The University of Maryland at College Park is poised to embark on an unprecedented effort to improve the conditions of its faculty members who are off the tenure track. The campus's University Senate, which represents faculty members, administrators, students, and staff members, is scheduled to vote on an internal task-force report that…

The author reports that tough economic times are leading administrators to propose changes that short-circuit faculty governance, long a prized principle that gives professors wide-ranging authority over educational matters. The results, faculty members say, are hastily conceived plans that reorganize academic programs, decrease professors' roles…

At colleges, presidents, provosts, and even faculty senates are taking a fresh look at how to manage professors' retirements. A few institutions that have sought to trim their tenured-faculty ranks for other reasons offer early lessons for those institutions that want to encourage retirements. Many institutions are doing just that, using…

After a period of decline in interest in governance, there appears to be increased faculty interest in reclaiming the responsibility traditionally held by the faculty senate. However, some faculty feel participation in governance detracts from scholarly pursuits and peer perceptions, and that gratification must accompany involvement. (MSE)

Describes how faculty members at Baylor urged the Board of Regents to remove the president, describing a campus "marked by fear." (EV)

In the wake of serious problems in the athletics program, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's faculty council is investigating the role of intercollegiate athletics on campus, examining athletics department finances and procedures and its relationships with outside support groups. (MSE)

College faculty at many institutions feel sidelined as others decide major issues. Some blame trustees, administrators, and the need for rapid decision making; others find faculty are not taking an active enough role in governance. Faculty senates are reviewing their governance documents to make improvements, and are trying to rally more faculty…

Describes how, at community colleges in California, faculty unions play a big role in who becomes a trustee, which can spell trouble for presidents. (EV)

A disagreement between the George Mason University (Virginia) faculty senate and its governing board over how much credit to award for R.O.T.C. (Reserve Officers Training Corps) courses has escalated into a major confrontation over faculty authority over the curriculum and academic policy. The board questions whether the faculty senate is…