FACULTY/STAFF HANDBOOK 2020 Revised 2017 0 | P a g e MONTANA TECH FACULTY/STAFF HANDBOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS 100 SECTION I: ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION 10 101 MONTANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM 10 102 BOARD OF REGENTS 10 103 COMMISSIONER OF HIGHER EDUCATION (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 204.3) 10 104 PRESIDENTS: DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 10 105 CHANCELLORS: DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 205.2.1) 11 106 LOCAL EXECUTIVE BOARD (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 217.1) 11 107 COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION: SUCCESSION 11 107.1 Chancellor 11 107.2 Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) 11 107.3 Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance 11 107.4 Vice Chancellor for Development & University Relations 11 107.5 Vice Chancellor for Research; Dean of the Graduate School 12 107.6 Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; Dean of Students 12 107.7 Succession in Absence of Chancellor 12 108 MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES & GEOLOGY 12 109 CAMPUS COMMITTEES, COUNCILS, AND BOARDS 13 200 SECTION II: FACULTY ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE 14 201 THE FACULTY 14 201.1 Policy Boards 14 202 ACADEMIC FREEDOM (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 302) 14 203 FACULTY CODE OF CONDUCT 14 204 RECRUITING & SELECTING NEW FACULTY 15 204.1 Recruiting and Selecting Full-Time Faculty 15 204.2 Recruiting and Selecting Part-Time Faculty 17 205 FACULTY RECORDS 17 206 EVALUATION, TENURE, PROMOTION AND MERIT – NORTH CAMPUS FACULTY 17 206.1 Faculty Tenure (Board of Regents Policy 706.1) 18 206.1.1 Probationary Appointments 18 206.1.2 Reappointment & Non-Reappointment of Probationary Personnel 18 206.1.3 The Award of Tenure 19 1 | P a g e 206.1.4 Administrative Positions 19 206.2 Procedures to Apply for Tenure 19 206.2.1 Midterm Tenure Evaluation 20 206.2.2 Peer/Colleague Review of Faculty Performance 20 206.2.3 Responsibilities of the Faculty Member and the Administration 20 206.3 Procedures to Apply for Promotion in Rank 21 206.3.1 Academic Rank 21 206.3.2 Years of Service Requirements 22 206.3.3 Application Process and Assessment 22 206.3.4 Accelerated Promotion 22 206.4 Performance Evaluation: Full-Time Faculty, Part-Time Faculty, and Deans 23 206.4.1 Evaluation of Full-Time Faculty 23 206.4.2 Evaluation of Part-Time Faculty 23 206.4.3 Evaluation Portfolio 23 206.4.4 Request for Peer Review of Evaluation for Reconsideration of Evaluation Results 27 206.4.5 Evaluation of Department Heads 27 206.4.6 Evaluation of Deans 28 206.5 Evaluation, Tenure and Promotion Deadlines 28 206.5.1 Faculty Tenure/Promotion 28 206.5.2 Tenured or Probationary Faculty – Evaluation Only 30 206.6 Merit Awards for Union Faculty Members 30 206.7 Merit Awards for Non-Union Faculty Members 31 207 EVALUATION, TENURE, PROMOTION AND MERIT – HIGHLANDS COLLEGE 31 207.1 Faculty Tenure 31 207.2 Procedures to Apply for Tenure – Highlands College Faculty 32 207.2.1 Faculty Tenure Evaluation Committee 32 207.2.2 Application Procedure 33 207.2.3 Appeal Process 33 207.2.4 Activities 34 207.3 Procedures to Apply for Promotion in Rank – Highlands College Faculty 34 207.3.1 Highlands College Faculty Promotion Application 34 207.3.2 Highlands College Faculty Promotion Deadlines 35 207.3.3 Highlands College Faculty Promotion Requirements 35 207.3.4 Collegiate Evaluation Committee (Highlands College Bargaining Unit) 37 2 | P a g e 207.3.5 Appeal Process 38 207.4 Merit Awards – Highlands College 38 208 CLASSIFICATION, PROMOTION AND MERIT– MONTANA BUREAU of MINES AND GEOLOGY PROFESSIONAL FACULTY AND STAFF 39 208.1 Introduction 39 208.2 Categories 39 208.2.1 Non-Research Professionals (Non-Faculty) 39 208.2.2 Professional Scientists (Non-Faculty) 39 208.2.3 Bureau Professional Practice Faculty (Bureau Faculty) 40 208.3 Evaluation of Professional Staff 40 208.4 Promotion 40 208.4.1 Non-Research Professionals 40 208.4.2 Professional Scientists 41 208.4.3 Bureau Professional Practice Faculty 41 208.4.4 Supporting Criteria for Promotion of Bureau Faculty 42 208.4.5 Grants or Funding received 43 208.4.6 Other Supporting Criteria 43 208.4.7 Promotion Procedure for Bureau Faculty 44 208.4.8 Application for Promotion 44 208.4.9 Submittal 44 208.4.10 Deadlines 45 208.4.11 Appeals Process 45 208.5 Merit Awards 45 208.5.1 General Considerations for Merit Awards. 45 209 FACULTY TERMINATION: FINANCIAL EXIGENCY (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 710.2.1) 46 210 FACULTY TERMINATION: FOR CAUSE (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 710.2.2) 47 211 APPEAL PROCESS IN FACULTY DECISIONS 47 212 APPEALS (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 203.5.2) 47 213 SABBATICAL ASSIGNMENT (BOARD of REGENTS’ POLICY 801.1) 48 213.1 Board Policy 48 213.2 Procedures at System Level 49 213.3 Definitions 49 213.4 Campus Procedures 49 214 FACULTY LEAVE OF ABSENCE 50 3 | P a g e 215 EMERITUS RANK FOR RETIRING FACULTY 50 216 FACULTY COMMITTEES 50 217 INVENTIONS AND PATENTS 50 218 COPYRIGHTS (BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY 401.3) 51 219 CONSULTING 51 219.1 Faculty 51 219.2 Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Faculty and Other Bureau Professionals 52 219.3 Academic Department Heads 52 219.4 Other Administrators (Including Deans) and FY Professionals 52 220 CONFLICT OF INTEREST 53 220.1 Rules of Conduct for Public Officers and Public Employees (2-2-121 M.C.A) 53 220.2 Conflict of Interest Rules for Montana Tech Employees 54 221 RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES PROPOSALS SEEKING EXTRAMURAL FUNDING 55 222 RESEARCH POLICY – ESTABLISHMENT OF RESEARCH SALARY BASE 56 223 ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT HEADS AND DEANS 57 223.1 Department Head Job Description, Selection and Terms 57 223.1.1 Job Description 57 223.1.2 Academic Responsibilities 57 223.1.3 Administrative Responsibilities 57 223.1.4 Research and Professional Development 58 223.1.5 External Constituencies 58 223.1.6 Selection 58 223.1.7 Terms 58 223.2 Academic Dean Job Description, Selection and Terms 58 223.2.1 Job Description 58 223.2.2 Academic Responsibilites 59 223.2.3 Administrative Responsibilities 59 223.2.4 Research and Professional Conduct 59 223.2.5 External Constituencies 59 223.2.6 Selection 59 223.2.7 Terms 59 300 SECTION III: ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 60 301 ACADEMIC PROCEDURES 60 4 | P a g e 302 FINANCIAL AID 60 303 PROCEDURES FOR NEW AND MODIFIED DEGREE PROGRAMS 60 303.1 Degree 60 303.2 Certificate 61 303.3 Major 61 303.4 Extended Major 61 303.5 Minor 61 303.6 Option 61 303.7 New Postsecondary Educational Programs 61 304 POLICY FOR CHANGING FACULTY/STAFF HANDBOOK 61 305 POLICY MATTERS PRESENTED AT FACULTY MEETINGS 62 306 TRANSCRIPT OF ACADEMIC RECORDS AND RELEASE OF INFORMATION 62 306.1 Record of Deceased Students 62 307 PROCEDURES TO APPEAL A FINAL GRADE FOR A COURSE 63 307.1 Informal Grade Appeal 63 307.2 Formal Grade Appeal – Committee Hearing 63 308 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY 64 308.1 Plagiarism 64 308.2 Copying From the Paper of Another Student While Taking an Exam 64 308.3 Using Unlawful Aids to Pass an Examination 64 308.4 Aiding Another Student 64 308.5 Unauthorized Signatures 64 308.6 Actions to be Taken when Cheating is Discovered 64 309 FACULTY SCHEDULES 65 310 SPACE UTILIZATION AND SCHEDULING 65 311 ACADEMIC YEAR 65 312 OFFICE HOURS 65 400 SECTION IV: STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS 66 401 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL (BOARD POLICY 807.1) 66 402 STATE VEHICLE USE 66 402.1 Definitions 66 402.2 Authorized Drivers and Uses 67 402.3 Authorized Passengers and Uses 67 402.4 Driver Requirements 68 5 | P a g e 402.5 Alcohol and Drugs 68 402.6 Cell Phone Use 69 402.7 Discipline 69 403 COLLEGE MOTOR POOL 69 403.1 Instructions for Emergency Repairs, Supplies and Services 70 403.2 Rates Observed by Motor Pool 70 404 AUTHORIZATION FOR TRAVEL 70 405 REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES 70 406 HIGH COST CITIES 71 407 FOREIGN TRAVEL 72 500 SECTION V: GENERAL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES 73 501 HIRING PROCEDURES 73 501.1 Nondiscrimination 73 501.2 Recruitment 73 501.3 Search and Selection for Regents’ Contract and Classified Positions 74 501.4 Relocation Expenses 74 501.4.1 New Employee Relocation Expense Reimbursement Rates 74 501.5 Student Employment 75 502 BENEFITS 76 502.1 Administrative Personnel Leave (Board of Regents’ Policy 801.2) 76 502.1.1 Procedures 76 502.2 Leave Without Pay (Board of Regents' Policy 801.3 and MOMS 156) 76 502.2.1 Procedures 77 502.3 Annual Vacation Leave (MCA 2-18-611 through 2-18-617, MOMS 145) 77 502.4 Sick Leave (MCA 2-18-618 and MOMS 163) 78 502.5 Family & Medical Leave (MOMS 152) 78 502.6 Holidays (MCA 1-1-216 and MOMS 153) 78 502.7 Holiday Exchanges (Board of Regents’ Policy 801.5) 79 502.8 Jury or Witness Duty (MOMS155) 79 502.9 Military Training (MCA 10-1-1009) 79 502.10 Maternity Leave (MCA 49-2-310 and MOMS 157) 79 502.11 Parental leave (MCA 2-18-606 and MOMS 157) 80 502.12 Retirement System (MCA TITLE 19) 80 502.13 Insurance Benefits 81 6 | P a g e 502.14 Tax Shelter (Board of Regents’ Policy 803.1) 82 502.15 Faculty/Staff Fee Waiver (Board of Regents’ Policy 940.13) 83 503 PAYROLL INFORMATION 83 503.1 Time Cards and Leave Cards 83 503.2 Pay Checks 83 503.3 Change of Residence 83 503.4 Change of Marital Status or Dependents 84 503.5 Extra Compensation 84 504 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY POLICY: MONTANA TECH EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY STATEMENT 84 505 PROFESSIONAL AND STAFF PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES 84 505.1 Classified Staff & Crafts 85 505.2 Contract Professsionals and Letters of Appointment 85 506 GRIEVANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURE 86 506.1 Purpose 86 506.2 Policy 86 506.2.1 Scope 86 506.2.2 Objectives 86 506.3 Time Limit for Grievance Filing 87 506.4 Procedures for Settling Grievances 87 506.5 Grievance Committee 89 506.6 Authority of the Committee 90 506.7 The Chancellor’s Decision 90 506.7.1