3349-3-26. Appendix A - COGS procedures for the appointment, reappointment, and leaves of absence of faculty

(A) Purpose

This appendix of the college of graduate studies (COGS) bylaws (bylaws) sets forth the criteria and process for the appointment and reappointment of its faculty. The bylaws are designed to cultivate a diverse body of outstanding faculty that are engaged in graduate education. These bylaws define faculty ranks and levels in COGS; eligibility for faculty appointment; the process for fair and orderly consideration of appointments and reappointments; and mechanisms for the assurance of due process and good faith resolution of conflicts arising out of this appendix.

(B) Scope

This appendix applies to the appointment, reappointment, and leaves of absence for the faculty in COGS.

(C) Definitions

(1) "Appointment status." COGS has established the following appointment statuses: primary graduate faculty, and adjunct graduate faculty. Faculty appointments within COGS are granted without tenure.

(2) "Advisor." A faculty member who holds level three status and who directs a doctoral dissertation as outlined in paragraph (F) section (3)(c) of this appendix.

(3) "Candidate." A candidate is an applicant for appointment or reappointment.

(4) "College" or "COGS." A college is a collective body of faculty who prescribe and conduct courses of study leading to the award of a degree or certificate. Herein the college of graduate studies may be referred to as "COGS."

(5) "Curriculum vitae" or "CV." The curriculum vitae is one of the documents submitted by the candidate for consideration for appointment. The CV includes, but is not limited to, information on contributions to the educational program of the university or the respective college(s), research and scholarly accomplishments, service related to the respective college(s), university or profession, and professional standing.

(6) "Days." Days as used in this document are business days of the university.

(7) "Emeritus." Emeritus is a title of distinction that is used to recognize university faculty and senior professional staff who have provided meritorious service to the university and who have terminated full-time service to the respective college or university. The university recognizes emeritus faculty and senior professional staff as a continuing valuable resource and, as such, encourages them to maintain an active ongoing relationship with the university. The conferral of this title is governed by a separate board of trustees rule and is beyond the scope of these bylaws.

(8) "Graduate faculty council" or "GFC." The GFC is the executive committee of the graduate faculty and shall represent the graduate faculty in proposing matters of academic policy and procedure to the dean of COGS and in counseling and advising the dean in matters of administering COGS. The graduate faculty council, as an advisory body to the dean of COGS, shall have direct oversight of approval of new graduate courses, approval of new graduate faculty, reappointment of graduate faculty, approval of new programs, and evaluation of program quality among other areas.

(9) "Graduate program advisory committee." Each graduate program has an advisory committee. This committee advises the program director about the operations and policies of the program. This includes curriculum, admissions and advising.

(10) "Graduate studies." Graduate studies are those academic and professional curricula which require student achievement beyond the baccalaureate level in any field leading to a master's, specialist's or doctoral degree other than the professional degrees M.D. or Pharm.D. In addition, graduate level certificates, programs leading to licensure, or other post-baccalaureate programs may be applicable for inclusion.

(11) "Institution." An institution may be higher educational, health-related, research-related or otherwise reflective of professional entities that comprise the industries and agencies for which COGS students are trained.

(12) "Leave of absence." A period of time for which a faculty member has been approved to be absent from the workplace and is not completing his/her work-related duties.

(13) "Notice of non-reappointment." Notice of non-reappointment is a written notification by the dean of COGS to the affected faculty member that COGS intends to terminate a faculty member's appointment at a specified time.

(14) "Notification of appointment." The notification of appointment is a letter from the dean of COGS that states the rank the faculty member will hold, the conditions under which the appointment is made and held, and any special considerations that may affect the appointment.

(15) "Office of the vice president for academic affairs" or "office of the VPAA." University office of record for all faculty appointments, promotions, reappointments, and leaves of absence.

(16) "Program director." A program director in COGS is the lead faculty member responsible for the comprehensive administration of an educational program, certificate, and/or degree.

(17) "Reappointment." Reappointment of COGS faculty is an evaluation process by which the dean or his/her designee reviews the activities and contributions to COGS by a faculty member during the prior three-year period of appointment. The same criteria used for an initial appointment are guidelines for decisions on reappointment.

(D) Body of the bylaws

Appointments

(1) Appointment to the faculty is a privilege, not a right. An appointment is the designation of a given academic rank that is based upon the candidate's competence in his/her field and the expectation that the candidate will maintain and increase mastery and creativity in this field.

(2) Graduate faculty council and/or program directors will review all applications for appointment and recommend qualified faculty for a given rank to the dean who will review and make positive recommendation to the president for transmittal to the board of trustees.

(3) Appointment considerations include, but are not limited to:

(a) Possession of an appropriate terminal academic or professional degree;

(b) Expertise in an appropriate academic field and evidence of dedication to continuing advancement of this field of knowledge;

(c) Ability and dedication as an effective teacher and/or advisor of graduate students; and

(d) Ability to assume responsibility for service to COGS.

(e) An appointment is made with the expectation that it will continue until notice is given and that it may be terminated either upon the retirement, resignation, suspension or termination from the faculty of any of the colleges within the university.

(E) Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the graduate faculty may be:

(1) Develop, evaluate, and deliver the curricula leading to appropriate graduate degrees and certificates;

(2) Develop, evaluate, deliver, and assess graduate courses;

(3) Participate in research and other scholarly activities, publish findings, and participate in professional societies;

(4) Recruit, admit, mentor, and supervise students in the various graduate programs;

(5) Develop and conduct graduate courses and seminars that stimulate creativity, independent thought, and scholarly attitudes and performance;

(6) Serve on supporting committees as needed, supervise student research and scholarship, and direct theses and dissertations where qualified;

(7) Serve as a graduate program director or as a graduate program committee member;

(8) Evaluate proposals for new graduate, graduate-certificate, licensure, or other post-baccalaureate programs and to make positive recommendations to the dean of COGS; and

(9) At all times, display the highest level of professionalism and ethical behavior and adhere to the university and college bylaws.

(F) Graduate faculty

(1) Appointed graduate faculty

(a) Primary graduate faculty

Graduate faculty are faculty who hold a primary faculty appointment at NEOMED within the college of medicine (COM) or college of pharmacy (COP). These faculty will have an earned terminal degree or its equivalent in a professional field or specialty and have demonstrated scholarship within the candidate's field of expertise.

(b) Adjunct graduate faculty

Adjunct graduate faculty are those faculty who hold a primary faculty appointment at an institution other than NEOMED, intend to contribute to graduate education through course instruction, or have been sought out to serve on a graduate student's thesis committee based on his or her expertise.

(2) Faculty appointments are subject to periodic review for reappointment and non-reappointment, as outlined in paragraph (H) of this appendix.

(3) Graduate faculty appointment levels

(a) Primary graduate faculty are designated within three levels and adjunct graduate faculty are designated within two levels.

(b) The assignment of level one, two or three to primary graduate faculty should be discussed with the program director or the dean/vice dean prior to applying. The level assignment is approved by the graduate faculty council with final approval by the dean of COGS.

(c) The assignment of level one or two to adjunct graduate faculty is determined by the program director, with final approval by the dean of COGS.

(d) Activities and criteria for level one designation

Graduate faculty with level one designation must have earned a graduate or professional degree equal to or higher than the degree program in which they are teaching. They may be involved in any of the following activities:

(i) Teach graduate coursework;

(ii) Serve on a master's thesis committee;

(iii) Oversee student scholarly work (e.g., a capstone project).

(e) Activities and criteria for level two designation

(i) Graduate faculty with level two designation may engage in any of the following activities:

(a) Teach graduate coursework;

(b) Oversee student scholarly work (e.g., capstone project);

(c) Serve on a master's thesis committee or direct a master's thesis;

(d) Serve on a dissertation committee; and/or

(e) Co-direct a doctoral dissertation with an advisor.

(ii) Graduate faculty with level two designation must meet the following criteria:

(a) Have prior experience in graduate education;

(b) Demonstrate creativity and competence in an appropriate field of research and scholarship via peer-reviewed publication; and

(c) Satisfy requirements for level one faculty.

(f) Activities and criteria for level three designation (primary graduate faculty appointments only)

Primary graduate faculty with level three designation may engage in the following activities:

(i) Direct a doctoral dissertation; or

(ii) Participate in level one and/or level two activities.

(g) Primary graduate faculty with level three designation must meet the following criteria:

(i) Have prior service experience on a doctoral dissertation committee;

(ii) Hold a primary faculty appointment in the NEOMED tenure track; and

(iii) Satisfy requirements for level two faculty.

(G) Procedures for processing appointments for graduate faculty

(1) Appointments to the graduate faculty shall be for terms of three years. Terms shall begin on the fifteenth day of the month after each quarterly meeting of the NEOMED board of trustees. A written notification of appointment will be issued to newly appointed graduate faculty with the official starting date of the appointment.

(2) Appointment application and approval

(a) Candidates for appointment must submit a completed "graduate faculty appointment application" and a current curriculum vitae to the office of the dean, college of graduate studies.

(b) Candidates should designate on the application the program in which they desire to be appointed, if applicable.

(c) If applicable for a specific graduate program, all candidate applications will be forwarded to the appropriate program director for consideration by the respective program advisory committee.

(d) All non-program-based applications and positive recommendations by the program advisory committee for appointment status will be forwarded to the graduate faculty council for consideration.

(e) The graduate faculty council will forward all positive recommendations to the dean for review and recommendation.

(f) The dean will forward all positive recommendations for appointments to the office of the VPAA for transmittal to the president and board of trustees for final action.

(g) After action by the board of trustees, the office of the VPAA will issue a notification of appointment to newly appointed faculty on behalf of the dean of COGS.

(H) Procedures for reappointments and non-reappointments

(1) Reappointment to the graduate faculty is not automatic and is based on a review of activity that has been sustained during the prior three-year review period.

(2) The decision to renew a faculty appointment will be based upon the activities of the faculty member since the last review and the needs and resources of the college or its programs. Appointment status levels may be adjusted during the reappointment process.

(3) A recommendation for non-reappointment is not considered a dismissal for cause, and as such cannot be appealed except as set forth below.

(4) All graduate faculty will be evaluated at least every three years, and may, at the discretion of the dean, be evaluated more often using the following procedure.

(a) The vice dean (for non-program-based faculty) or appropriate program director will request an activity report from the candidate concerning college-related activities, will review those reports, and notify the candidate in writing by March 1 of the intention to recommend non-reappointment.

(b) Appeal of non-reappointment

(i) A candidate who disagrees with the intention to recommend non-reappointment may request a meeting with the vice dean (for non-program-based faculty) or appropriate program director within five business days to determine if the matter may be resolved prior to notification of the dean.

(ii) After the meeting, the vice dean (for non-program-based faculty) or appropriate program director will notify the candidate and the dean of the final recommendation.

(5) The vice dean (for non-program-based faculty) or appropriate program director will forward recommendations concerning non-reappointments to the dean by March 15, with a copy to the office of the VPAA.

(6) The dean's recommendations for reappointment will be forwarded to the president by May 1 for transmittal to the board of trustees for final action, via the office of the VPAA.

(7) In the event of non-reappointment, the final date of appointment will be June 30 of the same year.

(8) Faculty whose non-reappointment extends beyond six months must use the established appointment procedures in order to rejoin the faculty.

(I) Faculty leave of absence

(1) A graduate faculty member may request a leave of absence when the faculty member is expected to be absent from activities for greater than six months, not to exceed two years. If a faculty member is expected to be absent from their faculty role in the college in excess of two years, he/she must apply for a new appointment.

(2) A request for a leave of absence shall be made by the faculty member to the dean for approval.

(3) At the request of the faculty member, the dean may, in his or her discretion, defer the review of the faculty member for reappointment until the next subsequent three-year review cycle.

(4) Leaves of absence approved by the dean will be forwarded to the office of the VPAA for inclusion in the faculty member's file.

Effective: 12/26/2019
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 111.15
Rule Amplifies: 3350.12