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In addition, the Chair may, in consultation with the FAC and with the concurrence of the Dean, assign workload equivalencies for specific duties which are considered essential to the academic mission of the Department. The Department’s expectations and specifications for such workload equivalencies is given in the table below.

            Table 1. Workload Equivalents

In the interest of maintaining a high standard of teaching and the desirability of faculty involvement in research and service activities, overload assignments are strongly discouraged. Overload assignments (i.e. workload assignments which total more than twenty-four (24) credit hours per academic year for tenured and tenure-track Faculty and which total more than thirty (30) credit hours for full-time non-tenure-track faculty) will be made only in unusual circumstances. Such assignments require the agreement of the faculty member and the approval of the Chair and the Dean. Overload assignments for full-time tenure-track Faculty shall be compensated at the rate of 1/24 of base annual contract salary for each workload credit hour of overload assignment (see Article IX, Section 6 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement).

 

Faculty members are assigned to teach specific courses by the Chair. The primary considerations for course assignments are prior teaching experience, subject expertise, and shared responsibility among the faculty for service and introductory courses. Questions regarding teaching assignments should be addressed to the Chair. The Chair will submit to all members of the Department of Philosophy faculty a Faculty Course Preference form. After considering faculty stated preferences, the Chair will submit to the FAC each Fall term a tentative proposed Academic Year Course Schedule for the next Academic Year. The approved Course Schedule may be altered by the Chair for programmatic needs in consultation with the appropriate Coordinators. In the case of a dispute or request for reassignment a faculty member may request review by the FAC, which will make a recommendation to the Chair.

The Chair welcomes requests for summer teaching assignments from all full-time faculty members. Summer teaching cannot be guaranteed to any faculty member and most summer teaching assignments are for a partial load. The size, content, and staffing of summer courses are dictated by budgetary constraints and curricular needs. The Department will endeavor to distribute summer teaching opportunities equitably among members of the bargaining unit without regard to academic rank. Faculty members may elect not to accept a summer assignment. See also CBA Article IX, Section 4.

Course assignments are made annually by the Chair after soliciting faculty preferences, consulting with the Graduate and Undergraduate Coordinators concerning programmatic needs and an appropriate scheduling pattern for students to take courses, and finally consulting with FAC concerning a proposed schedule for the next academic year.

Programmatic needs and an appropriate scheduling pattern in light of these needs is the primary factor in making teaching assignments for an academic year. Towards the beginning of the Fall semester, the Chair solicits faculty preferences concerning courses and times for the subsequent Academic Year. The Chair will make reasonable efforts to accommodate faculty preferences consistent with programmatic needs and appropriate scheduling patterns.

After consulting with the Graduate and Undergraduate Coordinators concerning programmatic needs and an appropriate scheduling pattern, the Chair constructs a tentative schedule. The Chair then consults with FAC about the tentative schedule. Upon receiving FAC’s advice about the schedule, the Chair finalizes the schedule and reports the tentative schedule to FAC.

A faculty member wishing to develop a new course for the curriculum first should consult with the Chair and the two Coordinators before preparing a Course Catalog Update workflow and syllabus for the proposed course. The Chair submits these materials to the Department Curriculum Committee and upon receiving their recommendation either forwards the proposal to the Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee or else returns it to the proposer.

At least once every four years the Department shall review its undergraduate offerings. Recommendations for changes, accompanied by Course Catalog Update workflows and syllabi, shall be brought before the Department CC for action. Upon receiving the Recommendation from the Department CC, the Chair either forwards the material to the Arts & Sciences College Curriculum Committee or returns them to the Department CC for further consideration.

At least once every four years the Graduate Program Committee shall review its graduate offerings. Recommendations for changes, accompanied by Course Catalog Update workflows and syllabi shall be brought before the Department CC for action. Upon receiving the Recommendation from the Department CC, the Chair either forwards the material to the Arts & Sciences College Curriculum Committee or returns them to the Department CC for further consideration.

Tenured and Tenure-Track faculty are required to advise and counsel undergraduate and graduate students on academic matters. Individual faculty members are responsible for providing academic counseling to undergraduate students assigned to them and to other undergraduate students who seek such advice, as needed. Student advising at the graduate level is conducted through the graduate student’s Graduate Faculty Advisory Groups or the Thesis Committee and Thesis Advisor. In order to assist in student advising, Faculty members should maintain current knowledge of University, College, and Department programs and requirements.

Final exams in all courses must be offered at the time and date specified in the University’s schedule of final examinations. Changes of the time and/or date of a final examination require prior approval of the Chair and the Dean, but in any case, the exam must also be offered at the time scheduled and publicized by the University for those students who desire to take the exam at that time.

Faculty members must inform students of their progress throughout the semester. Grades are a faculty member's responsibility and should be assigned fairly and objectively. Submission of final grades must comply with University Policy, including but not limited to the deadline for the timely submission of grades. Failure of faculty members to provide grades in compliance with University Policy will be taken into consideration in reappointment, promotion, tenure and merit decisions. Materials used in computing grades (e.g., exams, papers, reports, etc.) should be retained by the faculty member for five (5) years after final grades are submitted. Students have a right to inspect the written work performed during a course and discuss the grade with the faculty member. All members of the Department must comply with all laws and University Policies which govern the privacy of student education records, including but not limited to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These regulations require, among other things, that faculty members keep thorough academic records and forbid the posting of grades by name, social security number or any other system which might identify a student with her/his education record.

When a student applies to complete a philosophy course by a Department authorized credit by examination, the Chair assigns the making of the exam to a faculty member who teaches that course in the Department.

It is the responsibility of all TT and NTT faculty to keep up to date regarding scheduled events and meetings of the Department. To that end, all faculty are expected to review the notices posted on the Copy Room door in the Department regarding upcoming events, and to attend to notifications emailed to their University email account and correspondence and announcements posted in their individual Department post box.

1. Email

Faculty members must use their University email address for all official University communications (sending and receiving), and check their University email at least once each day they are on campus during the workweek.

2. Post

Faculty members must check their Department mailbox for communications at least each work day they are scheduled for classes, office hours and Department meetings.

Faculty members are expected to schedule and attend at least five (5) office hours per week (See University Policy Register 3342-6-18.101). All full-time faculty members are expected to keep five office hours a week which are to be distributed over at least two weekdays. Further, the Chair may determine whether the schedule is suitable when hours are requested beyond the regular office hours of operation.  The office hours shall be posted on the Department office door and on the Department Webpage, and communicated to the Department office as well as to the faculty member's students. If a student, for a legitimate reason or reasons, is unable to meet during the faculty member’s scheduled office hours, the faculty member shall make appointments to meet with the student at an alternate time. A faculty member is expected to keep all Office Hours as posted. A faculty member must report directly to the Chairperson any absence from Office Hours that exceeds 15 minutes, and may not routinely cancel any portion of their posted office hours (posted office hours should be changed so as not to necessitate routine cancellation). Part-time faculty teaching one course in a term will keep three (3) hours per week of office hours. If the part-time faculty member teaches an additional course in the semester, the total office hours per week will increase to five (5) office hours per week.

Faculty members are required to meet all classes as scheduled in the Schedule of Classes unless formal permission for not being in class has been secured. If a faculty member is ill and cannot meet class, the Chairperson must be notified prior to the expected class meeting. Upon return to duty the faculty member must file a sick leave request form. When an instructor must miss classes because of a meeting or a conference, administrative duties, research activities, or other legitimate reasons, he or she must obtain prior permission by submitting to the Chairperson a Faculty Absence Authorization Form.

Tenured and Tenure-Track faculty members are expected to participate in recruitment programs, graduation ceremonies and other activities which are appropriate to their role as a faculty member in the Department.

A Student Survey of Instruction (hereinafter “SSI”) is required in each course in each semester and will be conducted under the auspices of the Chair pursuant to applicable University policies and procedures Section IX of this Handbook). Probationary faculty members are required to undergo peer review of teaching during each year of the probationary period. Further, the Chair may establish an Ad Hoc Teaching Excellence Committee for the evaluation of all faculty members being considered for Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion.

Faculty members are expected to provide students with a syllabus which includes the subject matter to be covered in a course with a brief course description, a list of all required books and articles, an optional list of recommended readings, a listing of assignments and/or reports, approximate dates of examinations, grading standards, attendance requirements, office hours and other pertinent details of the conduct of the class. Further, all syllabi should include statements regarding Student Academic Complaints, Academic Dishonesty, and Accommodations for students registered with Student Accessibility Services. A course syllabus should be provided to all students in a course by the first day of class in a term. Faculty members are required to submit a copy of each course syllabi to the Department in the first week of classes.