3. Faculty Appointment Policies and Procedures
3.1. Introduction
3.1.1. Appointment Status and General Definition of the Faculty
The university faculty (“faculty”) shall consist of all full-time voting members of each of the faculties of the schools and colleges within the university and other university personnel having faculty status.
3.1.2. Effective Date of Policy and Procedure Changes
The policies and procedures contained in this handbook shall be considered appointment provisions for the academic year to which the annual letters of faculty appointment refer. Any change in these policies or procedures made during the academic year to which annual letters of faculty appointment refer shall not be effective until the beginning of the succeeding academic year, unless otherwise required by applicable law or factors beyond the control of the university.
3.2.Academic Classifications and Faculty Status
3.2.1. Tenure-Track Faculty
A tenure-track faculty member is a full-time employee who is appointed by the president and is tenured or, as established at the time of initial appointment, is working toward tenure and who holds the title of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. All tenure-track faculty with the terminal degree in their discipline must be employed with the title of assistant professor or above. Tenure-track faculty who move to administrative positions will not lose their tenure status.
3.2.2. Library Faculty
A library faculty member is a full-time employee who is appointed by the president and has a probationary or 5 year extended-term appointment with the title of affiliate librarian, assistant librarian, associate librarian, or librarian. Library faculty who move to administrative positions will not lose their faculty status.
Separation of a librarian, with an extended-term appointment, or with a probationary appointment may occur as a result of changes in existing academic programs or in library services which directly affect the staffing needs of the library. In such cases, the same guidelines shall be followed as are followed for the termination of tenured or tenure track faculty who are affected by discontinuance of a program or department (see Section VIII-Separation ).
3.2.3. Full-Time Non-Tenure Track Faculty
Full-time non-tenure-track faculty are those members of the faculty whose primary responsibility is teaching and who are appointed by the president based upon the recommendation of the appropriate faculty, the dean of the relevant school/college, and the provost.
Full-time non-tenure-track faculty can include highly qualified individuals with extensive professional experience and outstanding qualifications but who lack terminal degrees. Faculty in this category shall not exceed 10% of the full-time faculty of a given school or college.
Faculty with a terminal degree or Faculty with an advanced degree and significant professional experience and/or professional certifications will have the title Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor with one of the following modifiers chosen by the school or college: “Clinical”, “Teaching” or “of Practice.” Guidelines regarding what constitutes significant professional experience and professional certifications will be determined by each school or college.
Those faculty without terminal degrees and without appropriate professional experience or certifications will have the title of Lecturer or Senior Lecturer.
Faculty members appointed with a “Clinical” designation may also include individuals with extensive clinical and professional experience whose expertise is needed for the teaching of courses which emphasize the acquisition of clinical skills and for the supervision of students in clinical placements.
The total number of full-time non-tenure-track faculty shall collectively not exceed 20% of the full-time faculty.
3.2.3.1. Obligations and Rights of Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
Full-time non-tenure track faculty are afforded the same protections and have the same obligations as tenure-track faculty as spelled out in the Faculty Handbook – especially Section IV-Faculty Obligations, Responsibilities, and Commitments – except:
- they shall not serve on any promotion, tenure and academic freedom committee when tenure and promotion cases are heard for tenure track faculty,
- they are not eligible for tenure,
- they are not eligible for sabbaticals.
The dean of a school or college may clearly specify certain expectations for full-time non-tenure-track faculty. However, none of those expectations should be inconsistent with Section V- University Support, Working Conditions and Leave .
3.2.4. Part-time Adjunct Faculty
A part-time adjunct faculty member is a part-time employee of Widener University who has been assigned one of the following temporary academic titles: adjunct instructor, adjunct assistant professor, adjunct associate professor, adjunct professor or adjunct librarian. Part-time faculty shall:
Part-time adjunct faculty are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1-1/2 hours per week for each course taught) to meet with students enrolled in their courses. Part-time library faculty are expected to work in the library for the amount of time specified in their appointment letters.
3.2.4.1. Adjunct Faculty Title with the Approval of the Provost
Adjunct faculty titles will be determined by the relevant dean with the approval of the provost. Such titles will be based upon earned degree held or experience and will vary according to the traditional practice of the school or college.
3.2.5. Special Appointments
3.2.5.1. Professor Emeritus
This rank may be assigned to faculty who have limited or terminated their responsibilities as tenure-track faculty members for valid reasons (e.g., retirement, illness) after fifteen or more years of distinguished service to the university. Tenure-track faculty members may be nominated for this rank to the provost by their school/college promotion and tenure committee, the retiree, any tenured member of the faculty, or the dean. The provost and president shall recommend candidates for professor emeritus to the Board of Trustees, which makes the appointment. No compensation accrues by virtue of the rank of professor emeritus unless, by mutual agreement between the dean or library director of the school/college/library involved and the provost, the faculty member at the rank of professor emeritus is offered a part-time per-course term appointment by the president or her/his designee to teach or fulfill other duties. In such cases, supplementary benefits, if any, will be set forth in the letter of appointment. Such term appointment is limited to less-than-full-time faculty status. Emeritus faculty members may attend the meetings and other activities of their former school/college/library and department/division as non-voting members. Emeritus faculty members are welcome to participate in the university’s commencement exercises as full-time faculty members do.
3.2.5.2. Status and Privileges of Retired Faculty Members
After retirement, faculty members may retain their employee identification cards. Upon annual validation, these cards will provide (subject to the current policies, restrictions and fees applicable to full-time faculty) access to Widener University’s recreational and athletic facilities, library, bookstore, campus parking permits, and its cultural, athletic, and educational events.
3.2.5.3. Visiting Faculty
This title is assigned to individuals who are appointed to teach or to teach and pursue other duties at the University for a limited period of time. All such appointments are full-time term appointments with respect to duties and responsibilities. There shall be a limit of three consecutive years to such an appointment. The appointment shall be by the president. It shall be based upon the recommendation of the appropriate faculty, of the relevant school or college dean or library director, and of the provost. Visiting faculty will usually have no other faculty rights and responsibilities except those listed in Section 4.2.1.
3.2.5.4. Artist/Writer/Scholar in Residence
Widener University may appoint to the faculty distinguished artists, writers, poets, and scholars in the Special Faculty status of Artist/Writer/Scholar-In-Residence. Such appointments may be full-time or part-time, paid or unpaid, depending on the needs of the university. The appointments are Term Appointments and may be renewed at the initiative of the university or the appointee. The appointment shall be by the president on recommendation of the provost after consultation with the dean of the school or college involved.
3.2.5.5. Other Appointments
Other appointments may be made as deemed appropriate by the president. The responsibilities of these faculty members will be detailed in the appointment letter.
3.3. Appointments and Contract Definition Policies
3.3.1. Term Appointments
Term appointments at Widener University are given to non-tenure-track faculty, part-time per-course adjunct faculty, and special appointment faculty members, and are limited to the term of employment stipulated in the letter of appointment. Term appointments are not tenure-track and do not confer upon a faculty member any entitlement to continued employment after the term specified in the letter of appointment.
“Reappointment”’ is the granting of a new contract for a term of no longer than one year to a non-tenure-track faculty member. All non-tenure-track faculty shall be reviewed annually for a recommendation of reappointment or non-reappointment by the Promotion, Tenure, and Academic Freedom committee responsible for the initial review of faculty holding tenure-track appointments in that academic unit. In the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Human Service Professions, this is the division/center/institute Promotion, Tenure, and Academic Freedom committee. In the remaining schools, the reviewing committee is the school-wide Promotion, Tenure, and Academic Freedom committee.
Each school (or within the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Human Service Professions, each division, center or institute) shall establish procedures for the evaluation of non-tenure-track faculty, and shall establish and maintain evaluation criteria appropriate to the contractual responsibilities of the various categories of non-tenure-track faculty employed within that academic unit. Non-tenure-track faculty shall be given copies of these review criteria and procedures by their immediate academic supervisor at the time of appointment.
The Promotion, Tenure, and Academic Freedom committee responsible for the review shall submit its recommendation for reappointment or non-reappointment to the dean of the school or college and to the faculty member by March 15th.
Recommendations of non-reappointment may not be appealed under Sections 6.2.2.5, 6.3.5. , or 8.3.7. of this Handbook, or otherwise. Notwithstanding recommendations, the ultimate decision on reappointment is that of the president.
3.3.2.Probationary Appointments
Probationary appointments enable tenure-track faculty to apply for tenure upon successful completion of the requirements listed in Section 6.3. of this Handbook. Tenure-track faculty holding Probationary Appointments are subject to non-reappointment by the university with written notice as provided for in Section 6.3.4. of this Handbook.
Probationary appointments enable library faculty to apply for extended term appointment as described in Section 3.3.3 of this Handbook. Library faculty holding Probationary Appointments are subject to non-reappointment by the University with appropriate written notice.
3.3.3. Extended-Term Appointment: Library Faculty
To be eligible for an extended-term appointment, librarians must have served no fewer than five years in the Widener University libraries. At that time, they must have achieved the rank of, or be eligible for promotion to the rank of assistant or associate Librarian. Extended-term appointment does not require renewal for a five-year period. During the fifth year of each five- year period, librarians will undergo peer review and evaluation by the Library Committee on Promotion, Extended Term Appointment and Academic Freedom and a review by the Library Director. The library committee will submit its recommendations through the library director to the Provost. The library director will also submit a separate recommendation to the Provost and will solicit a letter of recommendation from the Vice President for Library and Information Services to be included in the materials forwarded to the provost.
If the Provost and the President concur with the positive recommendations for the renewal of the extended-term appointment, then the librarian will receive a new five-year extended-term appointment. If the committee or the library director makes an adverse recommendation, the librarian seeking renewal of an extended-term appointment may request a statement of reasons for the adverse recommendation. Library faculty may appeal the decision based on Section 6.3.5 Appeal Procedure in the Widener University Faculty Handbook. If the Provost and the President concur with an adverse recommendation for renewal of an extended-term appointment, then a one-year probationary appointment will be granted to the librarian, during which the librarian will have the opportunity to address deficiencies identified in the evaluations for the renewal of the extended-term appointment.
By February 15 of the probationary year, the Library Committee on Promotion, Extended Term Appointment and Academic Freedom will submit its recommendations through the library director to the Provost, and the library director will submit a separate recommendation to the Provost regarding whether the librarian should be granted another extended-term appointment. The library director will also solicit a letter of recommendation from the Vice President of Library and Information Services If the decision of the Provost and President is negative, notice of non-retention will be given by March 1 of the probationary year and the librarian’s employment at the university will end upon conclusion of the probationary year.
3.3.4. Extended-Term Appointment: Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
Review of non-tenure-track faculty members will be conducted by the Promotion, Tenure, and Academic Freedom committee responsible for the initial review of faculty holding tenure-track appointments in that academic unit. In the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Human Service Professions, this is the division/center/institute Promotion, Tenure, and Academic Freedom committee. In the remaining schools, the reviewing committee is the school-wide Promotion, Tenure, and Academic Freedom committee.
A full-time non-tenure track faculty member in their third consecutive term appointment under section 3.3.1 is eligible to apply for an extended term appointment of 3 years based on their performance and the continuing need for the position. During the third year of each extended-term appointment, the faculty member may request to be evaluated for renewal of the extended-term appointment, if the position is still needed.
All candidates must demonstrate Excellence in teaching to earn an extended term appointment, as well as demonstrate how they have met any other criteria specified by the School/College as required for an extended-term appointment. Detailed criteria for granting of an extended-term appointment shall be developed by each school/college, including a timeline for submission of materials. In all cases, criteria must be consistent with the responsibilities of the candidate set forth in the initial appointment letter, any subsequent appointment letters, and any supplemental letters issued by the Dean, as described in section 3.4.1.3.
The committee will make a recommendation regarding the granting of an extended-term appointment to the Dean of the school/college. If there is disagreement between the Dean and the committee regarding the granting of an extended term appointment based on the performance of the candidate, both recommendations will be forwarded to the Provost, who will make the final decision.
If the evaluation results in an unsatisfactory rating, the Faculty member is only eligible for a one-year term appointment and may re-apply for an extended term appointment as described in the first paragraph of section 3.3.4.
3.3.5. Continuous Appointments
Continuous appointments at Widener University are given to tenure-track faculty members who have attained tenure status as provided for in Section 6.3. of this handbook. Faculty members employed under continuous appointment are entitled to appointment renewal by the university unless separated pursuant to the provisions of Section VIII of this handbook.
3.3.6. Locus of Appointments
All faculty appointments, whether probationary or continuous, have the locus of their appointment within the discipline of their school/college/library as stated in their annual letter of appointment. A faculty member’s locus of appointment may not be changed from that specified in the initial letter of appointment in any manner that disadvantages that faculty member with respect to employment protection in cases of program contraction or discontinuance without the agreement of the faculty member, or in accordance with Sections 8.3.5. and 8.3.6.
3.3.7. Issuance of Appointment Letter
Full-time tenured faculty have continuous appointments. After being granted tenure, faculty will receive a letter of appointment that specifies they are on continuous appointment.
Appointment letters for Faculty who are not on continuous appointment are normally issued by the president on or before April 15 and due to be returned within 15 calendar days. If the appointment letter is not returned within that time, the president or her/his representative will contact the faculty in writing to determine their intentions to return. If no written reply is received by the president within 15 calendar days beyond the date of the president’s written reminder and no exception has been arranged with the provost, the faculty member effectively will have resigned employment.
All term appointment letters are issued on an individual basis as the necessity arises.
3.3.8. Issuance of Salary Letter
Full-time faculty will receive an annual salary letter issued by the president on or before December 1 for the following calendar year. Faculty base salary is stated as an annual amount which is payable monthly. Faculty may elect to receive their base salary over a ten-month period beginning in September and ending in June, or over a twelve-month period beginning in September and ending in August. Once an election for either ten- or twelve-month payment of base salary is made, it will remain in effect until changed in writing with the Human Resources Office. An election to receive base salary over twelve months does not amend the terms of a faculty appointment letter.
3.4. Search and Appointment Policies and Procedures
3.4.1. Authority to Hire
Sole authority to hire and retain faculty members is vested in the president. This authority is customarily exercised for full-time faculty through the provost and for part-time faculty through the school and college deans or library directors via procedures established to ensure adequate consultation with the faculty (see Section 3.5.).
3.4.1.1. Appointment of Tenure-Track Faculty
All appointments to tenure-track faculty status are made by the president on the recommendation of the provost, the appropriate dean, and the respective department chair or head/division associate dean.
At the time of initial appointment, the provost, in consultation with the dean and the department chair or head or the division’s associate dean, shall determine an appropriate title for the initial appointment based upon terminal degree, teaching experience, scholarly achievements and prior professional experience.
All initial appointments of tenure-track faculty are probationary (see Section 3.2) except those made under section 3.2.5.5. and are for one year unless explicitly stated otherwise in the initial letter of appointment. The precise terms and conditions of every new appointment shall be clearly explained in the initial appointment letter and in any supplement to the appointment letter prepared by the dean in consultation with the provost, a copy of which will be kept in the individual’s personnel file and provided to the school or college or division Committee on Promotion, Tenure and Academic Freedom for the purpose of any review. The rank offered new faculty members must be in accord with the requirements of that rank as specified in Section 3.2.
3.4.1.2. Appointment of Library Faculty
All appointment to library faculty status are made by the president on the recommendation of library director and Vice President for Library and Information Services, after consultation with the Provost.
All initial appointments of library faculty are probationary (see Section 3.2) except those made under section 3.2.5.5 and are for one year unless explicitly stated otherwise in the initial letter of appointment. The precise terms and conditions of every new appointment will be clearly explained in the initial appointment letter, a copy of which will be kept in the individual’s personnel file. The rank offered new library faculty members must be in accord with the requirements of that rank as specified in Section 6.2.3.
3.4.1.3. Appointment of Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
All appointments to full-time non-tenure-track faculty status are made by the president on the recommendation of the provost, the appropriate dean, and the respective department chair or head/division associate dean.
At the time of initial appointment, the provost, in consultation with the dean and the department chair or head or the division’s associate dean, shall determine an appropriate title for the initial appointment based upon terminal degree, teaching experience, scholarly achievements and prior professional experience.
All initial appointments of full-time non-tenure-track faculty are term appointments except those made under section 3.2.5.5 and are for one year unless explicitly stated otherwise in the initial letter of appointment. The precise terms and conditions of every new appointment shall be clearly explained in the initial appointment letter and in any supplement to the appointment letter prepared by the dean in consultation with the provost, a copy of which will be kept in the individual’s personnel file and provided to the school or college or division Committee on Promotion, Tenure and Academic Freedom for the purpose of any review. The rank offered new faculty members must be in accord with the requirements of that rank as specified in Section 3.2.
3.4.1.4. Appointment of Part-time Adjunct Faculty
Such appointments are made by the school or college dean upon recommendation of the department chair or head/division associate dean after consultation with the appropriate faculty. Appointments to part-time per-course adjunct faculty are contingent upon adequate enrollment in the faculty member’s course.
3.4.1.5. Appointment of Special Appointment Faculty
The procedures for the employment of special appointment faculty are outlined in Section 3.2.5 of this Handbook.
3.4.1.6. Summer Session Appointment
Summer session faculty may be full-time faculty, part-time per-course adjunct faculty, or special-appointment faculty. They are selected by the dean of the school or college in consultation with the department chair or head/division associate dean in accordance with the needs of the university. Summer session faculty are offered term appointments for the teaching of specific courses. Time spent teaching in a summer session does not count towards tenure, promotion, or eligibility for sabbatical leave.
Summer session faculty are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1-1/2 hours per week per course) to meet with students enrolled in their courses. Within the limits of school or college policy, tenure-track faculty receive preference regarding course assignments for summer session. A commitment to offer a summer session course is contingent upon sufficient enrollment.
3.5. Procedures for Faculty Recruitment and Hiring
- Academic planning with special attention to the recruitment of faculty members is the responsibility of the provost in consultation with the deans or directors of the schools/colleges/libraries.
- For continuance of vacated faculty positions and for approval of proposed full-time faculty positions, the procedure will be as follows: the department chair or head/division associate dean, in consultation with the faculty in the appropriate disciplines, will present a written justification for the position to the dean or library director of the school/college/library. Deans will present the written justification for the position to the provost who in turn will present the request to the president. The library director will present the written justification to the Vice President for Library and Information Serivces who in turn will present the request to the president.
- The president, together with the provost or Vice President for Library and Information Services, will make the final decision on all replacement and new faculty positions. If the request is denied, the provost will communicate in writing the reasons for denial, and upon request, will fully discuss them with the appropriate school/college/library or department/division.
- After receiving presidential approval for a new or continued position, the provost or Vice-President for Library and Information Services will inform the dean or library director, who will in turn inform the department chair or head/division associate dean of this decision, along with such pertinent matters as salary range, search and selection procedures, and the recruitment budget. If there are any specific expectations for the position, consistent with the general criteria under which the individual occupying the position will be reviewed, the provost, the dean or library director, and the faculty in the discipline involved must be in agreement in order for the search to proceed.
- The search chair will contact Human Resources to arrange any required training for the search committee and for all policies regarding hiring and document retention.
- Searches for new and replacement faculty will be the responsibility of the appropriate department chair or head/division associate dean. All searches will be open to the full participation of the faculty in the discipline involved. In those disciplines where there is no major, the department chair or head/ division associate dean shall select faculty from the department/division to participate in the search process. This procedure applies to all candidates for full-time appointments, tenure-track or non-tenure-track, and to internal as well as to external candidates.
- Department chairs or head/division associate deans will forward the name of the candidate recommended by the faculty to the dean or library director along with their own recommendations. Deans or library directors will forward these recommendations along with their own recommendations to the provost or Vice-President for Library and Information Services who will forward all recommendations along with her/his own to the president.
- The president, after consultation with the provost or Vice-President for Library and Information Services, will make the final decision regarding the appointment. The provost will inform the dean of approval to make an oral offer of employment to the faculty applicant. Upon notice to the provost’s office by the dean that an offer of employment has been accepted by the applicant, the provost’s office will generate a letter of appointment for signature by the president. In the event that the dean wishes to include a supplement to the appointment letter that provides information about specific expectations associated with the appointment, consistent with the general criteria under which the individual occupying the position will be reviewed, the job description, and the school/college promotion and tenure guidelines, the provost will review and approve the dean’s supplemental letter. Employment of all employees is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Background checks may include criminal history, employment, social security and educational verification, as well as other clearances as required by law.
- It is the responsibility of the department chair or head/division associate dean and dean or library director of the respective school/college/library as well as the provost to transmit information to the candidate about departmental and university standards and policies, using the Faculty Handbook as a reference.
- All new full-time faculty shall be given a copy of the current Faculty Handbook upon appointment. The chief Human Resources officer or that person’s designee will inform them about fringe benefit policies and about related matters in writing. Part-time per-course adjunct faculty and special appointment faculty may request of their respective school or college dean or library director to review a copy of this handbook.
3.5.1. Credit for Prior Academic Service
At the time of initial appointment to a tenure-track faculty position, a candidate with previous full-time faculty appointments, including visiting appointments, at the rank of instructor or above at accredited colleges or universities of recognized standing, may negotiate to count up to three years of prior service as part of the probationary period preceding tenure. (A college or university of recognized standing is an institution accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations, e.g., Middle States). The decision as to whether previous experience is to be counted will be made at the time of the initial appointment and stated in writing at that time in the appointment letter.
Subsequent to the initial appointment, the faculty member with prior service in a full-time faculty appointment may request an adjustment to the number of years of prior service that is to be counted toward the probationary period. Such an adjustment must be supported by the committee responsible for determining the faculty member’s eligibility for tenure, the dean of the school or college, and the provost.
Initial rank will be determined according to the policy set forth in Section 3.2 of this handbook. A candidate qualified for appointment at the rank of professor may be appointed with tenure or with credit toward tenure in excess of three years upon recommendation of the appropriate school or college dean and the provost.
3.5.2. Procedures for Recruitment and Hiring of Academic Administrators
Searches for new and replacement academic administrators having direct-line responsibility for faculty will be the responsibility of the appropriate dean, except in cases in which the dean is being replaced. Searches for new and replacement deans will be the responsibility of the provost. All searches will include the full participation of the faculty in the disciplines involved. This procedure applies to internal as well as to external candidates.
3.6. Personnel Records
Appointment of a faculty member may lead to a continuing relationship with the university. For this reason it is an important responsibility of the university to maintain adequate and detailed documentation to support every action involving each individual, especially those actions pertaining to appointment, promotion, tenure, or separation from the university. The university maintains three categories of files.
3.6.1. Candidacy/Pre-employment File
All material accumulated for all candidates for any faculty post shall be maintained consistent with procedures issued by the Office of the Provost and with the requirements of Section 3.5. of this handbook. This material shall be made a part of the pre-employment file of the hired candidate and shall be maintained in the office of the dean or library director of the school/college/library hiring the candidate. The pre-employment file contains all material required or received by the university in connection with the faculty member’s original employment. In all cases, an official transcript from all institutions at which the candidate studied must be obtained. Prior to appointment, this file is available only to the president, provost, dean, library director, members of the school/college/library or department/division considering the person’s application for employment, and the director of Human Resources. After appointment, items in the file are transferred to the faculty member’s permanent file.
The pre-employment files accumulated on other candidates considered for any faculty position, but not offered an appointment, shall also be maintained in the office of the dean or library director of the school/college/library conducting the search for the length of time established by federal and state statutes and regulations, and consistent with procedures issued by the director of Human Resources and with the requirements of Section 3.5.
3.6.2. Personnel File
Copies of personnel files are maintained in the offices of the provost and dean of the faculty member’s respective school/college, or for librarians, in the office of the director of the appropriate library.
3.6.2.1. Provost’s Office File
The provost’s file will consist of documents and records pertaining to the original appointment of the faculty member, evaluations of the faculty member requiring review by the provost, and formal correspondence between the provost and the faculty member delivered by non-electronic means. Faculty may request to place additional material in this file in consultation with the Human Resources office.
3.6.2.2. Dean’s/Library Director’s File
The dean’s/library director’s file relating to promotion and tenure and other results of performance reviews and other forms of evaluation and discipline will be maintained in the office of the dean/library director of the faculty member’s respective school/college/library.
3.6.2.3. Access to Personnel Files
Access to personnel files is available only to the president, provost, the faculty member’s respective dean, department chair or head/division associate dean, library director, the school/college/library committee on promotion, tenure and academic freedom, the director of Human Resources, and the individual faculty member.
Faculty members may, for the cost of duplication, obtain copies of any materials in their own personnel files. Requests for such copies shall be made in writing to the provost’s staff.
All personnel files will be kept in confidence and will be available for confidential use only by the individuals or groups indicated above. The faculty members may, however, authorize in writing access to their file by a person not indicated above.
After legal review, the university may permit access to and copying from personnel files pursuant to lawful order or subpoena issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a federal or state agency relevant to an investigation, hearing, or other proceeding pending before such court or agency. If allowed by law, the faculty member will be notified prior to permitting access.
3.6.3. Human Resources Office Files
The Human Resources Office will maintain a file for each faculty member which shall include all relevant documents required to administer payroll, benefits, and other human resources functions. Faculty may request to place additional material in this file in consultation with the Human Resources Office.
3.6.4. Personnel Files for Part-time Per-Course and Special-Appointment Faculty
The school, college, or library file shall contain a record of academic credentials as required, appointment letters, and any information included by the faculty member.
Human Resources Office file shall contain a copy of the appointment letter for each course or group of courses taught for each semester or summer session, personal data sufficient to accurately identify the faculty member in a university directory, and EEO compliance records if any.
Access to such files shall be provided as described in Section 3.6.2.3.
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