“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 