EXPEDITED GOVERNANCE REVIEW PROCEDURE
This appendix supplements Faculty Handbook section 3.11, which describes the normal governance process for consultation, endorsement and approval of Faculty Handbook changes. Both the normal process and this expedited procedure are premised on the commitment of the University community to encourage participation, consider diverse viewpoints, operate with transparency, recognize legitimate spheres of responsibility and competence, strive for consensus, and foster timely decision-making.[1]
If any section in Faculty Handbook chapter 3, or any policy incorporated therein by reference, must be revised for legal compliance purposes and implemented more quickly than the normal governance process would allow, the parties will pursue the following process of expedited review to implement an interim policy:
- The administration will consult with a committee that includes all members of the Faculty Affairs Committee and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (hereafter, "Joint Committee").[2] All members of the Joint Committee must be invited to attend this consultation. At minimum, at least five members of the Joint Committee must be present at this consultation with the administration. If two-thirds of the Joint Committee members present at this consultation agree that expedited review of the proposed policy is warranted, then the Joint Committee and the administration will together determine a timeline and process by which to create, approve, and amend the interim policy. At minimum, the process will include the following steps:
- Within one week of the decision to pursue expedited review, the Faculty Senate President will convene a special meeting of the Faculty Senate at which the administration and the Joint Committee will discuss the proposed interim policy, and the Faculty Senate will have the opportunity to suggest amendments.
- The administration will consult with the Joint Committee to reconcile the proposed interim policy and proposed amendments. The result will be an interim policy. If two-thirds of the Joint Committee members present at this consultation endorse the proposed interim policy, the interim policy will be forwarded to the Provost for their endorsement and to the President for their approval.
- If the administration implements or revises a policy in Faculty Handbook chapter 3, or a policy incorporated therein by reference, for legal compliance purposes without the agreement of the Joint Committee that expedited review is warranted, or without the endorsement of the Joint Committee, the Faculty Senate President will convene a special meeting of the Faculty Senate at which the administration and the Joint Committee will present the interim policy and the nature of their disagreement.
- Finally, the administration will immediately notify the Faculty Senate of the interim policy, after which the Faculty Handbook will be amended to indicate the interim nature of the policy, and the parties will pursue a permanent form of the policy through the normal governance process after implementation.
Endorsed by Faculty Senate, June 13, 2025
Approved by Board of Trustees, August 26, 2025
[1] University Collaborative Governance Charter, I.A.1-2.
[2] If the change to the Faculty Handbook is to a section listed in Appendix C, only the President, Past President, President-elect, and the tenured member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee are eligible to participate in the Joint Committee.