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On February 4th, WAVY 10 ran a follow-up news story on faculty and AAUP pushback against FFDTI.
A summary of the story:
- Old Dominion University’s “Forward Focused Digital Transformation Initiative,” which involves AI integration and compressing 16-week online courses into eight weeks by fall, is facing staff backlash.
- A survey revealed most professors feel the transition is rushed and have low confidence in leadership’s planning.
- VP Kimberly Osborne questioned the response rate – and therefore the validity – of the survey, and states the initiative modernizes classrooms and won’t replace professors.
- Meanwhile, the faculty senate is urging leaders to extend the deadline and include them in decisions.
- President Brian Hemphill stated that the plan has been in development for five years, and somewhat surprisingly, goes negative and suggested some faculty are letting personal interests overshadow professional standards.
A friend of ODU-AAUP has made the video of this story available, and we have it here in our archives:
ODU responding to AI concerns surrounding its tech initiative
Guest Post, ODU-AAUP ally
How will AI affect academic labor, especially given its rapid integration into areas of research, teaching, and learning here at ODU?
97th District
D – City of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach Delegate Michael Feggins has proposed a bill requiring state agencies, starting in 2028, to report how many jobs “are eliminated, left vacant, altered or newly created each year because of AI.” The Artificial Intelligence Workforce Impact Act – HB310 – would require “agencies who report 10 or more AI-related job impacts to submit a workforce transition plan within six months, identifying at-risk positions and a strategy for retaining or reassigning affected employees.”
Once AI technology is fully integrated at ODU, what changes can we expect for faculty and staff? This bill is an important first step towards tracking the operational effects of AI.
See a recent WHRO story about the proposed bill here
On a related note, in July, 2025, the AAUP released a new report, Artificial Intelligence and Academic Professions, sharing survey findings and calling for the establishment of policies in colleges and universities that prioritize economic security, faculty working conditions, and student learning conditions as advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies accelerate.
As ODU works to integrate AI as a key part of student learning and job preparedness, Stanford University researchers have found a 16% drop in available entry-level positions most likely affected by AI.
Some other takeaways (full study at the end of this story):
- We find substantial employment declines for early-career workers in occupations most exposed to AI, such as software development and customer support.
- While economy-wide employment continues to grow, employment growth for young workers has been stagnant.
- Entry-level employment has declined in applications of AI that automate work, with muted effects for those that augment it.
- Labor market adjustments are more visible in employment than in compensation.
- These patterns hold across various alternative analyses.
Dear ODU-AAUP Colleagues:
I thought you might be interested to see one of the documents recently shared by DTT about the FFDTI (Accelerated Course Conversions Roadmap), along with how ChatGPT translated the document into plain English.
Even ChatGPT – famously loathe to offer criticism – referred to the original document as a “very dense institutional roadmap.” At any rate, ChatGPT very quickly translated what was to me a completely incomprehensible original document into something an ordinary educated human (like me) could comprehend. I was delighted!
ChatGPT also offered to create a summary list of what faculty should expect, what not to worry about and how long the process would take. I happily accepted the offer. The summary it produced was honestly very helpful, at least in my view.
BTW, the entire process took less than 10 minutes. To me, that begs the question of why DTT’s AI experts didn’t do that on their own before sending the faculty the original document, which even ChatGPT bemoaned as “very dense.” It’s a mystery. 
Enjoy,
Kate Hawkins, ODU-AAUP Vice President
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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2026
ODU Faculty Senate Executive Committee
responds to WAVY 10 report on
Forward Focused Digital Transformation Initiative
NORFOLK, VA — The Old Dominion University (ODU) Faculty Senate Executive Committee is issuing this response following the January 20, 2026, WAVY 10 news report regarding faculty concerns over the university’s Forward Focused Digital Transformation Initiative (FFDTI). While the faculty remains steadfastly supportive of innovation and necessary digital evolution, we must address critical failures in shared governance and the significant risks posed by the current implementation plan.
The FFDTI, as currently designed, mandates a unilateral transition of all online programs to an 8-week accelerated asynchronous format by Fall 2026. This decision was made solely by the administration and the Board of Visitors (BOV) without meaningful faculty consultation, bypassing the long-standing principles of shared governance essential to academic integrity.
Evidence of Faculty and Student Concerns
Data from recent university-wide poll and survey reveal a disconnect between administrative directives and the professional judgment of the faculty. Faculty believe the implementation of FFDTI’s 8-week asynchronous online courses is rushed and threatens educational quality and student learning.
- The faculty pulse poll: In a 4-question poll of 507 faculty members (43% response rate):
- 75% disagreed that the transition to an 8-week calendar reflects deliberate planning. Faculty are concerned that the timeline is rushed.
- 74% are not persuaded that the 8-week format supports course quality or student success. Faculty are concerned that this one-size-fits-all mandate ignores the unique pedagogical needs of diverse disciplines and curricula.
- The faculty survey: In a comprehensive survey about FFDTI responded to by 558 faculty members (43% response rate):
- 78% expect degree quality to worsen as a result of the initiative.
- 75% believe that course rigor would need to be reduced to fit an 8-week accelerated format.
- 76% anticipate that student learning will worsen under the new model
84% agree that implementation should be delayed until adequate faculty input is obtained
A Breakdown in Shared Governance
Despite these faculty concerns, the university administration and Board of Visitors has remained resistant. In response to a Faculty Senate letter, Rector Murry Pitts dismissed requests for a more measured approach, stating that “as a Board, we will not agree to slowing down or stopping an initiative that requires adaptability, resilience, and work. I encourage you and your colleagues to roll up your sleeves and be productive partners.”
This characterization fails to recognize that faculty are already working under challenging conditions marked by inconsistent communication, shifting requirements, and a lack of responsiveness from the administration. This has led to a collapse in confidence in university leadership.
The results of the survey of faculty show:
- 63% have low confidence in the President.
- 55% have low confidence in the Provost.
- 58% have low confidence in the Vice President for Digital Transformation and Technology.
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) issued a case letter to the University President and the Rector of the BOV, formally acknowledging the failure to adhere to shared governance standards.
Call for Collaborative Action and Measured Implementation
The Faculty Senate Executive Committee is not opposed to innovation. We are opposed to a reckless implementation that jeopardizes the quality of an ODU education. We call on the administration to:
- Respect shared governance and academic freedom: Restore the faculty’s role in determining delivery methods best suited for their specific academic disciplines. The one-size-fits-all approach, where 8-week asynchronous courses are required for all programs without faculty input and decision-making, is a key challenge regarding FFDTI implementation.
- Delay implementation: Move the Fall 2026 deadline to allow for an intentional, consistent, evidence-based rollout.
- Improve two-way communication: Build upon current communication approach to engage in direct, respectful, and meaningful two-way dialogue with faculty to replace the current approach that is inconsistent, sometimes confusing, and contradictory, leading faculty to feel the administration is “making it up as they go along.”
ODU deserves a future shaped by collaborative expertise, not administrative mandates. We remain ready to “roll up our sleeves” as true partners, provided the administration is willing to listen.
About the ODU Faculty Senate
The ODU Faculty Senate serves as the representative body of the faculty, functioning as the primary organ for shared governance between the teaching and research staff and the university administration. The Senate is responsible for formulating and recommending policies regarding academic matters, faculty welfare, and the university’s strategic direction.
Guided by the principles of academic freedom and professional responsibility, the Senate ensures that the collective expertise of the faculty remains central to ODU’s mission of excellence in teaching, research, and public service. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee acts on behalf of the broader body to coordinate with university leadership and advocate for the integrity of the institution’s academic programs. https://www.odu.edu/faculty-senate
Disclaimer: This press release represents the perspective of the ODU Faculty Senate Executive Committee and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the administration or the Board of Visitors of the University.
For further information or spokespersons for the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate please contact: Corrin Allen, ODU Faculty Senate Chair, cgillis@odu.edu
Categories
January Member Meeting
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With a recent news story from Hampton Road’s #1 TV website WAVY-10, concerned faculty at Old Dominion University have brought some media attention to their struggle. The story reports significant faculty alarm over the administration’s Forward Focused Initiative – a push toward an AI-driven, eight-week online course model.
Since the start of the Fall 2025 semester, faculty have voiced displeasure over not being meaningfully consulted. They worry about the consequences of such a top-down, administrator-led one-size-fits all model. They argue that it will negatively impact the quality of instruction, and goes against long-standing principles of shared governance and academic freedom.
The administration has listened to faculty concerns, but has yet to announce any modifications to the initiative.
The WAVY-TV story highlights a survey of faculty conducted in December, spearheaded by ODU’s Faculty Senate (senior faculty elected to represent their colleagues).
The survey captured broad concern about the initiative. Strong majorities of respondents reported that the shift to eight-week online courses is rushed, inadequately supported, and potentially harmful to student learning.
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WAVY-10 reached out to Isaac Kamola, Associate Professor of Political Science at Trinity College, and director of AAUP’s Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom:
“It sounds like a nightmare,” Kamola said. Adding, “Meeting the standards of academic freedom means any change to curriculum should be in the hands of faculty.”
(If the link to the news story changes, you can watch it here in ODU-AAUP’s archives)
Categories
What your colleagues think of FFDTI
Dear AAUPers and allies:
ODU’s Faculty Senate survey gathered 558 responses, a response rate of roughly 43%. For those familiar with survey research, this is exceptionally high—far above typical rates for faculty surveys. This point matters. Senior administrators have at times suggested that only a small group of faculty are voicing concerns about the FFDTI and that these voices are not representative of ODU faculty as a whole.
The survey results demonstrate the opposite. With nearly half of all faculty participating, the findings can be understood as broadly representative of faculty sentiment across the university.
The survey also signals something important to the many faculty who have been quietly frustrated—by increased workloads, by being pushed toward pedagogically questionable decisions, and by the steady erosion of autonomy in their own teaching.
You are not alone.
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The purpose of this present post is to highlight five key takeaways from the recent Faculty Senate survey. These represent some of the most impactful results, and the numbers below are rounded for readability. Faculty who wish to review the full report can find it here. You are encouraged to download and share.
1. Strong opposition to mandates.
Large majorities oppose requiring all distance courses to use the 8-week asynchronous model:
- 72% disagree for undergraduate courses
- 67% disagree for master’s courses
2. Expected harm to academic quality.
Faculty anticipate negative academic outcomes across the board:
- 76% say student learning will worsen
- 77% say degree quality will worsen
- 67% say university reputation will worsen
3. Breakdown in shared governance.
Faculty see the process, not just the format, as the core problem:
- 76% say they were not adequately consulted
- 74% say the process raises academic freedom concerns
- 81% say it raises shared governance concerns
4. Low confidence in leadership.
Faculty doubt institutional leadership on this initiative:
- 58% low confidence in the VP for Digital Transformation
- 55% low confidence in the Provost
- 63% low confidence in the President
5. Support for innovation—when it fits.
Faculty are not rejecting the 8-week format outright:
- 78% say it may be appropriate in some programs
—but only with proper support, redesign time, and voluntary use.
ODU-AAUP applauds the work done by the Faculty Senate in administering this survey and compiling the results.
“The particular authority and primary responsibility of the faculty in the decision-making processes of the academic institution in these areas derive from its special competence in the educational sphere. It follows from this proposition that the faculty should play an active and meaningful role in the development as well as in the revision of institutional
policy in those areas in which the faculty has primary responsibility.” – Anita Levy, Senior Program Officer, AAUP National
The AAUP has long maintained that colleges and universities operate best when responsibility for educational decisions is shared among faculty and administrators.
Shared governance can sound abstract, but it is grounded in a practical reality of higher education. Faculty are the professionals charged with generating and communicating knowledge—the core mission of higher education. As they hone their craft, they develop deep, local knowledge about their subject matter, their students, and the best strategies to teach them. That situated expertise should inform decisions made by administration.
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The principle of shared governance applies fully to online education. Decisions about course modality, design, learning technologies, and assessment are academic in nature and are best made closest to the site of teaching. Imposing uniform formats, delivery modes, or assessment structures without meaningful consultation from faculty disregards the craft of teaching and undermines sound academic decision-making.
It is in this context that the AAUP’s January 13, 2026 letter to ODU President Brian O. Hemphill should be understood. The letter responds to the administration’s claim that the Forward-Focused Digital Transformation Initiative represents merely operational changes.
A large number of faculty, and most importantly the Faculty Senate, have repeatedly requested the administration to pause or modify the implementation of FFDTI. The administration inexplicably has instead maintained a “stay the course” approach.
2026 is a pivotal year for our campus as we move forward with FFDTI. ODU-AAUP urges the administration to not ignore the concerns of their faculty.
You can read the full response from Dr. Anita Levy, Senior Program Officer at AAUP national here. We encourage you to share with colleagues.
For background:
AAUP at ODU 