Faculty elections to be held April 14–21

April means warm weather, spring flowers and new leaves on the trees. It also provides an opportunity for faculty to choose who will represent their viewpoints and concerns.

All members of the voting faculty will be e-mailed electronic ballots for the annual faculty elections, to be held April 14–21.

“I believe two things about the upcoming elections,” said Joe Templeton, chair of the faculty. “One, the more accurately faculty governance represents our diverse faculty perspectives, the stronger our institution will be; and two, by successfully encouraging more faculty to vote, we all benefit.”

A list of all candidates with the date of their first appointment at Carolina, their current position and information about their highest academic credentials is included in the Voter Information Guide insert.

To provide additional information about the nomination and voting processes, the Office of Faculty Governance compiled answers to some frequently asked questions.

Where is the faculty elections information spelled out?

The entire process of faculty elections is spelled out in the Faculty Code of University Government, available on the Faculty Governance Web site, www.unc.edu/faculty/ faccoun, or by calling the Faculty Governance office at 962-2147.

What do all these representatives do?

There are 11 elected standing committees of the faculty, which work on everything from educational policy matters to tenure decisions to oversight of athletics.

The Faculty Council includes about 70 faculty members apportioned across 17 electoral divisions encompassing the entire university.

Does my vote really matter?

Joe Ferrell, secretary of the faculty, said: “The faculty claims to have a definitive voice in three things: who shall teach, what shall be taught and who shall be taught. Each member of the faculty who participates in the upcoming elections is helping to choose colleagues who will speak and act for the faculty in these critical areas. Those who choose not to vote are leaving these matters to someone else.”

How were candidates identified?

A faculty governance interest survey sent by e-mail to all voting faculty in February produced a list of volunteers, and the Faculty Executive Committee suggested other names.

The Nominating Committee developed a slate of candidates for all elected committee positions. It considered volunteers but also made additional suggestions.

Divisional nominating committees in each of the 17 electoral divisions for the Faculty Council recruited candidates.

Who is eligible to vote?

Eligibility to vote is elaborated in Article 1 of the Faculty Code. All tenured or tenure-track faculty are eligible, as are professional librarians and all fixed-term faculty doing teaching or research who are appointed for at least 75 percent FTE and whose actual or anticipated length of service is at least three years.

Where can I find voting information?

A complete voter information guide, with biographical statements and information about all of the candidates, can be found on the Faculty Governance Web site, www.unc.edu/faculty/faccoun.

When and how do I vote?

All voting faculty members will receive an electronic ballot on April 14 and will have until 5 p.m. April 21 to vote.

Why should I vote this year?

Joe Templeton, faculty chair, said: “This is an exciting time for UNC and for faculty governance. First, we hope to have a new chancellor coming on board for the next academic year. Second, we have a fantastic slate of candidates for our 11 elected committees. These individuals have agreed to bring energy, intelligence and wisdom to bear on the range of topics tackled by faculty governance. Third, thanks to the efforts of Anne Whisnant, our operation is running more smoothly than ever.”

Faculty elections by the numbers

Number of offices open this year: 52, which include

Committee positions:  33 on 11 elected committees

Faculty Council seats: 19

Number of candidates running for those offices: 115

Number of faculty members with voting privileges: 3,428