To University Faculty & Visitors:

Welcome to the MUSC Faculty Senate Webpage!

The Faculty Senate represents the views, needs, and interests of faculty in the educational, research, and service programs of the University, primarily through the work of Senate committees. The Communications Committee, for example, welcomes new faculty twice yearly and sponsors town halls informing faculty of the current states of the University, our Colleges, and new programs.

The Governance and Faculty & Institutional Relations Committees shepherd major policy revisions for the Handbook. This year the Senate has revised grievance & intellectual property policies and adopted a statement of faculty responsibility to observe university copyright policies. Review of tenure and conflict of interest policies is in progress. Governance also is converting into policy the university guidelines for resolving faculty appointment contract disputes.

Revision of the faculty handbook, which is part of our faculty appointment contract, starts with the Senate. The faculty must approve Senate-recommended changes before such changes progress to review by the Deans’ Council, President’s Council and eventually the Board of Trustees. The current Handbook, adopted by the Board in 2007, restructures our earlier edition and facilitates policy updates, which now appear in the Appendix.

Policy changes already passed by the Senate and currently being debated appear on this webpage. The senate soon will submit the grievance, intellectual property, and copyright policies for faculty approval. We invite faculty comment on those policies still being debated.

Finally, the Senate Institutional Advancement Committee (IAC) is developing a survey of faculty concerns and plans to ask standing University committees to bring pending issues to the Senate. Through these ongoing contacts, the IAC will draft a strategic plan for the Senate reflecting how faculty may support the university strategic plan.

The Senate welcomes all faculty to attend our meetings. The College of Medicine Clinical Sciences has open positions as Alternate Senators, so we especially invite clinical sciences faculty to volunteer for these positions. We also encourage all faculty to take advantage of Senate opportunities to make contacts facilitating collaborative research, education, and service.

Hoping to see or meet you soon,
Walter Limehouse
Senate President