The IFO Delegate Assembly passed a resolution that stated, “Faculty Association equity committees be replaced by separate caucuses (Faculty of Color, Feminist Issues/Women Faculty, LGBTQ+ Faculty), and each will have representation in Faculty Association governance and on statewide IFO equity committees.”
In its meeting following Delegate Assembly, the IFO Board enacted this resolution by amending IFO Operating Procedures to state:
- The local Faculty Associations’ representatives on the statewide equity committees (Feminist Issues, LGBTQ+ Issues and Multicultural Issues) “shall be a faculty member who is elected or selected by the local Association’s respective caucus.”
- Local Associations “shall include a representative selected by each local Association’s equity caucuses (representing faculty of color, LGBTQ+ faculty and women faculty) as a member of their local governing body.”
This coming academic year on each university campus, three equity caucuses will assemble and select a representative to their Faculty Association’s local governing body and to their respective statewide IFO equity committee. Based on the principle of self-determination, these caucuses will establish their own internal processes and identify issues of concern to their constituency.
The IFO Board also authorized for 2018-2019 academic year 3 credits release time per semester for a faculty member to serve as Caucus Coordinator to facilitate the creation and development of the campus-based equity caucuses.
Selection of the Caucus Coordinator, as well as plans for implementation of the campus-based equity caucuses, will occur in a joint meeting of the three statewide equity caucuses, at the IFO office in Saint Paul on June 26, 2018. All faculty who identify as faculty of color, LGBTQ+ faculty or women faculty will be welcome to attend. Details of this meeting will be sent to all faculty early next week.