New Structure for University Council
September 29, 2014
I am pleased to report that at its meeting earlier this month the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a revised constitution of the University Council. This vote culminates the discussion of our governance structure that we have conducted across the University and which led to the May 7 vote of the University Council to approve this new document. With this vote by the Board of Trustees, we will operate under a new mode of governance which ensures that the faculty has a strong voice in (and responsibility for) academic policy making. The revised constitution and accompanying procedural changes are consistent with best practices at leading research universities and will enhance our ability to work collaboratively to realize the University’s full potential.
The full text of the constitution may be found on the Faculty Handbook website. The fundamental changes that are embodied in this document are twofold. First, the University Council is now explicitly a body that exercises authority on academic matters, such as degree requirements, the adoption and discontinuation of programs, and the development of policies that pertain primarily to faculty or students. Second, faculty members now constitute a clear majority of the Council.
Concurrent with the approval of the revised constitution of the University Council, the Board of Trustees endorsed a new process for the approval of administrative policies—those that affect members of the community generally. This process uses the Council of Deans and the Administrative Council for advice and approval.
The Board of Trustees also approved a definition of membership in the faculty of Boston University. An anomaly of the Faculty Handbook (and attendant practice) was that we had no single or consistent definition of what constitutes faculty membership. Establishing clarity in this area was important, because that definition establishes eligibility to serve on the Faculty Council and, through it, the University Council. Pursuant to the Board’s vote, the policies and procedures in the Faculty Handbook apply to members of our community who fall within the following categories:
- Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors
- Those with professorial titles modified by “Research,” “Clinical,” or “of the Practice”
- Lecturers
- Instructors
I am pleased that we have worked together to improve our governance structure so that we can continue the advancement of Boston University as a great private, research university—relying on the expertise and wisdom of the faculty in academic policy making.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brown
President