NSU Faculty Handbook
Material appearing in this Handbook in bold italics is quoted from the Regional University System of Oklahoma's Policy Manual. (see General Information)
3.0 HIRING, RANK AND TENURE (3.3 - 3.5)
3.3 Academic Rank and Promotion
The faculty is composed of two groups, the regular and the supplemental faculty. In most cases, these individuals have an instructional or research relationship to the university, either direct or supervisory. The faculty includes permanent and temporary, full-time and part-time personnel.
Regular Faculty: The regular faculty includes members of the faculty who are full-time employees of the university and who hold the rank of professor, associate processor, assistant professor, instructor, or special instructor.
Supplemental Faculty: The supplemental faculty consists of:
Members of the Department of Military Science: Members of the Department of Military Science include the commissioned and non-commissioned officers assigned to the university by the Department of the Army.
Adjunct Faculty: Adjunct faculty hold part-time appointments that may be made for one academic year or less. The rank of such faculty may be instructor or lecturer.
Visiting Faculty: Visiting faculty are employed by the university to teach or perform research for a limited time and are on leave of absence from another institution of higher education or professional practice. Visiting faculty may be appointed at any rank.
Volunteer Faculty: A person who has special talents or expertise and whose time and services are donated, may be appointed to the university volunteer faculty. Volunteer faculty enjoy all the privileges of the academic community except those, such as tenure, which are applicable specifically to regular faculty. Volunteer faculty who meet the education qualifications may hold academic rank.
Clinical Supervisors: Clinical supervisors are not employees of the university. They are practitioners who are assigned regular and continuing responsibilities in the clinical setting.
Authority to grant academic rank or promotion in academic rank is delegated to the university presidents. Determination of merit and granting promotion in rank shall be in accordance with the promotion policies and procedures of the university as well as the minimum criteria, contained in this policy.
The principal academic ranks of the university shall be Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Instructor. Educational qualifications for these ranks shall be as follows:
3.321 Professor
An earned doctorate degree awarded by a regionally accredited or internationally recognized institution
An earned doctorate degree awarded by a regionally accredited or internationally recognized institution.
An earned doctorate degree awarded by a regionally accredited or internationally recognized institution. Institutions may elect to award the rank of assistant professor to individuals who have completed all requirements in a doctoral program except the dissertation (or equivalent requirement) or have completed a non-doctoral degree program requiring a minimum of 60 graduate hours.
An earned masters degree awarded by a regionally accredited or internationally recognized institution.
Institutions may classify instructional personnel who are not subject to assignment of rank by such titles as special instructors, lecturers, graduate assistants, adjunct instructors, part-time instructors, or by other title. All title classifications must be approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Director of Human Resources.
In order to insure and continually improve the quality of NSU's graduate programs, only approved graduate faculty may teach graduate courses, serve as graduate advisors, serve on graduate committees, monitor capstone experiences, and serve on the Graduate Council. Graduate faculty status is conferred upon faculty following a review by the Graduate Dean and Graduate Council of an individual's application, current resume reflecting scholarly activity, and recommendations from the appropriate department chair and college dean. Three types of graduate faculty status may be conferred: regular (3 years), temporary (1year), or adjunct. The application for graduate faculty status may be found at http://www.gradcollege.nsuok.edu/forms/.
The Board of Regents of the Regional University System of Oklahoma at its discretion may honor recommendations of presidents to grant retired faculty members emeritus status and title after retirement. When members of the faculty retire under honorable conditions, they may be entitled to emeritus status and to the use of their last title "emeritus" (e.g., . . . Professor of History Emeritus, etc.). Retired faculty members' emeritus status and title shall be wholly honorary and does not entitle them to compensation of any kind. Emeritus status shall apply only in cases where the faculty member has been in the service of Northeastern . . . for at least ten years.
The doctoral granting institution must meet the standards of the Carnegie Classification System. The earned degrees or graduate work should be in a field related to the individual's assignment at Northeastern.
The regular faculty holds one of six types of appointments:
- Tenured - A tenured appointment is reserved for those regular faculty members who have been granted tenure by the Board. Tenured faculty members are on continuous appointment and, therefore, are not notified of their appointment status for the following year unless their appointment is being terminated. The procedures for dismissal of tenured faculty are covered in section 3.6 of this handbook.
- Non-Tenured - A non-tenured appointment refers to any appointment which is not tenured. This includes, but is not limited to, tenure track, non-tenure track, temporary, and administrative appointments.
- Tenure Track- A tenure track appointment is one in which the faculty member may become eligible to receive tenure in accordance with policy. Tenure track appointments are for one (1) year, renewable annually at the option of the university.
- Non-Tenure Track - A non-tenure track appointment is one in which the faculty member is appointed to the regular faculty but is not eligible to receive tenure and is classified as on a non-tenure track. A faculty member on non-tenure appointment may be continued annually, at the option of the university. A non-tenure track appointment may be changed to a tenure track appointment upon written agreement between the university president and the faculty member.
- Temporary - A temporary appointment is one in which the faculty member is appointed to the regular faculty for a period of one year or less. Upon termination of the temporary appointment, the position, if continued, will be opened and advertised. Faculty with a temporary appointment are not eligible for advancement in rank. Years in temporary status do not apply toward the probationary period for promotion in rank.
- Administrative - An administrative appointment is one in which the faculty member is assigned to perform executive duties and function as part of the administration of the university.
Normally, new faculty will be hired in a non-tenure earning appointment for 1-3 years. The time served in this category does not normally apply to the probationary period required before being granted tenure. The dean may submit a letter of recommendation and documentation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs by February 15 to change the faculty member to a tenure earning position effective the next contract year.
Faculty members at the rank of Assistant Professor remain at the same rank for a minimum of five (5) years before applying for promotion to Associate Professor. Faculty members at the rank of Associate Professor must complete a minimum of six (6) years in the rank of Associate Professor, before applying for promotion to Professor. Faculty hired at the Instructor rank may apply for promotion to Assistant Professor once they have achieved the minimum criteria for rank of Assistant Professor. Faculty apply for promotion in rank during the fall semester of the year following completion of the minimum years in rank. The minimum service years mentioned above must be served at NSU. Applications are due to the dean by September 30. The educational and experience requirements delineated above do not imply that attainment of given educational qualifications and/or experience requirements shall be the sole criteria for granting rank or promotion in rank. Exceptions to criteria for promotion in rank may be recommended by the President.
3.36 Promotion in Faculty Rank
Providing that candidates possess the required educational and experience qualifications the following are considered minimum criteria upon which promotion in rank is based:
- effective classroom teaching,
- scholarly or creative achievement,
- contributions to the institution and profession, and
- performance of non-teaching semi-administrative or administrative duties.
The Professional File of the faculty member who is applying for advancement in rank must provide tangible evidence of superior performance in the criteria listed above. Each advancement in rank requires increased levels of performance/achievement in each of these criteria, particularly evidence of involvement in professional and scholarly activities.
While each academic unit may develop (with approval by the Vice President for Academic Affairs) its own examples of acceptable scholarly performance, each shall offer its faculty members a system of evaluation consistent with that used throughout the University. To meet the minimum RUSO criteria, evaluation of promotion applications shall address the extent to which each candidate has achieved excellence in the categories below which contain some examples for each. For formatting details, refer to the full policy, contained in The Professional File, which is Appendix C of this Handbook and available in college offices.
Each faculty member requesting a change in rank shall submit their professional file to their Department Chair for review by September 30. The Department Chair shall forward the professional file, along with a letter of recommendation, to the college dean by October 31. The professional file must be consistent with the format contained within "The Professional File: Tenure and Promotion Review" in Appendix C, and with the criteria noted in Section 3.361.
Applications for promotion shall first be evaluated at the department and college level. The dean shall make an evaluation of the request based on the documentation provided and shall forward the documentation and a written assessment to the Vice President for Academic Affairs by December 1. The Vice President will take the following actions:
- Determine if the applicant's professional training and/or experience meets the educational requirements for rank advancement.
- Independently evaluate the application.
- Confer with the dean about data in the professional file.
- Make a recommendation to the President.
The President shall consider the application, including attached comments from the dean and Vice President, and will decide if the applicant will be recommended to the Board of Regents of the Regional University System of Oklahoma for rank advancement.
No person presently employed shall suffer reduction in rank as a result of the operation of these policies.
Individuals who are not satisfied with action taken as a result of the review process for change in rank may follow the established university appeal procedure. They should first seek information from their dean and then from the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If still dissatisfied, they may utilize the University grievance procedures. (See Section 3.7).
3.4 Academic Freedom and Responsibility
3.41 Statement on Academic Freedom
- Faculty members are entitled to freedom regarding research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of instructional and non-instructional duties. Patent and copyright ownership will vest consistent with Board policy.
- Faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but faculty should be objective in teaching of a controversial matter which has relation to that subject and of controversial topics introduced by students. The faculty member should not introduce controversial matters which have little or no relation to the subject of instruction.
- University faculty members are individuals of a learned profession and representatives of a university. When faculty members speak or write as individuals, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but faculty position in the community imposes special obligations. As persons of learning and education representatives, the faculty members should remember that the public may judge the profession and the University by extramural utterances. Hence, each faculty member 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 faculty do not speak on behalf of the University.
- Academic freedom should be distinguished clearly from constitutional freedoms, which all citizens enjoy equally under the law. Academic freedom is an additional assurance to those who teach and pursue knowledge and, thus, pertains to rights of expression regarding teaching and research within specific areas of recognized professional competencies.
- The concept of academic freedom must be accompanied by an equally-demanding concept of academic responsibility. The concern of the University and its members for academic freedom safeguards must extend equally to requiring responsible service, consistent with the objectives of the University.
- Faculty members have responsibilities to their discipline and to the advancement of knowledge generally. Their primary obligation in this respect is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end, they shall devote their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. They shall exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge and they shall practice intellectual honesty.
- Faculty members have responsibilities to their students. They shall encourage in students the free pursuit of learning and independence of mind, while holding before them the highest scholarly and professional standards. Faculty members shall show respect for the student as an individual and adhere to their proper role as intellectual guides and counselors. They shall endeavor to define the objectives of their courses and to devote their teaching to the realization of those objectives. A proper academic climate can be maintained only when faculty members meet their fundamental responsibilities regularly, such as preparing for and meeting their assignments, conferring with and advising students, evaluating fairly and participating in group deliberations which contribute to the growth and development of students and the University. All faculty members also have the responsibility to accept those reasonable duties assigned to them within their fields of competency, whether curricular, co-curricular, or extra-curricular. Faculty members make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to assure that their evaluations of students reflect their true merit. They do not exploit students for private advantage and acknowledge significant assistance from them. They protect students' academic freedom.
- Faculty members have responsibilities to their colleagues, deriving from common membership in a community of scholars. They shall respect and defend the free inquiry of their associates. In the exchange of criticism and ideas, they should show due respect for the opinions of others. They shall acknowledge their academic debts and strive to be objective in the professional judgment of their colleagues. Faculty members accept a reasonable share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of the University.
- Institutions of higher education are committed to open and rational discussion as a principal means for the clarification of issues and the solution of problems. In the solution of certain difficult problems, all members of the academic community must take note of their responsibility to society, to the institution, and to each other, and must recognize that at times the interests of each may vary and will have to be reconciled. The use of physical force, harassment of any kind, or other disruptive acts which interfere with ordinary institutional activities, with freedom of movement from place to place on the campus, or with freedom of all members of the academic community to pursue their rightful goals, are the antithesis of academic freedom and responsibility. So, also, are acts which, in effect, deny freedom to speak, to be heard, to study, to teach, to administer, and to pursue research. It is incumbent upon each member of the academic community to be acquainted with their individual responsibilities, as delineated by appropriate institutional statements found in the faculty handbook.
- Faculty members have responsibilities to the educational institution in which they work. While maintaining their right to criticize and to seek revisions, they shall observe the stated regulations of the institution. Faculty members shall determine the amount and character of the work they do outside their institution with due regard to their paramount responsibilities within it. When considering the interruption or termination of his or her service, the faculty member recognizes the effect of such a decision upon the program of the institution and gives due notice of the decision.
- Faculty members have responsibilities to their community. As a person engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, the faculty members have a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.
3.43 Administrative Responsibility
Administrators must protect, defend and promote academic freedom as well as academic responsibility.
3.441 Academic Freedom.Non-tenured faculty members shall be afforded the same rights of academic freedom as tenured faculty.
3.442 Annual Evaluation. The performance of non-tenured faculty members shall be evaluated by March 1, each year, by appropriate academic officers and the results of the evaluation shall be placed in the personnel file of the non-tenured faculty member. The non-tenured faculty member shall be given a copy of the evaluation.
3.443 Non-Reappointment. The Board delegates to the university presidents or his or her designees the authority to reappoint or not to reappoint non-tenured faculty members. A non-tenured faculty member whose appointment is not renewed will be given written notice from the university by March 1, prior to termination of the current appointment. Failure to reappoint may be without specific causes. Employees receiving such notice are expected to continue their teaching responsibilities to the end of the semester in a professional and congenial manner. Documentation for grades must be turned in to the department chair in the appropriate time frame. An exit interview will be scheduled by Human Resources to explain your separation benefits and to return University property.
3.444 Termination for Cause or Suspension of Non-Tenured Faculty. The termination of employment for cause or suspension of a non-tenured faculty member within an existing contract period shall follow the same procedures and be limited to the same reasons as provided for tenured faculty members who are terminated for cause or suspended. A failure to re-appoint may be without specific or stated cause.
Specific policies regulating faculty patents and copyrights are set out in the Policy Manual of the Regional University System of Oklahoma. NSU guidelines for intellectual property are available in Appendix D.
The full RUSO policy can be viewed at http://boroc.org//Policiesand%20Procedures.htm.
Patents: All discoveries or inventions . . .made or conceived by an member of the faculty . . . either in the course of employment by the University or substantially through the use of facilities or funds provided by or through the University shall be the property of the University. . . . The individual or individuals who make such discoveries and inventions . . .will share in income derived . . .from the marketing of such inventions and patent rights . . .as determined by the President of the University.
Copyrights: Copyrighted works produced by . . .faculty are the property of the creator of the work. . . .Copyright in works specifically commissioned by the university. . .shall belong to the university. . . .Royalties for university-commissioned copyrighted works may be shared by the university and the creator(s) of the work. . . .Works produced under a specific contract or grant agreement between the university and a governmental or other agency or organization are subject to the terms of the grant or contract. . . .If copyright ownership is not specified, such rights shall reside in the creator.
3.452 Political Activities of Employees
An employee of the Board or university who participates in political activities must do so in a manner that:
- does not imply, directly or indirectly, that this Board or any of its universities endorse such activities;
- in no way interferes with the rights and privileges of other employees of this Board or university;
- in no way interferes with the rights and privileges of students attending any university;
- in no way interrupts the normal routine operation of any university;
- in no way interferes with the assigned duties of the employee;
- does not utilize university equipment, supplies, paid staff time, or their university resources in support of partisan political activities.
Violation of these principles may be considered cause for dismissal.
3.5 Academic Tenure
- Tenure is a privilege and a distinctive honor. Tenure is defined as continuous reappointment which may be granted to a faculty member in a tenure-track position, subject to the terms and conditions of appointment. The tenure decision shall be based on a thorough evaluation of the candidate's total contribution to the mission of the university. While specific responsibilities of faculty members may vary because of special assignments or because of the particular mission of an academic unit, all evaluations for tenure shall address at a minimum whether each candidate has achieved excellence in:
- effective classroom teaching;
- scholarly or creative achievement;
- contributions to the institution and profession; and
- performance of non-teaching semi-administrative or administrative duties.
- Tenure is granted by the Board of Regents of the Regional University System of Oklahoma upon recommendation of the university president. Determination of merit and recommendation for granting tenure shall comport with the minimum criteria and policies and procedures contained in this chapter.
- The terms and conditions of every appointment or reappointment shall be stated in writing and be in the possession of both the institution and faculty member before the appointment is consummated. Tenure shall be granted only by written notification after approval by the Board. Only full-time faculty members holding academic rank of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor may be granted tenure. Qualified professional librarians shall be considered faculty members if they are given academic rank.
- Tenure does not apply to administrative positions, but a tenured faculty member appointed to an administrative position retains tenured status as a member of the faculty.
- The Board intends to reappoint tenured personnel to the faculties of the institutions under its control within existing positions that are continued the next year. The Board of Regents reserves the right to terminate tenured faculty at the end of any fiscal year if the Legislature fails to allocate sufficient funds to meet obligations for salaries or compensation.
- The Board recommends that not more than sixty-five percent (65%) of the full-time faculty at a university receive tenure.
Note: The Regional University System of Oklahoma may amend its tenure regulations at any time. The Appellate Committee on Dismissal of Tenured Faculty Members, the administration of Northeastern State University, and any other institution governed by the Board may initiate a request to amend these regulations.
3.521 Faculty members holding academic rank above the level of instructor (assistant professor, associate professor, or professor) shall be on probation for five (5) years after date of first being employed by the university in a tenure track position. Years of experience in a non-tenure track position may be used for the probation only if approved by the university. Seven (7) years shall be the maximum probationary period for the eligible faculty member to become eligible for tenure. If, at the end of seven (7) years, any faculty member has not attained tenure, there will be no renewal of appointment for the faculty member unless a specific recommendation for waiver of policy from the president to the contrary is approved by the Board each year.
3.522 For the purpose of determining probationary employment of faculty members for tenure consideration, sabbatical leave counts as a part of the period of probationary employment and a leave of absence is not included as part of the probationary period.
3.523 During the probationary period, each non-tenured faculty member will receive counsel identifying and, if necessary, suggesting improvements for his/her professional performance. Prior to each academic year, the department chair and/or dean and non-tenured faculty member shall discuss, and agree to, a broad outline of duties the faculty member will perform during the year. The performance of non-tenured faculty members shall be evaluated annually by the appropriate college administrators and the results of the evaluation placed in the personnel record of the non-tenured faculty member. The non-tenured faculty member shall be given a copy of the evaluation before it is placed in the personnel folder.
All members of the faculty at Northeastern State University are expected to be involved in scholarly activities which contribute to the multifaceted mission of a community of scholars whose primary responsibility is teaching.
Each faculty member applying for tenure shall submit a professional file consistent with the format contained within "The Professional File: Tenure and Promotion Review" in Appendix C and available in college offices. The definition of scholarship and performance criteria applicable to all University faculty considered for tenure are the same as for promotion (refer to Section 3.361). Examples for these categories are provided in The Professional File. Examples of acceptable scholarly activities within the individual academic units are available at department and college offices.
3.524 Although seven years is the maximum probationary period defined by the Regional University System of Oklahoma (see 3.521), the norm for NSU will be five years in tenure-earning status in accordance with RUSO policies. Accordingly, consideration for tenure will occur in the fall of the sixth employment year (excluding temporary employment and years in non-tenure earning or non-tenure track positions). By September 30, the candidate will provide to the college dean a completed professional file, showing evidence of excellence in each of the criteria listed in 3.51a. At this time, the candidate will be evaluated for tenure in accord with Board of Regents' policies.
3.525 If the faculty member is not recommended for tenure, the candidate will be notified in writing that the sixth appointment (in tenure-earning status) is a terminal contract. In extremely rare cases, circumstances might make it advisable to notify a failed candidate that he/she will be extended an additional one year probationary contract. In this rare case, the candidate will be reviewed again during the fall semester of the seventh probationary year. A failure to secure a recommendation for tenure during this probationary period will result in no renewal of appointment for the faculty member unless a specific recommendation for waiver of policy from the President to the contrary is approved by the Board of Regents for each year thereafter.
3.53 Procedure for Granting Tenure and Reviewing Tenured Faculty
3.531 When a faculty member is to be considered for tenure, the head of a . . . department shall call a meeting of the tenured members of the . . . department for a discussion of the case. In the event that the Department Chair is applying for tenure, the senior tenured faculty member in the Department will be asked to serve as the chair of the committee for tenure recommendation. A faculty member's contributions to the mission of the university shall be reviewed and evaluated by the tenured members of his or her . . . department . . . (who shall constitute the committee for tenure recommendation), and by his or her . . . department head, and a poll by secret ballot will be taken to determine whether a recommendation for the granting of tenure will be made. This review may be conducted in a manner that allows for input from non-tenured colleagues, students, alumni and administrative information from the department head. In the event that the number of tenured faculty members in a . . . department is fewer than five (5), the actual tenured members in that . . . department, plus additional tenured faculty members appointed by the chief academic officer or his or her designee to form a group of at least five (5) tenured faculty members shall act as an ad hoc committee for tenure recommendation. A simple majority rule shall prevail.
3.532 Written notification will be given to the committee for tenure recommendation one (1) week prior to the first tenure meeting date, to be scheduled in October. This official notice will contain the names of the candidates for tenure. At the first meeting, the department head shall explain tenure policies and procedures, review the performance of each candidate for tenure and provide a copy of each candidate's tenure professional file to the assembled tenured faculty committee for tenure recommendation. Based on data provided in the tenure professional file; by the department head, alumni, or current students, and non-tenured colleagues; and from personal observation of the candidate's performance in relevant areas (See 3.523), the tenured faculty will review and evaluate each tenure candidate. No vote shall be taken at the first meeting.
3.533 At a second meeting, held on or before October 31, the committee for tenure recommendation shall reconvene. The committee for tenure recommendation shall then cast one secret ballot for each candidate to determine whether a recommendation for the granting of tenure will be made. Once cast, a ballot cannot be changed. Absentee ballots are valid if presented to the department head within the two days before the scheduled vote. The University's official FACULTY TENURE REVIEW BALLOT will be used by all colleges. After the votes have been cast, the ballots will be counted in the presence of the tenured members present with the results announced for each candidate as number for, number against, and number abstaining. Written report of this vote is delivered to the Dean by the Tenure Committee Chair.
3.534 On or before November 10, the . . . department head shall report in writing the results of the vote, together with his or her recommendation, to the dean who will forward that recommendation as well as the dean's recommendation to the chief academic officer on or before December 1.
3.535 The chief academic officer will report these recommendations as well as his or her recommendation to the president. A recommendation for tenure may also come directly from the chief academic officer or from the president of the university without prior recommendation from the . . . department. If the president determines to recommend granting of tenure, he or she will make the recommendation to the Board.
3.536The results of all balloting, recommendations from the . . . department head, recommendations from the dean and, recommendations from the chief academic officer shall be separate and held in confidence.
3.537 Faculty granted tenure by the Board of Regents of the Regional University System of Oklahoma will be notified in writing prior to July 1 by the President of the University. A faculty member not recommended or approved for tenure will be notified in writing by the chief academic officer, following action of the RUSO. Any candidate not recommended or approved for tenure may appeal to the University Grievance Committee (See Section 3.7 for petition procedures).
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