Faculty Regent Shane Spiller told the Faculty Senate on Thursday that WKU President Timothy Caboni’s contract will be renewed with an added raise.

The end of the 2024-2025 academic year marks the end of Caboni’s four-year term. The Board of Regents is responsible for deciding if Caboni’s contract will be renewed to continue his presidency at WKU.

“The Board (of Regents) is not looking into making any changes,” Spiller said. “I have seen some online conjecture about that, but that is not the case at all.”

Spiller said the “challenges” and “threats” facing the university at this time are all external and not a cause for internal change. 

During the meeting, the Academic Quality Committee announced a resolution aimed at fighting faculty burnout.

“Increased class sizes, unfilled faculty lines, budget disparities, and growing workloads are threatening the sustainability of WKU’s academic mission,” states the resolution. “Faculty burnout is widespread, student learning is negatively impacted, and workforce readiness among graduates is declining.”

The topic of increasing workload was brought into question, sparking a debate among the Faculty Senate.

“Overload is a choice,” Provost Bud Fischer said.

Fischer continued that if faculty are unhappy with the amount of work they have to do, they should talk with their department chairs.

Assistant Director of the School of Media & Communication Angela Jerome said while the option to turn down overload exists, many faculty members don’t take it to better serve their students.

“I feel a lot of them (faculty members) feel as if they say no, then their students aren’t going to graduate on time or there is going to be some disservice to their students,” Jerome said.

Journalism Professor Mac McKerral temporarily relinquished his gavel to speak as a senator at large on the issue. McKerral said if faculty don’t take on an overload, students may “have to leave our program.”

“I think the idea you don’t have to take an overload is at best cavalier,” McKerral said.

Fischer said if that is the case, there is nothing he can do to help.

“You’re burned out because we’re doing overloads, but you’re going to continue to do overloads,” Fischer said. “I don’t know how to help at that point.”

After debate, the resolution was endorsed with an amendment removing mentions of WKU seeking R2 designation. The original resolution requested a pause on seeking R2 designation until burn out was addressed, however, the Faculty Senate acknowledged the process was already in motion.

Two  additional resolutions were endorsed:

• A resolution addressing low faculty salaries, with an amendment extending the time frame from Jan. 31, 2026, to Jan. 31, 2027.
• A resolution requesting a commitment to the mission and values of WKU in the wake of House Bill 4 and the removal of DEI policies. The resolution encourages respect, moral and ethical values, excellence in all programs and improving the quality of life of Kentuckians.

One Senate Charter revision and seven Faculty Handbook revisions were passed.

• Senate Charter Revisions (Second Reading)
• Faculty Handbook Revision – Blanket Revision (Policy & Ombudsperson)
• Faculty Handbook Revision – I.B.1 Faculty Senate
• Faculty Handbook Revision – II.O Grade Reporting
• Faculty Handbook Revision – XII.W. University Publications
• Faculty Handbook Revision – XII.Y. Mail Service
• Faculty Handbook Revision – Criteria for Rank

A Faculty Handbook revision aiming to remove all exceptions for student-faculty relationships was sent back to the committee to align the revision with the academic affairs policy. 

The revision was first presented in the May 5 Senate Executive Committee (SEC) meeting, which caused debate. 

Before ending the meeting, McKerral held a ceremonial change of power.

To applause, McKerral handed off the gavel and title of Senate Chair to Mathematics Associate Professor Dan Clark.

“We have a great set of new officers coming in, and I guarantee you this guy will be a much better chair than I was,” said McKerral.