Part IV : Faculty Perquisites

A. SALARY PAYMENTS

Letters of appointment listing the terms of employment are for one academic year (see Part III:A:2), but payment of salaries is made in twelve monthly checks by the Business Office on the twenty-fifth of each month. If this date falls on a holiday or weekend, payment will be made on the last working day before the holiday or weekend. Checks may be picked up in the Business Office after 11:00 am.

By law, certain deductions are required to be made from paychecks. These include amounts for state and federal income tax, Social Security, and State Disability Insurance. State Unemployment Insurance and Workmen's Compensation Insurance are paid entirely by the College.

B. WORKER'S COMPENSATION INSURANCE

All faculty members are covered by Worker's Compensation Insurance for any injury that may occur on College premises or in the performance of College business.

C. STATE DISABILITY INSURANCE

All faculty members contribute to, and are insured, for non-industrial accidents and sickness under the California State Disability Insurance program. This program is administered by the state through the Human Resources Development offices throughout the state. Coverage includes weekly payments for time lost and a daily hospital allowance. You may obtain information on benefits and forms necessary to file claims through the State Human Resources Development offices.

D. HEALTH AND LIFE INSURANCE

The College offers a Group Health and Life Insurance Policy for employees, who work 20 hours a week or more, and their dependents, underwritten by a large and reputable insurance company. The plan is described in the Summery Plan description available in the Human Resources Office. In addition the College also offers a group health policy providing dental and medical coverage with a Health Maintenance Organization (H.M.O.).

The plans include medical care benefits, supplemental accident expense benefits, major medical expense insurance, death benefits, dental expenses, and a special plan for medicare participants. A spouse and unmarried children from 14 days of age to age 19, or unmarried full-time student to age 25 for medical and age 23 for dental, are included.

The College contributes a substantial amount (the specific ratio depends upon the group health experience of the previous year) to the plan in addition to the individual premium payments by faculty members.

A booklet describing the plans are available in the Human Resources Office. Faculty members who desire to enroll in any plan should complete the Acceptance and Payroll Deduction Authority Card within 30 days of their employment date. After this open enrollment period the employee or dependent may be required to prove, at their own expense, insurability to the insurance company.

Group term life insurance is included in the plan. The amount of coverage is based upon an individual's income bracket as described in the insurance booklet.

A Supplemental Life Insurance plan is available which doubles the coverage available in the basic group insurance plan. The cost of the Supplemental Insurance is paid by the employee. Information on the Supplemental Plan is available in the Human Resources Office.

E. GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

Faculty acting for or in behalf of Whittier College are covered with respect to Legal Liability to the extent of $500,000 combined single limit of liability. Coverage is also provided by an Excess Liability policy for bodily injury and property damage. Other groups associated with the College are included in these coverages.

F. SICK LEAVE

Sick leave (for full-time faculty only) is handled on a case-by-case basis between the individual and the Dean of Faculty.

Sick leave is considered as a reserve fund to handle emergency situations and is not subject to a payoff basis for time not taken.

Faculty must contact the Dean of Faculty's office each day of their absence, unless prior arrangements for less frequent reporting have been made. Faculty who are absent five or more consecutive days may, at the Dean's discretion, be put on a medical leave of absence and be required to produce a doctor's release to return to work.

While on approved sick leave, the faculty member's pay will continue at his or her regular salary, less any benefits received from State Disability Insurance or Worker's Compensation Insurance, as required by law. In addition, the College will continue to make its regular contributions toward the faculty member's group insurance and TIAA/CREF premiums, from the date of disability through the end of the current month plus one additional month.

Any rearrangement of course offerings to cover absences due to illness is the joint responsibility of the administration and the department involved.

Sick leave should be requested if it is anticipated an illness or injury will result in loss of an extended period of time. Requests must be made to the Dean of Faculty. Details regarding salary and benefits must be cleared through the Human Resources Office.

G. MEDICAL LEAVE

A full-time faculty member may be granted a medical leave of absence for a period of up to one calendar year if there is good and sufficient reason. Medical leaves are normally granted upon termination of sick leave benefits. No salary payments are made nor accumulated during the leave period. During a medical leave of absence without pay the employee will be responsible for full payment (100%) of his/her medical and dental insurance premiums (colleges and employees portion). The College portion of TIAA/ CREF benefits premiums will not be paid during the medical leave of absence.

Any rearrangement of course offerings to cover absences due to illness is the joint responsibility of the administration and the department involved.

Requests for medical leaves of absence must be made to the Dean of Faculty. Details regarding benefits must be cleared through the Human Resources Office.

H. RETIREMENT

1. Policies and practices relating to retirement are designed to attract individuals of the highest caliber to educational work, to sustain the morale of the faculty, to permit faculty members to devote their energies with singleness of purpose to the concerns of the institution and the profession, and to provide for the orderly retirement of faculty members.

2. The normal retirement date for members of the faculty is August 31 following the sixty-fifth birthday. Chair positions of a department shall terminated at the close of the academic year during which a faculty member attains age sixty-five. A faculty member may be employed part-time, or full-time, on an annual basis following retirement.

I. RETIREMENT PLANS

The Whittier College Retirement Plan is described in the Summary Plan Description available in the Human Resources Office. The college is a member of Teacher's Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) which operates a retirement plan open to all faculty members with one year service or previous participation. Contributions (4% of salary minimum) are collected through a monthly payroll deduction plan handled by the Business Office of the College. (For tax reasons under 1RC, Section 403(b), this contribution is not indicated as current income. Thus, it will be taxable upon receiving the annuity it provides.) Any faculty member desiring to join this retirement plan may inquire at the Human Resources Office.

All employees of Whittier College are also covered by the social insurance program of the Social Security Act. Monthly deductions are made according to the statutory requirements of the Act.

J. LEAVES OF ABSENCE

1. General policy

a. There are six kinds of leave discussed here: sabbatical leave, leave for professional growth, short-term leave of absence without pay, long-term leave of absence without pay, maternity leave, and child-care leave. Section 1 is applicable to all types of leave. Section 2 covers sabbatical leave. Section 3 covers leave for professional growth. Section 4 covers short-term leave of absence without pay. Section 5 covers long-term leave of absence without pay. Section 6 covers family leaves.

b. When a faculty member is on leave, the essential curricular needs of the department will be met. Generally two people from the same discipline should not be on leave simultaneously. The granting of a leave is contingent upon acceptance of the proposed leave plan by the Professional Interests Committee and the administration and the continued normal operation of the college with reference to departmental staff and financial resources.

c. A faculty member who receives any leave of absence will normally be expected to return to Whittier College for a minimum of one full year of teaching.

d. The faculty member, the Professional Interests Committee, and the Dean of Faculty must agree in advance on how leaves other than sabbatical leaves will affect the timing of future sabbatical leaves.

e. In the case of non-tenured faculty, the faculty member, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the Dean of Faculty must agree in advance on how leaves will affect the timing of tenure decision.

f. A faculty member who wishes to apply for a leave of absence should be certain to consult with the Human Resources Office regarding the financial implications of such a leave.

g. Faculty members should be aware that multiple years of leave could affect tenure and promotion decisions.

h. Reference is made to the "Statement on Leaves of Absence" of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) published in 1965, the "Statement of Principles of Leaves of Absence" published in 1972 by AAUP, and "Leaves of Absence for Child-bearing, Child-rearing, and Family Emergencies" published by AAUP in 1973, for guidance in considering exceptions to the above principles. Such exceptions must be approved by the Dean of Faculty and the Professional Interests Committee.

i. A faculty member is to submit a request for leave through the department chair to the Professional Interests Committee by a date chosen by the Professional Interests Committee near November 15 of the academic year preceding the academic year of the leave. The Committee will forward its recommendations to the Dean of Faculty by a date chosen by the Professional Interests Committee near December 15.

In some cases (such as a grant application which has not yet been decided upon), the faculty member may not know by the deadline whether a leave would be beneficial. In such cases, the faculty member is encouraged to apply by the deadline, indicating the tentative nature of the request. Approval of the leave does not obligate the faculty member to take the leave.

Furthermore, this deadline should not be construed to eliminate the possibility of a leave granted in connection with opportunities which were not know at the time of the deadline.

2. Sabbatical Leaves

a. Full-time tenured faculty members and librarians of Whittier College are eligible for a sabbatical leave upon completion of six years full-time service at the College. Eligibility includes all the years of full-time service at Whittier, including the years prior to the granting of tenure. After this period of time, faculty members are eligible for sabbatical leaves every seven years and librarians are eligible for sabbatical leaves in summer months every four years. Exceptions will be considered by the Professional Interests Committee.

b. A sabbatical leave is to be used for generally acceptable purposes of professional advancement such as research, writing, and educational travel.

c. Normally a sabbatical leave shall not be used to accept another paying position, academic or otherwise. Exceptions must be approved by the Professional Interests Committee and the Dean of Faculty. This is not to be construed as prohibiting the acceptance of a grant for the support of academic endeavors.

d. If it deems necessary, the administration may request that a faculty member postpone a sabbatical for up to one year. If the faculty member agrees, the postponement will not delay the scheduled dates of any subsequent sabbaticals.

A faculty member may choose to postpone a sabbatical for up to two years without delaying the scheduled dates of any subsequent sabbaticals with the approval of the Professional Interests Committee. The request for postponement must be made during the academic year preceding the year for which the sabbatical leave was originally scheduled.

e. Sabbatical leaves are granted in terms of one of the following two options: (1) half salary for one full academic year with no teaching load; or (2) full salary and a normal one semester teaching load over one year, distributed as desired by the faculty member (for example, a one semester leave or one full year of half-time teaching).

f. Within six months of completion of a sabbatical leave, the faculty member is to submit to the Professional Interests Committee and the Dean of Faculty a statement summarizing all sabbatical activities.

i. Previous part-time teaching at Whittier College may in certain cases be counted towards initial eligibility for sabbatical leave. Credit may be granted for no more than one year of full-time equivalent instruction for every two years of part-time teaching, up to a maximum of three years of full-time equivalent teaching. The part-time instruction must have occurred at Whittier College immediately prior to full-time appointment by the College, and total no less than 10 units in each year. A decision will be made by the Dean of Faculty at the time of full-time appointment regarding the number of years to be granted towards initial leave, although in no circumstances may a sabbatical leave be granted prior to the granting of tenure.

3. Leaves for Professional Growth

a. Faculty members who receive a grant are eligible for a leave of absence in order to be free to pursue the activities of the grant. In all cases, the college will make its regular contributions toward the faculty member's group insurance and TIAA/CREF premiums. Normally, the grant is expected to cover all salary, but the faculty member may make up the difference between the salary provided for in the grant and that faculty member's normal salary by working at the college part-time. Payment for any such part-time work will be at the faculty member's normal salary pro-rated according to the number of units worked.

b. Faculty members may apply for a one-year to two-year leave of absence in order to seek temporary employment elsewhere if the department, the Professional Interests Committee, and the Dean of Faculty judge that the faculty member's professional growth would be enhanced by doing so. The employee will be responsible for full payment (100%) of his or her medical and dental insurance premiums (college's and employee's portion). The College portion of TIAA/CREF benefits premiums will not be paid during the leave. A one-year leave may be extended for at most one more year, with the approval of the department, the Professional Interests Committee, and the Dean of Faculty.

c. The faculty member may also apply for a leave of absence in order to be free to pursue professional growth activities not covered above.

4. Short-Term Leaves of Absence Without Pay

a. Members of the faculty may apply for a leave of absence without pay for a period of up to one year. The employee will be responsible for full payment (100%) of his or her medical and dental insurance premiums (college's and employee's portion). The College portion of TIAA/CREF benefits premiums will not be paid during the leave.

b. The application should include a statement of the purpose of the leave and a statement of departmental needs by the department chair following consultation with all the members of the department.

5. Long-Term Leaves of Absence Without Pay

a. Full-time faculty members may apply for non-paid leaves of absence for longer than a year. Except as stated in paragraph b. below, the employee will be responsible for full payment (100%) of his or her medical and dental insurance premiums (college's and employee's portion). The College portion of TIAA/CREF benefits premiums will not be paid during the leave.

b. Application may be made for part-time employment during the period of a long-term leave of absence without pay. Tenured faculty members will normally receive part-time employment if they so request. If part-time employment is granted, the college will make its regular contributions toward the faculty member's group insurance and TIAA/CREF premiums.

c. At the end of a long-term leave of absence without pay a tenured faculty member must return to full-time employment or else accept the loss of tenure but not necessarily loss of employment, unless another such leave is approved.

K. JURY DUTY

Whittier College will pay a faculty member's regular salary up to ten (10) days of jury duty service. The College does not pay for substitutes in the classroom and, therefore, requests that the employee ask to be on duty during the summer months.

L. TRAVEL FUNDS

1. Policy

Faculty members are encouraged to participate in the meetings and activities of their profession, not only to promote their own professional growth but also to enhance the stature of Whittier College. Full-time faculty who are officers of their professional associations or who participate in the programs of their professional meetings (e.g. present scholarly papers, serve as panel discussants, editorial board members, etc.) may apply for partial reimbursement of their expenses associated with these activities. Such reimbursement is, however, limited to participation in one professional meeting per full-time member per fiscal year.

A faculty member whose travel request is approved by the Professional Interests Committee will be reimbursed by the College for 75% of the following: round-trip transportation costs (lowest available air fare) to any point in the United States, reasonable costs of room and board during the time of the professional conference (not normally to exceed 4 days), and registration fees associated with the meeting. If the conference is in a foreign country, the faculty member will be reimbursed for 75% of round-trip transportation expenses either to the nearest point of exit from the United States or the location of the meeting itself, whichever is the lesser amount, plus 75% of meals, lodging and registration fees.

2. Procedures

a. Application for reimbursement should be submitted on the appropriate form by a faculty member through the department chairperson to the Professional Interests Committee at least 30 days prior to the conference starting date.

b. Then, upon return, the faculty member should present an itemized list of relevant expenses (on a form provided by the Business Office), with receipts to the Dean of Faculty before actual reimbursement is made.

c. Funding by outside sources should be sought whenever possible; the College will reimburse 75% of any approved travel expenses not covered by external funds.

M. TUITION PLANS FOR FACULTY

The Whittier College Tuition Plan provides tuition benefits for full-time faculty members wishing to take graduate classes. This benefit is available immediately upon hire date. Classes for the faculty member must not interfere with the normal work schedule and participation must be approved by the Dean of Faculty. Beginning July 1, 1985, this benefit will be subject to personal income tax, according to a ruling by the IRS. This benefit must be applied for each semester in the Dean of Faculty's office.

N. TUITION PLANS FOR FACULTY CHILDREN

The Whittier College Tuition Plan provides tuition benefits for dependent children of full-time faculty who have completed three years of continuous full-time service. Dependent children must be admitted as a regular undergraduate, graduate, or law student at Whittier College to be eligible for this benefit. For graduate work and legal education, the tuition remission is limited to a total of four and six semesters respectively, and must be completed by the age of 26. (Beginning July 1, 1985, the graduate benefit is a taxable item according to a ruling by the IRS.)

The College will also pay the tuition fees for children of such faculty who taught full-time at Whittier College prior to the 1973-74 academic year, who wish to attend any other similarly accredited college or university of their choice, up to an amount equivalent to the current tuition fees charged by Whittier College for that academic year. The College will pay the Incidental Fee for the University of California and the Materials and Service Fee for the California State Universities and Colleges. However, this does not include the Associated Student Fees, College Union Fees, Health Fees, or Parking Fees. (Beginning July 1, 1985, this benefit is a taxable item according to a ruling by the IRS.)

In all cases scholarship awards to the student will be deducted from the tuition allowance.

The payment of tuition and fees is limited to a total of eight semesters, or its equivalent, of undergraduate work per student.

Summer and evening sessions are excluded.

A faculty member desiring tuition remission for the dependent child must file a request each semester on a form provided by the Office of the Dean of Faculty. After approval, the Business Office will take appropriate action.

O. TUITION REMISSION FOR SPOUSES

Spouses of full-time Whittier College faculty members and administration are permitted to enroll in Whittier College courses on either a credit or audit basis without tuition charge. Spouses may take either undergraduate or graduate courses. Tuition remission for spouses is subject to the following conditions:

1. Faculty members must have completed one year of full-time employment at Whittier College.

2. Faculty spouses enrolled in certain courses or programs for which special fees are assessed will be responsible for the payment of such charges.

3. If a course has an enrollment limitation, other students will have priority over spouses in filling that limit.

4. In Summer School and Extended Day courses, spouses will not be counted toward the total enrollment upon which faculty compensation is based.

A faculty member desiring tuition remission for the spouse must file a request each semester on a form provided by the Office of the Dean of Faculty.

Tuition remission for graduate courses taken by spouses is subject to federal taxation and must be reported by the faculty member starting July 1, 1985, according to a ruling by the IRS. Undergraduate courses are exempt from this ruling.

P. PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION DUES

Faculty members are encouraged to be members of and to participate in the activities of professional organizations. Toward this end, the College will pay a maximum of $100.00 per year toward the annual dues of a professional organization(s) to which each full-time faculty member belongs. After paying the dues the faculty member should request reimbursement through the office of the Dean of Faculty.

Q. RESEARCH GRANTS

1. Policy

Each year the Professional Interests Committee has the opportunity of distributing the income, approximately $3,000 from an endowment fund to certain full-time faculty members. The amount has varied between $3,000 and $8,000. The purpose of these funds is to provide financial support to encourage and advance research activities at Whittier College. The supported research should represent a scholarly contribution within the College and enhance the academic growth of the researcher. It is expected that the research will lead to an appropriate publication or presentation of a paper to a professional organization, or to the improvement of instructional programs at Whittier College.

Priority will be given to researchers who have not received a Whittier College grant in previous years.

Priority will be given to those who can demonstrate that funds from other sources within and outside the College have been sought and are unavailable for the project at that time.

Where feasible, the funds will be distributed among the various academic divisions and departments so that no one discipline receives a preponderance of such funds. When more than one request is received from researchers in a single discipline, only one will receive a grant unless funds remain after other requests have been met.

Applicants should provide an itemized list, in some detail, of anticipated expenses. Expenditures of any sort, other than faculty salary, may be covered by funds requested.

When an application for a grant has been approved, the funds will be distributed to the recipient upon request to the Dean of Faculty's office. Receipts (or equivalent) must accompany requests.

At the end of the period of the grant, a report shall be submitted to include information concerning funds spent and the results of the supported project.

Neither Whittier College nor the Whittier College Faculty claim any rights to royalties and fees which might result from projects supported by Faculty Research Grants. Any useable equipment and books purchased with research funds will become the property of Whittier for use by the department concerned or, in the case of books, will go into the general library collection.

2. Procedures

a. Application forms will be made available in December.

b. Applications will be accepted by the Professional Interests Committee no later than the second Friday of the Spring semester.

c. The Professional Interests Committee will allocate the available funds among qualified applicants.

d. Notification to qualified applicants will be made on or before the Friday of the sixth week of the Spring semester.

e. The period of the grant will begin on July 1 and end 20 months later.

f. During the period of the grant the researcher may obtain the funds allocated for research from the Dean of Faculty by submitting appropriate receipts, or the equivalent.

g. All funds left unspent by the end of the period of the grant will return to the principle of the endowment fund.

R. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

1. Policy

Each year the Professional Interests Committee and the Dean of Faculty have the responsibility of administering funds for Faculty Development Grants. The purpose of these funds is to provide financial support to full-time faculty members in the development of educational strengths and the enhancement of effective teaching at Whittier College. A supported project should focus upon the recipient as a teacher and should have a demonstrable positive impact upon the education program of the College. Other important criteria for selection include activities that would increase teaching flexibility, extend teaching competence into new areas, and assist in the development of new educational programs.

Each applicant should submit a summary of proposed activities, a timetable, and an itemized list of anticipated expenses. Allocated funds may be utilized in a wide variety of ways, including project expenses, salary for the replacement of a faculty member receiving released time to work on a supported project, and summer support. (Funds will not be granted as compensation for the recipient's own time during the regular academic year.)

The grants will be awarded by a committee consisting of two faculty members, chosen by PIC from among its members, and the Dean of Faculty.

When an application for a grant has been approved, the funds will be distributed to the recipient upon request to the Dean of Faculty. At the end of the grant period a report shall be submitted to PIC and the Dean. The report should include information concerning funds spent and the results of the project. Any useable equipment and books purchased with grant funds will become the property of Whittier College.

2. Procedures

a. Application forms will be made available in December.

b. Applications will be accepted by PIC no later than the second Friday of Spring Semester.

c. PIC and the Dean will allocate the available funds among qualified applications, and applicants will be notified on or before the Friday of the sixth week of Spring Semester.

d. The grant period will by July 1-June 30 (one fiscal year).

e. During the period of the grant the recipient may obtain the funds allocated for the project from the office of the Dean of Faculty.

f. All funds left unspent by the end of the period of the grant will return to the Faculty Development Fund.

S. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE PROFESSOR

The position of Distinguished Service Professor may be offered, at the discretion of the College, to faculty who have served the College with distinction for many years. If the professor accepts, the appointment as Distinguished Service Professor will be on an annual basis, without tenure, subject to renewal by mutual consent. As in all other faculty personnel matters, the normal college process in which the Faculty Personnel Committee and Dean recommend to the President, will be followed.

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

T. PERQUISITES FOR EMERITI

Persons selected as Emeriti of Whittier College shall have all the rights and privileges enjoyed by full-time faculty, including the right to audit classes with the permission of the instructor, but excluding those benefits which require the direct expenditure of College funds for their sole benefit (e.g., health insurance, retirement premiums, etc.). They shall be ineligible for College Development, Research, or Travel grants; however, they may submit proposals to external agencies in the name of the College for these and other scholarly purposes. Copies of announcements and notices of pertinent meetings shall be addressed to them in care of the department with which they were associated while full-time faculty. Invitations shall be extended to them to participate in all academic ceremonies.

U. CREDIT UNION

The College belongs to the Whittier Area Schools Federal Credit Union. A booklet describing the loans and saving arrangements available can be obtained from the Human Resources Office.