By Steve Babcock
With the end of the academic year fast approaching, the Faculty Senate uncharacteristically passed four different resolutions this week, including approval of a new professorial position for research.
The rapid movement through the motions was largely the result of an unusually wide consensus among the body, as well as a sense of urgency. All pending legislation needs approval by the Senate before the Board of Trustees meets at the end of the month to give the final stamp on all resolutions passed by the faculty’s governing body.
A major approval came at the end of the session to create a new faculty position for individuals who only need space from the university to conduct research. Although using university space, they would not be expected to teach.
The research professor, as the position is known, would not be on a tenure track, meaning he or she would not be looking to secure status as a permanent member of the university community, but rather to complete a project they have already been funded through outside grants from the government or corporations.
As a result, Northeastern will not be responsible for paying their salary, as they will be fully supported by the source of their grant. The benefit for Northeastern, said Provost Ahmed Abdelal, is that Northeastern University will be on all their papers.
“[The research professor] is a mechanism used commonly to strengthen,” Abdelal said. “It is used to bring on a faculty member who is very strong in research and will contribute a lot to getting Northeastern’s name out.”
Most of the positions will be filled in existing centers, such as biotechnology and nanotechnology, Abdelal said.
Other administrators said the new additions will come to Northeastern with already established reputations.
“This position is really a chance to sweep other people along in terms of Northeastern’s credibility,” said Allen Soyster, dean of the College of Engineering. “The professors can support students with their projects, they’ll have national stature and they’ll bring other people along who can also contribute to the environment.”
The professors would not be required to teach, but Abdelal said they would benefit students in other ways.
“Students can also work in these funded research projects,” he said. “One benefit of having a lot of projects on campus is that students in physics or biology can do a co-op in these centers.”
The body also opened the gates for another outside partnership between the College of Computer Science, College of Criminal Justice and the National Security Agency (NSA) with approval for a master’s program in Information Insurance.
The program, which deals with protecting digital information from terrorism and other theft, will set up internships with both the private sector and NSA.
Dean of the College of Criminal Justice Jack Greene said the program would adjust Northeastern’s education to be more in line with the times.
“This field is very relevant today. Information insurance is very important in terms of the homeland [security] sector,” Greene said. “The program matches a federal set of initiatives.”
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