Faculty Status Committee

Committee Charge

The Faculty Status Committee (FSC) is an independent investigative faculty committee that reports and makes recommendations directly to the president.  The FSC deals with disputes between faculty and administration and among other functions deals with appeals of tenure and promotion decisions on certain grounds.

The traditional composition of the FSC has been 9 faculty.  Members are elected by the faculty through online voting.  Committee membership required that members must have at least six years of service at WSU, be tenured at least at the associate rank, and not hold administrative appointments that involve participation in tenure and/or promotion decisions.

In Fall 2019, the FSC reviewed these requirements surrounding committee membership.  To be more inclusive and broaden the representation of all faculty, the FSC has changed its by-laws to now include 3 career-track (CT) faculty on the committee.  CT members must have at least six years of service at WSU and not hold administrative appointments that involve participation in promotion decisions. Members will be elected by the faculty through online voting. These CT faculty will be present at all FSC committee meetings and provide representation on FSC cases involving CT faculty.

Functions

1. Reviews, mediates, and/or adjudicates disputes within the faculty and between the faculty and the administration.
2. Makes recommendations to the Faculty Affairs Committee and to the President concerning policies about faculty affairs that arise out of its conciliatory and judicial functions.
3. Calls special meetings of the faculty or any component thereof, giving reasonable notice, at which time the Chair of the Committee shall preside.
4. Reviews any problem within its jurisdiction brought to it by any member of the faculty.
5. Makes periodic reports (at least annually) to the Faculty Senate and to the faculty concerning its operations.   A Guide for Faculty, Appellants and New Members  

Composition and Tenure

• Nine faculty, with three-year terms. Members are elected by the faculty by secret ballot according to procedures specified in the Faculty Manual. (F)
• 3 career-track (CT) faculty on the committee. Members will be elected by the faculty through online voting. These CT faculty will be present at all FSC committee meetings and provide representation on FSC cases involving CT faculty.
• Members must have at least six consecutive years of employment at Washington State University.
• Members may not hold an administrative appointment that involves participation in tenure and/or promotion decisions.
• Membership should provide broad representation across the colleges, libraries, and research stations.

Additional Notes

• Chair elected by the Committee
• Responsible to: The Faculty
• Reports to: The Faculty; the Faculty Senate

Reports

2021-2022	2018-2019
2020-2021	2016-2017
2019-2020	2014-2015

• Faculty Status Report
  for past reports prior to 2014, please click here