(A) Salary
payments.
(1) Salary checks are distributed
by the associate vice president/controller on the last banking day of each
month. For those regular or full-time auxiliary faculty who desire a twelve
months' pay schedule, options are available through the university and selected
financial institutions. The associate vice president/controller can provide
details. Salary checks for part-time day and evening teaching and summer
session teaching are distributed according to a schedule circulated by the
associate vice president/controller. Upon request, a faculty member may have
the salary check automatically deposited at a selected bank or other financial
institution.
(2) Extra compensation
earned for overload teaching during the regular semester is included in two
installments in the spring semester salary checks.
(B) Salary deductions.
(1) Withholding tax and state and local
income tax deductions are made each month as required by law. Each faculty
member is required to complete form W4, employee's withholding allowance
certificate, and have it filed in the payroll office of the associate vice
president/controller so that the proper number of allowances are used. The
faculty member should report any changes in allowances by filing a new form W4
in the office of the associate vice president/controller.
(2) All full-time and most part-time faculty
or administrators are required by state law to contribute to an appropriate
state retirement system. A percentage of a faculty member's salary determined
by the state legislature is deducted from the gross salary, picked up by the
university, and credited to the faculty member's retirement account. The
university's contribution varies from year to year, as required by law, but
always exceeds the amount contributed by the member.
(3) The state retirement plans provide for
survivor benefits to eligible designated beneficiaries, for an income to a
member of the plan who suffers a permanent disability, and for a retirement
income in accordance with age and service. A detailed description of benefits
is available from the office of benefits administration.
(4) If an individual ceases to be a member of
the retirement system-that is, ceases to be employed by a member institution of
the plan-all the money contributed individually to the account can be
recovered, but not the amount contributed by the university unless the same
shall be vested to the individual by law.
(C) Insurance.
The university has established an insurance program for the
regular full-time faculty, auxiliary faculty and full-time staff. This includes
group life, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, and
comprehensive medical and dental insurance plans. Complete information
concerning the program may be obtained from the office of benefits
administration.
(D)
Attendance at professional meetings.
(1) The
university encourages faculty members to attend such educational or
professional meetings related to their fields of work as will benefit both them
and the university. To aid faculty members attending these meetings, the
university helps to pay their travel expenses, subsistence costs, and special
fees. The following instructions are included here so that faculty members can
make full use of the financial assistance offered them. Faculty members should
also consult the university travel policy.
(2) A faculty member wishing to attend an
educational or professional meeting should request approval from the department
chair and the dean of the college. The faculty member must provide information
concerning the nature of the meeting and an estimate of expenses. The dean,
weighing the value of the meeting to the faculty member and to the university,
either approves or disapproves the request. Within a reasonable time following
the completion of the approved trips, expenses incurred are submitted to the
dean for approval. Upon approval of the expense statement, the university
reimburses the faculty member to the extent agreed upon when the trip was
approved.
(3) Faculty members
should note that approval for such travel is necessarily governed by the
availability of funds, that they may be limited to one such trip a year, and
that they must be employees of the university at the time payment is made. At
times the president or the dean may request a faculty member to attend a
particular meeting or function. Such trips are considered "official visits, "
and the university bears the total proper expense of such visits.
(E) Reporting illness or other
absences.
If illness forces a faculty member to be absent from duties,
the faculty member's department chair and dean should be notified as soon as
possible. If a faculty member is to be absent from the university for more than
a day, an address should be left with the dean or other appropriate
administrative officer.
(F)
Attending commencement exercises.
Participation in commencement exercises should be regarded as a
professional responsibility of all faculty members.
(G) Attending faculty meetings.
Each college faculty meets at the call of its dean; each
department faculty meets at the call of its head; each school faculty meets at
the call of its director; and the university faculty meets at the call of the
president. All faculty members are expected to attend all meetings of their
department, their school, their college, and the university faculty.
(H) Professional responsibilities.
(1) To the students.
(a) In-course grading.
(i) In-course grading procedures and
standards shall be clearly formulated by the instructor and these procedures
and standards, including class attendance, shall be distributed to the students
in writing and be explained to each class at the beginning of the
course.
(ii) All work performed by
students in the course (including oral participation where appropriate) shall
be seriously considered and evaluated; written work should be returned
promptly.
(iii) The instructor
shall provide opportunities for review of grades in order that students may
understand the reasons for particular grades and obtain guidance toward
improvement.
(iv) All grades and
graded work will be privately distributed to the individual student. Grades
cannot be publicly posted. Graded work cannot be publicly
disseminated.
(b) Office
hours.
(i) Hours shall be reasonable in
quantity, time of day, and campus location.
(ii) Hours shall be posted near the
instructor's office and listed with the appropriate secretary.
(iii) Provision shall be made for special
appointments wherever hardship or difficulty arises.
(iv) Scheduled office hours shall be
observed.
(c) Classes.
(i) The instructor shall prepare
conscientiously for each class session (including arrangements of teaching
aids, guests) etc., whenever applicable.
(ii) The instructor shall meet classes
promptly and shall, out of consideration for both students and colleagues,
dismiss not later than the scheduled time.
(iii) Whenever any change is anticipated in
the scheduled time or place of meeting, the instructor shall provide adequate
notice to the class. Where appropriate (e.g., small classes, evening classes
which frequently involve considerable travel for some students), some procedure
should be established for emergency notice to students.
(iv) The instructor shall provide valid means
for course evaluation by students.
(v) The instructor shall strive continuously
and conscientiously to improve teaching effectiveness, and to this end should
seek counsel and constructive criticism from colleagues.
(d) Tests and examinations.
(i) The instructor shall make clear in
advance the areas (lecture, text chapters, other) to be covered on any test or
examination.
(ii) The instructor
shall, by explicit word and implicit classroom conduct, make clear to students
what emphasis the instructor places upon facts or data and what upon synthesis
or thought.
(iii) It is the
instructor's responsibility to promote high standards of linguistic expression
(e.g., spelling, general grammatical and syntactical clarity, organization, and
form).
(iv) The instructor must
assure before, during, and after tests an atmosphere conducive to the highest
standards of honesty.
(e) Counseling and advising.
(i) While the university provides both
general and specific counseling services as a discrete function, the instructor
will often have more intimate knowledge of the college, department, and field.
Such knowledge provides the instructor with unique insights and the instructor
has, therefore, a right and an obligation to counsel and advise students within
the instructor's area of competence.
(ii) In general, the instructor is obligated
to respect each student as a human being, to recognize that the student has
both human and civil rights. The instructor is expected to adhere to the
university's non discrimination policies including the prohibition against
sexual harassment.
(2) To the university and to colleagues.
(a) Records.
(i) The instructor is responsible for
maintaining adequate records of student performance in courses as may be
required by the university and/or any accrediting authority.
(ii) The instructor is responsible for
keeping adequate records of course content and assignments.
(b) The faculty member shall
endeavor to maintain and develop awareness and understanding of areas impinging
upon the faculty member's field.
(c) The faculty member shall willingly serve
on a reasonable number of committees concerned with curricular development and
general university governance at departmental, collegiate, and university
levels.
(d) The faculty member
shall contribute to the continuance and improvement of educational quality
within the university through strong and active participation in selection of
new faculty, and in decisions on promotion, tenure, and other recognitions of
merit.
(e) The faculty member is
obligated to promote, by precept and example, a general atmosphere within the
university of respect for knowledge, thought and inquiry, even when--indeed
especially when--such may be at variance with the faculty member's ideas.
(i) The faculty member respects colleagues
and students, without reservation or favor because of age, color, creed,
handicap, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, degree or
rank, discipline, or political sentiments.
(ii) The faculty member contributes
positively to reasonable orderliness within the university community.
(3) To one's
discipline.
(a) The faculty member continues
growth within the faculty member's field and related areas.
(b) The faculty member shares concepts with
others through teaching, creative endeavors, research, and attendance at and
participation in professional associations and meetings.
(4) To oneself.
(a) The professional seeks continuously to
improve in value as a teacher and as a citizen.
(b) The professional seeks diligently to
improve the teaching working environment within the university structure:
(i) By promoting a general atmosphere of
intellectual and social growth, and
(ii) By seeking just and equitable
compensation, including the concept of released time for professional
growth.
(c) The faculty
member actively contributes to the education and development of persons and
groups outside the university proper, in order to promote improved reciprocal
understanding and acceptance of the roles of education, the university itself,
the individual discipline, and the profession in American and world
society.
(I)
Academic freedom of non-bargaining unit faculty
members.
(1)
Non-bargaining unit faculty members are entitled to freedom
in the classroom (including the virtual classroom) in discussing their subject,
but they should refrain from introducing into their teaching controversial
matter that has no relation to their subject.
(2)
Non-bargaining
unit faculty members are also entitled to full freedom in any research they may
conduct and in the publication of the results. The principles of academic
freedom and freedom of inquiry include freedom of expression in both
traditional print and newer electronic forms.
(3)
Non-bargaining
unit faculty members are citizens, members of a learned profession, and members
of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they
should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special
position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and members
of the institution, they should remember that the public may judge their
profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence, they should always
endeavor to be factual and accurate, exercise appropriate restraint, show
respect for the opinions of others, and make every effort to indicate that they
are not speaking for the institution.
(4)
Non-bargaining
unit faculty members shall:
(a)
Encourage the free pursuit of learning in their
students;
(b)
Hold before them the best scholarly and ethical
standards of their discipline;
(c)
Demonstrate
respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as
intellectual guides and counselors;
(d)
Make every
reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and ensure that their
evaluations of students reflect each student's true merit;
(e)
Avoid any
exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of
students;
(f)
Acknowledge significant academic or scholarly
assistance from students; and
(g)
Protect students'
academic freedom.