Changes to the Online Version of the Collective Bargaining Agreement
Sept. 14, 2009 – Editorial changes approved by the Handbook Committee
1. Faculty Handbook, Section 6.0.G. Replace “During this contract period” with “Annually, during the spring semester.”
2. Faculty Handbook, Section 26.7, omit the final sentence: “Faculty who are eligible for the Window Plan during the term of the 2006-2009 Faculty Contract are not eligible to apply under this provision during the term of the 2006-2009 Faculty Contract.”
3. Faculty Handbook, Appendix II.B.4.d, change “appointment to his rank” to “appointment to this rank”
Sept. 12, 2009 – Changes effected by Faculty Vote on Tentative Contract Agreement
1. Faculty Handbook, Section 6.0.C, replace
“but are not expected to be significantly involved in scholarship and research. They are not required to perform scholarly research with a view to publication”
with
“Faculty Specialists are not expected to be significantly involved in scholarship and research with a view to publication; however, they may be required to engage in qualification maintenance activities as mandated by the accreditation standards of their program or department. Qualification maintenance activities may include: continuing professional education; attending professional meetings; serving on professional boards, etc. Faculty Specialists”
2. Faculty Handbook, Appendix X, Section D.3a, replace
“Ordinarily, enrollment in a web-based course will not exceed 75% of the average enrollment of those sections of the same course taught in the traditional format during the last offering of the proposed course within a Fall or Spring semester. If the proposed course is a course that has not yet been offered in traditional format at the University, then the Dean shall, at his or her discretion, determine any enrollment limitations; however, the faculty member shall be informed of the Dean's enrollment determinations prior to making a commitment to teach such a course.”
with
“and shall be subject to the conditions of Appendix X Section G-3 of this Handbook.”
3. Faculty Handbook, Section G.3, replace “but no further” with the following: “Under extraordinary circumstances, should a faculty member agree that pedagogical considerations warrant increasing enrollment over 22 students rather than splitting the course into two sections, then the faculty member may develop, with the dean, a compensation plan to include a special overload payment, ranging from 1-2 Overload credits, for the faculty member teaching such a course. Should enrollment reach 28 students, then the course will be converted to two sections.”
4. Replace 2006-2009 Faculty Contract with 2009-2012 Faculty Contract. Summary of changes:
A. Replace all references in the Faculty Handbook and Faculty Contract from
"University Council" to "University Governance Committee."
B. Increase minimums for professors and associate professors for all three years
C. Increase across-the-board salary increment for all three years
D. Create equity pool for 2010-2011 for full and associate professors
E. Increase Overload and Special Session stipend for 2011-2012
F. Increase stipends for Tutorials, Independent Study, and Readers
G. Change language regarding Off-Campus Teaching (Article 9.D)
H. Increase Health Insurance Opt-out stipend
I. Increase Life Insurance coverage
J. Replace Window Retirement Plan with Voluntary Separation Plan
K. Relocate faculty-reserved parking spaces
L. Reduce faculty parking fee and maintain level for all three years
M. Add new section: Laboratory and Clinical Course Workload Equivalency
N. Add new section: Administration and Coordination of Benefits
O. Replace language creating Long-term Care Insurance Committee with
language describing the Long-term Care Insurance benefit
P. Replace Disciplinary Procedure directive with Pregnancy and Childbirth
directive
April 22, 2009 –Changes ratified by the Board of Trustees
1. Faculty Handbook, Section 5.3, paragraph 2, replace
“Accordingly, every faculty member is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his or her subject, but this is not a license to introduce controversial material which has no relation to the subject being taught. Moreover,”
with
“, which declare that ‘the common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.’ Therefore, faculty members are entitled to freedom in extramural activities, research, and teaching. This is not, however, a license to introduce controversial material which has no relation to the subject being taught.”
2. Faculty Handbook, Section 28.0, replace
“28.0 Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity
The University of Scranton is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer-Educator.”
with
28.0 Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy
“The University of Scranton, an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer-Educator, is committed to equal opportunity in employment and education without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, or nondisqualifying handicap or disability. Faculty members who believe they have been discriminated against on the basis of any of the above are encouraged to contact the Director of Equity and Diversity.”
February 28, 2009 – Change ratified by the Board of Trustees
Add new Section G to Appendix X as follows:
G. Online Programs
1. Definition
The term “online program” refers to any academic program through which the majority of courses leading to a degree are offered as Distance Learning courses (usually through the Internet), even if such courses are also available in a traditional classroom setting. Unless specified below, the terms and conditions of a faculty member’s participation in an online program are identical to the provisions of Appendix X, Sections A-F above.
2. Compensation
a. To attract faculty members to teach online courses in an online program, the University may offer incentive pay on a per-credit basis over and above regular compensation.
b. The University may offer stipends to faculty members for initial course development and subsequent redesigns of their own courses. If a faculty member redesigns a course initially developed by another faculty member, the redesigner is eligible for a stipend only if all of the course materials (syllabus, assignments, online presentation of materials, and exams) are new. In the case of joint development, the stipend amount will be shared equally among the multiple creators.
c. Faculty members teaching in an online program must re-examine their courses on a three-year cycle, counted from the first offering of the course. If a faculty member determines that a course should be redesigned, he or she may apply for a redesign stipend.
d. If a course section in an online program is taught by an adjunct faculty member who does not meet the accreditation requirements for the program or college, a qualified faculty supervisor will be assigned to oversee the work of the adjunct. This full-time faculty member will be listed as the Instructor of Record for that section. The supervising faculty member will be compensated at the rate of 1.33 credits per 4-credit course, 1 credit per 3-credit course, or 0.5 credits per 1-credit course, to be counted as part of the faculty member’s regular load (or overload if applicable).
e. Faculty members assigned to teach in an online program will be offered the opportunity to develop their own original course materials and will be compensated at the normal rates regardless of whether another faculty member has already developed the same course. The instructing faculty member may also decline this option and choose instead to use an already available online course. In such a case, the original course creator(s) will be paid a royalty each time the course is used by another instructor (a full-time faculty member or an adjunct). The royalty will apply to each course section in which the material is used.
f. Incentive pay, course development stipends, redesign stipends, and royalties will be paid to all faculty members in consistent amounts within an online program. If a faculty member in a particular college teaches a course in an online program offered by a different college, the faculty member will be compensated at the rates offered to other faculty members teaching in that online program.
3. Enrollment
Enrollment in sections of courses in online programs is capped at 20 students per section. Until one week before the first day of class, if the enrollment in a given section goes beyond 20, the University will open a new section. Within one week of the first day of class, a section may be overloaded up to a limit of 22 students per section, but no further.
4. Reporting
The University will provide to the FAC Executive Committee an annual report including the rates for all forms of compensation and the amounts paid to faculty members for their various types of participation in online programs.
December 10, 2008 – Changes ratified by the Board of Trustees
1. Faculty Handbook, Appendix VI, Section A, paragraph 3, change “The tenured members of the department shall prepare a written evaluation and by means of a vote recommend reappointment or non-reappointment” to “The tenured members of the department will hold a meeting expressly for the purpose of a frank and confidential discussion of the candidate’s credentials for reappointment, including the self-report. A secret vote on the candidate’s reappointment or non-reappointment will be taken at the meeting. Only tenured faculty members and, if applicable, tenured associates who physically attended the meeting will participate in the official vote. Following the discussion and vote, the tenured members of the department who participated in the meetingby any means will prepare a written evaluation.”
2. Faculty Handbook, Section 5.7, first sentence, change “teach” to “carry.”
October 22, 2008 – Changes ratified by the Board of Trustees
1. Faculty Handbook, Section 21.3.B, change “Any credit granted for prior teaching experience should be agreed upon in writing at the time of hiring” to “The length of the faculty member's probationary period and the scheduled tenure review date must be agreed upon in writing at the time of hiring.”
2. Faculty Handbook, Section 20.1, change the final period to a comma and add, at the end of the existing language: “except as noted below.
Upon the birth of a child or the adoption of a child under the age of six by a faculty member in the rank of instructor, or the spouse of a faculty member in the rank of instructor, the number of years the faculty member may remain in the rank of instructor will be advanced one year. Any extension of the time at instructor will automatically extend the time before tenure by an equivalent number of years. Within six months of the birth or adoption, but no later than April 1 of the faculty member’s fifth year, the faculty member will inform the Provost/VPAA of the birth or adoption. No more than two extensions of the time in the rank of instructor may occur for any faculty member.”
3. Faculty Handbook, Section 8.1.A.5, change “printing” to “promulgation”; Section 8.1.A.6, change “publication” to “promulgation.”
April 26, 2008 – Changes ratified by the Board of Trustees
1. Faculty Contract, Article 9.A, delete: “Excluded from this definition are main campus offerings that have traditionally required monitoring in clinical or field settings and subject to other sections of this Agreement. Note: FAC and FPC agree to refer the final sentence in Part A to the Faculty Handbook Committee for further consideration.”
2. Faculty Contract, Article 9.B, add: “Excluded from this compensation are main campus offerings that have traditionally required monitoring in clinical or field settings and are subject to other sections of this Agreement.”
3. Faculty Handbook, Section 21.1.A: Change “seven-year period” to “six-year period”
April 21, 2008 – Editorial changes to the Faculty Handbook
1. Section 10.3, change “21.2 (b)” to “21.3 (b)”
2. Appendix VI, Section B, change “have the night” to “have the right”
March 1, 2008 – Changes ratified by the Board of Trustees (posted on 4/21/08)
1. Section 11.4 Continuity of Service (Leaves of Absence) - Add this language at the end of the section: “For additional rules governing sabbatical eligibility for those who receive a leave of absence, see Section 12.0.”
2. Section 12.0 Sabbatical Leave: Definition and Eligibility - Add the language in bold to this section:
A sabbatical may be taken for one full academic year or for one regular semester. Faculty members are not ordinarily eligible to take a sabbatical until they receive tenure. A faculty member is eligible for sabbatical leave during or after the seventh year of service dating back to initial appointment or a previous sabbatical. (For example, newer faculty are eligible for sabbatical in the seventh year, hence would ordinarily apply in the sixth year of service.) In the case of faculty members who receive a postponement of the tenure review due to childbirth or adoption (see Section 21.3.C) or a leave of absence (see Section 11.4), the first sabbatical may not be taken until the faculty member has received tenure. However, such a faculty member will become eligible for a second sabbatical early, by the same number of years that the tenure review was postponed.
3. Section 12.2 Approval Process - Add this language at the end of the section: “In such an instance, the faculty member will become eligible for a subsequent sabbatical early, by the same number of years that the previous sabbatical was deferred.”
4. Section 21.3.C - Add this language at the end of the section: “For the rules governing sabbatical eligibility for those who receive a postponement of the tenure review for childbirth or adoption, see Section 12.0.”
February 20, 2008 – Editorial change to the Faculty Contract, Article 6.A
Change “Section 7.0” to “Section 8.1c” to accord with renumbering in the Faculty Handbook.
February 7, 2008 – Editorial change to the Faculty Contract, Article 9.B
Change “section 7.0” to “section 8.1” to accord with renumbering in the Faculty Handbook.
December 17, 2007 – Changes to the Faculty Handbook
1. Added to section 21.3.C:
“Upon the birth of a child or the adoption of a child under the age of six by a faculty member or the spouse of a faculty member, the date of the faculty member’s tenure review will be postponed by one year. Within one year of the birth or adoption, but in no case later than November 1 of the year of the scheduled tenure review, the faculty member will write to the Provost/VPAA to confirm or decline the one-year postponement. Failing to submit such timely notification will constitute a de facto rejection of the extension.
No more than two such postponements may occur for any faculty member. Reappointment/non-reappointment reviews will take place annually, as specified in Appendix VI. The criteria for the tenure evaluation of the faculty member will be the same as if no postponement had occurred.”
2. Added to Section 13.2:
“See 2l.3 C about the extension of the probationary period for tenure because of childbirth or adoption.”
3. Sections 21.3.C and D renumbered as 21.3.D and E
4. Added to Section 21.3.A the phrase, “unless extended as provided in 21.3 C and/or 21.3 D below.”
5. In Appendix VI, Section E.2, the phrase “third, fourth, and fifth year” changed to “third and subsequent years.”
October 4, 2007 – Additions to the Faculty Handbook (enacted online 10-19-07)
1. Added to the end of 6.0.F.2: “By the last day of a faculty specialist’s contracted employment, usually May 31 of the terminal year of the contract, the Provost/VPAA will inform the faculty specialist in writing whether his or her contract will be renewed, and if so, the length of the renewal period.”
2. Added new section 12.6 Short-term Sabbaticals for Faculty Librarians
3. Added new Appendix XI. Disciplinary Procedure
May 9, 2007 – Revisions of the Faculty Handbook:
1. In Section 12.0, first sentence: (“A sabbatical leave is a release from normal faculty responsibilities for a specified period of time and for a specific academic purpose from which both the faculty member and the University benefit.”) replaced by the following:
“A sabbatical leave alters a faculty member’s normal responsibilities for a specified period of time and for a specific academic purpose that benefits both the faculty member and the University. During a sabbatical leave, a faculty member may not teach regular courses at the University (however, under special circumstances, such as a fellowship, a faculty member may teach regular courses at another institution). Unless faculty members on sabbatical seek and receive approval from the Provost/VPAA, they may not teach readers, tutorials, or independent study courses; mentor a Master’s thesis or an Honors project; or serve as a department chairperson, program director, academic advisor, faculty senator, Faculty Development Board member, or University Council member. Faculty members on sabbatical will maintain the option to participate in regular department meetings; departmental reappointment, rank, tenure, and hiring deliberations; committee work; and the faculty/student research program. Moreover, such faculty members may continue, at their own discretion, to moderate student organizations or to hold elected faculty offices for which there are no alternates, such as a position on the FAC Executive Committee. Faculty members are strongly advised to recuse themselves from service on the Board on Rank and Tenure during any academic year in which they will be taking a sabbatical.”
2. In Appendix VII, final sentence (“Faculty on leave are not eligible for appointment as tenured associates.”) replaced by the following:
“Faculty on leave are not eligible for initial appointment as tenured associates. However, a faculty member who has been serving as a tenured associate in a particular department for at least one year immediately prior to going on leave is eligible for reappointment in that capacity during the leave period, provided that the faculty member informs the department chair, dean, and Provost/VPAA in writing of his or her willingness to serve as a tenured associate before June 1 of the preceding academic year.”
3. Added at the end of Section 5.1:
“During the second and fourth semesters of a lecturer’s appointment, the lecturer’s department will complete and send to the appropriate dean(s) a written evaluation of the lecturer’s teaching. This evaluation may also touch upon the lecturer’s scholarship and service, if relevant, but an evaluation of teaching alone is sufficient. The evaluation letter is due on November 1, if the evaluation occurs in the fall semester, or on April 1, if the evaluation occurs in the spring semester. The lecturer may choose, at his or her discretion, to submit a self report no later than two weeks before the deadline for the department’s evaluation, but this self-report is not required. If the lecturer chooses to submit a self report, the lecturer will be evaluated by the tenured members of the department as a group.
In the event that the lecturer chooses not to submit a self report, the tenured members of the lecturer’s department will vote annually to determine whether the lecturer will be evaluated by the tenured members as a group, or whether primary responsibility for the task will be delegated to the chair. If the tenured members of the department vote to delegate the primary responsibility to the chair, the chair may, at his or her discretion, seek input from tenured members of the lecturer’s department, but the chair must also consider any unsolicited comments submitted in writing from tenured members of the department. The evaluation of teaching must be based on at least one classroom observation, preferably by the chair, but the chair may delegate this duty to a tenured member of the department. However, the chair him- or herself must prepare and sign the actual evaluation.
If the lecturer submits a self report, or if the tenured members of the department vote to evaluate the lecturer as a group, they will also vote to designate an author for the evaluation letter. This letter will summarize the discussion of the lecturer’s teaching (and scholarship and/or service, if relevant) at a meeting held expressly for that purpose. Faculty members are encouraged to observe the lecturer’s teaching before participating in such a discussion.
According to the same deadlines, the department will provide a copy of its evaluation to the lecturer, who will have the right to submit a response to the evaluation to the appropriate dean(s) within two weeks. All materials will be sent by the dean(s) to the Provost /VPAA for review and inclusion in the lecturer’s permanent evaluation file. If the lecturer subsequently applies for another faculty position at the University, such evaluations will be made available to the members of that position’s search committee.”
January 29, 2007 – Editorial Changes to the Faculty Handbook:
1. In Section 23.10, “and” changed to “an” correcting a typo
2. “20.4 Evaluation for Tenure” corrected to “21.4 Evaluation for Tenure”
3. In Appendix VIII, three instances of the title “Dean of the Graduate School / Director of Research” changed to “Director of Research” to reflect that the two jobs are no longer held jointly by one person
