100.1 Administration-Faculty Relationships

100.1 Administration-Faculty Relationships

A. Background

The faculty and administration of Furman University have attempted through the years to evolve a relationship of mutual responsibility for the life of the University as an academic community. Considerations in structuring faculty and administration roles are the intention to be a community of scholars and commitment of free inquiry and participatory governance (See Policies and Procedures Manual, File 000.6 ).

B. Policy

The faculty and administration affirm that there are areas of responsibility in which each component acts after consultation with the other and those areas in which mutual and equal participation in decision making is necessary. These areas of separate and mutual responsibility are defended in the charter , the faculty constitution , the Faculty Handbook, and contracts with individual faculty members.

C. Guidelines

1. Ultimately the President of the University is responsible to the trustees for the total life of the University. The responsibility is defined in the Charter and Bylaws of Furman University. Other administrative officers of the University assist the President in carrying out his responsibility.

2. According to the faculty constitution , as approved by the trustees and the administration , the faculty has the primary responsibility for setting academic policy , determining the curriculum, defining requirements for degrees, and conducting academic instruction.

3. The administration has the responsibility to provide the faculty with the motivation , protections, services, and physical requirements for the performance of their tasks.

4. Faculty members have the responsibility to perform their duties under the supervision of the administration (including department chairmen ) in accordance with the stipulations of the basic University documents.

5. Alterations in the faculty constitution may be made only with the approval of both the faculty and the trustees.

6. The Faculty Handbook will be maintained (1) to set forth policy statements regarding faculty status , benefits, and performance mutually agreed to by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, the President , and the faculty , in accordance with the faculty constitution , Article V, Section 5, paragraph (k), and (2) to supply information about routine policies and procedures which have to do with faculty operations.

a. Alterations in Faculty Handbook statements relating to routine University operations may be made by the appropriate administrative officer or faculty committee after consultation with the Policies and Procedures Committee.

b. Alterations in Faculty Handbook policy statements regarding faculty status, benefits, and performance mutually agreed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, the President, and the faculty at large may be made in accordance with the faculty constitution , Article V, Section 5, paragraph (c). Procedures for accomplishing such changes are as follows :

(1) Proposed changes may originate either with the administration or with members or committees of the faculty. These proposed changes shall be submitted to the Faculty Status Committee, which will consult with and discuss them with the appropriate officers of the administration.

(2) The proposed changes are then submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean and the President for their approval. Recommended alterations are then resubmitted to the Faculty Status Committee for approval.

(3) Upon joint approval by the Faculty Status Committee and the designated officers of the administration, the proposed changes shall be submitted by the Policies and Procedures Committee to the faculty.

(4) The recommendation must be distributed to the faculty at least one week prior to its presentation to the faculty and allowed to lie on the table at least one month (thirty days) before a vote is taken. A majority vote of the faculty is required for passage.

c. The Faculty Handbook shall include guidelines for the implementation of each policy . Proposed changes in these guidelines may originate either with the administration or with members or committees of the faculty. In the case of policy statements regarding faculty status , benefits, and performance, the details of the guidelines may be changed by the President after due consultation with the Faculty Status Committee and the Policies and Procedures Committee. No guideline, however , shall contravene the intent of the mutually agreed upon policy.

d. The Policies and Procedures Committee shall regularly review the content of the Faculty Handbook and shall keep it-up-to-date.

e. The Faculty Handbook shall be maintained in an electronic form which is readily accessible to each member of the faculty and administration. Loose-leaf copies shall be maintained in each of the academic department offices.

f. The Faculty Handbook shall be coded to indicate those files which contain policy statements regarding faculty status, benefits, and performance. These policy statements are contained in Files 100.1, 122.1, 131.5, 137.8, 148.1, 148.4, 152.5, 157.3, 157.91, 158.4, 161.2, 165.5, 167.8, 168.1, 185.5, 228.1.  For policy on individual contracts, see Policies and Procedures Manual, File 151.1.

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