These trends can be attributed largely to declining enrollments and general fund budget reductions that were required to bring expenditures in line with expenses. The Committee has concern about UVM's capacity to maintain faculties of sufficient quality and number to carry out the institution's stated purposes and future aspirations. UVM appears to have a strong commitment to faculty participation in governance, especially through the Faculty Senate. The Senate has clearly articulated authorities and advisory responsibilities, and its actions, recommendations, and deliberations are integral to the institution's planning and operation. Faculty members are appropriately involved in curricular and course development at the departmental, college, and university-wide levels.
Faculty members appear to enjoy reasonable contractual security regarding their employment.
The Committee heard a discussion of changes in the employment terms for library faculty that, short of tenure, offer greater stability and progression within the profession. It also notes increased attention to improving the plight of part-time and adjunct faculty with regard to employment security and academic leave. Section 5.6 concerns the selection, training, evaluation, and supervision of graduate teaching assistants. To the extent that such policies could be evaluated, individual colleges vary in their approaches to functions such as grievance procedures for, training and development programs for, and evaluation and supervision of graduate teaching assistants. The committee notes that there is no institutional policy on the deployment of graduate teaching assistants, but the allocation of graduate teaching fellows recently was returned to the Dean of the Graduate College.