Chancellor Philip DiStefano today assured the Boulder Faculty Assembly that he and Provost Russell Moore would uphold the provisions in current regent law that support academic freedom.听
The chancellor also clarified for the group that the inclusion of the Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization in a presentation on 抖阴旅行射 campus diversity programs at an Oct. 5 regents鈥� committee meeting came at the request of the 抖阴旅行射 system.
The meeting of the regents鈥� University Affairs Committee featured presentations by academic and administrative leaders of the four 抖阴旅行射 system campuses. 抖阴旅行射 Boulder鈥檚 presentation, led by Moore, reported on programs such as the LEAD Alliance, the Pre-collegiate Outreach Program, Veterans and Military Affairs programs, Student Affairs programs, a critical needs hiring program led by 抖阴旅行射 Boulder鈥檚 Office of Faculty Affairs and the Benson Center.听
The inclusion of the Benson Center had prompted concern in some faculty circles on campus, but DiStefano told the BFA it was both appropriate and requested by the 抖阴旅行射 system.听
鈥淲e were specifically asked to talk about programs that serve first-generation students鈥攚e were also specifically asked to identify programs that serve other communities, such as the Benson Center and Veterans Affairs,鈥� DiStefano said.听
DiStefano acknowledged that 鈥渢he Benson Center has experienced controversy鈥� around its former Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought & Policy John Eastman, whom Moore removed from performing outreach functions on behalf of the Benson Center following Eastman鈥檚 appearance and remarks at a Jan. 6 Washington, D.C., rally prior to the Capitol riots.听
But DiStefano also noted that 鈥渢he Benson Center continues its work and in my mind it has made valuable contributions to the campus since its inception.鈥澨�
DiStefano said the mention of the Benson Center in the Oct. 5 regents鈥� committee meeting 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 take away from the other programs we have that are for our DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] students and faculty.鈥�
A discussion on recent revisions of the Benson Center鈥檚 bylaws then ensued, prompted by Alastair Norcross of philosophy, who asked whether requiring a sponsoring academic department for all Benson Center visiting scholars was desirable, given that 鈥渙ne of the things that was problematic about Eastman was that the department for whom he was teaching courses, the decision to approve it (his appointment) was made unilaterally by the chair of that department.鈥澨�
Rob Rupert of philosophy, chair of the Arts and Sciences Council, said that a motion passed by the ASC in April established as Arts and Sciences policy that in the final round of deliberations to select a visiting scholar candidate, meetings of voting (faculty) members should be held in closed-door sessions 鈥渢o insulate the process from (selection) committee members who aren鈥檛 voting.鈥澨�
Shilo Brooks of the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society, associate faculty director at the Benson Center, confirmed that external members of hiring committees for the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy have never had a vote, and said the Benson Center had updated its bylaws not as a response to Eastman鈥檚 example, but because 鈥渨e wanted to show we had read the ASC document and to be in keeping with the wishes of the college.鈥澨�
BFA member Jeffrey Chadwick of the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program said rules about the selection of the visiting scholar were not as important as 鈥渉ow you are unable to remove someone who encourages domestic terrorism in the United States.鈥澨�
抖阴旅行射 Boulder Chief Operating Officer Patrick O鈥橰ourke then weighed in, speaking from the standpoint of his former role as vice president and chief legal counsel for the 抖阴旅行射 system and reminding the group that at the time the campus took action to remove Eastman only from his outreach roles with the Center, 鈥渢here were only the statements he had made in attending the rally on Jan. 6.鈥澨�
鈥淭hose statements were determined to have been within the bounds of his First Amendment rights,鈥� O鈥橰ourke said. 鈥淭here are means to address misconduct of a faculty member 鈥� they are spelled out in regent law and policy that you have access to as faculty members,鈥� he said.听
DiStefano also told the BFA
- The campus had a 鈥渞emarkably smooth opening鈥� for fall, and most students, faculty and staff met the Sept. 15 deadline for reporting their vaccination status, with 鈥渕ore than 95 percent of those who submitted their information [having been] vaccinated.鈥�
- The fall 2021 enrollment census showed 鈥渁 1.8 percent increase in the undergraduate population from fall 2020 and a 6.5 percent increase in the graduate student population鈥撯�揳 combined 2.6 percent increase to nearly 36,000 students that had yielded 鈥渢uition a bit higher than expected due to higher out-of-state undergraduate and graduate enrollments,鈥� though the campus would continue to prepare 鈥渇or continued impacts to campus finances from the lower enrollment last year.鈥澨�
- A merit salary pool 鈥渋s a high priority for me,鈥� and he would continue to discuss it with his fellow campus chancellors and with 抖阴旅行射 President Todd Saliman. If a merit salary pool is available, raises will go into effect for January 2022.
- His Buff Undergraduate Success Leadership Implementation Team had been charged with accelerating decisions and recommendations for programs that promote undergraduate student success. The team 鈥渨ill look holistically across campus to determine the effectiveness of our current and planned programs and bring leading programs to our attention for additional visibility and resources.鈥�
- He joined his fellow campus chancellors in providing the 抖阴旅行射 system office with 抖阴旅行射 Boulder鈥檚 online proposal鈥撯�揹rafted by 抖阴旅行射鈥檚 Senior Vice Provost of Online Education and Dean of Libraries Robert McDonald. DiStefano said the campus鈥檚 online programs would follow the four principles outlined by Moore in the spring. He said that as chancellor, his goal this year would be to 鈥済o to the board to make sure that our proposals have been adopted before we go forward. I believe we can move in that direction and do what we do best under our guidelines.鈥�
In other BFA agenda items
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment Katherine Eggert presented for BFA review and comment three draft policy updates related to non-tenure-track faculty personnel processes, faculty grievance processes at the provost鈥檚 level and the Professional Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Members (鈥淧RR鈥�) update that the assembly approved in April. These updates mesh Academic Affairs policy with the PRR and conform Academic Affairs policy and procedures with revisions to regent and 抖阴旅行射 system policy.
- The policy on 鈥淭itles, Roles, Appointment, Evaluation and Promotion of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty in Teaching and Librarian Positions鈥� updates the current 鈥淎cademic Affairs Guidelines for the Appointment, Evaluation, and Promotion of Lecturer and Instructor Rank Faculty.鈥�
- The policy on the 鈥淧rovost鈥檚 Advisory Committee on Faculty Grievance鈥� updates the current 鈥淧rovost鈥檚 Grievance Procedure.鈥�
- The policy on 鈥淧rofessional Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Members and Roles and Professional Responsibilities of Academic Leaders鈥� updates the 鈥淎cademic Affairs Policy on Professional Rights and Duties of Faculty Members and Roles and Professional Responsibilities of Department Chairs鈥� (2013), for which the PRR itself serves as procedures.
- Eggert also presented a draft revision of the multi-year instructor contract for the assembly鈥檚 information. This revision brings the contract in line with revisions to regent and 抖阴旅行射 system policy.
