Policy Statement to Govern Appointments, Tenure, Promotions, and Related Matters of the Faculty of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
Preface
The Board of Regents for the Oklahoma State University and Agricultural and Mechanical
Colleges (“Board of Regents”) adopts this comprehensive set of policies with the belief
that a well-defined statement of rules is essential to support academic freedom and
promote excellence at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (“OSU-CHS”).
Well-designed academic personnel policies ensure that academic quality will be at
the heart of academic personnel decisions and serve as the basis for enhancing academic
excellence.
It is fundamental that institutions under the governance of the Board of Regents,
such as OSU-CHS, use various professional and administrative standards.
Accordingly, it is the policy of the Board of Regents that the activities at these
public institutions should be conducted in a manner that will attempt to balance the
rights of the individual faculty member with OSU-CHS’s and the public’s legitimate
needs and interests. Policy statements of the Board of Regents are to be applied and
interpreted in that spirit.
The Board of Regents strongly supports the concept of faculty counsel on matters which
affect faculty. The Board of Regents acknowledges that principal stakeholder groups
– the Board of Regents itself, administrators, faculty, staff and students – play
differing and complementary roles in effective institutional governance. The Board
of Regents determines its delegations of powers to stakeholders, starting with the
delegated authority required by the president to provide strong and comprehensive
leadership for the institution. It is the intention of the Board of Regents that those
with the responsibility to act can exercise the legitimate authority to do so in a
straightforward and timely way. To ensure this outcome, and in the spirit of clarifying
and streamlining shared governance and reducing burdensome aspects for all parties,
the Board of Regents’ working guideline on consultation with the faculty delineates
three areas of interest. They are: (a) those areas of predominate interest (within
Board of Regents-approved institutional mission and strategic direction) where the
expertise of the faculty means that in the absence of exceptional circumstances their
counsel is sought; (b) those areas of secondary interest where faculty advice may
be requested and considered; and (c) those areas where faculty need not to be consulted,
but may receive information as important members of the campus community.
This broad policy statement is intended to be stable and a source of reliable information
and guidance to faculty, administrators, and external groups. However, in approving
this policy statement for OSU-CHS, the Board of Regents is not waiving or restricting
its lawful power, duty, and responsibility to act at any future time to establish
policies, regulations, and procedures and to implement other decisions of the Board
of 2 Regents. As permanent changes to this policy statement are considered, it is
recognized that there is substantial public benefit in consulting with Board of Regents
staff, institutional administrators, appropriate faculty, and others before enacting
revisions. The Board of Regents expects administrators recommending changes to discuss
those proposed revisions to this policy statement with the OSU-CHS Faculty Senate,
and others as may be appropriate, before the Board of Regents acts on the proposed
revisions.
While the Board of Regents recognizes the value of appropriate participation of faculty,
administrators, and others in the formulation of professional standards, policies,
and procedures, it also recognizes that extraordinary circumstances may arise where
the collective judgment of the Board of Regents requires it to act independently in
discharging its responsibility. In such instances, the Board of Regents will make
every reasonable effort through the official public record and the institutional administration
to inform affected personnel of its actions and invite their input for subsequent
consideration.
It is intended that faculty and administrators shall adhere to the standards set forth
in this policy statement. It is not intended that minor variances which are not substantially
prejudicial to rights of individual faculty members or contrary to the intent of the
policy should serve as the sole basis for complaints or claims of erroneous treatment
or action. Additionally, it is not intended that these minor variances in circumstances
and conditions or events be interpreted as establishing authority to disregard the
standards set forth in this policy statement.
References to the entity of the governing Board of Regents in this policy statement
may include participation or representation by the Board of Regent’s staff so designated
or authorized by the Board of Regents. Any use of grammatical gender references shall
be interpreted as applying equally to males and females.
This policy statement became effective as of the beginning of the academic year 2013-
14 and has been amended by the governing Board of Regents as noted below. This policy
statement shall not apply to any pending personnel actions commenced under earlier
policies.
Preface and Body Approved by the OSU Board of Regents, December 6, 2013.
Modifications to Body and Appendices Approved by the OSU Board of Regents, September 9, 2022.
Modifications to Body and Appendices Approved by the OSU Board of Regents, June 14, 2024.
General Principles
An essential measure of excellence of an educational institution is the quality of
its
faculty. The appointment, promotion, and retention of faculty members will determine
how well a college accomplishes its mission and the distinction it achieves. Faculty
membership carries with it inherent responsibilities to develop, disseminate and preserve
the intellectual growth and professional maturation of students, prepare medical manpower
of excellence, provide state-of-the-art health care delivery, and serve the needs
of the lay and scientific communities
The promotion and tenure process needs a great deal of foresight and wisdom, and requires well defined policies and procedures to provide equity, uniformity and efficiency. Faculty members should recognize that they bear an important obligation that transcends the mere technical details of procedural policies. The intent of these policies, broadly interpreted, is to attract highly-qualified candidates to the faculty,
to develop and reward scholars who demonstrate a commitment to the advancement and
communication of knowledge, to recognize faculty members who show promise of pursuing
productive academic careers, and to retain faculty members who are a credit to the
institution.
Sound, clearly stated, and sufficiently flexible policies and procedures governing appointments, tenure, promotion, and related matters are vital to the effective performance of faculty members and administrators.1 These standards are to be implemented in a reasonable manner.2 In implementation of the standards in this policy
statement, the President of OSU- CHS is authorized to decide procedural questions
on uncertain points. Prior to making such decisions the President of OSU-CHS may consult
with the chairperson of the OSU-CHS Faculty Senate, the Board of Regents Office of
Legal Counsel, or others.
The opportunity for faculty members to participate in efforts to improve policies
is critical. The Faculty Senate shall be consulted in the process of reviewing suggestions
for improvements in this policy statement. Recommendations for improvements made
A copy of all present and future implementing OSU-CHS Policies which relate to matters
dealt with in this policy statement shall be authorizedby the President of OSU-CHS
and be on file and available to faculty members in the main library at OSU-CHS, Tulsa
and OSU-COM-CN, and in the office of every academic department or similar unit within
OSU-CHS. Throughout this document, the phrase “this policy statement” refers to “Policy
Statement to Govern Appointments, Tenure Promotions, and Related Matters of the Faculty
of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.” All documents generated
by the appropriate administrative staff to aid in the implementation of these policies
should be consistent with the standards in this policy statement. If there are any
inconsistencies between the documents generated by administrativestaff and declarations
in this policy statement, the standards in this policy statement shall be the controlling
OSU-CHS policy.
1 A copy of all present and future implementing OSU-CHS Policies which relate to matters
dealt with in this policy statement shall be authorizedby the President of OSU-CHS
and be on file and available to faculty members in the main library at OSU-CHS, Tulsa
and OSU-COM-CN, and in the office of every academic department or similar unit within
OSU-CHS. Throughout this document, the phrase “this policy statement” refers to “Policy
Statement to Govern Appointments, Tenure Promotions, and Related Matters of the Faculty
of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.” All documents generated
by the appropriate administrative staff to aid in the implementation of these policies
should be consistent with the standards in this policy statement. If there are any
inconsistencies between the documents generated by administrativestaff and declarations
in this policy statement, the standards in this policy statement shall be the controlling
OSU-CHS policy.
2 Whether implementation of standards is “reasonable” is inherently a judgment based
on prevailing circumstances, known facts and rationalconclusions. As used in this
policy statement, the determination of whether a matter is “reasonable” is to be based
on (a) an evaluation of known facts, (b) utilization of applicable procedures and
professional standards, (c) consideration of prudent public institutional interests,
and (d) the exercise of sound judgment.
by the Faculty Senate shall be transmitted to the President of OSU-CHS. Any change(s) in this policy statement must be approved by the governing Board of Regents.
This policy is applicable to faculty members of OSU-CHS.
1. Professional Standards and Matters of Academic Appointment Administration
The diversity of OSU-CHS activity requires that detailed academic qualification standards for each rank, function, or specialty be
specified by the appropriate unit administrator. 3 In those cases in which work assignments vary greatly within a given unit or are
split between units it will be necessary to specify qualifications for individual
positions. In establishing these qualification standards the unit administrator shall
obtain appropriate faculty counsel. 4 When approved by the Provost, a copy of the standards shall be given to each faculty
member and such standards shall be applied by all administrative units involved until duly amended.
It is the policy of OSU-CHS that each faculty member's job description and the applicable
standards, criteria, and procedures used in making decisions relating to renewal,
tenure, and promotion should be available to the faculty member in written form. These
items are provided to a faculty member in the form of the initial memorandum of understanding,
written policy and procedure statements of the unit and OSU-CHS, and formal appraisal
and development statements.
Members of the faculty have the responsibility to follow the Board of Regents approved
policies on Ethics and Non-Retaliation, as well as institutional policy on outside
activities5, to avoid conflicts of interest prohibited by Oklahoma statutes, and, particularly, to develop and maintain student/teacher relationships
which are healthy, honorable, and beneficial to students in the pursuit of legitimate
educational objectives. Members of the faculty must not exploit students for their
private advantage.
The faculty of OSU-CHS endorses the American Association of University Professors’
2009 Statement on Professional Ethics (Appendix A). Throughout governance and due
processes outlined in this Policy Statement, committee members, unit administrators,
deans, and others must be able to freely discuss personnel related issues in an open and honest manner and without fear of repercussion, retaliation, or negative impact on their professional relationships
with colleagues. As such, all discussions and/or votes of individual committee members
shall remain confidential.
3 The term "unit administrator", as used throughout this policy statement, refers to
those individuals holding the title of department head, department chair, or any similar
position at OSU-CHS.
4 Depending on the OSU-CHS organizational structure, “appropriate faculty counsel,”
“advice of the faculty,” and “faculty consultation” referred to throughout this policy
statement shall involve obtaining input from (a) the entire departmental faculty;
or (b) members of a special or permanent committee selected by procedures which have
been approved by a majority of the faculty of the administrative unit involved, submitted
to the President of OSU-CHS for approval and retention in a permanent file; or where necessary (c) duly elected members of boards, senates, or councils
at the departmental, Center or other levels. Whenever deemed necessary this counsel
may seek external assistance to aid evaluation. In formulating input the faculty or
its committees shallhave the prerogative to meet in the absence of the unit administrator.
OSU-CHS endorses the general statement on academic freedom, as it applies to state universities and medical schools, which
are embodied in “Academic Freedom and Tenure (1940 Statement of Principles)”6 and
in the 1999 statement on “Academic Freedom in the Medical School”7 as drafted by the
Association of American Colleges and the American Association of University Professors.
(Appendix B)
Review of faculty activities and accomplishments shall be conducted by the unit administrator every year for every
faculty member, regardless of rank or tenure status. A written report of activities
and accomplishments shall be submitted by the faculty member. This report shall include
a work and professional development plan. If the faculty member, after due notice,
fails to submit documentation, the unit administrator may conduct the review from
available information. Unit administrators are expected to encourage the professional
development of each faculty member. Unit administrators shall familiarize each faculty
member with the applicable reappointment, promotion, and tenure guidelines established
by the faculty members of the unit. The unit administrator shall endeavor to provide an environment conducive to the achievement of expected performance. The unit
administrator shall submit a written evaluation that gives detailed descriptions of
the faculty member’s accomplishments or deficiencies. The faculty member’s written
report, together with the unit administrator’s evaluation, shall serve as the supporting
documentation for any merit pay raise or other salary adjustment. The completed annual
review documentation shall be placed into the permanent record of the faculty member
and shall be added to an accumulation of performance documents that shall be used
in any further review. A complete set of annual review documents shall be available
for any peer committee evaluation, particularly evaluations at the times of reappointment,
tenure and promotion. If a major element of performance is judged to be unsatisfactory
by the unit administrator, the following steps shall be taken:
A detailed written plan for corrective action shall be specified by the unit administrator.
If requested by the faculty member, the unit administrator shall obtain appropriate faculty counsel to determine whether the appraisal is justified, and if so, what measures to improve performance are warranted. If the judgment of unsatisfactory performance is not supported by the faculty group, the matter shall be forwarded to the Provost for resolution.
5 Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents Policy Manual 3.05; Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents Policy
Manual 3.06; OSU-CHS Conflict of Interest Policy 9-700036 https://www.aaup.org/report/1940-statement-principles-academic-freedom-and-tenure
77 https://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/academic-freedom-medical-school.pdf
For each tenured faculty member, a cumulative review shall take place every five years. A review conducted
to grant promotion qualifies as a cumulative review. The review shall be based on
discussion and substantive documentation provided by the faculty member. If the faculty
member, after due notice, fails to submit documentation, the unit administrator may
conduct the review from available information. Individuals designated to conduct the review shall be faculty in the
discipline or department of the faculty member under review. Faculty serving on review
committees shall be selected by procedures approved by the department or unit. The
review process shall include written feedback to the faculty member as well as a provision
for response. Written feedback shall be a detailed description of the faculty member’s accomplishments or deficiencies and must
include a statement as to whether the faculty member’s overall performance during
the review period is deemed “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”. The cumulative review requires individual development plans for each faculty member. Faculty members are
responsible for their own development consistent with unit and OSU-CHS goals. Any
formal development plan should respect academic freedom and professional selfdirection,
and it should be flexible enough to allow for subsequent alteration.
The results of a Cumulative Review of Tenured Faculty may be used by appropriate administrators
as a basis for providing support which will assist faculty members in carrying out
their professional goals and responsibilities. Any disciplinary action that may follow
the cumulative review must adhere to all prescribed procedures in force within this
policy document. In the event that unsatisfactory performance has not improved within
the timelines set in the individual development plan, any dismissal action shall be
based upon those grounds for dismissal specified in this Policy Statement.
If a faculty member believes that the results from a cumulative review are based on
unlawful discrimination, inadequate consideration, or legitimate exercise of academic
freedom, they may request a review of the matter utilizing the Dispute Resolution
Procedure set forth in this Policy Statement (Appendix C).
1.2 Recommendations for Faculty Appointments, Reappointments, Non-reappointments,
and Promotions
A prerequisite of a strong faculty is an active involvement in decisions affecting
its own membership. This is critical in appointments to and separations from the faculty.
It shall be the personal responsibility of the faculty member to demonstrate that
he or she meets the applicable qualifications for reappointment, tenure, or promotion.
Appropriate unit administrators are charged with the responsibility for recommending
appointments, reappointments, non-reappointments, and promotions., the unit administrator
shall obtain appropriate faculty counsel before making recommendations.
When the unit administrator is unable to act in accord with the faculty recommendation,
the reasons shall be communicated in writing to the faculty committee that provided
the counsel.
All recommendations generated by the unit personnel committee (“UPC”)8 and by the unit administrator shall be available to the Provost for consideration
and action. Final institutional review of personnel actions may be conducted by the
President of OSUCHS and the President of the OSU System. Appointments, reappointments,
promotions, and terminations must be approved by the governing Board of Regents except
as authorized by Board of Regents policies.
8Unit Personnel Committee (“UPC”). At the Unit level, the body designated by the faculty within a department to provide
appropriate faculty counsel on personnel matters shall be referred to in this policy
statement as the UPC. The responsibility of the UPC is to recommend whether or not
the candidate has met each of the applicable criteria and qualifications for the personnel
action being considered. The composition of the UPC shall be a minimum of 3 voting
faculty members at the same rank as, or above, that being sought by the candidate. i.If candidate is tenure-track then the UPC must be comprised of tenured faculty. ii.If candidate is non-tenure-track then the UPC may be comprised of either non-tenured
or tenured faculty.
It shall be the personal responsibility of the faculty member to demonstrate that
he or she meets the applicable qualifications for reappointment or promotion.
For reappointment decisions, the unit administrator shall conduct a brief review of
the faculty member’s performance throughout the current contract period. If the review
is satisfactory, the unit administrator may make a record for reappointment without
seeking appropriate faculty counsel. If the unit administrator finds that the performance
was not satisfactory, and is considering non-reappointment, the unit administrator
must obtain appropriate faculty counsel in accordance with 1.2.2.4.
When the unit administrator is unable to act in accord with the faculty recommendation,
the reasons shall be communicated in writing to the faculty committee that provided
the counsel.
All recommendations generated by the UPC and by the unit administrator shall be available
to the Provost for consideration and action. Final institutional review of personnel
actions may be conducted by the President of OSU-CHS and the President of the OSU
System. Appointments, reappointments, promotions, and terminations must be approved
by the governing Board of Regents except as authorized by Board of Regents policies.
1.3 Process for Appointment and Assignment of Tenure-Track and Non-Tenure Track Faculty
iii.If the unit does not have enough qualified members to create a UPC, then the Provost,
with the input of the Unit Administrator, may designate an appropriate UPC. iv.If the unit has not otherwise designated a UPC, the Provost shall help select an
appropriate UPC.
The unit administrator has the principal responsibility for initiating all authorized
faculty appointments (see Section 1.2.2.2). The unit administrator with the advice
of faculty shall carry out this responsibility by:
filing a "Request to Staff Form;"
searching for and obtaining information about prospective candidates;
evaluating candidates; and
recommending suitable, qualified individuals for appointments, with supporting evidence
concerning the candidate's qualifications.
A statement of the proposed basic terms and conditions of every appointment shall
be available in writing and be in the possession of both OSU- CHS and the prospective
faculty member before the appointment is made. Where applicable, this statement will
make reference to the substantive and procedural standards generally used in the decisions
affecting renewal and tenure and any special standards adopted by the appropriate
unit. Any other authorized agreements pertaining to conditions of appointment, reappointment,
promotion, and tenure shall be part of this written statement. No offer is binding
on OSU-CHS, however, until a formal recommendation has been presented to and officially
approved by the governing Board of Regents in accord with the policies of the Board.
If changes in assignment or conditions of appointment (other than revisions to fringe
benefits, retirement plans, and this policy statement) become necessary during the
period of appointment, the changes must be discussed in advance, normally during the
annual Appraisal and Development process and communicated to the affected faculty
member in writing by the unit administrator. Unresolved disputes regarding changes
in assignments or conditions of appointment are resolved by the Dispute Resolution
Procedure set forth in this Policy Statement. (Appendix C).
1.4 Appointment and Tenure for Tenure-Track Faculty
All tenure-track faculty positions shall be filled by appointments of qualified persons
with the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
The initial appointment of any person to the rank of Instructor or above, shall be
based on a search which is consistent with applicable state and federal equal employment
opportunity standards. National searches will be conducted unless an exemption is
authorized by the Provost and the office of Equal Opportunity. All initial appointments
to the rank of Instructor or above are of two kinds:
tenure-track (appointments potentially leading to tenure); or
appointments with tenure (applicable only to appointments with the initial ranks of
Associate Professor or Professor if specifically approved by the Board of Regents).
Appendix D: Appendix D: Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Process for Tenure-Track
Faculty (Derived from OSU Policy and Procedures Letter No. 2-0902)
Tenure is a continuous appointment granted following evaluation by the faculty member’s academic department, review by appropriate administrators,
and approval by the Board of Regents. Tenured appointments shall not be terminated
except under extraordinary conditions stated in Section 1.13.
Tenure is a means by which to ensure academic freedom (see Section 1.1.4). Academic
freedom is indispensable to the success of OSU-CHS in fulfilling its obligations to
its students, to the State of Oklahoma, and to society in general. The decision to
grant tenure is a judgment made with appropriate faculty counsel. Except for prestigious
scholars initially appointed as Associate Professor or Professor with tenure, the
decision to grant tenure is normally made toward the end of a probationary period. Tenure is a major undertaking
and shall not be granted unless the faculty member has demonstrated by consistent
performance that the academic department will benefit from making a career-long commitment
to the faculty member.
Academic appointments normally coincide with the beginning of the academic year. For
faculty appointed after this date but before January 1, the period of probation for
tenure consideration or for renewal of appointment will commence at the beginning
of that academic year. The probation period for faculty appointed on or after January 1 will
commence at the beginning of the following academic year. Except for extenuating circumstances
(see Section 1.4.8) the period of probation for tenure consideration shall never exceed
a total of seven years of continuous appointment with OSU-CHS.
Review for the granting of tenure shall occur only at the following times:
when a prestigious scholar is initially considered for appointment to the rank of
Associate Professor or Professor;
when a tenure-track faculty member is reviewed for promotion to the rank of Associate
Professor or Professor;
when a tenure-track faculty member is reviewed for a reappointment or promotion which,
if awarded, will extend the number of years in a tenure-track faculty position at
OSU-CHS beyond a total of seven years; or
when a person has completed at least one year of satisfactory service at OSU-CHS following
an initial appointment as a tenure-track Associate Professor or Professor.
Appointment to the rank of Instructor shall normally be for one year at a time during
the probationary period but shall not exceed three years. Individuals who have been
appointed as Instructors for their sixth year of probationary service shall be evaluated
for tenure and informed in writing by June 30 of the sixth year of either:
reappointment at the rank of Instructor with tenure effective at the beginning of
the seventh year;
promotion to Assistant Professor with tenure effective on July 1 of that year; or
the expiration and nonrenewal of the appointment effective at the end of the seventh
academic year.
If a tenure-track Instructor is promoted to a higher rank, the period of probation
for tenure shall commence with the beginning of the initial appointment as an Instructor,
unless the faculty member requests and is granted an extension of the probationary
period (see Section 1.4.8). The initial term of appointment as Assistant Professor
will vary depending on the number of years served as an Instructor:
with five years as an Instructor, promotion would result in a two-year appointment
as Assistant Professor;
with four years, the appointment to Assistant Professor would be for three years;
with three years, the appointment would be for four years;
and with two years as an Instructor, the appointment to Assistant Professor would
be for four years, and a second probationary term of one year is permitted.
If an Instructor is promoted to Assistant Professor after only one year, an initial
four-year appointment as Assistant Professor can be followed by a second probationary
term of two years.
In all cases described above, decisions will be made in the sixth year and any non-reappointment
decision would be effective at the end of the seventh year, thus providing the required
one-year notice of termination.
Initial appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor shall normally be for a period
of four years. Reappointment for a three-year period may be made. Promotion to Associate
Professor or reappointment as an Assistant Professor after seven years of probationary
service as an Assistant Professor shall confer tenure.
Initial appointment to the rank of Associate Professor shall normally be for a period
of five years. Reappointment as Associate Professor or promotion to Professor shall
confer tenure. A special tenure review may be made after one year of service at OSU-CHS
(see Section 1.4.2). In extraordinary circumstances tenure may be expressly granted
at the time of initial appointment.
Initial appointment to the rank of Professor shall confer tenure unless a probationary
period, not to exceed three years, is specified at the time of appointment.
Academic tenure is not affected by change to administrative or other active status.
Appointment to an administrative or other position shall not confer tenure in that
position.
A period of appointment and the probationary period of a faculty member may be extended
up to three years for extenuating circumstances, e.g. a leave of absence without pay,
an extended sick leave, significant changes in published criteria for tenure, or significant
changes in job description associated with transfer or promotion. Upon written request
by the faculty member and recommendation by the unit administrator and Provost of
the college, such an extension may be granted upon approval by the Provost of OSU-CHS.
9 For faculty whose initial term of appointment begins at other than the beginning
of the academic year, the period of appointment shall be adjustedto expire at the
end of an academic year to be consistent with the provisions of Section 1.4.2 paragraph
3. Thus, the term of the first probationary appointment may vary from the stated period
in Section 1.4.4 and 1.4.5.
Professional persons who are affiliated with OSU-CHS may be granted appointments as
Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, or Adjunct
Instructor. Such appointments do not require a national search and are recommended
by the unit administrator.
Clinical faculty appointments are annual, renewable term, non-tenure track appointments
at the rank of Clinical Instructor, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate
Professor, and Clinical Professor. Clinical appointments are intended to offer a career
pathway to individuals who have clinical experience, teaching experience, and/or other
expert qualifications. The positions will be used to support and enhance training
programs and initiatives at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.
Such appointments would normally require a national search and are recommended by
the Unit Administrator after obtaining appropriate faculty counsel. All clinical faculty
will be expected to provide teaching, clinical supervision/teaching, and/or clinical
care as assigned by the unit administrator and for which the clinical faculty member
is qualified to perform. The sources of funding are dependent on respective departmental
resources. Notwithstanding the appointment periods, the existence of any clinical
faculty position is contingent upon availability of funding.
Appendix E: Clinical Faculty Basic Standards for Appointment and Promotion further
addresses the clinical track faculty process.
In response to short-term and/or emergency needs OSU-CHS may make temporary appointments.
When such appointments are made, the titles of Lecturer, Research Professional, Visiting
Assistant Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, Visiting Professor, Scholar, Artist,
or "Professional" In Residence, etc. shall be used. Appropriate search procedures
should be used prior to making such appointments but may vary depending upon the nature
of the position. Unit administrators, after receiving appropriate faculty counsel,
shall be responsible for recommending appointments to temporary positions.
When persons are appointed to temporary faculty positions, the period of appointment
shall be clearly stated and should be designated as temporary on the Employment Action
Form. The memorandum of understanding will state that the appointment will not lead
to tenure nor count as part of a probationary period potentially leading to tenure.
In those few instances in which OSU-CHS is confronted with an emergency situation
in the areas of research, extension, or instruction, a person can be appointed on
a temporary basis for a term not to exceed one year even though all of the recruitment
procedures normally followed in making such an appointment may not have been met.
In such cases, the administrative unit shall implement normal recruitment procedures
to fill the position at the end of the initial temporary appointment. When temporary appointments are made, the memorandum of understanding should specify
the term of appointment and state the conditions relating to reappointment. Persons
holding temporary positions may not be awarded tenure and do not have OSU-CHS faculty
voting privileges but may be awarded other professional rights and privileges afforded
the faculty.
The titles described in this section are important to OSU-CHS in its management of
the fluctuating demands of programs. Tenured and tenure-track faculty may be released
from assigned duties as grants and contracts are obtained. To facilitate this process,
the unit administrator may request authorization to establish and fill temporary positions
with persons awarded one of the following titles. They may also request variations
from the specific conditions and terms of appointment for persons appointed to one
of the titles in this section. When determined to be in the best interest of OSU-CHS,
the Provost may approve such variations in specific individual cases. Notwithstanding
the appointment period, the existence of any of the following positions is contingent
upon availability of funding.
These titles shall be used for persons employed to meet short-term teaching, research,
or extension needs. They may also be used for scholars with a terminal degree who
wish to affiliate with OSU-CHS for professional development. Limited search procedures
are usually adequate when appointment to any of these positions is made. The terms
of appointment shall normally be for one year and may be renewed after receiving appropriate
faculty counsel. Should such an individual be appointed to a tenure-track position
following an appropriately approved search, the time spent in the temporary position
shall not count as part of the probationary tenure consideration period, unless specified
in the memorandum of understanding for the permanent position.
Research professorships are annual, renewable term, non-tenure track appointments
at the rank of Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor, and Research
Professor. These positions will be used to support and enhance research programs and
initiatives and create research activities at OSU-CHS. These individuals will be expected
to develop independent research programs and serve as principal investigators on proposals
to external agencies. In hiring into the research professor track, the University
looks to attract high quality researchers who hold promise to become engaged in academic
and scholarly activities including but not limited to performing collaborative research
with academic faculty; supervising undergraduate or graduate research; serving on
departmental or college committees; and organizing, attending, and presenting at professional
conferences and seminars. The primary assignment will be research, and these individuals
will not serve as primary Instructors in regular course offerings of departments or
degree programs. Instructional activities will be limited to offerings specific to
their research expertise and supervision of graduate students as provided for by membership
in the Graduate Faculty. The salaries and fringe benefits for research professors
are to be paid by external grants and sponsored programs. The existence of research
professor positions are contingent on availability of funding.
Continued employment of a research professor during the term of appointment will depend
on the availability of external funding. If reappointment is desired, an application
for reappointment is required prior to the end of the contract period. Reappointment
is contingent upon satisfactory performance as determined through performance appraisal
and the availability of external grant funds and/or bridge funds.
Research Assistant Professors and Research Associate Professors will be eligible to
seek promotion to Research Associate Professor and Research Professor, respectively,
after five years of service in rank according to guidelines for promotion developed
by the sponsoring academic unit(s).
Should such an individual be appointed to a tenure-track position following an appropriately
approved search, the time spent in the research position shall not count as part of
the probationary tenure consideration period, unless specified in the memorandum of
understanding for the permanent position.
The process of review for promotion in rank shall be initiated by the unit administrator
or by the unit personnel committee. Prior to the initiation of the review, the consent
of the faculty member shall be obtained. Faculty members should be provided sufficient
notice to enable them to assemble and submit materials believed helpful to a full
review. Individual faculty members have the right to be reviewed for promotion at
their own request provided they have not undergone such a review within the previous
two academic years. Appendix D addresses detailed guidelines for the evaluation of
tenure-track faculty through annual evaluation, reappointment, promotion, and tenure.
Following consideration of appropriate faculty counsel, the unit administrator will
decide whether or not a faculty member is to be recommended for promotion by the unit.
This decision should be in keeping with the established qualification guidelines of
the unit. The faculty member shall be informed by the unit administrator if a recommendation
for promotion is not being sent forward and shall be provided counsel by the unit
administrator regarding how they might meet criteria for promotion in a subsequent
consideration.
The Provost and President of OSU-CHS shall review each promotion recommended by the
unit administrator. The Provost's recommendation to the President of OSU-CHS will
be accompanied by the original recommendations of the unit administrator and the counsel
of the unit's appropriate faculty personnel committee. In the process of review, the
Provost and the President of OSU-CHS may seek counsel from suitable faculty committees.
Copies of any written counsel provided by faculty committees will become part of the
faculty member’s documentation file. If the recommendation of the Provost and/or President
of OSU-CHS differs from that of the unit administrator, the reasons shall be specified
in writing and provided to the faculty member.
Changes in academic title or promotion of persons holding temporary titles (see Section 1.5.2.2) to tenure-track faculty positions (Instructor
or above) is permitted only under extraordinary circumstances. (Persons holding temporary
titles may, however, apply for advertised tenure-track positions.) Before any such
promotions are recommended by the President of OSUCHS, they should seek appropriate
faculty counsel from the 17 Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure (“RPT”) Committee
of the OSU-CHS Faculty Senate.
Promotions must be recommended by the President of OSU-CHS, the President of the OSU
System, and approved by the Board of Regents before becoming effective. The affected
faculty member shall be informed by the Provost that a recommendation for promotion
will be presented by the President of OSU-CHS and the President of the OSU System
to the Board of Regents. Normally, recommendations for promotions are submitted to
the Board of Regents for its consideration during its June meeting. When approved,
the Board of Regents specifies the date on which the promotion shall become effective.
The process of review for promotion in rank shall be initiated by the unit administrator
or by the unit personnel committee. Prior to the initiation of the review, the consent
of the faculty member shall be obtained. Faculty members should be provided sufficient
notice to enable them to assemble and submit materials believed helpful to a full
review. Individual faculty members have the right to be reviewed for promotion at
their own request provided they have not undergone such a review within the previous
two academic years. Appendix E addresses detailed guidelines for the evaluation of
non-tenure track faculty through annual evaluation, reappointment/non-reappointment
and promotion. Following consideration of appropriate faculty counsel, the unit administrator
will decide whether or not a faculty member is to be recommended for promotion by
the unit. This decision should be in keeping with the established qualification guidelines
of the unit. The faculty member shall be informed by the unit administrator if a recommendation
for promotion is not being sent forward and shall be provided counsel by the unit
administrator regarding how they might meet criteria for promotion in a subsequent
consideration.
The Provost and President of OSU-CHS shall review each promotion recommended by the
unit administrator. The Provost's recommendation to the President of OSU-CHS will
be accompanied by the original recommendations of the unit administrator and the counsel
of the unit's appropriate faculty personnel committee. In the process of review, the
Provost and the President of OSU-CHS may seek counsel from suitable faculty committees.
Copies of any written counsel provided by faculty committees will become part of the
faculty member’s documentation file. If the recommendation of the Provost and/or President
of OSU-CHS differs from that of the unit administrator, the reasons shall be specified
in writing and provided to the faculty member.
Promotions must be recommended by the President of OSU-CHS, the President of the OSU
System, and approved by the Board of Regents before becoming effective. The affected
faculty member shall be informed by the Provost that a recommendation for promotion
will be presented by the President of OSU-CHS and the President of the OSU System
to the Board of Regents. Normally, recommendations for promotions are submitted to
the Board of Regents for its consideration during its June meeting. When approved,
the Board of Regents specifies the date on which the promotion shall become effective.
Recommendations to reappoint or not to reappoint shall originate with the unit administrator
after obtaining appropriate faculty counsel (see Section 1.2). Normally, such recommendation
shall be in response to a routine notice from the office of the Provost of OSU-CHS.
A tenure track faculty member being considered for reappointment or non-reappointment
shall be provided sufficient notice to assemble and submit materials believed helpful
to a full consideration of the question.
Recommendations for both reappointment and non-reappointment of faculty members are
forwarded to the Provost for review and action. Following review, all recommendations,
accompanied by a statement of approval or disapproval, are forwarded to the President
of OSU-CHS for action. In the process of review, the Provost and President of OSU-CHS
may seek counsel from the RPT Committee of the OSU-CHS Faculty Senate. Copies of the
written counsel provided by the RPT Committee of the OSU-CHS Faculty Senate should
accompany recommendations to the President of OSU-CHS.
The affected faculty member shall be informed by the Provost that (a) a recommendation
for reappointment will be presented by the President of the OSU System to the Board
of Regents, or (b) OSU-CHS does not intend to continue the appointment beyond a specified
date.
Appropriate unit administrators are charged with the responsibility for recommending reappointments of non-tenure track faculty members.
Normally, such recommendation shall be in response to a routine notice from the office
of the Provost of OSUCHS.
For reappointment decisions, the unit administrator shall conduct a brief review of
the faculty member’s performance throughout the current contract period. If the review
is satisfactory, the unit administrator may make a recommendation for reappointment
without seeking appropriate faculty counsel.
All recommendations generated by the UPC and by the unit administrator shall be available
to the Provost for consideration and action. Final institutional review of personnel
actions may be conducted by the President of OSUCHS and the President of the OSU System.
Appointments, reappointments, promotions, and terminations must be approved by the
governing Board of Regents except as authorized by Board of Regents policies.
Non-reappointment of a nontenured appointment shall not be regarded as a termination.
If a decision is made not to recommend reappointment of a faculty member, the following schedule for notification should be observed:
For clinical faculty on one-year of service or less, notice shall be given not later
than March 1 of the first academic year of service, if the appointment expires at
the end of the academic year, or, if an initial one-year appointment expires during
an academic year, at least three months in advance of iits expiration.
For clinical faculty with more than one year of service, notice shall be given at
least 12 months before the expiration of an appointment. For example, if an appointment period is from July 1 – June 30, and notice of non-reappointment
is given on January 1, then the end of the appointment would be December 31, which
is twelve months after the notification of non-reappointment.
Non-reappointed individuals shall have the option to obtain the reasons for nonrenewal
in a confidential form of their choosing. If the affected faculty member believes
that the reasons for nonrenewal are based on unlawful discrimination or inadequate
consideration, or legitimate exercise of academic freedom, they may request a focused
review of the matter utilizing the Dispute Resolution Procedure set forth in this
Policy Statement (Appendix C). A focused review only considers the matters raised
by the affected faculty member in their request for review.
Focused Review. Insofar as the affected faculty member asserts in writing that the
decision against reappointment by the appropriate administrator was based on inadequate
consideration, the functions of the dispute resolution committee which reviews the
faculty member’s assertion should be the following: (a) to determine whether the decision
of the appropriate faculty body and the decisions of the appropriate administrators
were the result of adequate consideration in terms of the relevant standards of the
institution, with the understanding that the review committee should not substitute
its judgment on the merits for that of the academic department; (b) to request reconsideration
by the faculty bodies and/or administrators when the committee believes that adequate consideration
was not given to the faculty member’s qualifications (in such instances, the committee
should indicate the respects in which it believes the consideration may have been inadequate).
The following list of titles and appointments, while complete as of the present time,
may be expanded or altered from time to time as conditions require.
This honorary title may be awarded to professors who have made outstanding contributions
in their discipline through resident teaching, research or other scholarly activities,
and/or extension or outreach activities at OSU-CHS or while serving as a professorial
faculty member at another similar institution. Persons appointed with this title should
be recognized on campus and at the national level for past and continuing scholarly
accomplishments. Evidence of accomplishments may be their record of publication in
nationally recognized journals or as authors of monographs, scholarly books and/or
textbooks, creative activities, or outstanding performance as classroom teachers.
Teaching excellence must be documented by their unit administrators, peers and students
or indicated by previous teaching awards granted by student or faculty groups.
A nomination for appointment as Regents Professor may be proposed by any tenured member
of OSU-CHS with the nomination seconded by another tenured member of the faculty. The nomination packet
will be sent to the Provost, who will forward it to the President of OSU-CHS. When
it is determined that the packet is complete, the packet will be forwarded for evaluation
to the academic unit in which the nominee holds tenure. Separate letters evaluating
the nominee’s qualifications for the rank of Regents Professor will be prepared by
the unit’s promotion and tenure committee, the unit administrator, and the Provost.
The Provost will forward the packet to the Regents Professor Selection Committee.
After consideration by both the Provost and the Committee, a recommendation will be
sent to the President of OSU-CHS for decision and action. The appointment will be
effective July 1 following formal approval by the President of the OSU System and
the Board of Regents.
Appointment to this title may be made for administrators who have rendered distinguished
service to OSU-CHS and desire to be relieved of administrative duties and return to
resident instruction, extension, or research positions. Recommendations shall be made
by the Provost to the President of OSU-CHS. Appointment shall be for a period of four
years and is not subject to renewal.
After receiving appropriate faculty counsel, the unit administrator may recommend
that a person be appointed to an endowed or supported position in recognition for
past and continuing scholarly accomplishments in the appropriate discipline. Persons
holding endowed positions will be subject to the rules and procedures governing other
faculty members of the same rank.
Upon retirement, faculty members shall carry as emeritus the rank and title they were holding when retired, retain all professional
rights, and be accorded privileges specifically authorized by the Board of Regents.
Faculty members will occasionally be unable to perform regular duties due to personal illness, disability, maternity, paternity,
or illness in their immediate families, referred to as “qualified conditions.” The
faculty members or someone representing them is responsible for notifying the unit
administrator of qualified conditions affecting their work commitment. In order to
accommodate the faculty member’s leave requirements, OSUCHS has instituted flexible
Faculty Sick Leave, 2-70113, and Family and Medical Leave Act, 3-70708, policies.
Upon recommendation of the Dean to the Provost and approval by the President and the Board of Regents, OSU-CHS may periodically
grant leave to faculty members for study, research, or other activities directed toward
professional growth. The OSU-CHS faculty member is entitled to apply for sabbatical
leave from regular, scheduled duties for the purpose of professional development.
Members of the faculty may apply for a maximum leave of one academic appointment period, not to exceed 12 months, at a reduced
salary or a maximum leave of one-half the academic appointment period, not to exceed
six months, at full salary. Under exceptional circumstances, a sabbatical leave may
be broken into segments separated by periods of regular, scheduled duty. Medical and
life insurance benefits, contributions to TIAA, and other employee retirement system
contributions will continue at the full employment rate. Faculty members on or returning
from sabbatical leaves will participate in raise programs according OSU-CHS and departmental
criteria and shall not be penalized for being on sabbatical leave during the evaluation
period.
Conditions of approval shall be consistent with appropriate budgetary and other faculty
arrangements so as not to disrupt the teaching programs or other vital operations
of the department, college, or OSU-CHS. Requests for sabbatical leave shall be submitted
to the Provost through the appropriate unit administrator and Dean.
To be eligible to apply for leave, the candidate must have served as a faculty member
for no less than six academic years since initial appointment or since a previous
sabbatical leave. Sabbatical leave obligates the recipient to follow a program consistent
with the purpose and conditions for which the leave was granted. Acceptance by the
faculty member of sabbatical leave entails an obligation to serve OSU-CHS for one
subsequent academic appointment period, or refund to OSU-CHS the salary and benefits earned while
on leave. A faculty member on sabbatical leave may accept a fellowship, personal grant-in-aid,
or government-sponsored exchange lectureship for the period covered by the leave,
if such acceptance promotes the accomplishment of the purpose of the leave.
Upon recommendation of the Dean and approval by the Provost, a faculty member may
be granted a leave of absence without pay for such period of time and conditions as
stipulated. This is subject to applicable policies on participation in partisan political
campaigns as well.
A request for leave without pay should be made as early as possible, preferably at least six months in advance, and shall normally not exceed
one year in duration.
1.10 Resignations
Resignations are initiated by the faculty member and are not revocable without approval
by the unit administrator, Dean and Provost.
An administrative suspension is a temporary removal for a specific time period of
all or any portion of a faculty member’s assigned duties for purposes of protecting
the best interests of OSU-CHS and its components and/or the safety and well-being of the
persons affiliated with it, including the individual suspended. When deemed appropriate,
a suspension may include restrictions on use OSU-CHS facilities or resources and may
be imposed during the course of an authorized termination procedure or authorized
sanction appeal. Suspensions shall normally not exceed one calendar year. During a
suspension there shall be no reduction of salary or other benefits.
Supervisory academic administrators10 may summarily suspend a faculty member for up
to 72 hours when it is judged that the safety and well-being of the individual or
others, or the best interests of OSU-CHS are threatened.
A suspension may extend beyond 72 hours if approved by the President or designee.
A recommendation for suspension of more than 72 hours shall be forwarded to the President
by the Dean and Provost with justification regarding the need for the proposed action.
The President, if concurring, will direct the extended suspension. The faculty member,
Dean, and unit administrator shall be informed in writing by the Provost of the length,
terms, and conditions of any implemented suspension.
Formal Dispute Resolution Procedures outlined in Section 2 and Appendix C do not apply
to suspension actions unless the suspension lasts more than six months or the Provost
finds it would be in the best interest of OSU-CHS to provide extraordinary administrative
due process.
1.12 Disciplinary Actions
The faculty is subject to laws, policies, rules, regulations, and procedural requirements
which safeguard its functions, and which concurrently protect its rights and freedoms.
Violations may result in actions by OSU-CHS ranging from simple admonitions to permanent
termination.
Normally, unit administrators will initiate a performance or conduct inquiry based
on observation or an oral or written complaint. Other supervisory academic administrators
may also be authorized by the Provost to make appropriate conduct investigations and
initiate appropriate disciplinary action based on oral or written complaints. Results
of such inquiries should be submitted to the Provost in writing with the signature
of the investigating administrator and the date of submission. The findings of such
an inquiry may lead to authorized disciplinary actions.
Authorized disciplinary actions include admonitions, sanctions, and terminations.
Because these three types of disciplinary actions have significantly different impacts
on the career of a faculty member, the procedures for providing adequate administrative
due process necessarily differ.
Admonitions are intended to inform faculty members that others find their performance or professional conduct to be unsatisfactory
and/or inappropriate. Admonitions may be issued orally or in writing and include administrative
advice, warnings, or reproofs. Written records of admonitions are not included in
a faculty member’s personnel file unless a pattern develops, in which case the individual involved will be notified in writing. Anecdotal
notes of administrative actions may be maintained by administrators separate from
individual personnel files. Faculty counsel is not required prior to issuing admonitions.
Administrative appeal of admonitions is not provided.
Sanctions are formal actions taken to prevent damage to the legitimate interests of OSU-CHS and its components and/or recurrence of unsatisfactory
performance or unprofessional conduct. Sanctions may include such measures as written
reprimands, required participation in counseling and/or corrective programs, and restrictions
on use of OSU-CHS privileges, resources, and services. Sanctions are to be imposed when, in the judgment of the
unit administrator or other supervisory academic administrators, admonitions will
not adequately serve to prevent damage to OSU-CHS or recurrence of unsatisfactory
or unprofessional performance or conduct.
Sanctions are normally directed by unit administrators. When deemed appropriate by the Provost, other supervisory
academic administrators may be authorized to conduct investigations and direct sanctions.
The investigating administrator shall provide the faculty member with notice that
an investigation will occur, which notice will include a general description of the
alleged complaint(s) or deficiencies. The investigating administrator may seek faculty
counsel as deemed necessary during the process of conducting the inquiry and in considering appropriate sanctions. The investigating administrator will meet
with the faculty member as part of the investigation. The investigating administrator
shall provide the faculty member with a written summary of their investigative findings
and notice of any proposed sanction(s) to be imposed and should describe corrective
actions on the part of the faculty member which could lead to removal of the sanction(s).
Following receipt of the written notice of proposed sanction(s), the faculty member
shall have seven calendar days to respond in writing to the investigating administrator.
The investigating administrator shall then have seven calendar days to issue a final
written notice of sanction, which shall include a statement of procedures for appeal, review, modification,
and removal of the sanction.
Upon receipt of the final written notice from the investigating administrator informing the faculty member of the sanction(s), the
faculty member shall have seven calendar days during which to file a written appeal
of the decision with the Provost. Appropriate bases for appeal are:
lack of reasonable cause for the sanction;
substantial failure to follow proper procedures for imposing sanctions; and
inappropriateness of the sanction(s) imposed.
The appeal should clearly state the basis for the appeal and the relief sought, and
should include all the information the faculty member believes is pertinent to the
appeal. If the Provost finds that there is an insufficient statement of the basis
for the appeal, the Provost shall inform the faculty member and their unit administrator
that the appeal has been denied. If the Provost finds there is a sufficient statement of the basis for the appeal, the Provost will designate
themself or another senior supervisory academic administrator to serve as an appeal
review administrator whose responsibility it shall be to thoroughly review the matter,
confer with appropriate parties, and make a final determination regarding the sanction.
The appeal review administrator may seek additional faculty counsel from Faculty Senate. The appeal review administrator shall
determine whether the sanction should be sustained, modified, or completely removed.
Pending completion of an authorized appeal, a sanction shall not be enforced, but
the Provost may relieve the faculty member of all or part of his or her duties if
such is deemed essential to the protection of OSU-CHS or its components (see Section
1.11 Administrative Suspensions). Relieving a faculty member of his or her duties during an authorized appeal shall be without any reduction in pay or other
benefits. The appeal review administrator will complete the review and reach a decision
within fourteen calendar days of appointment as the review administrator. The appeal
review administrator shall communicate the determination to the Provost, if a different
appeal review administrator was appointed, who shall inform the faculty member and
the unit administrator of the final decision. If the decision is to remove the sanction
completely, the Provost shall expunge the record of the sanction and notify the faculty
member in writing. The faculty member may place the notice in their file.
Formal Dispute Resolution Procedures outlined in Section 2 and Appendix C do not apply
to formal administrative sanction actions unless the Provost (or the President if
the sanction was initiated by the Provost) finds it would be in the best interest
of OSU-CHS to provide extraordinary administrative due process.
Records of sanction actions shall be retained in the faculty member’s active personnel files unless transfer of such records is authorized.
Tenured faculty members may request that such records be transferred from active personnel
files to an inactive, privileged-access file to be sealed and retained by the Office
of the Provost. Action on such an application is discretionary with the unit administrator.
If requested, the Dean or Provost may be involved in the decision for transfer of
files. If the request is granted, a record of the transfer should be retained in the
personnel file.
All requests for access to the privileged-access file shall be adjudged by the Provost.
Prior to implementation of a decision, the Provost shall inform the affected faculty
member.
1.13 Termination of Appointments
Terminations are revocations of tenured appointments or nontenured appointments before
the end of the appointment period. Nonrenewal or non-reappointment of a temporary
or non-tenure track appointment shall not be regarded as a termination. Terminations
may be affected by OSU-CHS only for reasonable cause as set forth in Section 1.13.1,
1.13.2, or 1.14.2. OSU-CHS recognizes those general fairness principles expressed
by the American Association of University Professors11 provided the same are consistent
with this policy statement. The President is authorized to decide procedural questions
on uncertain points.
11 The relevant principles of the American Association of University Professors are
included in the AAUP Policy Documents and Reports, 1990 edition.
Termination of appointment may be based on genuine financial exigency. Procedures
to be used during a state of financial exigency are set forth in Appendix H.
Any time an academic program or department is discontinued or transferred to another department, college, or OSU campus, not mandated
by financial exigency, adequate safeguards for faculty members shall be provided,
as described below. Early and meaningful faculty involvement in decisions regarding
program discontinuance or transfer shall be provided. Rights under academic tenure
shall be protected in a manner consistent with the provisions of this policy statement.
Every equitable effort shall be made to assist each faculty member to relocate to a suitable professional position within OSU-CHS in the
event of program discontinuance. In such relocation other employees will not be displaced.
Reassignments should occur over an equitable period of time and with adequate notice.
In most cases, at least six months’ notice shall be provided before any faculty member
is reassigned. Nontenured faculty members should be given at least the notice that is specified in Section 1.13.3. If
at all feasible, the individuals involved should be given even more liberal notice.
All qualified, tenured faculty members to be reassigned may be offered opportunities
to upgrade their expertise or change their specialties as they and the appropriate
senior supervisory administrator(s) see fit. If faculty members do not wish to accept the provision of the reassignment, they may submit a
dispute resolution petition as specified in Section 2 and Appendix C.
Termination of appointments of faculty members associated with the discontinuance
of programs shall be recommended only after the procedures described above have failed
to produce a reassignment. If the faculty member so requests, the proposed termination
shall be reviewed by a Termination Hearing Committee (see Appendix G) before a recommendation
for termination is made by the President of OSU-CHS to the Board of Regents. When a recommendation to terminate is to be made to the Board of Regents,
the recommendations of the RPT Committee shall be forwarded with the recommendation
of the President of OSU-CHS. If terminated in association with program discontinuance,
the faculty member should be given appropriate notice or paid severance salary (see
Section 1.13.3).
Individuals who have received notice of termination shall have the option to obtain
the reasons for termination in a confidential form of their choosing. If the affected
faculty member believes the reasons for termination are based on unlawful discrimination,
inadequate consideration, or legitimate exercise of academic freedom, the faculty
member may request a limited review of the matter utilizing the Dispute Resolution
Procedure (see Section 2 and Appendix C).
Faculty members who have been given such notice of termination shall be permitted
to resign in lieu of termination.
(a) If an appointment is terminated for departmental or program discontinuances or
institutional financial exigency the faculty member shall receive notice in accordance
with the following schedule:
at least three months, for the first year of service; or
at least twelve months for all other faculty.
If notice falls short of these specified amounts, then the faculty member should receive salary and benefits such that the months of notice and
salary and benefits total three months for faculty as described in (i) and twelve
months for all other faculty (ii).
(b) In terminations for other causes, salary and benefits shall not continue for more
than one month after the termination becomes effective unless special recommendations
to this effect are made by the hearing committee or the President of OSU-CHS and approved
by the Board of Regents.
for disciplinary reasons by OSU-CHS, or resulting from the discontinuance of a program. Such action for disciplinary reasons is the most severe
form of discipline and is to be recommended only when other disciplinary action is
administratively judged unlikely to:
restore the fitness of faculty members to perform their professional responsibilities; or
adequately protect OSU-CHS or its components from serious harm.
Termination or threat of termination shall not be used to restrain faculty members
in their legitimate exercise of academic freedom.
Terminations for disciplinary reasons must be based upon reasonable cause related to either a serious lack of satisfactory performance or the
lack of fitness and suitability to continue in the professional capacity of a faculty
member. Termination proceedings may be initiated for reasons such as:
incompetence in performing or in meeting appropriately assigned responsibilities;
neglect of duty as indicated by failure or continued failure to sufficiently perform in accordance with applicable terms and conditions of employment;
serious and apparently intentional misuse OSU-CHS property and resources;
academic dishonesty;
deliberate and grave violation of the rights or freedoms of fellow faculty members, administrators, or students;
willful obstruction or disruption or attempts to obstruct or disrupt the normal operation or functions of OSU-CHS; or advising, or procuring, or actively encouraging others to do so; or
serious violations of law that are admitted or proved before a competent court, preventing the faculty member from satisfactory fulfillment of professional duties or responsibilities; or violations of a court order, when such order relates to the faculty member’s proper performance of professional responsibilities; or
other improper conduct which is seriously injurious to the best interests of OSU-CHS or its components.
If dismissal is sought based upon the outcome of a Title IX hearing, as provided under
the Title IX regulations codified at 34 CFR Part 106 (“Regulations”), the processes
set forth in Appendix G will be used only to review the outcome of the Title IX Hearing
and appropriateness of termination as a sanction and will not be utilized to reinvestigate
or hear the underlying facts resulting in the Title IX Hearing outcome. In addition,
the standard of evidence required for dismissal shall be the standard set forth in
the OSU-CHS Title IX policy. In the event the Regulations are revoked, stayed by a
court of competent jurisdiction, or are substantially altered and OSU-CHS no longer
follows the provisions set forth therein for investigating and adjudicating Title
IX cases, this provision will not apply.
It is the policy of OSU-CHS that all full-time and part-time members of the OSU-CHS faculty, including those holding non tenure-track
appointments, may petition for review of certain personal employment concerns defined
in this document.
Persons holding a joint appointment (i.e., faculty and staff or administration combination)
shall use the dispute resolution procedure germane to the nature of the dispute; e.g.,
if the dispute is relevant to one’s work assignment as a member of the faculty, the
faculty dispute resolution procedure shall be utilized.
A qualified employment dispute is a faculty member’s timely written objection to matters related to particular working conditions, but
normally excluding suspensions, sanctions, terminations, or actions taken as a result
of financial exigency.
A “petition for resolution of dispute” may be filed after informal consultation with appropriate administrators has failed to resolve
a faculty member’s concerns. Faculty members cannot file disputes against other faculty
members. The dispute must address an administrator’s failure to act on or address
a faculty member’s concerns. Some issues, including sexual discrimination or discrimination
against a protected class, may be violations of law and should be immediately referred
to the appropriate department and not be part of a dispute hearing. With this exception,
a “petition for resolution of dispute” should be initiated for cases where the faculty member
is being treated in a manner different than their peers, and inconsistent with the
terms and conditions of their employment. The issue must be tangible and the faculty
member must provide both evidence of the disputed issue and a potential resolution
of the dispute. Examples include:
disregard on the part of the unit administrator or other member(s) of the administration of complaints relating to the terms and conditions
of the appointment;
an unreasonable compensation over a prolonged period of time (two years or more);
unreasonable denial of promotion;
unreasonable denial of leave;
unreasonable denial of reappointment;
unreasonable workload or physical working conditions;
unreasonable denial of access to OSU-CHS resources necessary for the faculty member’s compliance with the basic terms and conditions of the appointment;
unacceptable reassignment growing directly out of actions specified in Section 1.13;
changes in assignment or conditions of employment if unrelated to sanctions or medical leave; and/or
suspension for more than six months;
For a dispute that does not fit the specific examples above, the faculty member should
bring the dispute to the President of Faculty Senate. The President may seek counsel
from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Provost, and other OSU-CHS employees
with knowledge of the issue. The President, at their discretion, will authorize the
dispute, deny the dispute or refer the dispute to resolution by procedures set forth
in Appendix C.
Faculty members who believe they have a qualified employment dispute that warrants
filing a petition will be expected to have thoroughly discussed their complaint with
their unit administrator, dean, and other appropriate administrators. Policies and
procedures for resolution of disputes are set forth in Appendix C.
Title IX of the Education Amendments and OSU-CHS policy prohibit discrimination in the provision of services or benefits
offered by OSU-CHS based on gender. Any person (student, faculty, or staff) who believes
that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based on gender may discuss their
concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX
with the Director of Human Resources and/or the OSU Title IX Coordinator. The Director
of Human Resources is also specifically authorized to deal with complaints concerning
sexual harassment or gender discrimination. (See OSU-CHS Policy and Procedures 1-70703
for details.) Complaints related to discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national
origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status will also be handled by the Director
of Equal Opportunity.
Faculty members who believe they have a qualified employment dispute that warrants
filing a petition will be expected to have thoroughly discussed their complaint with
their unit administrator, dean, and other appropriate administrators. Policies and procedures for resolution of disputes are set forth in
Appendix C.
