BY JOHN K. WILSON

In December, the Northwestern University AAUP chapter released a “Report of the Committee on Northwestern University’s COVID-19 Response,” which was endorsed by the chapter members and more than 100 faculty.

Tomorrow, the authors of the report will discuss it in an online session on Tues. Feb. 16 at 5-6pm Central time (panelists will be available for additional questions from 6-6:30pm). Titled, “Northwestern University in a Pandemic:  A Conversation on NU-American Association of University Professors Advisals and Strategies,” the participants include Kyle Henry (Radio/Television/Film), Jacqueline Stevens (Political Science), and Mark Witte (Economics), with moderator Andrew Hull (Philosophy). The event is free, but registration is required:

The NU AAUP’s COVID-19 report “documents actions and omissions by Northwestern University (NU) officers that contravene bedrock principles and current standards of the AAUP.” The report argues that “when administrators make decisions that undermine our core mission of education, it is the responsibility of faculty to take their rightful place at the table of shared governance to ensure that our academic concerns are prioritized. Disregard of AAUP standards produces poor educational outcomes.”

The report concludes with the following recommendations:

(1) The immediate release to all members of the NU Faculty Senate Executive Committee of all documents and information relied upon for implementing cuts to NU’s staff, programs, and compensation. This includes budget information about the assets in the NU endowment and all formulas on which the administration is relying for its claims about the alleged need to maintain a $10 billion plus endowment.

(2) The immediate retraction of all cuts based on plans and priorities implemented without faculty consultation, including but not limited to those itemized above. This includes rehiring laid-off staff, restoring academic support staff hours to those in place before March 2020, and restoring all funds withheld from NU retirement funds.

(3) The immediate release to the NU-AAUP and other interested faculty of all communications with the Higher Learning Commission and other accrediting agencies, and commitment to defer to faculty in deliberations tied to accreditation.

(4) The immediate creation by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee of a committee designated for reviewing and reporting to the Faculty Senate recommendations on all proposed grade policy changes and transcript statements for the remainder of the COVID pandemic period; no fewer than two faculty shall be from Weinberg.

(5) The immediate commitment not to change the curriculum and related programming, including the classroom hours and grading policies, without faculty consultation and approval in accordance with AAUP standards on faculty governance.

(6) The immediate standardization of grade change policies in WCAS and other schools to comport with AAUP standards, as enumerated above.

(7) The immediate creation of temporary “committees on governance” for each school, including WCAS, for the purpose of creating faculty governance by-laws for each school in compliance with AAUP standards. These committees should be created by nomination from the faculty in each school and transparent elections. In addition, the review process for all funding opportunities must be transparent, include on committees a rotating group of faculty, and exclude from assessment and final award decisions anyone who is not a faculty member of the committee.

(8) All NU and school survey results must be released to faculty, staff, and students who were surveyed.

(9) The immediate release to the faculty of grade point averages since 2000 for each school and department.