Students see professors for what they are: teachers, mentors, people hired by the university to guide us through our college careers. Tenured or not, it does not make a difference. Teachers teach.

Some Faculty Council members don’t see it that way.

To be a voting member on Faculty Council, professors have to either be tenured or on track to become tenured. Non-tenure track professors make up a small, non-voting portion of the council.

One determining factor between a tenure-track and a NTT professor is research. Most tenured professors spend a significant amount of time doing their own research, which usually brings in a significant sum of money for the university. It makes sense to give these professors pull on campus issues — they have contracts to stay with the university for years, and they create revenue for MU. Faculty Council exists to ensure their voices are heard.

But those professors’ voices should not be drowning out those of NTT professors.

The [UM System Rules and Regulations](http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/rules/collected_rules/faculty/ch310/310.035_non-tenure_track_faculty) states NTT professors should “have a voice within their campus and college.” How to do that is up to MU, but the current system is not accomplishing anything. Having non-voting NTT professors on Faculty Council is not adequate.

The UM System lets universities decide whether to give NTT professors voting rights on their faculty councils. This puts NTT professors in a misrepresented gray area between Staff Advisory Council and Faculty Council. Their compensation is a few non-voting spots on a council reserved for “faculty,” something MU defines as only professors with tenure. That definition is fundamentally wrong.

Each professor, tenured or not, has a right to voice his or her opinion on issues brought to Faculty Council. It votes on issues that can affect students, and NTT professors often spend more time with students than their tenured counterparts. Their insights deserve equal representation, despite how long their time at MU could be.

MU’s definition of faculty needs to change. It should include every professor, and should not hinge on one’s research or tenure. If MU is going to trust NTT professors with students’ education, it should trust them with a vote.