V. FACULTY PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A. CRITERIA FOR CONTRACT RENEWAL, PROMOTION, AND TENURE
Pitzer College, first and foremost, values excellence in teaching. Pitzer aims to renew, promote and tenure faculty members who are actively engaged as effective educators, mentors to students, scholars in their disciplines, intellectual resources for colleagues, students, and the community, and responsible participants in College governance. The scheduling of contract renewals, promotion, and tenure is outlined in section 4.6 of the By-Laws. The criteria for contract renewal, promotion and tenure are specified in section 4.4 of the By-Laws. These criteria are organized into three major categories, which are listed below. Teaching and advising is the most important category. Scholarly and artistic activities and service to the college and other communities are equally important categories. Faculty are expected to make contributions to all three areas.
1. Teaching and Academic Advising
Pitzer College expects all faculty members to be effective teachers and advisors. Pitzer College recognizes that there are many different teaching and advising styles, and that effective teaching and advising encompasses a variety of approaches, methods, and activities. Although there are no precise guidelines for evaluating effectiveness in teaching and advising, these can be manifested in a number of ways, such as, but not limited to:
a. Teaching
- effectiveness inside and outside the classroom
- curricular contributions to the faculty member’s field group
- contributions to the educational objectives of the college
- curricular innovation and development
- sponsorship of internships and other non-traditional means of teaching and learning
- supervising student participation in research projects
b. Academic Advising
- effectiveness in orienting first year students to the Pitzer experience
- helping students design courses of study appropriate to their interests and needs
- assuring that advisees meet concentration requirements and the educational objectives of the college
- assisting students in establishing summer and post-graduation plans
2. Scholarly and Artistic Activities
Pitzer College greatly values the contributions of its faculty members to scholarship and the arts. Pitzer faculty are expected to show involvement in their field by, for example:
- publication of books, articles, and reviews
- performances and exhibitions where relevant
- evidence of applied research and/or action research
- presentation of papers at professional meetings
- editing of scholarly journals and publications
- serving as panel chair or as a discussant at professional meetings
- other evidence of ongoing professional activity
3. Service to the College and Other Communities
As an institution committed to self-governance, Pitzer College places a high value on faculty members’ contributions to the governance of the college. It also values the contributions its faculty makes to the intellectual life of the college and the services provided by faculty members to the community. These efforts can be exhibited in a number of ways, such as:
- participation in the governance of the college (e.g., faculty meetings, college council)
- service on college and intercollegiate committees and programs
- service to field group(s)
- serving as an intellectual resource for colleagues, students and the community
- serving as a mentor to other faculty members
- participating in the governance of professional associations
- service to the wider community
B. APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION AND TENURE COMMITTEE OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR CONTRACT RENEWAL, PROMOTION, AND TENURE CONSIDERATION
[Revisions passed College Council 5/2/07]
1. THE DEAN OF FACULTY SHALL,
a. in the semester before a faculty member is to be reviewed, notify that faculty member of the upcoming review.
b. early in the semester in which a faculty member is to be reviewed, send to all students enrolled in courses taught by the faculty member under review during the preceding three semesters of teaching, as well as to all current advisees of the faculty member and to students named by the faculty member in accordance with Section 2.c below, a copy of the core questions (see Appendix 2), together with a letter explaining the nature of the personnel process and the importance of student input to the review process. The questionnaire shall be coded to permit determination of whether the desired distribution of students has been accomplished (see 4a.v. below).
2. THE FACULTY MEMBER UNDER REVIEW SHALL,
within the first week of the semester during which he or she will be reviewed,
a. update his or her personnel file and include a statement of his or her achievements with respect to the criteria for contract renewal, promotion and tenure. The statement shall cover the period since the faculty member's most recent review, or from the date of appointment in the case of a first review, and be accompanied by a current curriculum vitae and supporting materials such as course syllabi, exams, reading lists, assignments, manuscripts and reprints of articles, books, portfolios, evidence of community participation, and any other material that the faculty member wishes to bring to the attention of the review committee.
b. submit to the APT member of the Ad Hoc Committee a list of up to 6 faculty members (at Pitzer College or the other Claremont Colleges) other than members of the faculty member’s field group(s) who, in the opinion of the faculty member, are in a position to judge his or her qualifications.
c. submit to the APT member of the Ad Hoc Committee a list of up to five students (including alumni if desired) with whom the faculty member has worked during the period covered by the review and who are, in the opinion of the faculty member, able to judge his or her qualifications.
d. In the case of promotion and tenure reviews, the faculty member shall also submit a list of 3 individuals outside the Claremont Colleges who are qualified to evaluate his or her scholarly or artistic contributions.
3. THE RELEVANT FIELD GROUP(S) SHALL,
submit a report(s) to the ad hoc review committee in accordance with the procedures described in Section IVB2.9 of the Faculty Handbook.
4. THE AD HOC COMMITTEE SHALL,
a. thoroughly investigate the performance of the faculty member under review with regard to the criteria stipulated in IIIA. All materials, including notes used in the investigation, should be kept and dated. Following the completion of the review, they should be placed in Part C of the faculty member's file. The ad hoc review committee's procedures shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
i. Consult Part A of the file of the faculty member concerned.
ii. Meet with the faculty member concerned, after reviewing the file and the statement submitted by the faculty member, to discuss the review process.
iii. Interview or request written statements from all faculty members in the faculty member’s field groups and intercollegiate departments.
iv. Interview or request written statements from Pitzer and/or other Claremont Colleges faculty members suggested by the faculty member under review and at least three additional Claremont faculty members who are, in the opinion of the ad hoc review committee, in a position to judge the qualifications of the person under review.
v. Where possible, receive written statements from or, in accordance with Section B1b above, conduct interviews with at least 25 students distributed as follows: at least 5 seniors and at least 10 non-senior students who have taken at least one course with the faculty member during the previous three semesters and who have not been named by the faculty member under review as students to be interviewed; an additional 5 students and/or alumni, including those named, if any, by the faculty member under review; an additional 5 students who have been advisees of the faculty member sometime during the previous three semesters. All course evaluations of the faculty member concerned shall also be reviewed.
vi. In the case of tenure and promotion reviews, request and receive at least 4 letters from appropriate persons outside the Claremont Colleges concerning scholarly or artistic activities. At least 2 letters shall be from persons named by the faculty member under review, with the balance from persons named by the committee. The letters asking for such information will be signed and sent by the chair of the ad hoc committee.
vii. Request from College committee chairs, the deans, members of the administration, and other appropriate persons information about the faculty member's contribution to the self-governance of the College and other items in VA3.b. As appropriate, in consultation with the faculty member, the ad hoc review committee will also:
i. Interview and/or request written statements from appropriate faculty and administrators at the other Claremont Colleges.
ii. Include within the sample additional students from the other Claremont Colleges in the case of courses having significant cross-registration.
iii. If there is special reason for doing so, include information derived from interviews with students currently enrolled in courses of the faculty member under consideration.
iv. Include information on any courses offered by the faculty member at other Claremont Colleges.
v. Include information on the faculty member's teaching in Pitzer special programs.c. The ad hoc review committee will prepare a written report summarizing all its procedures and findings in relation to the criteria stated in Part IIIA. The ad hoc committee will incorporate information derived from interviews of the faculty member under review; from interviews of students, faculty, and administrators; from publications provided by the faculty member; from a written statement by the faculty member under review, and from outside letters and the field group report(s). Comments received about the candidate's personality should not be included in the report unless they bear directly on the candidate's performance in meeting the criteria. In such cases, the relevance of the comments should be made clear. The text should accurately report the balance of positive and negative evidence received. In its report, the ad hoc review committee must identify any significant difference among different sources of information (including field group report(s)) and attempt to reconcile those differences. The review committee is responsible not simply for gathering and reporting information but for seeking evidence to evaluate and substantiate comments where the committee judges it appropriate. The text of the field group report will be included in the ad hoc review committee report as an appendix. Any procedures additional to those listed above in Sections III B 4 a and b shall be explicitly identified. The ad hoc review committee shall make no recommendation concerning the faculty member under review. The FEC member of the Ad Hoc committee is responsible for assuring that the above procedures have been followed and that the report fairly and accurately reflects the evidence received. The report, with appendices (if any), will be submitted to the Dean of Faculty, who will make it available to the faculty member under consideration no later than two weeks before the meeting at which the personnel review will be discussed by the Faculty Executive Committee. The Dean of Faculty will not deliver the report to the Executive Committee until the procedures for response and reply set forth in paragraph d (below) have been completed.
d. The faculty member under consideration will have one week in which to respond in writing to the ad hoc review committee report regarding any errors of fact or interpretation or problems of omission which he/she believes the report to contain. The ad hoc review committee will be given one week to read the written response (if any) to its report by the faculty member under review so that it may be able to comment, in writing, on the faculty member's response before the report is sent to the Faculty Executive Committee. A copy of the ad hoc committee comments in reply to the faculty member's response (if any) shall be provided to the faculty member under review. The Executive Committee of the Faculty will not discuss the report until the faculty member under review has had one week to respond to the report and the ad hoc review committee has had one week to reply to written responses by the faculty member (if any). The report of the ad hoc committee, when it goes to the FEC, shall include as appendices the faculty member's response (if any) and the ad hoc committee's reply (if any).
e. All information including notes from the interviews gathered by the ad hoc committee are confidential and, once a review is complete and any opportunity for an appeal is passed, shall be placed in Part C of the faculty member's file. In order to protect the confidentiality of this material, no copies of this information can be kept outside of a faculty member's file.
f. Notwithstanding the provisions of section V.B.4.e above, the Faculty Executive Committee shall, as part of its deliberations, have access to all outside review letters solicited by the ad hoc committee. At the close of the review, such letters shall be placed with the other confidential material in Part C of the faculty member’s file.
5. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE FACULTY (FEC) SHALL,
a. appoint an ad hoc review committee to consider the case of each faculty member up for contract renewal, promotion, or tenure. Ad hoc review committees will ordinarily consist of three members, one of whom will be a member of the FEC, who shall be chair. One of the other two members will normally be chosen from the field of the person under review or from a related field, while the third member will be chosen from an unrelated field. Each faculty member under review will have two "rights of refusal" with respect to the composition of the ad hoc review committee selected by the FEC. If the faculty member under review finds the second proposed ad hoc review committee unacceptable, he or she will be asked to submit to the FEC the names of three Pitzer faculty members acceptable to him or her. The FEC will select one name from that list and appoint two members of its choice (with the stipulation that one member of the ad hoc review committee must be a member of the FEC). The committee selected in this manner will be the ad hoc review committee.
b. When an individual comes up for consideration two years in a row, the second time he/she is to be considered the FEC, after review of the previous reports on this person, shall have the option of determining what topics it wants additional information on in order to make a second decision and of so directing the ad hoc committee.
c. A member of the FEC who has pertinent information concerning a faculty member under review shall furnish that information to the ad hoc committee while its investigation is under way.
d. The FEC, at its discretion, may review Part A of the file of the person under review. It may also read letters from outside reviewers solicited by the ad hoc committee, under the provisions of section V.B.4.f above. The FEC will consider the faculty member's written statement, curriculum vitae and supporting materials, and the ad hoc review committee's report (including any appendices). The FEC shall base its recommendation entirely upon the information contained in the items listed in this paragraph V.B.5.d. If the FEC is presented with what it judges to be an incomplete or otherwise inadequate ad hoc committee report, it may reject the report and return it to the ad hoc committee for additional research and rewriting.
e. In personnel decisions, for all motions, five votes will constitute a majority, regardless of the number of FEC members present. If a member of the FEC is under consideration, that member will absent himself/herself during the discussion and vote and the chair will vote. All votes will be by written ballot.
f. After receipt and discussion of the ad hoc committee report, including any appendices, the FEC shall make a recommendation to the President. Within one week of the FEC's recommendation, the chair of the FEC must write a separate report to the President summarizing the grounds on which the recommendation was based and, where appropriate, describe how the FEC resolved differences between the ad hoc subcommittee report and the faculty member's response.
g. The Dean of Faculty will give a copy of the recommendations of the FEC, as well as any FEC report, to the faculty member under review immediately after receiving FEC’s written recommendation.
h. In recommendations for contract renewal, promotion, and tenure, the President shall not act on FEC recommendations for a period of at least two weeks, from the date on which the Dean of Faculty gives the recommendation and reasons to the faculty member to allow for the possibility of the faculty member making an appeal for reconsideration. (See paragraph A immediately below). The President will communicate to the faculty member his/her response to the recommendation and his/her reasons for the decision. If the faculty member so requests within 30 days of notification of the President's decision, the President will confirm his/her reasons in writing within 60 days of receipt of the request. The President will communicate the recommendation of the FEC along with his/her own recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The President will report to the FEC in writing on his/her recommendation to the Board and on the Board's action. If the President's recommendation differs from the FEC's, he/she will explain the reasons in writing to the FEC.
6. Conditions for Reconsideration of Personnel Recommendations
a. Within two weeks of notification of the FEC's recommendation on contract renewal, promotion, or tenure, a faculty member who has been reviewed or his/her field group may appeal that recommendation. Such an appeal must be made in writing to the President and must explain the grounds for requesting reconsideration. The President will determine, within two weeks of the appeal, whether or not to ask the FEC to reconsider its recommendation.
b. The FEC shall reconsider a personnel recommendation when and only when it receives a written request to do so from the President which must contain the specific grounds for reconsideration, and must be based on the President's opinion that
i. significant information was not available to the FEC during its deliberations, or
ii the information upon which the recommendation was made contained substantial error, or
iii. improper procedures were responsible for the recommendation, or
iv. there is evidence of infringement of academic freedom.c. When a case is reconsidered, the FEC has the obligation to act within a reasonable amount of time. When there are deficiencies in reports or procedures, the FEC must correct those deficiencies prior to the reaching of a recommendation and provide the President with a revised ad hoc committee report or a written document describing its handling of the deficiencies. The faculty member under review will be provided with a revised ad hoc review report or with the draft of the FEC document describing how the deficiencies were resolved before the FEC reaches a final decision and he/she may respond in writing. All of these written materials will be sent to the President with the new FEC recommendation.
d. If the President decides that there are no grounds for reopening a case, he/she must communicate the basis for his/her decision to the appealing party or parties and to the FEC.
C. PERSONNEL PROCEDURES FOR PART-TIME FACULTY
TENURE. Normally, no faculty member on less than full-time teaching appointment will be eligible for tenure.
APPOINTMENTS AND CONTRACT RENEWAL. Normally, a faculty member on less than a full-time but more than a half-time teaching appointment may be considered for an extended contract of up to five years during his/her sixth year of teaching at Pitzer College.
Normally, faculty members appointed to less than half-time teaching positions shall be ineligible for contracts of more than one year. Such contracts may be considered for renewal on a yearly basis.
PROMOTION. A faculty member in the instructor or professorial rank with less than a full-time but more than a half-time teaching appointment shall be considered for promotion according to the same time schedule applicable to full-time faculty members.
SALARY. A faculty member not in professorial rank on less than full-time but more than half-time teaching appointment shall be considered for salary increases comparable to those entailed in a promotion on a parallel time schedule.
ONE-PERSON FIELDS. When considering the contract renewal of a part-time faculty member in a one-person field, a report estimating curricular need for the courses offered in that field shall be part of the criteria for arriving at a recommendation regarding contract renewal. Such a report shall be prepared by the Academic Planning Committee. The faculty member under review shall have the opportunity to respond to the report. When a recommendation to deny contract renewal is made on curricular grounds, no appointment may be made in that field for a period of at least two years.
While the Ph.D. (or nearest equivalent degree in the field) is desirable for appointment or promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor, we are aware that employment trends in higher education, market conditions in some fields, and the desirable qualities of certain faculty members will make appointment or promotion to Assistant Professor without the degree necessary and desirable.
It shall be the normal policy that Instructors be promoted to Assistant Professors effective the semester following completion of degree requirements (assuming that this occurs within a contract period).
It shall be the normal policy to require completion of Ph.D. requirements for appointment to the rank of Associate Professor or for the awarding of tenure. Exceptions may be made in fields where academic degrees may not be essential or in cases of individual merit.
E. EARLY CONSIDERATION FOR PROMOTION
In cases of extraordinary merit, a faculty member may be considered for early tenure and/or promotion (see Bylaws 4.1). Such a proposal must originate from outside of the Executive Committee. The faculty member or relevant field group may propose early promotion and/or tenure consideration. Such a proposal should include a detailed statement of the reasons for early consideration. After receiving such a proposal, the FEC will determine if the case merits further investigation. If it so determines, the FEC shall appoint an Ad Hoc Committee according to normal personnel procedures.
If the faculty member is denied early promotion and/or tenure, he or she will be reviewed at the normal time.
F. CONTRACT RENEWAL AND PROMOTION FOR CONTINUING FACULTY WHO ARE ADMINISTRATORS
Nontenure-track faculty members at the rank of Instructor, Assistant Proefssor, or Associate Professor whose faculty contracts are coterminous with administrative appointments (e.g., the academic directors of CCCSI and the Writing Center) will be evaluated for their first contract renewal (normally in the third year) and, if they so desire, promotion without tenure to Associate and Full Professor, according tot he criterria, procedures, and schedules established for faculty contract renewal and promotion (V.A. and V.B.), with the except that these faculty are not expected to serve on ad hoc and standing committees. Review of the performance of their administrative responsibilities will include interviews with faculty, students, and staff who have worked with them in their administrative capacity and with the Dean of Faculty to whom they report. The Appointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee will decide whether to act on the request for consideration for promotion. [passed College Council, 4/27/06]
G. PERIODIC REVIEW OF TENURED FACULTY AND OF ADMINISTRATORS WHO TEACH
[passed College Council 5/6/04]
1. Tenured Faculty
a. Each faculty member who has a continuing appointment to the college will prepare a brief annual report, accompanied by a curriculum-vitae update. The report should comment on the year's teaching and advising, scholarship, and service. It will conclude with a brief self-statement about the year's achievements, and, if desired, what the college and the faculty member could do to enhance the faculty member's effectiveness. (A form for this report is included in Appendix F of the Faculty Handbook.) These self-reports are due by August 15, before the next academic year, and will be reviewed by the Dean of Faculty’s office and placed in Part A of each faculty member’s personnel file.
b. A faculty member is responsible for distributing each semester to all students in his or her classes course evaluation forms in each course taught, with the choice of any of the approved Pitzer forms or a form of his or her choice or design. Completed evaluations will be collected by a designated student who will take them to the Dean of Faculty’s office where they will be available by request to the individual faculty member for examination in the Dean of Faculty’s office after the conclusion of a semester. Each semester’s evaluations will be retained for a period of five years in an Appendix to Part A of the faculty member’s personnel file.
c. Reviews of tenured faculty will normally occur at five year intervals. However, if a five-year review would fall within two calendar years of a review of another sort (e.g., a review for promotion), it will not be held.
i. For each five year review, the Faculty Executive Committee will appoint an ad hoc committee consisting of two faculty members. The faculty member to be reviewed will have the right to reject up to three of the names proposed by FEC for the ad hoc committee.
ii. Purpose. A 5-year review provides the opportunity for self-reflection on the faculty member's role in the college, and also provides feedback to the faculty member to enhance his or her effectiveness and satisfaction. It should also provide information to the college to acknowledge professional contributions, to adjust a faculty member’s relationship to the college, and to identify opportunities for possible improvements in faculty performance.
iii. A normal five year review will consist of a brief written report prepared by the ad hoc committee that draws on information from 1.a and 1. b above and on a self-statement prepared by the faculty member. This report summarizes the faculty member’s overall contributions to the college during the period under review and forms the basis for FEC discussion. A copy of this report is sent to the faculty member under review not less than 10 days before the FEC discusses the review.
iv. The ad hoc committee has the responsibility for accurately summarizing material and for reflecting the balance of positive and negative evidence. The ad hoc committee shall make no recommendation to FEC about the adequacy of performance of the person under review.
v. Procedures to be followed in preparing the ad hoc committee’s report.
a.) Within the first week of the semester during which the faculty member will be reviewed, the faculty member will prepare for the ad hoc committee an up-to-date curriculum vitae and a written statement reviewing the course of his/her career at the College since the previous review. The statement should address, but not limit itself to, the criteria described in Section V A of the Faculty Handbook, and should include a self-evaluation of the person's contributions to the College. It should direct the attention of the ad hoc committee to any perceived problems in the faculty member's relation to the College. The faculty member may choose to provide illustrative materials such as course syllabi, evidence of scholarly or artistic activities and may request that interviews be carried out with students, field group members and other colleagues or both.
b.) The ad hoc committee will discuss with the faculty member the self-evaluation and the concerns to be explored in the review. The ad hoc committee shall, at a minimum, consult and incorporate into its report information from the self-evaluation statement, annual reports and teaching evaluations for the period since the faculty member’s previous review that are in the faculty member’s personnel file, as well as evidence of advising effectiveness (once these procedures are developed).
c.) If a faculty member has requested at the outset that student interviews or interviews with field group members and colleagues be conducted to supplement the ad hoc committee’s report, the ad hoc committee will follow the same procedures, in selecting and interviewing students (including the use of the Core Questions) and in interviewing field group faculty, prescribed for tenure and promotion reviews in Part VB4 of the Faculty Handbook
d.) The ad hoc committee will also characterize in a list any additional material supplied by the faculty member.
e.) In the written report to the Faculty Executive Committee, reference should be made to the criteria in Section VA, but emphasis should be placed on the overall role of the faculty member at the College. If interviews have been requested, the ad hoc committee should make clear the basis of its information, without identifying individual sources. Comments received about the candidate’s personality should not be included in the report unless they bear directly on the candidate’s performance in meeting expected professional criteria.
f.) The report will be submitted to the Dean of Faculty, who will make it available to the faculty member no later than 10 days before the meeting at which the personnel review will be discussed by the Faculty Executive Committee. The Dean of Faculty will not deliver the report to the Executive Committee until the procedures for response (set forth below) have been completed.
g.) The faculty member will have one week in which to respond in writing to the ad hoc review committee report regarding any errors of fact or interpretation or problems of omission which he/she believes the report to contain. If the faculty member wishes to write a response to the report, it will be included as an appendix to the ad hoc committee report when it goes to FEC.
h.) All information gathered by the ad hoc committee, including notes of interviews if any, are confidential, and once a review is complete notes or other documents shall be placed in Part C of the faculty member’s file. In order to protect the confidentiality of this material, no copies of this information can be kept outside of a faculty member’s file.
vi. Responsibilities of FEC . The Faculty Executive Committee will read and discuss the self-evaluation and the ad hoc committee's written report. If the FEC is presented with what it judges to be an incomplete or otherwise inadequate ad hoc committee report, it can reject the report and return it to the ad hoc committee for additional research and rewriting. It is expected that information from yearly self-reports and from ongoing teaching evaluations, and material supplied by the faculty member, will be sufficient to provide full and constructive evaluation to the faculty member and to the college.
a.) After full and fair discussion of the ad hoc committee report, including any appendices, the FEC will vote to accept the report or to extend the review by gathering further information in accordance with either the procedures for a faculty contract review and promotion or to implement procedures for a Special Review.
b.) If the report is accepted , FEC will direct the Dean of Faculty and the chair of the FEC to provide the faculty member with oral feedback on the issues raised in the ad hoc committee's report and the FEC discussion. In addition, the Dean will write a letter, approved by the FEC, reflecting the outcome of the FEC discussion. This letter will be filed in Part A of the faculty member’s personnel file, where it will be available for the faculty member to read. The process will conclude.
c.) In most cases, the faculty member’s conversation with the Dean of Faculty and Faculty Executive Committee chair will focus on minor adjustments, constructive feedback and brainstorming about ways to improve the faculty member’s productivity or relationship to the college.
d.) In the rare case that, as a result of evaluation and careful weighing of available information in a five year review, the FEC concludes that significant problems are occurring in a tenured professor’s performance that require immediate corrective action, this will be communicated to the faculty member in a written letter signed by the Faculty Executive Committee chair and the Dean of Faculty and placed in Part A of the faculty member’s personnel file not more than one week after the FEC discussion. At its discretion, the Faculty Executive Committee may make a recommendation for sanctions to the President of the college in accordance with Section 4.9 of the By-Laws. The faculty member will be informed of any recommendation that is made. A recommendation to the President about sanctions based on poor performance, or inadequate professional conduct requires a written ballot; five votes constitute a majority regardless of the number of FEC members present. If a member of the FEC is under review, that member will absent himself/herself during the discussion and vote and the chair will vote. Any appeal of the FEC’s recommendation is directed to the President of the college and must be filed by the faculty member within 30 days. The President must inform the faculty member and the FEC of her/his action on the FEC recommendation and its appeal, if any, within 60 days of the end of the semester in which it was decided by the Faculty Executive Committee. The outcome of the appeal and /or the duration and terms of action taken by the President to sanction the faculty member will be final and will be recorded in Part A (or Part B if it involves salary) of the faculty member’s file.
e.) If the FEC judges that, as a result of a personnel evaluation it has reason to be concerned about serious dereliction of duty, incompetence, or serious misconduct on the part of a faculty member, it is obligated to begin procedures for a Special Review. The Dean of Faculty will inform the faculty member. A new ad hoc committee to investigate will be formed and procedures for a Special Review will commence immediately.
Administrators who regularly teach courses shall be periodically reviewed in their teaching capacity, normally in every third year during which one course is taught, or sooner if requested by the administrator. An administrator is responsible for distributing teaching evaluations in each course taught. Procedures in G1. c i-vi also apply to administrators who teach.
H. TEACHING AND FACULTY STATUS
Persons offering courses for credit at Pitzer College shall be granted faculty status.
1. In the case that any member of the community perceives that a faculty member may be guilty of dereliction of duty, professional incompetence, or serious misconduct including acts of verbal or physical harassment, he/she should address that concern to the Dean of Faculty directly, or indirectly through some other member of the Pitzer College Community. If the Dean of Faculty perceives the matter as sufficiently serious, he/she will discuss it with the faculty member to see if the situation can be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. If, after one week has passed, the situation has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant, either he/she or the Dean of Faculty can take the matter to the Faculty Executive Committee.
2. The FEC, if it judges the matter to be sufficiently serious and not satisfactorily resolved, will appoint an ad hoc committee consisting of three tenured faculty members to investigate the situation. The faculty member to be reviewed will be informed of the impending review, and will have the right to reject up to three of the names proposed by FEC the for ad hoc committee. Before the ad hoc committee begins its work, the FEC will determine the specific areas of concern to be investigated and appropriate procedures to be used in the investigation; these procedures and areas of investigation will be communicated to the faculty member under review.
3. The report of the investigating committee will be submitted to the faculty member under review at least one week before it is presented to the FEC, and the faculty member will have the opportunity to respond in writing to the report. After the FEC has received the ad hoc committee's report and the faculty member's response, if any, it will decide whether dereliction of duty, professional incompetence, or serious misconduct has occurred and will make a recommendation to the President regarding any action to be taken. This action may include such things as reallocations of responsibilities, leave of absence, freezing of salary, or initiation of dismissal proceedings. If dismissal proceedings are initiated, the AAUP provisions for due process in formal proceedings will be observed. The faculty member under review will be informed in writing by the Chair of FEC of the FEC's recommendation to the President. Throughout the special review, the goal shall be to resolve the perceived problem. If at any point during this process the situation of informally settled to the satisfaction of all parties involved, the special review proceedings will be discontinued.
4. The President shall not act on the FEC recommendations for a period of at least two weeks from the date on which the Chair of FEC gives the recommendations to the faculty member under review, to allow for the possibility of the person's making an appeal for reconsideration. [See paragraph (a) immediately below.] If no request for reconsideration has been received during this two week period, the President will then communicate to the faculty member his/her response to the FEC recommendation and his/her decision in writing to the FEC; if the President's decision differs from the recommendation of the FEC, he/she will explain the reasons in writing to the FEC.
5. Conditions for Reconsideration of Special Reviews
a. Within two weeks of notification of the FEC's recommendation after a special review, a faculty member who has been reviewed may appeal that recommendation. Such an appeal must be made in writing to the President and must explain the grounds for requesting reconsideration. Within two weeks of the appeal, the President will determine whether or not to ask the FEC to reconsider its recommendation.
b. The FEC shall reconsider a special review recommendation when and only when it receives a written request to do so from the President; the President's request must contain the specific grounds for reconsideration, and must be based on the President's opinion that
i. significant information relevant to the proceedings was not available to the FEC during its deliberations, or
ii. the information upon which the recommendation was made contained substantial error, or
iii. improper procedures were responsible for the recommendation, or
iv. there is evidence of infringement of academic freedom as defined by AAUP criteria and guidelines.c. When a case is reconsidered, the FEC has the obligation to act within a reasonable amount of time. When deficiencies in a report or procedures have occurred, the FEC must correct them prior to reaching a new recommendation. The FEC may request the ad hoc committee to undertake further work and the preparation of a new report, or the FEC may address itself to the deficiencies in the report or procedures and write a statement explaining its actions. The faculty member under review will be provided with a revised ad hoc review report or with the FEC document describing how the deficiencies were resolved before the FEC reaches it final decision, and he/she may respond to the FEC in writing. The FEC must then provide the President with a revised ad hoc committee report or a document describing its handling of deficiencies in the first report or procedures. These documents together with the faculty member's response to FEC, if any, will be sent to the President along with the new FEC recommendation.
6. Disposition of Documents If no evidence is found to support the complaint, all documents relevant to this Special Review will be placed in Part C of the faculty member's file. Otherwise, the documents will be placed in Part A of the faculty member's file.
7. Sexual Harassment Complaints Any sexual harassment complaint brought against a faculty member either by the alleged victim or by a Pitzer College representative will proceed under the procedures outlined in the Sexual Harassment Policy. Complaints are processed through the Sexual Harassment Policy procedures; the above provisions of the Special Review Procedures shall not be applicable in these cases. If the recommendation is for dismissal after the completion of the Sexual Harassment Policy Procedures, then the AAUP due process procedures will be followed.
J. PERSONNEL FILES IN THE OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF FACULTY
1. This section describes faculty personnel files maintained in the office of the Dean of Faculty. The policy seeks to achieve three objectives. First, it guarantees both that each faculty member has the fullest possible access to the information contained in his/her file and that each faculty member be protected against improper use of the material in his/her file by members of the College community or anyone else. Second, the policy guarantees the right to confidentiality of those individuals who have provided information with the expectation that their identity not be revealed. Third, it defines the instances when duly appointed representatives of the College may properly use information contained in personnel files as part of College procedures. It is recognized that, from time to time, a faculty member's right to privacy regarding material in his/her personnel file may exist in tension with the rights of other faculty individuals or the requirements of a review or grievance committee. At such times, even though information contained in the personnel file may be deemed relevant to the case at issue, it is incumbent upon the Dean of Faculty, when considering a request for information from a faculty member's personnel file, to weigh the right of the individual to the privacy of his/her file against the rights of other individuals and the requirements of a review or grievance committee. In the event that the Dean of Faculty perceives himself/ herself to be placed in conflict of interest in making such a determination, s/he or she shall designate the Chair of FEC or any member of FEC to act in his or her stead. The faculty member concerned will be informed in writing of any decision to allow any relevant committee or individual to have access to the material in his/her personnel file
2. Parts of Faculty Personnel Files
a. Part A:
Only the following individuals will have access to this portion of the file: the faculty member concerned, the Dean of Faculty, the President, the members of an Ad Hoc Review Subcommittee and the members of FEC during a personnel review, the members of FEC when hearing an appeal of a relevant personnel review, the members of an Ad Hoc Grievance Committee during its relevant grievance proceeding. An AHGC will be granted such access only upon submission of a formal written request to the Dean of Faculty or his/her designated representative (see section I, supra), and upon his/her subsequent written approval of that request. This section of the file will contain only the following:i. past personnel reports that the faculty member has been eligible to read (excluding those written before September 1, 1978)
ii. any responses by the faculty member to those reports
iii. any Ad Hoc Subcommittee responses to the faculty member's response
iv. annual reports written by the faculty member
v. sabbatical reports written by the faculty member
vi. personnel summaries prepared by the faculty member for personnel review purposes
vii. written summaries of confidential letters or of oral statements which the faculty member has been given and any response by the faculty member to such letters or statements. Both the written summary and the written response, but not the original letter or statement, will be in this part of the file
viii. any official correspondence from an officer of the College to the faculty member which bears on his/her conditions of employment other than salary
ix. grievance reports or requests for grievances
x. any additional materials which a person has requested to be placed in his/her own file, or which the Dean of Faculty deems relevant.b. Part B:
Only the Dean of Faculty, the President, and the faculty member will have access to this part of the file. This part of the file will contain only the following:
All contract letters which include salary information, subsequent notices of salary adjustments (e.g., due to unpaid leave), arrangements made during medical leave, and other information about the individual's salaryc. Part C:
Only the following individuals will have access to this portion of the file: the Dean of Faculty and the President and then only after he/she has informed the faculty member in writing that he/she intends to read a particular item(s) in this part of the file; members of FEC when acting as an appeal committee for a relevant personnel decision; and the members of an Ad Hoc Grievance Committee during its relevant grievance proceeding. An AHGC will be granted such access only upon submission of a formal written request to the Dean of Faculty or his/her designated representative (see section I, supra), and upon his/her subsequent written approval of that request. This section of the file will contain only the following:i. all confidential letters and statements
ii. all personnel reports written prior to September 1, 1978
iii. all information including notes from interviews gathered by Ad Hoc Committees in personnel reviews, grievances, and faculty searches.3. If a faculty member wishes to inspect or copy material in Part A or Part B of his/her own file, he or she may do so by making an appointment with the Assistant to the Dean of Faculty. Upon request, a faculty member will obtain a summary of the contents of documents in Part C while safeguarding the confidentiality of the sources of his/her file.
4. The Dean of Faculty shall maintain on each personnel file a sign-out/sign-in sheet. Each person using that file will record his/her name, the date and the time he/she obtained the file and the date and time he/she returned the file. The Dean of Faculty shall be exempt from this requirement for normal day-to-day operations of his/her office.
When funds are available for appointment of a distinguished individual as a visiting member of the faculty, the Executive Committee of the Faculty will invite the faculty to suggest candidates for this position. Before a candidate is suggested, it should be determined that he/she is available for the semester(s) in question. Suggestions should be accompanied by a vita or some other description of the candidate's qualifications.
L. POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWS
Post-Doctoral research fellows who receive sufficient outside support to cover the costs of normal College benefit programs will receive their stipends through the College payroll system. This means, in effect, that the College will not deduct any amount from the total award for overhead or indirect costs. As long as possible (i.e., as long as it does not seriously interfere with faculty space needs), one faculty office will be assigned for use by post-doctoral fellows and/or faculty research assistants. These individuals will not normally have access to secretarial assistance except to the extent they are working on joint projects with a faculty member.
M. ANNUAL REPORT BY NON-TENURED FACULTY MEMBERS
1. Each untenured faculty member on a renewable contract will submit an annual report to the Dean of Faculty. This report will be submitted at or prior to the end of the second full week of classes at the beginning of the academic year and will cover the faculty member's performance during the preceding year in the three areas listed as the criteria for personnel recommendation: a) teaching and academic advising; b) scholarly and artistic activities; c) service to the College and other communities.
2. Each semester, the faculty member will distribute course evaluation forms of his or her choice or design, to all students in his or her classes. The faculty member will submit the course evaluation forms completed by students together with the annual report (see above). The faculty member is also encouraged to invite colleagues to visit his or her classes and to discuss the content and design of these courses.
3. The Dean of Faculty will meet annually with the tenured members of the faculty member's field group, if any, to discuss relevant material pertaining to the criteria for renewal and tenure of the individual.
4. The Dean of Faculty and the personnel liaison or a senior member of the field group, if any, will then meet with the faculty member to discuss his or her report and any other relevant material. In the absence of a field group, a senior faculty member agreed upon by the Dean and the faculty member will serve.
5. The faculty member's report and a summary of the discussion in (4) prepared by the Dean of Faculty, will become part of the faculty member's personnel file; and will be available to the FEC or any review committee. Course evaluation forms (see 2 above) will be returned to the faculty member following discussion of the annual report. A faculty member may submit these evaluation forms for inclusion in his or her personnel folder if he or she wishes to do so.
6. The Office of the Dean of Faculty is expected to administer and monitor this feedback process.
7. This policy was recommended by the Faculty Executive Committee on 5/9/84 and should be reviewed after two years.
The Pitzer College faculty reaffirms its traditional policy of equal opportunity in faculty hiring, renewal, promotion, and tenure. It also reaffirms its commitment to faculty diversity and to taking affirmative action to increase the proportion of women and persons from underrepresented groups on the Pitzer College faculty.
1. As a step toward furthering this Affirmative Action policy, Pitzer College has adopted the goal of increasing, during the period 2001-2015, the overall size of the faculty and the proportion of women and persons from underrepresented minorities[1] on the continuing Pitzer faculty from the 1994 31% of women faculty members to 50% or more, and from 1994 19% of faculty members from underrepresented minorities to 50% or more.[2] To ensure gender and ethnic diversity across age and rank, it is expected that some appointments will be made at the Associate and Full Professor levels. It is understood that these percentages are goals and not quotas and that this policy is to be implemented in congruence with Pitzer’s policy of hiring the most qualified candidate for every position. Reports on progress toward achieving these hiring goals, their continued feasibility, and appropriateness will be made by the Dean of Faculty no less often than every two years.
2. While the principle of affirmative action applies to all faculty positions, special emphasis shall be placed upon regular full-time and/or multiple year positions.
3. While certain routine responsibilities rest with the Dean of Faculty, the Affirmative Action Officer of the College, and the Affirmative Action Facilitator (see below, paragraph 4) to ensure that regular affirmative action procedures are followed and records are kept, it is recognized that the identification and recruitment of women and minority candidates does not occur automatically as a result of following routine procedures but depends upon the initiative and effort of each field group and every individual faculty member.
4. Affirmative Action Facilitators. Each year the President shall, in consultation with the Faculty Executive Committee, appoint a committee member to serve as Affirmative Action Facilitator (AAF) for each recruitment search. The general purpose of the AAF is to stimulate and coordinate affirmative action faculty recruitment. Since this is a heavy responsibility, different FEC members may serve as the AAF for different searches.
5. In furtherance of its commitment to its stated goals of ethnic and gender diversity, Pitzer College is committed to the following strategies for increasing the diversity of its faculty.
a. In cases in which a Field Group has been authorized to fill a position and it has identified an extraordinary individual who meets the Field Group’s needs and who would also serve to further the College’s commitment to a diverse faculty, that Field Group will make the case to FEC that the person proposed is of high quality and offers an unusual opportunity to the College. If FEC concurs, that Field Group may proceed without a national search. The remainder of the College’s hiring procedures will be used to consider the hiring of such a person. That is, the person will be invited to submit an application, visit the campus, give a professional talk, and meet with members of FEC and other community members. The Field Group will then make a recommendation to FEC, and FEC, in turn, will choose whether or not to make a recommendation to the President. This policy is to be reviewed by College Council in 5 years.
b. Pitzer College will develop a Diversity Fund to allow the College to make occasional tenure-track and/or part-time appointments that meet diversity criteria. The Diversity Fund will be a designation for annual fundraising activities as well as any capital campaign(s). In addition, the Budgetary Implementation Committee will include possibilities for funding a Diversity Fund position in its five-year budget cycle. Whatever the source of funding, it is intended that, in its long-range planning functions, the Academic Planning Committee include consideration of Diversity Fund positions. (See Section 3.g. of the charge to the committee in the Faculty Handbook: “This Committee will consider and recommend to College Council the allocation and description of multi-year positions within the context of long-term planning.”) The Committee may, as part of the long-term planning process, recommend for College Council approval a Diversity Fund position and manner of funding in consultation with the Budgetary Implementation Committee. Proposers of candidates for such an approved Diversity Fund position may include, in addition to Field Groups, interested cross-disciplinary coalitions. The proposing body will make the case to FEC that the person proposed is of high quality and offers an unusual opportunity to the College and that the proposed appointment would serve to further the College’s commitment to a diverse faculty.[3] If FEC concurs, the candidacy may proceed without a national search. The remainder of the College’s hiring procedures will be used to consider the hiring of such a person. That is, the person will be invited to submit an application, visit the campus, give a professional talk, and meet with members of FEC and other community members. The Field Group will then make a recommendation to FEC, and FEC, in turn, will choose whether or not to make a recommendation to the President.
c. Pitzer College is committed to using some portion of sabbatical replacements[4] as a way of diversifying the faculty and establishes two programs toward this end:
i. The Visiting Junior Scholars Program: The College may use sabbatical replacements to further diversity goals by pooling some sabbatical replacement money to fund one-year appointments for junior scholars who would meet these goals and who show special promise or distinction at an early stage in their career.[5] These scholars will be invited to team-teach a course with a faculty mentor in the first semester. In the second semester, the teaching arrangement will depend on where the scholar is in her/his career (i.e., ABD or beyond). Participants in the Visiting Junior Scholars Program will give at least one public talk during their year at the College. Candidates for this program may be proposed by Field Groups, individual faculty members, cross-disciplinary coalitions, or other members of the Pitzer College community.
ii. Visiting Advanced Scholars Program: The College may use sabbatical replacements to further diversity goals by pooling some sabbatical replacement money and seeking one semester or one-year appointments of established scholars who would meet these goals. Such scholars would be expected to teach at least one course per semester and also to offer at least one public presentation for the community.[6] Appointments to the Visiting Advanced Scholars Program may be initiated by Field Groups, individual faculty members, cross-disciplinary coalitions, or other members of the Pitzer College community.
iii. In making such appointments under C.1 and C.2, FEC will necessarily orchestrate—in conjunction with the Dean of Faculty—particular sabbatical replacement requests with diversity priorities. This orchestration will generally require more lead time in planning for sabbatical replacements. Core curricular areas should be covered each year from within the Field Group.[7]6. This policy and all affirmative action procedures relating to faculty shall be reviewed every five years by a subcommittee appointed by the Chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee, which shall report on progress (or lack thereof) in affirmative action and make appropriate recommendations for change. The Faculty Executive Committee shall, in turn, report to the faculty.
7. Affirmative Action Recruitment Procedures
The procedures governing affirmative action for faculty recruitment are as follows:
a. In September of each year, The Dean of Faculty shall consult with the Affirmative Action Facilitators (AAF) and the Diversity Committee in order to explore affirmative action needs and possibilities for the year. The Dean of Faculty shall prepare and distribute a memo to all Pitzer Faculty. The memo shall call attention to the Pitzer College Affirmative Action Program in the Faculty Handbook, strongly encouraging Faculty members to familiarize themselves with it.
b. The
Diversity Committee, in collaboration with the Academic Planning Committee, shall review and approve the wording of all job descriptions to ensure their appeal to underrepresented minorities and women. In addition, the following statement shall be added as a matter of policy to all faculty job descriptions regardless of Field Group:Pitzer College, a member of The Claremont Colleges, has a strong institutional commitment to the principles of diversity in all areas and strongly encourages candidates from historically underrepresented social groups. We favor candidates who can contribute to the College’s distinctive educational objectives, which promote interdisciplinary perspectives, intercultural understanding, and concern with social responsibility and the ethical implications of knowledge in action. Pitzer College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. For the successful applicant with the relevant interests, affiliations are possible with the intercollegiate departments of Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, and/or Women’s Studies.
c. Immediately after the search is approved, the AAF for the search shall call a meeting of the Dean of Faculty and the Search Committee. At that meeting the AAF shall: (1) explain his/her role; (2) systematically review the Affirmative Action Program with the Search Committee, (3) discuss with the Search Committee what special efforts they intend to make to attract underrepresented minority and women candidates, (e.g. phone calls to colleagues around the country, willingness to extend deadlines, etc.); (4) discuss the wording of the Search Committee's job description; (5) indicate FEC commitment to the importance of the Affirmative Action Program and Procedures (6) review the Affirmative Action Mailing List for additions and changes 7. collaborate with field group members on mechanisms for identifying and contacting discipline-specific associations of minority scholars and 8. review with other members of the Search Committee the guidelines established by the College for searches including the Affirmative Action Program Schedule (see Appendix A). The Affirmative Action Facilitator will be responsible to make sure that every step of the Affirmative Action Program Schedule is completed by the college’s established deadlines.
d. As early as possible in recruitment searches, the AAF shall ensure that each Search Committee has sent a copy of all job descriptions to the Intercollegiate Departments of Asian American Studies, Black Studies and Chicano Studies and to selected underrepresented minority and women colleagues, both at the Claremont Colleges and in the larger academic community, soliciting their collective help in identifying underrepresented minority and women candidates who might be interested in applying for available positions.
e. The Search Committee and the AAF shall ensure that the Affirmative Action Mailing List, located in the Dean of Faculty's Office, is used for advertising positions, and that positions are advertised in various publications that have a wide dissemination among underrepresented minority scholars.
f. The AAF will attend all Search Committee meetings. The AAF will read candidates’ folders and, when necessary, meet with the Search Committee to discuss the reasons for excluding underrepresented minority and women candidates who have been eliminated from consideration.
g. The AAF shall consult and work closely with the Diversity Committee throughout the recruitment process.
h. In order to ensure a diverse applicant pool, field groups seeking an appointment must include, at the time that the position description is presented to APC, an estimated number of candidates most likely to apply for the position. They must also indicate, on the basis of subject area demographics, the likelihood of the search attracting qualified women and persons from underrepresented minorities. If a subsequent search, based on that position description, generates a markedly smaller number of applicants or a smaller percentage of women and persons from underrepresented minorities than originally predicted, the search will be subject to the review of the Affirmative Action Facilitator who will make a recommendation to FEC and the field group (with the possibility that the research may be cancelled).
i. Normally, in the case of full-time and multiple-year appointments, (1) one or more minority group candidates must be included among those proposed for interviews, and (2) for a field group which has fewer women than men, one or more female candidates and one or more minority group candidates (who may be the same persons) must be included among those proposed for interviews.
j. The Search Committee will ensure that an Affirmative Action Report is filed with the AAF, the Dean of Faculty and FEC prior to the invitation of candidates to campus for interviews. The report will summarize the recruitment process and include the completed Affirmative Action Program Schedule (Appendix A) to allow the AAF, Dean of Faculty, and FEC to determine whether or not affirmative action efforts have been satisfactory. This report is due at the time the list of candidates to be invited to Pitzer is submitted to FEC. The AAF will either endorse the report with a signature or file a report of his/her own. The Dean of Faculty’s endorsement shall also be required on an affirmative action report. The FEC will not authorize interviews until it has received a satisfactory affirmative action report.
k. In collaboration with the Dean of Faculty, the AAF shall ensure that every effort be made by the Search Committee to have underrepresented minority and women candidates meet and talk with underrepresented minority colleagues at the Claremont Colleges during their interviews and, when possible, to give underrepresented minority and women faculty an opportunity to work in Search Committees.
l. Normally, if minority group or female candidates have advanced to the campus interview stage, (a) one or more minority group persons must be included among the slate of candidates proposed for appointment, and (b) for field groups with fewer women than men one or more women and one or more minority persons (they may be the same) must be included among the slate of candidates proposed for appointment. Exceptions will be made only if a written report is submitted to the Faculty Executive Committee signed by the AAF and endorsed by the Dean of Faculty. This report shall describe the basis for the omission in sufficient detail to allow the Faculty Executive Committee to determine whether or not a qualified affirmative action candidate has been interviewed. However, the submission of such a report does not ensure that the FEC will judge the omission to be warranted.
m. The Faculty Executive Committee will recommend the hiring of a minority candidate or a woman unless it can be shown that one of the other candidates can make a greater contribution to the academic program of the College.
n. The Dean of Faculty will submit a written report to FEC at the end of each academic year summarizing the results of Affirmative Action Recruitment for that year.
o. The Affirmative Action Mailing List and related materials in the Dean of Faculty's office shall be reviewed and updated in Fall 1992 and every 2 years thereafter. Additions to the list should be made as available.
p. These procedures shall be reviewed in 2001 and every 5 years thereafter.
q. RECOMMENDATIONS
i. The faculty members designated by the Faculty Executive Committee to be the Affirmative Action Facilitator must be sensitive to minority issues, have a track record of working well with minority faculty, and be fully supportive of the letter and spirit of Pitzer's Affirmative Action Policy.
ii. The Affirmative Action Facilitators (AAF), appointed yearly by FEC to ". . .stimulate and coordinate affirmative action faculty recruitment" are to be given relief as follows: for 1-2 full time Faculty recruitment searches a minimum of other committee assignments, including minimum assignment on ad hoc committees; for 3-5 full time Faculty recruitment searches, no other committee assignments (except FEC) including ad hoc committees; for over 5 full time recruitment searches additional appropriate relief will be offered.
iii. The central concern of the Affirmative Action Program at Pitzer College is to increase the number of American Blacks, Native American Indians, Latinos, Asian or Pacific Islanders and women among the faculty. The selection of these groups has been made based upon a history of under-representation of these groups among the Pitzer College Faculty.
iv. If necessary, extra effort be made to secure letters of recommendation on minority and/or women candidates if such recommendations are not available by the time the Search Committee considers its interview slate. The intention here is not to ignore the consideration of a minority person and/or woman applicant because letters of recommendation are slow in arriving.
v. Should an extraordinary minority and/or woman candidate emerge in the search, the FEC should recommend to the Dean of Faculty that s/he be willing, if necessary, to negotiate a "higher than normal" salary to secure the candidate.
vi. It is expected that the spirit of the Affirmative Action Procedures, so far as possible, will apply to part-time Faculty recruitment.
This policy recognizes that Pitzer College values contributions of faculty members of a variety of ages and interests and at the same time enables the institution to open positions, and, thereby, to continue to bring new individuals, ideas and perspectives to its community.
The retirement policy is designed to widen the range of opportunities available to the Faculty and to the College. Long-term leaves of absence provide opportunities for professional exploration, openings for faculty on a temporary basis, and enrichment of the College in return; early retirement may increase the number of permanent openings for faculty; and optional opportunities to continue teaching beyond the age of seventy or to sustain professional connections with the College in emeritus status will provide educational dimensions previously not available to the College.
The following stipulate the normal conditions of the College's retirement policy.
1. General conditions for normal retirement, early full retirement, or phased early retirement (All references to age refer to the end of the academic year in which the faculty member reaches that age.)
a. There is no mandatory retirement age. All normal conditions of employment will continue until a retirement date is established by an individual Faculty member.
b. A Faculty member may choose either an early full retirement plan or a phased early retirement plan provided the Faculty member notifies the College at least two years before the start of the academic year in which the arrangement will start.
c. For either early full retirement or phased early retirement, a contract will be drawn up by the Dean of Faculty for recommendation to the President making clear the details of the agreement which will be binding on both parties.
d. Participation in either early full retirement or phased early retirement programs will normally be available only to faculty members who have been employed at the College for at least twenty years.
2. Early Full Retirement
a. Normally, a faculty member choosing to retire at the end of the academic year in which he/she reaches age 60 will be offered two years base salary at the rate he/she would have received during that first year of early retirement. This amount will at the discretion of the Faculty member be paid over a two-year or over a five-year period.
b. To the extent permitted by the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable laws, the College will continue contributions to the Faculty member's basic TIAA/CREF at the percentage (11% or 12%) established in the five years previous to retirement. For contributions that exceed permissible limits, the College will buy an annuity that, along with the other contributions, will equal in value the expected contributions that the College would have made if the Faculty member had continued working full-time at the College until the end of the academic year in which he/she reaches 65, the eligibility age for Social Security coverage.
c. The College will continue its contribution to medical benefits until the Faculty member reaches the eligibility age for Medicare.
d. In exceptional circumstances, a Faculty member may negotiate an early full retirement contract to take effect before or after the age of 60, but the terms will not necessarily be based on those contained in 2 a-c above.
3. Phased Retirement
a. A Faculty member may choose an irrevocable phased early retirement plan to take effect beginning at the age of 55.
b. There are two possibilities: 1) a reduction to a 60% teaching load, or 2) a reduction to a 40% teaching load. In either case, the Faculty member would be expected to fulfill other college responsibilities, such as advising, committee service, thesis supervision, etc. Salary will be reduced proportionately with teaching load.
c. To the extent permitted by the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable laws, the College will continue full contributions to the Faculty member's basic TIAA/CREF accounts based on the equivalent full-time salary, until the end of the academic year in which he/she reaches the eligibility age for Social Security, but in no case will the College's contribution exceed 12% of the full-time equivalent salary. (For a Faculty member on a 60% teaching load, the College could continue to contribute 11% or 12% of full-time equivalent salary; for a Faculty member on a 40% teaching load, the College could contribute no more than 10% of full-time equivalent salary.) After the Faculty member reaches the eligibility age for Social Security, the College’s contribution to TIAA/CREF will cease.
d. The Faculty member will be expected to teach part-time during the entire academic year but in exceptional circumstances, depending upon curricular needs, a Faculty member on phased retirement may be allowed to fulfill his/her teaching responsibilities during one semester. Any such arrangement for one year will not commit the College to such a schedule in subsequent years.
e. The Faculty member will be eligible for sabbatical leaves on the regular schedule but at the reduced salary.
f. Faculty members on phased retirement will be eligible for research and travel funds and other privileges available to part-time Faculty, but may be asked to share an office with (an) other Faculty member(s).
g. To the extent permitted by the group plan of the Claremont Colleges, the Colleges will contribute to medical benefits until the Faculty member reaches the eligibility age for Medicare or takes full-time retirement, which ever is sooner.
4. Emeritus Status
Normally, all tenured Faculty members who retire under the provisions listed above shall be granted emeritus status. The intent of the recommendations that follow is a) to encourage prospective emeriti to continue an active and productive professional life in association with the College, and b) to encourage early retirement in instances when the College considers such early retirement desirable.
5. Emeriti Perquisites:
a. Office space or desk space in an "emeriti office" with telephone and secretarial service will be provided on an "as available" basis.
b. Authority to use college stationery and to use the institution for purposes of identification and grant administration, the latter through normal committee and staff office channels.
c. Library and Faculty House privileges and other privileges designated by the Faculty Executive Committee.
This policy will be reviewed at least every five (5) years and modified, if appropriate. Faculty members are governed by whatever retirement policy is in effect at the time they conclude a retirement agreement with the College.
P. FACULTY GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
The following paragraphs outline the procedures by which a faculty member may present a grievance, not related to and therefore not covered by APT procedures, alleging that a decision or action of another faculty member, administrator, Ad Hoc or standing committee or the institution adversely affects or affected the grievant. The procedures are designed in accordance with AAUP guidelines to mediate all grievances in a prompt, informal and amicable way, without the need for formal hearings.
1. A faculty member who has a grievance as described above should present that grievance in writing and in a timely fashion to the Dean of Faculty to enlist his or her assistance in reaching a prompt resolution. The faculty member’s statement should also include her/his proposal(s) for a possible solution. The Dean of Faculty will inform all those named in the grievance. If within three weeks the Dean and the grievant cannot work out a resolution satisfactory to the grievant, the grievant should then present a written statement of the grievance to the chair of FEC, indicating the nature of the grievance, identifying those parties against whom the grievance is being filed, and specifying the remedy being sought.
2. The chair will promptly inform FEC, in writing, that a grievance has been filed. In a timely fashion (normally at the next scheduled meeting), FEC will consider the grievance and, if it judges the matter to be sufficiently serious and not satisfactorily resolved, will appoint an ad hoc committee consisting of three tenured faculty members to investigate the situation. If an FEC member is one of the parties against whom a grievance is filed, s/he will be absent from FEC’s discussion of the matter. If a majority of FEC members are named in a grievance, FEC will move directly to appointing an ad hoc grievance committee. In appointing the ad hoc committee, FEC will seek membership that is acceptable to the grievant and the parties named in the grievance. If this effort is not successful, FEC will select at random from eligible faculty and invite the chosen faculty members to serve, continuing until three willing members have been identified or each eligible faculty member has been asked to serve. All tenured faculty are eligible, with the exception of those serving on FEC, those on leave at the time of selection, those on leave the following semester, and those named in the grievance.
3. The ad hoc committee will explore the grievance. It may conduct its own inquiry, interview the grievant and the parties named in the grievance, interview witnesses, and gather information, subject to the conditions set forth in the personnel files section of this handbook. In this process, no party in the grievance will be represented by an attorney, and the ad hoc committee, as a body, will not consult any attorney on matters of law unless authorized to do so by all parties to the grievance. These conditions seek to balance the rights of individuals to privacy of their personnel files and the rights of other faculty members and of the ad hoc committee’s need for information necessary to carry out its task. Normally, this exploration will be completed within one month.
4. Having explored the grievance, the ad hoc committee will attempt to achieve a resolution that is satisfactory to the grievant and to all parties named in the grievance. If either the ad hoc committee or the grievant believes that mediation efforts have reached an impasse and that further efforts will be unproductive, either may terminate the process. If the College has been in session four months from the time FEC began the process of appointing an ad hoc committee but the grievance is not resolved, it is deemed that an impasse has been reached and the process will end.
5. Whether or not mediation proves successful in resolving the grievance, the ad hoc committee shall write a report to FEC describing its efforts. If mediation has been successful, the report shall be signed by members of the ad hoc committee, the grievant and all those specifically named in the grievance. If mediation is unsuccessful, a copy of the ad hoc committee report summarizing the reasons for failure will be sent to the grievant, who will indicate in writing that he or she has seen the report. If the grievant decides to terminate the mediation process or unilaterally withdraws the grievance, the grievant is required to write a report to FEC summarizing the reasons for this decision. Both the report of the ad hoc committee and any report of a grievant shall be made available for reading to the grievant, to all those named in the grievance, to the President, to the Dean of Faculty, and to members of FEC. Copies of both reports shall be placed in Part A of the personnel files of the grievant and of each of the faculty members named in the grievance. Copies will be forwarded to the College’s Personnel Director and placed in the files of staff members named in the grievance in accordance with staff personnel regulations and procedures.
1. Courses
a. Each faculty member teaches an average of five courses per year over each three-year period. On the recommendation of the Dean of Faculty, and with the approval of the Curriculum Committee, a faculty member may teach a six-course, a four-course, and a five-course over a three-year period.
b. At his/her own request, and with the approval of the Dean of Faculty and of the Curriculum Committee, a faculty member shall be allowed to teach more than the average of five courses per year at no additional salary.
c. In emergency situations, such as faculty illness which would otherwise result in course cancellation, at the request of the Dean of Faculty, with the approval of the Curriculum Committee, and with the consent of the Instructor, a faculty member shall be allowed to teach more than the average of five courses per academic year at the salaries below for each additional course. These salaries shall be reviewed every year:
Instructor $4000-6000 Assistant Professor $6000
Associate Professor $6000 Professor $6000 Payment for faculty participation in Special Academic Programs will be negotiated using the above figures as guidelines.
d. With the approval of the Dean of Faculty, faculty members with little or no teaching experience may be allowed to teach four courses at full salary during the first year of a multiple-year appointment. In such instances, the faculty member is not obliged to make up the course.
e. The chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be granted two released courses.
f. A full-time faculty member may be granted a maximum of two courses of released time for professional activities during an academic year with a 20% reduction of salary for each released course. A faculty member who is granted such released time must be available for all other responsibilities normally associated with full-time faculty status. Thus, grantees will be expected to be in residence and to continue full involvement in such activities as academic advising, field group matters, College governance, and the like. Under this provision, two courses of released time will be regarded as the equivalent of a semester's professional leave for purposes of determining subsequent sabbatical leave eligibility. (Faculty meeting 4/18/74)
2. Course Times
a. All Pitzer Field Groups of 2 or more FTE Faculty should schedule a minimum of 10% of their classes over a two year period on MWF at 8:00 am or T and Th at 8:20 am. Normally, Field Groups should schedule some of their large introductory courses at the above times.
b. The College should establish MWF from 12 to 12:50 pm as a regular class time. This “slot” would be in addition to the M & W 12-1:10 pm time.
c. Faculty whose classes’ special meetings or activities might require students to miss other classes should make that fact clear in the courses’ catalogue descriptions, specifying the times and dates of potential conflicts, if possible.
R. FACULTY WORKLOAD FLEXIBILITY
1. Course Flexibility in Teaching Credit
Background
Pitzer graduation requirements and faculty contractual obligations are determined by number of courses: 32 for students and an average of 5 courses per year over 3 years for faculty. The unit of measurement, so to speak, in Claremont is the “course.” It is obvious that different types of classes require different types of time commitments and activities. An art class has studio time; a science class, laboratories; a language class, discussions; an English class, intensive work on writing, etc. When one chooses a field and the occupation of teaching, the subject matter dictates certain requirements in time and teaching commitments. The idea that any one class is the same as any other class--that there is an equivalency between courses--is obviously not true. However, overall, the requirements of different fields in the type of work (library research, extensive reading and writing, time spent in art studio or in service learning, etc.) are seen as being relatively equivalent and are counted as equal.
Over time some exceptions to this principle have occurred. In the early years of the college there was an experimental program known as “Course plus” which had a different structure of teaching a course for which students received three courses of credit (e.g., Pebbles and Ripples) or a course for which students received one course credit and a faculty a course and a half (Psychology and Anthropology lab related courses). These exceptions have been arrived at over time and on an ad hoc basis.
Other universities have recognized and evaluated some of these differences in teaching load by assigning different weights or credits to different classes. For instance, a lower level language class that meets M-F may be worth 5 credits and a focused discussion class on medical ethics worth 2 credits. Students and faculty alike then have to accumulate varying credit classes to achieve a certain number of units rather than courses. In other words, the standard is units, not courses. Given the intercollegiate arrangements in Claremont, altering the common standard of accounting - courses - would require major changes across all the colleges if students are to cross-register for classes. Hence, this is not an option the committee took seriously at the present time. However, the Academic Deans are discussing the possibility of such a change.
APC is, nonetheless, convinced that there are certain activities that enhance types of courses and require more time/work commitments than are expected in an “average” course. Some of these require more faculty time; others require more student time. APC is very aware and concerned that altering this system, by increasing the teaching value of some courses, can decrease the number of courses offered in our curriculum or it can affect the number of classes, and hence the breadth of education, that a student would be required to complete.
What follows are suggested guidelines for types of courses and the character of work demanded that may justify differential accounting.
Normally, a course meets 150 minutes per week. There are various assignments required outside of the classroom as appropriate to the class. For students, reading, writing, drawing, watching films, etc.; for faculty, preparation, grading, conferences with students on subject matter and writing, etc. In some cases more in-class time is balanced with less out-of-class time in preparation for both faculty and students. Beginning language classes, for example, have more contact hours justified on the necessity of hearing and speaking the language more frequently.
There are other classes, such as the sciences, that have always required labs as part of the learning process. Students in Claremont (with the exception of HMC) receive one course credit for a lab course even though the in-class time is substantially higher than other courses. Joint Science faculty have worked out a complex scheme by which they count teaching labs as teaching credits in their own work load. Again, given the complexity of the three college program, APC chose not to comment on the “accounting system” in Joint Science, but to recognize that some accommodation is being made for substantial increase of time spent in labs.
As faculty experiment and think through the type of knowledge and experiences that are necessary to integrate into a given course, there are a variety of models that have emerged. In some respects our understanding of what is involved in education is changing. The implementation of the “Social Responsibility” objective, for example, involves some type of experience or internship in the community. There is an assumption that reflection on one’s experiences, structured and guided by faculty, allows for a deeper understanding of some aspects of life and the academic divisions we have for studying them. The integration of “hands-on” experience with serious reflection on those experiences is becoming more of a norm and an expectation for a good education.
Concern for the integrity of the educational process and some sense of equity leads us to recommend the following guidelines:
Faculty Accounting:
a) LABORATORIES/WORKSHOPS/EXPERIENTIAL SECTIONS:
(Psychology, Anthropology, History, Math)Some classes in these fields have required labs associated with the normal “lecture” class format. Assuming a regular class schedule (150 min./week) the additional time necessary for setting up and teaching labs will be counted at the rate of ¼ course for every 1-1½ hours (60-90 minutes/week) of in-lab time.[8] In addition to the increased class time, additional written work or experimentation that complements the normal course requirements and that has its own defined purpose and integrity would be expected.
Students would continue to receive only one course credit for the course including the lab.
Implementation—The Dean of Faculty’s Office will oversee the course accounting required for the “lab/workshop/experiential” segments of courses.
b) INTERNSHIPS:
There are different forms of internship classes that have been identified for separate discussion.
i. Fieldwork courses. These are methodological courses that have an intensive field work component. These will continue to count as one course.
ii. Courses with an internship component: Some courses are designed to permit students to do research at a site location as a basis for a research paper or to do library research for the paper requirement. No change in credit.
iii. Courses that meet for the normal class time and require students to do internships in addition. Here the internship is seen as added to the regular course load. After much discussion with faculty who are teaching internship courses, it was concluded that this model (add and stir) does not really achieve the goals of the integrated experience desired. Faculty beginning teaching this way have chosen to redesign courses to integrate the internship as an integral part of the course so that it was more or less equivalent to a “normal” course.The start up costs for such a course are extensive. It was unanimously concluded that the continued and stable support of the Career and Internship Office is essential. The Irvine Enterprise grants are providing a course release time and support for the development of such courses. It was suggested that there be some course development funds available after the conclusion of the Irvine grant to support new courses of this type.
It was suggested that there be some latitude in course design to permit some flexibility in the awarding of credit for some students. A student might become very involved with a particular issue and site and want to add an additional half or full course of work. Independent study would offer such a possibility. Courses could be arranged in tandem where students could take two or more courses related to a specific theme. The “Solar Colloquium” of some years ago is one such model. Again, there would be no need to designate such courses for additional credit.
In conclusion, there does not seem to be any compelling need to adjust the credit of internship courses. However, continued support (line item budget support) for the Internship Office is essential for providing the contact and backup necessary for these courses.
c) LANGUAGE CLASSES:
The additional time required for setting up tutorial sections might be handled administratively by the Language Coordinator’s office. Assignment of courses needs to be monitored by the Dean’s Office so that there is some spread between introductory and advanced courses in any one year.d) TEAM-TAUGHT COURSES:
There is no need to change current policy. Each faculty member teaching team taught courses receives one course credit. This is important to encourage interdisciplinary courses.e) STUDENT CREDIT:
We are currently investigating the possibility of changing the basis of credit from courses to units. The Academic Deans will discuss this issue.2. Course Flexibility: In line with the policy on leaves and released course time (see Section IX, W and Y), at the discretion of the College, individuals will be permitted a temporary reduction in workload on a year-to-year basis for: (a) research, re-tooling, etc., or (b) family situations, raising children, etc., at a 20% reduction in pay per course assuming maintenance of non-teaching duties* (subject to non-disruption of curriculum in field). Such reductions are subject to the restrictions in the faculty workload policy.
Release from committee and advising responsibilities will be made only in exceptional cases and at increased cost (25% of salary on a yearly basis) to the faculty member.
*NOTE: TIAA/CREF contributions are based on percentage of paid salary.
3. Part-time appointments of tenured faculty: Pitzer is a residential college and expects full-time faculty presence. However, in recognition of the fact that at times extraordinary situations arise which may result in the desire for a long-term, part-time appointment, it is recommended that such exceptions be granted by the President on the recommendation of the Faculty Executive Committee. Salary will be commensurate with 20% off per course, assuming maintenance of non-teaching duties.* Since this provision concerns long-term decisions on the part of the faculty requesting it and on any replacement, either the amount of time must be specified or request to return to full-time must be made three years prior to returning to full-time status.
*NOTE: TIAA/CREF contributions are based on percentage of paid salary.
A limited number of teaching opportunities in Special Academic Programs may be available each year, particularly in the summer but also during the January vacation. Faculty members interested in teaching in these programs should contact the Office of Special Programs.
1. No faculty member shall have more than one standing committee membership.
2. Faculty members may serve on ad hoc, intercollegiate, and Board of Trustee committees, or as special resource persons, in addition to standing committees.
3. The list of nominations for election to the Faculty Executive Committee shall consist of those faculty members eligible to serve. A run-off election consisting of twice the number of candidates needed shall be held. The faculty members elected will be expected to accept this assignment like any other committee assignment.
4. Faculty members serving two years on the Executive Committee shall be released from standing committee assignment for one of the next two years following their term of office.
5. After service on the Executive Committee, a faculty member is exempt from election to the Executive Committee for up to five years. A faculty member is ineligible to serve on Executive Committee sooner than two years after previous service. In any of the three years following that two-year period of ineligibility, a faculty member may elect to remove her/his name from the
roster of candidates for election. Faculty members who are scheduled to be on sabbatical leave for the following academic year may petition the Faculty Executive Committee to have their names removed from the roster of candidates for election to FEC.6. Faculty members shall not be required to serve on the Executive Committee until after their first two years of full-time faculty employment at the College.
1. There shall be limits on the number of faculty members appointed in a given field who may be out of residence during the same semester (e.g., on leave, external programs). The limits are as follows:
a. One faculty member out of residence during the same semester in fields with regular appointments of three or fewer FTE faculty.
b. Two faculty members out of residence during the same semester in fields with regular appointments of four or more FTE faculty.
2. Non-paid Leaves: After consultation with his/her field group, a faculty member may apply to the Executive Committee for an unpaid leave. Normally, such leaves are granted for a semester or a year. The leave is awarded by the President on recommendation of the Executive Committee. Faculty members who take a semester non-paid leave shall teach three courses during their non-leave semester and be paid one-half of their annual salaries.
3. Family Care Leave Policy: See Section VIII.G
4. Leave for Professional Exploration: In order to maximize flexibility at the College and to permit faculty members to explore other dimensions of their profession without loss of tenure, individuals may apply to the Faculty Executive Committee to explore the feasibility and appropriateness of a 3-5 year unpaid leave. Faculty members are eligible only after they have been tenured at Pitzer for 10 years and are below the age of 60. The leave must be fixed in advance for a period of 3, 4, or 5 years and is not renewable. A faculty member can take this type of leave only once during his/her employment at Pitzer College. These leaves are awarded by the President on the recommendation of the Faculty Executive Committee and there should be no presumption that all requests for such leaves will be granted. No more than five faculty members may be on this type of leave at any one time.
In order to give sufficient time for recruitment of replacements, faculty desiring this leave must apply for a leave of a specific term of 3, 4, or 5 years by September 15 the year prior to taking the leave and, if granted, must make a commitment by November 1. The leave does not count towards sabbatical. Salary will keep pace with the faculty member's cohort. Medical benefits, TIAA/CREF will be the same as for all unpaid professional leaves. The official link with the institution is maintained.
If, at the end of the leave, the faculty member decides to resign, he should inform the College as early as possible and submit his formal resignation no later than November 1st of the last year of the leave. (Adopted at Faculty Meeting 3/25/82)
These policies will be administered in the following way: Faculty members will make application to the Faculty Executive Committee, which will make recommendations to the President.
1. GENERAL POLICY: Sabbatical leaves will be treated as a privilege to be granted to faculty members, taking into consideration the needs of the College, the past contributions of the faculty member to the College, and the probability of the sabbatical producing benefits for the College and for the person to whom the leave is granted.
2. SABBATICAL OPTIONS: Eligible full-time faculty members may apply for any one of the following sabbatical options.
Faculty members on continuing part-time (but not less than half-time) contracts are entitled to the same sabbatical benefits, subject to the same specific policies and procedures for implementation, as full-time faculty members, except that their sabbatical salaries shall be determined on the basis of actual part-time salary.
a. After three years of full-time or not less than half-time teaching, a faculty member on a continuing contract may request a one-semester sabbatical leave at full pay. A faculty member taking a semester sabbatical at full pay will teach three courses during the year and will assume normal committee and advising responsibilities during the other semester of the sabbatical year. In other words, a semester sabbatical must be taken during a faculty member's two-course semester. In addition, faculty will be expected to teach courses which involve the largest number of Pitzer students and/or which are basic to academic programs at the College.
b. Initially after three years, and subsequently after three years of full-time or not less than half-time teaching, in lieu of a semester sabbatical, a faculty member may request three courses released time (which may be taken over a two-year period) with no released time from non-teaching responsibilities. The faculty member will be considered to be on sabbatical only during the first semester of such a plan, and the sabbatical clock will begin ticking again after the end of that semester.
c. After six years of full-time or continuing part-time (not less than 50%) teaching, a faculty member may request a full year sabbatical leave at 80% of regular salary. Alternatively, a faculty member may at these times request a full year sabbatical leave at 100% of regular salary with the provision that he/she will teach a sixth course in the year preceding or the year following the sabbatical leave.
3. SPECIFIC POLICIES GOVERNING SABBATICAL OPTIONS:
a. Sabbatical credit will accrue from the date of full-time or continuing part-time (not less than 50%) employment, and accrues only when a signed contract is in effect for the year in which the sabbatical would occur. The sabbatical period itself will not be counted as time accrued toward the next sabbatical (i.e., a faculty member will begin accruing time toward a new sabbatical when he/she returns to full-time or continuing part-time teaching).
b. In all cases, normally at least four semesters of full-time or continuing part-time (not less than 50%) teaching and other College responsibilities must elapse between sabbaticals.
c. Normally, faculty members must use the option for a one semester sabbatical with full pay no later than the tenth accrued semester. After the tenth semester, one of the full year options will be used. That is, at no time will it be possible to take two consecutive sabbatical semesters at full pay, except in the case of the second part of Option 3 above. However, where the delay of sabbaticals for the good of the College has confused or jeopardized a faculty member's sabbatical benefits in relation to this rule, these situations will be negotiated on a individual basis with the Dean of Faculty, subject to ratification by the Executive Committee, and approval by the President.
d. A faculty member receiving a sabbatical will return to Pitzer for a minimum period equal to the length of the sabbatical taken. Should the faculty member not return he/she will, at the discretion of the College, forfeit his/her sabbatical award.
e. The College considers the income provided to the faculty member during a sabbatical leave to be an award in support of those activities for which the sabbatical was granted, not a salary in the usual sense.
f. No leaves will count toward sabbatical. That is, the sabbatical clock will not tick while a faculty member is on professional or any other leave.g. Faculty members who accept temporary administrative positions at Pitzer College may count one year of administrative work toward sabbatical every six years.
h. The Faculty Executive Committee will make every effort to assure that no more than 15% of persons holding continuing faculty appointments will be on sabbatical in any given semester.
i. In the interest of adhering closely to this guideline, when the number of faculty applying for sabbatical leave exceeds 15% in any given semester, and/or when severe curricular problems may result, then the Faculty Executive Committee will make every effort to encourage applicants and Field Groups to reschedule the sabbaticals necessary to alleviate the problem(s). If this voluntary effort is unsuccessful, the Executive Committee may require faculty members to change the semester (within the same academic year) in which the sabbatical is to be taken. When this occurs, the faculty member will accrue time toward the next sabbatical from the semester of his/her normal eligibility.
In deciding whether or which faculty members shall be asked or required to change the semester of sabbatical leave, the Executive Committee will take into consideration all relevant factors, especially those considered significant by the applicant(s) and the Field Group(s) concerned.
j. Replacement will be in terms of one-half of the aggregate courses lost.
4. TIMING OF IMPLEMENTATION:
a. At the beginning of the academic year, the Dean of Faculty will circulate a list of faculty eligible for sabbatical leave during the next two years.
b. Faculty members will submit their applications for sabbatical leave to the Faculty Executive committee by October 1 of the year preceding the one in which the leave is to be taken.
c. Each year by November 1, the Faculty Executive Committee will prepare or revise a sabbatical schedule for the next two years, and will prepare a list of sabbaticals for the following year to be recommended to the President, who will inform the Curriculum Committee of the final list.
d. By the end of the semester following a sabbatical leave, the faculty member will submit to the Executive Committee a report summarizing sabbatical activities.
Pitzer's primary dedication is to teaching and advising. All faculty members are further expected to remain intellectually and professionally active, through research and publication or other professional activities as appropriate to their disciplines, in order to advance knowledge and to make available to students the opportunity for research. Faculty members also share the heavy and important responsibility of governing the institution.
Nonetheless, the College recognizes that a faculty member may be presented unexpectedly with a professional opportunity which is truly unusual, which is beyond the institution's normal expectations of its faculty, and which would play a significant role in that individual's professional development. If such an opportunity could not be pursued without released time or other commitment from the College, and the opportunity is judged to be in the best interest of the College, it may be possible to alter for a limited time the normal contractual relationship between the College and a faculty member.
In such circumstances, the FEC will consider requests from faculty members to restructure temporarily [without adjustment in salary] their normal responsibilities to the College, in order to pursue truly unusual professional opportunities. This would customarily mean time released from governance, advising, and teaching, in that order of priority. Only those situations in which it can be clearly demonstrated that there is potential benefit to the College will be considered.
Such requests will be considered individually as these unusual opportunities arise. Each request will be evaluated for its importance to the College and its impact on the Pitzer academic program, as well as its anticipated benefits to the individual faculty member.
This policy is not meant simply to be workload-relieving, but is intended specifically to facilitate extraordinary projects. Examples might include, but are not restricted to, the editing of a major scholarly journal; principal responsibility for chairing the program of a national professional meeting; a limited pe