College of Liberal Arts NTTF Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes
February 28, 2024

Agenda:

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Meeting notes:

Meeting Began – 10:02 AM

A. Approval of Minutes from 2/28/2024 Meeting

Motion: Amanda Wright
Second: Eli Alberts
Minutes approved unanimously.

B. NTTF AC election update (Ellie Light)

• All those who were elected accepted their new positions and will be invited to attend the last meeting of this semester.
• We are looking for a TT faculty representative, hopefully from any department that is not yet represented on the committee. Any department is welcome, but we want to be able to represent all departments if possible.
• Non-faculty representative, possibly from SMTD, needed.

C. Eli Alberts: CU contracts update

• Key provisions of CU’s implementation of APS5053 – recent changes reflect state law that permits contracts of up to 5 years. Deans shall have the option of awarding a 5-year contract at the time of the next reappointment – to be used to reward the “best” teaching faculty, not new hires.
• Ellie Light will let Ryan Claycomb know this is moving forward at CU Boulder, with the hopes that he will discuss this with the Provost Office.
• View the CU Boulder page, here.

D. Tom Conway: CoNTTF updates

• Nominations were due March 25, and we haven’t received any update yet.
• Continuing contracts were not initially part of CSU NTTF contract negotiation, but they were implemented as a method of trying to satisfy the need for predictable and stable employment. The concern is that “continuing” is simply “adjunct” by a different name.
• There is language from university-level that specifies how a TTF and NTTF contracts could be altered (catastrophic financial situations); the NTTF language includes wording that says the university is able to terminate employment if the university is not willing to keep an employee. Overall, we are hoping to begin the process by eliminating that language and then offer more contracts (replacing “continuing” with more specific stability).
• We have a grievance process, which NTTF do not use as much as TTF do. Annual evaluations, reprimand, and salary and equity issues are all common.
  • NTTF often do not know this process exists, or have the confidence to use this process, but we need to make sure people know this is available.
  • Info-sharing via document or meeting session would be a good idea. We can explore this in future meetings.
• Ellie: tenure lines for teaching faculty is an option for the future, but the discussions need to continue.

E. Ellie Light: Dean’s Office Update, Aug Conference

• Dean’s Search has closed at this point. 143 applicants, 35 nominations = there is significant interest in the position. Finalists will be on campus during finals week.
• We need NTTF at the open forums and to be part of this process.
• August Conference: likely August 12 and 13. Scheduling is not finalized because we are waiting for football scheduling to be completed first. If scheduling continues to be an issue, the event might be moved back to the previous week. This will all be announced soon. (The first day of classes is August 19, so orientation and faculty meetings could intersect with this.)
  • We need volunteers to read proposals: Megan Lanz, Keri Canada, Amanda Wright (backup), Frankie Wilcox (assumed)

F. Ellie, Annie, Frankie: Equity Toolkit Check-in

• Ellie has an equity fact sheet as a precursor to the toolkit/dialogue resource
• We want to emphasize to the Council of Chairs (Friday, April 19th) that we have all these resources and tools, and the onus is not on individual NTTF to raise issues within the department. NTTF do not always have the confidence in their positions to raise issues. The goal is to not present something that is fully formed (formalizing this in the fall instead), but instead to use the time at this meeting to share the inventory that Ellie is compiling and briefly present the topics to Council of Chairs.
• Chairs and departments are sometimes unaware of protocol in other departments regarding meeting participation, professional development opportunities, etc.
• We are looking to present what is possible and then eliciting feedback from chairs regarding what is helpful and what could be useful moving forward.
• April 19, LSC 322 – anyone on this committee wishing to attend can request an invite

G. Layla Malander: PLACE update

• Interviews are completed, decisions on the 4 contracted PLACE faculty will be announced by mid-April.

H. Frankie Wilcox: Service Document

• We have some chairs who have implemented service recommendations, some who are in progress implementing, and only one unknown. This document will continue to be updated and will be shown at the April 19th Council of Chairs meeting.
  • Implemented: chairs have acknowledged implementing service assessment guidelines into annual reviews
  • In progress: chairs have seen service assessment guidelines and are discussing/considering more things before implementing (mostly due to new chairs coming in for Fall 2024)
• Next fall, this committee should consider reaching out and touching base with chairs (we have 6 new CLA chairs!) and following up to make sure this progress doesn’t drop off the radar over the summer.
• Amanda: Consider sending NTTF service information with mentorship information.

I. Wrap-Up Meeting & Adjourn – 10:51 AM

Minutes respectfully submitted by Megan Lanz