Proposed Amendments to Motion 3—(Motion to Revise and Rename the Committee on Faculty Reappointment and Tenure (ConFRaT) as Tenure, Promotions and Appointments Committee (TPA)

[Gretchen Schultz—German Studies]

 

Amendment 1

 

"The voting members will be twelve tenured faculty members of full professor rank active in research and teaching, three each from the Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Life Sciences.  The Vice Chair shall be elected from among the elected faculty in their second year of service on the Committee, and shall become Chair during his or her third year on the Committee." (Part 1, section 2—Membership)

 

to be replaced by:

 

"The voting members will be twelve tenured faculty members active in research and teaching, three each from the Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Life Sciences.  No more than one member of each academic division shall have the rank of associate professor.  Associate professors will recuse themselves when cases involving candidates at their rank or higher come before the TPA.  The Vice Chair shall hold the position of full professor and be elected from among the elected faculty in his or her second year of service on the Committee, and shall become Chair during his or her third year on the Committee."

 

Rationale: Given greater demographic homogeneity at the level of full professor (81% men and 88% white), a TPA having all members at this rank will only with difficulty be representative of the diversity of the full faculty.  Permitting associate professors to serve on TPA as they do presently on ConFRaT will, moreover, preserve their right to take part in the crucial tasks of tenuring, promoting and appointing colleagues at the university level, as they do in their home departments.  The additional stipulations eliminate conflict-of-interest problems.

 

 

Amendment 2

 

"Committee members shall be representative of the diversity of the Faculty."  (Part 1, section 2—Membership)

 

to be replaced by:

 

"In order to represent the diversity of the Faculty, there shall be at least four women members and two members of underrepresented minorities among the voting members of the Committee."

 

Rationale: Faculty rules currently stipulate that the eight faculty members of ConFRaT shall include two women and one member of an underrepresented minority.  Given the increased number of faculty on TPA (12) and current demographics (30% women and 15% minorities among all regular faculty at Brown), in order to be representative of the diversity of the Faculty, TPA should include 4 women and 2 minorities.  Specifying this in the Faculty Rules provides clear guidelines to aid the FEC in carrying out its nominations charge.