Part III : Faculty Policies and Procedures

  • A. INSTRUCTIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
    • 1. Teaching Load
    • 2. Academic Year
    • 3. Classroom Procedures
    • 4. Grading Procedures
    • 5. Late Entry
    • 6. End-of-Year Clearance
    • 7. Summer and Evening Classes
    • 8. Student Assistants
  • B. FACULTY PERSONNEL POLICIES
    • 1. Academic Freedom and Professional Ethics
    • 2. Appointment
    • 3. Standards for Evaluating Faculty Performance
    • 4. Faculty Responsibilities in Personnel Matters
    • 5. Probationary Period
    • 6. Tenure
    • 7. Termination of Tenured Faculty
    • 8. Promotion
    • 9. Distinguished Service Professor
    • 10. Emeritus Status
    • 11. Concerns
  • C. COMMUNICATIONS
    • 1. Faculty to Administration
    • 2. Faculty to Board of Trustees
  • D. GRIEVANCES

A. INSTRUCTIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

1. Teaching Load

A full-time teaching load consists of twenty credits per year of normal classroom work or its equivalent.

A full-time faculty member is expected to devote him/herself fully to Whittier College and to his/her own professional growth. It is considered improper to use College time and/or supplies for any purpose other than the performance of official College business, which is defined as an activity which promotes the achievement of the purposes of the College.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, membership in the College faculty presumes a position of leadership and service in the society of which the College is a part. Consequently, the College encourages participation in those activities which offer opportunities for leadership and service. These activities may include serving as a consultant for industry or governmental agencies, performing research supported by outside agencies, serving on various councils of private and public agencies, and the like.

If a full-time faculty member does engage in acceptable remunerative activities outside the College, these activities may not entail more than three units of teaching, or its equivalent, beyond the faculty member's regular teaching load in any one semester. Moreover, no full-time faculty member may teach full-time in more than one summer session or more than one evening class per semester, whether at Whittier College or elsewhere. The prior approval of the administration is required for any work or teaching outside the College.

2. Academic Year

The academic year is defined in the calendar of the annual college catalog, and shall begin on Monday of the week preceding the week that class instruction is scheduled to begin in the regular fall session and shall extend through the spring term and college graduation exercises. Vacation periods at Thanksgiving, semester break, spring break, and other holidays approved by the faculty are scheduled each year as noted in the college catalog calendar.

3. Classroom Procedures

At the beginning of each session each instructor should make certain that every student in attendance is properly registered for that course. In classes, each instructor is responsible for establishing the rules for attendance, classwork, examinations, and grading, and must notify the class of the same.

For those courses in which more than one grading system is offered by the instructor, a student must select the grading system desired and inform the instructor of such decision by the fourth week of semester courses. The instructor shall then notify the Registrar's Office of these choices on their permanent class roster, as directed by the Registrar when those rosters are sent out. Subsequent changes in the grading system selected may not be made.

Examinations are to be provided and distributed by the instructor at the time of the examination. Blue books may be purchased in the Bookstore if the faculty member wishes the student to use them. For duplicated examination materials, see Section V on duplicating services. The proctoring of the examination is the responsibility of the instructor.

Whenever an instructor or an athletic coach requires students to attend a field trip or an athletic event which will involve absences from other courses, advance notice must be provided by that instructor or coach to the Office of the Dean of Students. This notice shall include a list of students involved and the classes to be missed by each student. Such an absence, however, does not excuse the students from the responsibility of completing work assignments or material covered during the absences.

4. Grading Procedures

The academic standards of an institution are largely determined by the admissions policies of the institution and by the standards of work required of students by the faculty. Once awarded, a grade may not be changed as a result of reevaluation of work submitted by a student. The only justification for a change of a grade is to correct an error on the part of the instructor. The submission of additional work by a student (except to remove an Incomplete resulting from illness or similar circumstances) is not justification for altering a grade, once it has been recorded.

Students who failed to complete all of the requirements for a course because of reasons beyond their control, and satisfactory to the instructor, may be given an Incomplete (IN). The instructor must provide a statement of explanation for the Incomplete on the grade card turned in to the Registrar's Office. An Incomplete incurred during a fifteen-week course must be made up within the first ten weeks of the following term. If not made up during the appropriate period the Incomplete becomes an F or NC (depending upon grade option submitted). An extension of time may be granted in special cases upon recommendation of the instructor with the approval of the Dean of Faculty.

5. Late Entry

A student may not enroll in a class after the second week of classes and then only with approval of the instructor. Formal withdrawal from a class must be made through the Office of the Registrar.

6. End-of-Year Clearance

End-of-year clearance procedures shall include the submitting of all grades to the Registrar for all courses taught during the previous session and the return of all instructional materials which constitute college property. If for any reason, a faculty member is not returning the following session, all keys should be returned to the to the Office of Campus Safety. Written instructions concerning the nature and amount of work necessary to make up any Incomplete grades for students should be left with the respective department chairperson.

7. Summer and Evening Classes

The use of college facilities is provided for the summer and evening programs on a self-sustaining basis. Accordingly, some regulation of class offerings is necessary, as well as rotation of department teaching personnel. Resident faculty are given preference; however, visiting specialists are frequently engaged as added enrollment incentives.

Summer and evening faculty are engaged by the directors of those programs through the department chairperson.

8. Student Assistants

Faculty members desiring student assistants for paper reading, laboratory, or secretarial work should apply for the same in writing through the department chairperson and the office of the Dean of Financing Students. Requests should indicate the number of assistants needed, and the type and amount of work to be done on a weekly basis. The College Placement Office will provide upon request the names of students who have suitable qualifications for secretarial work.

Only those faculty members qualifying in terms of need will be granted student assistants. Students are required to submit time sheets for work completed every other Friday. Faculty members supervising the work are required to sign the time sheets and to submit them to the Office of Financing Students before payment is made by the Business Office. If the student has an outstanding bill owed to the College, the money earned will be applied against the bill.

B. FACULTY PERSONNEL POLICIES

1. Academic Freedom and Professional Ethics

The faculty of Whittier College subscribes to the concepts set forth by the American Association of University Professors in its "1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure," its "1970 Interpretive Comments," and its "Statement on Professional Ethics" (Appendices 1 and 2).

2. Appointment

a. The search for and nomination of new faculty members is a cooperative effort of departmental faculty in consultation with other faculty as well as with the administration and students. Recommendations for appointment of new faculty are made to the President of the College, normally by the Dean of Faculty, after consultation with members of the department faculty, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and students. The Board of Trustees is informed of the appointment of all full-time faculty members.

b. Candidates for the college faculty must possess the willingness and the ability to pursue their education indefinitely. A doctoral degree is not in itself sufficient credential for the fully qualified faculty member, but it is natural that in virtually all academic fields it is considered necessary. All candidates shall have demonstrated a sound and scholarly training in their fields and shall possess the potential for making a contribution to the academic community.

c. In appointments, the college actively seeks a distribution in regard to geography, institution, race, and sex, so that the faculty may be as pluralistic as possible in its representation. The College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.

d. Initial appointment of the faculty member at the college is normally at the level of Instructor (terminal degree close to completion), or Assistant Professor (terminal degree completed), except where the nature of the appointment, such as program development, leadership responsibilities, or other assignments requires a higher academic rank.

e. Initial appointments are ordinarily for a period of one year. Subsequent appointments, at any rank, are also for a period of one year until tenure is granted.

f. A letter of appointment from the President serves as the instrument for all appointments and specifically sets forth title and rank, salary, length of appointment, years of prior full-time teaching experience which will count towards the probationary period for tenure, and any qualifying conditions.

g. Faculty members are notified in writing by the President of any change in appointment, rank, or salary. Notification of changes is usually made by March fifteenth and such changes normally become effective on September first of the ensuing academic year.

3. Standards for Evaluating Faculty Performance

Acknowledging that the reputation and standards of the institution are largely dependent upon the quality and growth of its faculty, the faculty has adopted a procedure for evaluation. Faculty members will be evaluated in accordance with the four criteria listed below, and decisions will be made within the context of programmatic, financial, and departmental considerations. (For a more detailed discussion of these four criteria, see the document "The Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan (PEGP) and Supporting Materials" as Appendix item #10.)

a. Teaching Performance

Effective teaching is recognized as the greatest contribution that a faculty member is expected to make to the college. The weight given to this criterion exceeds the others listed below and is based upon such factors as skill in the classroom; ability to stimulate students to work and think independently; sensitivity to student needs; maintenance of high academic standards; and fairness and consistency in evaluating student work. Student evaluation of the faculty member is considered in the assessment of the effectiveness of a faculty member. The above factors are not meant to be restrictive. New and creative application and research in teaching are encouraged. Specifically, this includes, but is not limited to, participation and teaching in the Liberal Education Program, the Whittier Scholars Program, and established interdisciplinary programs.

b. Advisement

Advisement is considered to be an extension of the teaching process. Effective and caring advisement by all faculty members encourages close faculty-student inter- action, and is crucial to sound academic program planning and accomplishment by students. Every faculty member is obligated to understand and to convey accurately to students college policy on the curriculum, graduation requirements, and related academic matters. Effective advisement includes availability, both during scheduled office hours and beyond them, as well as an attitude of openness and helpfulness to students. Service as a Mentor is encouraged. Self-assessment, as well as assessment by faculty and administrative colleagues, aids in the evaluation of advisement quality.

c. Scholarship

Scholarship indicates the continuing education and intellectual vitality of a faculty member and may take the form of any or all of the following: scholarship of discovery, of integration, of application, and of teaching. (See the presentation of these four kinds of scholarship at the end of Appendix 10.) Scholarship may be manifested by a number of ways, including, but not limited to, scholarly publication; the adoption of materials prepared for classroom use by others in the profession learning new areas of scholarly expertise; the preparation of new materials for classroom use (for further clarification of this point, see Appendix 10); presentation of papers at professional meetings; creative and artistic performance; participation in professional societies; and professional consultation. One significant indication of scholarship is the respect that a faculty member enjoys from peers in his or her discipline or professional field; thus cultivation of contacts with colleagues at other institutions is encouraged and deemed valuable both to the individual faculty member and to the College. Each faculty member’s scholarship is an important way the college seeks to ensure that it offers education which is vital, current, and attuned to the wider intellectual environment.

d. Service to the College and Community

It is recognized that an intellectually vital and actively involved faculty will serve as a model for not only the student body, but for the college community at large. Therefore, members of the faculty are strongly encouraged to function as leaders and participants in the widest possible range of academic programs and campus activities. These would include, but are not limited to, service as departmental chair and involvement in departmental affairs, the organizing of or participation in lectures and academic programs; service on faculty, administrative, board and student committees; and attendance at events including plays, concerts, athletic events and student programs such as dormitory firesides.

Since it is important for the college to play a leading role in the life of Whittier and the surrounding communities, members of the faculty are also encouraged to participate in aspects of the wide range of available community activities including, but not limited to, membership in community and service organizations; participation in local government; participation on community service boards and in programs such as the United Way, YMCA, and the Red Cross; involvement in educational outreach from the College; and participation in religious and other community organizations programs and activities.

4. Faculty Responsibilities in Personnel Matters

The primary responsibility for assembling and presenting data to the Faculty Personnel Committee rests with the individual faculty member, with the aid and counsel of the department chair. The major means of transmitting this information to FPC is through the Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan which should contain a thoughtful analysis of recent accomplishments in each of the above four areas, as well as a discussion of future professional plans.

Faculty members are responsible for employing evaluation systems through which they will be able to determine how they may improve their teaching. A format provided by the Dean of Faculty or one devised by the individual faculty member may be used. A description and/or sample of the evaluation system should be included in the Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan, and the faculty member may share the results of the evaluations with the department chair, the Dean of Faculty, the Faculty Personnel Committee and students.

Although not required to submit the results of student course evaluations to FPC, it is the rare faculty member who can document excellence in teaching without them.

a. Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan - The Role of the Faculty Member

In that there is no one professional model for advancement at Whittier College, there is no single format for the Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan which will meet the needs of all faculty members. In drafting the document, a faculty member should attempt to address past accomplishments and future plans in a manner which will emphasize those career aspects which are common to most other faculty, as well as those areas which are unique to the faculty member as a teacher and scholar. It is not uncommon for a faculty member to need to educate FPC with respect to teaching, scholarship, and/or service in non-traditional areas.

An effective Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan should discuss past accomplishments and future plans in each of the four areas used to evaluate faculty: teaching performance, advisement, scholarship, and service to the College and community. In the area of teaching performance, a statement of teaching philosophy is extremely helpful to the Faculty Personnel Committee. Usually, an articulate presentation can be made in 10 to 20 pages, along with supporting documents. Examples of supporting documents which faculty have found helpful in illustrating their past accomplishments and in providing useful information about their future plans include, but are not limited to, course evaluations from representative courses over several years; syllabi and class handouts; examinations; letters from alumni who have taken courses from the instructor; letters from colleagues at Whittier and in the larger academic community which discuss individual teaching, advisement, scholarship and/or service; copies of recent manuscripts and articles; and descriptions of work done in lieu of committee service. A current resume should always be submitted as a supporting document.

The Faculty of Whittier College believes that we are all obligated to examine our professional lives on a regular basis. This is an obligation to our students, to the institution, and most importantly to ourselves. We believe that it is important for us to consider how we change and develop as we proceed through our careers. The primary purpose, then, of all PEGPs is professional self-assessment, an exercise in which we consider what is important, what we do well, and what we can do better. In this respect, then, the presentation is not for the institution, but for the individual making the presentation. Getting a response from a set of colleagues may reveal any number of important things that we may not clearly see ourselves. We can get our ideas validated, and we can have our attention drawn to things that could use some more attention, or things we simply could not see ourselves.

However, the PEGP also serves another very important purpose, which is evaluation by the institution. The presentation does result in a judgment made by colleagues, both in the faculty member’s department and on the Faculty Personnel Committee. The evaluative dimension of the PEGP is especially significant for faculty who are pre-tenure and for those who seek a change in status. We acknowledge the importance of this dimension.

We acknowledge that we will all need to make our presentations in different ways, as we are different. But we recognize that the primary purpose of the document is the same for all of us in its personal dimensions. We agree that the key elements in it are that we make our best presentation concerning our accomplishments to our colleagues, that it is the fundamental document for important institutional decisions about us, and that we use it to seek collegial advice, but that it be directed at real professional self-assessment above all. (See Appendix 10 for detailed advice on writing a PEGP)

Faculty members who are eligible for tenure will submit materials in the fall of their second, fourth, and sixth years. Tenure-track faculty members given prior teaching credit will submit in the fall following their first year at Whittier College and then go on the regular schedule.  Tenured faculty members will submit materials as follows:

Instructors- - - - - - - - - at least once every 4 years;

Assistant Professors - - at least once every 4 years;

Associate Professors - - at least once every 5 years;

Professors - - - - - - - - - at least once every 6 years.

Faculty members who are to submit a Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan during a sabbatical year may, at their request, receive a one-year extension of their due date.

Professional librarians have faculty status and are evaluated on the regular schedule according to rank. These faculty members who are not eligible for tenure will submit materials in the fall of their second, fourth and sixth years. Thereafter, materials will be submitted according to academic rank as outlined above.

Full-time non-faculty employees of the College who teach courses on a regular basis should write a self- evaluation of their teaching and submit it along with backing materials to FPC every four years. The teaching self-evaluation and backing materials should first be reviewed by the department so that a letter of evaluation can be written and also submitted to FPC. The associate Dean for Liberal Education will act as department chair in cases where there is not an explicit department affiliation. The due date for submission is the Friday of the third week of the January term. The process concludes with a regular FPC feedback session. Instructors in this category should present student evaluations and course materials to the department chair for department review in the years they do not write a teaching self-evaluation.

Part-time instructors who are not full-time employees of the College do not write teaching self-evaluations but will present student evaluations and course materials to the department chair for department review every semester.

Eight paper copies of the Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan, along with one set of supporting documents, must be delivered to the department chair at least two weeks prior to the date when materials are due to be submitted. The department chair will add the supplementary materials discussed below and will forward all materials to the Faculty Personnel Committee chair according to the following schedule:

1. October 15 for all tenure-track faculty in their probationary years,

2. November 6 for all tenured promotion candidates,

3. the Friday of the third week of the January term for all other submissions.

It is the responsibility of the faculty member and department chair to adhere to due dates for submission of materials. The submission of late materials may preclude consideration by the Faculty Personnel Committee during that academic year.

b. Supplementary Material - The Role of the Department and Department Chair

The department bears the major responsibility for ensuring that a tenure candidate receives appropriate counseling during the probationary period. Mentoring tenure track faculty is a major responsibility of the department chair acting on behalf of and in consultation with tenured members of the department, conveying to new colleagues the developmental nature of the probationary period leading up to consideration of tenure. Usually, non-tenured faculty need first to ensure their teaching effectiveness and to acquire mentees and advisees, then to begin working on their scholarship so evidence of productivity becomes apparent by their fourth or fifth year of service, and to take on increasing levels of responsibility in faculty governance; discussing these matters regularly and explicitly with non-tenured departmental faculty is expected of department chairs.

Departments should discuss, and convey to tenure-track faculty throughout the probationary period, both college-wide and departmental expectations in terms of the areas of evaluation of faculty effectiveness. Helpful candor in both conveying expectations and evaluating faculty performance is the desired standard. A sample of this kind of letter, and the rationale for candor in the evaluation process, can be found in Good Practice in Tenure Evaluation, Chapter 3 (available on-line at www.acenet.edu/bookstore/pdf/tenure-evaluation.pdf>).

Departments will evaluate tenure-track faculty at the end of their first-, third-, and fifth-probationary years. A letter of evaluation will be drafted by the department chair in consultation with the tenured members of the department and given to the faculty member under consideration, the chair of FPC, and to the Dean of Faculty by April 15. The materials to be used for this evaluation include student evaluations, reports of classroom visits by colleagues, publications or works in progress, results of meetings with the department chair, and other materials the department chair and the tenure-track faculty member may deem relevant.

At the beginning of each academic year, the chair of FPC and the Dean of Faculty will meet with department chairs to review their role in the personnel process.

For all faculty being reviewed by FPC (i.e., for promotion, for post-tenure review, and for the second-, fourth-, and sixth-year probation period), FPC must receive a departmental letter of evaluation. Materials to be used in formulating this evaluation include the faculty member's Personal Evaluation and Growth Plan, supporting materials, records of classroom observations and other pertinent materials, and the review notes from the most recent feedback from FPC. In the case of a department with one tenured faculty member who is being reviewed by FPC (either regular submission or for promotion), the Dean of Faculty will appoint a senior faculty member (preferably one with department chair experience) from the same academic division to carry out the responsibilities of the department chair in writing the letter of evaluation.

Department letters will be written by the department chair after consultations with all tenured members of the department. All tenured members of the department will have access to the Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan and supporting documents of the faculty member being considered. A copy of the department letter will be given by the department chair to the faculty member under consideration. Usually, all tenured members of the department will sign the departmental letter and each signature denotes consent to the letter’s content If a department member chooses not to participate in the department letter and to write a separate letter to FPC, a copy of this letter of evaluation also will be given by the department chair to the faculty member under consideration.

In the case of an individual who will be considered for a change in status, the chair will arrange for a Department Student Council to forward a letter to the Faculty Personnel Committee in which the Council comments on the overall performance of the individual faculty member.

(If the Professional Evaluation and Growth Plan is being submitted by a department chair, another tenured member of the department or the Dean of Faculty should fulfill the role herein described for the department chair.)

c. Review Sessions - The Role of the Faculty Personnel Committee

During the spring of the academic year in which a faculty member has submitted materials to the Faculty Personnel Committee.

The committee members will indicate to the faculty member whether adequate data in all four areas were provided to the committee. The committee's evaluation of both the submitted materials and the performance of the faculty member will then be transmitted in written form to the department chair and to the faculty member. Two members of FPC will meet with the tenure-track faculty member and the department chair within one week of the receipt of the review notes so that the faculty member will have the opportunity to respond or ask questions. If the faculty member has additional questions that were not addressed at the feedback session, the faculty member should consult with the department chair or, if the candidate does not have a departmental affiliation, to the Associate Dean for Liberal Education, and then may write a letter to the Faculty Personnel Committee requesting further clarification. FPC will respond in writing, and if needed, a second meeting will be scheduled. The feedback session is optional for tenured faculty. Tenured faculty members may request a meeting with FPC is they so desire.

In addition, FPC committee members will review the departmental expectations for the probationary candidate in the context of college-wide standards for tenure. The personnel committee will respond to these expectations in the candidate’s first feedback session.

This process is intended to aid the overall development of the teaching faculty. Individuals should recognize, however, that a good progress report from FPC, or even a succession of positive reports, will not necessarily lead to tenure or promotion or guarantee retention, since other considerations--including department recommendations, administrative considerations, etc.,--also carry weight in personnel matters.

5. Probationary Period

a. From the time of initial appointment until a final tenure decision is made, faculty appointments are probationary. If a contract for a second year is not offered to a faculty member during the first year of teaching, he or she must be notified of this decision no later than March 15. If a decision is made not to offer a new contract to a second year faculty member, the faculty member must be so notified no later than December 15. After the second year of full-time teaching, a non-tenured faculty member whose contract is not to be renewed will be notified at least one full academic year in advance.

b. Decisions not to offer contracts to faculty members during their probationary period may be based on the recommendations of the department chair, the Dean of Faculty, or the Faculty Personnel Committee. Such decisions, made in consultation with the involved department, may be made on the basis of academic performance in the areas of classroom teaching, advising, professional growth, and service to the college and community. In addition, such decisions may be made for programmatic, financial or for other legitimate reasons as agreed upon by the Dean of Faculty, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the President of the College.

c. Non-retention decisions made during the probationary period may be appealed by the faculty members affected to the Faculty Personnel Committee and subsequently, if necessary, to the President of the College.

d. During the first few weeks of the fall semester, the FPC Chairman and the non-tenured representative hold separate meetings with all first year faculty and with all second year faculty. At these meetings the current personnel policies are reviewed, the nature of the materials to be submitted to FPC is discussed, samples of these materials are made available, and attending faculty are given the opportunity to ask questions about the overall personnel process.

6. Tenure

a. In matters of tenure--that is, of continuous appointment to the faculty--the College subscribes to the "1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure" and the "1970 Interpretive Comments" by the American Association of University Professors (Appendices I and II).

b. Suggestions for tenure consideration are made to the Faculty Personnel Committee and may be initiated by the department chair, the Dean of Faculty or a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee. Individual faculty members may also request consideration for tenure.

c. In most cases, faculty members must have completed the requirements for the generally accepted terminal degree in their disciplines before tenure will be granted.

d. Tenure recommendations made by the Faculty Personnel Committee will be submitted to the President of the College by the Chair of the Committee through the Dean of Faculty. The President will, in turn, send his/her response to these recommendations to the Committee through the Dean of Faculty. If the President concurs with the Faculty Personnel Committee recommendations, the Dean will then notify the appropriate department chairs and the faculty members concerned. If the President disagrees with any of the Committee's recommendations, the Committee will meet with the President in order to attempt to resolve the differences. Prior to this meeting the Committee will contact the faculty members in question and their department chair for additional supporting data, particularly in the event that the President's initial denial is based on criteria other than those previously considered by the Committee. In the event that the Committee and the President are unable to reconcile their differences, the President's decision and a statement of the Committee's dissent will be transmitted to the Board of Trustees. All tenure decisions are ultimately made by the Board of Trustees.

e. In the event that the Faculty Personnel Committee recommends against granting tenure, faculty members may request to meet with the Committee, with or without their department chair, to present their case in person. If the Committee's recommendation remains unchanged, and if the faculty members feel that they have not received fair and impartial consideration, they may then appeal to the President of the College and finally to the Board of Trustees. In the event that the Committee's recommendation is favorable, but the decision of the President is negative, faculty members who feel that they have not received fair and impartial consideration have the right to appeal to the President and to the Board.

f. The maximum probationary period before tenure must be granted or denied is seven years. Faculty members with prior teaching experience may receive credit for up to, but no more than, three years experience toward their tenure decision at Whittier College. The tenure decision will be made in the sixth year of full-time teaching.

g. Professional librarians are not eligible for tenure.

7. Termination of Tenured Faculty

a. The services of faculty members with tenure may be terminated only for adequate cause, which is understood to include professional incompetence or moral turpitude. Under extraordinary circumstances, such termination may also occur as a result of a demonstrably bona fide financial exigency, i.e., an imminent financial crisis which threatens the institution as a quality liberal arts college and which cannot be alleviated by less drastic means. In addition, such termination may take place, under extraordinary circumstances and after full consultation with the faculty, because of the termination of a program or in the event of medical disability.

b. Initial recommendations to terminate the appointments of tenured faculty members are made to the Faculty Personnel Committee and may be initiated by the department chair, the Dean of Faculty or a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee. Faculty members will be informed in writing of the reasons being set forth for their dismissal, and will then receive a full hearing by the Faculty Personnel Committee in which they will be given the opportunity to respond to the written reasons which have been set forth as grounds for dismissal. They may have with them an advisor of their own choosing to act as counsel, and a full stenographic record of the hearing will be prepared and made available to the faculty members. After this meeting, during which all parties will have had ample time to explain their viewpoints, the Faculty Personnel Committee will make a recommendation in the matter to the President of the College through the Dean of Faculty. If the President concurs with the recommendation, the decision shall be final, subject to the right of the faculty members concerned to appeal to the President and finally to the Board of Trustees. If the President does not concur with the recommendation of the Faculty Personnel Committee, the Committee will meet with the President to attempt to resolve the issue. If such resolution is not achieved, the President's decision and the Committee's dissenting arguments will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees. Here too, the faculty members have the right to appeal to the President and the Board.

c. A general principle shall be observed in all deliberations concerning faculty dismissal: criticism shall be directed toward specific practices of the faculty member concerned as they bear upon his or her professional conduct and as these practices relate to the college community. In addition, the rights of faculty members should be safeguarded as spelled out in the relevant sections of AAUP's "1982 Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure."

8. Promotion

a. Faculty members hired at the rank of Instructor because they have not received the normal terminal degree in their academic field will automatically receive promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor upon the granting of the terminal degree.

b. Suggestions for promotion consideration of tenured faculty members are made to the Faculty Personnel Committee and may be initiated by the department chair, the Dean of Faculty or a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee. Individual faculty members may also request consideration for promotion with the support of their department or the Dean of Faculty.

c. If an untenured faculty member has completed the terminal degree and has completed the full probationary period, a connection between tenure and promotion will be usual. This is because the granting of tenure and the granting of promotion are both based upon demonstrated accomplishment in the areas of teaching, advising, service to the College and community, and scholarship. (For the meaning of full probationary period, see III., B., 5.). In extraordinary circumstances, promotion to associate professor may occur before the sixth and final probationary year, the standard being demonstrated accomplishment in the areas of teaching, advising, and service to the College and community, and exceptional scholarly achievement. (For the meaning of demonstrated accomplishment see III., B., 3.) The process of early promotion must be initiated by the department in consultation with the Dean of Faculty before a case is made to FPC. Promotion is not automatically conferred with the award of tenure, as personal or institutional circumstances might exist that would cause a tenure candidate to fall short of having demonstrated more than promise in a key area. Tenure is not automatically granted upon promotion to Associate Professor or Professor. The granting of tenure does not in itself guarantee advancement in rank.

d. Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor and Professor is awarded for substantial achievement in the areas of classroom teaching, advising, professional growth, and service to the college and community, with the understanding that promotion to Professor is to be granted for continued professional development recognition.

e. Promotion recommendations made by the Faculty Personnel Committee will be submitted to the President of the College by the Chair of the Committee through the Dean of Faculty. The President will, in turn, send his/her response to these recommendations to the Committee through the Dean of Faculty. If the President concurs with the Faculty Personnel Committee's recommendations, the Dean will then notify the appropriate department chair and the faculty members concerned. If the President disagrees with any of the Committee's recommendations, the Committee will meet with the President in order to attempt to resolve the differences. Prior to this meeting the Committee will contact the faculty members in question and their department chair for additional supporting data, particularly in the event that the President's initial denial is based on criteria other than those previously considered by the Committee. In the event that the Committee and the President are unable to reconcile their differences, the President's decision will be final.

f. In the event that the Faculty Personnel Committee recommends against granting promotion, faculty members may request to meet with the Committee, with or without their department chair, to present their case in person. If the Committee's recommendation remains unchanged, and if the faculty members feel that they have not received fair and impartial consideration, they may then appeal to the President of the College and finally to the Board of Trustees. In the event that the Committee's recommendation is favorable, but the decision of the President is negative, faculty members who feel that they have not received fair and impartial consideration have the right to appeal to the President and to the Board.

9. Distinguished Service Professor

a. Upon retirement from full-time teaching, the position of Distinguished Service Professor may be offered to faculty who have served the College with distinction. Appointment to this position follows the normal college process in which the Faculty Personnel Committee recommends to the President through the Dean of Faculty. Appointments at the level of Distinguished Service Professor will be on an annual basis, without tenure, subject to renewal by mutual consent. In order to ensure that departmental issues of class scheduling, advising, and the use of adjunct faculty can be addressed in a timely manner, applications for initial appointment as Distinguished Service Professor should be sent to FPC before November 15 and must include a letter of support from the department in addition to a letter of request and c.v. from the faculty member being considered for appointment.

b. The Distinguished Service Professor will carry a substantially reduced teaching load, so that time may be available for other scholarly activities. The teaching load will be arranged by the Dean of Faculty in consultation with the individual and the department chairperson. Health insurance benefits will be the same as for other full-time faculty. If the individual has reached the age of eligibility for Social Security benefits, payments to TIAA/CREF will cease with the appointment, and the earnings limit will be taken into account in discussion of the stipend. The individual will continue to be eligible for Supplementary Retirement Annuity participation through TIAA/CREF.

10. Emeritus Status

a. To be granted emeritus status, a faculty member should have served with distinction at Whittier College full time for at least fifteen years and should have reached the rank of Professor or Associate Professor. Under exceptional circumstances, an Assistant Professor may be granted Emeritus status.

b. Nominations for emeritus status are normally made by the Department Chairperson, the Dean of Faculty, or the Faculty Personnel Committee. Supporting data should be submitted by the nominator to the Faculty Personnel Committee by October 15.

c. The Faculty Personnel Committee will recommend to the President, through the Dean of Faculty, those faculty members it believes should be granted emeritus status. The final decision regarding the granting of emeritus status is made by the President.

11. Concerns

a. Any faculty member who has a concern that correct process has not been followed in matters related to personnel decisions may appeal to the Faculty Executive Council, the Dean of Faculty or the President of the College.

b. A faculty member is always free to raise such concerns at any Faculty Meeting

C. COMMUNICATIONS

1. Faculty to Administration

The normal line of communication from individual members of the faculty to the administration is through the Dean of Faculty or the individuals designated by the President to handle the various areas of concern of the faculty.

2. Faculty to Board of Trustees

There should be no reason for direct communication between an individual faculty, as such, and the Board of Trustees, outside of joint committee contacts. Communication from the faculty as a unit, or from a faculty committee, to the Board of Trustees should be transmitted either through the Academic Affairs Committee or by the Faculty Executive Council via the President.


D. GRIEVANCES

Any faculty member who has a grievance may request consideration by the Faculty Executive Council. In addition, he/she is free to raise any matters of concern to the College at any faculty meeting. (See also Constitution, Section IV, paragraph 5.)