On Friday, the University Academic Senate voted 27-14 to recommend a revision to the personnel policy to provide that tenure track faculty be eligible to vote at the unit level in faculty personnel decisions following two years of uninterrupted service at Grand Valley State University.

Friday’s meeting and vote continued the referendum process spurred by the Oct. 16 UAS motion that granted voting eligibility on faculty personnel actions involving contract renewals, tenure, promotions and sabbaticals to only tenured faculty members.

Although the UAS considered six graduated options related to the ongoing discussion of who should vote at the unit level in faculty personnel decisions, only the second option received a clear majority of votes.

A recommendation for revision of the personnel policy based on this most recent vote has now been passed to President Thomas J. Haas for his consideration.

The UAS also voted unanimously to support adoption of the proposed conflict of interest policy for faculty personnel actions.

The new policy will address instances in which a candidate and voter share a familial or household relationship, when faculty have a financial or business relationship separate from their connection through the university and when faculty members have not had their employment contract renewed or have been denied tenure.

The changes would also grant deans greater flexibility when judging conflicts of interest.

Additional information on the vote, UAS and the referendum task force can be found on the Faculty Governance Web site, http://www.gvsu.edu/facultygov/, and the task force Web site http://www.gvsu.edu/referendumtaskforce/.

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