The University of Memphis Faculty Senate has been involved at a statewide level with the Association of Tennessee University Faculty Senates (TUFS), which represents the faculty senates of all ten four-year public universities in the Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee systems. At its August meeting, TUFS approved a position statement on higher education that calls for (a) the separation of our governance from the two-year institutions and technical schools, (b) the merging of the four-year institutions in the current TBR and UT systems under a single governing body, and (c) the four-year institutions each having their own independent local advisory boards.

Some of the benefits envisioned by this reorganization include:

• Student and faculty exchange programs between university campuses
• Joint academic programs across multiple institutions
• Statewide system for library access and interconnected IT systems
• Flattening and reduction of administrative structures

This TUFS position paper—which has already received an endorsement from the Tennessee State Conference of the American Association of University Professors—is now before the member faculty senates across the state for their endorsement. It will be voted on by our Faculty Senate at its first fall meeting on September 15. Before this meeting, all faculty are encouraged to review the TUFS Position Paper on Higher Education and express their views of it either with their department senator or by contacting the office of the Faculty Senate.


Position Paper Update

Following deliberations on the position paper by its ten member senates, the Association of Tennessee University Faculty Senates (TUFS) has submitted a report to the Governor and issued a press release concerning its proposal for the reorganization of Tennessee higher education.