AUBURN — The Auburn University Board of Trustees unanimously approved two policies granting itself ultimate authority over curriculum, course offerings, degree requirements, and academic credentials during a Friday meeting. Effective the same day, the Auburn University Faculty Senate was dissolved.
The board's policies state that final approval for curriculum, course offerings, and degree requirements rests with the board or its delegated administrators. A new body, the Presidential Academic Advisory Council, will replace the Faculty Senate. Board policy states that this council will provide advice and perspective to the president on academic policy, governance, mission, and confidential matters. The council is prohibited from issuing public statements on behalf of the university.
The Presidential Academic Advisory Council will include two faculty members from each college. One member will be elected by the college faculty, and the university president will appoint the other. University President Christopher Roberts may also appoint additional members to the council, who can be either faculty or nonfaculty. The board has also directed the university provost to establish a civics requirement for all students, which must include at least one U.S. history course and one civics class.
Multiple faculty members have voiced concerns regarding the new policies. "These policies were adopted without meaningful faculty input, despite the fact that faculty—not the Board—carry out the academic mission every day. Faculty are not employees in a corporate structure to be managed through top-down authority," the Auburn American Association of University Professors chapter stated. The Faculty Senate previously operated in an advisory-only capacity.
Virginia Davis, chair of the Faculty Senate, raised concerns about faculty input. "Whenever you want to do something or make a policy, you really need the input of people who are living that role. And my concern here today is that the faculty did not really get a chance to give that input," Davis said.
University Provost Vini Nathan notified faculty via email that implementation of the new policies will begin in the coming weeks. The provost's email indicated that implementation would include establishing timelines, procedures, and guidance for curriculum review, course approval, syllabus expectations, core curriculum review, and forming the advisory council. Appointment considerations for the president may include factors such as academic discipline, rank, and tenure status.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the university's accrediting body, requires that faculty maintain primary responsibility for curriculum content, quality, and effectiveness. Alabama House Bill 580, which mandates similar academic governance controls for public institutions, is scheduled to take effect in October. Due to its constitutional status as a land-grant institution, the bill does not explicitly apply to the university, though state officials have indicated that noncompliance with state academic governance directives could impact future state funding allocations.