{"272701":{"#nid":"272701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Faculty Classification Initiative Delivers Final Presentation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA faculty subcommittee charged with clarifying the classification of employees at Georgia Tech has received the green light for a public reading and vote.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt last week\u2019s monthly meeting of the Institute\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.facultygovernance.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EExecutive Board\u003C\/a\u003E, subcommittee chair Jeanne Balsam delivered a presentation on recommended changes to the faculty handbook that will alter the existing definitions of faculty members who can participate in faculty governance. If approved, nearly all job titles will fit one of four categories: academic faculty, research faculty, administrative officer, or staff.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChanges to the faculty handbook require two separate readings and votes of the General Faculty, the first of which is scheduled for February 18, at 3 p.m. in the Student Center Theater. The second reading would follow on April 22. All General Faculty members are allowed to attend the meeting and vote.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough relatively straightforward, the ramifications of such a change will also lead to modifications in governance at Georgia Tech, Each faculty group, for example, will have its own body \u2014 an Academic Faculty Senate and a Research Faculty Senate \u2014 for reviewing policies and practices specific to their institutional role. They will also meet collectively on matters of mutual interest, and as such, will constitute the Faculty Senate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe subcommittee has also advocated for the creation of a staff council and a postdoctoral association. Each of the proposed entities currently has its own working group developing a proposal for leadership review.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe changes clear up lingering ambiguities surrounding the \u201cgeneral faculty\u201d status, a designation not traditionally recognized within academia. The subcommittee first devised definitions for academic and research faculty; then, with the Office of Human Resources, reviewed every job title and job description, and sorted positions accordingly. Anyone losing general faculty status will retain their current rate of leave accrual and, if serving on an elected faculty committee, complete their term of service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese changes do not represent an end point in how Tech enacts faculty governance,\u201d said Balsam, who is also principal research associate in GTRI. \u201cIt is one step in a process. While our focus has been on addressing faculty categories, our hope is for greater advocacy among all segments of the campus community.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, she said, the creation of a staff council will be the first organization representing this cohort. In addition, there are suggestions to create a task force to represent postdoctoral and visiting faculty, two groups who have previously had no formal voice or representation. This may in time lead to a standing committee for this purpose.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003ESummary of changes to Faculty Handbook:\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA website has been created that shows the proposed Draft 2014 Faculty Handbook and provides an opportunity to provide feedback:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dev2014facultyhandbook.gatech.edu\/faculty_handbook\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dev2014facultyhandbook.gatech.edu\/faculty_handbook\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA faculty subcommittee charged with clarifying the classification of employees at Georgia Tech has received the green light for a public reading and vote.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Precise definitions for academic faculty and research faculty will clarify lingering ambiguities and governance issues"}],"uid":"27299","created_gmt":"2014-02-01 13:01:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:47","author":"Michael Hagearty","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"249511":{"id":"249511","type":"image","title":"Faculty Governance","body":null,"created":"1449243795","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:15","changed":"1475894929","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:49","alt":"Faculty Governance","file":{"fid":"198060","name":"faculty_gov.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/faculty_gov_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/faculty_gov_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3082435,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/faculty_gov_0.jpg?itok=lxN67Gcl"}}},"media_ids":["249511"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.facultygovernance.gatech.edu\/","title":"Faculty Governance"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12983","name":"Academic Faculty"},{"id":"12022","name":"faculty governance"},{"id":"85391","name":"faculty senate"},{"id":"85401","name":"research faculty"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJeanne Balsam\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jeanne.balsam@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejeanne.balsam@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}