Resolutions 2022-2023

Resolution 2022-2023-1
UCF Faculty Constitution Amendment
UCF Faculty Constitution Amendment Process

Whereas, the UCF Faculty Constitution amendment process details four instances where a fixed length of time is provided for input into the amendment process, including 30 days prior notice before consideration at an initial Faculty Senate meeting, 14 days for general faculty to provide input on the amendment, 30 days notice for any textual revisions to the amendment, and 30 days review by the Provost and President upon initial passage, and

Whereas, the current UCF Faculty Constitution amendment process results in an extended time period of up to 146 days between the original time of notice and the day on which the amendment can be considered by the faculty and voted upon due to the timing of periodic Steering and Faculty Senate meetings, and up to 248 days from start to finish of the entire Constitution amendment process; and

Whereas, the widespread and ubiquitous utilization of digital communications has sped up the way in which the Faculty Senate and all of UCF communicates and conducts business; therefore:

Be it resolved that the amendment process detailed in Article VII. of the UCF Faculty Constitution be amended to state:

A. Amendments to the constitution shall be considered by the Faculty Senate upon recommendation of the Faculty Senate Steering Committee or upon receipt of a proposal signed by five percent of the General Faculty. The text of a proposed amendment must be communicated to the General Faculty, made available electronically to the members of the Faculty Senate, and be included on the agenda and discussed at two successive meetings of the Senate.  The proposed amendment is subject to amendment and may be voted upon at the second Senate meeting.  A two-thirds vote of the voting members present is required for adoption.

B. Upon adoption by the Faculty Senate, an amendment shall be transmitted to the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and the president of the university for action. Within twenty days the president shall either approve the amendment or refer the amendment back to the Faculty Senate for reconsideration. Such a referral shall include the reasons for the action. If the latter action is taken, the Faculty Senate may, by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present, approve the original or a revised amendment.  The approved amendment will be sent to the president for further consideration. An amendment shall become effective at such time as it receives the president’s approval.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on August 25, 2022
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on January 19, 2023
• Approved by President Alexander Cartwright on February 9, 2023

Resolution 2022-2023-2
Faculty Bylaw Change
Faculty Senate Bylaw Amendment Process

Whereas, the Bylaws to the Constitution of the Faculty of the University of Central Florida amendment process requires a bylaw amendment to be on the agenda of two successive Senate meetings, and that there also be 30 days prior notice before the first of those meetings; and

Whereas, the current Bylaw amendment process results in an extended time period of up to 78 days between the original time of notice and the day on which the Bylaw can be considered and voted upon due to the 28 day cycle of Faculty Senate meetings; and

Whereas, the widespread and ubiquitous utilization of digital communications has sped up the way in which the Faculty Senate and all of UCF communicates and conducts business; therefore:

Be it resolved that the Faculty Bylaw amendment process detailed in section X.A. of the Bylaws to the Constitution of the Faculty of the University of Central Florida be amended to state:

A. The Faculty Senate may amend its own bylaws by the affirmative vote of a majority of Senate members present and voting at a meeting with a quorum.

1. A proposed amendment shall be included on the agenda for discussion at two successive regular meetings of the Senate.

2. The text of a proposed bylaw or amendment to a current bylaw must be made available electronically to the members of the Faculty Senate prior to the first meeting.

3. The proposed amendment is subject to amendment and vote at the second Senate meeting.

4. In cases of emergency, established by the Steering Committee, the requirement of requiring two successive meetings can be waived.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on August 25, 2022
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on November 3, 2022
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on November 7, 2022

Resolution 2022-2023-3
Faculty Bylaw Change
Library Faculty Serving on Faculty Senate Graduate Council and Committees

Whereas, library faculty served for many years as graduate faculty members of the Graduate Council and the four graduate committees (Policy, Appeals, Curriculum, and Program Review & Awards); and

Whereas, including library faculty as full voting members of these graduate committees has positively contributed to the decisions and recommendations of these committees; and 

Whereas, the unique position that library faculty hold within the University of Central Florida scholarly community results in active involvement in Graduate education but may not result in library faculty meeting the criteria for persistent Graduate Faculty status; and

Whereas, the current language of the Faculty Constitution & Bylaws identifies graduate faculty status as a requirement for membership on these graduate committees; therefore

Be it Resolved that the Bylaws be amended as follows to allow library faculty to serve as full voting members on these graduate committees:

Section VII. Senate Curricular Committees
B. Graduate Council
b. Membership.
The voting members of the council shall consist of all of the members of the committees of the Graduate Council. The dean of the College of Graduate Studies is an ex officio member of the council. All faculty members of the Graduate Council, except the University Library faculty members, must be Graduate Faculty, as specified in the Graduate Catalog.
1. Graduate Policy Committee
b. Membership.
The voting members of the Graduate Policy Committee shall consist of one graduate faculty member from each academic unit, at least four of whom are members of the Faculty Senate, a University Library faculty member, and a graduate student.
2. Graduate Appeals Committee
b. Membership.
The voting members of the Graduate Appeals Committee shall consist of at least one graduate faculty member from each academic unit, a University Library faculty member, and a graduate student. The dean of the College of Graduate Studies or her/his designee is an ex officio member of the committee.
3. Graduate Curriculum Committee
b. Membership.
The voting members of the Graduate Curriculum Committee shall consist of one graduate faculty member from each academic unit, at least four of whom are members of the Faculty Senate, a University Library faculty member, and a graduate student.
4. Graduate Program Review and Awards Committee
b. Membership.
The voting members of the Graduate Program Review and Awards Committee shall consist of one graduate faculty member from each academic unit, at least four of whom are members of the Faculty Senate, a University Library faculty member, and a graduate student. The graduate student representative will be appointed by the chair of the council based on recommendations made by the president of the Graduate Student Association and the dean of the College of Graduate Studies. The dean of the College of Grad ate Studies or her/his designee is an ex officio member of the committee.

• Approved by Steering Committee on September 22, 2022
• Approved by Faculty Senate on December 1, 2022
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on December 2, 2022

Resolution 2022-2023-4
Faculty Bylaw Change
Research Council Membership

Whereas, the duties and responsibilities of the Research Council are far ranging, and include in part assisting in the evaluation of university research programs, reviewing the activities of committees that deal with human subject or animals in research, working with Office of Research administration in establishing guidelines for submission and review of research proposals, and recommending policies relating to research activities, research facilities, responsible research conduct, and patents; and

Whereas, the Research Council currently has the flexibility to divide into committees based on the specific
needs or emphasis in any given year; and

Whereas, faculty membership on the Research Council consists of exactly eighteen faculty members proportionally representing all of the University academic units, plus two additional faculty from the university institutes and/or centers; and

Whereas, the efficiency of the Research Council would be enhanced by having additional faculty members representing the academic units, thus providing a wider array of viewpoints and experiences from which the council could draw upon; therefore

Be it resolved that the Bylaws to the Constitution of the Faculty of the University of Central Florida be amended in Section VI.F.2 to replace the text “The committee shall consist of eighteen faculty members with at least one representative from each of the academic units selected by the Committee on Committees and two additional faculty members from the institutes and/or centers will be designated by the vice president for the Office of Research.” with “The committee shall consist of twenty-eight faculty members with at least one representative from each of the academic units selected by the Committee on Committees and three additional faculty members from the institutes and/or centers will be designated by the vice president for the Office of Research.”  

• Approved by Steering Committee on September 22, 2022
• Approved by Faculty Senate on December 1, 2022
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on December 2, 2022

Resolution 2022-2023-5
Faculty Bylaw Change
Excessive Absences in Committee

Whereas, the principles of shared governance requires contributions from the Faculty Senate, the Senate operational committees, Senate curricular committees, and joint committees, in making reviews and recommendations to the president, the provost and vice president for academic affairs, and other administrators on all matters concerning the welfare of the university; and

Whereas, meaningful contributions from faculty appointed to committees requires the presence of the faculty at scheduled committee meetings; and

Whereas, the Faculty Senate appoints faculty members, only a fraction of which are senators, to serve on Senate operational committees, Senate curricular committees, and joint committees; and

Whereas, the faculty senate has a mechanism to address vacancies or excessive absences by senators at Senate meetings as described in the Bylaws Section V.A.-C.; and

Whereas, joint committees have a mechanism to address vacancy or excessive absences as stated in Bylaws Section VII that “If a non-elected committee member is absent or unable to serve for eight weeks or longer, an interim or permanent replacement will be appointed for the remaining term”; and

Whereas, consistent expectations for committee attendance at Senate operational committees, Senate curricular committees, and joint committees would benefit faculty in understanding expectations; therefore

Be it resolved that the Bylaws to the Constitution of the Faculty of the University of Central Florida be amended in Section VI and Section VII to state “If a committee member is absent or unable to serve for eight weeks or longer, the committee chair will attempt to find a way for the committee member to actively participate in the business of the committee.  If no arrangement can be made, the committee chair and the committee itself will decide if an interim or permanent replacement should be appointed for the remaining term by the agency that appointed the committee member”, and

Be it further resolved that the Bylaws to the Constitution of the Faculty of the University of Central Florida be amended in Section VIII to replace “If a non-elected committee member is absent or unable to serve for eight weeks or longer, an interim or permanent replacement will be appointed for the remaining term” with “If a committee member is absent or unable to serve for eight weeks or longer, the committee chair will attempt to find a way for the committee member to actively participate in the business of the committee.  If no arrangement can be made, the committee chair and the committee itself will decide if an interim or permanent replacement should be appointed for the remaining term by the agency that appointed the committee member.”

• Approved by Steering Committee on September 22, 2022
• Approved by Faculty Senate on December 1, 2022
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on December 2, 2022

Resolution 2022-2023-6
Faculty Bylaw Amendment
Faculty Senate Parliamentarian

Whereas, the Bylaws to the Constitution of the Faculty of the University of Central Florida state that one of the duties of the Faculty Senate Chair is to appoint a parliamentarian; and

Whereas, meetings of the Senate are conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, which asserts “a member of an assembly who acts as its parliamentarian has the same duty as the presiding officer to maintain a position of impartiality, and therefore does not make motions, participate in debate, or vote on any question except in the case of a ballot vote”; and

Whereas, it has been customary practice in the Senate that the Chair appoints a member of the Senate to be the parliamentarian, and that the appointed parliamentarian engages in debate, makes motions, and votes on all questions before the Senate; and

Whereas, Webster’s New World Robert’s Rules of Order Simplified and Applied provides an alternative status for the parliamentarian as follows: “If a member is considered the parliamentarian and sits with the assembly during meetings and does not advise the chair during the meetings, then perhaps the parliamentarian would have the right to make motions, discuss them, and vote”; therefore:

Be it resolved that the Faculty Bylaws be amended to state in section III A. 1. g.  to state:

“To appoint a parliamentarian. The parliamentarian, if a member of the Senate, has the rights to make motions, engage in debate, and vote, but cannot sit by or advise the Chair of the Senate during a meeting.”

• Approved by Steering Committee on September 22, 2022
• Approved by Faculty Senate on December 1, 2022
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on December 2, 2022

Resolution 2022-2023-7
Post-Tenure Faculty Review

Whereas, the faculty of the University of Central Florida are dedicated to our core missions of teaching students, research and creative scholarship, and service to the greater Orlando region and the state of Florida; and

Whereas, a key purpose of tenure is to prevent the removal of faculty without genuine cause whose proper exercise of academic freedom, that is, uncovering uncomfortable truths and pointing them out to society, may become a problem for some administrators; and

Whereas, the awarding of tenure and the academic freedom provided by tenure allows UCF to recruit and retain an outstanding faculty that enhances the University’s stature, rankings, teaching expertise, and research programs; and

Whereas, UCF faculty currently undergo both annual performance evaluations and comprehensive post-tenure review every three years, and can be disciplined or fired for cause as appropriate at any time; and

Whereas, UCF is committed to the principles of shared governance, where the faculty and the administration work together to address the challenges facing us, to find ways to measure our success, and to empower the University and the faculty to continually improve; and

Whereas, the tenure evaluation itself is fundamentally a shared process initiated at the faculty level, in which a departmental committee evaluates the candidate against the departmental standards (in research, teaching, and service) and competitiveness in the field of scholarship, a department head makes an independent recommendation, a college committee evaluates against the standards of the college, the dean makes an independent recommendation, the university committee evaluates against the standards of the university, the provost and president make the final decision of tenure, and the trustees provide the final approval of tenure; and

Whereas, in keeping with the shared nature of the tenure decision, the American Association of University Professors advises that when developing post-tenure review, “faculty should have the primary responsibility in developing and conducting such reviews”; and

Whereas, the current Board of Governors Regulation for Post-Tenure Faculty Review did not have meaningful input from faculty across the State University System as it was being developed; and

Whereas, the current draft of the Post-Tenure Faculty Review Regulation lacks faculty peer review at the department, college, and university levels, despite discipline-specific faculty expertise being needed to effectively assess and review the productivity and scholarship of faculty, as is done for tenure evaluation; and

Whereas, the proposed Post-Tenure Faculty Review regulation, lacking faculty input in development and process, creates a highly risky and potentially devastating mechanism for removing faculty without genuine cause and without any form of appeal, redress, or peer review, effectively eliminating tenure; and

Whereas, as further evidence of the risky prospects of undermining tenure, the Florida Institute of Technology, a private university, recently instituted tenure because they were losing their best faculty without it and could not offer enough to keep top faculty otherwise, indicating that the fiscal cost of attracting and retaining competitive faculty to new positions and to replace departing faculty will rise substantially to compensate for the loss of tenure protection, which in turn will require a substantial increase in tuition and/or legislative outlays; and

Whereas, the proposed Post-Tenure Faculty Review regulation will cause a brain drain of our best and brightest faculty, resulting in harm to the Florida economy, an increase in tuition, taxes, or both, and/or a sharp reduction in the quality and/or quantity of education produced at SUS institutions, and thus almost certainly the loss of Florida’s #1 ranking in US public higher education; therefore

Be it Resolved, that the UCF Faculty Senate strongly opposes the current draft Regulation for Post-Tenure Faculty Review in its initial premise, in its development process, and in its proposed review format. We request the Board of Governors to work closely with faculty across the SUS to develop a more meaningful and accurate post-tenure review process that effectively and efficiently evaluates faculty, protects academic freedom and complies with Florida statutes.

• Approved by Steering Committee on November 17, 2022
• Approved by Faculty Senate on December 1, 2022
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on December 2, 2022

Resolution 2022-2023-8
Faculty Bylaw Change, Instructional Designers and the Division of Digital Learning

Whereas, Instructional Designers are integral to each college and most departments and participate to some degree in teaching, research, and service; and

Whereas, Instructional Designers meet the faculty characteristics described in the Bylaws Section 1. B.; and

Whereas, the ranks of Assistant, Associate, and Senior Instructional Designer were created in 2016 in order to more properly align with existing faculty ranks and promotion pathways at the university;

Whereas, the Senate has previously amended the Bylaws to add Instructional Designers to the following Senate committees: Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning Advisory Committee, Library Advisory Committee, Strategic Planning Council, Bookstore Advisory Committee, and the Information Technology Committee, and

Whereas, Instructional Designers are in the Division of Digital Learning and a part of Academic Affairs, reporting to a vice provost who reports to the provost;and

Whereas, the UCF Faculty Constitution Article II. A. states that “In establishing representation, the Faculty Senate may determine that a unit be represented that is not a recognized college”; and

Whereas, the Faculty Senate would benefit from the addition of Instructional Designers within the Division of Digital Learning to the senate membership and to the Senate operational and joint committees; therefore

Be It Resolved that the Bylaws Section I.A be amended to add the academic titles of Senior Instructional Designer, Associate Instructional Designer, and Assistant Instructional Designer; and

Be It Further Resolved that the Bylaws Section I.A be amended by adding the following statement at the end of the section:  The Division of Digital Learning shall be considered an academic unit for the purposes of representation within the senate.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on February 2, 2023.
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 23, 2023.
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on March 28, 2023

Resolution 2022-2023-9
Faculty Senate Bylaw Change, University Master Planning Committee

Resolution failed at Steering Committee meeting on February 2, 2023

Resolution 2022-2023-10
Faculty Senate Parking Transportation and Safety Committee

Whereas, the University Parking and Transportation Committee and the Faculty Senate Parking, Transportation, and Safety Committee have overlapping duties and responsibilities with respect to parking and transportation issues on campus, which could be overseen by a single committee instead of two committees; and

Whereas, events in recent years, such as the COVID pandemic and the multiple hurricanes that impacted UCF, have shown that safety and security concerns can be addressed more effectively when there is broad input from different faculty perspectives; and

Whereas, a single faculty-level committee focused upon the areas of safety and security would provide for enhanced two-way communication and response development between faculty and staff on critical safety and security concerns on UCF campuses; therefore

Be It Resolved that the title of the Faculty Senate Parking, Transportation, and Safety Committee be changed to the Faculty Senate Campus Safety and Security Committee to reflect a focus upon safety and security issues on UCF campuses.

Be It Further Resolved that the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate Parking Transportation and Safety Committee be amended as detailed below:

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. To evaluate and recommend policies concerning campus safety and security that will foster a mutually beneficial environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors in the university community.
2. To provide feedback to appropriate campus safety and security officials with a focus on maintaining the missions of teaching and research.
3. To develop effective safety and security communications for the campus community.
4. To make recommendations to the Steering Committee of the Faculty Senate.

Membership

The voting members of the committee shall be at least one faculty member from each academic unit (selected by the Committee on Committees), one staff member (selected by the Staff Council), and one student (nominated by the Student Government Association).  The ex officio members of the committee shall be the Director of Emergency Management (who provides administrative support for the committee), the UCF Chief of Police (or designee), the Director of Security (or designee), the Chief Information Security Officer (or designee), and the Police Department Public Information Officer.  The Director of Emergency Management shall identify additional ex officio members as needed to ensure that areas relating to campus safety and security are represented.  The chair and vice chair shall be elected annually from the faculty membership. Terms of service shall be two years, staggered, except for the student member, who shall serve for one year.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on February 2, 2023.
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 23, 2023.
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on March 28, 2023

Resolution 2022-2023-11
Constitutional Amendment to Create a Faculty Senate Student Success Council

Whereas, a core mission of UCF is to teach students by providing high-quality education that prepares them for the real world experiences that will unfold over the rest of their lives; and

Whereas, UCF has recently enhanced its focus upon student success by hiring a senior vice president for Student Success and by reorganizing several departments and areas to coordinate efforts within the Division of Student Success and Well-Being; and

Whereas, student success encompasses a broad array of departments, programs, initiatives, and policies that require administration, faculty, and staff working together in a cohesive manner to help our students complete their studies; and

Whereas, the faculty at UCF have a critical role in guiding and ensuring the success of our students as they take classes and progress through degree programs; and

Whereas, there currently is no faculty level committee on campus that concentrates upon student success, or that works with the administration to develop, evaluate and utilize policies and procedures that enhance student success across the entire UCF curriculum; therefore

Be It Resolved that the UCF Faculty Constitution be amended to create a Faculty Senate Student Success Council as a joint committee with the following description:

“The Faculty Senate Student Success Council makes recommendations to the senior vice president for Student Success and other relevant committees, units and individuals on programs, initiatives, and policies, including admission policies, relating to the success and well-being of our students.”

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on February 2, 2023.
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 23, 2023.
• Submitted to President Alexander Cartwright on March 28, 2023
• Approved by President Alexander Cartwright on May 10, 2023

Resolution 2022-2023-12
Bylaw Amendment to Create a Faculty Senate Student Success Council

Whereas, a core mission of UCF is to teach students by providing high-quality education that prepares them for the real-world experiences that will unfold over the rest of their lives; and

Whereas, UCF has recently enhanced its focus upon student success by hiring a senior vice president for Student Success and by reorganizing several departments and areas to coordinate efforts within the Division of Student Success and Well-Being; and

Whereas, student success encompasses a broad array of departments, programs, initiatives, and policies that require administration, faculty, and staff working together in a cohesive manner to help our students complete their studies; and

Whereas, the faculty at UCF have a critical role in guiding and enhancing the success of our students as they take classes and progress through degree programs; and

Whereas, there currently is no faculty level committee on campus that focusses upon student success, or that works with the administration to develop, evaluate and utilize policies and procedures that enhance student success across UCF; therefore

Be It Resolved that the Faculty Bylaws be amended to create a Faculty Senate Student Success Council with the membership and the duties and responsibilities described below:

1. Duties and Responsibilities
2. To promote the development and implementation of programs, policies, including admission policies, and practices that help students succeed in their academic pursuits and personal wellbeing.
3. To advise and assist the University Student Success Steering Committee, the senior vice president for Student Success, the vice provost and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies, the dean of the College of Graduate Studies, and other relevant committees, units, and individuals in developing student success initiatives and recommending actions to meet student success goals.
4. To review and monitor the performance and progress of state performance- based funding, preeminence, and other strategic student success metrics that are important for UCF and its students.
5. To support and collaborate with the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and the Center for Distributed Learning to create professional development for faculty to facilitate student success.
6. To serve as an advisory and recommending body for the Faculty Senate on strategies and procedures that relate to student success.
7. To support and collaborate with professional advising offices across UCF to help facilitate student success.
8. The chair of the Faculty Senate Student Success Council will serve as a member on the University Student Success Steering Committee.
9. Membership

The Faculty Senate Student Success Council shall consist of at least one faculty member from each academic unit (selected by the Committee on Committees), at least two of whom are current members of the Faculty Senate, the senior vice president for Student Success (ex officio), one representative from the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, four students, with at least one undergraduate student, one graduate student, and one international student (nominated by the president of the Student Government Association), one representative of the Student Success & Well-Being Leadership Council Team (selected by the senior vice president for student success), one representative from UCF Global (appointed by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs), one representative from the College of Graduate Studies (appointed by the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies), and one representative from the College of Undergraduate Studies (selected by the vice provost and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies). A representative from the professional advising office for each college or unit may serve as a non-voting committee member. The senior vice president for Student Success (or designee) shall identify additional ex officio members, making every effort to ensure that areas relating to student success are represented. The chair and vice chair shall be elected annually from its faculty membership. Terms of service shall be two years, staggered, except for the student member, who shall serve for one year.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on March 9, 2023.
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 23, 2023.
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on March 28, 2023
  

Resolution 2022-2023-13
UCF Faculty Senate Supports Accessibility and Inclusion for All

Whereas, the University of Central Florida has made a commitment to both excellence and access, where our faculty and staff educate a diverse student body and prepare our students for the challenges of today and tomorrow; therefore

Be It Resolved that the University of Central Florida Faculty Senate supports UCF’s widespread initiatives to expand excellence, accessibility and inclusiveness for all persons, regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, economic background, and political opinion or affiliation.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on March 9, 2023.
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 23, 2023.
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson for information only on March 28, 2023

Resolution 2022-2023- 14
Administrative Support for New Digital Accessibility Policy Requirements

Whereas, the president of the University of Central Florida approved a Digital Accessibility policy, policy 2-006, effective 6/20/2022; and

Whereas, policy 2-006 requires responsible parties at the University of Central Florida to adopt the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.0 AA as the guiding accessibility standard for all information and communication technology; and

Whereas, responsible parties shall strive to ensure that all electronic technology and resources used for communication, instruction, and the distribution of information is created and/or maintained in a digitally accessible manner including, but not limited to instructional systems, online instructional lessons, web-based services, software applications, electronic documents, computers, hardware systems, telecommunication products, video and multimedia products, mobile devices, and online events; and

Whereas, as of June 26, 2023, faculty and other parties responsible for creating and/or maintaining Learning Management System and university content that is created, redeveloped or undergoes substantial revisions as well as multimedia resources posted to university web pages and applications and/or used in university programs, courses, and activities shall strive to conform to WCAG 2.0AA; and

Whereas, by December 31, 2024, faculty and other responsible parties must review web pages and/or web content that has been created and published in the last seven years and ensure that it is digitally accessible in accordance with WCAG 2.0 AA; therefore

Be It Resolved that faculty and staff need financial support and resources from the university administration to ensure that all digital content meets the new policy requirements that web pages, web content in courses, videos with subtitles, and images are digitally accessible; and

Be It Further Resolved that the UCF administration creates a Center or Office for Digital Accessibility to focus and support efforts across campus to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.0.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on March 9, 2023.
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 23, 2023.
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson on March 28, 2023
• Approved by Provost Michael D. Johnson on April 26, 2023 with the following comment:
  “An office supporting digital accessibility will be established in the Ginsburg Center, reporting to Vice President Andrea Guzman.“

Resolution 2022-2023-15 
Faculty Involvement in the Hiring of Tenured/Tenure-Earning/Research (T/TE/R) Faculty

Whereas, shared governance has been recognized as a central feature of higher education since the 1966 Statement on Government in Colleges and Universities (SGCU) from the American Association of University Professors, the American Council on Education, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. The SGCU stipulates the responsibilities and authority that should be conferred upon faculty and legitimates their involvement in institutional governance (Birnbaum, 2004 as cited in Jones, 2011). This includes the proviso that “faculty status and related matters are primarily a faculty responsibility; this includes appointments, reappointments, decisions not to reappoint, promotions, granting of tenure, and dismissal;” and

Whereas, this responsibility and authority stems from the recognized expertise of faculty that is cultivated through the publication and peer review of scientific manuscripts, preparation and acquisition of research grants, and national/international conference research presentations; and

Whereas, this responsibility and authority is consistent with and upholds the tenure system found in the vast majority of U.S. universities; and

Whereas, studies have consistently and overwhelmingly found that faculty across the U.S. believe in shared governance as an integral part of their institution’s values, identity, and culture (Tierney & Minor, 2003; see also Williams et al., 1987; Gore et al., 1987, Miller 2002); and

Whereas, campus values, identity, and culture shape and are shaped by faculty morale, and faculty morale and engagement is tied to shared governance and participation in the recruitment and retention of the best research talent; and   

Whereas, Discovery & Exploration has been identified as a key element of UCF’s 5 Year Strategic Plan, which includes increasing the “focus on research by supporting basic, applied, clinical, and translational research activities and recruit and retain highly qualified faculty,” including the hiring of 300 faculty by 2027; and 

Whereas, the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) and Human Resources (HR) search, screening, and hiring guidelines do not specify certain important aspects of faculty involvement in faculty searches and hiring; and

Whereas, a substantial majority of unit bylaws defer to the OIE and HR search, screening, and hiring guidelines and/or do not specify certain important aspects of faculty involvement in faculty searches and hiring; and

Whereas, the current search and hiring process does not require transparency with faculty, making the process vulnerable to misinformation and/or arbitrary decision making (e.g., not collecting or sharing input from faculty, search committees refusing to provide search updates to relevant unit faculty, staff voting on faculty research cluster appointments), therefore

Be it Resolved that the University of Central Florida OIE and HR delineate and expand its’ search, screening, and hiring guidelines for new or appointed T/TE/Research (T/TE/R) faculty who will be required to conduct research and prepare and/or publish research-related [or discipline specific] deliverables, such as academic publications, as part of their annual assignment of duties in the following ways:  

• The hiring official shall notify all full-time faculty in the unit before commencing a search or an appointment for T/TE/R faculty.

• The hiring official shall appoint members of the search committee who are T/TE/R faculty and/or faculty who will be responsible for the decision making on the tenure and/or promotion of that faculty member, unless unit bylaws expressly state that other faculty may serve on search committees for T/TE/R faculty positions.

• Once qualifying applicants have been identified from the candidate pool during the round one credentials review (see OIE Search & Screening Guidelines, p.8), the search committee shall make available to unit T/TE/R faculty and/or faculty who will be responsible for the decision making on the tenure and/or promotion of that faculty member, meeting minutes and profiles of remaining applicants; this is consistent with the principles and laws informing the hiring guidelines developed by HR (revised version September 2022) that require the public be notified of and allowed to attend search committee meetings.

• Faculty, as defined in the above paragraph, who have read candidate materials, shall be given a reasonable opportunity to provide voluntary feedback [that is aligned with search criteria] to the search committee in the second and potentially third round of the screening process (see OIE Search & Screening Guidelines, p.8), the results of which shall be made available to these faculty before proceeding to the next round of applicant screening, if one is needed. 

• Following the candidates’ on-campus (or virtual) visits, all full-time unit faculty, support staff, students, or community members who have met with the candidate or attended their presentations may provide input on the pros and cons of each candidate to the search committee.

• Following the candidates’ on-campus (or virtual) visits, the search committee shall convene a joint meeting inviting unit T/TE/R faculty and/or faculty who will be responsible for deciding on the tenure and/or promotion of that faculty member, to participate in the drafting of a final report, with pros and cons of each visiting candidate, for the hiring official.

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•  If a consensus view is expressed in the final report of the faculty, and the hiring official departs from that view, then the hiring official should provide the faculty with a written explanation for the departure.

Be it Further Resolved that a unit vote shall be taken for other forms of faculty hiring with the potential for tenure (e.g., academic partner hires, dual unit appointments, research cluster or administrator appointments), and that unit voting privileges on any matter concerning the potential hiring shall only extend to T/TE/R faculty and/or faculty who are responsible for deciding on the tenure and/or promotion of faculty.

• Approved by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee on March 9, 2023.
• Approved by the Faculty Senate on March 23, 2023.
• Submitted to Provost Michael D. Johnson on March 28, 2023
• Denied by Provost Michael D. Johnson on April 20, 2023 with the following comments:
  “I think it’s important that chairs and directors remain free to include in search committees anyone they think will best help identify and advance the strongest candidates. This may well include untenured or non-tenure-earning faculty or others, valuable professionals with a wide variety of experiences and expertise that a hiring official might find important. In fact, the obligation and authority of the hiring official to select search committee members is a part of the university’s search process, meaning that this resolution violates that process. Please note that all search committee meetings must be noticed and are open to the public. Anyone may attend and listen, although not participate, and minutes as well are available to remain informed. Other ways to participate besides serving on search committees include actively recruiting for vacant positions, attending finalist’s presentations and interviews, and giving feedback to the search committee. All search committees should seek input from interested stakeholders, so all department faculty and others whose input can help the committee should be asked to give feedback to the committee. This in general should not be at preliminary stages, such as choosing finalists, but is appropriate after final public interviews.”