Faculty Council & FEC
At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the power to conduct the affairs of the Faculty resides with the Faculty Council under Article III of the Constitution. The Faculty Council has at least three regularly scheduled meetings per year. Special meetings are called by the President of the Faculty when requested to do so by the Faculty Executive Committee, the Chancellor, or upon a petition signed by 10% of the Faculty members presented to the President.
The Faculty of each unit is entitled to an elected, voting member of the Faculty Council. The ex-officio, voting members of the Faculty Council are: the members of the Faculty Executive Committee, the Chancellor, the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Vice Chancellor for Development and Public Service, the Dean of the Graduate School, the University Librarian, and the Deans of each of the Colleges of the University.
The Faculty Executive Committee is responsible for establishing the agenda of the Faculty Council and for ensuring that faculty business is handled with dispatch. All matters coming to the Faculty for consideration by the Faculty Council under the provisions of Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution (except for curriculum proposals) shall be addressed to the President of the Faculty.
The Executive Committee of the Faculty and the Faculty Council shall consist of the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, the immediate Past President, three members elected by the Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, one member elected by each other College of the University, one member elected by Faculty members of the Library, the College Faculty President/Chair of each College, and the Library Faculty President. The members of the Faculty Executive Committee are ex-officio voting members of the Faculty Council.
Committees of the Faculty Council
The function of the Competitive Grants Committee is to establish policies and procedures for the review of proposals for funding from off-campus sources where the granting agency limits the number of proposals to be considered from a single campus. In the case of those proposals which are to be evaluated by sub-committees, the sub-committees will be made up of elected representatives from departments which are eligible to submit proposals in each program for funding. The Office of Academic Affairs will determine when a local competition is necessary and will notify the chairperson of the Committee of a forthcoming competition.
The Academic Planning and Budget Committee provides advice to the Provost in the following areas:
- Design of the academic Planning process to be used in the revision of the Campus Academic Plan and the related college and departmental plans,
- Review of proposed revisions of campus, college, and departmental academic plans,
- Annual allocation of faculty positions in terms of their relationship to the academic plan of the campus and its constituent units,
- Development of budgetary strategies and options in light of projected increases in or reductions to the Academic Affairs budget, including the annual budgetary reversion,
- Review and feedback of budgetary decisions concerning the continuing budget and reversion management,
- Establishment and approval of final versions of the campus academic plan, and
- Submission of the approved campus plan to the Faculty Executive Committee and the Faculty Council for approval.
The function of the Faculty Academic Policy and Standards Committee (FAPSC) is to review and make recommendations on all proposals concerning admissions, academic standing, degree requirements, grading systems, honors programs, and all other matters of academic policy and standards.
Ideas for new policies and standards and modifications of existing policies and standards may originate anywhere in the University community. First consideration of any formal proposal dealing with a new or modified academic policy or standard must be by the appropriate academic unit. Each college or administrative unit not within a college shall determine the internal processes (such as departmental approval, etc.) which shall be necessary for approval of proposals dealing with a new or modified academic policy or standard. Student participation at the college and departmental levels is strongly recommended. Upon approval by the college or administrative unit not within a college the proposal shall proceed to the administrative executive officer of that unit (e.g., Dean, Director, etc.) who shall forward the proposal to FAPSC for review and recommendation. On occasion FAPSC may be charged by the Faculty Council or the Faculty Executive Committee to formulate a recommendation on a matter not having arisen from a base-level and other units concerned.
The function of the Faculty Advisory Library Committee is to advise and consult with the Library staff, students, faculty, and the University administration about matters pertaining to the operation of the University Library.
The Faculty Assembly is the elected body of representatives of the faculty of the campuses of the University of North Carolina. The Assembly gathers and exchanges information on behalf of the faculties of the campuses of the University of North Carolina, advises the Board of Governors, the General Assembly, and other governmental agencies, and communicates with the President. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is allocated five delegates to the Faculty Assembly.
The function of the Employment Status Committee (FESC) is to recommend University policy on matters of reappointment, promotion, tenure, and conditions of service; and to approve instruments and procedures to evaluate administrators.
The function of the Faculty Information and Technology Services Advisory Committee (FITSAC) is to advise and consult with the Information and Technology Services staff, students, faculty, and the University administration about matters pertaining to the operation of ITS.
The function of the Faculty Legacy Scholarship Committee (FLSC) is to review and make recommendations to the Faculty Council on all aspects and considerations attendant to the Faculty Legacy Scholarships.
The function of the Faculty Research Grants Committee (FRGC) is to set guidelines, subject to Faculty Council approval, to be followed in recommending Faculty Research Grant proposals for funding, and to review and make recommendations on the proposals submitted.
The function of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Grants Committee is to set guidelines, subject to the approval of the Faculty Council, to be followed in the recommendation for the funding of proposals submitted.
The function of the Faculty Welfare Committee is to advise and consult with University leadership on policies, processes and practices, as well as the enforcement of the same, regarding the welfare of the faculty and their families including matters related to the workplace environment that can affect recruiting, retention, professional development and morale of faculty. These issues could include, but not be limited to: affordable and available faculty housing, faculty and university services, working environment, diversity, safety, wellness, public transportation, and child care/elder care.
The function of the Graduate Council is to initiate, develop, review and make recommendations concerning graduate education and Graduate School policy. In addition, the Council will serve in an advisory capacity to the Dean of the Graduate School. Unless otherwise directed by the Faculty Council, the Graduate Council may not receive any curriculum proposal for consideration until it has been approved by the college, or administrative unit not within a college, which would be responsible for administering the program. Each college, or administrative unit not within a college, shall determine the internal processes (such as departmental approval, etc.) which shall be necessary for curriculum approval within that unit. Student participation at the college and departmental levels is strongly recommended. Upon approval by the college, or administrative unit not within a college, the proposal shall proceed to the administrative executive officer of that unit (e.g., Dean, Director, etc.), who shall forward the proposal to the Graduate Council for review and recommendation. Throughout the entire consideration process from the smallest base unit (such as a department) through the Faculty Council, it is presumed that the principle of recommendation and referral shall be applied, that appropriate consultation with affected units throughout the University shall occur, and that any pertinent written communication (e.g., objection, minority reports, etc.) shall become part of the proposal. The Graduate Council is also responsible for the annual evaluation of the Dean of the Graduate School.
The Grievance Committee operates in accordance with the procedures specified in Sections VII and VIII of the Procedures for Resolving Faculty Grievances Arising from Section 607(3) of the Code of the University of North Carolina: "’Grievances’ within the province of the committee's power shall include matters directly related to a faculty member's employment status and institutional relationships within the constituent institution, including matters related to post-tenure review. However, no grievance that grows out of or involves matters related to a formal proceeding for the suspension, discharge or termination of a faculty member, or that is within the jurisdiction of another standing faculty committee, may be considered by the committee.”
(For Hearing Procedures go to the 'Related Resources' section at the very bottom of University Policy 102.13)
The Honors Council functions as a standing committee of the general Faculty. The Honors Council serves as the Faculty advisory body to the Dean of the Honors College.
The NHAC is responsible for (A) developing slates of candidates and nominees for at-large elected positions in faculty governance, for (B) the O. Max Gardner Award, and for (C) making recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding Honorary Degrees.
(A) Nominations - Nominations for open positions for Officers of the Faculty, chairs and at-large members of Standing Committees shall proceed as specified in Article VI, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Faculty.
(B) O. Max Gardner Award - Each Fall semester the NHAC selects a UNC Charlotte Faculty nominee for the prestigious University system wide O. Max Gardner Award. In order to complete this charge, the committee shall solicit nominations from each college and its Dean; collect required letters of support for inclusion in the nominee's dossier; solicit necessary information from the nominee in preparation of the dossier; prepare the faculty letter of support for inclusion in the dossier; notify the Faculty Executive Committee and Faculty Council of their recommendation; and forward all materials to the Chancellor in a timely manner for final recommendation.
(C) Honorary Degrees - The Board of Trustees has the legal right to grant honorary degrees in the name of the University. The Faculty will advice the Board of Trustees on this matter through the NHAC, working with the Trustees and the Chancellor to suggest individuals for honorary degrees. On the matter of Honorary Degrees the NHAC shall keep its deliberations confidential at all times, and shall report only to the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor rather than to the Faculty Council. For more information, including a listing of Honorary Degrees conferred, please visit the Honorary Degree webpage.
The function of the Part-Time Faculty Committee shall be to consult and advise university leadership on policies, processes and practices, as well as the enforcement of same, pertaining to the welfare of part-time faculty as it is related to the workplace environment that can affect recruiting, retention, professional development and morale of faculty. These issues could include, but are not be limited to part-time faculty workload policies, employment status, working environment, support, continuity, productivity, and diversity.
The function of the UCCC is to review and make recommendations on curriculum and course proposals. Unless otherwise directed by the Faculty Council, the UCCC may not receive any curriculum proposal for consideration until it has been approved by the college, or administrative unit not within a college, which would be responsible for administering the program. Each college, or administrative unit not within a college, shall determine the internal processes (such as departmental approval, etc.) which shall be necessary for curriculum approval within that unit. However, student participation at the college and departmental levels is strongly recommended. Upon approval by the college, or administrative unit not within a college, the proposal shall proceed to the administrative executive officer of that unit (e.g., Dean, Director, etc.), who shall forward the proposal to the UCCC for review and recommendation. Throughout the entire consideration process from the smallest base unit (such as a department) through the Faculty Council, it is presumed that the principle of recommendation and referral shall be applied, that appropriate consultation with affected units throughout the University shall occur, and that any pertinent written communication (e.g., objection, minority reports, etc.) shall become part of the proposal.
The University College Faculty Council is responsible for policies related to the General Education Program. The Council works with the Dean of University College who is responsible for the administration of the Program. The Council is also responsible for the following:
- Assessment of the General Education Program. This Council is responsible for the assessment of the General Education Program, especially the assessment of student learning outcomes.
- Verification of General Education Courses. The Council is charged with verifying that Liberal Studies (LBST) courses offered as General Education courses meet the guidelines for such courses and are then processed to the Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee.
- Revision of the General Education Program. Should there be deemed a need for revision in the General Education Program, this council is charged with determining how that revision should be developed and charged with the development of the necessary documents to go into the faculty governance process to consider said changes.
- The annual evaluation of the Dean of University College.
Other Committees with Faculty Governance Represenation
The Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence and UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence are two of the most important and prestigious traditions at UNC Charlotte. These awards honor outstanding teachers on our campus and provide an example of the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching.