August 2025 Faculty Senate Newsletter

Published Aug 26, 2025 by
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Welcome Back, 9-Month Faculty

We are excited to see students and faculty back on main campus and hope that your fall semester is kicking off to a good start.

2025 Faculty Convocation

This year’s Faculty Convocation took place in Wright Auditorium on Friday, August 22. It featured two performances by Professor Thomas Kim and Professor Narae Lee from the School of Music, and a recitation of poems from Professor Gabrielle Freeman. Chair Bowler and Chancellor Rogers also provided remarks. If you missed the event, you may view the Faculty Convocation video, the accompanying slide deck (PDF), and the Faculty Convocation agenda (PDF).

60 Years of Faculty Senate: Convocations Past

Faculty Convocations have traditionally marked a beginning for the academic year for faculty, and function as a way to welcome faculty back after summer. Our convocation traditions began before ECU had the medical or dental school, which operate on different calendars and usually have already begun their new academic years prior to August. Faculty Convocations are organized by the Chair of the Faculty and have been structured to include different types of information, speakers, and performances over the years.

The 1987 Faculty Convocation Program is packed with speakers and presentations of awards. Later convocations included presentations from award-winning faculty about their research or their approach to teaching. Convocations in recent years have included faculty musical and dance performances, as well as viewings of faculty art, videos, and recitations of poetry. Chairs of the Faculty often deliver topical remarks that address the challenges facing faculty in the coming year. The 2020 Faculty Convocation was the only convocation held in a completely virtual format, closed to in-person attendance in deference to concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

Faculty Convocation is also a regular meeting of the general faculty and sometimes includes a vote of the general faculty for changes to the Faculty Constitution. The most recent change to the Constitution was voted on at the 2023 Faculty Convocation, with amendments to the text made and discussed by faculty in the audience. Faculty Convocation serves an important function in bringing the general faculty together to vote on their governing documents.

Every year at Convocation, no matter what Chair of the Faculty speech is read, the themes of celebrating faculty excellence, preparing for the upcoming year, and committing to shared governance will always be present.

What’s New

Call for Volunteers: Engagement Education Committee

The Committee on Committees is forming a slate of nominations for the new Engagement Education Committee. The committee will consider proposals relating to the non-mandatory Domestic Learning, Global Learning, Intercultural Learning, and Community Engaged Learning course designations. The committee will meet on the first Wednesday of the month in virtual meetings (meeting dates are listed on the committee website). This is a standing academic committee of the Faculty Senate, and all faculty members in at least their second consecutive year of full-time employment at East Carolina University are eligible to serve on this committee (note: if you are already a regular member of one of the other academic standing committees, you may not serve as a regular member on a second academic standing committee).

The membership terms for this committee will be established on a staggered schedule, so initial members may not receive a full (3-year) term, though they will be eligible to reapply for nomination to the committee. If you are interested, please email Rachel Baker by 12 PM on Tuesday, September 2nd. The election for the new members will take place either at the September 16th or October 7th Faculty Senate meeting.

Reminders

Faculty Personnel Deadlines

Below are the deadlines for personnel actions that are coming up soon (see the full Faculty Manual Part X, Section II Schedule for Personnel Actions for more information):

  • Reappointment of Probationary-Term Faculty Members in 2nd Year of Employment with Credit for Prior Academic Service – for 9-month faculty,  the PAD is due to unit administrator by the 1st Tuesday in September, and the unit administrator will make the PAD available to the Tenure Committee by the 1st Friday in September.
  • Promotion and Tenure Timeline – Fall and Spring of Decision Academic Year:
    • By the 1st Tuesday in September:
      • Unit administrator informs committee of upcoming need for a meeting.
      • External reviewers’ reports are due.
      • Faculty member meets with the unit administrator to verify all required documents are in the PAD.
    • By the 2nd Tuesday in September, the faculty member turns in PAD to unit administrator.
    • By the 2nd Friday in September, the unit administrator makes the PAD available to the Committee.
  • Post-Tenure Review Timeline – faculty member submits drafts of post-tenure review documentation to unit administrator by 2nd Monday in September.

Reading Day and Final Examinations

Please remember that faculty may not give an examination or an assignment in lieu of an examination on Reading Day.

Upcoming

  • The first regular Faculty Senate meeting is September 16, 2025.
  • Upcoming calls:
    • 2026-2027 Teaching Grant Proposals.
    • Faculty Assembly volunteers for an open 2026 term seat (term ends June 30, 2026).

ADA Accommodation: 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu