MINUTES OF THE FACULTY HANDBOOK REVISION COMMITTEE

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2006

MASON HALL, room D1, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Present: Kevin Avruch, Professor of Conflict Resolution and Anthropology, ICAR; Lorraine Brown, Professor of English (LAHS) and President of the AAUP Chapter of George Mason University; Rick Coffinberger, Associate Professor of Business and Legal Studies, School of Management, Chair; Martin Ford, Senior Associate Dean, College of Education and Human Development; Dave Harr, Senior Associate Dean, School of Management; Marilyn Mobley, Associate Provost for Education Programs; Suzanne Slayden, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry (COS).

Absent: David Rossell, Associate Provost for Personnel and Budget, ex-officio.

Proposed Meeting Schedule, Fall 2006: The Committee agreed to remove Friday, January 5, 2007 from the list, which comprises all Fridays during the fall term on which the President’s Council does not meet. Room reservations will be made to accommodate the remaining twelve dates from 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m. pending further feedback from committee members.

Minutes of May 30^th and June 5^th: One change submitted by David Rossell has been made; if no further changes received, minutes will be posted.

LAU Professional Development Leaves (3^rd revision) submitted by Rick Coffinberger:

Tenured faculty who have been employed in full-time instructional positions at the university for at least ten years may apply for a LAU Professional Development Leave to advance their research interests and/or to enhance their teaching. Local academic units are responsible for establishing the procedures, criteria and deadlines for submission and review of leave proposals. Local academic units are also responsible for obtaining approval of leave proposals by their Dean/Director and the Provost. The timing of a leave may be delayed if in the judgment of the LAU administrator, the faculty member’s services are needed for a particular semester. Leaves are for one semester at full pay and full benefits or an academic year at half pay with full benefits (based on 50% of their base salary). A total of seven academic years (which may include the time spent on the leave of absence) must elapse between the award of successive LAUPD leaves and leave recipients must agree to remain a full-time employee of the University for at least one academic year after completing the LAUPD leave. Faculty who receive an LAUPD leave remain eligible for the competitive Study Leave and Research Funding programs administered by the Provost’s Office. This includes the following programs:

• Research Funding for Tenured Faculty
• Study Leave for Tenured Faculty
• Study Leave for Tenure-Track Faculty
• Summer Research Funding for Tenure-Track Faculty
• Undergraduate Research Funding

Full details and application procedures for each of these programs are available from the Provost Office’s web page.

· Language parallel to text on Provost’s web page “Study Leave for Tenured Faculty”

· Discussion whether to list or provide links to programs on Provost’s web page – decided to remove programs listed above and sentence at end “This includes the following programs:” because links and information may change.

· Another change adds “..and leave recipients must agree to remain a full-time employee of the University for at least one academic year after completing the LAUPD leave” conforms to text on Provost’s web page.

Appendices E and F: Copyright and Patent Policies: Revisions under consideration by other committees. Copyrights, patents, and technology transfer issues to be discussed at first Faculty Senate meeting (September 6, 2006). “Scholarship Misconduct” (formerly “Research Misconduct”) must be submitted to the BOV for approval as required by federal law for recipients of grant money; internal procedures also need to be developed.

Family and Medical Leave Act: Impact on Tenure Track Faculty: currently in Faculty Information Guide (FIG); there is no rule regarding its impact on the tenure clock for tenure-track faculty.

Faculty Titles and Prefixes:

“Clinical” – to be dropped from the Faculty Handbook as no longer in use by CHHS; used only at local level in SOL.

“Contract” – COS has no objection to dropping the term; in Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures (MCL) (LAHS) many faculty designated with title, no objection to changed terminology. David Rossell explained its history in an email:

The "Contract" and "Senior Contract" Faculty title originated many years ago, in the early 1990's, when an institute called ICS&I (Institute for Computational Science & Informatics) proposed making multiple year appointments (4 to 5 years) to distinguished part-time faculty, at 0.30 FTE, 0.40 FTE, etc.  These individuals taught course, conducted research, served on dissertation committees, etc.  They were compensated the equivalent of Senior Full-time Full Professors, at a prorated salary level.  For example, a Senior Contract faculty could be paid $30,000 at be 0.30 FTE.

Later, when Sid Dewberry convened a committee to examine "Restricted" faculty at Mason, the committee recommended changing the title from "Restricted" to "Contract" faculty.  Needless to say, this caused confusion and was in conflict with the Faculty Handbook language.  We attempted to "clean this up" when we issued the Term Faculty Policies and Procedures in 2001/2002.

The MCl faculty are really "Term" faculty.  It sounds like a "semantics" or "cultural" issue in MCL, where individuals are still using old or retired titles.

“Field” – to be dropped, no longer in use in CEHD..

“Visiting Faculty”- are not employees; used for visiting scholars who have another job and are here on sabbatical. Still being used as euphemism for term faculty; could remain as a local title. In the past the term was also used as a way to get more money from the state.

“Affiliate Faculty” (2.2.7): Useful as it is: Individuals not on the University payroll who assume significant responsibility for research, clinical or field activities or who perform other services for academic programs, can be designated affiliate faculty with an appropriate academic rank. Appointments of affiliate faculty are recommended by the faculty of the local academic unit or program and by the local unit administrator or program director, and must be approved by the Provost.

• an unpaid designation
• needed for contractual reasons, sometimes receive services (e.g. email access, library privileges. office space) but not cash
• often prestigious, honorary without honorarium, has much symbolism

Should the Faculty Handbook include research as well as instructional faculty?

• Given the new policies governing term faculty appointments, it might be sensible to have the Faculty Handbook be a contractual document for both instructional and research faculty. It currently covers tenure-line faculty who have significant responsibilities in both areas. It also covers teaching-oriented term faculty (who are all full-time instructional faculty). Link to term faculty policies: http://www3.gmu.edu/departments/provost/documents/termfacguide.doc
  You can also see at http://www3.gmu.edu/departments/provost/documents/termfacguide.doc that the offer letters for research and instructional term faculty are virtually identical. There is a research faculty guide on the GMU website but unknown if considered a contractual document.
• Matt Kluger (Vice President for Research) agrees we need a new policy that covers research faculty. In most cases, the policy would not differ much from instructional faculty. Where there are differences, they will need to be clearly spelled out.
• Some non-tenured term faculty with research focus may teach a little but is not their primary task; on the other side there are also instructional term faculty who do a little research.
• In response to a question raised, study leave policies are specified for tenure or tenure-track faculty only.

• Number of research faculty have grown so much in a short period of time, are not presently represented in the Faculty Senate.
• To include section on research faculty as an addendum to Handbook? To include a separate chapter for research faculty? To separate Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty from instructional term faculty and research term faculty? To have a Term Faculty Chapter divided into two sections: A – Research Faculty; B – Instructional Faculty; not to include with tenure or tenure-track as the latter have additional requirements not applicable to term faculty?
• Legally no difference between Research Faculty and Instructional Faculty contracts re sources, in response to concern raised that cancellation of funding for research contracts means you’re gone

Part Time Faculty: Two Categories

1. “Adjunct” a totally distinct term – they are part-timers hired by course – might teach more than one course at a time but are paid by the course.
2. Part-Time Term Faculty – they are non-tenure line, hired at a specific salary to teach x # of courses, perhaps to advise some students. Coding issue in Banner as they are continuing employees not full-time but not adjuncts.

Adjuncts may be paid on the matrix, but not always. Part-time Term Faculty can be paid by local traditions in units who believe matrix could not apply BUT in the new Term Faculty regulations you cannot be appointed to a multi-year contract if not full-time, or if you do not have a doctorate. Instructor rank faculty members hired for one year. Part-time multiyear contracts are in violation of regulations for term faculty. Some may have been grandfathered in, but would need renewal. In terms of renewal, one-year contracts automatically roll over to 5^th year – a continuous appointment until someone does something to end it. Not to change policy at the Handbook level, others express no reason to object to this practice if done at local level. Should we have a chapter pertaining to part-time faculty in the Handbook? There is also a Part-Time Faculty Guide on the GMU website.

Question regarding grievance rights for part-time faculty: yes, they have rights per legal rendering. If a student grieves against a part-time or adjunct faculty member, situations have occurred where part-timers have left and cannot be found at exam time. Institutional cost in relying on so much adjunct power; need to emphasize responsibilities of adjunct faculty. Not long ago requirement was added that adjuncts cannot teach more than three courses (2.5 FTE X 3 ); if greater than 7,.5 would be entitled to benefits.

To have a separate chapter for adjuncts? At present the Faculty Handbook does not apply to Part-Time Faculty as a contractual document. Full-time contract states you are governed by the rules of the University. Needs to be said more clearly, particularly with filing grievances beyond OEO, such as academic grievances. Section 2.3.3 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. Strange not to apply to faculty who teach 49-53% of classes offered. Suggestion made to add note re contractual statement in preface (not in adjunct contracts). Suggestion to add sentence in legalese such as “It is the sole and predominating contract.”

Consensus emerged that we need to work on text first and then see where (part-time/adjunct) elements would fit in. Need to be careful to make distinction between providing information for part-time faculty vs. contractual document, as they may assume they have rights which they may not have. Support for freedom of information; important to advocate for part-time faculty to receive more money; hiring letters very limited. Some adjunct faculty may teach at other places as well as GMU; the toll it takes on faculty; and as part of the “great university” discussion. Also important to include information about part-time faculty as knowledge useful to full-time faculty.

Should section 2.3.3 Part Time Faculty be replaced by “Procedures for Appointment of Term Faculty” July 1, 2003? This discussion will continue at our next meeting. Rick will rework the wording of the second paragraph in Section 2.3.3. Martin Ford will edit copy of Sections 2.1.1 through 2.1.4.

Respectfully submitted,

Meg Caniano

Clerk, Faculty Senate