Section 300 - Faculty Personnel Policies

301 Employment Policies The regulations governing employment at Georgia State University prohibit discrimination in employment based on race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This includes, but is not limited to: recruitment, hiring, compensation, retention, training, tenure and promotion.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs annually appoints an Affirmative Action Advisory Committee. This committee represents a cross-section of job categories and interest groups on campus. The purpose of the Committee is to:

Georgia State University is an equal opportunity institution. As such, students are admitted and treated without regard to race, sex, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability. Georgia State University complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. These regulations prohibit discrimination based on race, color or national origin and sex respectively. The university also complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits discrimination based on disability.

Title IX of the Education Amendments with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was the first comprehensive federal law to prohibit sex discrimination against students and employees of educational institutions. Title IX states, in part: No person*shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance... The policy of Georgia State University is to implement affirmative action and equal opportunity for all employees, students and applicants for employment or admission without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, veteran status or disability. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination. Sexual harassment is a form of prohibited sex discrimination. Students (male and female) and employees (faculty and staff) are protected from sexual harassment and may recover monetary damages. The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for enforcing the law. Faculty, staff, and students can file complaints of sex discrimination with the Title IX Coordinator. Retaliation against complainants is prohibited. The Title IX Coordinator is the Assistant Vice President of Opportunity Development and Diversity Education Planning.
The Title IX Coordinator can be contacted at:

It is the policy of Georgia State University to implement affirmative action and equal opportunity for all employees and students, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability. This policy also applies to applicants for employment or admission.

The university's affirmative action program and related policies are developed to comply with Executive Orders 11246 and 11375, as amended; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( Sections 503 and 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II), and their implementing regulations; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 as it amends 38 U.S.C. 4212.

Primary responsibility for implementing Georgia State University's affirmative action program lies with the president and the vice presidents. In turn, this responsibility rests with respective deans, department heads and directors. Operational responsibility for implementing, monitoring and annually updating the university's Affirmative Action Plan lies with the Director of Affirmative Action. The director is responsible to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The responsibilities of the Director of Affirmative Action include, but are not limited to, the following:

It is the policy of Georgia State University not to discriminate against any individual because he or she has a disability. This applies to employees and students. It also applies to applicants for admission or employment. Georgia State University provides physical and program accessibility and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Support services provided by Georgia State University include, but not limited to: evaluation of individual needs, advisement, couseling and testing servies, parking (for persons with certain limiting mobility imapairments), and academic program assistance for students. Policies regarding individuals with disabilities conform with Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II).

A complete listing of services and facilites for persons with disabilities, particularly students, is provided in A Guide for Students and Employees with Disabilities. The College Student with a Disability: A Handbook for Faculty is available as a reference to help faculty members work with students with disabilities. Questions regarding students with disabilities and requests for the above-referenced publications should be directed to the Office of Disability Services. Matters related to faculty and staff members with disabilities should be directed to the Office of Opportunity Development.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers and other covered entities from discriminating in any aspect of employment on an individual's religious beliefs. Employers must accommodate employees' religious needs unless it would cause an undue hardship to the business. Failure to do so is an unlawful employment practice.

The obligation to accommodate begins when an employee notifies the employer of the need for an accommodation. Once notified, the employer should consider the available alternatives for accommodating the religious practice involved. If there is more than one alternative available which would not cause undue hardship, the employer must offer that which would least disadvantage the individual's employment opportunities. The offered accommodation does not have to be the one the employee prefers, if the above standard (i.e., least disadvantage) is met.

It is the policy of Georgia State University not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because he or she is a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. It is also the policy of Georgia State University to take affirmative action to employ, and advance in employment, qualified disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietman era. This policy applies to all employment actions including, but not limited to: advertising, recruiting, hiring, compensation, retention, training, demotion, promotion, transfer, layoff, termination and tenure. This policy meets the provisions of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. For information about the university's written affirmative action plan for disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era, contact the Office of Affirmative Actions.

Georgia State University maintains a veteran's coordinator in the Office of the Registrar to certify and help students who are eligible for veteran benefits and to coordinate veteran affairs.

The basic criteria for the appointment and promotion of faculty in the several institutions of the University System shall be appropriate qualifications and performance as set forth in the policies of the Board of Regents. Relationship by family or marriage shall constitute neither an advantage nor a disadvantage.

No individual shall be employed in a department or unit under the supervision of a relative who has or may have a direct effect on the individual's progress, performance, or welfare.

For the purpose of this policy, relatives are defined as husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers, sisters, and any in-laws of any of the foregoing. (Minutes, February 14, 1973, p. 312)

With the initial employment of an alien, the institution must certify that the services to be performed by the alien do not involve direct participation in the formulation, execution, or review of broad public policy and that United States citizenship does not bear some rational relationship to the special demands of the particular position to be filled.

The integrity of academic and work relationships is the foundation of the university's educational mission. These relationships vest considerable trust in persons with authority whether as mentor, educator, evaluator and/or administrator. The unequal institutional power inherent in university academic and work relationships heightens the vulnerability of those in subordinate positions. The university must protect itself from influences or activities that interfere with intellectual, professional and personal growth, or with the university's financial interests. Consequently, people in positions of authority within the university community must be sensitive to the potential for conflict of interest as well as sexual harassment in amorous relationships with people over whom they have a professional power/status advantage. (See Section 206.03 of the Faculty Handbook, Section 6-1 in the Classified Employee Handbook, and the GSU General Catalog for the Sexual Harassment Policy of the university.)

The individual in authority bears the primary responsibility for any negative consequences resulting from an amorous relationship. It is in the interest of the university to provide clear direction and educational opportunities to the university community about potential professional risks associated with consensual amorous relationships between members of the university community where a power/status advantage exists.

Academic Relationship Advantage. A faculty member or other instructor always will be treated as having a power advantage when that faculty member or instructor has authority to assign grades; serves on thesis, dissertation, or scholarship awards committees; provides research and/or training opportunities, etc.

Staff Advantage. A staff member will always be treated as having a power advantage when the staff member has the authority to evaluate, determine salary, and/or make employment decisions.

Other Power Advantage. Power advantages also can occur between junior and senior faculty, faculty and administrators, and faculty/administrators and staff.

Relationships that are mutual and consensual may be viewed by others as exploitative and may adversely affect the work environment in that serious conflicts of interests may be perceived to exist. In particular, the parties to an amorous relationship should be aware that such relationships often create general conflicts of interest and the fear from co-workers or students of unfair treatment in terms of promotions, grades, etc.

Therefore, Georgia State University prohibits the parties who are or have been involved in any amorous relationship from evaluating each other.

There are situations sufficiently complex that judgments may differ as to whether there is or may be a conflict of interest, and individuals may inadvertently place themselves in situations where conflict exists. Accordingly, for the common good, should a situation arise in which parties who are or have been involved in any amorous relationship come into a position in which they would normally be called upon to evaluate one another, the individual in authority must promptly report this fact to his or her supervisor. The supervisor will then make arrangements to see that those who are or have been involved in any amorous relationship do not evaluate each other. In particular, if a faculty member has had or comes to have an amorous relationship with a student over whom the faculty member has authority as described above, the faculty member must promptly report this to the department/shcool chair who will make arrangements for an alternate evaluation mechanism. Should the individual in authority fail to promptly report an amorous relationship with a person the individual in authority evaluates, the individual in authority has violated University policy and is subject to disciplinary action in the Faculty Handbook, Classified Employee Handbook, or appropriate student catalogue, handbook, or college regulations (depending on whether the individual in authority is faculty, staff, or a student).

It is important to avoid conflict of interests resulting from amorous relationships; it is equally important to recognize that malicious accusations of inappropirate amorous relationships have the potential to severely damage a person's career and reputation.

Therefore, Georgia State University prohibits making knowingly false accusations that an unreported amorous relationship exists or existed between two parties now in a position to evaluate each other.

Due process rights are matters of fundamental fairness; therefore, disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with the procedures set out in the Faculty Handbook, Classified Employee Handbook, or appropriate student catalogue, handbook, or college regulations.

NOTE: Please check with the Affirmative Action Office before using this policy for the FIRST time.

The appointment of a search committee for a faculty position shall be the responsibility of the College and the department that is recruiting.

A department with 15 or more faculty shall have a search committee consisting of at least 5 members; a smaller department shall have a committee consisting of at least 3 members. Departments may, if they choose, have a representative from outside the d epartment, and\or outside the college, and\or from within the wider community. While departments are encouraged to establish committees with diverse membership, which includes, if possible, members of an under represented group\protected class, such as w omen and minorities, all committee members are responsible for promotion of diversity within department. The Department Chair or a designee shall serve as the committee's compliance resource member.

Approved by University Senate 12/6/07

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION POLICY & PROCEDURE

Background Investigation Policy:

�It shall be a condition of all new regular employment with Georgia State University to submit to a background investigation.� A background investigation shall also be performed on any existing employee being transferred, reassigned, reclassified or promoted to a �position of trust� unless a background investigation conforming to this procedure has been performed on such employee on or after July 1, 2002.� (Positions determined by the hiring unit in conjunction with the Office of Legal Affairs to be of trust are those that routinely as a part of the job involve interaction with children, after-hours access to facilities, access to financial resources or that have been otherwise identified by the hiring unit in conjunction with the Office of Legal Affairs to require a more extensive background investigation.)

Offers of employment shall be conditional pending the result of the background investigation, which shall include, at a minimum, the following:

� A state and federal criminal history check covering seven (7) years;

� A nationwide sex offender registry search;

� A social security number check;

� For positions of trust with financial responsibility, a financial report; and

� For all professional, faculty and academic positions, an academic credentials check.

Offers of employment for positions of trust may be conditional pending the result of a state and federal criminal history check covering more than the minimum of seven (7) years.�

�

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE

Definitions:

Background Investigation � An investigation comprised of a background check as described above.

Background Investigation Committee (BIC) �The administrative committee charged with determining questions of suitability of hire.� The BIC shall include the following members:

1. The Director of the Employment Office or designee;

2. The Chair/Head of the Hiring Unit (or designee);

3. A representative from the Office of Legal Affairs;

4. The Chair of the Senate�s Faculty Affairs Committee (or designee);�

5. The Chair of Staff Council (or designee); and,

6. The Chief of Public Safety (or designee), (ex officio, non-voting member).

(Note: The Chair of the Senate�s Faculty Affairs Committee (or designee) will attend if the candidate is applying for a faculty position. The Chair of Staff Council (or designee) will attend if the candidate is applying for a staff position.� In the event of a tie-vote in the Committee when only four voting members meet, the BIC shall meet again with all five voting members to resolve the tie)

Consent Form � A form authorizing the University to conduct a criminal background check.� All employment finalists and promotion candidates (if promotion is to a position of trust) at the University are required to sign a Consent Form to be considered for employment with or promotion within the University.

Hiring Unit � The department hiring a new employee (whether internally or externally), or promoting an existing employee.

Employment Office � The University�s employment office that handles all new hires. Within the employment office, the Assistant Director for Recruitment and Retention will be designated as the contact person on all matters relating to criminal background investigations, including custodial responsibility for receiving, storing, or disposing of criminal background investigation reports.

Regular Employee � As defined in section 102.1 of the Employee Handbook, �Personnel employed for a continuous period expected to exceed one semester or six calendar months are �regular� employees�

Determining Employment Eligibility for Applicants with Criminal History

Only criminal convictions may be considered when determining a candidate�s eligibility for a specific position or employment as a whole. Detention and/or arrest without conviction do not constitute valid grounds for adverse employment decisions and do not play a part in the decision-making process. However, if an individual has a criminal case pending, his or her suitability for continued employment will be reviewed upon disposition of the case.

1. Felony convictions and convictions involving crimes of moral turpitude automatically disqualify an individual for employment with Georgia State University in a position of trust. (For what constitutes crimes of moral turpitude in the State of Georgia, consult the University�s Office of Legal Affairs.)

2.�� Failing to disclose a criminal conviction history where required in employment application materials will disqualify a candidate for employment with Georgia State University.

3.�� When determining whether a candidate with disclosed criminal convictions is eligible for employment or promotion, the Background Investigation Committee will consider the specific responsibilities of the position for which the candidate is being considered, the nature, number and gravity of crimes for which the candidate was convicted and the amount of time that has passed since the conviction.� A determination of ineligibility for a specific position as the result of a criminal conviction does not necessarily mean that an individual is ineligible for all employment with the University and each such determination will be made on a case by case basis.

Process for Conducting Background Investigation

Notice should be included in all job postings that an offer of employment will be conditional on background verification.�� Georgia State University shall set guidelines for assigning the cost of performing a background investigation.

The Hiring Unit is responsible for confirming the employment history and credentials (official transcript, copy of certification, etc., as appropriate) of an applicant before having the Employment Office initiate the Background Investigation and before extending a conditional offer of employment.� The final candidate will be referred to the Employment Office to obtain all required employment paperwork, including the Consent Forms. With respect to the promotion of existing employees, the candidate for promotion shall be referred to the Employment Office to obtain the Consent Form for initiation of the Background Investigation.

A conditional offer of employment/promotion may be made at this time.� Important:� All offers of employment must be made in writing and must include the following statement: �This offer of employment is contingent upon completion of a background investigation including a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with Georgia State University, as determined by Georgia State University in its sole discretion, confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials and, if applicable, a satisfactory financial report.�

Upon receipt of a signed Consent Form of the Hiring Unit�s selected candidate, the Employment Office will initiate the Background Investigation into that candidate.� If the top candidate is not hired for the involved position (e.g. criminal convictions that render applicant ineligible for the specific position, candidate does not accept the job offer, etc.), the Hiring Unit may select another candidate for the position.� If the candidate next selected for the position has already signed the Consent Form, then the Employment Office will immediately initiate the investigation process.� If the next applicant identified as the Hiring Unit�s top candidate has not signed a Consent Form, then the Employment Office will initiate the Background Investigation as soon as they obtain a signed Consent Form.

How Criminal Background Check Information is Processed:

Georgia State University shall contract with appropriate entities to conduct the investigation.� Background Investigation reports are submitted directly to the Employment Office by the entity performing the investigation.

If adverse information is contained in the report, the Employment Office shall, after consulting the Hiring Unit but before convening the BIC, notify the candidate in writing and give the candidate the option to withdraw from further consideration for the position he or she has applied for.� If the candidate chooses not to withdraw but to continue with his or her application, then the BIC shall convene. The BIC is responsible for determining the employment eligibility of the selected candidate but only as it relates to his/her criminal background.� The Employment Office shall notify the Hiring Unit of this determination.� The BIC shall make its decision about the selected candidate�s eligibility as follows:

1. The Background Investigation report shows no convictions and the candidate is not on the sex offender registry: the selected candidate is eligible for employment. (Requires no BIC action.)

2. The Background Investigation report shows one or more felony convictions, inclusion on the sex offender registry, or conviction of one or more crimes of moral turpitude: the selected candidate is ineligible for employment with the University in a position of trust.

a. Prior to making this final determination, the Employment Office must give a pre-adverse action disclosure to the candidate.� This pre-adverse action disclosure must include a copy of the candidate�s Background Investigation report, together with the name, address and telephone number of the company that conducted the Background Investigation, and information on how to dispute information in the report.� A copy of �A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act� must also be provided to the candidate.� This summary will be typically provided to the University with the Background Check Report by the company performing the Background Investigation.

b. The candidate must be given an opportunity (a minimum of five working days) to provide an explanation in writing of the circumstances surrounding the results of the Background Investigation, including any mitigating factors, and have this explanation considered prior to the finalization of the hiring decision.

c. If the candidate successfully shows that s/he has no felony convictions or convictions of crimes of moral turpitude or was improperly listed on the sex offender registry, then the candidate shall be eligible to continue in the process for employment.� The Employment Office will notify the Hiring Unit of this determination.

d. If the candidate is unsuccessful in showing no felony convictions or convictions of crimes of moral turpitude, improper inclusion on the sex offender registry, or mitigating factors then the candidate is ineligible for employment in a position of trust.� An adverse action notice must then be sent to the candidate.� This notice must include:

i. the name, address and telephone number of the company that supplied the Background Investigation report;

ii. a statement that the company that supplied the Background Investigation report did not make the decision to take the adverse action and cannot give specific reasons for it; and

iii. a notice of the individual�s right to dispute the accuracy and completeness of any information the company furnished in the Background Investigation report and the right of the individual to obtain an additional free report from the company upon request within sixty days.

3. The Background Investigation report shows one or more criminal convictions or inclusion on the sex offender registry and the applicant is not applying for a position of trust. (Georgia State University can consider an applicant with a felony conviction or inclusion on the sex offender registry for employment provided that the applicant is not seeking a position of trust.� Georgia State University should consider a felony conviction or inclusion on the sex offender registry as it does all criminal convictions in making a decision whether to hire an applicant into a position that is not a position of trust.)��

a. The criminal convictions or inclusion on the sex offender registry were all disclosed by the selected candidate in the application materials.� The BIC will determine whether the candidate is eligible for the involved position based on the job description and the nature of the crimes for which the candidate was convicted.�

i. If the BIC determines the candidate is eligible, then the Employment Office will so notify the Hiring Unit.�

ii. If the BIC determines the candidate is not eligible, then prior to making this final determination, the Employment Office must give a pre-adverse action disclosure to the candidate.

1. This pre-adverse action disclosure must include a copy of the candidate�s Background Investigation report, together with the name, address and telephone number of the company that conducted the Background Investigation, and information on how to dispute information in the report.� A copy of �A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act� must also be provided to the candidate.� This summary will be typically provided to the University with the Background Check Report by the company performing the Background Investigation.

2. The candidate must be given an opportunity (a minimum of five working days) to provide an explanation in writing of the circumstances surrounding the results of the Background Investigation, including any mitigating factors, and have this explanation considered prior to the finalization of the hiring decision.

3. �If the candidate successfully shows that s/he does not have the criminal convictions that led the BIC to determine that the candidate was ineligible for employment or was improperly listed on the sex offender registry, then the candidate shall be eligible for employment.� The Employment Office will notify the Hiring Unit of this determination.

4. If the candidate is unsuccessful in showing that s/he does not have the criminal convictions or improper inclusion on the sex offender registry or mitigating factors that led the BIC to determine that the candidate was ineligible for employment, then the candidate is ineligible for employment.� An adverse action notice must then be sent to the candidate.� This notice must include:

a. the name, address and telephone number of the company that supplied the Background Investigation report;

b. a statement that the company that supplied the Background Investigation report did not make the decision to take the adverse action and cannot give specific reasons for it; and

c. a notice of the individual�s right to dispute the accuracy and completeness of any information the company furnished in the Background Investigation report and the right of the individual to obtain an additional free report from the company upon request within sixty days.

b. The criminal convictions or inclusion on the sex offender registry were not disclosed by the selected candidate in the application materials.� The Employment Office will notify the candidate in writing that the Background Investigation revealed criminal convictions or inclusion on the sex offender registry not disclosed in his/her application materials and that s/he will removed from consideration for the involved position due to misrepresentation and falsifying application materials unless s/he contacts the Employment Office and provides reasonable justification for not disclosing a conviction or registry inclusion within a minimum of five (5) working days.� This notification will be accompanied by a pre-adverse action disclosure.

i.�� The pre-adverse disclosure must include a copy of the candidate�s Background Investigation report, together with the name, address and telephone number of the company that conducted the Background Investigation, and information on how to dispute the information in the report.� A copy of �A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act� must also be provided to the candidate.� This summary will be typically provided to the University with the Background Check Report by the company performing the Background Investigation.

i. The candidate must be given an opportunity (a minimum of five working days) to provide an explanation in writing of the circumstances surrounding the results of the Background Investigation and have this explanation considered prior to the finalization of the hiring decision.

ii. If the candidate successfully shows that s/he has no criminal convictions or was improperly listed on the sex offender registry, then the candidate shall be eligible for employment.� The Employment Office will notify the Hiring Unit of this determination.

iii. If the candidate provides a reasonable justification for not disclosing a conviction or sex-offender registry inclusion (e.g. court documentation indicating first offender or other similar status; legal documentation indicating the right to claim no criminal history on application in response to requests for same, prior pardon for the conviction, etc.), then the BIC may consider such justification when determining whether or not the candidate�s omission was fraudulent or a misrepresentation that would render the applicant ineligible for employment.� If the BIC determines that no falsification or misrepresentation has taken place, then the BIC will make a determination about whether the applicant is eligible for employment pursuant to Paragraph 2 or 3, above, depending on whether or not the candidate�s application is one for a position.� The Employment Office will notify the Hiring Unit of the BIC�s determination.

iv. If the candidate is unsuccessful in showing no criminal convictions, improper listing on the sex offender registry, or reasonable justification for omitting criminal history information, then the candidate is ineligible for employment due to misrepresentation and falsification of application materials.� An adverse action notice must then be sent to the candidate.� This notice must include:

1. the name, address and telephone number of the company that supplied the Background Investigation report;

2. a statement that the company that supplied the Background Investigation report did not make the decision to take the adverse action and cannot give specific reasons for it; and,

3. a notice of the individual�s right to dispute the accuracy and completeness of any information the company furnished in the Background Investigation report and the right of the individual to obtain an additional free report from the company upon request within sixty days.

Maintenance of Background Investigation Reports

Background Investigation reports obtained on new or existing employees shall be delivered directly to the Employment Office by the entity performing the investigation.� The report will remain with the Employment Office until the determination on employment or promotion eligibility has been made and then stored segregated from the employee�s personnel file. The Employment Office shall place a certification in the employee�s personnel file stating the date the report was obtained, the name of the Assistant Director of Recruitment and Retention who reviewed the report and a statement that the report showed that the employee was or was not eligible for employment or promotion.� Reports on all non-successful applicants for employment and candidates for promotion must be destroyed in accordance with the USG Record Retention Guidelines. The background report itself is not provided to nor maintained by the Hiring Unit. Except as may be required by law, the Employment Office shall not release the criminal background reports to any person or entity, except to members of the BIC for purposes of determining employment eligibility.

Consent forms for Background Investigations shall be placed in the personnel file of the employee and maintained in accordance with USG Record Retention Guidelines. A new signed consent form will be required for each background check. A copy of his or her report shall be given to each applicant and/or employee as applicable.

Questions

The Employment Office or Legal Affairs Department is prepared to assist you with any questions on this procedure.

[Approved by the University Senate on December 6, 2007]

All recommendations for faculty appointments originate with departmental chairmen and are presented to the Board of Regents through the dean of the appropriate college, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and President. Approval by the Chancellor and the Board of Regents is also required for part-time instructors ( BOR Policy, Section 203.0303).

By Board of Regents' policy, institutions of the University System are authorized to establish professional positions designated as non-tenure track positions. Non-tenure track positions may be established for full-time professional personnel employed in administrative positions or to staff research, technical, special, career, and public service programs or programs which are anticipated to have a limited life span or which are funded, fully or partially, through non-System sources. There is no maximum time limitation for service in positions in this category ( BOR Policy, Section 803.10).

The Affirmative Action Office, in consultation with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the deans of the colleges, set(s) the affirmative action goals for hiring women and minority faculty for each year. Every effort should be made to insure that these goals receive priority consideration.

Justification is required when departments recommend hiring a faculty member holding the terminal degree from Georgia State University. Strong justification will be necessary if the degree was earned in the recommending department. In addition, letters are required from the applicant's terminal degree-granting institution indicating the status of the applicant in the degree program if a candidate has not completed the terminal degree. The rank of Assistant Professor is to be recommended only if the terminal degree is expected prior to the beginning of the candidate's first semester.

A joint appointment occurs when a faculty member is affiliated with more than one academic unit or department. Such appointments normally involve a division of assignments and responsibilities. The exact division of responsibilities and rights should be defined. In making joint appointments there is also a need to clarify such matters as administrative jurisdiction, promotion and salary considerations, tenure evaluations, and budget allocations on a case-by-case basis. This policy on joint appointment of faculty was developed and passed by the Academic Affairs Committee of the University Senate on October 27, 1982.

A teaching assignment outside a faculty member's primary unit does not necessarily require a joint appointment nor does the offering of a course in one department or college to which students of another department or college are admitted require that the instructor hold a joint appointment in both departments or colleges.

A joint appointment should be made only when the individual plans to participate in each of the faculties in which he/she will have an appointment. Participation may involve teaching, research, attendance at faculty meetings, acceptance of administrative assignments, and other such functions.

In order to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts of interest, the following guidelines apply to joint appointments:

Joint appointments shall be made by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs upon the concurring recommendations of the heads of the academic units involved. Normally, these will be the respective deans of the units. Joint appointments will be confirmed by letter rather than by contract and may be either continuous or term appointments. Term appointments shall ordinarily specify a one-year period. A jointly appointed faculty member may, if recommended, be reappointed with no limitations on the maximum number of term or annual reappointments. The appointment process may be initiated by either the primary or secondary dean.

The primary administrative jurisdiction shall remain with the department or unit in which the faculty member was appointed originally and is budgeted. Joint faculty members shall have voting rights and the opportunity to serve on the primary unit's standing committees and may have such rights and opportunities in other unit(s). Although the granting of a joint appointment normally will involve negotiations between an individual faculty member and the primary and secondary deans, a joint appointment generally should be granted when a faculty member devotes a substantial amount of time to teaching required or core courses, is engaged in research, and/or provides support activities for the secondary unit or department.

Recommendations for salary, promotion, and tenure should originate in the unit having the primary appointment. All faculty should have a primary unit appointed when initially employed. Upon request of the primary unit, the other unit(s) should contribute documentation to the primary unit for its deliberations. The jointly appointed faculty member will appear in the budget of his/her primary appointment. If the other unit(s) provides a portion of the faculty member's salary, it shall be consulted on salary recommendations.

Every effort should be made to insure that an individual with a joint appointment holds the same rank in all faculties. When this is not feasible, the rank in other units should not be higher than the one in the primary unit. The other unit(s) should give the same scrutiny and apply the same standards for its joint appointments as it would in making a primary appointment.

Annual written evaluations will be required in both the primary and other unit(s). The other unit(s) will forward a copy of the evaluation(s) to the head of the faculty member's primary unit and to the faculty member. The evaluation process will conform to the policies and procedures of the University.

1. Security Questionnaire and Loyalty Oath - under state law, before the appointment of a faculty member can be made final, he/she must complete and sign a security questionnaire and loyalty oath.

During the employment process for faculty, Faculty Information Data (FID) forms are completed by the hiring department and submitted to the Board of Regents for approval. Copies of the FID forms are maintained by the department, college, Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Human Resources Department.

Each faculty member recommended for employment must file a verification of highest earned degree with the hiring official who forwards it to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The academic calendar is developed by the Admissions and Standards Committee of the University Senate and is adopted by the Senate. The University System fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30. All institutions in the University System of Georgia shall be on the semester system. The academic year shall consist of two regular semesters, each not to be less than 15 calendar weeks in length (minimum of 75 class days per semester, excluding registration and final examination periods). The institution's calendar conforms to broad guidelines issued by the Chancellor. ( BOR Policy, Section 304.01)

Academic year contracts are based on dates as established in the academic calendar. The form of the contract is stipulated by the BOR Policy, Section 803.13.

The beginning date for a standard contract, which covers fall and spring semesters, is one week before the beginning of class for fall semester. It ends on the date that grades are due for spring semester. A contract which includes summer term as one of the terms covered by the academic year contract begins one week before the beginning of summer term. It ends the day that grades are due for the last term covered by the contract. The "semester off" begins on the date that grades are due the preceding semester and ends one week prior to the beginning of classes for the next term for which the faculty member may be contracted.

The offer of employment to academic-year-contracted faculty in the term not included in the academic year contract shall be based on programmatic needs. Compensation for the term not included in the academic year contract shall be based on the rate of pay of the previous year's academic year contract ( BOR Policy, Section 803.1403).

Administrative officers of the University, deans of colleges, and certain of their associates and assistants as well as departmental chairmen are appointed for the full fiscal year. Faculty members whose work requires continuous service also may be employed on this basis.

Faculty salary increases are determined by such factors as scholarly attainment and professional growth as evidenced by: a) teaching activity and effectiveness;

b) research, publication, creative scholarly activity, or artistic performance; and

c) University, professional, and public service activities (Statutes, Article XI, Section 11). Recommendations for salary increments begin with the departmental chairman in preparation of the annual budget (Statutes, Article X, Section 3, G) and shall be based upon and preceded by the evaluation of faculty described in Section 311.

The Board receives an annual appropriation from the General Assembly for all phases of its operations. This appropriation may be increased or decreased by the Legislature or the Governor during the period of any fiscal year. Expenditures for operation of the University System are therefore necessarily contingent upon legislative appropriations. In the event that the General Assembly or the Governor at any time reduces the amount of funds appropriated to the Board, the compensation of all employees and other operating expenses may as a consequence be correspondingly reduced. It shall, however, be the intent of the Board to maintain current salary commitments in so far as possible to every employee and the Board will exert its composite influence and best efforts to that end. (BR Minutes, 1976-66, p. 184)

Consistent with Regents' policy on non-discrimination and with the approved purpose of the institution, each unit of the University System shall utilize specific criteria for the determination of entry-level salaries for full-time teaching faculty members employed at the ranks of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor and for the determination of the extent of salary increases awarded to currently employed full-time faculty members.

Each entry-level salary shall be determined on the basis of the specific requirements of the position and the qualifications of the individual employed to fill the position. Position criteria shall include: the academic rank, the academic discipline and the nature of the responsibilities to be performed. Criteria related to the qualifications of the individual shall include: academic degrees earned, teaching and other relevant experience, research and publication record, academic achievements and honors, and relevant professional achievements or recognitions.

Salary increases for full-time teaching faculty shall be awarded on the basis of merit. The criteria for the determination of the extent of such increases shall include: teaching ability, completion of significant professional development activities including the attainment of additional academic degrees, promotion in rank, seniority, research productivity, academic achievements and publications, academic honors and recognitions, relevant professional achievements and recognitions, and non-teaching services to the institution. Each institution shall identify specific criteria, consistent with this policy, upon which the determination of the extent of salary increases will be based. The institution shall also identify the methods by which the faculty member's performance will be evaluated for purpose of the determination of salary increases. Upon approval by the Chancellor, both the criteria and the evaluation methods shall be published in the faculty handbook of the institution. (BR Minutes, January 1982, p. 184)

Payment of compensation to faculty members for full-time employment during the summer session shall be at a rate not to exceed 33-1/3% of their regular nine months compensation for the previous academic year. (BR Minutes, 1950-51, p. 333; 1984-85, p. 80)

A faculty member has access to his/her official personnel files of the University, college and/or department.

Papers relating to the initial appointment of faculty are maintained by the college and by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The "Faculty Information Data Forms" and "Verification of Highest Degree" are maintained by the College and by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The "Faculty Information Data Forms" are also maintained by the Office of Human Resources. The Loyalty Oath and Security Questionnaire are maintained by the Office of Human Resources.

Copies of annual review documents and promotion and tenure history are maintained by the departmental chairmen and/or by the individual college or other academic unit.

Documents related to health, life, and disability insurance (including statements of beneficiaries); retirement; social security; Federal and State tax withholding are maintained in the Office of Human Resources.

When a faculty member has a change in personal information, such as address, phone number, marital status, department location or educational data, he or she must complete a Change of Personnel Records Form. Supporting documentation must accompany this form for marital status (marriage or divorce) or name changes. This form must be submitted to the Records and Compensation Office in a timely manner for record update. Forms are available in the Office of Human Resources.

In compliance with the Board of Regents' policy, Georgia State University has adopted the following specific definitions for various categories of faculty.

Full-time faculty are faculty who have a contract for employment on a 100% workload basis for two out of every three consecutive academic terms. The full-time faculty consist of the following categories:

A. Full-Time Faculty with Board-Approved Academic Rank (Academic Professional, Lecturer, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor) Faculty who are tenured, who are on tenure track including instructors, and who are not on tenure track by contract, are included in this category. All faculty who hold one of the five Board-approved academic ranks are in this category, regardless of additional titles they may hold.

Full-Time Instructional Faculty: Full-time instructional faculty consist of the following: teaching faculty (faculty whose primary assignment is instruction); temporary faculty and visiting faculty when employed at .75 EFT or more; research faculty; and departmental chairmen. Academic rank resides in the department.

Counselors: Counselors who hold academic rank in the University Counseling Center.

Administrators: Administrators who hold academic rank and have full-time administrative assignments or have been placed on released-time administrative assignments. Administrative appointments serve at the pleasure of the president and can be rescinded at any time.

Part-time faculty are those faculty who are employed for the academic year for less than .75 EFT. They do not earn probationary credit toward tenure and are non-tenure track. They may hold a contract for any portion of the 12-month fiscal year. Temporary faculty and visiting faculty are included when employed at less than .75 EFT.

Part-time instructors are employed to teach on a per-course/per-quarter basis. They have Board approval to teach within a designated academic department(s). All individuals in this category are in non-tenure track positions. PTI's are reappointed each year.

Graduate teaching assistants are employed to teach on a per-course/per quarter basis. They are enrolled at the graduate level and have Board approval and/or the Chancellor's administrative approval to teach within a designated academic department. All individuals in this category are in non-tenure track positions. GTA's are reappointed each year.

Adjunct faculty hold one of the Board approved adjunct faculty ranks and are authorized to teach within a designated academic department. Adjunct faculty are not paid for instructional duties although they may be employed by the University. All individuals in this category are in non-tenure track positions.

The President may recommend for approval by the Board of Regents the title of "emeritus" for any retired and tenured professor, associate professor, or assistant professor who, at the time of retirement, had 10 years or more of honorable and distinguished service at the institution.

The Georgia State University Strategic Plan provides the framework for the development of the Graduate Faculty membership criteria: Academic EXCELLENCE is central to Georgia State University's development. This will be accomplished by encouraging, developing and sustaining nationally competitive research, scholarship, and creative activity that generate and advance knowledge and artistic expression, and by maintaining and developing nationally competitive instructional programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Georgia State University requires that all of its tenured and tenure-track faculty be teacher-scholars. Being a scholar means engaging in original research. The work of the scholar also means stepping back from one's investigation, looking for connections, building bridges between theory and practice, and communicating one's knowledge effectively to students and the professional community. After careful analysis of available models of faculty performance, University standards, clarified by unit guidelines, will be established for promotion and tenure, graduate faculty status, and faculty workload (emphasis added).

The following Graduate Faculty membership criteria provide the University standards to be used in the Colleges' development of specific guidelines.

Since Georgia State University is one of four research universities in the University System of Georgia, faculty members are expected to generate and disseminate knowledge. The Graduate Faculty will do scholarly research and creative work, teach graduate students, and direct the research of graduate students. Graduate Faculty members are expected to demonstrate current knowledge of and involvement with their fields.

These guidelines describe the general criteria and procedures for the appointment of Graduate Faculty. (The SACS re-accreditation handbook specifies that "Eligibility requirements for faculty members teaching graduate courses must be clearly defined and publicized.") (Section 4.8.2.3)

A faculty member must hold Graduate Faculty membership in order to fulfill the following duties:

In accordance with the Strategic Plan, university standards, clarified by unit guidelines, will be used in evaluating candidates for the Graduate Faculty.

The primary qualitative guideline is current scholarly competence. The Graduate Faculty member is now an active and productive scholar and, recognizing the complementarity of research and teaching, is an effective teacher at the graduate level. Evidence of recent active and productive scholarship includes scholarly books, refereed articles in scholarly journals, chapters in scholarly books, abstracts in scholarly conference proceedings, successful external research grant applications, juried shows, editorships, or the equivalent as determined by the individual academic unit. Evidence of graduate teaching effectiveness includes teaching awards, successful instructional innovation grants, student evaluations, student accomplishments, guidance of graduate students' research projects, peer reviews, innovations in course design or delivery, publications in area of pedagogy, or other quantitative and qualitative evidence as determined by the individual academic unit.

Specific Guidelines. In accordance with the general criterion of current scholarly competence, each College (School) on campus will develop additional qualitative guidelines and quantitative expectations appropriate to its discipline(s) for the College as a whole and/or for its constituent units. Each College's (School's) guidelines must be approved by the College (School) faculty before submission to the Graduate Council (a subcommittee of APACE) for review. In reviewing those guidelines, the Graduate Council will insure that overall standards of scholarship and professional activities are met. The College (School) guidelines will not necessarily be a codification of extant practice, but may instead represent the unit's plan for achieving excellence in graduate education. The Graduate Council will make recommendations to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs for his/her approval of the guidelines. This process also will be followed for any substantive revisions following approval of initial guidelines. The Graduate Council will monitor the implementation of Graduate Faculty Membership guidelines during Academic Program Review.

Review for Graduate Faculty membership is initiated at the request of the faculty member. Appointments to the Graduate Faculty shall be for renewable terms of five years. Recommendations for appointment to the Graduate Faculty will be made by a designated committee from the department. (In small departments, the committee may include members from other departments.) The department's recommendation will be forwarded to a College/School designated committee for approval. College/School recommendations will be forwarded to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs for final approval on appointments and reappointments to the Graduate Faculty. In most cases, the timing of the review for regular Graduate Faculty membership should coincide with pre-tenure, tenure, and post-tenure reviews.

Provisional Graduate Faculty Status. A faculty member who has completed his/her terminal degree within the last five years may request non-renewable provisional graduate faculty membership for a period not exceeding five years. Provisional members may perform all the duties of Graduate Faculty except chairing doctoral dissertation committees. At any point during the provisional period, the faculty member may request review for regular Graduate Faculty status.

All nominations for Graduate Faculty membership must be accompanied by a current vita.

At Georgia State University, the quality of faculty accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, and service largely determines the quality of the institution as a whole. To ensure that the institution and its faculty achieve a high level of excellence, it is necessary for us to engage in periodic evaluations of faculty. As mandated by the policies of the Board of Regents, an evaluation of each faculty member is conducted once a year by the faculty member's supervisor. The criteria that govern promotion and tenure decisions also govern the annual evaluations. Additionally, faculty members are evaluated for the purpose of promotion and tenure at appropriate intervals during their careers. Hence it is imperative that clear standards for promotion and tenure be articulated and publicized. This document provides a statement of promotion and tenure standards for all members of the faculty at Georgia State University.

In what follows, reference will be made to departments, departmental chairs, colleges, and Deans. The policies enunciated are to apply equally to all units comparable to departments (e.g. schools), to those units comparable to colleges (e.g. centers, divisions and library), and to the highest-level supervisors of these comparable units.

Tenure and promotion decisions are to be based on discipline-specific departmental criteria and college criteria, but satisfaction of these criteria should reflect comparable levels of accomplishment across the university. Although faculty members in different colleges are engaged in varied forms of research, creative effort, and other scholarly activity, the quality of achievement appropriate to the field in question should be comparable. This document provides a statement of the general, university-wide standards that govern the specific departmental and college criteria. These university standards define the expected quality of faculty accomplishments, while the departmental and college criteria identify the concrete forms these achievements should take.

Promotion and tenure decisions are extremely important to the life of the institution. They are the means by which the university retains its most valuable scholars, sustains excellence in its instructional program, and promotes its mission to advance knowledge. Consequently, standards should be high even as they take into account such factors as teaching loads and the level of support for scholarship at the institution. Moreover, standards should be expected to rise as the institution continues its drive for excellence.

Promotion and tenure decisions are also among the most important events in a faculty member's professional life. Accordingly, it is essential that all faculty members be treated fairly and granted due process in the deliberations that determine tenure and promotion. This document provides general guidelines that govern specific college procedures for promotion and tenure review; it also defines the procedures to be followed in the university-level review. These guidelines and procedures are designed to assure fairness and due process throughout the review process. Included among them are the appeals procedures to be followed in the event of disagreements over promotion and tenure recommendations.

The Office of the Provost periodically reviews college criteria and procedures for promotion and tenure in order to ascertain whether or not they are in accord with university-level standards and procedures and to ensure that all college policies are consistent with university policies.

Departmental chairs and senior colleagues are expected to mentor and advise all new faculty members. In particular, they should inform them of all promotion and tenure requirements. To this end, they should provide the new faculty members with copies of the appropriate departmental, college, and university promotion and tenure policies and explain the contents of these documents to them.

The exact dates are determined by the recommendation deadlines set each year by the University System Office as well as the University's academic calendar and holiday schedule.

3rd week of December: Dean reports Promotion and Tenure Review results to candidates and reasons for negative decisions [candidate has ten (10) business days to appeal to Provost]

3rd week of January: College/Unit Promotion and Tenure recommendations due to Provost

3rd week of January: Candidates' appeals of Promotion and Tenure decisions due to Provost

1st week of February: Provost completes Promotion and Tenure Review and consultation with Deans; Provost responds to appeals from candidates; Provost notifies Colleges and President of Promotion and Tenure recommendations

1st week of February: Deans notify candidates of Provost's Promotion and Tenure recommendations [Deans have three (3) business days to notify candidates and candidates then have ten (10) business days to appeal to the President and a copy to the Dean]

4th week of February: Appeals by candidates of Provost Promotion and Tenure recommendations due to President

1st week of March: President completes Promotion and Tenure Review and consultation with Deans; President responds to appeals from candidates; President informs Colleges of Promotion and Tenure approvals and information is sent to the Chancellor

1. It is intended that these tenure policies shall be the minimum standard for award of tenure, but they are to be sufficiently flexible to permit an institution to make individual adjustments to its own peculiar problems or circumstances. These policies are to be considered a statement of general requirements which are capable of application throughout the System and are not a limitation upon any additional standards and requirements which a particular institution may wish to adopt for its own improvement. Such additional standards and requirements, which must be consistent with the Regents' Policies, and approved by the Board of Regents, shall be incorporated into the Statutes of an institution.

2. Tenure resides at the institutional level. Institutional responsibility for employment of a tenured individual is to the extent of continued employment on a one hundred percent workload basis for three out of every four consecutive academic quarters until retirement, dismissal for cause, or release because of financial exigency or program modification as determined by the Board (see Section 803.0901).

3. Only Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors who are normally employed full-time by an institution are eligible for tenure. The term "full-time" is used in these tenure regulations to denote service on a one hundred percent workload basis for two out of every three consecutive academic terms.

Faculty members with adjunct appointments shall not acquire tenure. The award of tenure is limited to the above academic ranks and shall not be construed to include honorific appointments. (Board of Regents Minutes, 1990-91, pp.369-70)

4. Tenure may be awarded, upon recommendation by the President and approval by the Board of Regents, upon completion of a probationary period of at least five years of full-time service at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher. The five year period must be continuous except that a maximum of two years interruption because of a leave of absence or part-time service may be permitted; provided, however, that no probationary credit for the period of an interruption shall be allowed. A maximum of three years credit toward the minimum probationary period may be allowed for service at other institutions or for full-time service at the rank of instructor at the same institution. Such credit for prior service shall be defined in writing by the President and approved by the Chancellor at the time of the initial appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher.

5. The maximum time that may be served at the rank of Assistant Professor or above without the award of tenure shall be seven years, provided, however, that a terminal contract for an eighth year may be proffered if an institutional recommendation for tenure is not approved by the Board of Regents. The maximum time that may be served in any combination of full-time instructional appointments (instructor or professorial ranks) without the award of tenure shall be ten years, provided, however, that a terminal contract for an eleventh year may be proffered if an institutional recommendation for tenure is not approved by the Board of Regents.

6. The maximum time that may be served at the rank of full-time Instructor shall be seven years.

7. Tenure or probationary credit towards tenure is lost upon resignation from an institution, or written resignation from a tenured position in order to take an non-tenured position, or written resignation from a position for which probationary credit toward tenure is given in order to take a position for which no probationary credit is given. In the event such an individual is again employed as a candidate for tenure, probationary credit for the prior service may be awarded in the same manner as for service at another institution.

8. On approval of the award of tenure to an individual by the Board of Regents, that individual shall be notified in writing by the President of his/her institution, with a copy of the notification forwarded to the Chancellor.

9. Notice of the intention to renew or not to renew a non-tenured faculty member who has been awarded academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor) shall be furnished, in writing, according to the following schedule:

This schedule of notification does not apply to persons holding temporary or part-time positions in whatever rank stated.

The policy of the Board of Regents with respect to minimum time in rank for consideration for promotion (Section 4.03.01 of the Academic Affairs Handbook) states that the normal minimum time in the rank for promotion from the rank of instructor to assistant professor is three years in residence, from the rank of assistant professor to associate professor is four years in residence, and from the rank of associate professor to professor is five years in residence.

All candidates for promotion and/or tenure will be evaluated in the three areas of (1) teaching, advising and serving students (to include instruction both inside and outside the classroom environment and professional practice, when appropriate), (2) academic achievement and professional development (to include research, other forms of scholarship, and creative activity), and (3) service (to include departmental, college, university, and professional service as well as public service involving professional expertise). In each of these areas candidates will be evaluated as to whether or not they have met, exceeded, or clearly surpassed the expectations for promotion or tenure at peer institutions, defined to be those institutions rated at the same level by the Carnegie or a comparable criteria. Norms and expectations appropriate to the discipline are specified in the unit/college manuals and are expected to be consistent with those criteria at peer institutions as described above.

The tenure criteria for faculty hired at the rank of associate professor are the same as those for promotion to associate professor with tenure. Similarly, the criteria for tenure at the rank of professor are the same as those for promotion to the rank of professor with tenure. The granting of promotion to associate professor without tenure or tenure at the assistant professor level without promotion should occur only in discipline-specific or exceptional individual circumstances.

Consideration for promotion or tenure prior to the normal minimum time in rank specified by the Board of Regents, measured by standards appropriate to the field, should occur only in cases in which there is a clear indication of exceptional merit.

All promotion and tenure decisions at Georgia State University are to be based on university, college, and departmental procedures as well as on university, college, and departmental standards and criteria. Each unit that is engaged in promotion and tenure decisions must have a manual on promotion and tenure that clearly sets forth its criteria and standards for promotion and tenure as well as the procedures to be followed in the departmental and college phases of the promotion and tenure process. This manual must be approved by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs in accordance with relevant peer university and national norms.

The following general stipulations must be common to the procedures of all colleges:

A formal review of the progress made toward promotion and tenure will be made after three years so that all tenure track faculty members have a clear idea of how adequately they are progressing toward successfully achieving promotion and tenure. This review will be conducted by a committee of at least three faculty of the appropriate rank elected from the tenured faculty. Normally these faculty members will be from the unit; however, in small units faculty of appropriate rank from outside the unit may be elected. This cumulative review should address accomplishments in teaching, advising and serving students, in research/scholarly/creative activity, and in service. It will be based on available information; e.g., annual reports, student and peer evaluations of teaching, curriculum vita, publications, etc.; a candidate should not be expected to prepare additional materials solely for the purpose of the cumulative review. This cumulative review should provide an opportunity for colleagues to review accomplishments and provide assistance to the tenure track faculty member seeking tenure and promotion. Such review should complement efforts to implement mentoring programs within each unit. The cumulative review is distinguished from the annual review in that it encourages a longer term perspective on accomplishments while still permitting time for changes in orientation and activity of the individual involved. Guidelines for cumulative review shall be specified in each unit.

A mid-course review instead of the three-year review is suggested in those cases in which the faculty member is hired with prior credit.

A cumulative review should be reviewed and commented on by the department chair, the Dean and the Provost. Faculty must receive a written report of the results of this review.

2. Cumulative Review and Development for Tenured Faculty [Replaced 20 February 1997] All units will conduct a cumulative review of a tenured faculty member. This review will be conducted either by the elected Promotion and Tenure Committee of the College/Unit or by an independently elected committee consisting of at least three tenured faculty. In case of the latter, the composition of the committee and procedures for its election will be determined by the faculty for each college or unit. This review should begin five years after the most recent promotion and continue at five year intervals unless interrupted by a further promotion or impending candidacy for promotion within a year. This cumulative review should address accomplishments in teaching, advising and serving students, in research/scholarly/creative activity, and in service. It will be based on available information; e.g., annual reports, student/peer evaluations of teaching, curriculum vita, publications, etc. The only additional information that a candidate is expected to supply is a two-page statement of effectiveness in teaching, research, and service over the previous five years. This document should be accompanied by another page outlining projected five-year goals.

Such review provides an opportunity to assess faculty development goals and achievements and provides assistance to faculty in ensuring continuous intellectual and professional growth and provides assistance to the unit in ensuring that all faculty members are contributing to the unit's goals and responsibilities. The cumulative review is distinguished from an annual review in that the former requires faculty and administrators to assess achievements and goals over a longer term, potentially at differing levels (e.g., multi-year projects, research, scholarship) and can facilitate longer term growth and development. Such review might also be connected to determining eligibility to serve as a member of a college's graduate faculty. Guidelines for this review shall be specified in each unit.

A cumulative review should be reviewed and commented on by the department chair, by the Dean and the Provost. Faculty must receive a written report as to the results of this review. After completion of these assessments, a conference is held between the Chair/Director and the faculty member. This conference will produce a plan which focuses on professional goals and/or workload profile, for subsequent approval by the Dean. The Dean of each college will confer with the faculty member and will be responsible for monitoring progress through the regular process of annual faculty evaluations.

Nothing in these guidelines alters the existing rules dealing with tenure termination.

Each college will conduct a meeting each year for the promotion and tenure candidates within the college. This meeting should be held prior to the time candidates must assemble their promotion and tenure dossiers. The purpose of the meeting is to explain promotion and tenure policies and to answer candidates' questions about any and all phases of the promotion and tenure process. The meeting should be open to all interested faculty members in the college.

At least three letters from outside reviewers will be obtained on each candidate. These reviewers should be drawn from lists of those recommended from the candidate, the chair or other appropriate administrator. The outside reviewers will be asked to speak to the quality and level of the candidate's accomplishments in academic achievement/professional development and the impact this work has had on the discipline. Outside reviewers may also be asked to address the candidate's accomplishments in teaching and service, if applicable. The outside reviewers should be affiliated with institutions in which the emphasis on research and scholarship is of a rigor similar to or more demanding than that at Georgia State University. In appropriate circumstances, outside reviewers may be drawn from relevant non-academic settings which maintain similarly rigorous standards. A brief resume of the outside reviewer--or a description of this person's accomplishments and standing in the field (prepared by the departmental chair or other comparable academic official)--should accompany the reviewer's letter of evaluation.

The letters from the outside reviewers will be made available to faculty members involved in the decision making and will be part of the material to be considered by the relevant committees, as well as by any individual or group subsequently involved in the review beyond the initial level.

All candidates for promotion and/or tenure will prepare a dossier that contains a record of their achievements (in teaching, advising and serving students, academic achievement and professional development, and service), appropriate documentation, copies of their published works, all published reviews of their work, and information about the nature and term of any funded research.

Candidates for promotion and tenure must submit evidence of teaching effectiveness that includes, but goes beyond, the results of student evaluations. This evidence might include peer evaluation, representative syllabi, selected examinations and quizzes, reading lists or handouts (or comparable information given to students), a list of special projects, theses and disserta

The Complete Text of Section 300 Faculty Personnel Policies

The Complete Text of Section 300
Faculty Personnel Policies