The Boulder Faculty Assembly on Dec. 7 wrapped up its fall semester with an update from Provost Russ Moore on his priorities and passed four resolutions, including one supporting prioritizing climate change and sustainability actions as “the central focus” of campus initiatives and one endorsing an Oct. 28 University of Colorado Springs resolution supporting Israeli and Palestinian communities impacted by the Israel-Hamas war and advocating for “the interchange of ideas” around the conflict.

In outlining his 2023–24 priorities for the assembly, Moore said the campus was looking closely at “the entire process” by which new CU Boulder students are enrolled in one of the schools and colleges or in the Program for Exploratory Studies to ensure they “are happy with their enrollment choice.” 

In other priorities, he said his team was analyzing how to improve academic support for first-year students, particularly how Residential Academic Programs and Living and Learning Communities could be extended to more students, and he described the campus’s focus on “creating and expanding wraparound services to help all our students succeed—meaning tutoring, advising, non-academic enrichment programs.” 

Moore also updated the group on the implementation of updates to CU Administrative Policy Statements 5053 and 5060, which focus, respectively, on allowing five-year contracts for specialized teaching-track faculty with high records of achievement and on creating new teaching-track faculty title sequences (see related story). 

Responding to a question on the campus’s new budget model negatively impacting its High-Impact Practices (HIPS) for student retention, Moore said, “The budget that was in my office has now gone to colleges and schools; it’s an opportunity for schools and colleges to prioritize HIPS. There are plenty of resources to invest in those priorities; investment in those HIPS would have a beneficial effect on the bottom line.” 

Responding to a question on funding shortfalls for deferred maintenance and classroom infrastructure, such as chalk boards, Moore said economic downturns had prompted the campus to redirect some classroom improvement funds in order to help colleges and schools adjust to impacts from implementing the campus’s new budget model. Moore said: “This year, we’ll put those funds back to use,” and that the campus has “a plan to systematically improve classrooms and classroom technologies” that will be implemented in stages. 

In BFA action 

The assembly entertained discussion and voted strongly in favor of a resolution (PDF) to “endorse prioritizing climate change and sustainability actions to be the central focus of our campuswide initiatives” through “education, research, outreach, and communication.” 

Joined by CU Boulder Registrar Kristi Wold-McCormick and Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment Katherine Eggert, the assembly heard about the need to create a new academic policy on credit for prior learning (PDF) due to changes from Colorado Department of Higher Education guidelines. The BFA Academic Affairs committee, represented by Garrett Bredeson, introduced a related resolution that will be voted on in February.

The assembly also voted to affirm (PDF) a BFA resolution (BFA-R-2-120123) endorsing a similar Oct. 28 resolution by the University of Colorado Springs’ College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences (LAS) that calls for “supporting community members from all backgrounds” and re-commits to the mission of promoting “the interchange of ideas in the pursuit of truth and learning, including diversity of race, culture, geography, political, intellectual and philosophical perspectives and backgrounds.” 

The assembly approved two other actions: a resolution to update BFA bylaws to reflect current membership, election, and voting rights (PDF) and changes to the BFA Standing Rules for Committee Chair Selection Processes (PDF).

Other BFA news 

The assembly received an update by BFA Chair Shelly Miller and Eggert on the campus’s Academic Calendar Proposal, which the assembly in November made the subject of a poll. The results of the poll are being reviewed by Moore, Chief Operating Officer Pat O’Rourke and Chancellor Phil DiStefano. The chancellor will make the final decision on the calendar. 

The assembly received an update from Miller on the search for a new CU Boulder chancellor. Miller, who serves on the search committee, noted the search committee would meet for the first time on Dec. 8, with the search launching formally later this month and visits of candidates to campus occurring in early March. 

The assembly heard an update from Miller on the formation of the campus’s new Campus Sustainability Executive Council, which will: 

• Align planning and administration structures and priorities 
• Prioritize and align campus sustainability operations
• Serve as a central point of engagement, communication and input with internal and external stakeholders
• Track, assess and assure reporting needs aligned with the STARS sustainability rating system

For more background information and context, visit the BFA website.