Becton listens to faculty concerns

Interim chancellor at N.C. Central University, Charles Becton, fielded questions from faculty in the Miller-Morgan auditorium Aug., 17 in which faculty members expressed frustration over a perceived lack of shared governance.

“I can’t kill the elephant you see, but I can make sure it doesn’t trample you,” said Becton.

He was responding to one faculty member who called the lack of shared governance amongst faculty and administration the ‘elephant in the room.’

“We won’t make it unless we make it together. Students won’t prosper unless we thrive,” said Becton.

Becton assured those in attendance that he would take their concerns seriously. He then answered questions and listened to concerns for over an hour. He stressed that he would ensure the University of North Carolina code regarding shared governance would be followed at NCCU as outlined here: Standards of Shared Governance.

Biology Professor John Clamp said that the code is often not enough to guarantee that governance is exercised in a shared way at NCCU. According to Clamp the main problem is a lack of communication between administration and faculty.

At NCCU, as at the other 15 campuses in the UNC system, institutional governance is supposed to be shared via the formal structure of a faculty senate. The senate consists of representatives elected by the faculty. NCCU Faculty Senate officers and information is available here: Faculty Senate at NCCU.

 Faculty also broached the problem of salary disparity.

“There is a great disparity of income within rank,” said Charmaine McKissick-Melton, associate professor and coordinator of mass communication.

Russell Robinson, visiting assistant professor in the mass communication department said he was concerned about the way adjunct faculty are treated and compensated at NCCU.