The faculty held its most recent meeting on February 28, covering the Ad Hoc Committee on Investments and Responsibility (ACIR) report in response to the Bowdoin Solidarity Referendum, proposed changes to the Committee on Governance and Faculty Affairs (GFA) structure and discussed the Workday transition.

President Safa Zaki opened the meeting by addressing the ACIR report released earlier that day. She encouraged faculty to review the report’s findings.

The faculty passed two motions discussed in previous meetings. They approved the name change of “pre-major advisor” to “liberal-arts advisor,” and they approved revisions to policy in the faculty handbook regarding the role of lecturers.

Bowdoin’s American Association of University Professors group presented a motion to reform GFA governance. Currently, the Dean of Academic Affairs sits on the GFA ex officio, but faculty expressed interest in removing this position from the committee to increase faculty autonomy. In place, the committee would add an administrative staff position to support faculty on the GFA. Zaki expressed her support for looking into this proposal.

Several faculty members also voiced concerns about attacks on higher education and federal grant funding. Further discussion on these topics was not held in the interest of time and instead tabled for future meetings.

In addition, faculty celebrated their colleagues who received tenure, effective this fall. The five faculty members awarded tenure by the Board of Trustees were Assistant Professor of Computer Science Sarah Harmon; Assistant Professor of Biology Patricia Jones; Assistant Professor of Anthropology Willi Lempert; Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Angel Daniel Matos; and Assistant Professor of Religion and Asian Studies Claire Robison.

Senior Workday and Enterprise Resource Planning Project Manager Emy Farley led faculty members through a Workday training session in preparation for fall course registration next month. She reminded faculty that all course information and actions for the current semester remain on Polaris.

The next faculty meeting is scheduled for April 4.