Effective Faculty governance depends on a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. At Rhodes, the work of governance occurs in three areas. These three areas are delineated here, in Section II. Structures of Faculty Governance are outlined in Section III.
Rhodes College engages in shared governance. Cross-campus ad hoc groups convened by the President and other senior leaders are also a regular practice on our campus. These committees or task forces typically include faculty, students, staff, and administrators.
1. An area where Faculty has clear expertise and decision-making responsibility. This area includes:
- The development and maintenance of the academic program including its content, the academic standards to be met for matriculation and graduation, and the ongoing assessment of the quality of the academic program. The academic program includes the foundations curriculum, majors, minors, certificates, and requirements for awarding of degrees, as well as departments and programs.
- The standards for tenure and promotion that lead to a recommendation to the administration and the Board of Trustees as to whether a faculty member should be granted tenure and/or promoted and the process by which tenure and promotion decisions can be appealed.
- The oversight of structures of faculty governance.
- The oversight of faculty professional interests that lead to recommendations to the administration and Board of Trustees on issues related to the welfare of the Faculty as a whole.
- The oversight of policy and procedures for faculty development resources including the review of requests and recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for faculty development grants and sabbaticals.
2. An area where the Faculty share expertise and decision-making responsibility with the administration. This area includes:
- The standards for evaluating teaching, research and service;
- The process by which outstanding students compete for post-graduate scholarships;
- The oversight of academic advising;
- The process to prepare students for successful membership in a community of scholars through an integral and interconnected first-year experience;
- The management of information and resources in technology;
- The policies and procedures to meet admissions and retention goals;
- The policies and procedures related to international education and study abroad;
- The process by which new faculty and administration are recruited and hired;
- Student appeals;
- The process for advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility on campus.
- The process for advancing strategic campus-wide goals (e.g., sustainability, expressive speech, local and global engagement).
3. An area where the Faculty serve in a consultative or advisory role but where primary expertise and decision-making responsibility remain with the administration and/or Board of Trustees. This area includes:
- Faculty-related personnel policies;
- Budget;
- Long range and strategic planning;
- Major changes in academic direction, including modifications to the status of existing departments and programs.
- Athletics;
- Campus Health and Safety;
- Liaison with administrative units (further specified in Section III);
- Faculty and staff awards.