Appointment and Employment Procedures and Regulations
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Faculty Appointments
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Appointment to a Tenure-Track Position
Normally, an earned doctoral degree in philosophy is required for all faculty appointments to a tenure-track position in the Department.
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Visiting Faculty Appointments
Visiting faculty appointments at an appropriate faculty rank may be made when leaves of absence occur or special needs arise and funds are available. A visiting faculty member is typically a faculty member from another institution who is employed by the Department for a period not to exceed one (1) year. In the event that a Visiting faculty member is employed in that capacity for a second consecutive year, the visiting faculty member will then become a full-time non-tenure track (NTT) faculty member.
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Full-Time Non-Tenure Track Faculty (NTT) Appointments
Full-time non-tenure track faculty (NTT) appointments are made on an annual basis (see Subsection A under Renewal of Appointment and Third-Year Full Performance Reviews of Full-Time Non-Tenure Track (NTT) Faculty, below). NTT appointments are not included under the umbrella of the University policy and procedures regarding faculty tenure (University Policy Register 3342-6-14) and NTT faculty members are not entitled to any rights with regard to tenure. The renewal process will be covered below in Subsection B under Renewal of Appointment and Third-Year Full Performance Reviews of Full-Time Non-Tenure Track (NTT) Faculty.
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Part-Time Faculty Appointments
When the Department cannot meet its teaching needs from the ranks of its full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty and its full-time non-tenure track (NTT) faculty, part-time faculty appointments will be made from an established pool of qualified applicants not currently on regular appointment at the University. Normally a part-time faculty member will teach only lower level courses, unless otherwise approved by the FAC and the Chair.
For the initial appointment to the rank of part-time faculty appointment, a candidate must hold at least a M.A. or an equivalent degree in philosophy to apply to the Chair for consideration. Further, for initial appointment, a candidate must have potential for excellence in teaching.
For the initial appointment to the rank of part-time faculty to teach only courses in religion, a candidate must hold at least an M.A. academic degree in religion studies. Further, for initial appointment, a candidate must have potential for excellence in teaching.
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Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Ranks
The basic definitions of faculty ranks are as follows:
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Assistant Professor
This rank is normally the entry level rank for tenure-track faculty holding the doctorate in philosophy.
For the initial appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor, a candidate must hold a Ph.D. or an equivalent degree in philosophy.
Further, for initial appointment, a candidate must have potential for excellence in teaching. Evidence for such potential is:
a. Letters of recommendation, and where possible, student evaluations.
b. The candidate's submission of class plans, syllabi, requirements, readings upon request of the Chairperson.
c. The candidate's performance in reading and defending a paper before the Department.
d. The candidate's performance in presenting to the Department faculty a class session on some topic set by the Department; or giving a session of some undergraduate class or graduate colloquium, with the faculty in attendance.
Finally, the candidate must have potential for writing publishable material. Evidence for such potential is:
a. One or more publications.
b. The quality of the candidate's dissertation.
c. The quality of any manuscript the candidate may submit.
d. Letters of recommendation from publishing scholars.
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Associate Professor
Criteria for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor are covered below in Subsection C under Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion. A candidate whose initial appointment at Kent State University is to the rank of Associate Professor must possess the Ph.D. or its equivalent in philosophy. Initial appointment at this rank presumes prior service as an Assistant Professor.
Further, the candidate must have demonstrated excellence in teaching. Evidence for such potential is:
a. The candidate's performance in reading and defending a paper before the Department.
b. The candidate's performance in presenting to the Department faculty a class session on some topic set by the Department; or giving a session of an undergraduate class or graduate colloquium, with the faculty in attendance.
c. The candidate's submission of class plans, syllabi, requirements, readings upon request of the Chairperson.
d. Letters of recommendation, and where possible, student evaluations.
In addition, the candidate for initial appointment at this rank must have a substantial and quality publication record consistent with departmental criteria and evidence for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor (see below, Subsections C and D under Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion). Reviews and letters, solicited by the Chairperson from experts in the candidate's field, are also to be used in assessing the candidate's scholarly record.
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Professor
Criteria for promotion to the rank of Full Professor are covered below in Subsection C under Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion.
A candidate whose initial appointment at Kent State University is to Full Professor must have a Ph.D. or its equivalent in philosophy, should have at least a decade of experience teaching in the field, must have demonstrated excellence in teaching, and must have an excellent sustained publication record. Section V of this handbook should be consulted for the criteria and evidence for excellence in teaching.
The candidate for initial appointment at the rank of Full Professor must have a substantial and quality publication record consistent with departmental criteria and evidence for promotion to the rank of Full Professor (see below, Subsections C and D under Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion). Reviews and letters, solicited by the Chairperson from experts in the candidate's field, are also to be used in assessing the candidate's scholarly record.
Reviews and letters, solicited by the Chairperson from experts in the candidate's field, are to be used in assessing the candidate's scholarly record.
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Graduate Faculty Status
As a graduate degree granting Department, the Department normally requires that all faculty hired for tenure-track positions be eligible for appointment to the graduate faculty as associate or full members. The Administrative policy regarding graduate faculty is included in the University Policy Register (University Policy Register 3342-6-15.1). Graduate Faculty Status is a meritorious position in the Department.
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Recruiting Tenure Track Faculty
The Department supports the goals of equal opportunity and affirmative action in recruiting and in making appointments to the faculty. The FAC will review the applications for any tenure-track position and prepare a ranked list of the top ten to twenty candidates. A search committee will be appointed by the Chair after consultation with the FAC to interview candidates at the APA. Based on these initial interviews, the search committee will make a recommendation to the FAC that two (2) or three (3) candidates be invited to campus for an interview. After the campus interviews, the FAC will recommend its choice of candidates to the Chair. The FAC’s recommendation is advisory to the Chair, who then makes a recommendation to the Dean. If the Dean concurs with the Chair, a recommendation is forwarded to the Office of the Provost. If the Chair's recommendation is different than that of the FAC, the Chair shall inform the Dean of all recommendations and the reasons for the disagreement.
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Roles and Responsibilities of the Faculty
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Research and Teaching
Each Faculty member is expected to contribute to the Department, Campus, College and University according to the terms and condition of his/her letter of appointment. Scholarly activity is expected of all Faculty members, although the extent and/or type of activity may vary with the terms of each Faculty member’s assignment, campus location and Graduate Faculty Status. A Faculty member whose primary or sole responsibilities are undergraduate teaching and undergraduate programs may teach and serve in a greater number and diversity of courses with a larger number of students per semester than a Faculty member who is also a member of the Graduate Faculty. Supervision and direction of undergraduate research projects and theses is part of the teaching function of all Faculty members.
Faculty members with Graduate Faculty Status are involved in the research and graduate teaching program and are expected to present evidence of their research endeavors as witnessed by publication, proposals submitted for extramural funding, and dissemination of research in various venues as appropriate to the discipline. Activity in professional organizations and the training of graduate students is also expected. Most of the Department faculty members will be either a full or associate member of the Graduate Faculty. All Graduate Faculty members are expected to serve on graduate student committees, participate in extracurricular graduate studies programs, and direct graduate student research.
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Graduate Faculty
All Graduate Faculty members receive workload equivalence each academic year.
a. Membership in the philosophy Graduate Faculty includes duties beyond the teaching of graduate-level courses and requires participation in Advisory Committees, Thesis Committees, Thesis Advising, graduate colloquia, the Annual Graduate Student Conference, and other programs equivalent to a 3-hour course reduction per academic year.
b. Graduate Faculty are expected to keep active as scholars engaged throughout the academic year in scholarly activity that deepens their awareness of philosophy, keeps them abreast of developments within the field, and allows constant update of their courses. They are also expected to engage in research to advance and create new knowledge in philosophy, resulting in a sustained record of publications and conference presentations. Graduate Faculty members are given a 3-hour-course reduction each academic year.
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Service to the University
Service to the University is a responsibility of each faculty member. Department, Campus, College, and University committee or task force membership is expected as a normal part of a faculty member’s contributions. Special or outstanding service above and beyond that which is typical may be considered during the review of a faculty member, but service alone will not reduce the expectations of quantity and quality teaching and scholarly activity. Public service is encouraged and recognized as a part of the professional responsibilities of each faculty member, although contributions in this area can be expected to vary widely due to the nature of the various disciplines within the Department.
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Faculty Code of Ethics
All members of the Department faculty are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards as teachers, scholars, university citizens and colleagues. The University policy regarding faculty code of professional ethics can be found in the University Policy Register (University Policy Register 3342-6-17).
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Sanctions
A sanction is a documented corrective action in response to a faculty member's unsatisfactory performance of his/her duties and responsibilities as a member of the faculty (see CBA, Article VIII).
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Faculty Leaves
All leaves, sponsored or unsupported, personal or professional, are subject to the approval of the Chair, the Dean and the Provost.
University leaves include but are not limited to:
1. Research leaves (see University Policy Register 3342-6-11.8).
2. Leaves of absence without pay (see University Policy Register 3342-6-11.9).
3. Faculty professional improvement leaves (see University Policy Register 3342-6-12 ).
4. Research/Creative Activity appointments (see University Policy Register 3342-6-15.3).
Leaves of absence on a one-year (or less) basis without pay may be arranged through the Department Chairperson and, with his or her approval, the approval of the Dean of the College, and the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. Such requests for a leave of absence should be filed not later than the first of March for the next academic year. However, the University can and does recognize "court leave" (see University Policy Register 3342-6-11.5) and does have a defined policy concerning military leave of absence (see University Policy Register 3342-6-11.6).
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Faculty Absence and Travel Policy
Faculty members who will be absent from campus for professional or personal reasons must submit a Request for Absence Form to the Chair. The request should be made at least one (1) month prior to the planned absence and is subject to the approval of the Chair and the Dean. Arrangements for any classes to be missed during the absence must be addressed to the satisfaction of the Chair before approval will be granted.
Attendance at professional meetings is encouraged and approved travel expenses incurred in attending such meetings may be reimbursed when approved prior to travel according to the University's travel policies and are subject to the availability of Department funds. It is assumed that Faculty members who are applying for travel funding from University Research Council will submit a completed form at least one (1) month prior to the professional travel date for review by the Chair. Requests for Absence Forms and Requests for University Research Council Travel Support which are inaccurate or incomplete will be declined by the Chair. The Faculty member is responsible for submitting all pertinent supporting materials with the application.
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Faculty Sick Leave
The Chair is responsible for keeping complete records of faculty sick leave; however, faculty members are also required to submit the appropriate sick leave forms to the Chair. Sick leave forms should be completed and submitted to the Chair within forty-eight (48) hours after an absence (see University Policy Register 3342-6-11.1).
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Outside Employment and Other Outside Activities
Faculty members may engage in professional activities outside the university provided the activities do not interfere with the faculty member's teaching, research, or service responsibilities to the Department, Campus, College or University (see University Policy Register 3342-6-24). These activities must not compete with University activity or the faculty member’s employment with the University. Continuing employment while under contract for remuneration must be approved in advance by the Chair and the Dean. Each academic year, each faculty member must disclose and seek approval for all continuing outside employment on the form provided by the University. Any outside employment or other outside activities are subject to the Faculty Code of Ethics and the University’s conflict of interest policies. (See, University Policy Register 3342-6-17 and 3342-6-23)
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Copyright Restrictions
All faculty members should be aware of current copyright laws which restrict the copying of published materials. For further information, contact the University’s Office of Legal Affairs.
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Academic Misconduct
The University policy regarding misconduct in research and scholarship and the Administrative policy and procedures regarding allegations and instances of misconduct in research and scholarship are included in the University Policy Register (see University Policy Register 3342-10-07 and 3342-10-07.1, respectively).
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Minimum Salaries and Salary Review
Minimum faculty salaries in each academic rank are specified in Article XII, Section 7 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Faculty members wishing to request a salary review (i) to match a bona fide offer of employment, (ii) to address a salary discrepancy, or (iii) in other unusual circumstances may do so in accordance with Article XII, Section 2 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.