January 2026 Faculty Senate Newsletter
What’s New
Chancellor’s Action on Faculty Senate Resolutions
The Chancellor recently acted on resolutions from the November and December 2025 meetings.
- Resolutions #25-74 and #25-77, which updated language related to faculty success plans issued as part of annual evaluations and post-tenure review, were rejected. The Faculty Governance Committee met to discuss the resolutions and will be working with administration to revise the language.
- Updates to some of the timing and to align the personnel calendars with the way that PADs and portfolios are handled in Faculty180 were made and are now reflected in East Carolina University® Faculty Manual Part X.II. Schedule for Personnel Actions.
- The Chancellor approved additional language on the Reading Day entries on the Spring and Fall semester academic calendars to remind faculty that there can be no exams or assignments on that day.
- The Chancellor approved the criteria for the new Sustainability Award.
Sustainability Award
The University Environment Committee is soliciting applications for East Carolina University’s Sustainability Award. The Sustainability Award recognizes a member of the ECU staff or faculty or a team of staff and/or faculty who have demonstrated their commitment to and leadership in campus sustainability. Sustainability efforts advance our Future Focused, Innovation Driven Strategic Plan by contributing to the University’s Mission and Vision Priorities. Nominees for this award contribute to campus sustainability and help the University reduce environmental impacts through academics, operations, or engagement related sustainability activities. The deadline for nominations is Sunday, March 1, 2026 by 11:59 PM. Please visit the East Carolina University’s Sustainability Award page for the link to the nomination form and application information.
Reminders
Academic Portfolio Review and Optimization Committee
The Academic Portfolio Review and Optimization Committee website includes timelines and updates on their activities, including a recent January 2026 update.
Final Call for Faculty Senate Committee Volunteers
The Faculty Senate and its Committee on Committees is soliciting volunteers willing to contribute to Shared Governance at ECU and fulfill faculty Service responsibilities by serving on Faculty Senate Committees. The work of Faculty Senate Committees is vital to ensuring a faculty voice in the affairs of the university, and we invite you to join us in this important and rewarding work All tenured, tenure-track and fixed-term faculty in at least their second consecutive year of full-time employment are eligible to volunteer. Note: this means that if you are beginning your second consecutive year in 2026, you may fill out the survey because you will be in your second year by the time your service period begins. The Committee on Committees seeks to ensure that committee membership reflects a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and they strongly encourage interest from faculty members of any rank or title, across all colleges and schools.
To inform your decision, click on the links below where you may view your current committee service and available opportunities:
- Current Committee Rosters (all terms listed as “2026” are expiring at the end of spring 2026 or just before Fall 2026 and faculty may serve two consecutive terms)
- Recording: Beyond Your Unit OFE session – University Committees and Faculty Service
- Descriptions of Committees (includes the days they meet)
- Committees by Topic
To ensure the Committee on Committees considers your service preferences, please complete the short AY 2026/27 volunteer preference form.
Information collected through this call will be used to nominate faculty members to fill committee vacancies, and aid in the selection of wide representation for current and future task forces, subcommittees and working groups. Committee members are elected to staggered three-year terms during the Spring organizational meeting of the Faculty Senate. The submission deadline is 8:00 AM on February 2, 2026.
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):
- Advancement in Title Timeline – Fall and Spring of Decision Year:
- 2nd Tuesday in February: the committee recommendation/portfolio is due to the unit administrator
- 3rd Tuesday in February: the unit administrator recommendation and portfolio is due to the Dean (for Brody School of Medicine, decision of dean is final)
- Reappointment of Probationary-Term Faculty Members Timeline:
- For 9 Month Faculty:
- 2nd Tuesday in February – Committee recommendation due to unit administrator
- For 12 Month Faculty:
- 3rd Tuesday in February – Unit administrator informs committee of upcoming need for meeting; faculty member meets with unit administrator to verify all required documents are in PAD
- 4th Tuesday in February – PAD due to the unit administrator for reappointment decision
- 4th Friday in February – Unit administrator makes PAD available to Tenure Committee
- For 9 Month Faculty:
- Promotion and Tenure Timeline – Spring Before Decision Year:
- 1st Friday in February – faculty member makes a request to the unit administrator to begin the process of consideration for promotion or early conferral of permanent tenure
- 3rd Friday in February – faculty member submits a list of potential external reviewers to the tenure committee
- Promotion and Tenure Timeline – Fall and Spring of Decision Academic Year
- 1st Tuesday in February – Dean recommendation/PAD to Provost
- Post-Tenure Review Timeline:
- February 1st – Dean review due to Provost
Policies, Rules, and Regulations Sent Out for Comment
Several policies, rules, and regulations (PRRs) have been circulated for open comment. The faculty officers consider the PRRs that are opened for comment and decide whether they should be assigned to committees for review.
They agreed that the following PRRs should be assigned to committees:
- Digital Accessibility Regulation was sent to the Distance Education and Learning Technology Committee. They provided their feedback to Chair Bowler and will present their feedback at the February Faculty Senate meeting.
- Living Learning Communities Policy was sent to the Educational Policies and Planning Committee. They provided their feedback to Chair Bowler and will present their feedback at the February Faculty Senate meeting.
- East Carolina University Copyright Regulation was sent to the Faculty Governance Committee. They will discuss the regulation at a future meeting and provide feedback to Chair Bowler.
Faculty are encouraged to submit their own feedback on these items through the system, but they will be required to sign in using their ECU credentials. If faculty wish for their feedback to be anonymous, they may send their feedback to Dr. Mark Bowler, Chair of the Faculty, and he will submit it on their behalf, or they may submit an anonymous comment to the Faculty Senate Contact Form.
Spring 2026 Commencement Regalia Rental
Faculty wishing to rent regalia for spring 2026 commencement may do so at the East Carolina University Faculty Regalia Rental link. The deadline to rent is March 13, 2026. Please direct any questions about regalia rental to John Palmer, General Merchandise Manager, Dowdy Student Stores, via email or phone at 252-328-6731.
Upcoming
- The sixth regular Faculty Senate meeting is February 24, 2026.
ADA Accommodation: 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu