Term Faculty Affairs Newsletter

August 28, 2023

The Term Faculty Affairs Committee within CHSS Assembly is pleased to release the very first term faculty affairs newsletter to feature all of the accomplishments of our term faculty members across the college. Our committee is tasked with "representing term faculty on the development, coordination, implementation, and advocacy, of all matters affecting term faculty including, but not limited to, workload, compensation and benefits, contracts, professional development, university and departmental culture, and promotion consistent with current university guidelines and practices." As part of our advocacy for term faculty, we feel it is critical to feature their contributions through teaching, research, and professional organizations. Over the course of this past year, we also drafted the guidelines for term faculty promotion and continued conversations about workload among college constituents. We look forward to featuring the work of our colleagues and advocating for change in semesters to come. Please look out for the call for submissions in the Spring. 

In Community,

The Term Affairs Faculty Affairs Committee 2022-2023

Michael Hurley, Associate Professor of Psychology

Virginia Hoy, Senior Instructor of English and Individualized Studies

David Powers Corwin, Assistant Professor of Integrative Studies 

Justin Ramsdell, Associate Professor of Psychology

Andrea Zach, Assistant Professor of German 

 

Teaching Awards and Recognitions

Many of our term faculty are recognized at the university level and through their professional organizations for their teaching efforts. Also, even though term faculty are not required to take on formal mentoring, many take the time to work with students through teaching assistantships, research projects, conference presentations, creative projects, and many others. 

Research and Professional Organization Recognition

Term faculty engage in research and professional development both at the university level, but also through national and international organizations. While some term faculty's roles are research focused, many term faculty are engaging in this work outside of their contracts and we hope that this section demonstrates the level of engagement that many of our term faculty have within their disciplines. 

Term Faculty Promotion

Term faculty promotion is critically important as we continue to recognize "high competence" and "genuine excellence" in their appointments throughout their careers. In addition to their work assignments, these faculty were also putting together dossiers for promotion and we celebrate their successful cases for promotion. 

Term Faculty Study Leave Recipients

This is the first year that term faculty are eligible for study leave and this group of recipients is making history by being the first to take on these projects that benefit their teaching and scholarship moving forward. According to the Faculty Handbook these study leaves are to "to support professional development initiatives designed to advance scholarly research, teaching, and/or creative activity, including the development of innovative teaching approaches and methods." We are excited to see these projects develop and congratulate this year's recipients. Please consider applying in next year's cycle here. 

Term Faculty Development Grant Recipients

Term Faculty Grants have been a long standing opportunity for CHSS term faculty to provide professional development related to teaching and curricular development. These faculty recipients are developing new courses and/or curricular opportunities that will benefit students for years to come. Please consider applying in the next cycle here.