Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees approves board to replace faculty senate

The Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve the Presidential Faculty Academic Roundtable, a replacement for its now-abolished faculty senate.

In a statement released by JSU Tuesday afternoon, JSU President Don Killingsworth said “faculty have always played an important role in shaping the direction of Jacksonville State University, and that will continue.”

“We made a commitment that faculty would continue to have a meaningful voice in university decisions, and the President’s Faculty Academic Roundtable is an important part of fulfilling that commitment,” the statement said. “I look forward to working directly with these representatives, hearing their perspectives and ensuring that faculty input remains an important part of our decision-making process.”

The Board of Trustees dissolved JSU’s faculity senate in August, citing a need to comply with HB 580, sponsored by Rep. Troy Stubbs, R-Wetumpka, and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in April. 

The law has been interpreted differently by higher education institutions across the state. Auburn University’s Board of Trustees dissolved its faculty senate in June, prompting backlash from faculty members. Troy University and the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees opted to maintain their faculty senates.

The Presidential Faculty Academic Roundtable consists of 13 members, including David Dempsey, the former president of the now-dissolved faculty senate.

Lance Ingwersen, a history professor at JSU, said in a statement after the Board of Trustees’ meeting on Monday afternoon, the board was less representative than the faculty senate and could limit faculty expression.