Invitation to Join the UW Disability Studies Faculty

The UW Disability Studies Program (DSP) seeks broad involvement and input from UW faculty at all ranks, in all disciplines, and from all UW campuses, who are working in the field of Disability Studies. By joining the DSP as a Core Faculty Member, you can formalize your role in relation to the Program and contribute to the development of Disability Studies at the UW as a voting member. 

Faculty who meet the qualifications and are interested in engaging with the DSP in the ways described below are encouraged to submit an application to join as a Core Faculty Member. Faculty who are interested in engaging with the DSP, but do not have time to participate in the ways described below, are encouraged to consider joining as Affiliates. 

Background

The DSP in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Seattle (UWS) operates under the Divisional Dean for Social Sciences and receives administrative support from the Law, Societies, and Justice (LSJ) Department. The DSP does not have faculty lines. The sole lecturer with primary teaching responsibilities in DSP has an appointment in LSJ. Faculty who teach courses for DSP have home appointments in a variety of other departments. Faculty who teach courses co-listed with DSP do so on behalf of their home department. Thus, most faculty who participate in the DSP do so as part of their university service obligation and because of their professional and personal interest.

Qualifications

  • Seattle Core Faculty will be defined in alignment with the Faculty Code (Section 21-32, A-B). Seattle Core Faculty of the DSP must be employed at the University of Washington, Seattle.
  • Bothell/Tacoma Core Faculty will be defined in alignment with the Faculty Code (Section 21-32, A-B). Bothell/Tacoma Core Faculty must be employed at the University of Washington Bothell (UWB) or Tacoma (UWT).

Engagement Requirements 

All Core Faculty are expected to be substantively engaged in the Program with a significant investment of time and energy every year. To maintain their status, they will regularly engage in most of the following activities on an annual basis:

  • Participate regularly in DSP faculty meetings.
  • Actively engage in the ongoing development of the Program.
  • Teach courses that include disability studies content in their respective disciplines.
  • Advise students from the DSP minor or major on capstone projects or independent study, and/or advise master’s or doctoral students from other disciplines on their theses or dissertations when they are working on topics related to disability studies.
  • Engage in scholarship related to disability studies.
  • Engage in ongoing service related to the DSP, disability studies, and disability-related issues at the university, city, state, and national level.
  • Engage in activities to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion with an emphasis on people with disabilities.
  • Submit an annual faculty report to the DSP Director.

Seattle Core Faculty will have voting responsibility with respect to the University of Washington, Seattle academic program. Bothell/Tacoma Core Faculty may participate in these decisions in an advisory capacity.

  • Recommend requirements for admission, graduation, and honors in the DSP Minor and Individualized Studies Major to college-level committees and faculty councils.
  • Recommend new academic programs to college-level committees and faculty councils.
  • Recommend hiring of new faculty and full-time instructors to the Dean.
  • Recommend hiring of part-time instructors and teaching assistants to the DSP Director.
  • Recommend decisions related to reviewing and renewing faculty and instructors to the Dean.
  • Recommend curriculum changes such as new DIS ST courses or changes to the core curriculum.

All Core Faculty will have voting responsibility with respect to University of Washington disability studies activities that are not related to the UW Seattle academic program.

  • Disability studies event planning.
  • Community and alumni outreach.
  • Tri-campus coordination and policy development.
  • Harlan Hahn and Dennis Lang awards.

Reporting Requirements

Core Faculty are required to submit annual faculty reports to the DSP Director describing the disability studies-related teaching, scholarship, and service they engaged in during the prior academic year along with their updated CVs.

Review and Renewal

All Core Faculty will be reviewed annually for active engagement by a committee of current Core Faculty members. Review will take place at the end of Spring quarter and will include a review of faculty reports. The committee will recommend renewal or removal to the DSP Director who will work with the committee to finalize decisions.  The DSP Director will submit decisions to the DSP Core Faculty for vote. A simple majority of Core Faculty will be required for renewal or removal decisions. The vote will be completed, and faculty and affiliates notified, before the beginning of Fall quarter.

Application

Faculty who wish to be considered for Core status with the DSP should submit the following information:

  • A letter or email describing their academic connection to Disability Studies and their reason for wanting to participate as a faculty member in DSP
  • Their full curriculum vitae.
  • Core Faculty applicants are encouraged, but not required, to solicit a letter or email from the Academic Chair of their program or department in support of their application.

SUBMIT APPLICATION

Please send questions to the DSP Director, Mark Harniss.