Faculty Handbook Final Version
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FULL-TIME FACULTY HANDBOOK Effective June 1, 2010 Modified Feb. 15, June 1, Sept. 22, 2011, Sept. 30, 2011; Feb. 22, 2012; Sept.15, 2012; April 9, 2013; May 20, 2013; Sept. 4, 2013; Sept. 29, 2014; February 27, 2015; November 1, 2015; July 1, 2016; September 20, 2016; June 20, 2017; March 28, 2018; May 8, 2018; June 1, 2018; November 1, 2018; May 21, 2019; Technical Corrections July 17, 2019; Feb. 14, 2020; Technical Corrections August 14, 2020; July 1, 2021 Villanova University is an affirmative action Institution, and it is the continuing policy of Villanova not to discriminate against any employee, student, or applicant for employment or admission on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, non-job-related-disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Copyright, Villanova University, 2017 INTRODUCTION Villanova’s faculty constitutes the foundation of the University’s academic enterprise. Villanova takes pride in the excellence and dedication of its faculty, and it relies on the faculty, together with administrators and staff, to carry out its educational mission. In its essential functions1, the faculty provides expertise, judgment, creativity, and leadership in academic matters. The University administration bears the legal authority and responsibility for the University and its operations, as delegated by the Trustees, and it provides strategic and administrative leadership, support, oversight, and management for academic matters. Through shared governance and collegiality, faculty, administrators, and staff are partners in advancing the University’s mission. Together, we work toward Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas. After providing an overview of the University’s mission and structure, this Handbook describes the position of the faculty in the University. The product of years of cooperation between the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee, the Faculty Congress, and the Academic Policy Committee, the Handbook seeks to provide clarity as to the structures, responsibilities, and benefits of academic life at Villanova. In this sense, the Handbook is part of the University's contract with faculty members. Because of legal and regulatory requirements in certain areas, owing to the contractual nature of the employment agreement between the University and its faculty and in view of obligations the University has to students and others, parts of the Handbook necessarily are couched in legal terms and/or include specific requirements or prohibitions. The University recognizes and depends on the faculty’s professionalism and understands that members of the faculty act accordingly. Thus much of this Handbook simply articulates good professional practice. In situations where common procedures must be followed, where legal or contractual requirements must be honored, or where guidance is needed, the Handbook provides clear statements regarding procedures and prudent actions. This Handbook is for faculty members in the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Nursing, and the School of Business. Although a paper version will be kept accurate and up to date, the official version is found at http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/resources.html. Please report errors or mistakes to the Office of the Provost. Faculty members who have questions about the policies and their application should consult their department chairs or program directors in the College of Nursing, In order to retain necessary flexibility in the administration of policy and procedure, Villanova University reserves the right to revise or delete any of the provisions of this Handbook and to revise, reduce, or eliminate any policy or benefit described in this Handbook, with or without notice, as the University deems appropriate. Such actions, unless mandated by legal or contractual requirements, merely technical in nature, or driven by emergencies, will not be undertaken without prior consultation with the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee. 1 See Section 5 of this Handbook. TABLE OF CONTENTS PART ONE: INSTITUTIONAL DESCRIPTION AND MISSION .............................1 1. HISTORY AND MISSION ............................................................................................................................. 1 2. UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE ......................................................................................................................... 3 PART TWO: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON RECRUITMENT, APPOINTMENT, RANK, TENURE, AND EVALUATION ......................................10 3. EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 10 4. ACADEMIC CITIZENSHIP AND COMMUNITY ...................................................................................... 19 5. ESSENTIAL FACULTY FUNCTIONS ....................................................................................................... 19 6. EVALUATION OF FACULTY (PERIODIC) .............................................................................................. 19 7. RANK AND TENURE POLICY .................................................................................................................. 20 8. RECRUITMENT OF FACULTY ................................................................................................................. 20 PART THREE: OTHER FACULTY POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND BENEFITS .....................................................................................................................21 9. ACADEMIC ADVISING, OFFICE HOURS, AND STUDENT ACCESS ................................................... 21 10. ACADEMIC FREEDOM .............................................................................................................................. 21 11. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY............................................................................................................................ 22 12. AWARDS FOR FACULTY MEMBERS ...................................................................................................... 26 13. CLASS ATTENDANCE ............................................................................................................................... 27 14. COMMENCEMENT, CONVOCATIONS, AND SPECIAL EVENT .......................................................... 29 15. COMMUNICATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 30 16. COMPENSATION ........................................................................................................................................ 30 17. COMPLAINTS ABOUT FACULTY ............................................................................................................ 32 18. CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS ....................................................................................... 32 19. CONFLICT OF INTEREST .......................................................................................................................... 35 20. CONSULTING, OUTSIDE TEACHING, AND PROFESSIONAL WORK ................................................ 36 21. CONTRACTS ............................................................................................................................................... 37 22. CONVENTIONS AND PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS .............................................................................. 37 23. COPYRIGHTS AND COURSEPACKS ......................................................................................................... 38 24. COURSE AND CLASS REGULATIONS .................................................................................................... 40 25. COURSE AND TEACHER SURVEY (CATS) ............................................................................................ 40 26. DEANS: PROTOCOL FOR SELECTION OF ACADEMIC DEANS ......................................................... 41 27. DEANS: PROTOCOL FOR THE EVALUATION OF ACADEMIC DEANS ............................................. 42 28. DEPARTMENT CHAIRS ............................................................................................................................. 45 29. DISABILITIES, FACULTY WITH ............................................................................................................. 52 30. DISABILITIES, STUDENTS WITH ............................................................................................................ 52 31. DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTS ...................................................................................................................... 53 32. DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT POLICIES .............................................................................. 53 33. DISMISSAL AND SUSPENSION PROCEDURE FOR FACULTY ........................................................... 54 34. EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS............................................................................................................ 57 35. EVENTS AND SPEAKERS POLICY .......................................................................................................... 57 36. EXAMINATIONS – SEE FINAL EXAMINATIONS AND GRADES AND ASSESSMENTS .................. 60 37. EXPORT CONTROLS POLICY .................................................................................................................. 60 38. FACULTY DATA ........................................................................................................................................