1. Instructor. An instructor shall hold a master’s degree or the equivalent in the appropriate discipline.
2. Assistant Professor. An assistant professor shall hold at least a master’s degree in the appropriate discipline and have demonstrated achievement in his/her field of specialization.
3. Associate Professor.  An associate professor shall:
   1. hold an earned doctorate appropriate to the discipline or shall hold the earned terminal degree as approved by the Board of Trustees for this discipline as identified in the initial letter of appointment;
   2. have a minimum of eight years of professional experience with six years of full-time teaching at the college level; and
   3. have demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and advising; contributions in scholarly, creative, and/or professional activities; and service within and beyond the College.

Exceptional cases could include (a) outstanding contribution to the field of specialization; (b) ability to render a unique academic contribution to the College; or (c) evidence that the field of specialization does not customarily demand fulfillment of the academic requirements set forth in this section.

   4. Professor.  A professor shall:

1. hold an earned doctorate appropriate to the discipline or shall hold the earned terminal degree as approved by the Board of Trustees for this discipline as identified in the initial letter of appointment, and have previously attained the rank of associate professor and have demonstrated achievement in his/her field of specialization;
    
2. have a minimum of 15 years of professional experience with at least 10 years full-time teaching at the college level; and
    
3. have demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and advising; contributions in scholarly, creative, and/or professional activities; and service within and beyond the College.

Exceptional cases could include (a) outstanding contribution to the field of specialization; (b) ability to render a unique academic contribution to the College; or (c) evidence that the field of specialization does not customarily demand fulfillment of the academic requirements set forth in this section.

3. Types of Full-time Faculty Appointments. Springfield College uses different types of full-time faculty appointments that are designed to recruit, promote, and retain faculty with diverse credentials and professional experiences who assume roles to serve programs with a range of needs. Those appointments include tenure-track, program-track, and term appointments. Prior to the search for a candidate for a faculty position, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the dean of the school and the chair of the department/campus director, will determine the qualifications and the type of appointment needed for the program conducting the search. The criteria for these appointments and the expectations associated with these appointments are described below. Based on these criteria, each full-time faculty appointment will be designated in one of these categories prior to the search process.
   1. Tenure-Track Appointments. Faculty members on tenure-track appointments are expected to fulfill the traditional faculty roles of teaching, service, and scholarship.  Tenure-track appointments are generally used when faculty members are expected to bring a scholarly focus to their endeavors that is appropriate to the discipline and program objectives. Faculty members appointed to tenure-track positions will generally have an earned doctorate, though other types of terminal degrees may be considered to serve the needs of the program. Faculty members on tenure-track appointments will be issued an annual salary agreement letter and will be evaluated annually during a six-year probationary period. A mid-probation evaluation must be completed during the third year of service.  Tenure-track faculty members must apply for tenure in their sixth year of service. Exceptions to this timeline will be determined on a case-by-case basis for medical or military leaves or other extenuating circumstances.
       
   2. Program-Track Appointments. Faculty members on program-track appointments are expected to fulfill the traditional faculty roles of teaching and service. For these faculty, expectations for professional service are emphasized more so than scholarly and creative work. Program-track appointments are generally used when faculty members are expected to bring practitioner and professional service foci to their endeavors that are appropriate to the discipline and program objectives. Program-track appointments are intended for faculty members who bring a specialist, clinical, or practitioner focus to their discipline or who are recruited to complete a specialized workload. Program-track faculty members may be hired with a master’s degree in an appropriate field; however, certain programs may seek candidates with doctoral or appropriate terminal degrees. Faculty appointments in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies will generally be made to program-track appointments. Faculty members on program-track appointments will be issued an annual salary agreement and will be evaluated annually during a six-year probationary period. Following the first year of service, program track faculty are eligible for a two-year appointment. During their third year of service, a mid-probation review will be completed.  Following the third year of service, program-track faculty are eligible for a three- year appointment. In the sixth year of employment, or as part of any future third-year evaluation, the program-track faculty member may choose to apply for a long-term appointment (i.e. a five-year renewable appointment). Exceptions to this timeline will be determined on a case-by-case basis for medical or military leaves or other extenuating circumstances.
       
   3. Term Appointments. Term appointments are provided to faculty members who are engaged for a limited term (maximum of four semesters) of employment at the College. Term appointments may be used for summer or overload assignments, to replace faculty members on leave, for positions for which a full faculty search was not possible, for short-term curricular needs, or for visiting appointments.
       
   4. Balance Among Types of Appointments. Recognizing that Springfield College requires a strong full-time faculty that includes both scholarship-focused and specialist/practitioner-focused individuals, and that the College does not seek to staff its programs with short-term or “contingent” faculty, the College will seek to maintain an appropriate balance among term, tenure-track, and program-track appointments. In support of this effort, the Office of Academic Affairs will submit an annual report to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees and to the Faculty Senate president and the Faculty Personnel Committee of the Faculty Senate. The report, produced in the fall semester/term, will present the percentage of each type of faculty appointment at Springfield College for that academic year. Should the proportion of any type of appointment change by five percent or more over a two-year interval, the Faculty Senate president, jointly with the Faculty Personnel Committee, will request of the President of the College a formal review of and explanation for the change in hiring patterns. Should the faculty be concerned about a consistent change within any category over a six- year interval, the Faculty Senate president, jointly with the Faculty Personnel Committee, will request of the President of the College a formal review of and detailed explanation for this pattern. The Faculty Senate president, jointly with the Faculty Personnel Committee, will provide a formal response to any review/explanation.

ARTICLE 3 - FACULTY RESPONSIBILITES

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1. Responsibilities of the Profession. Members of the full-time faculty have special responsibilities as members of the academic profession. These responsibilities are described in the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Statement on Professional Ethics, as follows
   1. Professors, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of the advancement of knowledge, recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility to their subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it.  To this end professors devote their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty. Although professors may follow subsidiary interests, these interests must never seriously hamper or compromise their freedom of inquiry.
   2. As teachers, professors encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students. They hold before them the best scholarly and ethical standards of their discipline. Professors demonstrate respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual guides and counselors. Professors make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to ensure that their evaluations of students reflect each student’s true merit. They respect the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student. They avoid any exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of students. They acknowledge significant academic or scholarly assistance from them.  They protect their academic freedom.
   3. As colleagues, professors have obligations that derive from common membership in the community of scholars. Professors do not discriminate against or harass colleagues. They respect and defend the free inquiry of associates. In the exchange of criticism and ideas professors show due respect for the opinions of others. Professors acknowledge academic debt and strive to be objective in their professional judgment of colleagues. Professors accept their share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of their institutions.
   4. As members of an academic institution, professors seek above all to be effective teachers and scholars. Although professors observe the stated regulations of the institution, provided the regulations do not contravene academic freedom, they maintain their right to criticize and seek revision. Professors give due regard to their paramount responsibilities within their institution in determining the amount and character of work done outside it. When considering the interruption or termination of their service, professors recognize the effect of their decision upon the program of the institution and give due notice of their intentions.
   5. As members of their community, professors have the rights and obligations of other citizens. Professors measure the urgency of these obligations in the light of their responsibilities to their subject, to their students, to their profession, and to their institution. When they speak or act as private persons, they avoid creating the impression of speaking or acting for their college or university. As citizens engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, professors have a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.” AAUP Policy and Reports, Tenth Edition, 2006, p.171-172.

2. College Responsibilities. As stated throughout this policy, all full-time faculty members are expected to meet College standards for teaching and advising; scholarly, creative and/or professional work; and service within and beyond the College. The basic responsibilities of all full-time faculty in these areas include:
   1. Teaching. Full-time faculty members on nine- or 12-month appointments will be assigned 12 workload units of teaching tasks per semester/term, or will be provided with released time for a portion of this teaching workload to fulfill other responsibilities, such as coaching, service activities, administrative duties, or others. The teaching schedule for each faculty member will be assigned by his/her department chair/campus director and approved by the school dean. Faculty members who are asked to teach more than 12 workload units of teaching in a semester/term will be provided with an overload payment based on the College’s overload payment schedule.
   2. Student Advising. Faculty members will be assigned student advisees by their department chair/campus director or by the Director of Academic Advising. Faculty members who serve as advisors to Exploratory Studies students will receive special training and support for these assignments. Faculty members who do not serve as advisors will be assigned other duties.
   3. Scholarly, Creative, and/or Professional Work. Faculty members are expected to engage in scholarly, creative, and/or professional activities. Funds are provided to each department to support attendance at professional meetings, and additional funds are available to support faculty members who are making presentations at such meetings. Additional support for faculty development includes sabbatical leaves, faculty research grants, reassigned time awards, etc. (see faculty development section of the Faculty Handbook).
   4. Service Within and Beyond the College. All faculty members are expected to fulfill basic service obligations to the College, to their department/campus, and to their school, and to participate in required College activities, including faculty institutes and commencement activities at their home campus.  In addition, faculty members are expected to participate in faculty governance, attend department/campus and school events, and complete service activities in support of their program and department/campus. Given the mission of the College, faculty members are also expected to make contributions to their community.

3. Academic Work Year. Since different programs and campuses hold their classes at different times throughout the budget year, faculty members will be issued salary agreement letters for either a two-semester/term (nine month) or a three-semester/term (12 month) teaching period. The salary of faculty members on these different salary agreements will be adjusted to reflect the different terms of their employment at the College. The academic work year for nine-month faculty in the Schools of Arts, Sciences, and Professional Studies; Health, Physical Education, and Recreation; Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies; and Social Work will begin with the fall Faculty Institute and conclude at the end of commencement weekend. For faculty members in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies on nine-month appointments, the teaching schedule of each faculty member, (i.e. fall semester/term and spring semester/term or spring semester and term/summer semester/term, etc.) will be defined in their annual salary agreement letter. The academic work year for these nine-month faculty members will be aligned with the calendar of classes scheduled for their campus and will be equivalent in duration to the academic work year for nine-month faculty members in other schools. The academic work year for faculty members on 12-month appointments in all schools will be September 1 to August 31. For budget purposes, faculty salary agreement letters will cover the period September 1 to August 31 of each year.
    
4. Faculty Availability. The College hires full-time faculty members to provide full-time support to the College and its students. While the College recognizes that faculty members complete many hours of professional work outside their offices, and that they need time for scholarly and creative work, each full-time faculty member should be available on a regular basis throughout the work week for teaching, office hours, and College service activities throughout the semester/term. Faculty members on 12-month appointments (three semester/terms) are expected to complete a regular work schedule throughout the year when the College or their campus is open. Faculty members on 12-month appointments should consult with their campus director when scheduling their vacation time. For the convenience of students, all faculty members must be accessible for a minimum of five hours each week (beyond teaching hours), on different days and at different times, with additional office hours added as needed. Additionally, faculty members should be available as needed on campus for department or College meetings and events at times outside their teaching schedule.
    
5. Outside Employment. The College has first claim on the working time of the faculty member. Outside employment is not to interfere with the faculty member’s College responsibilities.
    
6. Membership in Learned or Professional Societies. Faculty, at their own expense, are expected to be members of learned or professional societies in their fields.  It is the policy of the College to assist faculty to attend meetings of such societies that will contribute to professional growth or to the College.
    
7. Personal Opinions:  When faculty members speak or write as citizens, they should not use the name of the College in a manner that suggests that they represent the views of the College.
    
8. Humanics: Faculty shall demonstrate commitment to the Humanics philosophy through service to the College, the community, and the profession.

ARTICLE 4 - FACULTY RIGHTS

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A. All faculty members, whether full-time or part-time have the following rights:

1. Academic Freedom. Springfield College has a long-standing commitment to academic freedom, dating back to the time of Dr. Laurence Locke Doggett, who served as President of the College from 1896-1935. The American Association of University Professors’ 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure was endorsed by the Association of American Colleges in 1941. These principles are adopted as the College’s position on academic freedom.
   1. All faculty members are entitled to full freedom in research and in publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of his/her other academic duties. However, research for pecuniary return must be based upon prior understanding with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
       
   2. All faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussion of his/her subject, but should be careful to identify as a personal view any controversial matter that has no relation to his/her subject or that does not reflect the Humanics philosophy of the College.
       
   3. All faculty members 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.
       
2. Protection Against Discrimination.  All faculty members are entitled to protection in accordance with the Springfield College Non-Discrimination Policy and applicable law and for protection against discrimination on a basis not demonstrably related to the faculty member’s professional performance, including but not limited to, membership or non-membership in any political or ideological organization.
    
3. Faculty Senate or School Committee Membership.  Only full-time faculty members are eligible for election to the Faculty Senate or school committees. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, deans of the schools, and individuals with faculty status with less than 15 percent of their workload in teaching are not eligible for election to the Faculty Senate or school committees.
    
4. Faculty Voting. Only full-time faculty members who are assigned 15 percent or more of their workload in teaching have voting privileges in Faculty Senate and school committee elections (see Faculty Bylaws for eligibility criteria for election to Faculty Senate).

2. College Support of Personal and Professional Development.  The College recognizes the importance of personal and professional development of members of the faculty and seeks to encourage that development by such means as may be appropriate and possible.

ARTICLE 5 - COMPENSATION

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1. General Principles. Compensation consists of faculty salaries and benefits including salary plans and schedules as well as benefit packages. The College is committed to establishing compensation that is fairly allocated among faculty and that is comparable to compensation at schools with comparable programs and quality. Recognizing that compensation is an important issue for both the faculty and the administration, the President of the College shall invite the Faculty Senate president and members of the Faculty Personnel Committee to discuss proposed changes in the compensation plan prior to implementation. The Faculty Personnel Committee will report to the Faculty Senate in a timely manner.
    
2. Copies. Copies of compensation provisions (e.g., the formulas of salary plans, the provisions of health benefits, or the terms of tuition remission options) shall always be available for review by faculty members upon request to the Office of Human Resources or its successor.
    
3. Twelve-Month Positions. Salaries for faculty on 12-month appointments shall be converted by applying the ratio of 12/9 to their nine-month salary.
    
4. Compensation for Additional Duties. Faculty members who are asked to teach more than 12 workload units receive overload compensation for their work following the published overload payment schedule. Faculty members may receive additional compensation or release time for certain assigned work outside the standard appointment period or for additional duties assigned by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the school dean (e.g. department chair positions and coaches).

ARTICLE 6 - APPOINTMENT AND REAPPOINTMENT

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1. Appointment
   1. Initial appointments are made by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs after conferring with the dean of the school. Recommendations for appointments are made by the dean of the school after conferring with the department chair/campus director and receiving the recommendations of the screening committee, which is charged with conducting a thorough review of applicants’ qualifications.  See Faculty Handbook for more detailed information.
       
   2. Initial Letter of Appointment. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall send to each newly appointed faculty member an initial letter of appointment which includes the rank, track, terms of appointment, terminal degree, years to be applied to the probationary period, and salary for the position. Additional information on conditions of employment is found in the Faculty Handbook. The acknowledged receipt of the letter and written acceptance of its conditions constitute an employment agreement between the faculty member and the College.
2. Reappointment and Non-Reappointment of Probationary Faculty. Faculty members who are in their first six years of a tenure-track or program-track appointment are considered probationary faculty and are reviewed annually.  Probationary faculty members on both tenure-track and program-track appointments are subject to reappointment or non- reappointment at the conclusion of their appointment term for the duration of their probationary period.
   1. Reappointment. The decision to reappoint a probationary faculty member will be made by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the school dean in consultation with the department chair/campus director and will be based on the performance of the faculty member (see Article 7) and/or the continuing need for the faculty position. For faculty with coaching duties the dean will consult with the Director of Athletics.
       
   2. Non-Reappointment. The decision to non-reappoint a probationary faculty member will be made by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the school dean in consultation with the department chair/campus director and will be based on the performance of the faculty member (see Article 7) and/or the continuing need for the faculty position. For faculty with coaching duties the dean will consult with the Director of Athletics. Notice of non-reappointment will be based on the following schedule:

• Prior to March 1 of the first year of academic service or at least three months prior to the expiration of the appointment;
• Prior to December 15 of the second year of service or at least six months prior to the expiration of the appointment; or
• At least 12 months prior to the expiration of the appointment after two or more years of service.

3. Annual Salary Agreement Letters. Faculty receive annual salary agreement letters. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall, on or before March 25, send to each faculty member a salary agreement which includes rank, track, terms of appointment, and salary as well as changes in the Faculty Personnel Policy or Faculty Handbook which the faculty member has not otherwise received. The acknowledged receipt of the letter and written acceptance of its conditions constitute an employment agreement between the faculty member and the College.  Should a salary increase be approved subsequent to March 25, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will send a notification of the salary increase to faculty by August 1.

ARTICLE 7 - EVALUATION

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1. Principles. This article addresses the requirements for evaluation of teaching, advising, scholarly, creative, and professional activities, and service within and beyond the College for faculty members who do not have coaching responsibilities, (see Article 14 for information on evaluation for Teacher-Coach Faculty Members.  Faculty evaluation is essential for the professional development of faculty and for continued employment and promotion. Because of these uses of evaluation and because of the inherently complex and sensitive nature of evaluation, persons responsible for evaluation should seek to be humane as well as effective and fair in their assessments. Faculty members must be aware of the evaluative criteria and the evaluation process, and must seek to meet the expected standards of Springfield College. Faculty evaluations are part of the required documentation used in the review for tenure and long-term appointments, and in the promotion review process.
   
   Evaluation must be based on clear criteria. The criteria include both general and individualized expectations of each faculty member. The individual faculty workplan is developed in consultation with the department chair /campus director and approved by the school dean. General expectations are stated in this policy (see articles concerning faculty responsibilities, tenure, long-term employment, promotion, and specialized work load assignments). Individualized expectations arise through the regular development of individual work plans tailored to the specific needs and interests of each faculty member and of his/her department(s) or program(s).
    
2. Schedule
   1. Tenure-track faculty members in their probationary period and program-track faculty members on one-, two-, or three-year appointments will be evaluated annually. Faculty members who have been granted tenure and program-track faculty members who have been granted a five-year appointment will be evaluated every third year.  The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will create a schedule for these three-year evaluations to ensure that one-third of the eligible faculty in each department will be evaluated each year. For each of the two years when these faculty members are not evaluated, they must submit a Report on Professional Accomplishments to their department chair/campus director and school dean outlining their professional accomplishments/achievements for the year. Individuals applying for tenure, five-year appointment, or promotion should follow published timetables for these processes.
       
   2. All faculty members may be subject to a special evaluation at any time by the department chair/campus director and/or school dean if there are concerns about their performance. See Article 11 for the procedure.

3. The Faculty Evaluation Procedure.
   1. As part of this process, all faculty members who are in their evaluation year as described in Section B1, will submit two documents to their department chair/campus director no later than June 1. The first document will be the Self- Evaluation Report of the previous year completed using the form included in the Faculty Handbook, and the second document will be their Faculty Workplan Proposal for the coming academic year. Faculty members who are not in their evaluation year as described in Section B1 will submit a Report on Professional Accomplishments no later than June 1 using the form included in the Faculty Handbook instead of the Self-Evaluation Report. Faculty members who have not submitted their evaluation materials in a timely manner may not be eligible for salary increments effective September 1.
       
   2. The faculty evaluation cycle for all faculty members at the College will be for the academic year, extending from the start of the fall semester/term through the end of the summer semester/term. Faculty Workplan Proposals submitted by faculty members on a three-year evaluation cycle will propose goals and priorities for the next three-year period of professional development.
       
   3. Upon receipt of the Self-Evaluation Report and Faculty Workplan Proposal, the department chair/campus director will meet with the faculty member to discuss the faculty member’s performance in the previous year(s) and his/her goals for the academic year(s) ahead. Following this meeting, the department chair/campus director will provide a written evaluation of the faculty member using the space and format provided in the Self-Evaluation Report and will make a recommendation regarding the faculty member’s proposed workplan. The evaluation will provide the faculty member with clear feedback in each area of evaluation, indicating whether the faculty member has met, exceeded, or failed to meet the College standards in that area based on the criteria described in Section D.
       
   4. The department chair/campus director’s written evaluation and recommendations regarding the proposed workplan will be shared with the faculty member prior to being forwarded to the school dean.  The faculty member will be asked to indicate in writing that she/he has received the evaluation and will have the opportunity to respond to the evaluation in writing.  If the faculty member chooses not to acknowledge that she/he has received the evaluation, the department chair/campus director can still submit the evaluation if she/he has given the faculty member the opportunity to acknowledge and respond to its contents.
       
   5. Once completed, the department chair/campus director will forward the written evaluation of the faculty member and his/her proposed workplan, including any comments provided by the faculty member, to the school dean. The school dean will review the evaluation and proposed workplan with the department chair/campus director, and if the school dean has a concern about either the evaluation or the workplan, she/he will communicate that concern in writing to both the department chair/campus director and to the faculty member. The school dean finalizes the faculty member’s evaluation and workplan either by approving these documents as recommended by the department chair/campus director, or by meeting with the department chair/campus director and the faculty member to discuss his/her concern. Following this meeting, the school dean will either confirm the department chair/campus director’s evaluation and workplan recommendation or she/he will revise the evaluation or workplan in writing. If this occurs, the school dean will provide the faculty member with the opportunity to respond to the new evaluation or revised workplan in writing as part of the faculty member’s evaluation file. The evaluation process should be completed by June 30.
       
   6. The faculty member’s finalized evaluations and workplans will be maintained by the school dean for the duration of his/her employment.  The faculty member shall have access to any and all personnel records and evaluation materials included in these files.
       
   7. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Faculty Senate, shall publish and disseminate the appropriate documents relevant to this procedure to all faculty through the Faculty Handbook. The documents will include a timetable. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall ensure that deans of the schools, department chairs, assistant deans/campus directors, and any other persons with primary evaluation responsibility will be trained in effective evaluation.

4. Evaluation Criteria. The faculty evaluation criteria adopted by Springfield College provide a framework for the development of faculty workplans and are directly linked to the required standards for continued employment and for promotion in rank, tenure, and long- term appointments. Given the mission of the College, the evaluation process will provide feedback to the faculty member in the three primary areas of faculty responsibility: 1). teaching and advising; 2). scholarly, creative, and/or professional activity; and 3). service within and beyond the College.  During each evaluation, and for each evaluation area, faculty members will be given a summary evaluation of “exceeds,” “meets,” or “is below” the College standard by the designated evaluator, along with comments that will provide the faculty member with feedback in each area.  For each evaluation area, all evaluators will use the criteria and materials listed below to assess the work of the faculty member.
   1. Teaching and Advising:  All Springfield College faculty members will be effective in teaching and advising their students. The following activities exemplify effectiveness in teaching and advising. Faculty members will provide evidence that they meet the College standard in this area of evaluation.
      1. Effective Teaching

• Content Expertise: Faculty members will demonstrate mastery of the course content and will ensure that their course content is current.
• Instructional Design: Faculty members will demonstrate that they use an instructional design for their courses that is effective in facilitating student learning.
• Student Engagement: Faculty members will demonstrate that their teaching challenges students and engages them in the learning process.
• Course Management: Faculty members will demonstrate that they provide timely feedback to students, are responsive to College timelines and deadlines, and maintain a positive learning environment.
   

2. Effective Advising The faculty member will offer evidence that they are providing direction and support to students in planning their academic program and completing all requirements for their degree.

The effectiveness of a faculty member in meeting these criteria will be based on the faculty member’s self-evaluation; classroom observations completed by the department chair/campus director; classroom observations completed by peers if requested by the faculty member or the department chair; course materials such as syllabi, examinations, assignments, and class readings; and feedback provided by students.

2. Scholarly, Creative, and/or Professional Activity.
   Springfield College employs the model for defining scholarly, creative, and professional activity published by Ernest L. Boyer in “Scholarship Reconsidered.” The Boyer model includes four interrelated areas of faculty scholarship: “discovery” or disciplinary research; “application” or responsibly applying knowledge to societal needs and practice; “integration” or interdisciplinary collaboration; and “teaching” or the systematic approach to student learning through discovering what and how students learn.
   
   Professional competence in teaching requires that faculty members be actively involved in the intellectual and scholarly activities in their field. Because these activities vary from discipline to discipline, and because the College has different expectations of faculty members serving on different appointments, individual faculty members may meet the standard in this area of evaluation in different ways. In evaluating the work of each faculty member, the following will provide evidence that the faculty member is meeting the College standard in this area of evaluation:
   1. Alignment with the Discipline. Faculty members will demonstrate that their scholarly, creative, and professional activity is representative of typical work in their discipline; and
       
   2. Contributions to Their Teaching. Faculty members will demonstrate that their scholarly, creative, and professional activity makes a direct contribution to their teaching effectiveness.

The effectiveness of a faculty member in meeting these criteria will be based on the faculty member’s self-evaluation, where the faculty member will demonstrate that his/her scholarly, creative, and professional activity is valuable in terms of the time, effort, and intellectual intensity required to complete his/her work. The faculty member should present the products of his/her professional work or the progress made on that work as part of the evaluation process. Observations of his/her activities by the department chair/campus director, observations of his/her activities by peers, and/or letters of support submitted by qualified peers or external agencies or evaluators may serve as evidence of the faculty member’s effectiveness in this area of evaluation.

   3. Service within the College and Service Beyond the College

All faculty members are expected to complete their basic College responsibilities (see Article 3). Beyond these basic responsibilities, each faculty member is expected to provide service within the College and beyond the College. Such service should contribute to and enhance the general welfare of the College and community organizations and activities. Recognizing that each faculty member may meet the College standard in this area of evaluation in different ways, the evaluator will consider the following criteria:

a. Service Within the College. Faculty members will demonstrate that their College service activities provide support for the College via service to their school and/or campus in faculty governance, in academic leadership positions, in cocurricular leadership positions, or other service that goes beyond the basic expectations required of all faculty members; and

b. Service Beyond the College. Faculty members will demonstrate that their community service activities provide support for the community via service that will benefit community organizations, agencies, or community members.

The effectiveness of faculty members in meeting these criteria will be based on the faculty members’ self-evaluation, where faculty members will demonstrate that their service activity is valued in terms of the time, effort, and intensity involved in the work. A review of the products of their work, observations of their activities by the department chair/campus director, observations of their activities by peers, and/or letters of support submitted by qualified peers and/or members of the community who are familiar with their service activities may serve as evidence in this area of evaluation.

   4. Specialized Workload Assignments.

Faculty members who are assigned specialized assignments as part of their annual salary agreement letter (e.g., coaches, department chairs) should be evaluated on their performance by the individual(s) who supervise those roles.

ARTICLE 8 - PROMOTION STANDARDS

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1. General. The standard, procedure, review, and appeal process for promotion in rank for faculty members who do not have coaching responsibilities are established by this article, (see Article 14 for information on promotion for Teacher-Coach Faculty Members.  A full-time faculty member is not automatically promoted in rank after a specified period of time but must apply for promotion and be found to meet the requirements of the standards. An untenured assistant professor may seek promotion at the same time that she/he seeks tenure. A program-track assistant professor may seek promotion at the same time that she/he seeks a long term renewable appointment.
    
2. Eligibility. To apply for promotion to the next rank, an applicant must be a full-time faculty member in either a tenure- or program-track appointment and meet the criteria for the next rank as stated in Article 2B.
3. Process. Promotion decisions shall be based upon materials submitted by the applicant, materials from regular evaluations of the applicant, and evaluation materials prepared for the promotion process.

1. Review Sequence.  The promotion process will include the following:

1. The applicant submits a letter of intent to his/her department chair, assistant dean/campus director, school dean, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs on or before the first Tuesday following Labor Day. The letter of intent may be submitted electronically with return receipt.
    
2. It is recommended that the applicant review all personnel records housed with the department chair, school dean, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and/or human resources prior to submitting the file of supporting materials for promotion.
    
3. The applicant submits a file of supporting materials to the department chair or assistant dean/campus director on or before the last Friday of September. In the School of Social Work, the file is submitted directly to the School Faculty Development and Status Committee.
    
4. The department chair or assistant dean/campus director submits the applicant’s file and the chair’s or assistant dean’s/campus director’s assessment and recommendation to the School Faculty Development and Status Committee on or before the second Tuesday in October.
    
5. The School Faculty Development and Status Committee reviews the materials and sends the materials and its recommendation to the school dean by the first Tuesday of December. The dean reviews the materials and makes a recommendation to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs by the end of the first week of January.
    
6. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs reviews the materials and recommendations from the School Faculty Development and Status Committee and the dean and forwards his/her recommendation to the President.
    
7. The President reviews the recommendation and forwards his/her positive recommendations to the Board of Trustees as an information item. A recommendation against promotion is not forwarded to the Board of Trustees and no action is taken.

4. Standard for Promotion. The School Faculty Development and Status Committee shall recommend promotion if the applicant meets the criteria for the higher rank as stated in Article 2B and if the applicant demonstrates the following performance standard.
   1. Promotion to Associate Professor
      1. Teaching and Advising: Consistent performance that exceeds the College standard;
      2. Scholarly, Creative, and/or Professional Activity: Consistent performance that meets the College standard; and
      3. Service within and Beyond the College: Consistent performance that meets the College standard.
   2. Promotion to Professor.
      1. Teaching and Advising: Consistent performance that exceeds the College standard; and
      2. Performance must exceed the College standard in one of the other two areas while meeting the College standard in the other.
5. Rights of Denied Applicants. An applicant who is denied promotion has the following rights (in addition to any others provided by law):
   1. To make a request within 14 days from the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for a written explanation of the specific reasons for denial and a meeting to further discuss the denial; and
   2. To file a grievance according to this Faculty Personnel Policy under Article 13.

ARTICLE 10 - LEAVE OF ABSENCE AND SABBATICAL LEAVE

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1. Leave of Absence.
   1. Defined. A “leave of absence” is permission (other than that for sabbatical leave) granted to a faculty member for a specified period during which she/he may be legitimately absent from the College without salary while continuing to hold faculty status and rank as a faculty member. Normally this period will be not less than one semester and will exceed one academic year only in exceptional cases.
   2. Process. The faculty member submits a request to the President of the College with a recommendation from the department chair/campus director, school dean, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
2. Sabbatical Leave:
   1. General. The sabbatical leave system enables full-time faculty members to undertake research, writing, study, or creative and scholarly endeavor that they would not be able to do in the course of their full-time College responsibilities. A faculty member is not automatically granted a sabbatical upon completion of the necessary period of service.  The faculty member must apply, submit a proposal, and meet the determination standards. The proposal must be judged meritorious according to the determination criteria for sabbatical as listed in Article 10.B.5. This article establishes the determination standards, the determination criteria, and the determination procedure.
   2. Number of Sabbaticals. Sabbatical numbers are determined annually. The total number possible for allocation to faculty in each of the academic schools is a minimum of eight percent of the full-time faculty assigned to each school. Sabbaticals are awarded for meritorious proposals only. Sabbaticals that are unused/not awarded in one school will be placed in a pool for allocation/award to faculty in other schools, provided the proposals are judged meritorious upon recommendation by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the sabbatical funding is approved by the Board of Trustees.
   3. Sabbatical Duration. Sabbatical leaves may be granted to faculty on nine- or 12- month appointments for one semester/term or for two continuous semesters/terms. In the case of specialized faculty workload assignments (including but not limited to coaching or administrative responsibilities spanning the semesters/terms) where such workload assignment makes the one- semester/one term or two continuous semesters/terms impractical, the faculty member may work with his/her department chair and school dean to propose an alternative format for sabbatical leave.
   4. Determination Standards. An applicant will be eligible for a sabbatical leave if the following standards are met:
      1. The applicant is a full-time faculty member with the rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor;
      2. The applicant has at least six continuous years of full-time service at the College and at least six full years of service at the College since his/her last sabbatical leave (faculty members in their sixth year of such service may apply for a sabbatical for the following year);
      3. If the applicant has previously received a sabbatical, the report from that sabbatical must be on file and available to the Faculty Development Committee; and
      4. If qualified sabbatical applications in a particular school exceed the number available, the applicant who has waited the longest within the school will be favored. If an applicant is denied a sabbatical solely because others in the school have waited longer, the six-year period between sabbaticals shall count the year in which the denied sabbatical would have occurred.
   5. Determination Criteria.  Sabbatical recommendations by all reviewing parties shall be based upon the merit of the proposal (as described in criteria “a” through “h” below) submitted by the applicant. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will review the proposal in terms of its merit and in light of the general welfare of the College. The faculty member must demonstrate a plan for research, creative activity, or other academic achievement for the sabbatical period. The criteria for merit review and rating of proposal as “highly recommended,” ” recommended,” “recommended with reservations,” or “not recommended” will be based on answers to the questions: To what extent does the proposed project meet all of the following three criteria (a,b,c):
      1. Align with the mission and goals of the College, the school, and the department;
      2. Consist of creative and scholarly work that cannot be readily accomplished during periods of regular service; and
      3. Possess the potential for publication, exhibition, presentation, or performance.
         
         Additionally, proposals will be rated based on the extent to which they meet one or more of the following criteria:
          
      4. Demonstrate significant contribution to the discipline;
      5. Provide needed retraining for innovation within a discipline or program;
      6. Advance the College’s efforts to initiate, improve, or restructure academic programs;
      7. Update the applicant’s skills and proficiencies necessary for improved performance of current responsibilities; and
      8. Provide the applicant with opportunities for preliminary study, creative endeavor, and research.
   6. Determination Procedure. Sabbatical determinations are made according to a recommendation process as follows:
      
             Application
      1. The applicant shall submit by mail or electronically a letter of intent to apply for sabbatical to his/her department chair, assistant dean/campus director, school dean, and to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs by the dates specified.
      2.  The applicant shall submit a completed proposal for the sabbatical to his/her department chair or assistant dean/campus director by the dates specified (see Faculty Handbook)
         
         Recommendatipon Review Process
          
      3.  The department chair or assistant dean/campus director reviews and assesses the proposal according to the criteria in Article 10.B.5 and submits the proposal and his/her recommendation on the Sabbatical Leave Application cover page to the school dean; if more than one proposal is recommended, the department chair or assistant dean/campus director must rank the recommended proposals based on their merit.  The department chair or assistant dean/campus director may note workload or other administrative concerns; however, these should not affect the merit ranking.
      4. The school dean reviews and assesses the proposal according to the criteria in Article 10.B.5 and forwards the proposal and his/her recommendation on the Sabbatical Leave Application cover page to the Faculty Development Committee. If more than one proposal is recommended, the school dean reviews the plans for workload coverage with the department chair or assistant dean/campus director and may note workload or other administrative concerns; however, these should not affect the merit rating.
      5. The Faculty Development Committee reviews and assesses the proposal according to the criteria in Article 10.B.5 and submits the proposal and its recommendation on the Sabbatical Leave Application cover page to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
      6. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs reviews the proposals, and the recommendations of the department chair, assistant dean/campus director, school dean and Faculty Development Committee; considers the merit of each proposal as well as any administrative concerns including workload issues; and awards sabbaticals subject to the approval of the sabbatical budget by the Board of Trustees.
         
         Approval and Notification
          
      7. Sabbatical Leave Applications are acted upon following the approval of the sabbatical leave budget by the Board of Trustees.
      8. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs notifies the sabbatical applicant, the department chair, assistant dean/campus director, school dean, and Faculty Development Committee of the action of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees and whether the application has been “approved and awarded,” “approved and deferred,” or “not approved” within 10 days of the completion of the Board of Trustees meeting at which the recommendations were reviewed.

  7. Rights of Denied Applicants.

1. Applicants denied a sabbatical leave will receive a written explanation of the reasons for denial from the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs upon request.
2. Applicants denied a sabbatical may engage the grievance process in accordance with Article 13 of the Faculty Personnel Policy.

C. Duties, Rights, and Compensation During Leaves of Absence or Sabbatical Leaves.

1. Duty to Return. Leaves of absence and sabbatical leaves are granted with the understanding the faculty member will return to the College at the end of the leave for at least one academic year unless relieved of this expectation by mutual agreement of the faculty member and the College. Upon return from sabbatical leave, a faculty member must submit a written report of sabbatical activities to the department chair, assistant dean/campus director, school dean, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and share the outcome of his/her project with faculty colleagues in an appropriate venue. A copy of the report will be placed in the faculty member’s regular personnel records.
2. Salary.
   1. Leave of Absence. A faculty member will not be entitled to his/her salary during a leave of absence. However, she/he will be eligible for any salary adjustment increases for the year she/he is on leave and for the year she/he returns. Time during a leave will be counted as earned time in calculating any salary increments that depend on time served.
   2. Sabbatical. A faculty member on a nine-month appointment shall receive one-half of his/her annual pay for two-semester/term sabbatical or full pay during a one-semester/term sabbatical. A faculty member on 12-month appointment shall receive full pay for a one- semester/term sabbatical.  For a two-semester/term sabbatical, faculty pay shall be one-half pay for each of the semesters/terms on sabbatical.
      
      These salary provisions shall not alter the base salary figures for computing retirement fund payments. However, she/he will be eligible for any salary adjustment while on sabbatical.

  3. Benefits. During leaves of absence and sabbaticals, all benefits normally offered to full-time faculty shall continue on the following basis:

1. All minor benefits, such as regular season athletic tickets without charge (may not include playoffs or championships), on-campus parking, and invitations to all-faculty functions, shall continue;
2. All items normally withheld from the faculty member’s salary to which she/he alone contributes shall continue so long as the faculty member pays the appropriate office the required amount;
3. All benefits which the College pays in full and all benefits to which both the College and faculty member contribute shall continue so long as the faculty member pays the appropriate office the required amount;
4. Tuition reimbursements that would otherwise be available to the faculty member and his/her family shall continue; and,
5. Sick leave and vacation time shall not accumulate during leaves.

4. Voting/Committee Rights. Faculty members on leave shall continue to have all rights listed in Article 4; however, if they hold an office or committee position during their leave, they shall be replaced (permanently or temporarily according to Faculty Senate policy or decision) if their leave prevents fulfillment of their obligations.
    
5. Promotion/Tenure Calculations. The time on a leave of absence shall not count as earned time for purposes of tenure or long-term appointment, promotion, or sabbatical leave. However, the time on a sabbatical leave shall count as earned time for purposes of tenure, long-term appointment, or promotion.

ARTICLE 11 - RESIGNATION, RETIREMENT, AND TERMINATION

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1. General: A faculty member may voluntarily terminate his/her employment based on resignation or retirement. A faculty member may be involuntarily terminated from employment by the College based on performance, or laid off based on retrenchment (i.e. staff reduction based on a financial exigency, on financial difficulties not qualifying as a financial exigency, or on discontinuance of a program or department not mandated by financial exigency). The policies related to retrenchment are described in Article 12 of this policy.
    
2. Voluntary Terminations. Voluntary terminations are ones that result from the resignation or retirement of a faculty member.
   1. Resignation.  A faculty member desiring to resign shall notify the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, his/her school dean, and his/her department chair/campus director of his/her intention in a time frame that considers the impact of the decision on the program, the school, and the College. See AAUP Statement of Professional Ethics (Article 3) regarding the timing of resignations.
       
   2. Retirement. In order to assist their program, their school, and the College, faculty members who plan to retire should notify the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, their school dean, and their department chair/campus director of their plan to retire by December 1 of their final year of service as a faculty member. Faculty members seeking to reduce their workload in preparation for retirement may apply for a reduced workload assignment (refer to relevant section of the Faculty Handbook.)
3. Involuntary Terminations: Springfield College values the long-term service and commitment made by its faculty and will not terminate faculty members for arbitrary or capricious reasons. The College subscribes to the AAUP Statement on Professional Ethics (see Article 3) as a guide in the three categories of involuntary termination presented below.
   1. Immediate Dismissal. If there is credible evidence that they have violated any of the critical employment policies that apply to all College employees, faculty members are subject to immediate dismissal or other sanctions as provided by the policies.  These policies are published in the Faculty Handbook and specifically include policies on sexual harassment, maintaining a drug-free campus, the responsible use of technology, anti-violence, and campus safety. Beyond these specific policies, faculty members are also subject to immediate dismissal if convicted of a criminal offense that endangers the health, safety, or well-being of the members of the College community. Faculty members may be suspended with pay by the President of the College during the investigation of such offenses if appropriate for the well-being of the College community. Faculty members dismissed under this section of the personnel policy may appeal their dismissal to the Faculty Personnel Committee.
       
   2. Non-Reappointment of Probationary Faculty Members. Probationary faculty members on both tenure-track and program-track appointments (i.e. those faculty members in the first six years of their appointment at the College) are subject to non-reappointment during their probationary period. The decision to non-reappoint a probationary faculty member will be made by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs based on the recommendation of the school dean in consultation with the department chair/campus director or Director of Athletics where appropriate and will be based on the performance of the faculty member (see Article 7) and/or the continuing need for the faculty position. Notice of non-reappointment will be based on the following schedule, subject to the provisions of Section C1 above and Article 12:

4. Termination Based on Retrenchment. A faculty member may be laid off in response to a financial exigency, financial difficulties not qualifying as a financial exigency, or discontinuance of a program, campus, or department. In any of these cases, the guidelines for retrenchment (in Article 12, below) must be followed before notice of layoff is given.
    
5. Suspension. The President of the College may, if she/he deems it desirable or warranted, suspend a faculty member who is being separated with pay to the end of the contract year.
    
6. Compensation.  If a faculty member is separated pursuant to Article 11.C.1 during the academic year and no suspension has been imposed, the faculty member shall be paid only that part of his/her annual salary which is proportional to the period served.

1. Guidelines. When indicators exist that a program, department, or campus may be facing financial difficulty, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will meet with the faculty, department chair/campus director, and school dean potentially affected to receive input related to plans of action. When retrenchment in the faculty as a whole or in any academic area may be necessitated by a financial exigency or a discontinuance of a program or department or campus not mandated by financial exigency (as these terms are defined by AAUP Policy Documents and Reports); or for financial difficulties not qualifying as a financial exigency, these guidelines will be followed.

1. Notice of Pending Plans.  Notice of pending retrenchment plans will be presented to and discussed with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee 30 days prior to any notice of layoff, notice not to reappoint, or notice of reassignment of duties sent to any faculty member in conjunction with retrenchment. The vice president of the Faculty Senate, who serves as the chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee, will bring the retrenchment plans to the Faculty Personnel Committee for comment. The Faculty Personnel Committee will have 10 days to forward their comments on the plans to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, who will then share their comments with the President of the College.
    
2. The proposed plan must make appropriate provisions for currently enrolled students to complete their degrees in accordance with New England Association of Schools and Colleges standards and all applicable state standards and regulations.
    
3. In the case of financial exigency, a declaration of financial exigency will be presented to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee by the President of the College or his/her designees and by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
    
4. Prior to the retrenchment of full-time faculty members, all feasible reductions in other personnel in the department, program, or campus should occur if instruction within the program is to continue.
    
5. In any retrenchment of full-time faculty members, the following shall occur:

1. In developing and implementing the retrenchment plan, unless the instructional needs of the students require a different order, the following criteria will be used to determine the order of full-time faculty members to be retrenched:
   • Probationary faculty members will be subject to retrenchment first, with seniority at the College used to determine the retrenchment order within this category.
   • Faculty members with tenure and/or six years of service on program-track appointments will be subject to retrenchment only after all probationary faculty members have been retrenched, with seniority at the College used to determine the retrenchment order within this category.

2. Retrenchment shall mean the laying off of any member of the faculty and shall not imply or be used to accomplish a termination based on poor performance.
3. The College recognizes the desirability, whenever possible, of establishing retrenchment dates that coincide with the end of the academic semester so as to minimize the disruption of teaching.
4. Upon request of a retrenched faculty member, the President of the College shall provide him/her a letter of recommendation which shall state the faculty member was retrenched due solely to financial exigency or discontinuance of a program, department, or campus not mandated by financial exigency and for no other reason.
5. The right of every retrenched faculty member to receive unemployment compensation benefits to which she/he may be entitled under Massachusetts law and/or the state in which the campus at which they teach is located, is hereby recognized. The College shall provide any retrenched faculty member with all the information and assistance she/he may require for filing a claim.
6. All retrenched faculty shall have a five-year right of recall. A re- employment list based on department seniority shall be prepared by the College.
7. A retrenched faculty member’s name shall be removed from the recall list if she/he fails to accept a re-employment offer within 30 days of receiving a certified mail notice.
8. In all cases, retrenched faculty members with appropriate qualifications will be given first consideration in the search process for other positions at the College.
9. Faculty members who are retrenched may not claim the position of another faculty member through seniority or tenure rights across departments, schools, or campuses.
10. Reasonable efforts shall be made to locate employment for retrenched faculty at other colleges/universities, including those identified in the Faculty Handbook as Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield.
11. Retrenched faculty shall maintain Springfield College tuition remission benefits for four years.
12. All retrenched faculty re-employed are entitled to their previous rights and benefits, including but not limited to:

1. Tenure or long-term appointment (if obtained)
2. Faculty rank
3. Seniority to the day before retrenchment
4. Accumulated sick leave and vacation days to the day before retrenchment.

13. Faculty members who are retrenched from the College through this process may appeal their retrenchment to the Faculty Personnel Committee of the Faculty Senate in accord with the Faculty Grievance Process described in Article 13 of this policy.

ARTICLE 13 - GRIEVANCES

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1. Definition of Faculty Grievance: A grievance is an alleged violation of established College policies, guidelines, or procedures as set forth in the Faculty Handbook, or a faculty member’s claim that such policies, guidelines, or procedures have been incorrectly or inconsistently interpreted or implemented by an administrator to affect the faculty member’s role, status, or employment.

• A faculty member who believes that he or she is a victim of any form of harassment or illegal discrimination should not file a grievance under this section but instead should file his or her allegations with the Director of Human Resources, whose office will undertake a prompt investigation of the matter.

2. Intent/Purpose of Grievance Policy. Springfield College recognizes and endorses the importance of due process and of addressing grievances properly without fear of prejudice or reprisal. Accordingly, the College agrees to use all practical efforts to encourage the informal and prompt settlement of grievances. The orderly processes hereinafter set forth are designed to protect due process, academic freedom, and faculty status where appropriate.
   
   The purpose of this grievance policy is to ensure that each member of the faculty uses the same policies and procedures for appealing alleged violations of policies, guidelines, or procedures of the College.  The grievance procedure is composed of a four-step process.

1. An initial informal resolution process.
    
2. The submission of a written grievance to the Faculty Personnel Committee.
    
3. Formal review, consideration, and recommendations by the Faculty Personnel Committee.
    
4. Review and action on the recommendation by the President of the College.

3. Faculty Personnel Committee. The function of the Faculty Personnel Committee during the hearing of a grievance is to gather information and to attempt to arrive at a solution that is consistent with the College’s policies and, ideally, satisfactory to both the grievant and other individuals involved.  All committee decisions are made by majority vote.
   
   The chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee is a non-voting member except when there is a tie vote. Committee members who deem themselves disqualified because of bias or interest will remove themselves from the case, either at the request of a party to the grievance or on their own initiative.  Each party to the grievance may request the removal of a committee member for bias or interest. If a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee is removed from the case, the Faculty Senate president will appoint a member from the Faculty Senate to serve as a replacement during the grievance proceedings. When the committee has filled any necessary vacancies and responded to all challenges, both sides will confirm in writing that they accept the committee as composed or will submit concise stated objections. Members of the committee will conduct their business in a strictly confidential manner.

4. Faculty Grievance Procedure.

1. Informal Resolution. A faculty member wishing to alter or reverse a course of action falling under the definition of a grievance must first attempt to resolve the matter informally and expeditiously. To reach an informal resolution of this matter, the faculty member should contact the individual who took the action in question or who made the final decision to discuss the matter in question. It is the responsibility of the individual who took the action in question to make every effort possible to meet with the faculty member. The informal resolution process must be completed within thirty (30) calendar days following the time when the faculty member and the individual who took the action in question or who made the final decision have met to discuss the matter in question. If the faculty member is not satisfied with the outcome of this discussion, the faculty member may submit a formal grievance.
    
2. Formal Grievance Process.  The Faculty Personnel Committee as a whole considers written grievances with supporting evidence from any faculty member. The written grievance should set forth in detail the alleged wrong; the individual (respondent) against whom it is directed, and the relief and/or remedy sought by the grievant, and it may contain any other information that the grievant deems pertinent.  The written grievance must include a statement of the faculty member’s efforts to resolve the matter through the informal resolution process as outlined above. In addition, the grievance should include a succinct identification of the policies, procedures, and/or guidelines that are at issue and are the basis for the faculty member’s belief that they have been incorrectly or inconsistently interpreted or implemented.
   
   An essential component of this grievance policy is adherence to the established time frames, and all participants must make every effort to meet them. There may be exceptional circumstances, however, when an extension for a reasonable period of time is deemed warranted by the Faculty Personnel Committee.
   
   The faculty member’s written grievance must comply with the following:

• It must be received by the chairperson of the Faculty Personnel Committee within thirty (30) calendar days after the start of the semester following the semester in which decision being grieved occurred.
• The 30-day calendar period described above shall not include holidays or periods when the College is not in session.
• The time period for an extension may be granted by the Faculty Personnel Committee, but only if a written notice of intent to file a grievance is received by the chairperson of the Faculty Personnel Committee within the 30 calendar-day period specified above.
• Such an extension usually will not exceed an additional thirty (30) calendar days.

• Step I: Preliminary Assessment. Upon receipt of a grievance, the Faculty Personnel Committee sends, within seven (7) calendar days, a copy of the written grievance to all named respondents.
  
  The Faculty Personnel Committee meets within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the grievance in order to determine if the grievance is based upon an alleged violation of the faculty member’s rights as delineated in the Faculty Handbook. If the committee determines that the grievance is not based upon such violation, it shall terminate all business on this matter, forwarding its decision to the grievant and the President of the College. Such a decision is not admissible as evidence in future grievance proceedings at the College or elsewhere.

• Step II: Formal Grievance Hearing. When a formal grievance hearing is to be conducted, the Faculty Personnel Committee notifies the parties involved and supervises the proceedings as follows:

1. Written notice is given to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and all of the parties to the grievance that a formal grievance hearing is to take place.
    
2. The Faculty Personnel Committee sets a date, time, and place for the grievance hearing that is agreeable to all parties concerned. The arrangements should be completed within fourteen (14) calendar days after the receipt of the grievance by the Faculty Personnel Committee.
    
3. The grievance hearing should begin no more than thirty (30) calendar days after notice to the parties that a hearing will be held, thus allowing all parties adequate time to gather evidence, including documentary and other information, and to secure witnesses.
    
4. Both parties to the grievance are obligated to attend the hearing as scheduled unless a continuance is requested and granted by the Faculty Personnel Committee.

• Due Process In Formal Proceedings. The hearing is conducted in private and the parties should not make public or private statements about the case during the course of the hearing.
  
  During the proceedings, the grievant is permitted to have a College community advisor of his/her own choice. The grievant is permitted to consult with the advisor as long as such consultation does not interfere with the conduct of the hearing. The advisor may not address the committee. No outside legal representation is permitted in these proceedings.
  
  The College will cooperate with the committee in securing witnesses and making available documentary and other evidence requested by the grievant, insofar as the materials requested are deemed by the committee to be relevant to the proceedings and not in violation of the College or legal principles of confidentiality.  All parties to the grievance, members of the Committee, and the grievant’s advisor have the right to cross-examine witnesses. The Faculty Personnel Committee may grant appropriate continuances to enable either party to investigate evidence, or for any other appropriate reason.
  
  The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or his/her designee will represent the College during the grievance process. The College representative and the grievant will both have the opportunity to be present throughout the hearing and each will develop and present evidence to the committee as part of the grievance proceedings. The process can continue to be completed without the presence of one of the parties, if no continuance has been granted by the Faculty Personnel Committee.
  
  In all cases except termination of a tenured faculty member or a program- track faculty member on long-term appointment, the burden of proof is on the grievant which shall be by the preponderance of evidence. In any case of termination of a tenured faculty member or a program-track faculty member on long-term appointment, the burden of proof that adequate cause exists for action is on the College, which proof shall be by clear and convincing evidence.
  
  The hearing committee is not bound by strict rules of legal evidence and makes formal decisions on the admission of any evidence. A demonstrated effort should be made to obtain the most reliable and trustworthy evidence. The decision takes the form of findings of fact, conclusions, and recommended disposition of the grievance. The findings of fact, conclusions, and the recommended disposition must be based solely on the hearings record and pertinent College procedures and policies.
  
  The Faculty Personnel Committee presents its recommendation in writing within seven (7) calendar days of the conclusion of the hearing to the President of the College and both parties.

6. General Provisions of Formal Grievance Policy. The filing of any grievance under the provisions of this article does not prevent the College from taking the action being grieved, subject however, to the final decision on the grievance.
   
   Failure at any step of this procedure to communicate the decision on the grievance within the specified time limits, or such additional period of time as mutually agreed upon in writing, permits the grievant to proceed to the next step.
   
   Failure at any step of this procedure to appeal a grievance to the next step within the specified time limits, or such additional period of time as may be mutually agreed upon in writing, is deemed to be acceptance of the decision rendered at that step.
   
   Extensions of time are normally granted by the Faculty Personnel Committee for good and sufficient reasons (e.g., illness)
   
   The policies, guidelines, and procedures established under Article 13 of the Faculty Personnel Policy section of the Faculty Handbook supersede all previously established grievance policies, guidelines, and procedures within the Faculty Handbook.

1. Introduction. Springfield College recognizes the unique and important contribution that faculty members with coaching responsibilities make to the academic and co-curricular life of the College. For full-time faculty members who serve as coaches, their coaching activities are considered to be an integral part of their teaching responsibilities and workload. Since the demands of coaching are unique, the expectations and evaluation criteria for these teacher-coach faculty members will be defined in this article of the faculty personnel policy. These expectations will inform the evaluation of the teacher-coaches completed by the Director of Athletics with the input of the appropriate department chair related to their teaching performance.  As with other faculty members who are evaluated, the results of these evaluations will be directly linked to the review of the teacher-coach faculty member’s application for long- term appointments, and promotion.
    
2. Coaching Appointments. Faculty members who are hired as teacher-coaches will be appointed as the coach of a specific sport and may be appointed to program- track, or term appointments. The specific type of appointment made will reflect the needs of the academic program and the credentials of the candidate, and will be defined in the initial letter of appointment for that faculty member. Faculty members hired for these assignments will be responsible for both teaching and coaching duties and the percentage of workload assigned to teaching will be defined in their annual salary agreement.  Faculty members who are hired with joint responsibility for teaching and coaching will receive a letter of appointment confirming their appointment as teacher-coach and including the details of their faculty appointment as described above.   The annual salary agreement letter issued to these faculty members will include the provision that coaches will agree to abide by NCAA Division III bylaws. Faculty members appointed to these positions must meet the standards of performance for both teaching and coaching responsibilities as defined in this article. In balancing the coaching and teaching responsibilities of each position, the Director of Athletics will work with the appropriate department chair to recommend the days and times for the teaching schedule of each teacher-coach. The department chair will make the teaching assignments for each coach to reflect the needs of the academic program, while making an effort to assign teaching duties that are compatible with the scheduling demands on that coach.
    
3. Procedure for the Evaluation of Teacher-Coach Faculty members. The evaluation of teacher-coach faculty members will be based on the criteria in section D, E, F, and G of this article following two processes. First, the full faculty evaluation of the teacher-coaches teaching, coaching, scholarly, creative and/or professional activities and their service within and beyond the college will follow the cycle of evaluation of all faculty. Program-track faculty members on one-, two-, or three-year appointments will be evaluated annually. Faculty members who have been granted a five-year appointment will be evaluated every third year. Faculty members who are in their evaluation year will submit two documents to the Director of Athletics no later than June 1. The first document will be the Self-Evaluation Report of the previous year, and the second document will be their Faculty Workplan Proposal for the coming academic year. Faculty members who are not in their evaluation year will submit a Report on Professional Accomplishments and their Faculty Workplan no later than June 1. The Director of Athletics will complete the evaluation of each teacher- coach with input from the appropriate department chair related to the faculty member’s teaching performance.  The department chair will provide a copy of their written assessment of the coaches teaching performance to both the faculty member and the dean of the school. All faculty members may be subject to a special evaluation at any time by the department chair/campus director, school dean and/or Director of Athletics if there are concerns about their performance.  See Article 11 for the procedures.
   
   Annually, or in conjunction with the process described above in the coach’s evaluation year, the Director of Athletics will complete an evaluation of the teacher-coach’s performance as a member of the athletic department. This evaluation will be based on the coach’s self- evaluation as well as the input derived from student-athletes, Department of Athletics staff, the admissions office, and other support staff which will be shared with the coach as part of the evaluation process.  In addition, the Director of Athletics will consider observations of the coach, peer reviews if requested by the coach or the Director of Athletics, and any other information relevant to the criteria. The Director of Athletics will meet with the Dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation to review their proposed evaluation with the Dean and obtain his/her input prior to sharing the evaluation with the teacher- coach.
   
   As part of the process for both the full faculty evaluation and the annual coaching evaluation, the Director of Athletics will provide the coach with a written evaluation. A meeting to discuss the evaluation with the coach should be completed by June 30. The faculty member will sign the evaluation, acknowledging that she/he has received the evaluation. The faculty member will have the opportunity to respond in writing to the evaluation.   If the faculty member chooses not to sign and acknowledge that she/he has received the evaluation, the Director of Athletics can still finalize the evaluation if she/he can document that she/he has given the faculty member the opportunity to acknowledge and respond to its contents. A copy of the evaluation, including any comments that the coach wishes to have included in this document, will be sent to the Dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and to the appropriate department chair.

4. Criteria for the Evaluation of Coaching. Faculty members with coaching responsibilities will be given an evaluation of “meets the standard,” “exceeds the standard,” or “below the standard” for each area of evaluation along with comments that will provide the faculty member with feedback in each area. Based on the job description, the areas of evaluation are:

1. Expertise in the Sport. The faculty member demonstrates a mastery of his or her sport and expertise in coaching strategies, tactics, and skills, as well as an ability to effectively communicate knowledge to student-athletes.
    
2. Development and Engagement of Student-Athletes. The faculty member demonstrates the ability to promote and support academic, athletic, and leadership development, as well as to challenge and support student-athletes to ensure that their participation in the sport is a positive component of their overall educational experience.
    
3. Compliance with Standards. The faculty member demonstrates that he or she has complied with all appropriate NCAA, ECAC, and sport-specific conference affiliation standards.
    
4. Effectiveness in Student-Athlete Recruitment. The faculty member will demonstrate that he or she has actively engaged in effective recruitment and retention of student-athletes for the College.
    
5. Effective Management Skills. The faculty member demonstrates that he or she has fulfilled the administrative expectations of the athletic program by carefully managing resources, equipment, and facilities, and by effectively working with members of the Department of Athletics and support staff on program operations (i.e. scheduling, compliance, eligibility, medical clearance, recruiting materials, budgeting, reports).
    
6. Effective Practice Organization Skills. The faculty member demonstrates the ability to design and organize effective practice sessions that will promote individual and team development, as well as prepare the team for competitive situations.
    
7. Ethical and Professional Conduct. The faculty member adheres to ethical and professional conduct in the profession, and in the treatment of student-athletes, opponents, and officials, as well as adheres to his or her professional responsibilities.
   
   Please refer to provisions of Article 7 for additional information pertaining to evaluation.

5. Criteria and Process for the Evaluation of Teaching;
   At the time of their appointment, the Dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation will assign each teacher-coach to teaching responsibilities in a specific department within the school. The chair of this department will assign the specific teaching duties for each coach and will be responsible for the evaluation of their teaching following the schedule described in Article 7, section B. In completing this teaching evaluation, the department chair will use the criteria for the evaluation of teaching described in Article 7, section D1a and will evaluate the faculty member as either “meeting the standard”, “exceeding the standard” or as “below the standard” as they do for other faculty members teaching in their department. The department chair will provide this evaluation to the Director of Athletics and the School Dean during the faculty member’s evaluation year, or at any time when the department chair is concerned that the teacher-coach is not meeting this standard. Teacher-coach faculty members will not be assigned academic advisees and thus will not be evaluated on their advising effectiveness.

6. Criteria and Process for the Evaluation of Scholarly, Creative and/or Professional Activity; Teacher-coach faculty members are expected to meet the standard for scholarly, creative and/or professional activity through activities that relate to their sport, or to the activities of the athletic department and its programs. In evaluating these activities, the Director of Athletics will evaluate the teacher-coach as either “meeting the standard”, “exceeding the standard” or as “below the standard”. In evaluating the work of each teacher-coach, the following will provide evidence that the faculty member is meeting the College standard in this area of evaluation:

1. Alignment with the Sport: Teacher-coach faculty members will demonstrate that their scholarly, creative and/or professional activity is representative of typical work completed by coaches in their sport;
2. Contributions to their Coaching: Teacher-coach faculty members will demonstrate that their scholarly, creative and/or professional activity makes a direct contribution to their coaching effectiveness.

The effectiveness of a teacher-coach in meeting these criteria will be based on the faculty member’s self-evaluation, where the faculty member will demonstrate that his/her work is valuable in terms of the time, effort, and intellectual intensity required to complete the work. The faculty member should present the products of his/her professional work or the progress made on that work as part of the evaluation process. Observations of his/her activities by the Director of Athletics, observations of his/her peers, and/or letters of support submitted by qualified peers or external agencies or evaluators may serve as evidence of the faculty member’s effectiveness in this area of evaluation.

Promotion to Associate Professor:

1. Consistent performance that exceeds the standard for coaching and teaching as defined above in Article 14D and E;
2. Consistent performance that meets the standard for Scholarly, Creative and/or Professional Activity as defined above in Article 14F.
3. Consistent performance that meets the standard for Service Within and Beyond the College as defined above in Article 14G.

Promotion to Professor:

1. Consistent performance that exceeds the standard for coaching and teaching as defined above in Article 14D and E.
2. Performance that exceeds the standard defined above in Article 14F or G, while meeting the standard in the other area.

2. Application for Long-Term Appointment:
   Teacher-coach faculty members applying for long-term appointment will submit a letter of intent to the Director of Athletics, the School Dean and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs by the date indicated on the Calendar.
   
   Teacher-coach candidates will submit their application materials, including an evaluation of their teaching by the appropriate Department Chair, to the Director of Athletics by the date indicated on the Calendar. Subsequent steps in the review process will follow the dates listed on the Calendar. The Director of Athletics, the School Committee on Faculty Development and Status, the School Dean, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the President and the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees will review the long-term appointment application based on the eligibility criteria described in Article 9B and the following standards:
   1. The candidate has exceeded the College standard in coaching and teaching as defined above in Article 14D and E.
   2. The candidate has met the standard for Scholarly, Creative and/or Professional Activity as defined above in Article 14F.
   3. The candidate has met the standard for Service Within and Beyond the College as defined above in Article 14G.
   4. The candidate’s prospect of continuing professional advancement are reasonably assured.

3. Application for Sabbatical Leave:
   Teacher-coach faculty members applying for sabbatical leave will submit a letter of intent to the Director of Athletics, the School Dean, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs by the date indicated on the Calendar.
   
   Teacher-coach candidates will submit their application materials to the Director of Athletics by the date indicated on the Calendar. The Director of Athletics, the School Dean, the Faculty Development Committee of the Faculty Senate and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will review and evaluate the application using the determination standards and criteria described in Article 10 of the Faculty Personnel Policy.  Should the candidate’s project relate to their teaching responsibilities, their application materials should include a recommendation from the appropriate Department Chair.

ARTICLE 15 - APPOINTMENTS, EXPECTATIONS, AND EVALUATION OF DEPARTMENT CHAIRS

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1. Introduction. Springfield College recognizes the unique and important contribution that a faculty member makes in service as the department chair. For full-time faculty members serving as department chair, the responsibilities, workload, and payment for each department chair will be defined in the letter appointing the individual as department chair. This article addresses the specialized assignment for a full-time faculty member to serve as the department chair for an academic department and informs the evaluation of the responsibilities as chair that are evaluated by the school dean. As with other faculty members who are evaluated, these expectations and evaluation criteria will be directly linked to the criteria for tenure, long-term appointments, and promotion. Faculty serving as department chair will be expected to maintain a teaching load.
    
2. Appointment. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the school dean appoint and evaluate the chairs of academic departments.
    
3. Term. Chairs are appointed on a yearly basis by the school dean. The term of service of chairs is one year with multiple reappointments possible.

1. Procedure. When a chair is vacant, the school dean will ask the department for applications and nominations for the chair’s position. Each department will determine its own process for nomination and submit a written description of the process to the school dean before the process is implemented. The school dean will review the qualifications of applicants and nominees, seek input from department faculty members, and select and appoint a chair.
    
2. If a majority of department faculty request reconsideration of appointment of a chair, the school dean will conduct a review of the performance of the chair and will determine whether the process of chair selection should be implemented.

4. Expectations of the Chair. Members of the faculty who are hired with a joint responsibility for teaching and serving as department chair will receive an initial letter of appointment that confirms their responsibilities and the process that will be used for their evaluation. The annual salary agreement letter issued to these faculty members will confirm this joint responsibility.
    
5. Procedure for Evaluation of the Chair. The school dean will evaluate, and departmental faculty will be provided an opportunity to evaluate, the performance of each chair at least once a year. This process will include written evaluations by department faculty submitted to the school dean to serve as input for the chair’s evaluation. The school dean summarizes the evaluations from department members and shares this information with the chair. This evaluation will be conducted within the time frame outlined in Article 7 above to conform with the issuance of annual salary agreement letters.
    
6. Criteria for the Evaluation of the Chair. While the duties of each department chair will vary to some extent based on the school or department in which he or she serves, each chair will be evaluated on his/her departmental leadership as “meeting the standard,” “exceeding the standard,” or “not meeting the standard” for each of the following criteria:

1. Establishes high academic standards for the department.
    
2. Ensures the quality of the curriculum offered by the department.
    
3. Calls department meetings in a timely and appropriate manner, and completes scheduling, outcomes assessment, and annual reports as requested.
    
4. Communicates effectively with faculty within the department and with other chairs and the school dean.
    
5. Completes thoughtful and candid faculty evaluations following the guidelines established in the Faculty Personnel Policy.
    
6. Supports the teaching, service, and scholarly activities of the faculty members in the department.
    
7. Promotes faculty collegiality within and external to the department.
    
8. Represents the department effectively within the school, on the campus, and in the community.
    
9. Effectively utilizes department budgets and physical resources.
    
10. Provides oversight for the department’s outcomes assessment plan(s), and engages the faculty in using these data for program improvement.

ARTICLE 16 - AMENDMENTS TO THE FACULTY PERSONNEL POLICY

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1. Overview. The Faculty Personnel Policy as a whole contains the major terms that govern the employment of faculty and operates in conjunction with applicable personnel policies and procedures administered by the Office of Human Resources. The Faculty Personnel Policy, or any part of it, may not be altered, amended, or rescinded except in accordance with this article and with adherence to the charter and bylaws of Springfield College. The policies, procedures, and any amendments that may occur that affect the conditions of employment of the faculty members of Springfield College and are contained herein are to be used by faculty and administration to implement and interpret application of this Faculty Personnel Policy. In the event that any provision of this policy comes into conflict with newly enacted federal or state laws, such provision is superseded by those laws.
    
2. Changes to the Faculty Personnel Policy. Any changes to the Faculty Personnel Policy that alter the conditions of employment as stated herein for faculty members at Springfield College must be adopted as an amendment or as amendments before being implemented.
    
3. Proposing Amendments to the Faculty Personnel Policy. Amendments to the Faculty Personnel Policy may be proposed by the President of the College, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the faculty (through individual members), the Faculty Senate or any standing committees of the Faculty Senate, or the Board of Trustees acting through its Academic Affairs Committee. Such proposals shall be submitted to the Faculty Senate president and the Faculty Senate president shall forward the amendment(s) to the Faculty Personnel Committee for review.
    
4. Adopting Amendments. Upon receipt of the proposed amendment(s), the Faculty Personnel Committee solicits comment from Faculty Senate members and, based on such comment, may recommend alterations to the proposed amendment(s). Such recommendations should be made to the party proposing the amendment and will be incorporated into the proposal if the party agrees to the suggested change(s). The Faculty Senate as a whole then votes on the original or altered proposed amendment(s).  If the vote is favorable regarding the proposed amendment(s), the Faculty Senate president then arranges for a faculty vote. If the Faculty Senate vote is not favorable, the Faculty Personnel Committee returns the proposal to the originating party for further discussion. Following such discussion, the originating party may withdraw the proposal, revise, and resubmit a new proposal to the Faculty Personnel Committee or request a vote of the faculty on the proposal. In all cases, the number of faculty voting yes, no, or abstaining will be reported.
   
   Proposed amendment(s) are subject to a vote of the faculty in accordance with the faculty bylaws. A simple majority vote of the faculty voting on the amendment will establish the faculty opinion on the amendment. Normally, the faculty vote will occur within 30 days of the Faculty Personnel Committee’s receipt of the proposed amendment, and ideally, before the final three weeks of the spring semester in the traditional academic calendar. If the Faculty Personnel Committee finds that there is a need for more rapid review of the proposed amendment, it can expedite the process. If the Faculty Personnel Committee determines that the process requires more than 30 days, it may proceed more slowly up to a maximum of 90 days. The results of all faculty votes on proposed amendments must then be transmitted to the President of the College, who, in consultation with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, reviews the proposed amendment(s). After such consultation, the President of the College then either submits the proposed amendment(s) as well as the result of the faculty vote to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees or returns the amendment(s) to the Faculty Senate with the rationale for his/her action. If the proposed amendment(s) are not forwarded by the President of the College to the Board of Trustees, the reasons for that action shall be reported by the President of the College to the faculty through the Faculty Senate president and the Faculty Personnel Committee.
   
   The Board of Trustees then acts on the proposed amendment(s) by adopting or not adopting the amendment(s), and shall, through the President of the College, inform the faculty of the Board of Trustees’ decision. If a proposed amendment is not adopted by the Board of Trustees, the reasons for that action shall be reported by the President of the College to the faculty through the Faculty Senate president and the Faculty Personnel Committee.

SUMMER 2017 FULL-TIME FACULTY PAY SCALE