A Whole Lot of Verba, Not a Lot of Res: FSU Faculty Votes “No Confidence” in Provost
posted by Trey Nemec | April 8, 2024 | In NewsRes Non Verba.
This Latin phrase, meaning “Deeds, not words,” serves not only as the official motto for Fayetteville State University, an HBCU in the University of North Carolina System, but also as a reminder that our actions define us and our legacy.
For the past several months, FSU faculty and administration have felt a tectonic tension as changes to the faculty workload policy have called the mission and values of our university into question, threatening to shake the perceived solid ground on which our HBCU sits.
When an earthquake begins, both sides may lose their footing and end up with scrapes and bruises.
So, what happens when faculty stands on one side of a faultline and administration on the other?
It’s the students who fall in when the ground opens up.
Faultline
In July 2023, the UNC System issued a new faculty workload policy that increases the number of credit hours spent instructing from 18 to 24 per academic year, raising the threshold required for faculty to be considered full-time.
Under this change, faculty will have less time to perform research and service obligations mandatory within their contracts. This would also reduce the amount of time they spend individually with students in the form of feedback and support.
Faculty can apply for a “course equivalency.” This is a type waiver for work outside the classroom that justifies a reduction in course load.
But with the order to teach more each semester coming from those in charge, how likely is it to be granted such a waiver, and who would the extra courses fall on if these equivalencies are granted?
Dr. Zahra Shekarkhar is the Faculty Senate Chair at FSU. She and Dr. Kimberly Hardy, Associate Professor in the School of Social Work, expressed several frustrations about the policy change.
“The problem here at Fayetteville State is that the Provost, our academic leader, has decided that everyone would get scheduled to teach four courses in the Fall, without consideration for people who might have legitimate reasons to have a reduction,” said Shekarkhar.
“This whole process is flawed, lacks transparency, and is devoid of any semblance of shared governance,” Hardy wrote in an email to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences faculty.
Earthquake
After nearly a year since the policy change was announced, faculty and staff have questioned their leadership.
On March 28th, 2024, FSU Board of Trustees received an anonymous memo that alleged a “consistent devaluing of FSU’s fundamental mission of teaching and learning.”
The document, which represents the voices of many FSU faculty members, cites administrative overreach, micromanagement, ineffective resource use, and a deep lack of communication between faculty and administration.
“Our workload has increased, our pay decreased, our colleagues punished, our resources removed, and our ethics challenged, all without comment from our leadership,” the memo reads.
The memo alleges that anyone who disagrees with the administration risks having their performance evaluations lowered and being stripped of leadership roles. The document also describes negative views about some students and their value to the university as a whole.
“Students who are transient due to military affiliation or family/financial stressors -those who do not persist or graduate – are seen as having no value because they do not add dollars to our budget,” the memo reads.
The document was sent to the FSU Faculty Senate. In a later meeting on April 5th, members overwhelmingly supported a resolution of “no confidence” in Provost Dr. Monica Terrell Leach.
Senate members doubt her ability to “lead effectively, respectfully, and in a way that supports the mission and values of the university.” The vote passed 32-4, with eight senators abstaining.
Dr. Leach did not respond to a request for comment before the time of publication.
According to faculty members, poor communication and anxiety around retaliation have contributed to the university’s low morale.
“We want to be a genuine part of the discussion,” said Shekarkhar, explaining that the inclusion of faculty in administrative committees has felt largely performative.
Forecasting the Aftershock
The rumble of this new policy will be felt campus-wide. Faculty will have less time to invest in student feedback, organizations, and the research and service aspects of the job.
Under this new policy, course cancellations could become a real concern. If some faculty get a course equivalency and the others are overloaded, several courses could be left hanging.
Students would be the ultimate victims of this seismic activity.
Without the courses they need, a timely graduation seems like a ledge, just inches from reach, that you can’t quite grasp.
Uncertainty around the policy change has highlighted a lack of effective action and poor communication between FSU administration and faculty.
In a College of Humanities and Social Sciences meeting earlier this year, one faculty member commented, “It feels like a lot of Verba, not a lot of Res.”
Editor’s Note: Due to concerns with conflicts of interest with The Voice’s faculty advisor, and in accordance with Voice ethics policies, this article was edited through an external editor. Special thanks to FSU alum, former Voice editor-in-chief, and WABE (Atlanta’s NPR affiliate) reporter DorMiya Vance for her assistance as external editor.
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