Faculty Handbook

Centenary College of Louisiana, established in 1825 in Jackson, Louisiana, is the oldest liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River. Since 1908, it has been located in Shreveport. Related to the United Methodist Church, Centenary has a cosmopolitan and ecumenical outlook that encourages intellectual freedom in both the faculty and student body.

Centenary College of Louisiana is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Centenary College of Louisiana. The Department of Chemistry is approved by the American Chemical Society, the School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the Meadows Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Ed Leuck Arboretum has been awarded Level II Accreditation through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum. The College is a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the North American Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church, the College Board, the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges, the Associated Colleges of the South, the Conference of Louisiana Colleges and Universities, and its alumnae are approved for membership by the American Association of University Women.

Centenary offers four-year programs leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, as well as two graduate degrees: the Master of Business Administration and the Master of Arts in Teaching. In addition to Centenary's traditional pre-professional programs in dentistry, medicine, law, allied health, and museum management, the College is planning for additional career-oriented programs. Three-two programs in engineering are in place with a variety of schools. An international student exchange is maintained with universities in Denmark, France, Germany, and Hong Kong. The College maintains internationally-based consortial relationships with the British Council which allows students to study at universities in Northern Ireland and with MISEN that allows students to study in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, and India.

The College has an unusually beautiful campus on which landscaping follows the contours of the rolling land. The main academic buildings include Jackson Hall, Mickle Hall of Science, Magale Library, the Hurley School of Music, Marjorie Lyons Playhouse, Turner Art Center, the Smith Building, the Gold Dome, the Fitness Center, Centenary Square, the Anderson Choral Building, and the Meadows Museum of Art. In addition to a broad array of visual art works, the museum houses the unique Despujols collection of 360 works depicting the culture of French Indochina in the 1930s. It and the Turner Art Center, located across from the Meadows Museum, present a variety of traveling exhibits to both the public and the campus community. The Anderson Choral Building and the Fitness Center are the newest buildings on the campus. The Student Union Building includes a bookstore, facilities for student entertainment, offices for student government and student media, and a faculty lounge.

To foster and sustain a community characterized by intellectual rigor, close involvement of faculty and students, and riches of cultural diversity, Centenary is moving towards a full-time undergraduate enrollment of 1000. Although the majority of its students come from Louisiana and Texas, in recent years 35 states and several foreign countries have been represented in the student body.

The faculty teaches small classes, and close student-teacher relationships are the norm. The full-time faculty numbers approximately 60, of whom more than 90% hold earned doctorates; and their teaching is supplemented by that of a small part-time staff, many of whom come from the business and professional world and thereby enrich their teaching with examples of their practical experiences in the world of work. The Centenary faculty is close-knit, student-oriented, and professionally active.

Centenary seeks capable students, regardless of their economic status, and it administers over $20 million in scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study funds to 99% of its full-time students. After graduation, a large proportion of Centenary alumni attend graduate and professional schools by winning institutional fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, and prestigious national awards.

Centenary is located in Northwest Louisiana, in an area known as the Ark-La-Tex. Already the hub of this tri-state region in agriculture, trade, and industry, the Shreveport area is also a major regional medical and biomedical research center, with the LSU Medical School, Biomedical Research Institute, and a large number of hospitals and other health-related facilities that serve the region's population. Centenary has contributed heavily to the ranks of the professions in the Ark-La-Tex, particularly in medicine, the ministry, teaching, business, law, and geology-related activities. The faculty has long been an intellectual, cultural, professional, and religious resource for the community; and lectures, art exhibits, concerts by its famous choir, and a wide range of theatre productions make the College a focal point for the culture of the community.

SECTION 2. THE MISSION OF THE COLLEGE

Mission

Centenary College prepares global citizens to live productive lives of vitality and purpose.

Vision

Building on a firm foundation in the liberal arts, Centenary is committed to education that happens inside and outside the classroom, in the community, and in the world. Centenary students will be challenged to read, listen, and think critically; to write and speak clearly; to analyze, interpret, and synthesize ideas and information qualitatively and quantitatively; to celebrate the diversity of human cultures; and to appreciate the value of artistic expression. This will take place on a campus enriched by individuals from many faiths and cultures and that emphasizes ethical and intellectual growth and the joy of creativity and discovery.

Values

Consistent with its founding as a Methodist institution and its continued affiliation with the United Methodist Church, Centenary College promotes the values of compassion, integrity, intellectual and moral courage, and personal and collective responsibility. Centenary is committed to the value of civic debate, the integrity of science, and the inherent usefulness of the liberal arts to help students lead lives of meaning. As a community, the college cultivates the knowledge, truth, and integrity that are crucial to our common future as we seek to transform the world.

Commitment to Diversity

Centenary College of Louisiana values human diversity in all its richly complex and multi-faceted forms, whether expressed through race and ethnicity, culture, political and social views, religious and spiritual beliefs, language and geographic characteristics, gender, gender identities and sexual orientations, learning and physical abilities, age, and social or economic classes.

SECTION 3. ACADEMIC FREEDOM

Centenary College has a strong tradition of intellectual freedom. It subscribes to the following view of the United Methodist Church: "Our role is not to suppress ideas, but to open channels of communication, so that people can come to know the thoughts of their neighbors, and so that the best thoughts of all men and women can come to be the possessions of everyone." (General Conference, 1952). Centenary finds this view consistent with the joint AAUP & AAC&U Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, which states, in part, that

Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual teacher or the institution as a whole. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.

Academic freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research. Freedom in research is fundamental to the advancement of truth. Academic freedom in its teaching aspect is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom in learning. It carries with it duties correlative with rights.

Tenure is a means to certain ends, specifically: 1) freedom of teaching and research and of extramural activities, and 2) a sufficient degree of economic security to make the profession attractive to men and women of ability. Freedom and economic security, hence, tenure, are indispensable to the success of an institution in fulfilling its obligations to its students and to society. To this end the College affirms the language of the AAUP & AAC&U Policies and Documents Reports:

Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
Teachers are entitled to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment.
College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers 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 educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.

Centenary faculty should be cognizant of these principles, which emphasize both the freedom and responsibility of faculty members, both tenured and non-tenured, and incorporate them into their teaching.

Academic freedom cases arise when faculty members allege that an employee of Centenary College or a member of the Board of Trustees has acted to infringe upon their freedom of teaching, research, writing or extramural activities. In an allegation of violation of academic freedom, there must be a specific infringement of academic freedom in teaching, research, writing, or an extramural activity allegedly perpetrated by a person or persons acting in official capacity as an employee of Centenary College or as a member of the Board of Trustees. In cases of denial of tenure or reappointment, an allegation of procedural error or other failure to apply appropriate criteria fairly will not in itself be the basis for an academic freedom complaint.

Faculty members who believe their academic freedom has been violated should immediately consult confidentially in written form with the Chairperson of the Faculty Appeals Committee and the Chairperson of the Faculty Coordinating Council, who will review the evidence for the alleged violation and follow the procedure established in Section 13 of the Faculty Handbook.

SECTION 4. GOVERNMENT OF THE COLLEGE

With regard to the government of the College, Centenary subscribes to the 1966 Joint Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities, formulated by the American Association of University Professors, the American Council on Education, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (see Appendix A). Because of the interdependence of the varied and complex tasks performed by the Board of Trustees, the administration, the faculty, the student body, and others, communication and joint planning among these components of the College are of utmost importance. While, for practical reasons, the primary responsibility for acting in certain areas is divided among the various components, there should be the broadest exchange of information and participation among the Board of Trustees, the administration, and the faculty prior to making major changes in the following areas:

the size and composition of the student body;
the relative emphases given to various elements of the education program;
the selection of the President, the Vice Presidents, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and deans.

Also, with due consideration to the principle of primary responsibility vested in the Board of Trustees, there should exist a continuing communication and participation among the Board, the administration, the faculty, and the student body (e.g. in matters relating to academic programs and student life) in the following areas:

the framing and execution of long-range plans;
the design, approval, and establishment of the structure and procedures for faculty participation in the governance of the College;
decisions regarding existing or prospective physical resources;
budgeting: both short- and long-range allocation of resources among competing demands;
the academic program, including curriculum, subject matter, methods of instruction, academic standards, and research;
faculty selection, status, development, promotion, tenure, and dismissal;
the quality of student life on campus.

SECTION 5. FACULTY MEETINGS

The faculty is organized under a constitution and a set of bylaws (Section 17), which formalize regular faculty meetings, academic departments and divisions, and a committee structure (also see Section 6 and Section 10).

The faculty exercises its legislative function in meetings over which the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or another member of the faculty presides, at the request of the President of the College. Only members of the full-time faculty and those specified in the Bylaws (Section 17) may vote at faculty meetings. Parliamentary rules for faculty meetings proceed under Roberts Rules of Order. The Honor Court Chief Justice or a representative of the court will make a presentation to the faculty at the September faculty meeting.

The faculty shall meet in official session, at a regular time and place chosen by the faculty. The President or the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost may call meetings of the faculty in addition to the regular meetings and must do so upon signed petition of twenty-five percent of the voting membership of the faculty. The faculty shall make decisions by majority vote of those present and voting. For called meetings, a quorum of fifty percent of the total voting faculty will be necessary for faculty action. Normally, new business will not be transacted at a faculty meeting without its first having been referred to an appropriate committee. The order of business for faculty meetings will normally include a roll call of committees for reports.

Administrative officers not provided for in Section 17 and part-time teaching personnel may attend meetings of the faculty with the privilege to discuss but without the power to vote. The chair and the Faculty Coordinating Council shall determine whether other persons are eligible to attend a meeting and have the privilege to discuss.

The secretary to the faculty shall be appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College. The secretary will maintain a permanent record of the deliberations of the faculty in its regular and called meetings and will prepare and distribute minutes of each meeting of the faculty to all those eligible to attend faculty meetings.

The faculty elects from its membership 1) the Chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council, 2) the members of the Faculty Personnel Committee and Economic Policy Committee, and 3) such other persons as might be needed to carry on the business of the faculty.

SECTION 6: FACULTY COMMITTEES

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNANCE

The standing committee structure of the faculty at Centenary Colleges is designed to involve the faculty as a community of scholars in guiding curricula, academic programs of study, academic policies and standards, student activities, and related matters. In this way, faculty committees are charged with making decisions within existing academic policy and recommending changes in policy to the faculty as a whole. The faculty standing structure is divided into two categories: academic committees and institutional committees. The faculty also has representation on College administrative committees and serves a critical advisory function. All faculty involvement is within the stipulations of the charter of Centenary College. Decisions made by faculty committees and councils may be appealed to the entire faculty at regular meetings throughout the year.

Each faculty committee shall have a secretary or recorder who will keep and circulate minutes to the committee for approval. Once minutes are approved by the committee, they should be submitted to the Faculty Coordinating Council for upload to the college website. At the end of each academic year, each committee chair will deliver a transitional agenda and other relevant documents to the Faculty Coordinating Council and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Items of a confidential nature will be filed in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

Those faculty members who serve on committees have a major responsibility to the College and the profession. While classroom teaching is the primary function of a professor, contributing to shared governance of the college is also important to the health of the academic community. Newly elected and appointed committee members shall be empowered effective August 1 of each year. During the period following the April faculty meeting through August 1, newly elected and appointed committee members shall be empowered to act as substitutes when necessitated by committee business.

VOTING PROCEDURES

The following rules apply to the six members of the Faculty Personnel Committee, the three members of the Economic Policy Committee, the three elected faculty members of the Trek Committee, and the six members of the Academic Policy Committee. The election for these positions will be conducted following the election of the Faculty Coordinating Council chair. To be eligible for election, one must be full-time and hold faculty rank. In the event of unfulfilled terms, faculty members shall be elected for partial terms to fill the unfinished terms. After each full or partial term of at least two years, faculty members will be ineligible for reelection until three years have elapsed since the most recent service. No faculty member shall be elected to a full or partial term if he or she will not be able to serve that term.

No faculty member shall serve more than a total of fifteen years on the Economic Policy or Faculty Personnel committees.

ACADEMIC COMMITTEES

Academic Policy Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
On behalf of the faculty, and subject to its authority, the Academic Policy Committee initiates and recommends to the faculty policies concerning the undergraduate academic programs of the College (except the Trek program which is managed by the Trek Committee). Such policies include those involving curriculum, degree requirements, academic regulations and standards, student classification and class standing, student course load, honors in majors, new programs or degrees, first-year experience, summer school, distance learning, articulation agreements, and all other academic matters that are the responsibility of the faculty. The APC is also charged with reviewing and proposing changes to the College’s general education program, after broad consultation with the faculty. In addition, the Committee reviews and approves program-specific changes, except Trek-related changes which are managed by the Trek Committee, described below. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the faculty-at-large, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition
The Committee is composed of six faculty members (two elected by each division from different departments), one student, the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex officio and without vote) and Registrar (ex officio and without vote). The six faculty members are elected for staggered three-year terms (see Voting Procedures). The student member is recommended by the SGA for a one-year appointment with possibility of renewal. The Committee chair will be elected from the faculty members of the committee. See Voting Procedures for additional guidelines.

Faculty Appeals Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
Regarding matters of salary, promotion, tenure, renewal or non-renewal of appointment, termination, and any other matters bearing on faculty performance and professional concerns, including alleged infringement upon academic freedom, faculty members shall have the right to a review of their grievance according to the procedure described in Section 13 of the Faculty Handbook.

This committee provides a means whereby an aggrieved faculty member may obtain a review before a well-informed, disinterested body of peers elected by the faculty for that purpose. The Appeals Committee, in order to be well informed, will have access to all relevant information under control of the officers of the College. The function of the appeals procedure is to determine whether a grievance is well founded and to make recommendations regarding the resolution of disputes.

Composition
The tenured members of the faculty shall serve as standing members of the Appeals Committee. Whenever a grievance is filed, Committee members will be asked to take on added responsibility. Annually, the tenured faculty of the College will elect by majority vote a faculty member to serve as chair of the Appeals Committee. The chair of the Appeals Committee may serve for up to a period of three successive years. Faculty Personnel Committee members will not be eligible to serve as chair of the Appeals Committee until their term of service on Faculty Personnel Committee has ended.

Faculty Coordinating Council

Purpose and Responsibilities
The Faculty Coordinating Council is the major coordinating body of the faculty and its committee system. It is the administrative body of the faculty. It also carries on an active dialogue with the Planning and Policy Advisory Council concerning the academic operation of the College.

The Faculty Coordinating Council is charged with assisting in the preparation of the agenda for faculty meetings and carrying out that agenda. In doing this, it is not to review or pass judgment on the material brought to the faculty meeting for consideration but to deliver it to the faculty in the most efficient manner. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will assist in carrying out this function. If no agenda items are submitted for a given faculty meeting, the Faculty Coordinating Council may choose to cancel the meeting.

The Faculty Coordinating Council will encourage and facilitate communication among faculty committees. The Council will interact with the chairs of the Academic Policy Committee, Faculty Personnel Committee, Enrollment Policy Committee, and Economic Policy Committee on a regular basis throughout the academic year. The Faculty Coordinating Council will also collect and make available the minutes from committees of the faculty. In this regard it will attempt to coordinate the activities of any committees working on similar matters. The FCC will maintain a website of the minutes and other pertinent documents issued by the standing committees of the faculty. In addition, the Faculty Coordinating Council will proofread the minutes of each faculty meeting prior to their submission to the faculty at large.

Each year the Faculty Coordinating Council will recommend to the President the names of faculty members to serve as the non-elected members of the committee system of the College. The Council is charged with carrying out all elections in an efficient, timely, and open manner. As needed, the Faculty Coordinating Council will bring revisions of the faculty handbook to the faculty for approval.

Annually the division chairs and the at-large chair shall organize and coordinate input from the faculty regarding the College's administrative officers. This information shall be forwarded to the President.

Finally, the Faculty Coordinating Council, when directed by a majority vote of the faculty, shall act as the official voice of the faculty. When it is necessary that the wishes and desires of the faculty, as a group, be made known to the administration of the College or an outside agency, the Faculty Coordinating Council under the direction of the faculty shall represent the faculty.

Composition
The Faculty Coordinating Council consists of an at-large chair elected by the faculty from among the tenured faculty for a two-year term, the three divisional chairs, who must be tenured members of the faculty and are elected by each division individually for three-year terms, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, (ex officio and without vote). Additionally, the outgoing at large chair may be asked to serve in an ex officio, non-voting capacity to assist in the transition to a new chair for the first semester of the new chair’s term. The chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council will be the first faculty officer elected each odd-numbered year. This election shall take place every other January with the term of service beginning the weekday before the start of classes the following month.

The chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council shall serve as a faculty delegate to the Board of Trustees. The chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council will not be allowed to serve more than two terms in any six-year period.

Faculty Personnel Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
On behalf of the faculty, and subject to its authority, the Faculty Personnel Committee initiates and recommends to the faculty policies concerning faculty tenure, promotion, non-reappointment and dismissal; and offers such recommendations and comments to the faculty as a whole. Additional responsibilities of the Faculty Personnel Committee are to recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost promotions to the tenure track and ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor; create and administer a formal evaluation procedure for the Centenary faculty; make recommendations on every full-time faculty reappointment, tenure and termination, and for establishing and conducting annual reviews on which such recommendations are based, including particularly the third-year and sixth-year reviews; serve as an advisory body to the administration on matters dealing with the academic and professional integrity of the faculty; and make evaluations and recommendations concerning merit pay increases and appropriate salary adjustments. In the absence of faculty representation in searches for President, Cabinet and Extended Cabinet positions, and Registrar, the Faculty Personnel Committee will interview the finalists for these positions and make recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

The recommendations in all of these areas shall be guided by standards initially proposed by the Committee, approved by the faculty, and published in the faculty handbook. The Committee’s recommendations shall be made directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The deliberations of the Committee and its recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall be confidential, except in instances when the appeals process warrants access to information. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the faculty at large, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings, taking every precaution to appropriately protect the confidential nature of its business.

Composition
The Committee is composed of six tenured faculty members (two from each division and representing different departments) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex officio and without vote). The faculty members are elected for staggered three-year terms. When filling a vacancy, the division will nominate two divisional candidates from among which the faculty will elect one (see Voting Procedures). Faculty holding college-level administrative appointments are ineligible to serve as elected members of the Faculty Personnel Committee. The Committee shall elect its own chair. The chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee shall serve as a faculty delegate to the Board of Trustees.

Faculty Development Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
The committee assists the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost in the development and implementation of policies and programs related to faculty development, such as special faculty travel, workshops, sabbatical leaves, and recommendations on endowed professorships, and other scholarly and professional activities. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost’s Office supports the Committee by making arrangements for workshops and scheduling of public presentations reporting on scholarly accomplishments during sabbatical leaves. Forums for these presentations will be developed in coordination with this committee. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the Faculty Personnel Committee, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition
The committee is composed of three faculty members (one from each division). The members of this committee shall be recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and appointed by the President. The Committee shall elect its own chair.

Graduate and Continuing Education Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
On behalf of the faculty, and subject to its authority, the Graduate and Continuing Education Committee initiates and recommends to the faculty policies concerning academic continuing education, micro-credentialing, and graduate programs of the college to include all courses, certificates, and degrees offered by third party vendors and consortium partnerships. In addition, this committee is responsible for developing the criteria for admission to graduate programs and satisfactory progress toward degrees; and for policies pertaining to graduate personnel, curricula, degree requirements, and finances. The Graduate and Continuing Education Committee also approves all credit-bearing courses offered through micro-credentialing and continuing education programs, and it reviews and makes recommendations on non-credit bearing courses offered through such programs. In reviewing non-credit bearing courses, the committee should consult with appropriate division chairs. The Graduate and Continuing Education Committee approves program changes and recommends to the faculty college-wide policies pertaining to all continuing education and graduate programs. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the Academic Policy Committee faculty normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition
The Graduate and Continuing Education committee is composed of one faculty representative appointed by each department with an active graduate program, one faculty representative from the Academic Policy Committee, one graduate student nominated by the graduate faculty representatives and selected by the committee, a representative for continuing education (ex officio and without vote), and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex officio and without vote).

Trek Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
The Trek Committee administers faculty policies related to Trek degree requirements: Centenary in Paris, TREK 115: Credo, TREK 151: Service Learning, TREK 251: Independent Career Explorations and Internships, and TREK 351: Intercultural Experience.

The TREK committee shall review courses and/or course co-requisites that contain one of the major Trek components (Career, Community, or Culture) and/or is part of the First-Year program. This is understood to include; (1) academic department courses with Trek co-requites, (2) independent proposals submitted by students to obtain Trek credit, (3) Trek 115 courses, (4) Modules, and (5) Centenary in Paris courses.

In the case where an academic course is submitted as both a new course and has an associated Trek co-requisite, the entire course proposal should be reviewed by the Trek Committee. In the circumstance where an academic course is submitted as a new course with a Trek co-requisite and a Liberal Arts Explorations attribute, both the Trek Committee and APC are required to review and approve the course.

On behalf of the faculty, and subject to its authority, the faculty subcommittee of the Trek Committee initiates and recommends to the faculty policies concerning the Trek degree requirements. The Faculty Director of the first-year Trek program (CIP and TREK 115) oversees that program, seeking input from the full committee as needed. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the faculty-at-large, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition
The committee is composed of four faculty members who also comprise the faculty subcommittee (one elected by each division and the Faculty Director of the first-year Trek Program – see Voting Procedures); one student; the three staff directors of Career, Community, and Culture degree requirements; and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex-officio and without vote).

The three elected faculty members serve two-year, staggered terms. The student member is recommended by SGA for a one-year appointment with possibility of renewal. One faculty member will be elected to serve as committee chairperson.

INSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEES

Conduct Review Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
A primary function of this committee is to consider and decide upon all cases involving non-academic misconduct referred to it by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or designee. If a student questions the fairness of a disciplinary action taken against them by a previous hearing body, they should be granted on request the privilege of a hearing before this committee. Furthermore, the Committee should stay informed about disciplinary problems and make recommendations to hearing bodies and members of the administration charged with disciplinary responsibilities. At the request of the Executive Council of the SGA, the Committee will rule upon the constitutionality of actions taken by the Student Government Association.

Composition
The Committee shall be composed of one faculty member who will serve as chairperson, a staff member other than the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or other hearing officer to serve as recorder, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or designee (ex officio and without vote), and five full-time undergraduate students (one representing each class and one student at large). See the Student Conduct section of the Student Handbook for more information on the composition of the committee.

Convocations Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
The Convocations Committee helps foster a lively intellectual, artistic, and cultural life at the College. Individuals or groups may propose events and seek funding from the Convocations Committee based on the annual budget allocated by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Student organizations requesting funds should do so with the approval and guidance of their advisor. Additionally, the Committee will review submissions for Attaway Fellows and Scholars and allocate Attaway funds accordingly.

The campus reserves the first Thursday of each month (excluding December, January, and May) during the academic year from 11:10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. as the Convocation Hour.

Composition
The Committee will be composed of three faculty members recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and one student recommended by the Student Government Association approved by the College President; a representative from Marketing and Communications (ex officio); a representative from Student Involvement (ex officio); and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or designee (ex officio). One faculty member will be elected to serve as committee chairperson.

Diversity Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
This committee designs, coordinates, and implements diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in conjunction with the Dean and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Composition
The Committee is designed to be representative of all campus constituents: faculty, staff, and students. The Diversity Committee shall consist of two faculty members (with at least one tenured faculty), three staff members (a representative from Student Affairs and then two more staff at large, by interest), the Archivist (for institutional history), the Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer, and two-three student representatives (one from SGA and 1one-two at large, by interest). The Dean for DEI/CDO will chair the committee and may ask a faculty member or staff member to co-chair the committee.

Economic Policy Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
This committee will make recommendations and provide feedback on matters of economic policy. To this end, it will be able to access and review budget figures and to ensure their consistency with the economic policies recommended by the Committee.

The administration will provide the Economic Policy Committee with the following annually: 1) annual budget report for the previous fiscal year after required approvals are met; 2) whatever fiscal projections are provided to the Cabinet, as available, showing future revenue and expenditures along with the assumptions upon which the plan is based; and 3) regular budget updates as requested.

The Committee will provide candid and informed counsel to the President and Cabinet regarding economic policy, including general compensation recommendations. A faculty sub-committee will meet annually to make overall faculty salary recommendations and when necessary to review academic budgets.

The primary function of this committee is to recommend policy, not review budgets by line item. This group should endeavor to determine in what areas Centenary should commit its resources, in keeping with the strategic plan and mission of the College, and make recommendations to the President accordingly.

Composition
This committee will be composed of three staff members at least one of whom is non-exempt* and one is exempt*, three faculty members, and one student member. Staff members who report directly to the President are not eligible for service to the Economic Policy Committee. The three faculty members, one from each division, will be elected by the faculty-at-large for three-year staggered terms to serve as the faculty representatives on the Committee. Each division will nominate two divisional candidates from among which the faculty will elect one. The student member is recommended by SGA and approved by the President. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and Vice President for Finance and Administration will serve as ex officio members of the Committee. Three positions (the faculty chair, the staff chair, and the secretary) will be elected by the members of the Committee at the beginning of each academic year or as necessary. Both chairs will be responsible for setting agenda items pertinent to their constituencies and reporting at relevant times (e.g., at faculty and staff meetings).

non-exempt staff - one who is neither primarily engaged in academic instruction nor charged with administrative or managerial responsibility, and who is not primarily a student.
exempt staff - one who holds a position of executive, administrative or managerial responsibility or one that requires recognized professional achievement either by formal training or equivalent experience and who meets the appropriate minimum salary test contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Enrollment Policy Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
This committee will make recommendations and provide feedback on plans for increasing student enrollment and retaining students. These plans would involve all constituencies of the Centenary community. The Committee will also formulate and recommend to the faculty minimum standards for the admission of students; read and make individual admission decisions on the cases of applicants who do not meet the minimum standards; advise the Admission and Financial Aid offices regarding financial aid and scholarships; review and develop policies for awarding scholarships, grants-in-aid and other financial packages; and conduct periodic (three year) reviews of the academic support services.

Composition
The Committee is composed of three faculty members, one from each division recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and appointed by the President, one student recommended by the Student Government Association and appointed by the President, the Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, the Athletic Director or designee, and a representative from Financial Aid, Admission, Registrar, Student Development, and student academic support services. The faculty members will serve three-year staggered terms. The committee chair will be elected from the faculty members of the Committee.

Institutional Effectiveness Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
This committee will be responsible for analyzing assessment reports submitted concerning the core courses as well as academic, program, and administrative department reviews to ensure alignment with requirements for accreditation. The members of the Committee will look for the presence of discipline specific learning outcomes, stated assessment methods, and actionable plans based on data collected over time. The committee will also make specific recommendations to faculty members, department chairs, committees, and administration. Should the Committee see the need for additional institutional resources to assist a faculty member and/or program to meet its learning outcomes, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee will send such recommendations to the Faculty Development Committee. This committee will also provide faculty members and administrative units with assistance in fashioning assessment techniques.

Composition
Three members of the faculty preferably including at least one with tenure, one from each division, recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and appointed by the President, and two members of the administrative staff as designated by the president, (one ex officio and without vote), all to serve staggered three-year terms; and the Director of Institutional Research (ex officio and without vote).

Someone will be appointed to complete the term if a member is unable. The committee chair will be elected from the faculty members of the Committee.

Intercollegiate Athletic Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
This committee assesses the various aspects of intercollegiate athletics with the goal of establishing and maintaining standards of scholarship and sportsmanship consistent with the values and traditions of Centenary College and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It also serves as an advisory body to the administration and faculty on all matters concerning intercollegiate athletic programs. To this end, the Committee should have access to the operational budget of the athletic department, documentation submitted to the NCAA and conference, and all documentation related to compliance issues, academic progress, and athletes’ GPAs. The Committee provides input to the President and standing committees on decisions that directly affect the student-athlete, serves as a liaison between intercollegiate athletics and the academic areas of the college, and serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of Athletics. The Director shall advise the committee of significant NCAA policies, rules, and regulations and provide interpretations of their applicability to the athletic program at Centenary. They seek the advice of the Committee on any major proposed changes in athletic policy and programs. The Committee also serves in an advisory capacity in the employment of athletic personnel, scheduling, and student-athlete travel.

Composition
The Committee is composed of two faculty members (one male, one female), the NCAA faculty athletic representative, two students (one male and one female), the Director of Athletics (ex officio and without vote), the Compliance Coordinator (ex officio and without vote), and the Senior Women’s Administrator (ex officio and without vote). Faculty members are recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council for staggered terms of three years and appointed by the President. Student members are recommended by the SGA and appointed by the President. One of the faculty members shall serve as the chair of the committee. Care should be taken that, with the exception of the Director of Athletics, faculty members of the committee are not involved in coaching or administration within the intercollegiate athletic program in any way.

Planning Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
The Planning Committee will be a representative body of the faculty, administration, student body, and Board of Trustees responsible for providing direction to the College. To this end, they will annually review and update the goals of the College and assess college operations to determine if it is consistent with the College's goals. This group will also be responsible for maintaining and updating a strategic plan for the College. Since planning, to be effective, must receive input from all facets of college life, this committee is expected to maintain close ties to the Faculty Coordinating Council, the Planning & Policy Advisory Council, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, and the Student Government Association. The Planning Committee is also expected to work closely with the Economic Policy Committee to ensure implementation of the College's long-range plans. The recommendation of the Committee will go to the President of the College.

Composition
The Planning Committee will be composed of twelve members: three members of the administration, appointed by the President; two Board members; three faculty members recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council, and appointed by the President; the chair of the Economic Policy Committee; and three student members appointed by the Student Government Association and appointed by the President. The faculty members will serve three-year staggered terms, with each division having a representative. The student members will serve one-year terms, with each member from a different division.

Planning and Policy Advisory Council

Purpose and Responsibilities
The Planning and Policy Advisory Council advises on all aspects of the College's operation, as directed by the President of the College. It provides a broad base of conversation for strategic planning for the College, contributes to the framework of annual budgeting of the College, and approves the academic calendar.

Composition
The Planning and Policy Advisory Council is composed of the President of the College, individuals holding Cabinet-level positions, the chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council, the President of the Student Government Association, and any other members at the discretion of the President of the College.

SECTION 7: DUTIES OF FACULTY MEMBERS

Centenary College faculty members aspire to the highest standards of academic excellence and personal integrity. Faculty members are expected to support the Mission of the College, carry teaching loads appropriate to their respective rank and program, perform scholarly research or its equivalent, engage in service to both their department and the College, and participate in the shared governance of the College.

A. Teaching

Faculty members are expected to meet their classes regularly and on time and to inform the chair of their department if they must miss class. All faculty members shall designate adequate hours when they will be available in their offices for consultation with students; they shall post their schedules of office hours in a suitable place and adhere to them as closely as possible. Faculty members shall keep unreturned student work in the department for the student author's scrutiny for at least one semester following submission of the work. Faculty members will be responsible for assessment in courses offered as well as the periodic assessment of their academic unit. Flexible approaches to assessment are encouraged.

Faculty are expected to contribute equitably to academic advising.

Faculty members should adhere to the College’s regulations during Preparation Week, the week before final examinations in both the Spring and Fall terms. This week has been designated as a special time to review academic work and prepare for final examinations. As of 8 a.m. on the first day of Preparation Week, no papers, tests, or additional work (beyond completion of courses) may be assigned. Lab tests may be given during Preparation Week, and class assignments made earlier in the semester may be due during Preparation Week. Petitions for exceptions to policies governing Preparation Week must be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College.

Faculty members taking either family or short-term disability leave should work with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and their department chair to make sure their classes are covered in their absence.

Faculty members should refer to the Academic Policies Handbook for other specific academic regulations (https://www.centenary.edu/about/policies-procedures/academic-policies/).

B. Scholarship and Professional Development

Professional growth is evidenced by work that includes any of the following: traditional scholarly research within a discipline; the exploration of issues relating to pedagogy; publications; participation in professional organizations; public performances; or other creative accomplishments. The scholarly work of the professoriate (as defined by Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered, Priorities of the Professoriate, 1990) might be thought of as having four separate, yet overlapping, functions. These are the scholarship of discovery, the scholarship of integration, the scholarship of application, and the scholarship of teaching.

C. Service

Service to the faculty member’s department, the College and the broader community is also expected. Faculty members may be elected to serve on particular College committees or be assigned duty on College committees by the Faculty Coordinating Council. For specifics on the College Committee structure, see Section 6. Numerous opportunities to volunteer service to other groups on campus are available and faculty members are encouraged to participate in a variety of these opportunities. Untenured faculty and non-tenure-track faculty are encouraged to seek advice from their department chair and/or the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost before volunteering service.

Attendance at faculty meetings is expected. Faculty members are strongly encouraged to attend First-Friday to meet and greet faculty and administrators. Faculty members are expected to attend commencement exercises, President’s Convocation, and Founders’ Day Convocation for which they must provide their own academic regalia. Faculty should make every effort to be in attendance at the Honors Convocation in which students are honored with awards given by various academic departments as well as College-wide awards. This is usually the last convocation of the Spring semester.

D. Annual Reports

All faculty members must submit an annual report and an updated CV to their department chairs and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost by the first class day of spring semester. The report should include the following information:

A statement evaluating achievements and activities of the previous academic year regarding teaching aids, methods, techniques, course revision, course development, advising, research and writing, meetings, papers, committee work, organizations, community service, summer study, and other relevant data.
A statement of professional goals for the ensuing year, using the same criteria as above.
A list of suggestions for improvement of departmental academic goals.
Suggestions for feasible changes in any aspect of the College that would improve the quality of the professional experience of the faculty and administrative staff and the educational experience and campus life of the students.

E. Other Professional Activities

Full-time faculty members may engage in professional or business activities of an income- producing nature, so long as these activities are not in conflict with performance of the faculty member's duties or College interests. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost should be informed in advance and approve of such outside activities. Teaching at an educational institution other than Centenary College is not permitted without specific approval by the President.

SECTION 8: CHAIRED FACULTY

Preamble

While it is expected that all members of the faculty will demonstrate a standard of excellence in the performance of their various tasks at the College, the prestige and perquisites traditionally associated with endowed chairs make a performance of distinction especially incumbent upon chaired faculty. Traditionally, holders of endowed chairs represent the best that higher education has to offer both to the academic community and the society at large. Chaired faculty should thus aspire to serve as models of excellence not only for students and colleagues, but also for the many others associated with and affected by higher education.

A. Chair Description

Before the recruitment process begins, a document containing a clear description of the nature and purpose of the chair and the chair occupant's work responsibilities will be developed jointly by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and affected department(s) in consultation with the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Academic Policy Committee.

B. Recruitment of New Faculty

The recruitment of new faculty as endowed chair holders will proceed according to the guidelines for all faculty positions with the following additional requirements:

Two holders of endowed chairs, appointed by the President in consultation with the department and the Faculty Personnel Committee, will be added to the search committee from outside the department in which the appointment will be made.
The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will be an ex-officio member of the search committee.
All finalists for an endowed chair position will be provided with a College-approved description of the responsibilities of the endowed chair holder and informed that endowed chair holders are subject to periodic reviews. The Faculty Personnel Committee will ascertain that chair candidates have been informed that continuation as a chair holder is separate from tenure as a member of the faculty.

C. Recruitment of Current Faculty

The following guidelines will be used in those cases in which only internal recruitment is pursued.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, after consultation with the Personnel Council, will communicate to all eligible faculty the availability and nature of the endowed chair appointment, including the College-approved description of the responsibilities of the endowed chair holder, that endowed chair holders are subject to periodic reviews, and that continuation as a chair holder is separate from tenure as a member of the faculty.
Applications will be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for review by the Personnel Council.
Internal appointments to Board of Regents Eminent Scholars Chairs that do not involve a national search require Board of Regents approval.

D. Application Materials
Applicants will submit the following materials to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for review by the search committee and Personnel Council.

A current curriculum vitae.
Representative samples of recent publications, scholarship, and creative works.
A statement of professional plans consistent with the purpose and nature of the endowed chair.
Three letters of recommendation assessing the candidate's qualifications for the position. These letters should include an evaluation of the candidate's teaching and scholarship.
Copies of recent student evaluations.

After review of the materials, the Personnel Committee will interview the most qualified applicants and in the case of internal recruitment the heads of their departments. After the conclusion of the interview process, the Personnel Council will forward its recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost who will convey it to the President.

E. Reviews

1. Purpose
The Faculty Personnel Committee will conduct periodic reviews of the professional activities of endowed chair holders. These reviews are to assess how well chair holders are: 1) performing in accordance with the purpose of the chair, the college (Section 2 of the Faculty Handbook), the duties of faculty (Section 7) and expectations for chair holders (in the preamble of this section); and 2) using their research funds for the performance of their responsibilities. These reviews will be conducted concurrently with the tenure review for non-tenured chair holders and with the regularly scheduled post-tenure evaluations for tenured chair holders as described in Section 12.

The additional requirements of a chair holder being reviewed are as follows:

2. Procedures
Chair holders will submit a statement describing how endowed chair funds have been spent since the last review, and another describing any concerns related specifically to the chair, such as duties, expectations, and institutional support. If the chair holder chooses, s/he may solicit letters from tenured colleagues at large.

3. Schedule
These evaluations will be conducted during the spring term of the sixth year of full-time service since the last evaluation. For tenured chair holders, the evaluations will be conducted concurrently with their post-tenure evaluations. The performance of non-tenured chair holders will be reviewed concurrently with their consideration for tenure. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will notify tenured chair holders due to be evaluated by April 1 of the academic year preceding their evaluation. Department chairs (or deans) should submit their evaluation letters concerning the tenured faculty members by February 1.

4. Committee Action
The Faculty Personnel Committee will evaluate the chair holder based on the annual reports, the curriculum vitae, teaching evaluations, the chairperson’s letter, the classroom visits by a selected member of the FPC, and any other letters solicited by the chair holder. The Committee will determine if the candidate’s performance of the past six years is either “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”. The Committee will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost that all chair holders whose overall performance is evaluated as “satisfactory” receive a uniform merit pay raise. Based on the Committee’s recommendations, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the chair holder summarizing the Committee’s evaluation of the faculty member and making suggestions for further development.

If the Committee finds a chair holder's performance “unsatisfactory,” it will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost reappointment for a three-year extension, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will bring the Committee’s concerns to the attention of the chair holder in a letter. The chair holder will be required to submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost by the start of the next academic year a plan of action addressing the Committee’s concerns, which the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will forward to the FPC. By October 1, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter back to the chair holder communicating the FPC's response to the submitted plan of action. The subsequent three-year review will use the same procedures and kinds of materials as the previous review, as well as an account written by the chair holder on the degree to which s/he was able to execute the action plan. After reviewing the materials, the Faculty Personnel Committee will recommend either reappointment for another six-year period or non-reappointment of the incumbent.

F. Reporting Procedures for Reviews
The Faculty Personnel Committee's recommendation at the conclusion of a three-year review following an unsatisfactory review will be communicated to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, who will then convey it to the President. The incumbent and the FPC will then be notified in writing of the President's decision on the appointment. In the case of a decision not to reappoint, the incumbent will vacate the chair on May 31 of the current academic year.

G. Procedural Rules
If endowed chair holders are serving on the Faculty Personnel Committee in the academic year in which they would normally be reviewed, the reviews will be rescheduled for the year immediately after the completion of their service on the Committee. When a review is delayed due to service on the Faculty Personnel Committee, those having successful reviews will receive the standard merit raise retroactive to the year the review would have otherwise occurred.

SECTION 9: DUTIES OF DEPARTMENT CHAIRS

A. General Principles

Deans of schools, chairs of departments, and directors of programs are appointed by the administration of the College. With regard to the selection and duties of chairs of departments, the College subscribes to the 1966 AAUP Joint Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities (see Appendix A, Item V, last paragraph).

The chair or head of a department, excluding Deans, who serves as the chief representative of the department within an institution, should be selected either by departmental election or by appointment following consultation with members of the department and of related departments; appointments should normally be in conformity with department members' judgment. The chair or department head should not have tenure in office; tenure as a faculty member is a matter of separate right. The chair or head should serve for a period of three years but without prejudice to reelection or to reappointment by procedures which involve appropriate faculty consultation. Deviations of up to two years from this term length can be arranged with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost following appropriate faculty consultation and should be stated in writing. Administration and faculty should all bear in mind that the department chair or head has a special obligation to build a department strong in scholarship and teaching capacity.

Where feasible, departments should give serious consideration to a rotational plan for the chair among the tenured members of the department. Chairs assume the responsibilities of departmental governance consistent with the principle that they serve as a chair of a staff of scholars involved in a common discipline. They are responsible for the general administration and supervision of matters relating to their departments. Should a new chair feel they require training, they should consult the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost’s Office. As administrative officers of their departments, they are directly responsible to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and are expected to provide leadership in the effective planning and management of the personnel, curriculum, budget and overall quality standards of their departments. As scholars, they are expected to participate in scholarly activities pertinent to their disciplines.

The above statements also apply to the selection and duties of deans of schools and directors of programs.

B. Intra-Departmental Relations

The various chairs shall call regular departmental meetings (at least three a semester) and should encourage free discussion of policies and problems of the department. They shall confer with departments on their departmental budgets, the revision of course listings, the revision of course contents, the scheduling of courses, and the securing of supplementary teaching materials, such as audio-visual aids. The chair is responsible for the maintenance, inventory, and protection of equipment and supplies purchased by the department. They shall confer with their individual department members on such matters as the courses they will teach and their scheduling and the selection of textbooks and laboratory manuals. They are responsible for counseling with new members on procedures and duties. The chairs shall make necessary arrangements for substitutes when faculty members cannot meet their classes. They shall arrange for equitable workloads for their staffs, taking into account each member's contributions in research, consulting, scholarly publication, committee activity, and pertinent off-campus activities. They shall encourage research or other scholarly activity, suggest ways for improvement in teaching, evaluate departmental work, promote experimental programs, and assume general responsibility for the welfare and morale of the department.

The chairs are responsible for recommending library materials to undergird the teaching and research in their departments. Library requests submitted by individual members of a department should be approved by a designated member or committee of the department, and in general should be consonant with library procedures and policies.

C. Advising of Majors

The chairs of departments or designated members of the departmental staff shall advise students majoring in the department on choice of courses (including approved electives) and shall check degree plans of students majoring in their departments to assure that all degree requirements are being met. The chair's approval is needed on any non-Centenary program added to the degree plan, such as plans for summer school courses, study abroad, or supplementary programs.

D. Personnel Changes

In consultation with the other members of the department, the chair will submit recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost concerning any personnel changes including promotions, load adjustments, retirements, release, leaves of absence, and new positions. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will notify the Faculty Personnel Committee of these personnel changes.

E. Faculty Recruitment

The need for each position, whether a new or a replacement position, shall be established by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost in consultation with the appropriate departments and the Faculty Personnel Committee. After the need for the position has been established and approved by the President, the search will proceed as follows:

Full-time Faculty

Search Committee:

Committee membership: With the exception provided for in the case of endowed chairs (see Section 8), the recruitment of faculty will be conducted by a search committee composed of (a) all tenured and tenure-track members of the department; and (b) one supplemental tenured faculty member from outside the department recommended by the department to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The committee will elect its own chair.

Diversity advocate: This committee will include a diversity advocate selected by the FCC in consultation with the Diversity Committee. The Diversity Committee will compile and maintain a list of faculty who are trained and willing to serve in this role for the FCC to use in making their choice. The diversity advocate will serve as a non-voting member of the search committee and will assist the search committee by actively recruiting minority applicants, contacting organizations geared toward minority applicants, and contacting graduate programs to seek out applicants pursuing advanced degrees.

Supplemental members: If the resulting search committee would be composed of fewer than three voting members, their numbers will be supplemented by other tenured faculty to form a committee of at least three members. All supplemental member(s) will be selected by the department chair in consultation with the other members of the department and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (who may consult the Faculty Personnel Committee and who possesses the authority to make the final decision). In some cases, it may be useful for the search committee to include untenured faculty, non tenure-track faculty, or staff members as non-voting supplemental consultants on a search committee. In these cases, the chair of the search committee is encouraged to limit the workload of these consulting committee members.

The final makeup of the search committee will be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and FPC for approval with the text of the job advertisement.

The search for new faculty members should begin as soon as possible in order to maintain the best pool of applicants from which to choose. Except in extraordinary cases, the search should begin no later than October 1.

With the help of the diversity advocate, the search committee should obtain a large and diverse pool of applicants in a variety of ways, using the following phrase in all of its advertisements: “Centenary College recognizes that diversity is essential to its goal of providing an educational environment where students explore the unfamiliar, invent new approaches to understanding, and connect their work and lives to the world at large. We thus welcome applicants who would add to the college’s diversity of ideas, beliefs, experiences, and cultural backgrounds. EOE.” Potential recruiting activities include, but are not limited to the following: advertising in professional publications (e.g. the Chronicle of Higher Education, Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook) and appropriate e-mail lists, contacting a variety of graduate schools and deans, and publicizing vacancies at conventions and professional meetings. Vacancies for full-time faculty will be advertised nationally. Advertisements for positions will be drafted by the chair of the search committee in consultation with the other members of the committee and forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and Faculty Personnel Committee for approval prior to submission for publication. While the President of the College possesses the responsibility of final approval, if the President disagrees with the recommendation of the Faculty Personnel Committee, both parties shall meet to discusses their differences and seek a reasonable compromise.

After a pool of applicants has been secured, the search committee will select a group of the best qualified applicants for the vacancy. After contacting the references of those initially selected to establish their qualifications for the position, the search committee will normally invite the top three applicants to be interviewed. Validated transcripts will be requested from these finalists prior to their interview and must be on file prior to the making of any offer. Before applicants arrive, information should be sent to them about the department(s) involved, the College, and the city.

A representative of the search committee, in consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the diversity advocate, will make arrangements for the candidates while they are on campus. Candidates must be interviewed by the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and members of the Faculty Personnel Committee, in addition to the search committee. Candidates should have a scheduled meeting with the diversity committee while on campus, whenever possible. All candidates should teach, when possible, a class before an audience of students and faculty in order that their teaching ability can be evaluated firsthand. In addition, each candidate should make a presentation covering a scholarly interest.

After the finalists have been interviewed, the search committee will forward its recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will forward the recommendations to the President who will make the final decision on the appointment.

Part-Time Instructors

Part-time instructors are recruited by the academic department chair in consultation with all full-time members of the department and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or, if there is no academic department, by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost in consultation with the Faculty Personnel Committee. Prospective part-time instructors must submit a curriculum vitae, references and validated transcripts to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Prospective part-time instructors are not normally required to be interviewed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or President. The recommendations of the department will be communicated to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for action. It should be understood by all parties that part-time appointments are made on a semester-to-semester basis and that the college has no obligation to offer a part-time faculty member a contract longer than one semester.

Both full-time and part-time faculty must have a background check before they are offered the position.

Promotion-Track Faculty
Because Promotion-Track faculty (individuals with primarily staff or administrative appointments who also have a faculty appointment, as defined in Section 12B) have a faculty appointment to an academic department or unit, this section describes the process by which that appointment happens.

The chair/director of the academic department or unit and the Provost proposes a staff member for consideration to Promotion-Track faculty status.
The staff member and chair/director of the academic department or unit compiles a resume or CV which details their:
- a. Relevant academic training and credentials,
  
  b. Experience teaching,
  
  c. Relevant scholarship for the discipline, and
  
  d. Experience with committee and service work.
The chair or director of the academic department or unit provides a document that explains what effective teaching, service, and scholarship will look like for the Promotion-Track faculty member. This document should become part of their faculty personnel file so that it can be referenced by Faculty Personnel Committee at relevant review points to ensure that expectations remain consistent across changes to committee composition. This document can be updated as necessitated by changing job duties and professional development by presenting it to Faculty Personnel Committee for review and approval.
The chair or director of the academic department or unit, in consultation with all full-time members of the department or unit, reviews the materials of the candidate and recommends appointment to Promotion-Track faculty status to the Faculty Personnel Committee.
Faculty Personnel Committee reviews to ensure that expectations are appropriately equitable across academic departments and units and can request revision to the documentation of what effective teaching, service, and scholarship will look like for the promotion-track faculty member.
Faculty Personnel Committee will forward its recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will forward the recommendations to the President who will make the final decision on the appointment.

F. Teaching Load

In consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the chair's own teaching load may be limited in order that responsibilities of administration may be properly carried out. Chaired professors shall ordinarily be provided with released time appropriate to their positions and duties assigned.

G. Annual Reports

The chair of each department shall submit an annual written report to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost no later than October 15. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's office will make the annual report available to the Personnel Council. The report is for the previous academic year and should contain the following:

a commentary on the state of the department;
evaluations of every member of the department, both full-time and part-time; including acknowledgement of particularly meritorious work.

SECTION 10. DIVISIONS AND DUTIES OF DIVISION CHAIRS

The three academic divisions are the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. Departments assigned to the divisions are indicated in the bylaws to the Faculty Constitution (see Section 17). Chairs are elected by division members in accordance with Section 17 of the Faculty Handbook. Divisions may also elect representatives to certain committees. Division chairs serve on the Faculty Coordinating Council.

SECTION 11. CONTRACTS AND TENURE

Letters of reappointment will be sent to all continuing non-tenured faculty members by March 1 of each year. The college shall issue salary letters annually by May 15. The contract period for full time (tenured and tenure track) faculty members is nine months. The contract period for new full time faculty members begins August 1 and extends through the date final Spring Semester grades are due in the Registrar’s Office. The contract period for continuing full time (tenured and tenure track) faculty members begins the weekday prior to the start of classes in the Fall Semester and extends through the date final Spring Semester grades are due in the Registrar’s Office. All faculty members are bound by the provisions of their contracts unless these are explicitly excused by the President. Separate contracts shall be issued for the summer terms, immersion terms out of load, and for modules in a timely manner.

Faculty salaries are paid in either nine or twelve equal monthly installments, on the twenty-fourth day of the month. If the twenty-fourth day of the month falls on an official federal holiday or on a weekend, payment will be made on the last day prior to the holiday or weekend.

Centenary College subscribes to the principles of academic freedom and tenure as expressed in the AAUP Policy Documents and Reports (9th ed., 2001).

Tenure recommendations may originate with departmental chairs, the Personnel Committee, or the administration. Centenary’s own procedures for reviewing candidates during their probationary period are described in Section 12.

Beginning with appointment to the rank of full-time, tenure track instructor or higher rank, the appointee shall serve a probationary period not to exceed seven years. An appointee, in consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and department chair, may choose to apply for tenure sooner. Personal or Family leave may not apply to the time counted during the probationary period, unless specifically authorized by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

Before the College grants tenure to a faculty member on probationary status, the administration shall confer with the other members of the department involved and with the Personnel Council. Letters notifying faculty members of tenure appointments shall not be offered without prior approval of the Board of Trustees. Once a faculty member has received tenure, all subsequent contracts, except as specified elsewhere in this handbook, shall reflect that status. If tenure is not to be awarded at the end of the probationary period, notification must be given prior to the end of fall semester, and the faculty member will have one additional full-time academic year of employment by the College.

Although promotion-track faculty members are not eligible for tenure, individuals holding the rank of Associate Professor or higher cannot be terminated without a minimum of twelve months’ notice. Exceptions could be made under extraordinary circumstances as follows:

Financial exigencies as declared by the Board of Trustees;
Termination or reduction of programs, academic or administrative units as approved by the Board of Trustees;
Malfeasance, inefficiency or contumacious conduct;
For Cause.

Notice of non-reappointment or intention not to recommend to the Board of Trustees the reappointment of non-tenured faculty must be given in writing in accordance with the following standards.

Not later than March 1 of the first academic year of service at Centenary, if the appointment expires at the end of that year; or, if a one-year appointment terminates during an academic year, at least three months in advance of its termination;
Not later than December 15 of the second academic year of service at Centenary, if the appointment expires at the end of that year; or, if an initial two-year appointment terminates during an academic year, at least six months in advance of its termination;
Not later than September 1 of the third or subsequent year of service at Centenary.

Honorably retired faculty members of other institutions may be employed on a year-to-year basis. If they are not to be continued in service, notice shall be given three months prior to the expiration of the contract period. In cases of protracted illness after retirement age, the College will be relieved of financial obligation from the time at which a person's inability to return to work is determined. (See also Section 15, Retirement.)

Tenured faculty shall be terminated only for adequate cause. Teachers on continuous appointment who are dismissed for cause, such as program discontinuation, except in cases of moral turpitude, shall receive their salary for an additional academic year after they are no longer employed. In the case of program discontinuation, the released faculty member's former position will not be filled within a period of two years unless the released faculty member has been offered reappointment and has declined.

Similarly, if a tenured appointment is terminated because of financial exigency, the faculty member must be given appropriate notice and every effort must be given to provide a separation agreement commensurate with the faculty member’s length of service.

When a tenured faculty member is notified of the termination of their appointment, the Personnel Committee shall also be informed. In all cases, the faculty member subject to dismissal shall be provided with a written statement from the President or the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost indicating the reasons for the decision to terminate his/her services.

SECTION 12. GUIDELINES FOR APPOINTMENT, REAPPOINTMENT, PROMOTION AND TENURE, AND POST TENURE EVALUATION

Centenary College has rigorous standards for faculty members. They are expected above all to strive for excellence in the classroom. They are to place student advising among their most important tasks, and they are both encouraged and expected to grow professionally. Professional growth is evidenced by traditional scholarly research within a discipline and by the exploration of issues relating to pedagogy. These academic enterprises may take the form of scholarly publications, participation in professional organizations, public performances, and other creative accomplishments. The scholarly work of the professorate (as defined by Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered, Priorities of the Professorate, 1990)] might be thought of as having four separate, yet overlapping functions. These are: the scholarship of discovery; the scholarship of integration; the scholarship of application; and the scholarship of teaching. In the area of scholarship, emphasis is placed on activities that involve external exhibition and peer-review, such as publication in peer-reviewed journals or books, creative activities reviewed by field-appropriate reviewers, external grants awarded or recommended for funding through competitive processes, selection to creative opportunities through competitive or juried processes, and other similar activities. Scholarly activities will vary by discipline, and academic departments are encouraged to discuss these distinctions in the context of Boyer’s model of scholarship.

I. Guidelines for Appointment in Rank and Promotion
Rank at the time of appointment is dependent upon degrees or equivalents, and experience in college teaching or professional service. Faculty appointments are either per course, part-time, or full-time, and are either non-tenure track or tenure track. Normally, faculty advancement through the full-time ranks listed below is sequential. The issue of tenure at the College is a separate consideration, discussed in section II, C. Full-time artistic, business, or professional experience may be counted toward promotion on a pro-rata basis, provided that the amount of credit has been agreed upon by the prospective faculty member, the department chair, the Faculty Personnel Committee, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and the President at the time of initial appointment.

A. Tenure-Track/Tenured Positions

1. Instructor

a. Shall hold at least a master’s degree from an accredited graduate school with concentration in the appropriate subject area. In exceptional cases, a bachelor’s degree and notable accomplishments in the creative arts or the business community may substitute for the higher academic degree.

b. Shall have evident ability as a teacher with substantial promise for successful career development.

c. Shall demonstrate a commitment, a plan, and the potential to obtain an appropriate doctorate or terminal professional degree.

2. Assistant Professor

a. Shall hold the appropriate earned doctorate or professional degree from a recognized graduate school or have accomplishments that are recognized equivalents in the higher education community (e.g. artist-in-residence who has a national reputation).

b. Shall have evident ability as a teacher.

c. Shall provide substantial evidence of professional and broad usefulness to the College and commitment to its basic goals and objectives.

d. Shall demonstrate scholarship in the subject-matter field as well as other substantial professional achievements.

3. Associate Professor

a. Shall hold the appropriate earned doctorate or professional degree from a recognized graduate school or have accomplishments that are recognized equivalents in the higher education community (e.g., artist-in-residence who has a national reputation).

b. Shall have demonstrated excellence in teaching.

c. Shall provide substantial evidence of professional and broad usefulness to the College and commitment to its purposes with significant promise of increasing worth.

d. Shall have demonstrated strength in the areas of scholarly research and publication, public performance, or other creative accomplishment.

e. Shall normally have a minimum of six years of full-time teaching at the rank of assistant professor (or less for exceptional candidates who meet criteria #1-4 listed above). Full-time service is defined in Section 7, paragraph 2. The President of the College, with the counsel and recommendations of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the department chair, recommends advances in rank to the Board of Trustees for action

4. Professor

a. Shall hold the appropriate earned doctorate or professional degree from a recognized graduate school or have accomplishments that are recognized equivalents in the higher education community (e.g., artist-in-residence who has a national reputation).

b. Shall have demonstrated superior teaching.

c. Shall have demonstrated faculty leadership and dedicated service to the College and profession.

d. Shall have a substantial record of scholarly publications or other scholarly and creative activities that have earned recognition within the profession.

e. Shall normally have a minimum of six years of full-time service at the rank of associate professor (or less for exceptional candidates who meet criteria #1-4 listed above). Full-time service is defined in Section 7, paragraph 2. The President of the College, with the counsel and recommendations of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the department chair, recommends advances in rank to the Board of Trustees for action.

5. Faculty Emeritus/Emerita
This rank may be assigned to faculty who have limited or terminated their responsibilities as a faculty member for valid reasons (e.g., retirement, illness) after twelve or more years of full-time distinguished service to the College. Faculty emeriti/emeritae are so designated and appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Faculty emeriti/emeritae are accorded the privileges of the regular, ranked faculty, except for tenure, and will have their names recorded at this rank in the college catalog during the remainder of their lifetime. No compensation accrues by virtue of this rank unless, by mutual agreement between the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and the individuals, they are offered a part-time or a temporary full-time contract to teach or fulfill other duties. In such cases, supplementary benefits, if any, will be set forth in the contract.

B. PROMOTION-TRACK FACULTY

The promotion track provides a pathway for individuals with primarily staff or administrative appointments who also have a faculty appointment to advance in rank. Promotion-track faculty shall have a faculty appointment to an academic department or unit.

1. Instructor

Shall hold at least a master’s degree from an accredited graduate school with concentration in the appropriate subject area. In exceptional cases, a bachelor’s degree and notable accomplishments in the creative arts or the business community may substitute for the higher academic degree.
Has been evaluated by the relevant academic department or unit as demonstrating ability and promise for appropriate contributions in teaching to the department and accepted as a promotion-track member of the faculty of that department or unit.

2. Assistant Professor

shall hold the appropriate earned terminal degree from a recognized, accredited graduate school.
Shall have evident documented ability as a teacher as appropriate for their contracted position.
Shall provide substantial evidence of professional and broad usefulness to the College and commitment to its basic goals and objectives.
Shall demonstrate scholarship in the subject-matter field as well as other substantial professional achievements.
Shall normally have a minimum of three years of full-time employment at the rank of instructor. The President of the College, with the counsel and recommendations of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the department chair, recommends advances in rank to the Board of Trustees for action.

3. Associate Professor

Shall hold the appropriate earned terminal degree from a recognized accredited graduate school.
Shall have documented excellence in teaching.
Shall provide substantial evidence of professional and broad usefulness to the College and commitment to its purposes with significant promise of increasing worth.
Shall have demonstrated strength in the areas of scholarly research and publication, public performance, or other creative accomplishment.
Shall normally have a minimum of six years of full-time employment at the ranks of instructor and/or assistant professor. The President of the College, with the counsel and recommendations of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the department chair, recommends advances in rank to the Board of Trustees for action.

4. Professor

Shall hold the appropriate earned terminal degree from a recognized, accredited graduate school.
Shall have documented superior teaching.
Shall have demonstrated institutional leadership and dedicated service to the College and profession.
Shall have a substantial record of scholarly publications or other scholarly and creative activities that have earned recognition within the profession.
Shall normally have a minimum of six years of full-time employment at the rank of associate professor. The President of the College, with the counsel and recommendations of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the department chair, recommends advances in rank to the Board of Trustees for action.

C. Non Tenure-Track Faculty
Non tenure-track faculty members are assigned one of the academic titles: lecturer, adjunct faculty, visiting faculty, or artist-in-residence. Such persons

a. may have less than a full-time teaching load;

b. usually have no other faculty duties and responsibilities, except those listed below;

c. should meet or exceed the criteria listed below for the appropriate title;

d. are selected in the manner set forth below.

1. Lecturer
Lecturers are selected by the department chair in consultation with the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Lecturers are hired to teach specific courses for a fixed term. The position does not lead to or count toward tenure, or lead to promotion to the regular academic ranks.

Selection of lecturers should be consistent with the academic standards of Centenary College.

a. Shall hold at least a master’s degree from a recognized graduate school with concentration in the appropriate subject area. In exceptional cases, a bachelor’s degree and notable accomplishments in the creative arts or the business community may substitute for the higher academic degree.

b. Shall have evident ability as a teacher with substantial promise for successful career development.

Lecturers have the same freedom and responsibility in the management of courses as tenure-track faculty members. Lecturers are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

2. Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct Faculty teach at the College on a per-course basis and develop courses in consultation with the department chair as needed.

Adjunct Faculty are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

3. Artist-in-Residence

This is an honorary title assigned to individuals who have distinguished themselves in the fine arts and are serving Centenary College in capacities appropriate to their fields. A recommendation for the assignment of this title usually originates with the department chair or dean. The recommendation and written documentation in support of the recommendation are given submitted to the Faculty Personnel Committee and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for consideration and recommendation to the President. Selection of artists-in-residence should be consistent with the highest artistic standards in a particular field.

Artists-in-Residence have the same freedom and responsibility in the management of courses as tenure-track faculty members. Artists-in-Residence are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

4. Visiting Faculty

This title is assigned to individuals who are appointed to teach or to teach and pursue other duties at Centenary College for a limited period of time. Such time is to be agreed upon in writing between the visiting faculty and the President. The College recognizes their academic standing and accords them the usual privileges of ranked faculty. Visiting faculty are appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the department chair or dean, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

Visiting Faculty have the same freedom and responsibility in the management of courses as tenure-track faculty members. Visiting Faculty are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

Transition of Visiting Assistant Professor to Tenure Track Assistant Professor

Faculty hired as a Visiting Assistant Professor as part of a national search, and who have the appropriate earned doctorate or professional degree from a recognized graduate school or have accomplishments that are recognized equivalents in the higher education community (e.g., artist-in-residence who has a national reputation) terminal degrees in their field, can directly transition (i.e., without another job search) into a tenure track position through the following procedures.

Timeline:

January 15 (of any year of the VAP appointment) or earlier: Transition Process Letter submitted by department chair to Provost & FPC
February 15 or within 1 month of submission of Transition Process Letter: Provost notifies department chair and transition candidate of approval or non-approval of Transition Request
First day of fall term (or earlier): Submission of all Review Portfolio materials to FPC
October 15 (or earlier): FPC completes review of tenure track candidate (including interviews) and makes a recommendation to the Provost
November 15 or within one month of FPC recommendation: Provost will send a letter to the department chair and transition candidate notifying them of the outcome of the review

This transition process is initiated when the associated academic department/chair submits a Transition Process Letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and FPC that: a) requests this shift; b) demonstrates a departmental need for this more permanent position; and c) describes how the transitioning faculty member meets the specific departmental and collegiate needs and d) specifies the semester of academic year for transition.

Following Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost approval of this transition request, the Visiting Assistant Professor then has “transitional” status and is guaranteed a contract for the following academic year. The candidate will undergo a performance review to determine whether the shift to a tenure track position is warranted. This review will be conducted at the beginning of the following fall term to allow the candidate and department to create a comprehensive review portfolio and allow FPC adequate time to carefully review the materials.

To complete this performance review, the Transitional Visiting Assistant Professor, in

collaboration with the department chair, will submit a review portfolio to FPC and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The department chair, area dean (when relevant), and tenure track candidate will also participate in an interview with FPC to discuss the review portfolio.

To complete this performance review, the department chair should compile and submit the following materials to FPC:

A letter from the department chair assessing teaching and discussing the candidate’s research agenda and potential for service.
A letter from an FPC member that includes a teaching observation.
All teaching evaluations from courses taught at Centenary.
Three student letters, two of which must be from Centenary students. The third letter can be from a student at any other institution.

The Visiting Assistant Professor should compile and submit the following materials to FPC:

A letter explaining their desire to move into a tenure-track position
An updated curriculum vitae.
A teaching philosophy.
A research plan.
Any other supportive materials they would like to present

Following satisfactory review, the now tenure track faculty member can request to set their tenure “clock” to include the entirety of their Visiting Assistant Professor contract, only a portion of the contract period (counted in whole years), or their review year or may start with the next academic year. Once this “clock” has begun, these faculty follow the review schedule detailed in Section 12 of the Faculty Handbook and have the same responsibilities and privileges as other tenure track faculty.

II. Guidelines for Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion

Promotion-track faculty participate in annual reviews until they achieve the rank of Associate Professor and follow the Promotion Review Procedures below for advancement in rank. Once they achieve the rank of Full Professor, they follow the process for post-tenure evaluation every six years. The faculty handbook and Faculty Personnel Committee do not have oversight of staff review. This policy does not affect staff review processes.

Promotion-track faculty are evaluated similarly to tenure-track faculty while accommodating the differences that exist in their appointments. Evaluators should review the promotion-track faculty member’s job description and the document created when the individual joined the promotion-track that explains what effective teaching, service, and scholarship will look like for them to ensure that their evaluation of teaching, scholarship, and service align with the expectations of their professional role (e.g., teaching, research, and/or service may occupy a different proportion of their workload and the specifics of those activities may differ from those of full-time teaching faculty).

A. Annual Review Procedures (Mini-Review and Reappointment)

1. Purpose: To provide on-going feedback for all full-time untenured faculty and promotion-track faculty, probationary and non-probationary, not undergoing the third-year review or tenure review.

2. Procedure: Department chairs (or deans) will provide the Faculty Personnel Committee with a brief evaluation of all full-time untenured faculty members in their department (or school) who are not undergoing third-year or tenure review. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the review functions of the chair. The chairperson will visit the classrooms of these untenured faculty members. The Committee encourages unannounced visits. After visiting the classroom, the chairperson will submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office responses to a questionnaire and accompanying letter primarily designed to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of the untenured faculty member. The questionnaire and letter also solicits comments regarding the candidate's scholarly and service activities. After the first year, the chairperson will also submit a current curriculum vitae for the candidate. In addition, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplemental material from the candidate's personnel file.

3. Schedule: For full-time untenured faculty in any year of employment when they are not undergoing a third-year or tenure review, the department chair (or dean) should submit the questionnaire and letter by February 1.

4. Committee Action: If members of the Faculty Personnel Committee determine that this review indicates satisfactory performance, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the candidate summarizing the Committee’s assessment and the candidate's appointment may continue. If in the Committee’s assessment areas of concern are raised, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will bring these to the candidate's attention in the letter. If the chair's report and/or student evaluations raise concerns that performance in the classroom is unsatisfactory, the Committee will initiate prompt observations of the candidate's teaching. The Faculty Personnel Committee will select appropriate individuals to make these observations. Based on the information gathered, the Committee will make a recommendation regarding the untenured faculty member's continuation at the College. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will issue a letter of review, subject to contractual provisions discussed in Section 11, no later than thirty days after the Faculty Personnel Committee makes its assessments and recommendations.

B. Third-Year Review Procedures (Reappointment)

1. Purpose: To assist probationary faculty members and to provide an effective means of communicating Centenary's expectations for tenure, the department chairpersons, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College will conduct a thorough evaluation of the status of each probationary faculty member during that individual's third year of full-time service at Centenary or its equivalent as determined by the probationary faculty member’s initial contract.

2. Schedule: The due date for receipt of third-year review materials is the first working day in December. All materials should be sent to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and Dean of the College by the chairperson of the candidate for review, except for the letters from tenured faculty members, which should be sent directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's office.

3. Candidate's Portfolio: The chairperson and candidate assemble a portfolio of material, which should be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the review functions of the chair. In any case, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will have the final decision on which tenured faculty member to select. For portfolio contents, see Candidate Portfolio section below.

4. Additional Material: The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplementary material from the candidate's personnel file.

5. Committee Action: After careful study of the faculty member's material, consultation with the appropriate chairperson, and an interview of the faculty member, the Faculty Personnel Committee will make clear and definite recommendations to the administration that the faculty member:

a. Has received a favorable third-year review and should therefore continue in the probationary period. The Committee will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost that all faculty members whose overall performance is evaluated as "satisfactory" will receive a uniform merit pay raise.

b. Has deficiencies or areas of concern which must be addressed. The Faculty Personnel Committee should specify these areas and the time and scope of an additional review.

c. Has received an unfavorable review and therefore should be released in accordance with Section 11 of the faculty handbook.

A statement concerning college governance that applies to this process may be found in the faculty handbook, Appendix B, section V.

C. Tenure Review Procedures

1. Schedule: The due date for receipt of tenure review materials is the first Friday of the fall term. All materials should be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's office.

2. Candidate's Portfolio: The chairperson and candidate assemble a portfolio of material, which should be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for tenure review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the review functions of the chair. In any case, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will have the final decision on which tenured faculty member to select. For portfolio contents, see Candidate Portfolio section below.

3. Additional Material: The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplementary material from the candidate's personnel file.

4. Committee Action: After careful study and discussion of the faculty member's portfolio and other relevant information, consultation with the appropriate chairperson, and an interview of the faculty member, the Faculty Personnel Committee will make a recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost regarding tenure.

5. Final Action: The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost makes a recommendation to the President based on the Faculty Personnel Committee's recommendation and his/her review of the tenure material. The President in turn makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees makes the final decision regarding tenure. In the case of non-tenure the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the faculty member explaining the reasons for failure to award tenure no later than thirty days after the Board of Trustees makes its recommendation. At the candidate's request the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and chairperson of the Faculty Personnel Committee will meet with the faculty member to discuss the reasons for failure to award tenure. If the candidate so desires, the department chairperson may be present at this meeting to discuss the decision with the candidate.

In the case of the awarding of tenure the President will inform the faculty member of the results in writing and send copies to the chairperson of the department and the Faculty Personnel Committee.

D. Promotion Review Procedures

1. Schedule:

a. April 1 - Faculty Personnel Committee will review the faculty roster and notify by April 1 those faculty members who are eligible for promotion consideration in the subsequent year. The chairpersons of their departments will also be notified.

b. The due date for receipt of tenure review materials is the first Friday of the fall term. All materials should be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's office. Failure to submit materials by this date will be interpreted as a decision not to be considered for promotion review.

2. Procedures:

a. Notification: The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will automatically notify faculty members when they become eligible for consideration for promotion to a given rank.

b. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will maintain a faculty roster which contains the following data on each faculty member:

1. Number of years of full-time service at the rank of instructor or above. These will include years at regionally accredited colleges or universities other than Centenary. Full-time service is defined in Section 7, Paragraph 2.

2. Date of appointment to present rank.

3. Date of appointment to Centenary's faculty.

4. Tenure status

5. Status regarding a terminal degree in her/his field.

c. By April 1 of each year, all faculty members who are eligible will continue to be notified each year, regardless of their response to such notification.

3. Special Considerations: The following rules will be followed in this promotion review process:

a. Members of the Faculty Personnel Committee may not be considered for promotion. Committee members reaching eligibility for review during their service on the Committee should either delay their review until their service on the Committee has ended or resign in order to be considered. This decision must be reached in time for Faculty Personnel Committee elections to be held to fill that member's slot.

b. Recommendations for early promotion consideration should come to the Faculty Personnel Committee only in exceptional cases. Such nominations should be made only to reward extraordinary achievement by the faculty member. These nominations may be made by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College or by a department chairperson through the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office. Such nominations should be bound by the same scheduling timetable as normal eligibility notification.

c. Persons being evaluated for both tenure and promotion should use the Tenure Review Procedures as a guide for composing their portfolios and submit all materials by the first Friday of the fall semester.

4. Candidate's Portfolio: All of these materials, with the exception of certain items noted below, will be collected by the department chairperson, who will forward them to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College for review by the Council. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department to perform the review functions of the chair. In the case of one-person department or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for promotion review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In any case, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will have the final decision on which tenured faculty member to select. For portfolio contents, see Candidate Portfolio section below.

5. Additional Materials:

a. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will provide college-administered student evaluations for the candidate for the last three years.

b. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplementary material from the candidate's personnel file.

6. Committee Action: After careful study and discussion of the faculty member's materials, and an interview with the candidate and the appropriate chairperson, the Faculty Personnel Committee will make a recommendation regarding promotion to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College. The Committee will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost that all faculty members awarded promotion will receive a uniform merit pay raise.

7. Final Action: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost makes a recommendation to the President based on the Faculty Personnel Committee's recommendation and his/her review of the promotion material. The President in turn makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees makes the final decision regarding promotion. In the case of non-promotion the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the faculty member explaining the reasons for failure to promote. At the candidate's request the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and chairperson of the Faculty Personnel Committee will meet with the faculty member to discuss the reasons for failure to promote no later than thirty days after the Board of Trustees makes its decision (5/2012). If the candidate so desires, the department chairperson may be present at this meeting to discuss the decision with the candidate.

In the case of promotion the President will inform the faculty member of the results in writing and send copies to the chairpersons of the department and the Faculty Personnel Committee no later than thirty days after the Board of Trustees makes its final decision.

E. Post Tenure Evaluation

1. Purpose:
The Faculty Personnel Committee will conduct periodic evaluations of the professional activities of all tenured faculty who have not been evaluated in the last six years of full-time service. These evaluations are to ensure: 1) that such faculty are performing in accordance with the expectations for faculty as described in the preamble for Section 12 in the Faculty Handbook, “Guidelines for Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure”; and 2) that the faculty are receiving sufficient institutional support for meeting those expectations. These evaluations will proceed as follows:

2. Procedure:
Department chairs (or deans) will provide the Faculty Personnel Committee with a brief evaluation of all faculty members in their department (or school) who are to be evaluated. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for evaluation, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the evaluation functions of the chair. The chairperson, in addition to one of the two members of the Faculty Personnel Committee who represent the faculty member’s division, will visit the classroom of the faculty member under evaluation and include this observation in their letter. The Committee encourages unannounced visits. In addition to visiting the classroom, the chairperson may review other relevant materials such as annual reports, teaching evaluations, publications, and the curriculum vitae, as well as have a conversation with the faculty member about her/his own hopes and plans for further professional development. The chairperson will then submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office a letter describing the faculty member's development, possibly including suggestions the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and/or Faculty Personnel Committee might make to the faculty member for further development.

3. Schedule:
These evaluations will be conducted during the spring term of the sixth year of full-time service since the last evaluation. By April 1 of the previous year, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will notify those faculty who meet the criteria specified above that they will be evaluated the following academic year. Department chairs (or deans) should submit their evaluation letters concerning the tenured faculty members by February 1.

4. Committee Action:
The Faculty Personnel Committee will evaluate the candidate based on the annual reports of the previous six years, the curriculum vitae, teaching evaluations, the chairperson’s letter, and the classroom visits by a selected member of the FPC. The Committee will determine if the candidate’s performance of the past six years is either “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”. The Committee will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost that all faculty members whose overall performance is evaluated as “satisfactory” will receive a merit pay raise. Based on the Committee’s recommendations, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the faculty member summarizing the Committee’s evaluation of the faculty member and making suggestions for further development. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will issue such letters no later than thirty days after the Faculty Personnel Committee makes its recommendation. If the Committee finds the faculty member’s performance “unsatisfactory,” the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will bring the Committee’s concerns to the attention of the faculty member in the letter. The faculty member will be expected to address any concerns or suggestions expressed in the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost’s letter by the time of the next regularly scheduled review in six years. The faculty member may have one opportunity to request an earlier review, no sooner than three years after the current year. The request must be made in a letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in which the faculty member describes the actions that will be taken or has been taken to address the Committee’s concerns.

F. Candidate Portfolio:

1. Candidates for third-year review, tenure, and promotion should provide portfolios documenting their work. The portfolio should contain the following:

a. A current curriculum vitae.

b. Summary Statement: A summary statement from the faculty member, detailing professional and voluntary contributions to both Centenary College and to the larger academic and civic community, in the following categories:

1. Teaching and advising effectiveness: knowledge of subject, teaching style and skills, course preparations, academic responsiveness to students, methods of evaluating students, promptness and fairness in grading, academic program and major/minor planning, course scheduling, academic, personal, and social consulting, degree planning.

2. Scholarship and creative activity: Scholarly publications, presentation of papers, concerts, exhibits, etc.; research activities leading to publication, submission and funding of grants, offices held in professional organizations, and other professional honors and awards. The faculty member is to submit examples of her/his scholarly and creative work.

3. Service to college, profession, and community: advising of student organizations, serving as mentor, faculty committee work, departmental administrative work, other extracurricular service to the college (for example, recruitment), service to professional organizations, and community service.

c. Letters and statements submitted by others to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office:

Persons writing recommendation letters are to be informed of Centenary's policy regarding letters of evaluation. It is the policy of Centenary College that letters solicited to support evaluation decisions relating to faculty and staff be held in strict confidence. Access to such letters shall be limited to appropriate personnel of Centenary College officially charged with making the evaluation and to officers and trustees of the college. Upon completion of the evaluation process, confidential letters shall be retained in closed files in the Office of the President, accessible only to Centenary College personnel as authorized by the President. After a reasonable period of time, such letters shall be destroyed at the discretion of the President. They shall not be archived. Outside reviewers must be notified of Centenary’s family leave policy as they apply to the particular candidate they are evaluating. If the Council solicits additional letters, the candidate will be informed of the names of persons writing such letters.

These letters should come from:

Students: After consultation with the faculty member, the chairperson will solicit letters from at least six of the candidate's current or former Centenary students. The faculty member will be informed of the names of all former students whose confidential letters are solicited.
Departmental Colleagues: Written statements from each tenured person in the candidate's department after he or she has made one or more classroom visits to observe the candidate's teaching. Unannounced visits are encouraged. In cases where there are few tenured departmental colleagues, the department chair may ask tenured faculty in a related discipline to perform this function.
Faculty Colleague Evaluations of teaching: Three letters of evaluation from at least three tenured faculty members - one from each division. At least one of these letters will come from a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee who has visited the faculty member's classroom one or more times. Unannounced visits are encouraged. These letters should be sent to the Faculty Personnel Committee by way of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office.
External Evaluators: For promotion and tenure, letters shall be solicited from persons outside the campus with specific knowledge of the faculty member's scholarly activity. The candidate should provide the chairperson with at least two names of persons competent to make such an evaluation. The chairperson will then solicit these letters. The chairperson may also solicit additional external letters of evaluation. The faculty member will be informed of the names of all persons whose confidential letters are solicited. If any unsolicited letters are received by the Committee, the candidate will also be informed of the names of persons sending such letters. For third-year review, these letters are optional but recommended. For tenure review, at least one letter is required, and for promotion to associate or full professor, at least two letters are required.

d. The chairperson's written report: This evaluation is to be based on consultation with colleagues, including some in the candidate's department and division, interview of the faculty member undergoing review, and perusal of solicited letters detailed above in section c1. The chairperson should include her/his own recommendation regarding the award of tenure and/or promotion. The chairperson's written report should specifically summarize the candidate's strengths and weaknesses in the following categories:

1. Teaching effectiveness: knowledge of subject, teaching style and skills, course preparations, academic responsiveness to students, methods of evaluating students, promptness and fairness in grading.

2. Scholarship and creative activity: The chairperson should contextualize the appropriateness of the candidate’s scholarly progress for the field, including scholarly publications, presentation of papers, concerts, exhibits, etc.; research activities leading to publication, submission and funding of grants, offices held in professional organizations, and other professional honors and awards.

3. Service to college, profession, and community: Academic advising and mentoring students, advising of student organizations, serving as mentor, faculty committee work, departmental administrative work, other extracurricular service to the college (for example, recruitment), service to professional organizations, and community service.

e. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness: The faculty member's statement explaining her/his philosophy of teaching, including class preparation, course design, evaluation of students, methods of instruction, and other topics of importance. Syllabi for all courses should be supplied.

f. Future plans: The faculty member's statement outlining plans for her/his professional future.

g. Any additional material the candidate wishes to submit.

G. Faculty Personnel Committee Reporting

At the conclusion of every review (annual, third-year, tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review), the Committee will provide the administration with a recommendation of satisfactory or unsatisfactory in each of the three categories (teaching, scholarship, and service), including a rationale describing the most and least effective components of the candidate’s work.

SECTION 13. FACULTY APPEALS PROCEDURE

Regarding matters of salary, promotion, tenure, renewal or non-renewal of appointment, termination, and any other matters bearing on faculty performance and professional concerns, including alleged infringement upon academic freedom, faculty members shall have the right to a review of their grievance according to the procedure described below. While the procedure of Centenary College and the Appeals Committee is in no respect be bound by formal (with the exception of legal) or informal rulings or policies issued by any outside source; this procedure is expected generally to adhere to AAUP Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure and to accepted standards of due process.

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a means whereby an aggrieved faculty member may obtain a review before a well-informed, disinterested body of peers elected by the faculty for that purpose. The Appeals Committee, in order to be well informed, will have access to all relevant information under control of the officers of the College. The function of the appeals procedure is to determine whether a grievance is well founded and to make recommendations regarding the resolution of disputes.

The tenured members of the faculty shall serve as standing members of the Appeals Committee. Whenever a grievance is filed, committee members will be asked to take on added responsibility. Annually, the tenured faculty of the College will elect by majority vote a faculty member to serve as chair of the Appeals Committee. The chair of the Appeals Committee may serve for up to a period of three successive years. Faculty Personnel Committee members will not be eligible to serve as chair of the Appeals Committee until their term of service on Faculty Personnel Committee has ended.

1. Any grievance shall be brought first to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (as Chief Academic Officer of the College) and to the chair of the committee responsible for personnel matters or another committee recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council whose business is germane to the content of the appeal, who will seek to resolve the dispute informally by consultation with the faculty member, the faculty member's department chair, and others whose knowledge or experience may be of help in achieving a mutually satisfactory settlement of the dispute. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or the committee chair will report the substance of this informal consultation to the faculty member in writing.

2. In the case of failure of other efforts to resolve the dispute, the faculty member may request the participation of the Appeals Committee by submitting a written statement of the grievance to the chair of the committee with a copy to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Upon receipt of the statement of grievance, the chair of the Appeals Committee will convene a meeting of the committee for the purpose of constituting a panel (the "panel") to consider the case. Before this meeting, the chair will consult with the parties to the dispute to determine whether they believe that any members of the committee ought to be excluded from the panel for reason of bias or a conflict of interest. Those faculty members considered to have a conflict of interest or bias in the case will be excluded from panel service. Parties to the dispute will also be excluded from panel service. In total, no more than one-third of the tenured members of the faculty may be excluded from panel service. If the grievance involves the committee chair, the chair will be excused from the committee and an ad hoc chair will be elected. If the need arises to elect an ad hoc chair, that chair will be elected by the tenured members of the faculty. Each academic division must be represented on the final panel. At the first meeting of the committee, (all tenured members of the faculty) six of its members will be selected, along with the committee chair, to consider the case. If requested by the chair of the Appeals Committee, the chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council may assist in the selection process. From the list of seven, the aggrieved faculty member shall strike two names to form the special grievance panel of five members. Unless excluded by conflict of interest, bias, or by the aggrieved party, the committee chair will serve as the panel chair. If the grievance includes a claim of sex discrimination, at least two members of the panel shall be of the same sex as the aggrieved faculty member. To fulfill this condition, the committee shall appoint a tenured member of the faculty as a replacement to the panel on an ad hoc basis.

3. The panel will conduct a preliminary investigation solely in order to determine whether the evidence warrants further review. At the request of the panel, the administration and/or faculty members will make available to it all relevant evidence in their possession pertaining to the grievance. The panel may consult with the aggrieved faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and such other persons as the panel believes can be of assistance to it. The panel will then meet in order to determine whether there is a prima facie case warranting a hearing or further review. A hearing entails a formal presentation of evidence pertinent to the aggrieved faculty member's case, whereas a review is a consideration of documentary evidence which may include but not require consultation with the aggrieved faculty member and other individuals having information pertaining to the case.

4. By majority vote, the panel may dismiss the case on the grounds that no reasonable evidence supports the claim of the aggrieved faculty member. The chair of the panel will notify the parties to the dispute, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and the chair of the Appeals Committee of its decision in writing. If the panel decides in favor of further investigation, the chair will notify the parties, in writing, of the time and place of further review or of a full hearing which will be required when violations concerning academic freedom or discrimination are involved or when dismissal of tenured faculty is contemplated.

5. The appeals panel is charged with the responsibility of conducting a full, fair, and impartial consideration of the dispute. The purpose of the hearing or review is to make the panel thoroughly informed about the dispute. The conduct of the hearing or review will be consistent with the following provisions:

a. The panel will hold in strict confidence all information provided by the parties to the dispute and all testimony made during the course of the appeals procedure. At the conclusion of the proceedings, the panel will, when possible, return all documentary evidence to its source.

b. The faculty member will be afforded an opportunity to obtain necessary witnesses and documentary and other evidence. The administration will cooperate with the panel in securing witnesses and making available documentary and other evidence. In disputes involving an action or decision of the college, at least ten days prior to the hearing or review, the panel will allow the aggrieved faculty member, accompanied by an advisor of his or her choice, to examine the evidence. The chair of the appeals panel will arrange for the examination of this evidence. The aggrieved faculty member will have the right to revise his or her written statement of grievance.

c. In the case of a full hearing, the panel, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and all parties directly involved in the dispute will have the right to call and present witnesses and to demand and supply documentary evidence. Neither the panel nor the parties to the dispute will be bound by legal rules of evidence but will have the right to present witnesses and confront and question all witnesses. Where the witnesses cannot or will not appear, but the panel determines that the interests of justice require admission of their statements, the panel will identify the witnesses, disclose their statements, and, if possible, provide for interrogatories. The panel will grant adjournments to enable either party to investigate evidence as to which a valid claim of surprise is made.

d. If a full hearing is necessary, it will be closed to the public. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, together with the parties directly involved in the dispute, as determined by the panel and the aggrieved faculty member, is entitled to attend the hearing. During the proceedings the faculty member will be permitted to have an academic advisor and counsel of the faculty member’s choice. The college also will be permitted to have legal counsel. If any party to the dispute desires legal counsel, the other party or parties must be given at least one week's notice of the intention to utilize legal counsel. At the request of any party to the dispute, a representative of the AAUP may attend the hearing as an observer.

e. A verbatim record of the hearing or hearings will be taken and a typewritten copy will be made available to the faculty member without cost, at the faculty member’s request.

f. The burden of proof that adequate cause exists for dismissal of tenured faculty rests with the institution and will be satisfied only by clear and convincing evidence in the record considered as a whole. The findings of fact and the decision will be based solely on the hearing record.

g. All actions of the panel will be taken by a majority vote of the five members constituting the panel in a particular case.

h. Except for such simple announcements as may be required, covering the time of the hearing and similar matters, public statements and publicity about the case by either the faculty member or administrative officers will be avoided so far as possible until the proceedings have been completed, including consideration by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

6. After the conclusion of the hearing or review, the five members of the panel will meet in a closed session to review all information presented and make a determination of the case. In cases in which no three members can concur, the panel will simply state that it could make no determination. The panel will make a written statement of its determinations and its recommendations. Copies of this document will be transmitted to all parties directly involved in the dispute.

7. This document will include a determination of the merits of the aggrieved faculty member's claims and such recommendations as may lead to the resolution of the dispute subject to the following restrictions:

8. In cases of possible inadequate consideration resulting in the termination of a faculty member's appointment or the decision not to reappoint a faculty member, the panel will not conduct an evaluation of the faculty member. The panel will be limited to determining a) whether the administration complied with the applicable policies and procedures of the college in a non-arbitrary and a non-capricious manner, b) whether the evidence on which the decision rested (e.g., dossiers, reports, letters) was properly constituted, and c) whether there appears to be a violation of academic freedom or discrimination. In these hearings, a determination by a standing faculty committee that a program or department is to be discontinued will be considered presumptively valid, but the burden of proof on other issues, in particular dismissal for reasons of financial exigency, will rest on the administration. In cases involving dismissal, the panel's recommendations will be limited to advising the President whether the decision to terminate or not reappoint should be reconsidered by the appropriate faculty body, as determined by the Faculty Coordinating Council.

9. After the final report is delivered to the President, if the President rejects the findings or recommendations of the report, the President will state the reasons for doing so, in writing, to the panel and to the faculty member, and provide an opportunity for response before transmitting the case to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. If dismissal or severe sanction is recommended, the President will transmit to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees the full record of the case. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees’ review will be based on the record of the panel’s hearing, and it will provide opportunity for argument, oral or written or both, by the principals at the hearings or by their representatives. The decision of the panel will either be sustained or the proceeding returned to the panel with specific objections. The panel will then reconsider, taking into account the stated objections and receiving new evidence if necessary. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees will make a final decision only after study of the panel’s reconsideration.

10. The following timetables shall be observed in the appeals procedure:

a. A request for informal consultation shall be made by the aggrieved faculty member within two weeks of the occasion of the dispute.

b. In cases of failure of informal consultation and/or mediation, the aggrieved faculty member shall request a review by the Appeals Committee within two weeks of initiating the informal consultation.

c. The panel shall complete its preliminary investigation and give notice of its determination to the parties involved within three weeks after the receipt of the request for a review (if the request for review occurred during a fall or spring semester) or within the first three weeks of the following semester (if the request for review occurred outside a fall or spring semester).

d. If the panel proceeds to further review or a full hearing, the review or hearing shall be held within thirty days after notification of the decision to hold a review or hearing. However, service of notice of the hearing with specific charges in writing must be given at least twenty days prior to the hearing.

e. The panel shall render its written determination within ten days of the conclusion of the formal hearing or review.

f. The President shall respond to the final report of the panel within ten days of the receipt of the panel’s report.

g. Either the panel or the faculty member may elect to respond to the President’s communication. The panel’s response shall be submitted to the President within ten days of the receipt of the President’s communication. In cases in which dismissal or severe sanction is recommended, any request by the faculty member that the case be forwarded to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees also must be submitted within ten days of receipt of the President’s communication.

h. The President shall transmit the President’s response (as indicated above in Section 13 VI f), the response of the panel and/or the faculty member, and the record to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees within seven days of the receipt of the panel’s response or the request by the faculty member.

i. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees shall complete its review within twenty-one days of the receipt of the materials from the President.

j. If the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees returns the proceeding to the panel, the panel shall complete its reconsideration within seven days of receipt of the return of the proceeding by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

k. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees shall make a final decision within seven days of receipt of the result of the reconsideration by the panel.

l. The chair of the Appeals Committee, with the agreement of the parties directly involved, may suspend the time limitations listed above in item d.

SECTION 14. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A. LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Under special circumstances, faculty members may be granted a leave of absence without pay. Such leaves should be requested in writing by March 1. Requests for a leave without pay are submitted in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost through the department chair. A final decision on such leaves is made by the President upon recommendation from the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the Personnel Committee in consultation with the department chair. If a leave without pay is granted, the department should normally be permitted to hire an unranked or extraordinary faculty member.

Such leaves must be mutually agreed to and shall ordinarily not be granted for longer than one year, although the College may grant an extended full-time or part-time leave without pay. Any leave beyond two years constitutes forfeiture of tenure and relieves the College of any obligation to hold the position for the individual on leave.

Time on such leave will not count toward tenure or promotion in rank and is not credited toward time in service for sabbatical leave unless the individual and the College so agree in writing prior to the beginning of the leave. However, faculty members will not forfeit their rank as a result of being on a leave without pay.

While an individual is on leave without pay, the College does not provide fringe benefits. Faculty members may continue their fringe benefits, however, by paying them personally through the College. Arrangements regarding salary increments should be negotiated in advance of the agreement for such a leave.

B. RESEARCH GRANTS

Funds are available for grants to the faculty to assist them with research expenses during the academic year. The grants are made by the President based on recommendations from the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the Faculty Development Committee. Under exceptional circumstances, small grants may be made for advanced degree work. In general, however, small grants are intended specifically to support scholarly research after the completion of a terminal degree. Publication of results is not necessarily required, but a report on the use of the funds granted must be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost by October 1 following the grant. Application for these grants should be made to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost no later than September 15. The Charlton H. Lyons Research Award of $2,500 for a summer and ensuing academic year is also available. The deadline for the proposal is December 15.

C. FACULTY TRAVEL

The College encourages attendance and presentation of research at professional meetings as a vital means of keeping abreast of developments in the academic disciplines and provides funds, within the limits of its resources, to assist members of the faculty to meet reasonable expenses of travel to meetings. Funds for specific purposes (e.g. conferences at which a faculty member presents a paper or serves as an officer of a professional association) may be available from the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

D. RESEARCH AND EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES

The College is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS), together with Davidson College, Centre College, Furman University, Hendrix College, Millsaps College, Morehouse College, Rhodes College, Rollins College, Spelman College, Sewanee - University of the South, Southwestern University, Trinity University, Washington and Lee University, and the University of Richmond. Through this consortium, the College participates in a number of cooperative enterprises, including an annual Teaching and Learning Workshop geared toward new faculty but faculty at all levels of experience can attend; Leadership and Interest groups to share strategies and problem solve; Virtual workshops and reading groups organized around topics proposed by faculty at member institutions; and Academic leadership development through the Academic Leadership Fellows program, the New Department Chair program and the Student Life Leadership Academy. Centenary faculty have the opportunity to participate in the exchange program with the University of Aarhus, Denmark and the Aarhus School of Business. Centenary College is also a member of the Consortium of Louisiana Universities and Colleges of CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana). That consortium sponsors academic-year and summer-study programs at Paul Valery University in Montpellier, France. The College has developed a new agreement with the University of Lille in France, and additional ones are under consideration in other parts of the world.

E. SABBATICAL LEAVES

Purpose: to release full-time teaching faculty with tenure or at least six years of service to Centenary College for pursuit of a specific project whose goals are: production of an original contribution to scholarship via publication and/or original work(s) of art; enhancement of academic reputation of the College; enhancement of professional expertise through a program of scholarly reading or study; enlargement of and/or addition to intellectual and cultural development and/or instructional skills of faculty members.

Standards for Project: Standards of merit are the same as the above goals. A project need not satisfy all four goals, but the more goals that a particular project satisfies the greater its individual merits. In cases of relatively equal merit between projects, length of service to the College will be a criterion, with preference given to those who have not previously received a sabbatical leave. Work toward completion of a first terminal degree will not constitute an acceptable project.

Obligations: The recipient must return to Centenary College for at least one full academic year after the academic year in which sabbatical leave was taken. Recipient must turn in a written report to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost summarizing accomplishments during the sabbatical period. The recipient will also make a public presentation to the college community on some central aspect of the accomplishments achieved during the sabbatical.

Application: Specific project proposals must be submitted in writing to the chair of the Faculty Development Committee with supportive material, including the recommendation of the department chair, by November 1 prior to the academic year in which the sabbatical would commence. The department chair's recommendation shall include a statement outlining what the beneficial effects of the sabbatical would be on the operations of the department. Additionally, the department chair shall submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost a statement on how the department proposes to staff the absent faculty member’s courses.

Applicants who have had a sabbatical in the last six years will not be considered.

After consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the President of the College may veto the committee's recommendations but only for compelling financial and/or administrative reasons.

Salary and Benefits: Sabbatical leaves are for two semesters at half salary or one semester at full salary, but remuneration may not exceed the total amount in the annual budget for the sabbatical program. If a sabbatical is to be combined with a remunerative project, approval must be obtained in advance from the President.

The time spent on sabbatical leave is counted as time in service to the College on behalf of tenure, seniority, promotion, reviews, and salary increases.

Retirement premiums will be continued on the basis of full annual salary in effect at the beginning of leave.

Social Security will be deducted from the sabbatical salary with the College paying the appropriate amount.

Group Hospitalization and Disability Insurance will be continued with the College and faculty member both maintaining contributions to full coverage in effect at the start of the leave.

SECTION 15. FACULTY BENEFITS

A. GROUP INSURANCE

Centenary faculty and their dependents are covered under a self-insured group comprehensive medical plan. This plan is currently administered by Cigna. Group health insurance coverage is offered to the extent of an employee's full-time employment contract. As long as a person has signed a contract for the following year, he or she is covered through the summer. Those on unpaid leave-of-absence may continue their health insurance by paying the entire amount of the insurance premium. For faculty on paid sabbatical leave, insurance continues in the same manner as if they had continued to teach. Emeritus faculty members are no longer eligible for Centenary group insurance. Centenary College will extend medical/dental/vision coverage for 18 months beyond employment termination (COBRA). COBRA is fully paid by the former employee and also includes dental and vision, which is currently provided by Guardian. The Economic Policy Committee periodically reviews this coverage and makes recommendations for change when appropriate.

Centenary College provides a self-funded Short Term Disability for full-time faculty and full-time employees. In the event a faculty member or employee becomes eligible for payment of Short Term Disability, the College will continue to pay the College’s portion of health insurance and retirement until the termination of the Short Term Disability or the termination of the appointment. After termination of short-term disability, the disabled faculty member is eligible to participate in their Long-Term Disability plan. At the end of short and long term disability and if the employee is a qualified individual with a disability as defined by the ADA, the college will engage in an “interactive process” with the employee to determine whether there’s a reasonable accommodation that could help the employee perform the essential functions of their job. If the employee is unable to do the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation, a termination will be processed and the employee will be offered “continuation of coverage” for up to 18 months.

B. RETIREMENT PROGRAM

A retirement plan for faculty members is provided by the College through the organization known as Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA). TIAA is a legal reserve life insurance company organized by the Carnegie Foundation to issue annuities and life insurance especially designed for employees of colleges and universities. Faculty hired after January 1, 1996 have the option to join the retirement plan. Faculty hired before that date and still not participating in the plan are “grand-fathered” in under the rules of the previous plan, which required faculty to join when reaching tenure. To participate, employees contribute part of their gross earnings through a tax-sheltered payroll deduction plan.

Benefits of the plan are dependent upon age and amounts contributed and will therefore vary in each individual case. Information concerning the computation of benefits and other details can be found in TIAA publications available at the payroll office of the College.

TIAA and CREF Supplemental Retirement Annuities are available for use by faculty members who want to set aside tax-deferred funds over and above those being accumulated in the basic retirement plan.

Effective December 1, 1997, any Post Retirement teaching faculty will not be eligible to participate in the retirement plan. Post Retirement teaching faculty is defined as any retired Centenary faculty member who elects to continue teaching at Centenary College.

Retired faculty and their dependents are entitled to identification cards that extend to them the same privileges of admission to college functions such as plays, concerts, lectures and athletics events that are enjoyed by the active faculty. This benefit applies also to surviving spouses and dependents of deceased faculty members.

C. TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS

Centenary College follows the following policy regarding full-time faculty/staff tuition remission. Employees hired before June 1, 1987, are covered by the policy in force at the time they were hired. Full-time faculty and staff members employed after June 1, 1987, are entitled to tuition remission the first semester after serving 12 months of continuous employment at the College. Effective January 1, 1997, dependents are entitled to a reduction of 25% of tuition costs the first year; after 12 months of employment a reduction of 50% will be given. After 24 months of employment, a reduction of 75% will be given, and after 36 months of employment, dependents may have full tuition benefits. These remission benefits take effect beginning with the first full semester after the condition for remission is satisfied. No fees are included in the remission. The percentages apply to the number of hours the dependent is taking: for example, twenty-five per cent of the cost of one course or 25% of the cost of a full load will be remitted. These benefits apply to dependents of retired or disabled employees and to dependents of full-time employees who die while employed. No tuition remission will be available for graduate training.

Those eligible for scholarship and federal aid benefits are encouraged to apply for these sources of aid that may be available to them in an effort to reduce the financial burden to the College. College tuition remission will be reduced by the amount the dependent receives from other sources designated as tuition scholarship aid.

D. UNDERGRADUATE TUITION REMISSION POLICY

Centenary College wishes to encourage its employees to continue their education through either auditing or registering for and attending undergraduate classes. All full-time, disabled, and retired employees may take any undergraduate course free of charge (limited to one course per semester) after a year of continuous employment at the College, subject to supervisor approval and seat availability.

Dependents of full-time Centenary College employees are entitled to a discount schedule for remission of their tuition. A dependent is defined as a legal spouse, domestic partner or legal dependent under the age of 25.

During the first 12 months of employment, dependents are entitled to a 25% discount on tuition, after 12 months of employment a reduction of 50% will be given, after 24 months of employment a reduction of 75% will be given, and after 36 months dependents may have full tuition benefits. No fees are included in the remission. Percentages apply to the number of hours the dependent is taking. Dependents are eligible to use tuition remission toward their first undergraduate degree only.

F. GRADUATE TUITION REMISSION POLICY

Centenary College wishes to encourage its employees to continue their education by enrolling in its Graduate Program. The parameters of the program are as follows:

The program is open only to Centenary employees.
Employees must be admitted to the M.A.T. or M.B.A. based on normal admission criteria. Prior experience or academic record may be considered at the discretion of the program director.
Employees must have the approval of their supervisor to participate in the program under this benefit.
To be eligible for this benefit, employees must be vested at the College according the following schedule: after one full year of employment, tuition will be reduced by 50%; after two full years of employment, tuition will be covered at 100%. No fees are included in the remission. Percentages apply to the number of hours and published tuition rate for the term in which the employee is seeking to enroll. Vesting requirements may be waived in certain circumstances at the discretion of the College.
Non-pay employees may only enroll in one course per term.
Non-pay enrollment will typically be limited to approximately 10% of total class size in any given course at a time. In case of multiple applicants to the program, the Graduate Council will determine priority, based on factors such as seniority, supervisor recommendation, and documented job performance.
Non-pay employee students will only be allowed to register for courses that have reached a minimum enrollment of full-pay students and in which instructors receive 100% of payment to teach the class.
Those eligible for scholarship and federal aid benefits are expected to apply for these sources of aid that may be available to them in an effort to reduce the financial burden to the College. College tuition remission will be reduced by the amount the dependent receives from other sources designated as tuition scholarship aid.

6. TUITION EXCHANGE

Centenary participates in three tuition exchange programs: The Tuition Exchange Program, Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) and The Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP). Only employees that are eligible at the 100% level as listed above may utilize the tuition exchange program. An eligible employee should contact the Centenary Financial Aid Director with their dependent’s information and the list of colleges and/or universities that the dependent is interest in.

H. SOCIAL SECURITY

In addition to TIAA, all employees of the College are covered under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (Social Security). Payment is made by the employee through deductions from each paycheck. In addition, the College, as employer, pays an equal amount for credit to the employee's social security account.

I. DIRECT DEPOSIT

Centenary College has implemented Direct Deposit of payroll checks effective June 1, 1994. All employees hired after May 31, 1994, will be required to participate.

J. PARKING

A system of parking regulations applies to all vehicles used on campus. Vehicle registration is available through the Department of Public Safety via the web.

K. HOUSING

College-owned housing may be available to faculty members through Facilities Services. For all new rentals, the College may set a time limit on occupancy.

L. DISCOUNTS

There is a 10% faculty discount available on most items from the college bookstore.

SECTION 16. THE FACULTY AND THE HONOR SYSTEM

In a college like Centenary, where a commitment to moral values joins with a dedication to scholarly integrity, the honor system provides not only freedom from proctoring but also a positive opportunity for personal growth. The faculty members should at all times stress, for themselves and their students, that the honor system is a principal element of the fundamental purposes of the College.

Each faculty member is expected to become familiar with the details of the Honor Code of Centenary College (see the Student Handbook). The Honor Court, or the faculty adviser to the Honor Court, will provide new faculty members with details as to the specific operations of the Code.

Faculty members are expected to inform their classes at the beginning of every semester of the implications of the Code for each particular class. Principles of documentation, plagiarism, regulations relating to who may proofread papers, and how texts may be used in open-book tests may vary from course to course. Faculty members should specify what these variables are.

If faculty members detect what is believed to be a violation of the Honor Code, they are expected to inform a member of the Court or its faculty adviser of the possible infraction. All evidence of significance should be retained for the case and turned over to the Court upon request. In cases reported by students, the Court may require faculty members to provide certain materials to be used in evidence. The faculty members will then abide by the decision of the Court.

SECTION 17. CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE FACULTY

Nothing in the Faculty Handbook shall be taken to supersede or circumvent the Charter or the Bylaws of the College.

CONSTITUTION

1. COMPOSITION OF THE FACULTY

The faculty consists of those persons serving full time as professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, and lecturers (including those in such ranks, but not engaged primarily in teaching such as Promotion-Track Faculty); the President of the College; and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and Dean of the College. All members of the faculty are entitled to vote in meetings of the faculty.

2. OFFICERS OF THE FACULTY

Officers of the faculty are the chair and the secretary.

The chair is the President of the College or, at his or her designation, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or another member of the faculty. The chair will preside and the members of the Faculty Coordinating Council will prepare the agenda for each meeting.

The secretary to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will maintain a permanent record of the deliberations of the faculty in its regular and called meetings and will prepare and distribute minutes of each meeting of the faculty to all those eligible to attend faculty meetings.

3. AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FACULTY

The President and the Board of Trustees have the power and responsibility to govern and conduct the affairs of the College. The faculty has the primary responsibilities of the academic program of the College and to approve candidates for degrees in accordance with the charter and bylaws of the College.

In accordance with the charter and the bylaws of the Board of Trustees, the faculty, meeting in official session, is the academic legislature of the College and has the authority to recommend to the President and, if necessary, directly to the Board through its representatives on the Board, the educational program of the College in such areas as the following: admissions, curricula, student life, approval of honorary degrees, and recommendations of persons for academic degrees in course. The faculty may be charged with additional responsibilities as directed by the Board of Trustees.

4. FACULTY MEETINGS AND COMMITTEES

The faculty exercises its legislative functions when it meets in official session.

Properly constituted committees of the faculty may exercise functions of the faculty when policy changes are not involved.

The faculty shall meet in official session, at a regular time and place chosen by the faculty annually at its first meeting of the college year.

The President and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost may call meetings of the faculty in addition to the regular meetings.

The faculty shall make decisions by majority vote of those present and voting.

For called meetings, a quorum of fifty percent of the total voting faculty will be necessary for faculty action.

Robert's Rules of Order is the parliamentary authority, except as hereinafter provided.

5. ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

Members of the teaching faculty shall be assigned to academic departments within the College. The functions of faculty members shall be determined in a manner specified by the bylaws.

Chairs of departments are appointed by the administration of the College and the Board of Trustees. Under the President and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, they have designated administrative functions. The position of departmental chair is not a tenured one.

Upon appointment, the chair of a department assumes responsibilities of departmental governance consistent with the principle that he or she serves as a chair of a staff of scholars involved in a common discipline. Functions of the chair shall be determined in a manner specified by the Bylaws.

6. ACADEMIC DIVISIONS

The three academic divisions are the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The member departments of the divisions shall be specified in the Bylaws. The separate divisions are not charged with administrative authority over the academic departments.

Division chairs are elected by members of the three divisions for terms of office decided upon by the divisions.

The functions of divisions and division chairs shall be determined in a manner specified in the Bylaws.

7. AMENDMENTS AND BYLAWS

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the voting faculty in regular or called meetings, provided that the proposed amendment has been circulated at least two weeks before action and provided that the President of the College and the Board of Trustees concur.

Bylaws may be appended to this constitution, provided that the proposed bylaws have been circulated at least two weeks before action, provided that they are passed by a simple majority of the total membership of the voting faculty, and provided that the President and the Board of Trustees concur.

8. RATIFICATION

This constitution becomes effective when approved by two-thirds of the faculty, by the President of the College, and by the Board of Trustees of the College.

BYLAWS

1. THE FACULTY HANDBOOK

The faculty of Centenary College shall establish principles of academic procedure, contracts, tenure, and related matters, such as departmental governance, and these principles shall be set forth in a faculty handbook. Once accepted by the Board of Trustees, these principles shall be binding on all parties. Changes in the faculty handbook must be approved by a simple majority of the total membership of the voting faculty and concurred in by the President and the Board of Trustees.

2. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

The faculty of Centenary College shall establish a committee structure for the execution of delegated business and the making of proposals, and this committee structure, together with guidelines on procedure and composition, shall be set forth in the faculty handbook.

3. FACULTY MEETINGS

Normally, new business will not be transacted at a faculty meeting without its first having been referred to an appropriate committee.

The order of business for faculty meetings will normally include a roll call of committees for reports.

The chair shall determine whether a person other than those provided for in Article I of the Constitution is eligible to attend a meeting and have the privilege to discuss.

The following non-faculty members of the college staff, though not necessarily holding academic rank, have voting privileges in meetings of the faculty (except in election of members of the Faculty Personnel Committee): the Vice President for Development; the Vice President for Finance and Administration; the Registrar; the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students; and the Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing.

Any retired Centenary faculty member with emeritus status may vote in faculty meetings during any regular semester in which he or she is teaching three or more semester hours.

Administrative officers not provided for in Section III above and part-time teaching personnel may attend meetings of the faculty with the privilege to discuss but without the power to vote.

4. ACADEMIC DIVISIONS

The humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences divisions include the following departments: humanities -- art, religious studies, English, foreign languages, philosophy, theatre, and the School of Music; natural sciences -- biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, and physics; social sciences -- the School of Business, education, psychology, history and political science, and sociology.

Functions and duties of divisions and divisional chairs shall be specified in the faculty handbook.

APPENDIX A

"Joint Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities (1966)," excerpted from Policy Documents and Reports. The American Association of University Professors, Washington, D.C., 1990, pp. 119ff.

II. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: JOINT EFFORT

...Joint effort in an academic institution will take a variety of forms appropriate to the kinds of situations encountered... Although the variety of such approaches may be wide, at least two general conclusions regarding joint effort seem clearly warranted: (1) important areas of action involve at one time or another the initiating capacity and decision-making participation of all the institutional components, and (2) differences in the weight of each voice, from one point to the next, should be determined by reference to the responsibility of each component for the particular matter at hand, as developed hereinafter....

When an educational goal has been established, it becomes the responsibility primarily of the faculty to determine appropriate curriculum and procedures of student instruction.

Special considerations may require particular accommodations: (1) a publicly supported institution may be regulated by statutory provisions, and (2) a church-controlled institution may be limited by its charter or bylaws. When such external requirements influence course content and manner of instruction or research, they impair the educational effectiveness of the institution.

Such matters as major changes in the size or composition of the student body and the relative emphasis to be given to the various elements of the educational and research program should involve participation of governing board, administration, and faculty prior to final decision.

The framing and execution of long-range plans, one of the most important aspects of institutional responsibility, should be a central and continuing concern in the academic community....

A second area calling for joint effort in internal operations is that of decisions regarding existing or prospective physical resources. The board, president, and faculty should all seek agreement on basic decisions regarding buildings and other facilities to be used in the educational work of the institution.

A third area is budgeting. The allocation of resources among competing demands is central in the formal responsibility of the governing board, in the administrative authority of the president, and in the educational function of the faculty. Each component should therefore have a voice in the determination of short-and long-range priorities, and each should receive appropriate analyses of past budgetary experience, reports on current budgets and expenditures, and short-and long-range budgetary projections. The function of each component in budgetary matters should be understood by all; the allocation of authority will determine the flow of information and the scope of participation in decisions.

Joint effort of a most critical kind must be taken when an institution chooses a new president. The selection of a chief administrative officer should follow upon cooperative search by the governing board and the faculty, taking into consideration the opinions of others who are appropriately interested. The president should be equally qualified to serve both as the executive officer of the governing board and as the chief academic officer of the institution and the faculty. The president's dual role requires an ability to interpret to board and faculty the educational views and concepts of institutional government of the other. The president should have the confidence of the board and the faculty.

The selection of academic deans and other chief academic officers should be the responsibility of the president with the advice of and in consultation with the appropriate faculty.

...it should here be noted that the building of a strong faculty requires careful joint effort in such actions as staff selection and promotion and the granting of tenure. Joint action should also govern dismissals; the applicable principles and procedures in these matters are well established.

Anyone -- a member of the governing board, the president or other member of the administration, a member of the faculty, or a member of the student body or the alumni -- affects the institution when speaking of it in public. An individual who speaks unofficially should so indicate. An individual who speaks officially for the institution, the board, the administration, the faculty, or the student body should be guided by established policy.

It should be noted that only the board speaks legally for the whole institution, although it may delegate responsibility to an agent.

The right of a board member, an administrative officer, a faculty member, or a student to speak on general educational questions or about the administration and operations of his or her own institution is a part of his or her right as a citizen and should not be abridged by the institution....*

III. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: THE GOVERNING BOARD

...The governing board of an institution of higher education in the United States operates, with few exceptions, as the final institutional authority....

As a whole and individually when the governing board confronts the problem of succession, serious attention should be given to obtaining properly qualified persons....

The board should undertake appropriate self-limitation.

One of the governing board's important tasks is to insure the publication of codified statements that define the over-all policies and procedures of the institution under its jurisdiction.

The board plays a central role in relating the likely needs of the future to predictable resources; it has the responsibility for husbanding the endowment; it is responsible for obtaining needed capital and operating funds; and in the broadest sense of the term, it should pay attention to personnel policy. In order to fulfill these duties, the board should be aided by, and may insist upon, the development of long-range planning by the administration and faculty.

* With respect to faculty members, the 1940 Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom and Tenure reads: "The college or university teacher is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When he speaks or writes as a citizen, he should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but his special position in the community imposes special obligations. As a man of learning and an educational officer, he should remember that the public may judge his profession and his institution by his utterances; hence, he should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinion of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution."

IV. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: THE PRESIDENT

The President, as the chief executive officer of an institution of higher education, is measured largely by his or her capacity for institutional leadership. The president shares responsibility for the definition and attainment of goals, for administrative action, and for operating the communication system which links the components of the academic community....

As the chief planning officer of an institution, the president has a special obligation to innovate and initiate. The degree to which a president can envision new horizons for the institution, and can persuade others to see them and to work toward them, will often constitute the chief measure of the president's administration.

The president must at times, with or without support, infuse new life into a department; relatedly, the president may at times be required, working within the concept of tenure, to solve problems of obsolescence. The president will necessarily utilize the judgements of the faculty but may also, in the interest of academic standards, seek outside evaluations by scholars of acknowledged competence.

It is the duty of the president to see that the standards and procedures in operational use within the college or university conform to the policy established by the governing board and to the standards of sound academic practice. It is also incumbent on the president to insure that faculty views, including dissenting views, are presented to the board in those areas and on those issues where responsibilities are shared. Similarly the faculty should be informed of the views of the board and the administration on like issues.

V. THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: THE FACULTY

The faculty has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status, and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process. On these matters the power of review or final decision lodged in the governing board or delegated by it to the president should be exercised adversely only in exceptional circumstances, and for reasons communicated to the faculty. It is desirable that the faculty should, following such communication, have opportunity for further consideration and further transmittal of its views to the president or board. Budgets, personnel limitations, the time element, and the policies of other groups, bodies, and agencies having jurisdiction over the institution may set limits to realization of faculty advice.

The faculty sets the requirements for the degrees offered in courses, determines when the requirements have been met, and authorizes the president and board to grant the degrees thus achieved.

Faculty status and related matters are primarily a faculty responsibility; this area includes appointments, reappointments, decisions not to reappoint, promotions, the granting of tenure, and dismissal. The primary responsibility of the faculty for such matters is based upon the fact that its judgment is central to general educational policy. Furthermore, scholars in a particular field or activity have the chief competence for judging the work of their colleagues; in such competence it is implicit that responsibility exists for both adverse and favorable judgments. Likewise, there is the more general competence of experienced Faculty Personnel Committees having a broader charge. Determinations in these matters should first be by faculty action through established procedures, reviewed by the chief academic officers with the concurrence of the board. The governing board and president should, on questions of faculty status, as in other matters where the faculty has primary responsibility, concur with the faculty judgment except in rare instances and for compelling reasons which should be stated in detail.

The faculty should actively participate in the determination of policies and procedures governing salary increases.

The chair or head of a department should be selected either by departmental election or by appointment following consultation with members of the department and of related departments; appointments should normally be in conformity with department members' judgment. The chair or department head should not have tenure in office; tenure as a faculty member is a matter of separate right. He or she should serve for a stated term but without prejudice to reelection or to reappointment by procedures which involve appropriate faculty consultation. Board, administration, and faculty should all bear in mind that the department chair has a special obligation to build a department strong in scholarship and teaching capacity.

ON STUDENT STATUS

The respect of students for their college or university can be enhanced if they are given at least these opportunities: (1) to be listened to in the classroom without fear of institutional reprisal for the substance of their views, (2) freedom to discuss questions of institutional policy and operation, (3) the right to academic due process when charged with serious violations of institutional regulations, and (4) the same right to hear speakers of their own choice as is enjoyed by other components of the institution.

APPENDIX B

SALARY SCHEDULE

Full-Time Tenure-Track and Tenured Faculty 2026-2027

Professor
2025-2026 N =9
2026-2027 N = 10
Range: $71,007-$132,651
Median: $86,934
Mean: $92,023
Change in Median from Previous Year: 1%

Associate Professor
2025-2026 N =14
2026-2027 N = 15
Range: $63,887-$79,462
Median: $71,106
Mean: $71,484
Change in Median from Previous Year: 1%

Assistant Professor
2025-2026 N =23
2026-2027 N = 22
Range: $56,610-$87,031
Median: $63,240
Mean: $66,844
Change in Median from Previous Year: 1%

APPENDIX C

THE FACULTY AND THE LIBRARY

Borrowing

Faculty members should use their Centenary ID for checking out library materials. Faculty members may borrow circulating books for up to the duration of the academic year. However, borrowed materials should be returned as quickly as possible. The library may also on occasion call in materials that either have been requested by other borrowers or are needed for reserve. At the end of each academic year, all faculty members are sent a list of books charged to them with a request to return those no longer in use and to renew those still needed.

Under normal circumstances, archival materials, rare books, and some media do not circulate. However, arrangements can be made for limited classroom use of these materials.

Use of the Library by Dependents

Dependents of faculty, staff, students, or retirees may borrow material, subject to similar rules applying to Centenary students. They will need to register with a librarian before borrowing any materials.

The library requests that each faculty or staff member contact the library staff, by phone, in person, or email the first time a dependent is expected to visit the library as an introduction to the staff prior to their first visit or checkout of any library materials. Dependents must present a valid Centenary photo ID. Borrowing privileges are limited to 2 items checked out at a time.

Reference Services

The library provides many types of reference services. These include answering general and research questions; providing support and instruction in using library and other information resources; searching for and gathering research materials from in-house and far-flung collections; and scaffolding the critical thinking, examination, selection, and interpretation of information. This service is provided in person and virtually, by chat tool and using conferencing programs like Teams. Subject-oriented research guides are continuously maintained, and information literacy instruction may be scheduled by appointment.

Interlibrary Loan Services

ILL/Document Delivery service is available through the Circulation Desk and the ILL Request Forms. Whenever possible, we acquire materials for free. Any charges for photocopying, licensing, or search — are paid by the individual borrower, or their department. The majority of interlibrary loans are free, and a patron will be notified of any charges, before an ILL is completely ordered.

Copy Services

The library has several photocopying machines available on the main first, second, and lower-level floors, some of which require a passcode; faculty may request this as needed if they cannot use their own departmental codes. Faculty departments also have access to a copy machine installed near their department area that is code accessible. Special copies (color, large volume, non-standard size) may be requested by emailing a member of the library staff.

Reserve Items

Note that it is the library’s policy to acquire all textbooks used in current Centenary courses whenever possible. Faculty are also encouraged to place any class materials on Reserve at the Circulation Desk. Faculty may bring personal items, copies of articles, or use library materials. Each Faculty member should fill out a Faculty Reserve Form (available on the library’s website). Faculty should designate the type of reserve desired, and length of time for the material to remain on reserve. Library books should be pulled from library shelves by the professor or their student assistant and brought to the Circulation Desk to be placed on Reserve. Due to lack of space, items cannot remain on reserve indefinitely. Please visit the library and re-reserve items prior to each semester.

Library Orientation & Information Literacy Instruction

Class library sessions are conducted by the Director or other library staff, including specially-trained student library assistants. Faculty should call the Library at 318-869-5171 or email pmorgan@centenary.edu to schedule Literacy group or individual student instruction as soon as possible.

Faculty ordering

Book orders may be submitted in any of several ways. Orders may be emailed in the form of book lists, order forms, email lists, publishers' circulars, and the like, to magale@centenary.edu or any of the librarians. Requests can also be made directly, verbally or over the phone, and can even be submitted online via a form on the library’s website. (Material Request Form.)

Database subscriptions constitute the bulk of our resource expenditures, and we re-evaluate these on an annual basis. Faculty should direct any requests for database resource purchases or trials to the Library Director.

Periodicals in print are evaluated for continuation on an ongoing basis. The final decision to order or cancel a periodical is based on the following factors: the availability of funds, the need, appropriateness, and use of the item, shelf space, or through one of the full-text electronic databases to which the library subscribes. Electronic databases are evaluated by usage yearly.

Ultimately, the faculty of each department is expected to select and request for purchase those items needed to support its departmental curriculum and research requirements. The selection policy to be followed has been distributed to all departments and schools. Additional copies are available from the library director.

Other Library Facilities and Resources

The Library's computer labs and a webinar conference room are located on the main and basement floors of the library. Class lab reservations may be scheduled by completing the online Lab Reservation Form located on the Magale Library web page. Remember to check the Lab Reservation Schedule of classes before reserving a lab.

The Pierce Cline Room, located in the Magale Library basement, is the primary office of the Centenary College Archives & Special Collections. The Archives house the official records of the College and the library's rare book collection. Holdings include volumes by Centenary faculty and alumni, and rare books in several subject areas, many of which are from the original Centenary library in Jackson, Louisiana. The Archives also contain literary collections of authors Jack London and Centenary alumnus John William Corrington, and are the official repository for several organizations, including the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church and the North Louisiana Historical Association. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to use the facilities. Use should be scheduled with the archivist, as the Archives maintain a closed-stacks policy.

The Hurley School of Music Library offers a large collection of scores, CDs, phonograph records, videos/DVDs, and music reference books. It also has special collections, both print and recordings, in opera and musical theater. The library is open to the Centenary community as well as the greater Ark-La-Tex community. Scores may be checked out, although recordings and reference materials generally do not circulate. The Music Library contains a computer lab, listening carrels, a conference room, and a spacious reading and study area.

APPENDIX D

FACULTY CLUB CONSTITUTION

The Centenary College Faculty Club serves the following purposes:

To extend, in the name of the Club, expressions of sympathy, gifts, or remembrances: flowers on the occasion of the death of College employees, their parents, spouses, or children.

To provide group social activities for faculty members and staff.

Membership

Faculty members with a full teaching load and full-time college personnel with academic rank are encouraged to maintain membership by paying dues.

All part-time faculty may attend club events.

The administrative officers of the College holding the following titles listed in the college catalog may be members: President, Cabinet positions, Senior Director of External Relations, Director of Stewardship or Director of Alumni and Family Relations, and College Chaplain.

Officers

The President of the club will be elected for a term of one year at the first meeting of the Faculty Club in the fall.

Amendments

Amendments may be made to the Faculty Club Constitution by a majority vote of Club members present at a scheduled meeting.

APPENDIX E

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

Centenary College seeks to cultivate a spirit of community in which each individual may participate without fear of intimidation. The College does not tolerate discrimination in any form.* All employees and students are expected to avoid any action or conduct which might be construed as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is defined as follows:

Unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a requirement of employment or participation in an academic program or activity, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working, academic or campus environment.

Any faculty member’s behavior deemed to be sexual harassment may be reported directly to the aggrieved party's supervisor (the aggrieved party’s department chair or to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost). (Hereafter, the individual who receives the information from the complainant will be referred to as the facilitator.) After consultation with the facilitator, the matter of alleged harassment may be pursued further following the sequence outlined below. However, upon the request of the complainant, this process may be terminated at any step. A fair process shall be observed in which the rights of both the complainant and the accused are respected. The investigation of the complaint will proceed as follows:

1. To encourage that the issue be resolved informally, the facilitator may attempt to mediate between the complainant and the accused using whatever steps she or he deems appropriate that are acceptable to both the accused and the accuser.

2. Should the complaint not be resolved informally, the complainant may formalize the complaint; a written and signed complaint should be filed with the appropriate official within one (1) calendar year from the initial report as follows:

a. If the accused is a faculty member, the complaint shall be filed with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost who shall forward the complaint to the Faculty Personnel Committee. Should the accused or the accuser be a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee, s/he shall recuse him/herself from the adjudication process.

b. If the accused is a staff member, cabinet member (except the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost), student, or the President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will assist the faculty-complainant in filing the complaint according to the guidelines of the Personnel Policy Manual and/or the Student Handbook. If the accused or the accuser is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the President shall assist the faculty-complainant in filing the complaint according to the Personnel Policy Manual.

c. The Faculty Personnel Committee shall conduct an inquiry, calling witnesses and gathering information as deemed appropriate. All parties in the complaint will be required to appear before the Council. At the conclusion of their inquiry, the Council will communicate a determination in writing to both parties and to the facilitator. In consequence of a request by any party, the Council will provide a summary of the basis for their determination.

d. Should the Council rule against the accused and/or recommend any action they will communicate their recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (or President if the accused is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost), who will affirm or deny the judgment and/or the recommendation and will issue a statement of the decision to the Council and to all parties in the complaint. A recommendation of remedial action may include, but is not limited to, the following: no action taken, a warning, documentation in the individual's permanent personnel record, or dismissal of the employee.

e. Should the Council dismiss the charges, they will communicate their recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (or President if the accused is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost), who will affirm or deny the judgment and will communicate the decision to the Council and to all parties in the complaint. A statement of dismissal of charges will be issued to all parties involved.

f. All paperwork associated with investigation and resolution of the complaint shall be maintained in a confidential file in the Office of the President for the duration of the employment of the accused and accuser and one additional year.

g. Decisions may be appealed to the Appeals Committee.

*Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of Section 703 or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

APPENDIX F

CONFIDENTIAL LETTERS RELATED TO APPOINTMENT, REAPPOINTMENT, AND TENURE

It is the policy of Centenary College that letters solicited to support evaluation decisions relating to faculty and staff be held in strict confidence. Access to such letters shall be limited to appropriate personnel of Centenary College officially charged with making the evaluation and to officers and trustees of the college. Upon completion of the evaluation process, confidential letters shall be retained in closed files in the Office of the President, accessible only to Centenary College personnel, as authorized by the President. After seven years, such letters will be destroyed.

Appendix G: Research Oversight Committees

The Research Oversight Committees monitor the ethics and safety procedures of particular types of research for the college. These types of research include animal use and care, research with human subjects, and research involving potentially hazardous biological materials. The Research Oversight Committees interface with external regulatory and funding agencies who require special compliance procedures and as such these committees should update their purposes, responsibilities, and compositions to maintain compliance in a timely manner. Such updates, once approved by a faculty vote, will become effective.

Animal Research Committee

Composition

The ARC shall be comprised of five members with diverse backgrounds, each appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. These shall include:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Faculty Member in Research
Faculty and Non-Scientist
No Centenary Affiliation
Department of Biology, Chair

Institutional Biosafety Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities

The purpose of the Institutional Biosafety Guidelines and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is to ensure protection of faculty, staff, and students who generate, process and dispose of potentially hazardous biological materials at Centenary College of Louisiana as well as others who may become exposed to biological hazards within the institutional environment. In addition, Centenary must comply with guidelines and regulations established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding research involving recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules and those established by the U. S. Government regarding life sciences research with high-consequence pathogens and toxins (dual use research of concern, or DURC).

The NIH’s Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA) develops public policies in three areas: Biomedical Technology Assessment (human gene transfer and human stem cells), Biosafety (recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules), and Biosecurity (DURC). Research involving human gene transfer, human stem cells, and DURC toxins and organisms are expressly prohibited at Centenary College of Louisiana. As such, Centenary’s responsibilities relating to biosafety are establishing and maintaining a compliant Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), ensuring adequate expertise and training, filing an annual report with the Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA), and establishing procedures that the IBC follows for reviewing and approving applications and complying with federal regulations.

Composition

The IBC shall be comprised of five members that meet NIH requirements, each appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. These shall include:

Chair and Contact Person
Two Non-Affiliated members who represent the interests of the surrounding community with respect to health and protection of the environment
A Biological Safety Officer (can be the Chair)
One individual with expertise in plant, plant pathogen, or plant pest containment principles
One scientist with expertise in animal containment principles

Institutional Review Board

Composition

The IRB shall be comprised of five members with diverse backgrounds, each appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. These shall include:

Three faculty members.
At least one member not affiliated with a scientific discipline.
At least one member unaffiliated with Centenary College.
Representation of persons whose primary concern is the protection of "vulnerable" subjects, such as children or institutionalized persons.

Proceedings

The IRB shall normally meet with a majority of members present, and a majority vote shall be required for decisions. Exclusions from this rule are only permissible under expedited procedures and exemptions for low risk research, as specifically allowed under HHS Guidelines. Members with conflicts of interest in a particular research project shall be excluded from all decisions related to that research.

Appendix H

Full-Time Faculty Teaching Workload
The standard full-time teaching load at Centenary College is six (6) 4-credit hour courses per year (or equivalent), usually split evenly across two academic semesters.

Equivalent teaching assignments may be approved by the department chair and Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost when courses vary in format, credit hours, or instructional modality, provided the overall workload remains consistent with this standard expectation.

Additional teaching during summer sessions, if approved by the Vice President for Academic
Affairs & Provost, is paid as a salary supplement.

Lab Teaching Workload

Laboratory courses are calculated at one-half (0.5) of a typical 4credit hour lecture course for workload purposes. Accordingly, two (2) laboratory course sections are considered equivalent to one (1) four-credit hour lecture course when determining a faculty member’s teaching load.

Laboratory assignments are included in the overall instructional workload calculation and are assigned in consideration of contact hours, instructional intensity, and departmental needs, subject to approval by the department chair and Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost.

Team-Teaching Workload

Team teaching is recognized as a valuable form of collaborative pedagogy that advances interdisciplinary learning and supports the College’s commitment to student-centered instruction. This policy establishes definitions, workload expectations, and approval procedures for team- taught courses to ensure clarity, consistency, and equity across the curriculum.

A. Definition of Team Teaching A course is considered team taught when two faculty
members:

1. Collaboratively design the course, including syllabus, learning outcomes, and assessments;
2. Share substantive responsibility for instruction throughout the term;
3. Participate jointly in the evaluation and grading of student work; and
4. Are both actively engaged in a majority of class meetings.

Instructional arrangements such as guest lecturing, occasional shared sessions, or
sequential/segmented teaching in which instructors are responsible for discrete portions
of the course without significant integration do not meet the definition of team teaching
for purposes of workload credit.

B. Workload Credit and Enrollment Thresholds Workload credit for team-taught courses is
determined by enrollment as follows:

1. Eleven (11) or more students: The course counts as one (1.0) course toward the teaching load of each instructor.
2. Seven (7) to ten (10) students: The course may be offered as team taught; however, it counts as one (1.0) course total, shared proportionally between instructors (e.g., 0.5 credit each), unless an exception is approved in advance.
3. Fewer than seven (7) students: Courses are subject to current College practices regarding minimum enrollment and will not normally run unless an exception is approved in advance by the Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost.

Enrollment is determined at the conclusion of the official add/drop period, at which time final workload credit is assigned.

C. Approval Process All team-taught courses must receive prior approval according to the
following process:

1. Review and recommendation by the Academic Policy Committee;
2. Approval by the department chair(s) at the time of course scheduling; and
3. Final approval by the Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost.

Approval must be obtained prior to the opening of student registration.

D. Exceptions The Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost may approve exceptions to
enrollment thresholds or workload credit in consultation with relevant department chair(s)
and/or dean(s). Exceptions may be granted for compelling academic reasons, including but
not limited to:

1. First-year seminars;
2. Pilot or experimental courses;
3. Mission-critical interdisciplinary offerings.

All exceptions must be approved prior to the start of registration.

E. Evaluation of Team-Taught Courses
Team-taught courses are subject to the same evaluation processes as other courses. Student evaluations, peer observations, and annual reviews shall take into account the collaborative nature of instruction. Faculty members receive individual evaluations consistent with established College policies and procedures.

Related College policies:

Financial Exigency Policy
Policy 1-93: Sexual Harassment
Policy 2-93: Confidential Letters
Policy 2-94: Computer Lab Use
Policy 3-94: Equipment Purchases
Policy 4-94: Museum Collections Management
Policy 5-94: Development of Grant Proposals
Policy 6-94: Key Issuance
Policy 7-94: Research with Human Subjects
Policy 8-94: Research with Animals
Policy 9-94: Allocation of Space in Physical Facilities
Policy 10-94: Scheduling of Facilities
Grade Appeal Policy
Intellectual Property Policy
Family Leave Policy

Previous Editions of the Faculty Handbook

Faculty Handbook 2025-2026

Faculty Handbook 2024-2025
Faculty Handbook 2023-2024
Faculty Handbook 2019-2020

Faculty Handbook 2011
Faculty Handbook 2010
Faculty Handbook 2009
Faculty Handbook 2008
Faculty Handbook 2007

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Faculty Handbook