FAC.03.01
February 17, 2003

FACULTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Annual Report to the Faculty
2001-2002

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The Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) is established by the University Statutes, Article II, Section 4, and is elected by the faculty at each campus. It is authorized to investigate grievances and is a channel for direct communication with administrators and a means of voicing suggestions for the good of the University. Any member of the faculty may approach the Committee and is entitled to a conference with the Committee or any member of it. The Statutes also require that FAC make such reports to the Chancellor, the President, the Senate, and the faculty as it deems appropriate. The following is a report of FAC activities for 2001-02.

Meetings and Membership

The members of the FAC are agents of the University, concerned first and foremost with the best interests of the institution. The Committee views its role as an advocate for fairness with respect to application of campus policy and procedures. The FAC meets twice a month throughout the year to consider items brought to its attention by faculty and administrators and meets at least once each semester with the Provost to discuss specific cases and related or other academic issues. On our campus, the FAC is comprised of nine tenured faculty; three are elected each year for three-year terms. Nominations for the 2003-06 term will take place between February 7 and 28; elections will occur March 31 through April 14.

Caseload

While the FAC hears complaints from any faculty member, the Committee is authorized only to make findings on matters involving procedural irregularities and cannot make judgments related to evaluation of scholarly achievements and activities.

Most grievances are first received by the Committee as consultations. If it is determined that there is merit to the complaint and all other University avenues of appeal have been exhausted, the FAC will appoint a subcommittee to conduct an investigation into the matter. The nature of complaints that come before the FAC vary and some issues overlap. At the time of writing only two cases and three consultations remain open on the Committee's docket. The total number of cases and consultations considered during 2001-02 can be categorized as follows:

	Description		Cases	Consultations
	Nonreappointment		3	5
	Administrative Action	-	5
	Salary			1	2
	Partner Hire		2	-
	Discrimination		2	-
	Total			8	12

Issues and Recommendations

In conducting its investigations, the FAC at times discovers underlying issues that go beyond an individual grievance. For many years, the Committee faced problems associated with the lack of unit based grievance procedures. Last year, a subcommittee of the FAC was appointed to work with the Provost's office in developing a set of minimum criteria for bylaws-based grievance procedures, and the Committee has since assisted units in establishing and implementing their appeal procedures.

Another recurring difficulty is related to the issuance of nonreappointment notices, specifically the lack of information provided to unsuccessful candidates concerning the reasons for denial of tenured status. The Committee is exploring ways to promote communication that will afford affected faculty an opportunity to respond to these decisions in a meaningful way.

In connection with the investigations involving failed partner hires, the Committee observed wide variation and disparities in the understanding of special recruitments on campus. As a result, FAC has recommended that guidelines be developed for the evaluation and review of partner candidates in the Dual Career Academic Couples Program.

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This report and previous annual reports can be found on-line at www.fac.uiuc.edu/. The FAC Articles of Procedure are attached.

Respectfully submitted,

2001-02 Committee		2002-03 Committee
Jeffrey O. Dawson, Chair	Gerald J. Janusz, Chair
Paul Gerding		Ellen E. Deason
Gerald J. Janusz		Paul Gerding
Herman Krier		Herman Krier
Laurien Laufman		Guillermo Mendoza
Guillermo Mendoza		Lynn Barnett Morris
Lynn Barnett Morris	Jan Novakofski
Beth Sandore		Beth Sandore
Mary P. Stuart		Mary P. Stuart

ATTACHMENT: FAC Articles of Procedure

DECEMBER 2002