The vote at the April 2026 Institute Faculty Meeting on the Teaching Faculty proposal narrowly fell short of the two-thirds majority required to revise the Faculty Senate Constitution, representing a missed opportunity to strengthen this institution. The proposal resulted from several years of effort by multiple committees composed of representatives from the Faculty, the Administration, the PSA, and the Lecturers. I was a representative of the Lecturers on the Ad-hoc Committee on Teaching Faculty and can attest that all the concerns and feedback raised during the process were thoroughly deliberated and eventually informed the details of the final proposal. The proposal was developed through the collaborative effort of multiple stakeholders working in the spirit of NJIT’s initial Policy on Shared Governance, which was guided by the following general principles: inclusiveness, mutual trust, participatory decision-making, attainment of the common good, communication, transparency and openness, efficiency, flexibility, innovation, collegiality/civility, and accountability.
I strongly supported the final proposal because, while it would have created distinct positions for Lecturers and Teaching Faculty, it addressed the shared primary concerns of all NJIT’s Lecturers. The proposed changes would have benefitted all full-time, long-term NJIT instructors through:
- including all Lecturer and Teaching Faculty ranks in the term “faculty,”
- increasing promotional opportunities for all full-time, long-term instructors, and
- providing a pathway for any full-time, long-term instructor to gain full participation in decision-making as faculty, whether as Teaching Faculty or Principal University Lecturer.
The proposed changes were intended to better recognize the work of Lecturers, but above all, to enhance the institution more broadly. By working together more effectively as faculty, we will produce better outcomes for instructors, researchers, and most importantly, for students. We are all aware that delivering effective instruction faces increasingly complex challenges. Meeting those challenges will require considerable investment by dedicated educators whose work must be supported and valued by the institution and whose expertise must contribute to faculty decision-making.
NJIT will face increased competition for student enrollment. Attracting those students will require that the university makes commitments to continue to enhance the research at NJIT and to deliver a competitive undergraduate curriculum delivered by highly effective professional educators. We are not serving our students well if we maintain barriers between instruction and research. Many NJIT Lecturers already conduct research, often in support of undergraduate instruction. We should embrace opportunities to increase student participation in research and to reward research contributions by all our members. The Teaching Faculty proposal would have preserved the distinct role of the non-tenure-track positions while allowing departments to allocate investment in instruction and research to fit departmental needs.
Preparing our students for successful futures requires collaboration and the full participation of everyone involved in academic matters here. Lecturers are deeply engaged with the needs and aspirations of our students, and it is essential that their experience and expertise be part of future decision-making at this institution. A majority of the Faculty at the IFM voted in support of the Teaching Faculty proposal, and I hope we will continue to work together in the coming year to implement revisions essential to shaping the future of NJIT.
