March 2025 Faculty Senate Newsletter
What’s New
New Web Format for East Carolina University Faculty Manual
The East Carolina University Faculty Manual has a new, more accessible look, as well as improved navigation and a new search feature. Please visit the new site and update your bookmarks.
Recent Updates to Faculty Manual
The Chancellor acted on one resolution from March and many resolutions spanning November-February. For a full list of these resolution, please see the Announcements from the March 25, 2025 Faculty Senate agenda (PDF). The following resolutions resulted in changes to the Faculty Manual or associated documents:
- Resolution #24-76: Revisions to Part IV, Section II Unit Codes, in which it is now specified that when revising a unit code, if a code unit is a college and the next higher administrator is the Provost, the unit code does not have to be sent to the next higher administrator (the Provost, in this case) prior to being sent to the Unit Code Screening Committee
- Resolution #24-79: Revisions to Part IX, Section I, subsection IV.D. Unit Personnel Committee Actions, in which it now specifies that fixed-term faculty can serve on the Personnel Committee if the unit code allows and if they have served in the unit for six or more consecutive years.
- Resolution #24-81: Revisions to Part IV, Section I Academic Code Units to specify that when revising a unit code, if a code unit is a college and the next higher administrator is the Provost, the unit code does not have to be sent to the next higher administrator (the Provost, in this case) prior to being sent to the Unit Code Screening Committee, to update outdated language, and to provide additional detail in the description of faculty responsibilities, and to describe the process for name changes of departments when the college is the code unit
- Resolution #24-83: Revisions to Procedures for Peer Assessment of Teaching, which removes the requirement that peer assessment must be an observation of teaching for faculty teaching distance education courses
- Resolution #25-06: Revisions to Part IX.II Performance Review of Tenured Faculty, which clarifies that peer assessments of teaching effectiveness are included in the information sent to the Peer Review Committee
- Resolution #25-14: Revisions to East Carolina University Faculty Manual to remove diversity language. The multiple changes to the Faculty Manual are documented in the February 25, 2025 Faculty Senate agenda (PDF), on pages 39-42.
Featured
All ECU Faculty and Staff are Invited to 60th Anniversary Celebration
All ECU faculty and staff are invited to join us to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the ECU Faculty Senate on Monday, April 7th. Stop by between 4:00-6:00 PM at Harvey Hall within the Murphy Center to enjoy refreshments and live entertainment beginning at 4:00 PM, with remarks and recognitions beginning at 4:45. RSVP to specialevents@ecu.edu.
Election of Faculty Leaders will happen at the April 29, 2025 Faculty Senate Organizational Meeting
The organizational meeting of the Faculty Senate kicks off the upcoming academic year with elections of faculty to numerous committees as well as the election of the Chair of the Faculty, the Vice Chair of the Faculty, and the Secretary of the Faculty. The faculty officers are not just officers of Faculty Senate—they are representatives for all faculty to ECU administration and the ECU Board of Trustees. The Chair of the Faculty is a representative of all faculty at East Carolina University at the UNC Faculty Assembly. The slate of nominees for these roles will be announced with the send-out of the organizational meeting agenda on Wednesday, April 23rd. Make sure to read that agenda, consider the nominees, and contact your Senator to let them know how you would like them to vote.
2024-25 Faculty Officers and Staff, from left to right: Anne Ticknor, Chair of the Faculty; Bill Staub, Parliamentarian; Rachel Baker, Faculty Senate Office Administrator; Melinda Doty, Secretary of the Faculty; Mark Bowler, Vice Chair of the Faculty
Reminders
Faculty Personnel Deadlines
Below are the deadlines for personnel actions that are coming up soon (see the full East Carolina University Part X, Section II Schedule for Personnel Actions for more information): :
- Workplan and Annual Evaluation Timeline – 9 month faculty submit drafts of workplan and annual report to unit administrator on April 1; faculty and unit administrator meet to discuss workplan on April 20, with unit administrator submitting final workplan and annual evaluation to faculty on April 26 (12 month faculty workplans and annual report deadlines begin in May).
- Progress Toward Tenure Letters – for 9 month faculty, unit administrator provides Tenure Committee with candidate’s current annual report, copies of the candidate’s previous and current workplans and annual evaluations, success plans if any, and previous progress toward tenure letters, and a draft of the administrator’s Progress Toward Tenure letter on the 3rd Friday in April (April 18th this year); Tenure Committee meets with the unit administrator to review the cumulative record of a candidate’s progress and finalize Progress Toward Tenure letter on the 4th Friday in April (April 25th this year) (12 month faculty letter deadlines are in June)
- Reappointment of Probationary-Term Faculty Members – 9 month faculty will receive the Provost’s decision by the last Tuesday in April (April 29th this year), 12 month faculty have the unit administrator’s recommendation to the dean (if applicable) by the 2nd Tuesday in April (April 8th this year).
- Reappointment of Probationary-Term Faculty Members in 2nd Year of Employment With Credit for Prior Academic Service – for 12 month faculty, the PAD is due to the unit administrator the 1st Tuesday in April (April 1st this year) and the unit administrator makes the PAD available to the Tenure Committee on the 1st Friday in April (April 4th this year).
- Promotion and Tenure Timeline – Spring before Decision Year – for 9 month faculty, the unit administrator sends letter and materials to confirmed external reviewers by the last Friday in April (April 25th this year); for 12 month assistant professors with 1 year of prior academic credit, in the fourth year of appointment, the external reviewer list is due to the Tenure Committee on the 2nd Tuesday in April (April 8th this year) and the Tenure Committee’s final list of external peer reviewers is due to unit administrator on the 4th Tuesday in April (April 22nd this year).
- Tenure Timeline – Fall and Spring of Decision Year – the Board of Trustees decisions will be voted on at their April 24th meeting
Upcoming
- Faculty Senate 60th Anniversary Celebration Reception: April 7, 2025
- Faculty Senate meeting: April 22, 2025
- Faculty Senate Organizational meeting: April 29, 2025