Appointment and Employment Procedures and Regulations

Normally, an earned doctoral degree in a related discipline is required for all faculty appointments to a tenure-track position in the Department.  

The basic definitions of faculty ranks are the following:

The Department supports the goals of equal opportunity and affirmative action in recruiting and in making appointments to the TT faculty.  The Chair recommends initial appointments of new members of the TT faculty.  Recommendations follow the selection procedure proposed by the FAC and approved by the Faculty Meeting. The Chair, in consultation with the FAC, recommends members of an ad hoc search committee to the Faculty Meeting.  The committees conducting searches should include, whenever reasonably possible, graduate and undergraduate student representatives.  Diversity will be taken into account in determining committee composition.  The responsibility for organization of the search and for maintaining search records rests with the Department Chair.

The Search Committee, in consultation with the Chair, recommends to the Faculty Meeting job descriptions and candidates to be interviewed.

After the interviews have been concluded, the Faculty Meeting, chaired by the Search Committee Chair, shall recommend whether to offer a TT faculty appointment and to whom.

The Chair consults with the FAC on temporary positions in accordance with University regulations.  A file of pool candidates for temporary positions shall be maintained by the Department Chair.

All members of the Department faculty are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards as teachers, scholars, university citizens and colleagues.  The University policy regarding faculty code of professional ethics can be found in the University Policy Register.  (See, University Policy Register 3342-6-17)

All full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty of the department are expected to carry a maximum workload of twenty-four (24) credit hours per academic year.  Full-time non-tenure track faculty members are expected to carry a maximum workload of thirty (30) credit hours per academic year.  (See, relevant section of University Policy Register)  The workload for each individual faculty member is assigned by the Chair with the approval of the Dean.  The FAC shall advise the Chair on issues related to teaching assignments, class schedules and the appropriate application of workload equivalents. The Chair shall provide each faculty member with a statement of the faculty member's workload.  For AY 2010-11, the maximum teaching-load policy shall be carried over from the previous handbook.

The following table codifies mandatory workload equivalencies that the Chair will assign each year.  The Chair may also, in consultation with FAC, assign workload equivalencies for other specific duties that are considered essential to the academic mission of the Department.

            Table 1. Workload Equivalents Table

In the interest of maintaining a high standard of teaching and the desirability of faculty involvement in research and service activities, overload assignments are strongly discouraged.  Overload assignments (i.e. workload assignments which total more than twenty-four (24) credit hours per academic year for tenured and tenure-track faculty and which total more than thirty (30) credit hours for full-time non-tenure-track faculty) will be made only in unusual circumstances.  Such assignments require the agreement of the faculty member, and the approval of the Chair, following consultation with the FAC, and the Dean. 

Teaching assignments are made through the following process:

• First, annual course models are developed by the appropriate committees (GSC, USC, CACM, and MPA).
• Second, prior to the distribution of the various course models, a meeting of the Department Chair and the four coordinators shall be held.
• Third, the models are distributed to faculty who are invited to indicate their course preferences.
• Fourth, the chairs of the respective degree program committees, in consultation and with the approval of the department chair, develops the teaching assignments.

The primary considerations for course assignments are prior teaching experience, subject expertise, and shared responsibility among the faculty for service, and for teaching graduate, undergraduate, and introductory courses.  Questions regarding teaching assignments should be addressed to the chairs of the respective committees and to the Department Chair.  In the case of a dispute or request for reassignment, the faculty member may request review by the FAC which will make a recommendation to the Chair. Scheduling of classes is the responsibility of the chairs of the respective degree program committees with approval of the Chair.  

The Chair solicits requests for summer teaching assignments from all full-time faculty members.  Summer teaching cannot be guaranteed to any faculty member and most summer teaching assignments are for a partial load.  The size, content, and staffing of summer courses are dictated by budgetary constraints and curricular needs.  Within these requirements faculty members are offered summer teaching assignments.   The Chair, in consultation with FAC and the Chairs of the GSC, MPA Committee, USC, and CACM committees, determines the list of course offerings which meet the objective of sound curriculum planning and an effective response to student demand. Based upon this list of courses, the Chair secures from each member of the faculty requests for summer teaching. Names of graduate students whose dissertations and theses are expected to be directed to conclusion during the summer will also be obtained by the Chair in order to compensate faculty for dissertation/thesis direction during the summer (See relevant section in the tenure-track CBA). All regular members of the Department requesting summer appointments will be given fair and equitable treatment without regard to faculty rank regarding the assignment of summer teaching. Faculty members may elect not to accept a summer assignment. See also relevant section in CBA.

A sanction is a documented corrective action in response to a faculty member’s unsatisfactory performance of their duties and responsibilities as a member of the faculty. (See, relevant section of CBA). 

Each continuing tenured Faculty member may be asked by the Chair to prepare and submit an annual workload summary report for the previous academic year.  (See relevant section of CBA).  The annual workload summary report submitted by the Faculty member shall be in the form of an annual updated curriculum vitae, a brief summary of the previous year’s professional activities, and the course syllabi for each course or section of course taught by the Faculty member during the previous academic year.  The Chair shall add to the report copies of the summaries of course evaluations for each course taught during the previous academic year.  If necessary, the Chair may request additional information from the Faculty member to clarify summary information and the Faculty member shall respond in a timely fashion.

The purpose of this report is to document the workload, including utilization of specified workload equivalencies, for that academic year.  This report may be used in planning future workload equivalencies.  Any other use of the report requires consent of the Faculty member.  Modification or revision of the specification and/or application of workload equivalents listed above (ARTICLE IV.E.) require the approval of the full Faculty of the department. 

All leaves, sponsored or unsupported, personal or professional, are subject to the approval of the Chair, the Dean and the Provost.

University leaves include but are not limited to:

            1.      Research leaves (See UPR 3342-6-11.8 ).

            2.      Leaves of absence without pay (See UPR 3342-6-11.9).

            3.      Faculty professional improvement leaves (See UPR 3342-6-12).

            4.      Research/Creative Activity appointments (See UPR 3342-6-15.3).

Faculty members who will be absent from campus for professional or personal reasons must submit a Request for Absence Form with the Chair. The request should be made at least one day prior to the planned absence and is subject to the approval of the Chair and the Dean.  Arrangements for any classes to be missed during the absence must be addressed to the satisfaction of the Chair before approval will be granted.

Attendance at professional meetings is encouraged, and approved travel expenses incurred in attending such meetings will be reimbursed when approved prior to travel according to the University’s travel policies.. 

The Chair is responsible for keeping complete records of faculty sick leave; however, faculty members are also required to submit the appropriate sick leave forms to the Chair.  Sick leave forms should be completed and submitted to the Chair within forty-eight (48) hours after an absence. (See UPR 3342-6-11.1)

Faculty members may engage in professional activities outside the university provided the activities do not interfere with the faculty member’s teaching, research, or service responsibilities to the Department, Campus, College or University (See, relevant section of University Policy Register). These activities must not compete with University activity or the faculty member’s employment with the University.  Continuing employment for remuneration must be approved in advance by the Chair and the Dean. Each academic year, each faculty member must disclose and seek approval for all continuing outside employment on the form provided by the University.  Any outside employment or other outside activities are subject to the Faculty Code of Ethics and the University’s conflict of interest policies.  (See, relevant section/s of University Policy Register) 

All faculty members should be aware of current copyright laws which restrict the copying of published materials.  For further information, contact the University’s Office of Legal Affairs.

The University policy regarding misconduct in research and scholarship and the Administrative policy and procedures regarding allegations and instances of misconduct in research and scholarship is included in the University Policy Register. (See, relevant section of University Policy Register)