Improving the Quality of Term Faculty Careers at George Mason University
George Mason sought to create an institutional culture in which non-tenure-track faculty (known as “term faculty” at George Mason) are viewed as valuable and the term faculty career path as both productive and rewarding. Through a partnership between the University’s Faculty Senate and the Office of the Provost, a Term Faculty Task Force was convened in alignment with George Mason’s Strategic Plan Goal 9, Support Teaching and Faculty Excellence. The task force was responsible for identifying challenges and difficulties facing term faculty, as well as thinking through career development and advancement opportunities. They were also expected to generate and present recommendations for new policies, practices and initiatives. After the Term Faculty Task Force presented their recommendations to the Provost, he then directed the formation of a Term Faculty Committee (TFC) to oversee and facilitate the implementation of task force recommendations.