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Keeping Faculty at the Forefront

Court of NC

NC State’s Faculty Senate just started its 68th session this academic year, with a renewed commitment to faculty excellence and a new leader at the helm. Jade Berry-James began her two-year term as Chair of the Faculty on July 1.

Berry-James, a professor of public administration in the School of Public and International Affairs, is the eighth woman elected to this position. She will represent faculty on the UNC Faculty Assembly, to the NC State administration, and across the campus community. She will also work closely with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee on policy and perspectives raised by faculty. The Faculty Senate meets every other Tuesday throughout the semester.

Accomplished Faculty Leader

Berry-James has called NC State home for the past decade, but has worked in higher education for more than 30 years. She was selected as a 2019 Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, served on the executive council of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration and Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation, and is a life member of the American Society for Public Administration.

RaJade Berry-James
Chair of the Faculty Jade Berry-James

“In my early years on campus, I almost always attended Faculty Senate meetings,” said Berry-James. “It was there that I learned about higher education policies, shared governance and why pedagogy matters. In my time on the Faculty Senate, I’ve been most focused on solving problems and advocating for the resolution of issues that concern faculty.”

Berry-James was elected to the Faculty Senate by her colleagues in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2016. In the most recent session, she served as chair-elect of the faculty and formerly served on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, co-chaired the Faculty Senate Academic and Policy Committee, and the Resources and Environment Committee, and served as a member of the Governance and Personnel Policy Committee.

Promoting Shared Governance

Across the country, shared governance looks different at every institution of higher education. In North Carolina, faculty governance and representation in the UNC System flows from the North Carolina General Assembly to the UNC Board of Governors and to the representatives serving on the UNC Faculty Assembly. Collectively, the UNC Faculty Assembly is the faculty voice of shared governance.  

“On behalf of the faculty, we advise the UNC System President, System Office and Board of Governors and advocate on matters involving academic freedom, shared governance, tenure and curricular issues,” said Berry-James. “While each of the 16 university campuses in the UNC System are distinctively different, collectively we use one voice to uplift faculty teaching, research and community engagement.”

At NC State, the Faculty Senate works collaboratively with Chancellor Randy Woodson, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden and other university administrators to develop clear policies and promote evidence-based decision-making. On the Faculty Senate, elected senators represent colleges, schools and academic departments across the university and collectively, the Faculty Senate works to address issues of concern raised by tenured, tenure-track and professional faculty.  

Working Together for Faculty Excellence

As active and engaged members of the Faculty Senate, senators also serve as liaisons on university standing committees and serve on the university budget advisory committee as well.  The Faculty Senate’s structure consists of an Executive Committee and four standing committees:

  • The Academic Policy Committee is responsible for reviewing, modifying and initiating policies related to: undergraduate and graduate academic policy, regulations and reform, for both on and off-campus teaching and learning environments; faculty instructional development; faculty evaluation and assessment, teaching and advising; research; and the academic calendar.
  • The Governance, Communications, and Recruitment Committee deals with matters internal to the Faculty Senate and the General Faculty. It oversees the outreach strategies for the Senate and evaluates their effectiveness in disseminating information and recruiting new members.
  • The Personnel Policy Committee is advisory to the Chair of the Faculty and to the general faculty, and is responsible for generating proposals for consideration by the university administration concerning institutional policies and regulations that best support the work of the faculty at NC State. 
  • The Resources and Environment Committee is advisory to the Chair of the Faculty and to the general faculty, and is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations regarding policies related to the allocation and management of university resources, and maintenance of and improvements to the University environment.  

“In addition to all of the senators, we are very fortunate to have Joni Lancaster as an executive assistant in the Office of the Faculty Senate.  When issues of concern arise, we rely on the expertise of senators serving on the Faculty Senate standing committees and ask members to explore the policy issue, make recommendations that clarify the concern and find innovative ways to address the gap between policy and practice,” said Berry-James.

The Importance of Involvement

Like so many faculty who believe in the promise of shared governance and the presence of goodwill, Berry-James is looking forward to making good policy and using evidence to inform decisions that truly matter to faculty at NC State. 

Over this academic year, the Faculty Senate will meet regularly to practice shared leadership, problem solving and innovative design in curricular matters. To bring life to NC State’s Think and Do motto, Faculty Senate invites university administrators to examine issues of concern and discuss matters of the heart with the faculty.

Faculty senators are committed to working together in a collegial, candid and cooperative manner and ensuring that all faculty stay connected and supported, even during difficult times. In alternate weeks, when the Faculty Senate is not in session, the Executive Committee meets to chart the organization’s course and faculty senators work in the standing committees on issues of concern and policy matters.

“As we examine innovative ways to collaborate across disciplines, I want to personally invite members of the Wolfpack to attend every single meeting of the Faculty Senate,” said Berry-James.  “Together, we will use our faculty voice and collective wisdom to make NC State better — please join us.”

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  1. Congratulations, Dr. Berry-James! This is extremely exciting news. You will do an amazing job, as you always do.

  2. Congratulations, Dr. Jade Berry-James! You are an outstanding leader on many fronts, who is well respected by peers and colleagues. Faculty and administrators at NC State will be the direct beneficiaries of your innovative ideas, inclusive approach, and expertise in higher education.

    1. Thank you, Dean Gooden! It has been an honor to talk the talk and walk the walk with you, in higher education!

  3. Congratulations Dr. jade Berry-James. I am sure your tenure will be with distinction. It has been a long time since we first met and you have done so well in your career as an academic and in your contribution to the profession. Also, please accept my belated welcome to the National Academy of Public Administration.