MINUTES OF THE FACULTY HANDBOOK REVISION
COMMITTEE
FRIDAY, November 3, 2006
MASON HALL, room D5, 12:00 –
1:15 p.m.
Present: Kevin Avruch, Associate Director and Professor of Conflict Resolution
and Anthropology, Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution; Lorraine
Brown, Professor of English, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and
President of the AAUP Chapter of George Mason University; Dave Harr, Senior
Associate Dean, School of Management; David Rossell, Associate Provost for
Personnel and Budget, ex-officio; Suzanne Slayden, Associate Professor of
Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Science.
Absent: Rick Coffinberger, Associate Professor of
Business and Legal Studies, School of Management, Chair; Martin Ford, Senior
Associate Dean, College of Education and Human Development; Marilyn Mobley,
Associate Provost for Education Programs and Associate Professor of English.
AAUP Statement on
Professional Ethics last updated in 1987, no separate section on
plagiarism. General agreement to use
hyperlinks whenever possible. Contents
of Appendix C are the newest version. No response yet received regarding query
if VA law modifies federal FMLA statute in any significant way.
2.11.5 Faculty
Availability for Orientation and Advising (formerly 2.11.4): To
use FIG text, substitute “Available” for “Present”.
2.11.7.
Scholarly Activities (formerly 2.11.6)
2.11.7.1 General
Policy: (formerly 2.11.6.1) Text remains the same, add link
for AAUP Statement on Professional Ethics
http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/policydocs/statementonprofessionalethics.htm .
2.11.7.2
Policies on Copyright and Patent of Faculty Work (formerly 2.11.6.2)
2.11.8 Political
Candidacy (formerly 2.11.7) 1994
Text OK as is.
2.11.9 Outside
Employment and/or Business Interests (formerly 2.11.8)
General
Discussion: 2.3.2 Procedures for Recruitment and Appointment of Tenured and
Probationary Faculty – 1994 Handbook Text:
Requests for new faculty appointments to allocated
positions normally originate with the local unit administrator, acting upon the
recommendation of the unit's faculty. In particular, the administrator seeks
the assistance of the faculty in defining the requirements of the position to
be filled and the qualifications to be sought in the appointee. Authorization
from the appropriate dean and the Provost is necessary before a search is
initiated to fill a vacancy or a new position.
The local academic unit
establishes, usually by election, a faculty committee possibly a committee of
the whole to advise and assist the local unit administrator in carrying out a
search. These committees handle correspondence; review the dossiers of
applicants and make recommendations concerning them; establish the schedule and
make other arrangements for the on-campus interview of finalists; and perform
other search-related duties as necessary. All full-time faculty of the local
academic unit will have an opportunity to meet with the finalists. The unit's
faculty then evaluates the finalists and formulates a recommendation. The local
unit administrator transmits the faculty recommendation, together with her or
his own, to the collegiate dean or to the Provost. A copy of the local unit
administrator's recommendation is furnished to the unit's faculty. Faculty appointments
to any local academic unit require the concurrence of that unit's faculty.
Before extending an offer of
appointment, the local unit administrator or the chair of the faculty search
committee must secure affirmative action clearance and the concurrence of the
relevant dean or director and the Provost. All offers of appointment at rank
above assistant professor must include the statement "conditional upon
approval by the President of the University and upon election by the
University's Board of Visitors." Offers of employment in any rank must
include the statement "Contingent upon availability of funding for the
position" and must be made and accepted in writing.
Tenured and probationary faculty
receive initial letters of appointment; acceptance in writing of these letters
constitutes a contract between the University and individual faculty members.
Letters of initial appointment to probationary faculty also indicate the
expiration date of terms of appointment. Tenured and probationary faculty also
receive annual letters indicating salary.
·
To add: Faculty
appointments without term also require the vote of that unit’s faculty.
· Some faculty brought in at rank above assistant professor.
· BOV has to vote in people without term; era in the past; should BOV should approve every single faculty appointment?
· To include part-time appointments as in other institutions?
· Draft paragraph such as “ Although administrative faculty are covered by the Administrative/Professional Faculty Handbook, if an administrative faculty member hired with tenure into a local academic unit, then that appointment requires the concurrence of that unit’s faculty.” Need to strengthen language to avoid violations. Should vote be recorded? Transparency important.
· Sometimes need to hire administrative faculty person quickly – full tenure evaluation takes a long time – to balance needs in terms of time. Provost sends to Dean who sends to Chair – to schedule a vote as soon as possible; with distribution of credentials and dossier.
· Regarding direct hires - terminology “waiver of search” in lieu of “direct hire”. To also add “in exceptional circumstances.”
· Silent on lack of departments in units such as CEHD –use LAU to cover this.
·
Example of known quantity as adjunct brought into
half-time position to address a specific need – expediency. Some departments routinely waive searches
for adjuncts.
·
Important to
state that an offer cannot be made until approved by Dean/Director/
Provost. If Dean/Director does not
concur with faculty recommendation, then would not move forward.
·
To do universal “search/replace” to capitalize “Dean”
and “Director” throughout Handbook text
2.3.3 Procedures for
Recruitment and Appointment of Other Faculty – 1994 Handbook Text
The procedures for the appointment of non-probationary
full-time faculty are similar to those described in 2.3.2, but as
dictated by circumstances, they may be somewhat less formal. The faculty of an
academic unit may or may not wish to be consulted about the hiring of part-time
faculty, depending upon their custom. In any event, the local unit
administrator has considerable discretionary authority in the recommending of
part-time faculty, consistent with the University's personnel policies and
commitment to affirmative action.
Non-probationary full-time
faculty receive letters of initial appointment which also indicate the
expiration date of the appointment. Acceptance in writing of these letters
constitutes a contract between the University and individual faculty members.
Part-time faculty receive an appointment form indicating the terms and
conditions of appointment. Acceptance in writing of this form likewise
constitutes a contract between the University and the individual.
Addendum to the Faculty
Handbook (approved jointly by the Provost and the Executive Committee of the
Faculty Senate)* Procedures for
Appointment and Reappointment of Term Faculty; Effective 7/1/03 at http://www3.gmu.edu/departments/provost/documents/termfacguide.doc
(six pages, incl. 2 attachments)
* Since Term Appointments also apply to
Research Faculty, the GMU Research Personnel Policies and Procedures will
also be updated to include these procedures.
·
Why are procedures for appointment/reappointment of
term faculty much longer than Tenure and Tenure-Track? Longer because goes into promotion by
rank; more options whether single-year or multi-year contracts.
·
When a term faculty member applies for reappointment,
does s/he have to seek promotion, or may they remain at current level if happy
to do so?
·
Revised procedure July 2003 an attempt to give a career
ladder for promotion.
·
Do we need to keep 2.3.3 Procedures for Recruitment
and Appointment of Other Faculty if will
have sections on Term Faculty? Does
this apply to adjuncts re Part-Time Faculty Guide? Some support inclusion of part time faculty
as well.
2.10.2.4 Dismissal of Tenured
and Probationary (Tenure-Track) Faculty Members
for Cause:
·
Replace “President” with “Provost” in this
section.
·
Intention not to reduce faculty rights or limit
freedom, but to make process more expedient.
Next meeting: Friday, November 10th, noon- 1:30 p.m, Mason Hall, room D-5.
Respectfully submitted,
Meg Caniano
Clerk, Faculty Senate