The new Administrative Regulation (AR): Faculty Senate, formed by the bylaws created by the Provisional Faculty Senate Executive Committee (Provisional FSEC), was recently presented to the campus community for review. This feedback is an important step in the process of creating the new Faculty Senate representing the voices of all faculty at UK.
Undergirding the AR: Faculty Senate are the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that outline the distinct processes and steps of various actions of the Faculty Senate. These delineate specific actions that members of the Faculty Senate — or the entire body — must undertake to function as a cohesive body. Currently, there are three SOPs in discussion with the Provisional FSEC: election of the Faculty Senate chair, removal of a Faculty Senator and setting Faculty Senate meeting agendas.
The SOPs will only require approval by the Faculty Senate, allowing for updates and improvements to be made as the Faculty Senators encounter various situations in the future. For the first iteration of the SOPs, the Provisional FSEC has the responsibility of establishing the procedures. Detailing these and other procedures enables the Faculty Senate to operate under formalized and structured processes with some degree of flexibility — a critical need to function as an agile body of faculty representation.
The Provisional FSEC is also tasked with representing the interests of the wider faculty community on various committees, such as search advisory committees and provost area committees. These committees help amplify the expertise and knowledge of faculty, not only in their specific fields, but also in areas of instruction and curriculum where faculty hold primary responsibility. The representatives of the Provisional FSEC serving on these committees help provide important guidance to university leadership in many matters, including searches and matters of promotion and tenure.
As the colleges, Libraries and the Graduate School continue holding elections for the Faculty Senate, the Provisional FSEC continues to support the work of faculty across campus. Thank you to these individuals for their service at this critical time for UK.