of a Faculty Member for Cause and for Appeal of Minor Sanctions” with an eye toward removing ambiguities, clarifying responsibilities, and coordinating its work with the Faculty Appeals Panel.

That the Senate honors Jeri Logemann for her many years of service to her students, her department, her discipline, and particularly the Faculty Senate. By this resolution, members officially extend to Jeri their sincere wishes for improved health and a speedy return to the Senate chamber.

The Senate Chair proposes the formation of a Special Faculty Committee -- see Article 5, Section 3, Part 1, including representatives from the Budget, Benefits and Non-Tenured faculty committees (membership chosen by the committees themselves) and at least one senior NU administrator, to undertake a year-long review of NU policy concerning faculty salary and benefits.

The Senate Chair will serve ex officio. Among the issues it may address are: national standing of NU compensation levels at every rank; current system for awarding wage increases; over-emphasis on outside offers as a basis for salary raises and consideration of alternative procedures; apparent decline in value of benefits; equity and fairness of current benefit system; and mediated relationship between endowment income and salary and benefit levels. Upon completion of its review, the committee will write a succinct report and make recommendations to the Senate.

The Senate Chair proposes the convening of a Special Faculty Committee -- see Article 5, Section 3, Part 1, to consider the most effective ways to coordinate and strengthen Northwestern’s effort related to climate change and the Anthropocene (actual name to be determined later).

The committee will include representatives from the Educational Affairs, Research, and Social Responsibility committees (membership chosen by the committees themselves) and at least one senior NU administrator. The Senate Chair will serve ex officio.

Though Northwestern has placed global issues at the top of its recent Strategic Plan, established centers for Global Engagement, Global Culture and Communication, and Global Health Studies, developed a Global Opportunities website, hired a new Vice President for Global Marketing, and made global outreach the focus of its recent trustee/faculty luncheon, it has not addressed as an institution global climate change and the anthropocene. (The latter term, popularized by the atmospheric chemist and Nobel Prize winner Paul Crutzen, describes "a geologic age of our own making" in which natural ecosystems have been so transformed and degraded that they may in the near future be incompatible with human life.) In coordination with existing centers and programs, the new Center would coordinate research and teaching in the following areas (among others): the science of climate change; climate policy and national education; ecology and biodiversity; water systems (droughts, floods, and water wars); alternative fuels; transition to more sustainable plant-based diets; soil erosion and depletion; deforestation; species extinction; and zoonotic diseases.

Upon completion of its evaluation, the committee will write a succinct report and make a recommendation to the Senate.

To reconstitute a Faculty Handbook Committee that will do revisions and review of the current handbook.

The members of the Faculty Senate for the academic year 2013-14 will serve, potentially, as people who can be impaneled by the Faculty Appeals Panel.

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Appeals Panel will remain in force for the duration of this year.