BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Master of Science in Media, Technology, and Ethics, MS in the College of Arts, Media and Design as approved by the University Graduate Curriculum Committee 29 May, 2024 (13-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Master of Science in Creative Technologies, MS in the College of Arts, Media and Design as approved by the University Graduate Curriculum Committee 29 May, 2024 (13-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Practices and Technology, MFA in the College of Arts, Media and Design as approved by the University Graduate Curriculum Committee 29 May, 2024 (13-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Master of Professional Studies in Applied AI, MPS in the Office of the Provost as approved by the University Graduate Curriculum Committee 2 October, 2024 (16-0-0).

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Master of Professional Studies in Applied AI--Connect, MPS in the Office of the Provost as approved by the University Graduate Curriculum Committee 2 October, 2024 (15-0-0).

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS) in the Office of the Provost as approved by the University Graduate Curriculum Committee 2 October, 2024 (13-0-0).

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Master of Science in Sustainability Engineering Leadership, MS as approved by the University Graduate Curriculum Committee 2 October, 2024 (13-0-0).

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, BFA in the Office of the Provost in close collaboration with the College of Arts Media and Design as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 9 October, 2024 (16-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, BFA in the Office of the Provost as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 9 October, 2024 (16-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Bachelor of Arts in Dance, BA in the Office of the Provost in close collaboration with the College of Arts Media and Design as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 9 October, 2024 (16-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, BFA in the Office of the Provost in close collaboration with the College of Arts Media and Design as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 9 October, 2024 (16-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, BFA in the Office of the Provost in close collaboration with the College of Arts Media and Design as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 9 October, 2024 (16-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design, Technology, and Stage Management, BFA in the Office of the Provost in close collaboration with the College of Arts Media and Design as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 23 October, 2024 (19-0-0)

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Associate of Arts in Social Sciences, AA in the Office of the Provost as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 23 October, 2024 (19-0-0)

WHEREAS Section 2 of the Faculty Senate Bylaws of the Northeastern University Faculty Handbook establishes the Functions and Responsibilities of the Faculty Senate:

b. To be consulted as either a whole body or in appropriate committees on all policies, proposals, and problems of faculty concern, including such matters as the creation of new colleges, new campuses, and new departments;

d. To initiate consideration and recommendation on any matter of faculty concern; and

f. To provide communication between the University faculty and the Administration;

WHEREAS the Administration made changes to Policy Number 617: Policy on Demonstrations without consulting the Faculty Senate;

WHEREAS the Academic Freedom Module of the Northeastern University Faculty Handbook states that Northeastern University subscribes to the 1940 Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure issued by the American Association of University Professors and the Association of American Colleges, as amended in 1970;

WHEREAS existing policy language in the Statement on Free Expression in the Academic Freedom module of the Faculty Handbook is outdated and inconsistent with the recent statements of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), which robustly protect academic and extramural speech, controversial discourse, and peaceful protest;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the University Faculty Senate calls for the strengthening of policy language in the Faculty Handbook in the Statement on Free Expression, aligning it with the latest standards of the AAUP to ensure protection for all forms of academic expression and to prevent undue administrative interference in areas of teaching, research, and faculty autonomy;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, effective immediately, the Senate Agenda Committee will create an Academic Freedom Ad Hoc Committee. The Academic Freedom Ad Hoc Committee will review the existing policy language in the Statement on Free Expression in the Academic Freedom module of the Faculty Handbook, as well as Policy Number 617: Policy on Demonstrations, and make specific recommendations for improvements, including recommendations designed to improve shared governance.

WHEREAS Section 2 of the Faculty Senate Bylaws of the Northeastern University Faculty Handbook establishes the Functions and Responsibilities of the Faculty Senate:

b. To be consulted as either a whole body or in appropriate committees on all policies, proposals, and problems of faculty concern, including such matters as the creation of new colleges, new campuses, and new departments;

d. To initiate consideration and recommendation on any matter of faculty concern; and

f. To provide communication between the University faculty and the Administration;

WHEREAS freedom of speech and freedom of expression are matters of faculty concern: they are foundational commitments of the university, essential to the protection of democratic values, academic excellence, and the nurturing of a nonpunitive and inclusive environment for learning and research;

WHEREAS faculty have raised serious concerns about the fact that, in the spring of 2024, the Administration created and published, without consultation with the Faculty Senate, “Northeastern Global News: Safe Campuses, Civil Discourse: Frequently Asked Questions,” which contained the Administration’s answers to questions about freedom of speech and freedom of expression

WHEREAS faculty have reported that many of the answers in “Northeastern Global News: Safe Campuses, Civil Discourse: Frequently Asked Questions,” chilled free expression within the university community; encouraged a surveillance atmosphere that hampered faculty core roles in research, teaching, and democratic discourse; eroded faculty governance; contributed to a hostile, rather than collaborative, relationship between the Administration and the faculty; and lead to inequitable burdens on some faculty, including those with less secure employment, women, and people of color;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the University Faculty Senate affirms its commitment to defending faculty’s, staff’s, and students' rights to freedom of speech, association, and assembly, both within the academic setting and as participants in wider societal discourse, without fear of retaliation, surveillance, or disciplinary measures;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the University Faculty Senate calls for the Administration to involve the Faculty Senate in the formulation and publication of any policies and external communications affecting freedom of speech.

WHEREAS Section 2 of the Faculty Senate Bylaws of the Northeastern University Faculty Handbook establishes the Functions and Responsibilities of the Faculty Senate:

b. To be consulted as either a whole body or in appropriate committees on all policies, proposals, and problems of faculty concern, including such matters as the creation of new colleges, new campuses, and new departments;

d. To initiate consideration and recommendation on any matter of faculty concern; and

f. To provide communication between the University faculty and the Administration;

WHEREAS the Northeastern University Policy Oversight Committee creates university policies of faculty concern;

WHEREAS no Northeastern University Faculty Senator is a member of the Northeastern University Policy Oversight Committee;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Senate Agenda Committee will annually nominate one Faculty Senator to serve on the University Policy Oversight Committee for that academic year

WHEREAS the World Languages Center (WLC) already administers all language courses and programs, including a major, 4 combined majors, and 9 minors;

WHEREAS the current structure of housing language majors and minors in a different department is not transparent to students, potential students, and individuals on and beyond our campus;

WHEREAS this restructuring will position the unit for sustained growth, establish the Department of World Languages and Cultures as parallel with other CSSH undergraduate degree-granting departments, and align Northeastern with its peer institutions;

BE IT RESOLVED that the World Languages Center be restructured into the Department of World Languages and Cultures.

WHEREAS The Faculty Senate, together with the Administration of the University, has the responsibility of maintaining and improving the academic standards of the University and making the functioning of the University more effective and harmonious; and

WHEREAS Faculty Senators who serve multiple terms accrue significant experience and knowledge about the functioning of the Faculty Senate, university governance, academic issues, and faculty concerns; and

WHEREAS this continuity allows them to advocate more effectively for policies that support faculty interests and student success, to maintain stability in leadership and decision-making, to mentor and transfer knowledge to new Faculty Senate members, to offer historical context, and to more efficiently address long-term goals without the disruptions that come with frequent turnover; and

WHEREAS an elected Faculty Senate member who has just completed two successive full terms is not eligible for reelection until a year later;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Section 3.b. “Elections and Terms of Senators” of the Bylaws of the Faculty Handbook be amended as follows:

From: A member may serve two successive full terms. A member who has just completed two successive full terms is eligible for reelection a year later.

To: A member may serve three successive full terms. A member who has just completed three successive full terms is eligible for reelection a year later.

WHEREAS the Chair of the Senate Agenda Committee establishes the agendas for the Faculty Senate meetings, and presides over the Faculty Senate meetings; and

WHEREAS “Provost’s Remarks” is a standing agenda item at Faculty Senate meetings; and

WHEREAS language in the Bylaws of the Faculty Handbook does not accurately reflect these practices;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Section 3.a. “Officers of the Senate” of the Bylaws of the Faculty Handbook be amended to reflect existing practices, as follows:

From:
a. Officers of the Senate

1. The Chair of the Faculty Senate shall be the Provost. The Chair shall normally preside at all meetings of the Senate, although the President of the University may preside at the President’s pleasure.

2. The Vice Chair shall be elected annually from among the elected members of the Senate. The Vice Chair shall preside at the Senate in the absence of the Chair, and act as Chair of the Faculty Senate Agenda Committee. In either of these capacities, the Vice Chair shall retain their right to vote.

3. The Secretary shall be elected annually from among the elected members of the Senate. The Secretary shall record the business of the Senate, and at the completion of every academic year shall submit a written report of the Senate’s activities to the University faculty.

4. The remaining four members of the Agenda Committee shall be elected annually from among the elected members of the Senate.

5. The procedure for the election of the Vice Chair, Secretary and remaining four members of the Senate Agenda Committee shall be the same as that for election of Senators (below).

To:
a. Officers of the Senate

1. The Chair of the Faculty Senate shall be the Chair of the Senate Agenda Committee. The Chair shall normally preside at all meetings of the Senate, although the President of the University may preside at the President’s pleasure. Provost’s Remarks shall be a standing agenda item at all meetings of the Faculty Senate.

2. The Chair of the Senate Agenda Committee shall be elected annually from among the elected members of the Senate. In either of these capacities (Chair of the Senate Agenda Committee or Chair of the Faculty Senate), the Chair shall retain their right to vote.

3. The Secretary shall be elected annually from among the elected members of the Senate. The Secretary shall record the business of the Senate, and at the completion of every academic year shall submit a written report of the Senate’s activities to the University faculty. The Secretary shall preside at the Senate in the absence of the Chair. In either of these capacities (Secretary of the Senate Agenda Committee or Secretary of the Faculty Senate), the Secretary shall retain their right to vote.

4. The remaining four members of the Agenda Committee shall be elected annually from among the elected members of the Senate.

5. The procedure for the election of the Chair, Secretary, and remaining four members of the Senate Agenda Committee shall be the same as that for election of Senators (below).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Section 4.a. “Committees of the Faculty Senate” of the Bylaws of the Faculty Handbook be amended to reflect these changes, as follows:

From:
a. Faculty Senate Agenda Committee

This Committee consists of the Vice Chair of the Senate who will act as chair of the Committee; the Secretary of the Senate who will be its secretary; and four additional Senators elected annually by the Senate from among the elected members of the Senate.

To:
a. Faculty Senate Agenda Committee

This Committee consists of the Chair of the Senate who will act as chair of the Committee; the Secretary of the Senate who will be its Secretary; and four additional Senators elected annually by the Senate from among the elected members of the Senate.

BE IT RESOLVED That the University establish the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Creative Media in the College of Arts, Media and Design as approved by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 29 January 2025 (18-0-0).

WHEREAS the faculty salaries at all levels are up to 20% below Boston area match mates based on AAUP salary data,

BE IT RESOLVED that the recommended raise pool for merit be 8.4%, at a minimum, and that it be implemented in two equal parts, for FY 2026 and FY 2027.

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Provost develop a plan to align faculty salaries with Boston area match mates.

WHEREAS students are given neither a definition nor a rubric for the meaning and measurement of “effective teaching”, and

WHEREAS a meaningful TRACE question must be composed as a precise and unambiguous query, appropriate for the students’ training, that focuses on specific behaviors (actions) and outcomes, and seek an objective response that does not elicit bias, and

WHEREAS the TRACE question “What is your overall rating of this instructor’s teaching effectiveness?” does not meet all these criteria, and

WHEREAS “effective teaching” is defined in pedagogical literature in terms of (1) the instructor using effective teaching practices (actions) and (2) the instructor enabling the achievement of the intended course learning outcomes,

BE IT RESOLVED that the TRACE question “What is your overall rating of this instructor's teaching effectiveness?” be removed from the TRACE survey, and substituted with multiple questions that query (1) the instructor using specific effective teaching practices (actions) and (2) the instructor enabling the achievement of the intended course learning outcomes, each question being composed as a precise and unambiguous query, appropriate for the students’ training, and that focuses on specific behaviors (actions) and outcomes, and seek an objective response that does not elicit bias.

BE IT RESOLVED that the TRACE survey be revised to the structure and content presented as Appendix C according to the recommendations provided in this report.

WHEREAS student evaluations of teaching have been established to be subject to bias,

BE IT RESOLVED that TRACE survey results be used as one component in more comprehensive assessment of teaching effectiveness in faculty merit, promotion, and tenure processes that includes peer evaluations and instructors’ teaching reflections.

WHEREAS recent TRACE data aids students in choosing courses and enables instructor accountability, and

WHEREAS distant TRACE data do not necessarily reflect more recent teaching and course outcomes, and

WHEREAS limiting students’ access to distant TRACE data limits pre-conceptional bias and encourages instructors to experiment with new and improved methods,

BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate work with the TRACE vendor such that historical TRACE survey results be made available to students for 2 years prior of the current academic year, or the last 2 times the instructor has taught the course, or extend longer than 2 years.

WHEREAS recent TRACE data aids students in choosing courses and enables instructor accountability, and

WHEREAS distant TRACE data do not necessarily reflect more recent teaching and course outcomes, and

WHEREAS limiting students’ access to distant TRACE data limits preconceptional bias and encourages instructors to experiment with new and improved methods, and

WHEREAS TRACE data made available to the students offer a biased perspective because the data do not include supporting response statements from the instructors,

BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate work with the TRACE vendor such that instructors have the optional opportunity to include their own response statements with the TRACE survey results made available to the students.

WHEREAS high participation rates in TRACE surveys increase statistical validity of results,

BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate work with the TRACE vendor such that university, colleges, departments, and instructors can automate incentives to students to submit complete and thoughtful TRACE surveys.

Be it resolved that the administration be tasked with sending an email to all faculty members and staff when significant changes are made to the FAQ, “Navigating a New Political Landscape.

Be it resolved that the most current version of the DEI terminology standardization document, ‘Key Terms for Action Plans,’ be shared across the Northeastern network via the Office of Belonging website.