Initiatives

During spring semester 2022, President Stanley charged a cross-functional Caregiving Work Group with building the foundation of a university-wide caregiver program that prioritizes support for faculty, academic staff, and support staff. The initial recommendations from the Work Group include efforts to increase awareness, fund caregiving resources, and revise relevant policies. They also provide suggestions to enhance collaboration and sustainability as well as how to make MSU an employer of choice in this area. 

Some initiatives are already underway through collaborations among the WorkLife Office, Human Resources, Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs, and Academic Governance. For example, subsidized care options are available, and efforts are underway to advance bereavement and sick leave policies. Following a survey sent to all employees, priorities and timelines will be set for moving forward other recommendations. 

 

FASA sent a memo fall semester 2022 to the Steering Committee to request a partnership with the UCFA on initiating a formal review of the Bereavement Leave policy. The policy today in the Faculty Handbook falls short in its definition of family members and in the number of days provided. We hope with UCFA support and feedback, that we can modify the policy to expand coverage and time away better support our colleagues after the loss of someone very meaningful to their lives.    

We will be sending a memo to the Steering Committee to request partnership with the UCFA on the potential for creating a Paid Family Sick Leave Policy. We’ve identified this as a gap in our faculty affairs policies and believe having such a policy that provides paid time off to care for a loved one is critical for our faculty and academic staff.  

We are embarking on a comprehensive review of the Academic Specialist Handbook – an initiative led by a collective group of academic specialist, administrators, and HR professionals from across campus. This working group provided recommendations to improve the continuing status review process and promotion process for academic specialist. The project will also include the rollout of a re-designed academic specialist handbook an initiative led by the Academic Specialist Advisory Committee (ASAC).

The FASA office is working to create a framework for the ongoing review of faculty affairs policies to ensure they remain competitive and current. Through a separate university initiative, the university will likely be moving forward to have a standardized policy review template and review schedules for university-wide policies. Our office will be focusing on this work in the next year to create this foundation. We recognize that the fundamental framework for any work environment is its human resource policies. MSU’s faculty affairs policies can serve as a basis to underpin our goal of becoming a workplace of choice – and a desirable place to stay – by incorporating fair, equitable, supportive, and inclusive practices that respond to the aspirations and needs of every employee. We hope to have a plan to discuss with academic governance in the near future. 

In alignment with the strategic plan and values for faculty and academic staff success, FASA is working collaboratively with faculty, the Council of Faculty Affairs Deans, and FASD as part of the Provost’s commitment to recognizing the excellence of our faculty and academic staff. This includes ensuring each college has transparent and clear internal policies around promotion for fixed-term faculty and academic staff. 

The Martin Luther King, Jr.-César Chávez-Rosa Parks Visiting Professors Program was created by the Michigan State Legislature in 1986 as part of the larger King-Chávez-Parks Initiative. The legislative intent of this initiative is to stem the downward spiral of college graduation rates for students economically and academically disadvantaged in postsecondary education. 

In support of this mission, the legislature created the King-Chávez-Parks Visiting Professors Program to increase the number of instructors in the classroom to provide role models for economically and academically disadvantaged students. The Visiting Professors Program provides a vital demonstration that a pool of talented academics who serve as role models to disadvantaged students does exist. Preference may not be given to visiting faculty on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, or national origin. 

MSU has been a participant in the KCP Visiting Professors Program since its inception in 1986.