Teaching, Research and Clinical Faculty Advancement Committee
Mission and Structure
The purpose of the Teaching, Research and Clinical Faculty Advancement Committee (TRACFAC) is to identify, address, and advance the needs and interests of TRAC faculty members at Boise State and to ensure inclusiveness, equity, and respect so that all non-tenure track faculty experience equitable conditions for teaching, faculty hiring, development, evaluation, and inclusive practices in shared governance across colleges, departments, programs, and divisions.
Guiding Principles: The committee will recognize the balance between the university’s needs for flexible hiring with the needs of special appointment and contingent status faculty, namely the issues reported by the American Association of University Professors 2014 updated report: https://www.aaup.org/report/contingent-appointments-and-academic-profession
The TRACFAC is sponsored by the Provost’s Office. During the first year (2021-2022), it was chaired by the Assistant Provost of Academic Leadership and Faculty Affairs (AP-ALFA) (ex officio). For the 2022-2023 academic year, a co-chair was elected among the committee members, Dr. Shelly Volsche, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology.
The mission and purpose of the TRACFAC is to:
- advise the Provost’s Office and other campus stakeholders (e.g. Human Resources, Faculty Senate, Center for Teaching and Learning) on the development and implementation of activities, policies, and procedures that enhance the experience and inclusion of non-tenure-track faculty and recognize the ways in which TRAC faculty support Boise State University in its pursuit of its mission;
- advocate for TRAC faculty interests in processes related to University educational and operating procedures and policies (as they relate to non-tenure track faculty).
Meetings
The committee will meet at least once a month, but likely more, during the academic year on the first and third Tuesdays of the month when the Faculty Senate does not meet (3:30-4:30 PM).
Deliverables
At the end of the academic year, in collaboration with the Assistant Provost for Academic Leadership and Faculty Affairs (AP-ALFA), the committee will draft a summary of its work and the recommendations that come out of that year’s discussions. This summary will be submitted to the Provost and other relevant University stakeholders (e.g., Human Resources, Faculty Senate, Center for Teaching and Learning, etc.) for review, and also will be used by the Teaching & Research Faculty Representatives and the Clinical Faculty Representatives to the Faculty Senate as a guide for items to advocate for on behalf of TRAC faculty.
The committee may also work on projects related to their recommendations.
Teaching, Research, and Clinical Faculty Advancement Committee Members
2022-2023| College/Unit | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| College of Arts and Sciences | Jean Schneider | Lecturer |
| College of Business and Economics | Nicole Cundiff | Clinical Faculty |
| College of Education | Matt Wigglesworth | Clinical Faculty |
| College of Engineering/At-Large Member | Shelly Volsche | Clinical Faculty/Co-Chair |
| College of Health Sciences | Jennifer Obenshain | Clinical Faculty |
| School of Public Service | Dan Dexheimer | Lecturer |
| College of Innovation & Design/At-Large Member | April Howell | Clinical Faculty |
| University Foundations | Carissa Wolf | Lecturer |
| At-large member | Chris Saunders | Clinical Faculty |
| Teaching and Research Faculty Representatives to Faculty Senate | Judy Wayne Garawyn McGill Erik Hadley | Lecturers |
| Clinical Faculty Representatives to the Faculty Senate | Amy Ulappa Shelly Volsche | Clinical Faculty |
| Representative from Research Faculty, Research Staff, and Post Doc Working Group | Vanessa Fry | Research Faculty |
Membership
The committee will consist no more than 15 members, composed of NTT faculty from the following colleges:
- One member from each of the following academic units
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Business and Economics
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Health Sciences
- School of Public Service
- One member from each of the following academic units is also invited to participate:
- College of Innovation and Design
- University Foundations
- Teaching and Research Faculty Representatives to Faculty Senate
- Clinical Faculty Representatives to the Faculty Senate
- Representative from Research Faculty, Research Staff, and Post Doc Working Group
- One non-voting member for advisory purposes, as needed
At least two of the members from the academic units must be clinical faculty and three members must be lecturers. At-large members may be substituted for those colleges/units that do not have a representative.
Terms
For the first year of the committee, representatives will be chosen by September, thereafter representatives will be chosen annually during the second week following Spring Break each year. For the first year of the committee, half of the members will serve a one-year term, and half will serve a two-year term. Thereafter, all members will have a two-year term, so that half of the members have previous experience on the committee.
For the first year, the NTT Faculty Senate Representatives, in collaboration with the AP-ALFA, will solicit candidates and manage the election process. Thereafter, the election process will be as follows:
- The Junior Representative from each College shall conduct an election to fill the seat(s) to be vacated by the Senior Representative at the end of the current academic year.
- In the event that a constituency has a single representative, that representative shall be deemed both the senior and junior representative for that constituency and (as a result) shall conduct the election for their own replacement. If that representative is nominated to the ballot, the election must be carried out by a neutral party, such as the President of the Committee.
- The election for these seats will be conducted by the Junior Representative in the following manner:
- In the week prior to Spring Break, the Junior Representative(s) will send a written or electronic communication to each NTT faculty member of the College for the purpose of soliciting nominations or self-nominations.
- In the second week after Spring Break, but no later than the first full week of April, the Junior Representative will conduct an election among all NTT faculty in the College containing the names of candidates willing to serve. The election may use either paper or electronic ballots, provided security precautions are observed.
- In the second week of April, the Junior Representative will inform the President and the AP-ALFA in writing or electronically concerning the results of this election. The person receiving the most votes shall be the new Junior Representative for the College.
Expectations
Representatives will be expected to attend at least nine 60-minute meetings per academic year. Becoming a member of NTTFAC means a commitment to attend and participate in all or most NTTFAC meetings, events, and activities, as well as meetings with Boise State personnel including administrators, faculty, and staff.
NTTFAC members are responsible for representing the needs and concerns of NTT faculty to the campus administration, making recommendations related to NTTF professional development and working conditions, and providing advice in the development and implementation of policies and procedures related to NTT faculty.
The NTTFAC reviews any issues that collectively impact the interests and/or needs of the NTT faculty at Boise State. NTTFAC decisions are by consensus or by a simple majority of a quorum. A majority of the NTTFAC membership shall constitute a quorum.
Possible action items:
To examine and evaluate policies and procedures of departments, colleges, and the university on shared faculty governance and assure that non-tenure track faculty have the possibility for shared faculty governance at all levels;
- To examine and evaluate policies and procedures that departments and the university use that impact faculty success;
- To evaluate and access resources available to facilitate teaching effectiveness;
- To examine options for sabbatical leave;
- To examine pathways for current and future career development;
- To examine policies and procedures across the university for annual review and promotion for consistency, equity, transparency, and oversight;
- To examine equity—salary and/or credit-hour pay—and equity advocacy;
- To examine faculty evaluation process and merit evaluation process for consistency in departments, colleges, and university;
- To examine policies of departments and colleges to assure that these policies that govern promotion are in line with the university and are not used to violate university guidelines and policies;
- To examine policies regarding position titles that accurately reflect rank and job duties;
- To examine job security, including the possibility of rolling and/or multi-year contracts;
- To examine equity in terms of service and professional development as part of annual (compensated) workload;
- To determine a committee title to replace the term “Non-Tenure-Track”
Workload Considerations
Service on this committee falls within a faculty member’s service workload allocation. At a minimum, if the committee meets once a month, service on this committee would equate to 10% workload in service (9.3 hours a week based on the Carnegie Unit). For those who do not have service responsibilities in their workload or who are taking on additional service beyond their allocation, professional development funds may be available to compensate for this work.