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“CSU Faculty Profile: Proportion of Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty andc
Demographic Trends, 2001-2009” Report on Commitment 2 of the CSU
Access to Excellence Strategic Plan
AS-3067-12/FA (Rev)
ATTACHMENT 1 TO AS-3067-12/FA (Rev)
ATTACHMENT 2 TO AS-3067-12/FA (Rev)
RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) acknowledge
receipt of the report, “CSU Faculty Profile: Proportion of Tenure-Track/Tenured
Faculty and Demographic Trends, 2000-2009”; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the ASCSU commend members of its Faculty Affairs Committee for their
research and writing of the report in response to the CSU’s Access to Excellence
strategic plan update; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the ASCSU re-affirm its support of Commitment 2: Plan for Faculty Turnover
and Invest in Faculty Excellence in the CSU Access to Excellence (A2E) strategic
plan, which was originally stated in AS-2869-08/AA (Rev) (Acknowledgement of
Faculty Involvement in the Access to Excellence Accountability Plan); and be it
further
RESOLVED: That the ASCSU note that the “CSU Faculty Profile: Proportion of Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty and Demographic Trends, 2001-2009” report drafted by the
2011-12 ASCSU Faculty Affairs Committee to determine progress in achieving
Commitment 2 shows that
- The number of tenured and probationary faculty dropped from 10,085 in fallv
2008 to 10,051 in fall 2009;
- The proportion of tenured and probationary faculty increased from 62% in
2008-09 to 66-67% in 2009-10, due to the fact that many lecturers were not
rehired because of a decline in enrollment and, not an increase in faculty;
- The percentage of tenured and probationary faculty to total faculty ranged
from 43% to 78% across the institutions in the CSU;
- Faculty are increasingly diverse in terms of gender and race/ethnicity at the
system level
; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the ASCSU express concern that the jointly-developed plan to increase the
percentage of tenured and tenure-track faculty in the CSU to 75% as directed by the
California State Legislature in 2001 (ACR 73, Strom-Martin) has not been realized;
and be it further
RESOLVED: That the ASCSU express its concern about the erosion in academic quality in the
CSU since ACR 73 was adopted in 2001, as indicated by
- The increase in the student-faculty ratio (SFR), which has risen from 19.26 in
2001 to 22.76 in 2009-10;
- The lack of progress in increasing the number of tenured and probationary
faculty in step with increases in enrollment; in 2009-10 compared to 2001-02,
the CSU had 40,596 more full-time equivalent students (+13.5%) being taught
by 372 more probationary/tenured faculty (+3.8%);
- The decline in the percentage of tenured and probationary faculty since the
passage of ACR 73, from 62% to 57%, when SFR is held constant at 19.3 (the
value when ACR 73 was passed). Holding SFR constant at the 2001 value,
the CSU is 3,200 faculty below the ACR 73 goal
; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the ASCSU endorse recommendations in the report, “CSU Faculty Profile:
Proportion of Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty and Demographic Trends, 2001-2009”,
which include calling for the
- Commitment of resources from the State Legislature and Board of Trustees to
recruit and retain quality faculty and reduce the student-faculty ratio to prior
levels;
- Ongoing annual assessment of progress toward achieving Commitment 2;
- Adoption of benchmarks/goals for the metrics listed in A2E Appendix 2
Metrics for System- and Institutional-Level Indicators to operationalize
success;
- Addition of institution-level data on gender and ethnic diversity in the CSU
Statistical Abstract;
- Inclusion of A2E metrics for Commitment 2 in performance evaluations of
campus presidents, given the large variation in the percentage of tenured and
probationary faculty to total faculty across institutions;
- Preparation of an annual report of progress toward achieving the CSU
commitments/operational goals of A2E using the metrics specified in the
accountability plan. For example, this report should be made to the Board of
Trustees and posted to the A2E website;
- Investment in faculty excellence, which includes recruitment of equivalently
qualified CSU lecturers for new tenure-track positions
; and be it further
RESOLVED:That the ASCSU provide copies of this resolution and report to Governor Brown,
Officers/Leadership of the California State Legislature, Members of the Board of
Trustees, Campus Presidents and Provosts, Associate Vice Presidents of Academic
Affairs, California Faculty Association (CFA), California State Student Association
(CSSA), California State Senate Higher Education Committee, California State
Assembly Education Committee, and campus senate chairs.
RATIONALE: High-quality permanent faculty members are critical to providing
students access to excellence in the CSU. In May 2008, the Board of Trustees of the
California State University adopted the long-term strategic plan entitled Access to
Excellence (A2E). The A2E strategic plan includes eight commitments or operational
goals for the CSU, the second of which is to “Plan for faculty turnover and invest in
faculty excellence.” In CSU Faculty Profile: Proportion of Tenure-Track Faculty and
Demographic Trends, 2000-2010, the ASCSU Faculty Affairs Committee assesses
progress in achieving Commitment 2 via the two metrics specified in A2E for this
operational goal: (1) Increase in the proportion of tenured and probationary faculty
and (2) Increase in the diversity of employees. Neither of these metrics was directly
reported in the A2E Progress Report prepared for the CSU Board of Trustees dated
10-25-11.
Assessment of progress toward achieving Commitment 2 is particularly critical for
several reasons. First, access without quality is not truly access. Second, building a
faculty corps has been a longstanding strategic goal of the CSU. In the summative
evaluation of the prior strategic plan titled Cornerstones, the conclusion pertaining to
Principle 4 (Rewards and development in faculty teaching, scholarship, research, and
creative activity) was that "...only a modest increase in the infrastructure to support
all of the crucial duties of a faculty member" (p. 2) had been achieved. Third, the
California State Legislature has also encouraged increasing the ratio of permanent
faculty in the CSU and its diversity. In 2001, ACR 73 urged the CSU Trustees, the
ASCSU, and the CFA to develop, jointly, a plan to raise the percentage of tenured
and tenure-track faculty and provide for the continued improvement of faculty
diversity. The jointly-developed plan developed in Response to ACR 73 was submitted
to Assembly Member Strom-Martin in 2002.
Finally, the ASCSU has strongly affirmed its commitment to the principles contained
in ACR 73 and urged that they be given greater priority in the CSU Support Budget
(AS-2780-06/FA). The ASCSU also supported A2E Commitment 2 and urged faculty
involvement in its implementation and monitoring (AS-2869-08/AA(Rev)).
Attachments:
- CSU Faculty Profile: Proportion of Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty and Demographic Trends, 2001-2009
- Access to Excellence Progress Report
Additional information referenced in this resolution can be accessed at the following
links:
Approved Unanimously – May 3-4, 2012
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