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Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 2 of 116
Table of Contents
Accreditation and Affiliations 8!
Introduction 9
Chapter I: Institutional Organization 10
1.1 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 10!
1.2 ADMINISTRATION 10!
1.3 FACULTY 10!
1.3.1 Faculty Meetings 10!
1.3.2 Faculty Forums 11!
1.3.3 Clerk of the Faculty 12!
1.3.4 Recording Clerk 12!
1.4 COMMITTEE STRUCTURE 12!
1.4.1 Assessment Committee (faculty) 15!
1.4.2 Awards Committee (faculty) 15!
1.4.3 Benefits Committee (collegewide) 16!
1.4.4 Budget Committee (collegewide) 16!
1.4.5 Clerk's Committee (faculty) 16!
1.4.6 Curriculum Committee (faculty) 18!
1.4.7 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Council (collegewide) 19!
1.4.8 Enrollment Committee (faculty) 19!
1.4.9 Faculty Affairs Committee (faculty) 19!
1.4.10 Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee 20!
1.4.11 Honors Council (faculty) 20!
1.4.12 Institutional Effectiveness Committee (collegewide) 20!
1.4.13 Institutional Review Board (collegewide) 21!
1.4.14 Learning Technology Advisory Committee (faculty) 22!
1.4.15 Nominating Committee (faculty) 23!
1.4.16 Policy Committee (college-wide) 24
Chapter II: Faculty Employment 25!
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 3 of 116
2.0 ACADEMIC FREEDOM 25!
2.1 FACULTY ALLOCATION AND RANKS 25!
2.1.1 Allocation of Faculty Positions 25!
2.1.2 Allocation of Joint Faculty/Administrative Positions 26!
2.1.3 Faculty Ranks 27!
2.2 FACULTY SEARCH AND HIRING 28!
2.2.1 Search Procedures for Recruiting Faculty to Guilford College 28!
2.2.2 Part-Time Faculty Hiring Procedure 32!
2.2.2.1 Continuing Part-time Faculty Status 33!
2.2.3 The Faculty Letters of Agreement 34!
2.2.3.1 Renewal of Letters of Agreement: 2nd- & 4th-Year Reviews 35!
2.2.3.2 Non-renewal of Non-Tenured Tenure-Track Faculty 35!
2.3 THE REVIEW PROCESS 35!
2.3.1 Information-Gathering Responsibilities 36!
2.3.2 Deliberative Process 38!
2.3.2.1 Tenure Decisions 40!
2.3.3 Review Criteria 40!
2.3.3.1 Teaching Excellence 40!
2.3.3.2 Scholarship and Creative Activity 42!
2.3.3.3 Effective Academic Advising 45!
2.3.3.4 Service 45!
2.4 TENURE PROGRAM 46!
2.4.1 The Tenure Timeline 46!
2.4.2 Reductions in Probationary Period 46!
2.4.3 Extensions of Probationary Period 47!
2.4.4 Preparation of FAC members and others conducting faculty reviews 48!
2.4.5 Tenured Faculty with Administrative Status 49!
2.4.6 Periodic Review of Tenured Faculty 49!
2.5 PROMOTION 51!
2.5.1 Promotion to Assistant Professor 51!
2.5.2 Promotion to Associate Professor 51!
2.5.3 Promotion to Full Professor 51!
2.5.4 Endowed Professorships 51!
2.5.5 Emerita/Emeritus Status 52!
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 4 of 116
2.5.6 Process for Promotion to Associate and Full Professor 52!
2.6 APPEALS PROCESS (FOR REVIEW, TENURE, AND PROMOTION) AND
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES 52!
2.6.1 Appeals for Review, Tenure and Promotion 52!
2.6.2 Grievance Procedures 54!
2.6.3 Record Keeping 57!
2.7 TERMINATION 57!
2.7.1 Faculty & Committees in Cases of Financial Exigency Termination 57!
2.7.1.1 Faculty & Committees in Cases of Discontinuance of Program or
Department Not Mandated by Financial Exigency 58!
2.7.2 Dismissal of Tenured Faculty 58!
2.7.3 Sanctions Other than Dismissal of Tenured Faculty 59!
2.7.4 Process for Appeal of Dismissal or Other Severe Sanctions 59!
2.8 POLICY ON HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION 61!
2.9 ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICY STATEMENT 61
Chapter III: Faculty Responsibilities 62!
3.1 INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES 62!
3.1.1 Teaching Load 62!
3.1.1.1 Course scheduling and service to the general education program and
interdisciplinary studies programs 62!
3.1.1.2 Team teaching 63!
3.1.1.3 Experiential teaching and learning 64!
3.1.2 Outside Employment 64!
3.1.3 Summer School 65!
3.1.4 Text Selection and Library Reserve 65!
3.1.5 Course Syllabi 65!
3.1.6 Class Hours and Class Attendance 66!
3.1.6.1 Vacation Breaks 67!
3.1.6.2 Weather Emergency Policy 67!
3.1.7 Responsibility for Making Up Missed Classes 67!
3.1.8 Office Hours 68!
3.1.9 Academic Advising 69!
3.1.10 Reading Day, Final Examinations, and Course Grades 69!
3.1.11 Grade Appeals Procedure 71!
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 5 of 116
3.2 INSTRUCTIONAL TRAVEL 73!
3.3 ACADEMIC REGULATIONS 73!
3.3.1 Academic Honor Code 73!
3.3.1.1 Plagiarism 74!
3.3.1.2 Unauthorized Collaboration 74!
3.3.1.3 Unauthorized Use of Materials 74!
3.3.1.4 Procedures for Dealing with Violations of Academic Honor Code 75!
3.3.2 Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal 78!
3.3.3 Falsification of Information 78!
3.4 OTHER FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES 78!
3.4.1 Attendance at Faculty Meetings 78!
3.4.2 Committee Service 78!
3.4.3 External Community Service 79!
3.4.4 New Student Orientation 79!
3.4.5 Commencement 79!
3.4.6 Departmental Guidelines for Initiate course 80!
3.4.7 Academic Department Chairs 80!
3.4.8 Response-Time Guideline 81!
3.5 Formative Review of Faculty 81
Chapter IV: Institutional Procedures 83!
4.1 CORRESPONDENCE AND COPYING 83!
4.1.1 Copy Service 83!
4.1.2 Copyright Policy 83!
4.1.3 Software Copyright 98!
4.2 LIBRARY 98!
4.2.1 Lending Policies 98!
4.3 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES 98!
4.3.1 Computers 98!
4.3.2 Media Services 98!
4.4 RESEARCH 99!
4.4.1 Patents 99!
4.4.2 Ethical Principles in the Conduct of Research with Humans 99!
4.4.3 Grant Applications 99!
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 6 of 116
4.5 MISCELLANEOUS GENERAL PROCEDURES 99!
4.5.1 Purchase of Gifts 99!
4.5.2 Telephones 100!
4.5.3 Postal Service 100!
4.5.4 Rental of College Facilities 100!
4.5.5 Requisition of Supplies 100!
4.5.6 Equipment Maintenance 100!
4.5.7 College Keys 100!
4.5.8 Extracurricular Activities 100!
4.5.8.1 Intercollegiate Athletic Contests 100!
4.5.8.2 Class Attendance and Extracurricular Activities (See 3.1.7) 100!
4.5.9 Vehicles 101!
4.5.9.1 Use of College Cars and Vans 101!
4.5.9.2 Parking 101
Chapter V: Benefits Specific to Faculty 102!
5.3 LEAVE POLICY 102!
5.3.2 Faculty Personal Leave 102!
5.3.3 Family Leave 102!
5.3.4 Faculty Study Leaves 102!
5.4 FACULTY DEVELOPMENT and Excellence in Teaching 104!
5.4.1 The Faculty Development Program 105!
5.4.2 Grants for the Improvement of Teaching 105!
5.4.2.1 Individual Grants: Faculty Development & Excellence in Teaching 105!
5.4.2.2 Group Grants: Faculty Development & Excellence in Teaching 106!
5.4.3 Faculty Research Fund 107!
5.4.4 Excellence in Teaching Awards 107!
5.4.5 Professional Meetings 107!
5.5 TUITION REMISSION AND TUITION EXCHANGE 108!
5.6 TRAVEL BENEFITS 108!
5.6.3 Moving Expenses 108!
5.9 MISCELLANEOUS BENEFITS 108!
5.9.1 College Housing 108!
5.9.2 Office Space 108
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 7 of 116
Appendix A- Procedures for Substantive Change 110
Appendix B- Revision History 112!
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 8 of 116
Accreditation and Affiliations
Guilford College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master's degrees. Contact the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866
Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about
the accreditation of Guilford College.
Guilford College is also affiliated with the Council on Post-Secondary Education.
Guilford is on the list of colleges and universities approved by the American Medical
Association, the business program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for
Business Schools and Programs, and the teacher education program is accredited by
the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Credits earned at Guilford are
accepted at face value in admission to graduate and professional schools and in
certification of teaching.
Guilford College holds membership in a number of organizations formed by colleges
and universities: the Association of American Colleges and Universities; the American
Council on Education; the North Carolina Adult Education Association; the National
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; the North Carolina Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities; the North Carolina Honors Association; the
National Collegiate Honors Council; the Friends Association for Higher Education; and
the College Board.
Return to Table of Contents
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 9 of 116
Introduction
The purpose of the Guilford College Faculty Handbook is to set out the guidelines by
which the Guilford College Faculty carries out its responsibilities for the educational
program at the college. The Bylaws of the institution charge the faculty with
responsibility for instruction. Faculty also have responsibility for establishing faculty
personnel policy and procedures to protect academic freedom and tenure. In the
governance of the college, the faculty works in conjunction with the administration and
the Board of Trustees. Final authority rests with the Board of Trustees, but the faculty
has primary responsibility for making and implementing the academic policies of the
college.
This handbook contains the information regarding faculty procedures for conducting
business as the faculty acts on its responsibilities. It contains matters contractual in
nature such as those bearing on faculty appointment, reviews, appeals, and the
providing of benefits specific to faculty, which relate to the terms and conditions of the
employment relationship.
The Clerk's Committee will oversee the process of making changes in the handbook.
Changes in The Faculty Handbook may be proposed by any individual member of the
college community, or by any standing committee. Proposed changes will be reviewed
by any committee whose responsibility relates closely to the proposed changes. These
proposed changes will be forwarded to Clerk's Committee for approval, which will
decide which items shall also go to the faculty meeting for approval. The Clerk's
Committee will forward all proposed changes, together with faculty and committee
recommendations, to the President. The President will forward any contractual matters
to the Board of Trustees for final action. Changes will take effect on the August 1
following approval by the Board of Trustees. Other changes require the approval only of
the President to the extent practicable. These, too, will take effect on August 1 following
Presidential approval. These items will be inserted into the Faculty Handbook by the
Academic Dean in consultation with the Clerk of the Faculty.
This document was approved by the faculty and President Jane Fernandes in April
2020. It updates a version approved on April 15, 2019. The Board of Trustees
approved the Guilford College Faculty Handbook on September 23, 1995. Subsequent
updates have also been approved by the Board of Trustees. See Appendix B for further
information.
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Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 10 of 116
Chapter I: Institutional Organization
1.1 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Guilford College. Its responsibilities and
work are described in the Employee Handbook.
1.2 ADMINISTRATION
Job descriptions of those positions that report to the President are on file in the Office of
Human Resources. An organization chart of administration positions is included in the
Employee Handbook.
1.3 FACULTY
The faculty of the College consists of the President, the Vice President for Academic
Affairs, the officers of the administration who also hold faculty rank, the professional
librarians, and all teaching faculty classified as follows: Professor, Associate Professor,
Assistant Professor, Instructor, and Lecturer.
The faculty shares responsibility with the administration and Board of Trustees for
maintaining the academic standards and the general well-being of the College. The
faculty establishes policies regarding curriculum, faculty personnel, degree
requirements, methods of instruction, and educational issues related to campus life,
subject to the authority of the President and the Board of Trustees.
The faculty participates in the decision-making process through meetings of the faculty;
the Academic Dean; departmental chairpersons; faculty committees; faculty
representatives to the Board of Trustees (including representatives to Board of Trustees
standing committees), and collegewide committees. In the event that the administration
or the Board of Trustees disagrees with a decision of the faculty on an academic matter,
every opportunity will be afforded the faculty to communicate its views to the
administration and the Board of Trustees.
1.3.1 Faculty Meetings
The faculty normally meets once each month during the academic year, the time to be
determined by the Clerk's Committee. Special meetings may be called by the Clerk of
the Faculty. The President, Academic Dean or any faculty member may request of the
Clerk of the Faculty that a meeting be called. The Clerk presides at faculty meetings
and, in consultation with the Clerk's Committee, is responsible for the agenda. Items for
the agenda (e.g. committee reports and matters calling for a faculty decision) are to be
communicated to the Clerk and placed on the agenda. The agenda is distributed to the
faculty at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the faculty meeting. This does not preclude
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Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 11 of 116
the faculty meeting, as the final faculty authority, from choosing to make decisions about
matters that emerge in the course of the meeting.
Faculty meetings are conducted according to Quaker business procedures. Meetings
begin with silence in order to reach beneath individual preferences to a level of
openness that will facilitate decision-making for the good of the whole and end in
silence to affirm the unity of the whole. The gathering of a sense of the meeting
normally involves two stages: a tentative exploration of the issue, raising questions of
clarification and criticism, and a convergence toward decision, presenting considered
judgments. As the tide builds, members add "I agree," or "I approve of that" in order to
assist the Clerk in sensing how far the group has moved toward unity and to avoid
repeating the same point just said by another.
In the process of reaching decisions, faculty members have the responsibility to share
their concerns with their colleagues, to listen carefully to the views of others, and to be
willing to lay aside personal or group interest in order to allow a harmonious sense of
the meeting to emerge. It is crucial that objections be raised in a timely, respectful, and
direct manner during the meeting. Decisions rest upon a general sense of the meeting.
The sense of the meeting is not identical to unanimity but implies a willingness of the
group to go forward with the proposal. If a faculty member does not agree with the
sense of the meeting, he/she/they may
1. "Stand aside" and allow the decision to proceed while not actually endorsing the
action or policy,
2. Ask to be recorded as opposed but allow the group to go forward, or
3. Choose to delay the group's decision when the issue is a matter of deep personal
conscience.
In the latter case, the Clerk will normally ask for further discussion or propose that a
committee work with the dissenting member(s) to understand better the roots of the
objection and continue discussion of the issue at another faculty meeting. The faculty
may move forward despite an individual's objections if the Clerk senses that his/her/their
concerns are not rooted in the best tradition of Friends' practice or do not spring from
deep conscience. Once an issue is resolved, the decision is read back to the meeting
and recorded in the minutes. For further clarification, see Howard Brinton's Guide to
Quaker Practice and Michael Sheeran's Beyond Majority Rule: Voteless Decisions in
the Religious Society of Friends.
All faculty are permitted to attend faculty meeting, and regular attendance is considered
a major responsibility of full-time faculty. In addition, academic staff and senior staff
members of the administration may attend the meeting. All others must request and
receive prior permission to attend from the Clerk’s Committee.
1.3.2 Faculty Forums
Clerk’s Committee may call for faculty forums to be held at designated times. Faculty
forums provide the opportunity for the following:
● Presentations from committees or individuals about draft proposals or ideas for
proposals in order to gather feedback from faculty.
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Guilford College Faculty Handbook
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● Discussion among interested faculty of issues relevant to the corporate faculty.
● Presentations from faculty, administrators, staff or external speakers regarding
issues involving faculty responsibilities and governance.
Requests to present at a faculty forum should be communicated to the Clerk of the
Faculty. Clerk’s Committee approves both the time and topic for any faculty forum.
1.3.3 Clerk of the Faculty
The Clerk of the Faculty, recommended by the Nominating Committee and approved
biennially by the faculty meeting, is its presiding officer who, according to Quaker
business procedure, clerks the faculty meeting and presides over Clerk's Committee. In
these capacities, the Clerk functions as a spokesperson for the faculty to the
administration and serves ex officio on college-wide committees. The Clerk also sits
with the Board of Trustees along with the designated faculty representative to the
Board. Together with the faculty members serving on college-wide committees, and as
representative to the Board of Trustees, the Clerk represents the concerns of the faculty
in the governance of the College. The Clerk, working with his/ her/theiracademic
department and the Academic Dean, receives partial released time (one course per
semester) from teaching responsibilities during the period of service.
1.3.4 Recording Clerk
The Recording Clerk, recommended by the Nominating Committee and approved
biennially by the faculty meeting, keeps the minutes of the faculty meetings. These
minutes constitute the official record of the actions taken by the faculty. Any subsequent
confusion about faculty decisions that cannot be clarified by the minutes must be
discussed and acted upon again by the faculty. The official minutes of the faculty are
housed in the Quaker Archives of the library.
1.4 COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
The College Committee structure serves as an important vehicle through which issues
are discussed and decisions affecting the College and its various constituencies are
made. All committees use Quaker business procedure. (See 1.3.1 Faculty Meetings)
Types of Committees Standing committees, listed in the Faculty Handbook, meet
regularly throughout the academic year; all faculty who serve on standing committees
are recommended by the Nominating Committee and approved by the faculty meeting.
(For the nomination process, see "Nominating Committee" 1.4.15.)
All standing committees in this handbook are designated as a faculty or collegewide
committee. Faculty committees consider academic, curricular, faculty governance, and
faculty personnel issues, and they can also act as liaisons to other College offices.
Collegewide committees consider administrative issues that broadly affect the College
community or that are specific to a non-academic area. Collegewide committees may or
may not have faculty representation. Collegewide committees are described in the
Employee Handbook.
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Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 13 of 116
Standing committees (both faculty and college-wide committees) are listed in
alphabetical order below, starting with section 1.4.1. Ad hoc or subcommittees may also
be convened as needed. Faculty representatives on ad hoc search committees for
senior administrators (defined as President, Vice President, and those reporting directly
to the President) are appointed by the Nominating Committee. In cases where an
administrator is conducting a search for an individual to fill a position other than those
listed above, that administrator may invite faculty representatives to serve on the
committee.
Non-search ad hoc committees that include faculty representation work with the Clerk's
Committee and other parties as appropriate to determine a written charge for the
committee. The Clerk's Committee or the administrator sponsoring the committee
decides on an ending date for the ad hoc committee, to be determined by the nature of
the work and the starting date and requests a final report. Unless otherwise specified at
the time the committee is created, non-search ad hoc committees are faculty
committees.
Decision-Making Process. Major policy recommendations from collegewide
committees go to the President for approval. Major policy recommendations from faculty
committees go through the Clerk's Committee to the faculty meeting for approval (with
the exception of changes in the Faculty Handbook for which the process described in
the Introduction applies). All recommendations of the faculty meeting and the President
will be accepted as binding upon the College unless determined otherwise by the Board
of Trustees.
Recommendations regarding routine policy coming from College committees shall be
distributed to faculty and/or staff by the Clerk of Faculty (for faculty committees) or other
appropriate committee chair or college leader (for college-wide committees). Unless
challenged within thirty (30) calendar days, excluding holidays and summer recess, by
petition of one (1) or more faculty or staff members, the policies will be considered
approved and binding upon the College.
However, one or more faculty or staff members may challenge a specific decision by
petition to the Clerk's Committee for decisions of faculty committees or the President for
decisions of collegewide committees, such challenges shall include a written rationale.
Clerk’s Committee or the President, the originating committee, and the petitioner(s)
should first attempt to find a resolution. If no resolution is forthcoming, Clerk’s
Committee will address the challenge by bringing the issue to the faculty meeting, or
first sending it to the appropriate committee or to a special ad hoc committee; and the
President will address such challenges by making a final decision or first sending the
issue to the appropriate committee or to a special ad hoc committee.
Changes in Committees. All standing committees of the College shall be approved by
the President in consultation with Clerk’s Committee and, for faculty committees, the
faculty meeting before they become official or before they are laid down. If there is a
proposal to change the duties or composition of a committee, that change shall be also
approved by the President and the Clerk's Committee. All such changes must be
published and made accessible to all community members, giving the rationale for the
change.
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Guilford College Faculty Handbook
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Selection of Committee Representatives. Administrative representatives to
committees are selected by the President. Student representatives serve one-year
terms.
Faculty members serving on all standing committees, ad hoc committees, and task
forces are recommended by the Nominating Committee and then approved by the
faculty, except for the Nominating Committee whose members are recommended by the
Clerk's Committee and approved by the faculty.
In making its recommendations, the Nominating Committee normally appoints full-time
faculty to one standing committee. Faculty who are in their first year of tenure-track
employment are only required to serve if they enter the college with credit towards
tenure. In consultation with department chairs and/or the Director of Hege Library and
Learning Technologies, faculty with full-time, multiyear contracts and professional
librarians are normally appointed to one committee per year beginning with their second
year of employment at the College. Faculty serving in an administrative capacity (such
as department chairs and program directors) may receive a release from their
committee service obligations. The normal term of committee service is three years, and
no faculty member shall serve more than two consecutive terms (six years) on a single
standing committee.
For further details about the process of appointing faculty to standing committees, see
section 1.4.15, "Nominating Committee".
If faculty on any committee believe that a faculty member of that committee has been
negligent in his/her/their participation, they will first speak with the individual. If
difficulties continue, they then inform the Clerk's Committee of their concern and provide
supporting evidence. The Clerk's Committee will consider the merits of the case and
meet with the faculty member involved if he/she/they so desires. If the Clerk's
Committee decides that the complaint has merit, it will declare the position vacant and
ask the Nominating Committee to recommend a replacement to the faculty meeting for
approval. It is acknowledged that the Academic Dean sits on the Clerk's Committee and
could take responsibility for the delivery of the message to the faculty member that
he/she/they is being replaced. If the individual believes he/she/they has been treated
unfairly, he/she/they may utilize the College grievance procedure (see Section 2.6.2).
Responsibilities of Committee Chairs. Each committee is chaired by a faculty
member, staff member, or administrator, as noted in the committee description in this
handbook. The chairs of those committees headed by faculty or staff members are
selected annually--either at the end of the year preceding their term as chair with new
members present or early in the new year--by achieving a sense of the meeting. Ad hoc
committees select their chair by achieving a sense of the meeting.
All committee chairs are responsible for convening regular meetings of the committee,
notifying the relevant student government leaders of the time and place of meetings,
preparing agendas, arranging for minutes to be taken, approved and properly filed (see
below), encouraging all members of the committee to attend regularly and to participate
fully in the discussions, completing annual reports and, with the exception of the Faculty
Affairs Committee, reporting committee recommendations to the community (see
"Decision-making Process" above).
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Committee Files: Files of the committees shall be preserved for the College Archives.
At the end of each academic year, each outgoing chair of a standing committee will
prepare minutes, numbered by meeting, essential documents, and reports for that
year's activities. These materials, excepting confidential information regarding personnel
considerations, will be submitted to the President's Office (collegewide committees) or
the Vice President and Academic Dean's Office (faculty committees). A copy of these
materials will also be added to a cumulative file for that committee located in the Quaker
Archives in the library. The files in the library are available for perusal by all members of
the College community.
The chair of each faculty committee will also be required to file an annual report,
provided to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
1.4.1 Assessment Committee (faculty)
Assessment Committee is responsible for administration and oversight of the
assessment of student learning with respect to the curriculum at the college, in order to
continuously enhance and improve student learning in the general education curriculum
and to assure compliance with academic standards for accreditation by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Assessment Committee conducts regular reviews of the curricular requirements of the
academic program of the college. It provides reports and presents recommendations to
those providing curricular oversight (such as program directors and coordinators), to the
Curriculum Committee, and to the Institutional Effectiveness Committee. The
Assessment Committee communicates with those providing curricular oversight in order
to monitor actions to improve student learning across the curriculum and to maintain
records that demonstrate compliance with standards established by SACSCOC. The
Assessment Committee shares responsibility with the Curriculum Committee regarding
proposals and revisions related to the general education learning outcomes of the
college. When proposals and reports necessitate changes in the general education
curriculum, a joint committee will be constituted with three members of the Assessment
Committee and three members of the Curriculum Committee to review relevant
assessment and create a formal proposal; this proposal will then be reviewed and
approved by both Assessment and Curriculum Committees before being forwarded to
Clerk's Committee.
Membership. A minimum of five faculty members, representing a diversity of academic
disciplines. A tenured faculty member and the Director of Institutional Research and
Effectiveness will co-chair the committee. The Librarian for Research and Learning and
one student representative at a junior- or senior-level are also on the committee.
1.4.2 Awards Committee (faculty)
The Awards Committee is charged with the following tasks:
Upon request from the Academic Dean’s office, the Awards Committee will review
nominees and/or applications for various student and faculty awards. These may
include:
● Charles A. Dana Scholarship
● George I. Alden Excellence Scholarship
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Guilford College Faculty Handbook
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● Edward Flud Burrows Scholarship
● Bruce B. Stewart Award for Teaching Excellence
● Bruce B. Stewart Award for Community Service
● Board of Visitors Award for Excellence in Academic Advising
If other college-wide awards need adjudication or consultation, Clerk's Committee will
assign them to this committee as needed.
Using the founding documents for endowed awards, past precedents for evaluating
winners for these awards, and established best practices, the Awards Committee will
develop and maintain consistent standards, procedures, and rubrics for award
evaluations for each award that it oversees.
In cooperation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and other appropriate
offices on campus, the Awards committee will help manage the college awards
evaluation process. This may include soliciting and collecting nominations for awards
the committee oversees.
Membership
The membership of the committee will include 3-6 faculty members. The Associate
Dean for Academic Affairs serves as an ex officio member of this committee. If the
awards under review specify staff or student participation in evaluation, or if the
committee decides such input would be useful, the chair of the Awards Committee will
contact appropriate student or staff organizations or leaders to request additional
members as needed.
If any committee member is nominated for an award under review, or if any committee
member feels he/she/they has a relationship to an award nominee that could create the
appearance of a conflict of interest, that committee member should request a
replacement (selected by Clerk’s Committee or another appropriate organization) for
deliberations about that award.
1.4.3 Benefits Committee (collegewide)
Described in the Employee Handbook.
1.4.4 Budget Committee (collegewide)
Described in the Employee Handbook.
1.4.5 Clerk's Committee (faculty)
The Clerk's Committee, functioning as the executive committee of the faculty, has the
primary responsibility for recommending to the President the allocation of faculty by
department, although the final decision is made by the President. Discussion of
requests for allocation normally occurs in the spring semester. Guidelines for making
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departmental requests are available from the Clerk of the Faculty. (See also "Allocation
of Faculty Positions" 2.1.1.)
In the fall semester, Clerk's Committee reviews faculty study leave proposals, and
makes recommendations to the Academic Dean. (See also "Faculty Study Leaves"
5.3.4.)
The Clerk's Committee also supervises, coordinates, and reviews periodically the
structure and functions of all committees chaired by faculty. The Clerk's Committee and
the faculty meeting recommend to the President the addition and deletion of all faculty
committees. It recommends to the President the number of faculty and student
representatives on any new collegewide committee. And it recommends to the
President any change in the number of faculty and student representatives on any
standing committee. (See "College Committee Structure" 1.4)
The Clerk's Committee assigns to the appropriate committee or committees any
academic or faculty issue not already allocated as a regular function of an existing
committee when consideration of such an issue has been requested by faculty,
administration or students. It adjudicates disagreements arising between two or more
committees concerning responsibility for academic or faculty issues. The Clerk's
Committee may appoint ad hoc faculty committees for special purposes. (For additional
information on ad hoc committees, see "Types of Committees" 1.4)
The Clerk's Committee nominates faculty to the Nominating Committee. The Committee
also names an alternate representative to the Board of Trustees if neither the appointed
representative nor the Clerk of the Faculty is able to attend.
The Clerk's Committee considers all major changes in policy recommended by other
committees prior to their submission to the faculty meeting. It assists the Clerk in
planning the agenda for faculty meetings and in expediting the business of the faculty.
The Clerk’s Committee approves the topic and date for all faculty forums and the dates
for all faculty development workshops and other meetings that are held during the
faculty meeting time.
The Clerk's Committee works with the Faculty Affairs Committee and Curriculum
Committee to seek faculty and academic excellence. In conjunction with the Curriculum
Committee, the Clerk's Committee concerns itself with long-range academic planning.
The Clerk's Committee deals with matters of faculty and matters of faculty/student
morale. It provides liaison between the faculty and the administration on matters of
concern to the faculty meeting. Although it serves the administration as a forum for
discussion of such matters, it may neither act nor speak as the official representative of
the faculty in this respect.
If a member of the Clerk's Committee or the Clerk is a member of a department under
consideration for a faculty position allocation or has another conflict of interest, that
person will withdraw from the discussion of all faculty position allocations. The person
will neither attend meetings of the Clerk's Committee nor receive meeting minutes until
the discussion is completed. If this withdrawal results in inadequate representation of
diverse academic disiplines, the Nominating Committee will name another faculty
member from an allied department, but not one under consideration for a faculty
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position, preferably with previous experience on Clerk's Committee, to replace the
excused member for the deliberations of all faculty position allocations. If the Academic
Dean is a member of a department requesting a position allocation, he/she/they will
participate in the discussion because he/she/they has responsibility for oversight over
the whole College but may step aside during particular parts of the discussion bearing
on his/her/their department. Student representatives from departments requesting
position allocations may remain in the discussions but may choose to step aside during
all or some of the discussion.
Membership. Clerk of the Faculty, who presides over the committee; five tenured
faculty members representing a diversity of academic disciplines of the College;
Academic Dean; Recording Clerk; one student. Beginning the March prior to assuming
the Clerkship, the Clerk-elect will serve as an ex-officio member of the Budget
Committee, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, and Clerk's Committee in order to
provide transition and continuity.
1.4.6 Curriculum Committee (faculty)
Curriculum Committee is responsible for evaluating and endorsing proposals to
enhance and improve student learning at the college. A proposal may request a new
major or program, change an existing major or program, or changes to the general
education program of the college among many possible types of proposals. The
Curriculum Committee will also propose changes to the general education program
based on regular reviews conducted by the Assessment Committee. These
recommendations are then forwarded to the Clerk’s Committee for consideration by the
faculty. The Curriculum Committee shares responsibility with the Assessment
Committee regarding proposals and revisions related to the general education learning
outcomes of the college. When proposals and reports necessitate changes in the
general education curriculum, a joint committee will be constituted with three members
of the Curriculum Committee and three members of the Assessment Committee to
review relevant assessment and create a formal proposal; this proposal will then be
reviewed and approved by both Assessment and Curriculum Committees before being
forwarded to Clerk's Committee.
Whenever the catalog is revised, the Registrar should consult with the committee as
needed and confirm that all changes proposed by academic departments and
interdisciplinary programs have been approved by Curriculum Committee.
Curriculum Committee maintains, implements, and periodically updates a detailed set of
procedures and rules for approval for courses to be included in the Course Catalog and
to count for various curricular requirements. These procedures and rules are made
readily available to the community by Curriculum Committee and the Academic Dean.
Membership. Five faculty members representing a diversity of academic disciplines, a
representative from the Assessment Committee, and a representative for the
Interdisciplinary Studies majors. A tenured faculty member will chair the committee.
The Academic Dean or designee; Registrar; one student is also on the committee.
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1.4.7 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Council (collegewide)
Described in the Employee Handbook.
1.4.8 Enrollment Committee (faculty)
The Enrollment Committee (a) facilitates communication between faculty and
Enrollment, (b) supports Enrollment and helps coordinate faculty contributions to
recruitment and persistence efforts, (c) communicate recent trends in prospective
student audience with our academic colleagues, (d) creates a shared vision of
expectations for incoming Guilford students, (e) shares information with Enrollment
about Guilford’s distinctive and compelling academic programs and initiatives, and (f)
shares information with faculty about the college search “market place” and what
programs might be considered both distinctive and compelling. The Enrollment
Committee will advise Enrollment in the development of an Enrollment Strategic Plan.
Membership. Three to six faculty members with a high degree of divisional
representation, one of whom will serve as chair; one student (preferably a student who
has recently gone through the admission process) - selected by the Student
Government Association and Community Senate, respectively; the Vice President of
Enrollment, and any designee of their choosing.
1.4.9 Faculty Affairs Committee (faculty)
The Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC) serves as a confidential advisory committee to the
Vice President and Academic Dean and the President in the promotion, termination,
reappointment and granting of tenure to members of the faculty, and in other issues
related to faculty personnel. This committee develops and implements a system of
faculty evaluation. (See "The Review Process" 2.3.)
The FAC also hears concerns about personnel matters from individual faculty members.
This committee formulates and recommends, as necessary, policies for implementing
its delegated responsibilities.
When 1) oneself, 2) a member's spouse or committed partner, or 3) a person in the
same department as a member of FAC is being evaluated for tenure, promotion, or
review, the faculty member will be excused from the deliberations having to do with
these persons' leaves, evaluations, tenure, or promotion, whichever is relevant. Also,
members of FAC who feel they have an unusually close working or personal
relationship with a reviewee may recuse themselves from those reviews. If there is a
question about whether such a recusal is necessary, the FAC member should consult
with Clerk’s Committee and the Dean.
Prior to the discussions of the person to be evaluated, any needed replacements should
be arranged. In all of the above cases, the FAC will ask the Nominating Committee to
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provide a replacement from the same division as the person stepping aside, preferably
someone with previous experience on the FAC.
The FAC review system is separate from the periodic, five-year reviews of tenured
faculty (see 2.450 “Periodic Review of Tenured Faculty”). The FAC members should be
knowledgeable about the Faculty Handbook (including how the parts directly relevant to
faculty evaluation have been interpreted in previous years and why they were
interpreted as they were) and the College Catalog.
Membership. Five tenured faculty members representing a diversity of academic
disiplines of the College, one of whom chairs the committee; and the Academic Dean.
1.4.10 Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee (faculty)
The Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee establishes and
promotes programs which encourage the intellectual and pedagogical development of
the faculty, reviews applications for and makes decisions on endowment and college-
funded individual faculty development grants, and determines the allocation of faculty
development funds, although final authority for these allocations rests with the
Academic Dean. The committee also assists newly appointed faculty in their orientation
to Guilford life.
Membership: Six members of the faculty, including a Chair and Assistant Chair. The
remaining faculty members will be divided with half focused on support for pre-tenure
and contingent faculty and half focused on post-tenure reviews. The Chair and post-
tenure review members are to be tenured faculty. The Chair is to serve a minimum
term of two years. Membership also includes the Director and Assistant Director of the
CPPSET and the RES librarian (ex officio).
1.4.11 Honors Council (faculty)
The Honors Council establishes and maintains standards of excellence for the Honors
Program. It oversees and supports the activities and curriculum of the Honors program,
ensuring sufficient offerings across divisions and in general education for students to
complete the requirements by graduation. This includes consideration of request for
contract honors courses. They are responsible for organizing (and supporting the
students who organize) activities and events for honors students. Finally, they advise
students working on senior research projects and support students who present at local
and national research conferences.
Membership. At least three faculty selected from a diversity of academic disciplines;
the Director of the Honors program, who chairs the committee; and one Dean’s office
representative from the staff.
1.4.12 Institutional Effectiveness Committee (collegewide)
Described in the Employee Handbook.
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1.4.13 Institutional Review Board (collegewide)
Persons conducting research involving human subjects have an ethical as well as a
professional obligation to ensure the safety, protection and rights of participants. The
Institutional Review Board (IRB) assists those engaged in human subject research to
conduct their research along ethical guidelines reflecting professional as well as
community standards. Guilford College recognizes its duty to protect the rights and
welfare of human subjects of research and has an obligation to ensure that all research
involving human subjects meets regulations established by the United States Codes of
Federal Regulations (CFR).
The Guilford College IRB must review any human subjects research conducted at
Guilford College regardless of outside approval. This includes all research with human
subjects conducted at Guilford College including faculty, staff and/or students as
research subjects or by Guilford College faculty, staff and/or students at any location.
Faculty members who teach regular courses that require all enrolled students to
develop and implement research projects may elect to have their research protocol
(training of students in human subjects’ considerations, review and approval of
proposed projects by faculty) approved by the IRB so that the individual student projects
do not require separate IRB approval.
Federal regulations define research as a systematic investigation, including testing and
evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalized knowledge. A human
subject is defined as a living individual about whom an investigator conducting research
obtains personal data through intervention or interaction with the individual or
identifiable private information.
The IRB has the authority to approve proposed research, to require revisions in
proposed research to ensure it includes safeguards to protect subjects, or to refuse to
approve proposed research if the applicant cannot or will not revise the protocol to
prevent identified risks to the subjects. Once the research is approved, the IRB has the
authority to monitor the research to ensure that research is conducted as approved.
IRB membership is specified by federal regulation. The IRB membership is a minimum
of five members, at least three of whom are faculty, and with consideration to diversity
of experience, expertise, race, gender, cultural background, and knowledge of
vulnerable populations of interest to researchers. One member will be from physical,
natural, or social science fields, one member will be from other academic areas, one
member is not otherwise affiliated with Guilford College. The IRB will be chaired by the
Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, who will facilitate the discussions
and protocol of the board but participate in the decision only in the instance of a tie
related to a full review of the board.
As the requirements above indicate, the committee could include from two to five (or
possibly more) Guilford faculty members. Guilford faculty members are nominated by
Nominating Committee and approved by the faculty. Non-faculty members and the
external member (whether faculty or not) will be nominated by the Director of
Institutional Research or the Academic Dean and approved by Clerk’s Committee.
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1.4.14 Learning Technology Advisory Committee (faculty)
Purpose:
The Learning Technologies Advisory Committee provides oversight and sets priorities
for the use of learning technologies that support Guilford’s teaching, learning, and
research environments. The Committee evaluates and makes recommendations
regarding faculty and student learning technologies education, IT&S technical support,
software and hardware investments, and related areas of support for learning
technologies, including learning space design.
Objectives:
● Identify, on an ongoing basis, opportunities for improvement or innovation in
teaching, learning, and research that can be enabled by learning technologies.
● Provide a forum where faculty can share their experiences in the use of teaching
and learning technologies.
● Develop a common vision for institutional teaching, learning, and research
systems and services that can provide broad campus benefit.
● Support the development of policies regarding the use of learning technologies.
● Inform the identification, selection, adoption, and deployment of major learning
technologies at the institutional level.
● Liaise with and provide recommendations to the College’s space planning
processes regarding the design of both formal and informal learning spaces.
● Provide ongoing guidance and recommendations regarding any significant issues
that may arise with the use of learning technologies by students and faculty.
● Provide direction to prevent, where appropriate, unnecessary redundancy or non-
sustainable learning technologies implementations and their resulting
inefficiencies and risks.
Membership:
● 3-5 faculty representing a wide variety of academic programs
● Instructional Technology Librarian (ex-officio)
● Director of Hege Library and Learning Technologies (standing - advisory)
● Director of Information Technology and Services (standing - advisory)
● One student representative
● As needed, such other individuals representing other areas of the College as the
committee may wish to engage and/or consult.
Chair:
The chair is determined by the Committee from among the faculty members on the
Committee.
Records:
The Committee keeps written minutes of meetings and makes a formal report to the full
faculty at the end of the academic year, or more often due to special circumstances.
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1.4.15 Nominating Committee (faculty)
Nominating Committee nominates faculty members to serve on standing committees,
ad hoc committees, and task forces at the college. It also nominates the faculty
representative to the Board of Trustees and nominates individuals to fill the positions of
Clerk of the Faculty and Recording Clerk; these two positions are then approved by the
faculty meeting. If the position of Clerk will be open in the coming year, Nominating
Committee will solicit nominations from faculty for a new Clerk. A week in advance of
the first Faculty Meeting of the spring semester, Nominating Committee will announce
the faculty nominee(s) to serve as the next Clerk of the Faculty. At the first spring
semester Faculty Meeting, Nominating Committee will also accept nominations for Clerk
from the corporate faculty. In addition, nominations for Clerk will continue to be
accepted by Nominating Committee up to two weeks prior to the second spring
semester Faculty Meeting to determine availability. The Clerk of the Faculty for the next
two-year term will be approved at the second spring semester Faculty Meeting. If there
are several candidates, Clerk will be approved by ballot. If a ballot is necessary, it will
be published a week before that Faculty Meeting.
Beginning the March prior to assuming the Clerkship in August, the Clerk-elect will
serve as an ex-officio member of all college-wide committees on which the Clerk serves
ex officio, and Clerk's Committee in order to provide transition and continuity. Unless the
Clerk-elect currently serves on the Faculty Affairs Committee, she/he/they may
withdraw from current committee assignments for the months of March and April.
During the academic year the committee also fills vacancies as they arise and names
faculty representatives to ad hoc search committees for the President and those
administrators reporting directly to the President. Advisory positions to student
organizations do not count for any of the standing committee assignments. (See
"Committee Service" 3.4.2.)
Full-time faculty, with the exception of the Clerk, normally serve on only one committee
at a time. Full-time faculty may volunteer to serve on a second committee, an ad hoc
committee, or a special project approved by Clerk’s Committee. In cases where there
are not enough volunteers, the Nominating Committee, in consultation with the Clerk’s
committee and the Academic Dean, may assign full-time tenured faculty to take on a
second committee, ad hoc committee, or special project. In such cases, Nominating
Committee will start by asking those serving on less-demanding committees or those
who would best broaden representation on the respective committee. Faculty serving on
Clerks Committee, Curriculum Committee, or Faculty Affairs Committee will not be
asked to serve on a second committee.
Participation on a task force, special project, or other group(s) created by administrators
or non-faculty parties may count towards committee service requirement if such service
is approved in consultation with the Academic Dean, Nominating Committee, and
Clerk’s Committee.
Faculty serving as department chairs or directors of interdisciplinary programs normally
receive a committee release for that service. In some cases where leadership duty is
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more taxing, the Academic Dean may offer chairs or directors (1) a stipend, or (2)
granted a course release. This applies to departments that meet at least two of the
following criteria:
● Higher than the median number of student majors
● Higher than the median number of faculty
● Unusually complex duties or obligations, such as lab sections or supplies, a high
number of adjunct faculty to oversee, significant accreditation requirements, or
special programs or partnerships to manage.
The Nominating Committee should attempt to balance the workload of service among
all tenured and tenure-track faculty. The Nominating Committee is obligated to assign a
diversity of academic disciplinary representation on three standing committees: Faculty
Affairs, Curriculum, and Clerk’s. For all other standing committees, the Nominating
Committee will strive to reach a diversity of academic disciplinary representation as best
as possible.
Early in the spring semester, the Nominating Committee asks faculty for their preferred
committee assignments and then submits a tentative list of nominees for the
subsequent academic year to the entire faculty. It is customary for the Nominating
Committee to review proposed faculty assignments with the Academic Dean, although
the Dean has no veto power over committee recommendations. Once the tentative list
of nominees has been circulated, there will be an opportunity to express individual
concerns at an open meeting of the Nominating Committee. Following the open
meeting, a revised list of nominees is prepared for faculty approval. Approval of the final
list of nominees is through a sense of the meeting of the faculty meeting.
Membership. Four faculty members; one of the tenured members chairs the
committee. Candidates for the Nominating Committee are recommended to the faculty
by the Clerk's Committee at the March or April faculty meeting; additional nominations
may be made from the floor. In presenting candidates for the Nominating Committee,
the Clerk's Committee should attempt to formulate a balanced slate based on
considerations such as gender, length of service, and academic discipline. The number
of candidates may be greater than the number of positions to be filled. When there are
two candidates for any single position, the selection will be made by secret ballot.
1.4.16 Policy Committee (college-wide)
Described in the Employee Handbook.
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Chapter II: Faculty Employment
2.0 ACADEMIC FREEDOM
Freedom to search for truth and to teach without fear of arbitrary interference is central
to a community of learning and to the common good of the larger society. Guilford
College is fully committed to the preservation of this freedom.
Guilford College affirms that the academic freedom of its professors is respected and
protected regardless of tenure. Newly appointed members of the faculty without tenure
enjoy the same privileges and responsibilities of academic freedom as tenured
professors.
Guilford College affirms a set of values which seek to guarantee and protect the dignity
of each individual. Unjustified profanity or racial, ethnic, sexual and other slurs violate
those values and strain the limits of academic freedom. (See Statement of
Nondiscriminatory Policy and Policy on Harassment and Intimidation in the College
Policy Library.)
Academic freedom involves responsibilities as well as privileges. (For other faculty
responsibilities, see Chapter III.) Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in
discussing course subject materials but should be careful not to introduce controversial
matter which is irrelevant to the subject taught. Although they may speak and write
freely as private citizens without institutional censorship or discipline, professors should
make every effort to indicate in such cases that they are not speaking for the institution.
Freedom of research and publication of results are assured; however, the College's
provision of the time and facilities necessary for research presupposes that care will be
taken to perform thoroughly and carefully other assigned duties. Research for pecuniary
return (beyond the scope of normal scholarly books, articles, papers, presentations and
the like, which may involve royalty or honorarium payments) should be based upon prior
understanding with the department chairperson, the Academic Dean, and the President.
2.1 FACULTY ALLOCATION AND RANKS
2.1.1 Allocation of Faculty Positions
The Clerk's Committee has the primary responsibility for recommending to the President
the allocation of faculty positions by department. The Academic Dean, department
chairpersons, or interdisciplinary program coordinators who seek to have tenure track
faculty positions assigned shall make proposals to the Clerk's Committee and the
Academic Dean, who sits with the Clerk's Committee. During the spring semester the
Clerk's Committee examines all position requests to determine whether they should be
added, deleted, remain in the same academic department, or be allocated to another
department, or not be filled. The position requests should carefully address how the
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proposed position will meet the "position of the College" guidelines. The Clerk's
Committee will request from the interdisciplinary program coordinators and the
Interdisciplinary Studies Division Chair assessments of their program needs and
requests for participation in specific faculty searches. The Committee uses the following
criteria in making its recommendations to the President:
1) Long-range planning;
2) Institutional curricular goals;
3) Course loads and faculty student loads in programs of the college, major, service to
other majors and to interdisciplinary programs and general education requirements;
4) Institutional and departmental educational goals and thus the types of courses
needed for programs of the college, major, service to other majors and
interdisciplinary programs and general education requirements;
5) Minimum size for departmental effectiveness; and
6) Advising load.
Specific guidelines and deadlines are available from the Clerk of the Faculty. When
recommendations under consideration would have significant new curricular or financial
implications, the Clerk's Committee shall consult with the Curriculum Committee and the
Academic Dean. Final decisions are communicated to departments and program
directors no later than the end of the academic year.
Often, allocated faculty positions will reside within one department or interdisciplinary
program to provide the faculty member with a clear administrative home and to ensure
our faculty has strong disciplinary background and skills. Less frequently, the Clerk's
Committee will approve positions that hold joint appointments in two related
departments or programs. Given the need to support our interdisciplinary programs in a
more deliberate manner, the Clerk's Committee will recommend to each approved
position an interdisciplinary area that should participate in the new position. A
representative of this chosen interdisciplinary program will serve on the search
committee (See Section 2.210 New Faculty Appointments: Search Process) The Clerk's
Committee encourages the requesting department to meet with related departments
and interdisciplinary programs to discuss possible joint appointments before submitting
a position request. While the Clerk's Committee will generally attempt to honor these
joint requests, its decisions must reflect broad institutional goals and highest program
needs.
2.1.2 Allocation of Joint Faculty/Administrative Positions
Requests for the allocation or reallocation of appointments involving substantial
responsibility in the instructional program of the College in addition to administrative
responsibility are considered as follows:
Requests for positions should include a detailed position description, a rationale for the
position, an analysis of the anticipated workload, and designation of the reporting
structure and budgetary implications.
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Requests are presented simultaneously to the President, the Academic Dean, and the
Clerk of the Faculty (or in the case of the President, the Board of Trustees).
The President, Academic Dean and Clerk screen requests to be sure that the allocation
discussions are handled appropriately and represent positions which are not otherwise
clearly within the designated procedures for either faculty position allocations or
administrative position allocations described in this Handbook.
Requests are examined by Clerk's Committee.
Requests for joint faculty/administrative appointments are submitted on or before March
15 for appointments to begin June 1 of the following year. It is recognized that, in some
cases, requests may have to be considered during the fall as well.
In cases involving joint faculty/administrative appointments, the College's guidelines for
carefully controlling growth within the faculty and administration will be maintained
unless there are unusually convincing reasons why a special exception should be
granted. Granting an exception would involve the concurrence of both the Clerk's
Committee and the President.
Full-time faculty (tenured or tenure-track) who hold the positions of Clerk of the Faculty,
Associate Dean for Academic Advising and Retention, Director of the Writing Program,
Director of the Honors Program, as well as faculty who are assigned part-time to The
Learning Commons, accrue leave time at a full-time rate, are eligible for faculty travel
funds, and may apply for faculty development grants and research funds.
Normally, only tenured faculty assume these positions, but if the faculty member is
untenured and in a tenure-track position, credit toward tenure is accrued at the full-time
rate.
2.1.3 Faculty Ranks
Full-time tenured or tenure-track teaching faculty members are assigned the faculty
ranks of Instructor, Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor. The modifier "Visiting" is
used to denote a full-time faculty member who is teaching on a temporary basis.
● Instructors typically have an earned master’s degree, previous teaching
experience (including experience as a teaching assistant), and evidence of
potential for growth as a teacher and scholar
● Assistant professors typically have a doctorate or other relevant terminal degree,
previous teaching experience, and strong evidence of potential for growth as a
teacher and scholar
● Associate professors have a doctorate or other relevant terminal degree,
completion of at least five years in an assistant professor appointment,
demonstrated excellence in teaching, demonstrated scholarly and/or creative
achievement, and demonstrated service to the College and/or the profession
● Professors have a doctorate or other relevant terminal degree, completion of at
least five years at the rank of associate professor, demonstrated continuing
excellence in teaching, demonstration of continued scholarly and/or creative
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accomplishment, and demonstration of sustained service to the College,
including leadership roles
Part-time faculty members are assigned the rank of Lecturer, either "temporary" or
"continuing." Normally, part-time faculty will have a graduate degree in the appropriate
field. See "Part-time Faculty Status" (2.221).
Adjunct faculty status is a courtesy appointment in a department for administrators or
persons within the wider community, normally without tenure, which recognizes the
person's ability to contribute to the College's academic program. The appointment will
be made upon recommendation of the department, the FAC, and the Academic Dean
with the written consent of the President.
2.2 FACULTY SEARCH AND HIRING
2.2.1 Search Procedures for Recruiting Faculty to Guilford College
I. Preface
A. The College is committed to the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty as
an important way to add value to the educational experiences we seek to offer
our students. As a community of scholars, therefore, we are committed to the
"Educational Principles and Realities Underlying the Need for a Diverse Faculty
at Guilford College," which is incorporated herein by reference.
B. As discussed in the aforementioned "Educational Principles," the College has
adopted the following statement:
Statement on Diversity
At Guilford College, we believe strongly that having a faculty representative of people of
diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives is central to our heritage and to the
mandate we have to prepare our students for the society in which they will live and the
vocations they will pursue. The faculty is convinced that having a diverse faculty reflects
the College's stated values of guaranteeing and protecting the dignity of each individual,
while pursuing the common goals of our larger society. Therefore, the faculty views its
commitment to providing an education animated by these values as an important
expression of its right to academic freedom.
We define diversity broadly to include group differences (based on age, race, gender,
sexual orientation, disabilities, ethnicity, religion and national origin) as well as individual
differences, including career and life experiences, socioeconomic background,
geographic roots, and other variables.
Our heritage and our history call us to focus on improving the diversity among our
faculty. Consequently, we will aggressively recruit, and seek to hire and retain faculty
role models who represent the diversity that we and other educators believe is
necessary to provide an educational experience for Guilford College students that is in
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keeping with our Quaker traditions and relevant to the 21st Century. At the same time,
our legacy also compels us to continue to seek to hire Quaker faculty as a way of
maintaining the College's heritage and core educational values.
C. Because of its role in faculty recruitment, the faculty can be the single most
important component in helping the College pursue the faculty diversity
necessary to provide an excellent education for our students. The Clerk's
Committee has therefore approved the following search procedures as a
necessary part of the College's diversity recruitment efforts. They apply to all
tenure track searches. In cases where a position changes from temporary to
tenure track, the College shall carry out a national search that follows these
guidelines.
II. Monitoring the Search Process:
A. The Academic Dean is responsible for monitoring the faculty search process to
ensure that searches are conducted in compliance with these procedures.
Search Committees are required to report formally to the Academic Dean at
three steps in the search process as outlined herein.
B. Advertising and Contacting Potential Candidates.
The Search Committee shall submit to the Dean's Office a list of sites/publications
where the ad will be posted before the ad is placed.
C. Interim Report to the Academic Dean's Office.
i. The Search Committee shall submit to the Dean's Office a short list (6-10
files) of candidates whom they consider to be the top applicants for the
position before inviting anyone for interviews.
ii. Each Search Committee shall submit with the short list of candidates a full
report on search steps 1-6 below, along with dates showing when the
department accomplished each of the required tasks for the search.
iii. If the list of the three candidates whom the Search Committee proposes to
invite for campus interviews does not include a candidate who would promote
the College's goal of hiring diverse role models for our students, the
committee must request permission of the Academic Dean to invite any
candidates to campus. In making their request, the Committee shall describe
in detail their search process and the steps taken to include candidates
representing diversity in their selection pool.
D. Conclusion of the Search.
Following the conclusion of a search, each Search Committee shall submit a report of
the search process, including a list of those candidates invited to campus and the hiring
decision.
III. Search Committee and Administrative Support:
A. The Search Committee will consist of members of the relevant academic
department and a representative from the IDS major/program(s) which is/are
included in the ad. The IDS representative is a regular member of the committee
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and is expected to read files and participate in interviews that are conducted at
conferences.
B. The Dean's Office will identify a secretary who is (or becomes) familiar with all
aspects of the search process who will be available to assist with each search.
IV. Language Used in Publicizing the Position:
Each ad as part of a search shall contain Guilford’s statement on diversity and EOE/AA
as provided by Human Resources.
V. Details of the Search:
A. Introduction: The search committee must know in detail the nature of Guilford's
curricular commitment to multicultural and diversity issues, so that it can be
absolutely frank and accurate about Guilford's situation -- both points that may
appeal and points that may not. It must have similar knowledge about the
commitment of Student Life and Admissions to students of diverse backgrounds
and the issues that are unique to them. The committee must also be
knowledgeable about what life in Greensboro might be like for a faculty member
who will contribute to Guilford's diversity, and to his/her/their family.
The search committee should be adept in recognizing details in a cover letter, resume
or recommendation letter that indicate great ability. It should also be able to imagine
why a person of great ability might have followed an unusual route toward and through
graduate school and through the early stages of a post-doctoral career.
B. Each academic department conducting a search must follow steps 1-6 below.
The department chair (or faculty member in charge of the search) shall record
the date(s) these items are accomplished in the blank in front of each task. The
additional steps listed in C. are encouraged, if possible and relevant to a
particular search.
i. place ads (to the extent affordable) in journals oriented toward the diversity
Guilford seeks. (See section VIII);
ii. use directory of associations (maintained by the Academic Dean) to obtain
names of all associations connected to field of search, and request that these
associations post the announcement in appropriate places, including
websites, if available;
iii. identify schools granting a large percentage of their degrees to students
representing diversity and request that they post the announcement on their
web sites and in other relevant media (See section VIII);
iv. seek listings of scholarship and award recipients who would contribute to
Guilford's diversity and send letters to potential candidates encouraging them
to apply for a position at Guilford (See section VIII);
v. post job-opening ads on Guilford's web site;
vi. review all directories of candidates who would contribute to Guilford's diversity
(See section VIII); and send letters to potential candidates encouraging them
to apply for a position at Guilford.
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C. The following are additional ways in which a diverse pool of candidates may be
identified. Departments are encouraged, but not required, to implement
whichever actions are feasible.
● attending sessions on diversity issues at national higher education
association meetings;
● getting into the habit of attending diversity caucus sessions at field specific
professional association meetings;
● working with our own existing contacts to discover strong potential
candidates; developing new contacts;
● being on the lookout at professional meetings for strong graduate students,
even those just advancing to candidacy, and faculty at other institutions for
whom Guilford might be appealing, for future reference; doing the same in
perusing professional journals;
● visiting graduate schools and department placement officers at graduate
programs that appeal to candidates who would contribute to Guilford's
diversity;
● being attentive to prospects in the consortia in graduate programs that strive
to attract and graduate candidates who would contribute to Guilford's
diversity;
● seeking nominations from colleagues in the field, and contacting nominated
candidates:
● contacting Guilford College alumni representative of the diversity we seek;
● connecting with Board of Trustees to advise them of openings;
● seeking helpful information for different departments from various Higher
Education associations;
● contacting graduate schools in the British West Indies;
● locating and contacting graduate schools in London, Paris and other foreign
cities that are sites of candidates who would contribute to Guilford's diversity;
● seeking Fulbright scholars;
● contacting major university student associations of groups which would
contribute to Guilford's diversity;
● determining e-mail addresses of web sites for students who would contribute
to Guilford's diversity;
● contacting sororities and fraternities whose membership would contribute to
Guilford's diversity;
● searching through the file in the Dean's Office of possible candidates who
have been identified as representative of diversity.
VI. Campus Visit
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During their campus visit, candidates for faculty positions should meet with the following
people:
● President
● Academic Dean
● Members of the department to which the candidate will be appointed
● Representatives from IDS major(s) which is (are) involved in the job
description
● Representatives of additional departments, if applicable (e.g., in case of a
joint search)
● Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion or staff representatives of the
DEI office
● Students who are majoring in the discipline and the IDS program
● Chair or Assistant Chair of Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
● Director of Human Resources
● A representative of the Clerk's Committee
All candidates shall be required to teach a class or give a scholarly presentation that is
directed at an undergraduate audience.
VII. Assessment
Each year the Academic Dean and Clerk's Committee will assess the effectiveness of
the Search Procedures and report on the progress made during the year on improving
the diversity of the faculty.
VIII. Resources
The office of the Academic Dean will compile and regularly update resources to provide
support for search committees.
These "Search Procedures for Recruiting Faculty, Guilford College" are not a guarantee
or contract of employment, nor do they operate to impose any hiring quotas on
faculty hiring decisions.
2.2.2 Part-Time Faculty Hiring Procedure
Part-time employment is contingent upon departmental enrollment being sufficiently
large to justify additional staff. The Academic Dean determines needs and allocation of
funds available to employ part-time personnel. In the selection of part-time faculty, the
Academic Dean consults with the department chairperson concerning the job
qualifications required. The chairperson reviews available candidates with department
faculty members and makes a recommendation to the Academic Dean. The Academic
Dean, as appropriate, may conduct an interview. Search processes and selection
criteria are different for part-time and full-time positions; and regular, long-term service
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as a part-time employee does not qualify an individual for special consideration for full-
time appointment.
Up-to-date vita, certification of credentials by the Director of Human Resources, and
letters of recommendation, where appropriate, for all part-time faculty members are
required and are kept in the Academic Dean’s office.
The title assigned to part-time faculty is lecturer. Part-time faculty are employed on a
semester or (rarely) yearly basis. Compensation is adjusted for teaching a four-credit
course enrolling fewer than ten students. Forty students is the maximum number for one
course, unless otherwise jointly approved by the teacher and the Academic Dean.
Compensation for part-time faculty will be reviewed annually by the Academic Dean in
consultation with the department chairperson.
Department chairs will acquaint part-time faculty with the College in an appropriate
orientation session. The department chairperson, working with the Academic Dean and
the Business Office, will see to the physical arrangements (office, telephone, etc.) for
part-time instructors.
For adjunct faculty, see "Faculty" (2.1.3
2.2.2.1 Continuing Part-time Faculty Status
The College has adopted a two-tiered structure for part-time faculty members. The first
group, "temporary" part-time faculty members, are individuals recently hired or filling
slots which are designated temporary. A second group, "continuing" part-time faculty
members, are individuals who have taught at the College for three consecutive years
and for whom future assignments appear likely. "Continuing" part-time faculty are
eligible for faculty travel funds and may apply for faculty research and faculty
development funds. Both "temporary" and "continuing" part-time faculty normally have a
graduate degree in the appropriate field, with any exceptions approved by the Academic
Dean.
Each "temporary" part-time faculty member shall be reviewed by the department
chairperson at the end of each of the first two semesters in which he/she/they teaches
at the College and every two years thereafter. The chairperson will review the student
evaluations and discuss them with the instructor. A brief summary of the conversation
will be included in the departmental files and a copy sent to the Academic Dean.
An individual may be nominated for "continuing" part-time status by his/her/their
department after teaching at least one course per year during three consecutive
academic years. Nominations go to the FAC and the Academic Dean. Departments
should be prepared to document a solid continuing need for the part-time position to be
filled for several years in the future. The FAC and Dean will review the applications on
the basis of two criteria: first, the strength of the statement for continued need for the
part-time position; second, the teaching record, at Guilford, of the individual proposed to
determine the desirability of long-term instructional assignment. "Continuing" part- time
faculty are expected to participate in institutional and departmental responsibilities in
consultation with the department chair. These activities may include advising,
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supervising independent studies, serving on one committee or attending departmental
meetings.
"Continuing" part-time faculty shall be reviewed by the FAC three years after gaining the
status of "continuing" and every five years thereafter. The employment of "continuing"
part-time faculty may be terminated under any of the following conditions: after a
negative review by the FAC; if a drop-in student enrollment below the required number
or a change in the departmental curriculum necessitates the elimination of courses
taught by "continuing" part-time faculty (See 3.1.1); other reasons for termination as
given in 2.7. Following a negative review, a "continuing" part-time faculty member will
teach no longer than the semester following the semester in which the review occurred.
2.2.3 The Faculty Letters of Agreement
Employment for full-time faculty at the College is based upon a letter of agreement
between faculty members and the institution. Every effort is made to issue letters of
agreement for the academic year in early March. However, faculty members in their first
year in a tenure track position must be notified by March 1st, and faculty members in
their second year of a tenure track position must be notified by December 15 (six
months' notice) of the College's intent not to renew their employment; faculty who have
been at Guilford for more than two years are entitled to a full year's notice.
The period of service under the faculty letter of agreement is for the academic year,
August 15th through May 15th, exclusive of College holidays (Fall Break, Thanksgiving
holiday, Winter Break, Martin Luther King Day and Spring Break). In addition to
classroom and other College duties (one standing committee assignment, departmental
work, advising, and the like), faculty members must be available for first-year student
orientation and opening faculty meeting, FYE planning and advising sessions both
before and after the classroom year, graduation, and similar important institutional
events. From May 15th to August 15th individuals are free to carry out personal and
professional activities which do not conflict with obligations as noted above.
Letters of agreement are issued on an annual basis for those faculty members not on
tenure track. Annual letters, which record base salary, are also issued to tenure-track
faculty members; however, their chief purpose is to indicate changes in rank and salary.
Salary raises are administered according to the College’s Compensation Plan. Salary
averages of base pay for the various professorial ranks at Guilford College are
published annually, both nationally in Academe: Bulletin of the AAUP and Chronicle of
Higher Education, and locally in the Dean's and President's annual reports. Annual full-
time salaries for continuing faculty are paid in twelve monthly increments for nine
months of service after the first year of service, for which the full salary is paid in fewer
monthly increments based on the fiscal year schedule.
Any questions about letters of agreement should be discussed with the Academic Dean,
who will consult as necessary with the President.
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2.2.3.1 Renewal of Letters of Agreement--Second- and Fourth-Year Reviews
Normally, a newly appointed tenure-track faculty member may expect to receive a
second annual letter of agreement. Exceptions can be made that necessitate a review
in the first year; in such a case, a decision not to continue employment is communicated
to the faculty member before March 1st of the current year. Appointments that are
clearly temporary in nature are so identified at the time of appointment.
In summary, except in the case of temporary appointments, any decision not to renew
the appointment of a non-tenured full-time faculty member requires a full review, which
requires written recommendations to the President from the FAC and the Academic
Dean. Such reviews are normal prior to the sixth-year tenure review: one in the second
and one in the fourth year of service. See "The Tenure Review Process" (2.4.)
2.2.3.2 Non-renewal of Non-Tenured Tenure-Track Faculty
Until tenure is granted, the College may choose not to renew a faculty member's
appointment with due notice.
If the faculty member is not to be renewed, the College will notify him or her according
to the schedule described in Section 2.2.3.1 (“Renewal Letters of Agreement – Second-
and Fourth- Year Reviews”). Non-tenured tenure-track faculty members may appeal
non-renewal decisions through the appeals process (see 2.6.1 “Appeals for Review,
Tenure, and Promotion”).
2.3 THE REVIEW PROCESS
The review process outlined in this section applies to second-year, fourth-year, tenure,
promotion and other reviews undertaken by the Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC). For all
reviews, the Academic Dean will meet with faculty coming up for review prior to their
submitting materials. The FAC reviews are undertaken with priority given to those
requiring earliest notification. Normally reviews occur in the following order: second-
year, tenure, fourth-year, special, and promotion. The College will comply with the 1970
“Interpretive Comments” of the AAUP’s 1940 “Statement of Principles” regarding
notification of non-renewal deadlines: no later than March 1st of the first academic year
of service; no later than December 15th of the second academic year of service; at least
twelve months before the expiration of appointment after two or more years in the
institution.
During the fall semester of the faculty member’s second year the FAC conducts a
formal evaluation and review of each tenure-track faculty member’s performance. This
process is known as the second-year review and its purpose is to determine retention or
non-retention. If the review is negative, the decision not to extend a third letter of
agreement is communicated to the faculty member before December 15th of the second
year.
In some cases, along with a positive second-year review, the FAC, the Academic Dean,
or the President may stipulate that a subsequent evaluation and review will be held
within the next twelve months. Any such review will follow the same procedures as other
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reviews. Any negative review other than the second-year review will be communicated
on or before May 15th, so as to provide a full twelve months’ notice of termination.
During the fall semester of the fourth year, the FAC will conduct another review of
tenure-track faculty performance. The purpose of the fourth-year review will also be to
determine retention or non-retention and to communicate areas in which improvement is
needed in the faculty member’s performance if tenure is ultimately to be granted. As in
the second-year review, the FAC, the Academic Dean, or the President may mandate
an additional review the following academic year.
During the fall semester of the sixth year of teaching at the College, the FAC will
conduct a tenure review of a tenure-track faculty member’s performance. Prior to the
FAC’s beginning the tenure review process, it is required that the faculty member has
completed the appropriate terminal degree. Written evidence from the degree granting
institution must be received by the Academic Dean before the opening faculty meeting
in the fall of the year the person is scheduled to come up for tenure.
Any reduction of the probationary period is agreed upon at the time of initial
appointment as is stated as part of the first letter of agreement to a tenure-track
appointment (See Section 2.4 Tenure Process).
2.3.1 Information-Gathering Responsibilities
The Academic Dean is responsible for maintaining current personnel files of all faculty
members and for distributing and keeping any specific instruments of evaluation
adopted by faculty action (e.g., student evaluations of classes and a standardized
advisor evaluation). Each file shall include an official transcript and an up-to-date vita of
the faculty member. The Academic Dean is also responsible for notifying in writing all
faculty members scheduled to be reviewed. Such notification shall take place on or
before October 1st and will provide at least a thirty-day notice before which materials
must be submitted for review. Through appropriate College media, the Dean will
announce the names of faculty to be reviewed and issue an invitation to all members of
the community to write letters concerning the person to be reviewed. The chairperson of
the FAC will work with the Academic Dean to assure timely collection of all additional
material relevant to any individual review. Confidential materials collected for reviews
can be seen only by the FAC, the Academic Dean, the President, the Appeals Board (if
convened), and the Board of Trustees.
The faculty member under review is responsible for preparing the following materials
and submitting them to the Office of the Academic Dean:
1. A written self-evaluation by the faculty member under review. Although there is
no set standard for length, a self-evaluation is typically 8 to 12 pages single-
spaced. The faculty member should be as concise as possible while still
addressing the four criteria outlined in 2.340 (“Review Criteria”).
2. An updated vita
3. Course syllabi for all courses taught during the period of review
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4. Other teaching materials, such as examples of assignments, alternative course
evaluations, grading rubrics, or other materials to illustrate teaching excellence
and growth
5. Copies of publications, reviews, documentation of exhibitions, performances, or
lectures
6. Documents that support excellence in advising or service
NOTE: Faculty members may update or add material in the file under the following
circumstances: (a) written request by the FAC or Academic Dean, or (b) new
information about publication or presentation of scholarly or creative accomplishments.
There is no guarantee that materials submitted after the due date will be incorporated
into the review.
The Office of the Academic Dean will collect the following materials and make them
available to the FAC:
1. Copies of all standardized course evaluations for all classes taught at Guilford
during fall and spring semesters since the previous FAC review or for the last two
academic years at the College, as well as the individual, college, and division
averages of numerical summaries for the semesters under review.
2. The previous FAC review letter and any written response submitted by the faculty
member after the review. Supporting documents and other material considered
for prior reviews are not a part of a current review.
3. Confidential letters of evaluation from all full-time tenured or tenure-track
departmental faculty members. The letter will include an analysis of the faculty
member's qualifications and work relating to the four criteria outlined in 2.340
(“Review Criteria”). Colleagues who write letters may look at syllabi, have
conversations about pedagogy, and observe classes according to the guidelines
set by the Faculty Development Committee. Non- tenure-track and first-year
faculty members may choose to abstain from submitting letters.
4. Confidential letters from two to three extra-departmental colleagues, nominated
by the candidate. These letters shall include an analysis of the faculty member’s
qualifications and work relating to the four criteria outlined in 2.340 (“Review
Criteria”). Colleagues who write letters may look at syllabi, have conversations
about pedagogy, and observe classes according to the guidelines set by the
Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee. Members of the
Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee who have formally
mentored the faculty member since the previous FAC review should not write a
letter to the FAC about that faculty member. If the faculty member has strong
reasons for wanting a letter from one of these committee members, they may
request one.
5. Confidential letters solicited from thirty-five (35) randomly selected students who
have worked with the faculty member over the past two academic years,
including at least twenty-five students from class lists (majors and non-majors
when possible), and up to 10 advisees (new students and major advisees when
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possible). The prompts from the Dean’s office will ask the student to comment on
the faculty member’s teaching and advising.
6. Confidential letters from three students, to be named by the faculty member, who
have taken a class from or been advised by the faculty member during the period
under review.
7. Results of standardized advisor evaluations. A standardized advisor evaluation is
one component used by the FAC in assessing “evidence of effective advising”
(see section 2.343).
8. Other letters received as a result of invitations posted through the appropriate
College media or additional items requested by the FAC or the Academic Dean.
Note: The failure of any individual or group to provide any or all of the above material in
no way invalidates the deliberative conclusions of the FAC. Required material
submitted by the faculty member under review or by others after the announced
deadline will not be considered as part of the review.
2.3.2 Deliberative Process
[Revisions approved by the faculty, the President, and Board of Trustees, October 2018
and February 2019]
Each member of the FAC and the Academic Dean shall review all the materials
described above, prior to Committee discussion. The Academic Dean shall provide any
relevant administrative information in such a manner as to protect the confidentiality of
those concerned. All discussions of the Committee are confidential.
After the FAC has reviewed the written material and initiated its discussion, the
chairperson may invite the faculty member under review to meet with the Committee for
open discussion of the Committee's and the faculty member's perceptions. If the faculty
member desires, a faculty colleague may be invited to appear as an advocate before
the Committee. Should the faculty member under review choose not to appear before
the Committee, the deliberative process shall continue according to routine. If the FAC
deems it necessary, other individuals may be invited to discuss the candidate's
performance. The FAC will keep a written, confidential summary of any meetings with
the faculty member under review. The faculty member will have the opportunity to
review and respond to such a summary. The summary and any response become a
part of the review record.
The members of the FAC shall work toward a sense of the meeting separately from the
Academic Dean. Afterward, the FAC and the Academic Dean will confer and if there is a
clear sense of the meeting they will communicate their recommendations to the
President of the College. If there is not a clear sense of the meeting, then two or more
recommendations reflecting the different positions must be written, recorded, and
transmitted to the President. If the FAC and Academic Dean are in consensus, the
President may join their consensus and endorse their recommendation. Alternatively, if
the President does not endorse the FAC and Academic Dean consensus, he/she/they
must write a separate determination. If the FAC and Academic Dean are not in
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consensus, then the President must write a separate positive or negative determination.
The President communicates that determination to the FAC, the Academic Dean, and
the faculty member.
Resolution of Reviews
The following review outcomes apply to tenure and promotion reviews (for
reappointment reviews, see below):
Positive outcomes: If the recommendation of the FAC and Dean is positive, split, or
negative and the President’s determination is positive, then that decision is the final
result of the review.
Negative outcomes: If the consensus recommendation of the FAC and Dean is
negative, and the President’s determination is negative, then that decision is the final
result of the review, though the faculty member has the right to appeal to the Board of
Trustees, following the procedure described in Section 2.6.1.
Mixed outcomes: If the recommendation of the FAC and Dean is positive or split, and
the President’s determination is negative, the faculty member has the right to appeal,
following the procedure described in Section 2.6.1.
Faculty members who are not granted tenure in a tenure review will be granted a one-
year terminal appointment.
Reappointment (2
nd
or 4
th
year) reviews: These are the possible outcomes:
● If the recommendation of the FAC and Dean is positive, split, or negative and the
President’s determination is positive, the President’s determination is the final
result of the review.
● If the recommendation of the FAC and Dean is positive or split and the
President’s determination is negative, the faculty member has the right to appeal
to the Appeals Board only, following the procedure described in Section 2.6.1.
● If the recommendation of the FAC and Dean is negative, and the President’s
determination is negative, the faculty member has the right to appeal to the
Appeals Board only, following the procedure described in Section 2.6.1.
The Appeals Board reports its findings to the FAC, the Dean, and the President, whose
second determination (only made in the case of an appeal) is the final result of the
review. The Board of Trustees does not entertain appeals for reappointment reviews.
Reporting of Results
The Academic Dean shall compile the following information and distribute it to the
faculty member under review and to the department chairperson of the faculty member:
● The recommendation from the FAC and Dean, or multiple recommendations if
the FAC did not arrive at a consensus position;
● The determination from the President, if the President wrote a separate
determination from FAC and the Dean.
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This report should be made as soon as possible after the President has made her or his
determination.
A faculty member who wants clarification of the report may request a meeting with the
Academic Dean and a member of FAC. A faculty member who receives a positive
review but who disagrees with specific information in the report may submit a rebuttal
letter to the Dean. Both the report and the faculty member’s rebuttal (if applicable) will
be kept in the faculty member’s personnel file and will be examined in subsequent
reviews.
If an appeal eventually proceeds to the Board of Trustees, the Academic Dean will also
provide a summary of the decision of the Board of Trustees to the faculty member and
department chairperson once that decision is reached.
2.3.2.1 Tenure Decisions
Tenure is granted by action of the Board of Trustees, subsequent to the completion of
the College's formal review process. In all cases where the FAC, the Academic Dean,
and the President have recommended in favor of granting tenure, the President will ask
the Board to approve tenure. When differences of opinion exist, the President will meet
with the FAC and the Academic Dean to try to resolve them. If unresolved differences
remain and the President's recommendation is affirmative, the President, the Academic
Dean, and a representative from the FAC should convey to the Board of Trustees the
nature of the unresolved differences, along with the President's recommendation to
grant tenure. In cases where the President recommends against granting tenure, the
Board will be informed of the issues and judgments formed throughout the review
process and of the negative recommendation, but the Board only takes action if the
Appeals Process is invoked.
Immediately following the decision of the Board of Trustees, the President shall inform
the faculty member in writing of the decision to grant or withhold tenure. A faculty
member who is denied tenure may invoke the College's Appeals Process set forth in
section 2.6.1 (“Appeals for Review, Tenure, and Promotion; see also 2.4
“Tenure). Faculty members who are not granted tenure will be granted a one-year
terminal appointment.
2.3.3 Review Criteria
The most important criterion in any faculty review is teaching excellence. Other criteria
considered, but not prioritized, are effective advising, growth as a scholar, and service
to the College community.
2.3.3.1 Teaching Excellence
[Revisions approved by the faculty, January 2011 and the Board of Trustees, February
2011]
Continuing excellence in the quality of teaching is the first and foremost consideration in
all faculty personnel decisions. The extent to which any teacher enables students to
move towards a lifetime of self-education is a significant dimension of this quality of
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accomplishment. Guilford is in some ways like other schools, but it also has a specific
mission and set of academic principles. Each teacher will articulate how her or his
courses reflect the particular mission of the school and the 5 academic principles.
The College believes that the ability to involve students effectively in the learning
process can be demonstrated in many ways. However demonstrated, it is excellence,
rather than the potential or the hope for excellence, that is sought. The College believes
that established patterns of strength or weakness are more relevant to faculty
evaluation than are short-term successes or failures in the classroom.
Criteria and Assessment
Excellence in teaching manifests itself in four general categories: content expertise,
instructional design skills, instructional delivery, and course management. The following
paragraphs describe these categories in terms of criteria and in terms of assessment.
Content expertise includes the faculty member’s education and experiences that directly
support the teaching of a particular subject. Content expertise is not static and includes
ongoing expansion of one’s disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge base. At
Guilford, in addition to teaching courses in a specialty area, faculty teach courses that
serve both the needs of their department and the general education requirements of the
college.
When assessing content expertise, reviews may consider, among other things, the
faculty member’s education, professional background, scholarship specifically related to
teaching, and reflections mentioned in the self-evaluation. The most fundamental
consideration is the completion of the appropriate terminal degree. However, content
expertise may also be assessed by disciplinary peers at the college and may be
supported by an evaluative letter from a peer outside the college solicited by the faculty
member under review. This outside letter should demonstrate knowledge of the
teacher’s intellectual grounding in the subject and current teaching practices. Faculty
members may further demonstrate growing expertise by such activities as participating
in conferences, attending faculty development or excellence in teaching workshops, or
taking classes.
Instructional design includes creating courses that are organized around clear
objectives, and strategically sequenced to build named abilities over the course of the
semester through specific assignments and exercises, all of which can be assessed for
demonstrable skill. Good design is appropriate to the level and topic and also addresses
the 5 academic principles as appropriate to the disciplines and subjects of those
courses. It may also involve the use of information technology in ways that effectively
support a course’s objectives and desired outcomes.
When assessing instructional design, reviewers may consider, among other things,
course syllabi, course materials (including assignments), peer reviews, and the faculty
member’s self-evaluation.
Instructional delivery includes the ability to create an environment that engages and
stimulates diverse students to reflect on complex issues, think critically (in a disciplinary
and/or interdisciplinary manner), to nurture imagination and creativity, and to
communicate clearly the methods of one's academic discipline or subject.
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Excellent teaching contributes to comprehension of material by students. Excellent
teachers communicate enthusiasm about the subject matter that they teach. They
organize their courses and class meetings in advance, but also demonstrate a
willingness to adjust the course in response to their ongoing assessments of their
students’ comprehension and development of skills. They treat their students with
respect, and they demonstrate a willingness to listen and respond to student concerns.
Instructional delivery may be assessed by student evaluations, peer reviews of
teaching, course materials (e.g., rubrics, feedback sheets, etc.), and the faculty
member’s self-evaluation.
Course management skills include how the classroom and assignments are managed
throughout the course. Skills required are record keeping: maintaining accurate grades,
noting absences in accordance with course syllabus, and submitting grades (mid-term
and final grades) on time in accordance with instructions from the office of the Academic
Dean. Other skills include noting and accommodating students’ documented special
learning needs. Course management also includes timely grading and return of graded
materials, maintaining office hours, timely processing of add/drop forms and incomplete
forms.
When assessing course management reviewers may consider, among other things,
syllabi, student evaluations, peer reviews, and self-evaluation. Information regarding
compliance with grade submissions and related grade forms may be obtained from the
office of the Academic Dean.
2.3.3.2 Scholarship and Creative Activity
The College believes that there is an inherent connection between teaching excellence
and the faculty member's continuing scholarship and creative activity. Making one's
efforts public among professional peers and more general audiences brings with it
mutual benefits from the exchange of insights and critiques. Both the College
community and the wider network of professional colleagues elsewhere serve
appropriately in the nurturing of the faculty member’s scholarship and creative work. In
considering the connection of the faculty member’s scholarship and creative expression
both to the teaching mission of the College and to professional peers, the College
strives to balance the internal worth and external merit of that work.
Criteria and Assessment
The faculty member’s self-evaluation and supporting documentation are the primary
means of assessment of scholarship and creative activity. Because teaching excellence
is the primary focus of faculty members at Guilford (and the main criterion for tenure
and promotion), the faculty member under review should describe their scholarship and
reflect on the connection between their scholarly and creative activity and continued
teaching excellence.
The self-evaluation provides a description of the connection between the faculty
member’s teaching and scholarship. Demonstration of this connection may include
effects of the faculty member’s scholarship on the content of existing or planned
courses, on pedagogical methods, on the mentoring of student research or creative
works, or other salutary effects on student learning. Peer review of the results of
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continuing scholarly activity is essential and is broadly construed. Publication,
presentations or exhibits inside and outside the college, and reviews and application by
others of one’s work are some of the ways that a faculty member can demonstrate peer
review of scholarly and creative work.
The College recognizes and evaluates a wide variety of scholarly and creative activities
consistent with the College’s mission. Drawing on Boyer’s taxonomy in Scholarship
Reconsidered (1990), a faculty member’s scholarship is demonstrated in one or more of
the categories of discovery, integration, application, or teaching. Many activities and
products can be classified as more than one type of scholarship. The faculty member
may describe other activities that provide evidence for continuing scholarship that do
not fall into the categories described below. The Summary of Scholarship Elements
(below) summarizes criteria that the Faculty Affairs Committee will consider as it
evaluates scholarship. The College does not expect all pieces of scholarship to meet all
these standards.
The scholarship of discovery refers to original research or creative work within the
faculty member’s discipline(s).
Evidence of scholarship of discovery is assessed through scholarly activities such as
publication or presentation of original work within one’s discipline or public exhibits of
creativity such as art shows, concerts, and dramatic performances. Peer reviews and
application of the faculty member’s scholarship by others may also be used to
demonstrate the scholarship of discovery.
The scholarship of integration speaks to the analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of
research and creative work from one or more disciplines. It speaks to the College’s
emphasis on interdisciplinary studies (although interdisciplinary scholarship can be
placed in any of these categories of scholarship).
Evidence of scholarship of integration is assessed through publication or presentation of
theory, literature reviews, meta-analyses, multidisciplinary research, creative work, or
other appropriate work for specialist or non-specialist audiences. Peer reviews and
application of the faculty member’s scholarship by others may also be used to
demonstrate the scholarship of integration.
The scholarship of application refers to professional activities outside or within the
College that require the use of knowledge in the faculty member’s discipline(s). Such
activities often reflect the College’s commitment to Principled Problem Solving (PPS),
although the scholarship of application is not limited to PPS.
Evidence of scholarship of application is assessed by publications, presentations,
consultations, or the development of intellectual property in which the faculty member
applies their disciplinary knowledge. Evidence includes but is not limited to developing
and/or assessing programs for community agencies, original or creative work geared
toward a general audience, shaping public policy, and consultation to schools, courts,
businesses, and other institutions.
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The scholarship of teaching specifically refers to the development and assessment of
pedagogical methods in the faculty member’s discipline(s) with the purpose of informing
and influencing academic peers.
Evidence of scholarship of teaching is assessed by publication or presentation of
research and theory relating to pedagogy as well as reviews and applications of the
faculty member’s scholarship of such work by others.
Summary of Scholarship Elements
— Glassick, C.E., Huber, M.T., & Maeroff , G.I., Scholarship Assessed: Evaluation of
the Professoriate. Jossey-Bass Inc., San Francisco, 1997.
Clear Goals
Does the scholar state the basic purposes of his/her/their work clearly? Does the
scholar define objectives that are realistic and achievable? Does the scholar
identify important questions in the field?
Adequate Preparation
Does the scholar show an understanding of existing scholarship in the field?
Does the scholar bring the necessary skills to his/her/their work? Does the
scholar bring together the resources necessary to move the project forward?
Appropriate Methods
Does the scholar use methods appropriate to the goals? Does the scholar apply
effectively the methods selected? Does she/he/they modify procedures in
response to changing circumstances?
Significant Results
Does the scholar achieve the goals? Does the scholar’s work add
consequentially to the field? Does the scholar’s work open additional areas for
further exploration?
Effective Presentation
Does the scholar use a suitable style and effective organization to present
his/her/their work? Does the scholar use appropriate forums for communicating
work to its intended audiences? Does the scholar present his/her/their message
with clarity and integrity?
Reflective Critique
Does the scholar critically evaluate his/her/their own work? Does the scholar
bring an appropriate breadth of evidence to his/her/their critique? Does the
scholar use evaluation to improve the quality of future work?
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2.3.3.3 Effective Academic Advising
Good academic advising is both an element and an extension of instruction: it enables
the student to benefit more fully from the classroom and it can be an occasion for
learning itself. Through the advising process, students can define and redefine goals
and make intermediary plans to move towards them, evaluate and integrate past
experiences, and come to productive assessments of their current status.
Individualized guidance for students is an integral component of a faculty member's
responsibilities. Each student merits careful direction to the educational resources of the
College as well as thoughtful assessment and development of his/her/their interests and
abilities.
Criteria
Effective academic advising includes the accurate and timely provision of information to
one’s advisees about academic policies, graduation requirements, courses of study, co-
curricular programs, and post-graduate opportunities. As much as possible, effective
academic advisors are regularly available to their advisees, work to establish a
respectful and cordial rapport with them and provide information that is relevant to their
specific interests and needs. Effective academic advisors keep abreast of available on-
campus offices, programs, and resources in order to give referrals to their advisees. As
much as is possible and appropriate, effective academic advisors are in contact with
their advisees’ instructors, coaches, and other relevant college staff in order to be aware
of their advisees’ progress (both shorter- and longer-term) and in order to be able to
serve as advocates for their advisees.
Assessment
Effective academic advising is assessed by a faculty member’s self-evaluation and
written evaluations from major advisees, non-major advisees, students who seek and
receive advising but are not that faculty member’s advisees, and faculty and staff
colleagues.
2.3.3.4 Service
All faculty are expected to participate in the governance of the College by attending
faculty meetings, serving their department, and serving on a committee or chairing a
department or division. Such service is essential to the life of the College.
Criteria
Service includes departmental service, committee work, and other activities sponsored
by the College. Faculty may also demonstrate service by activities such as helping to
develop or direct programs, working on accreditation or reaccreditation, participating in
colloquia and other College events, facilitating faculty development or excellence in
teaching projects, initiating helpful contacts with alumni, advising student organizations,
participating in or directing College organizations, and participating in extracurricular or
co-curricular student activities.
Faculty may make the case that service activities beyond the immediate college
community should also be considered as service. Examples here include
uncompensated service to professional or community organizations, service on a review
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panel for a funding organization, or other instances of the utilization of one’s disciplinary
or professional skills in service of an organization.
Assessment
Service is assessed by a faculty member’s self-evaluation and supporting
documentation and letters from faculty and staff colleagues.
2.4 TENURE PROGRAM
It is recognized that a tenure program is a vital aid in attracting and retaining
instructional personnel of the high quality which Guilford College seeks. The purpose of
tenure is to protect the academic freedom of its members while providing the teaching
faculty with a reasonable degree of economic security.
2.4.1 The Tenure Timeline
The probationary period for a pre-tenure member of the faculty hired into a full-time
tenure-track position is six years, with tenure review in the sixth year of appointment.
This section describes all exceptions to this probationary period and the process for
granting those exceptions. The tenure review is conducted only once for each faculty
member, during the final year of the probationary period.
Faculty members must have completed the appropriate terminal degree prior to the
tenure review. An official transcript or other authorized documentation from the degree
granting institution must be received by the Academic Dean no later than August 15 (the
first day of the annual period of service for faculty) of the year the person is scheduled
to be reviewed for tenure. If the faculty member has not completed the appropriate
terminal degree and submitted appropriate documentation for completion by this
deadline, the faculty member will not be reviewed for tenure, and will be given a
terminal letter of agreement for the following year.
2.4.2 Reductions in Probationary Period
Any reduction of the six-year probationary period is agreed upon by the College and the
faculty member at the time of initial appointment and is stated as a part of the first letter
of agreement to a tenure-track appointment. Occasionally, new faculty may be granted
one or two years of credit toward tenure for prior college-level teaching. In rare cases,
three years of credit may be given. To earn credit, the faculty member must have
completed an appropriate terminal degree, typically will have taught on a full-time basis
at a four-year college or university within the past two or three years immediately prior
to the date of consideration and will have shown evidence of excellence in teaching. A
reduction of the probationary period will accelerate the review process; the accelerated
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schedule will be described at the time of appointment. At the time of extending the initial
appointment, the Academic Dean, in consultation with the department, recommends to
the President that teaching credit be given. The decision as to whether to grant such
credit is made by the President.
In rare situations, senior faculty and administrators may be hired with tenure or at rank
above assistant level. Such a decision shall be approved by the academic department,
the FAC, Academic Dean and President before proceeding to the Board of Trustees for
a final decision.
2.4.3 Extensions of Probationary Period
Faculty members who wish to request an extension of the probationary period must
apply for an extension no later than April 15 in the year preceding that in which the
faculty member is scheduled to be reviewed for tenure. Extensions of the probationary
period may be granted for personal or medical reasons. No extension may be granted
without application by the faculty member to the Academic Dean, and approval by the
President upon recommendation of the Academic Dean.
A faculty member who adds a child or children to their family through birth or adoption
during the probationary period will be granted an automatic one-year extension of the
probationary period following notification about the adoption or birth to the Academic
Dean. Faculty members may request a waiver of this extension if they do so in writing to
the Academic Dean.
Extensions of the probationary period based on approved leaves described in Section
5.2 (“Leave Policy”) will also be granted automatically to faculty during the probationary
period. If the faculty member provides reasons other than approved leaves for applying
for an extension, the Academic Dean will consult with the department chair (or, if the
individual is the department chair, with a senior departmental colleague) before making
a recommendation to the President. While multiple extensions of the probationary
period are permissible, under no circumstances may the total extension of the initial
probationary period be greater than three years.
Unless otherwise explicitly stated, only full-time annual teaching letters of agreement
are considered as a part of the period of employment that must pass before tenure can
be granted. This specifically excludes part-time, summer school, one-semester or other
limited teaching agreements, as well as leaves of absence, unless specific agreements
have been reached with the Academic Dean and recorded in the annual teaching letter
of agreement.
When a probationary faculty member is appointed to a full-time administrative position,
the administrative work is not counted as a teaching letter of agreement. Full-time
faculty whose teaching load is reduced by some administrative responsibility may still
accrue years toward tenure. Such accrual should be established in the annual letter of
agreement.
Time spent on research grants or fellowships that take the faculty member away from
the institution normally does not count for time accrued toward tenure. Any exceptions
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will be determined by the Academic Dean. Faculty who receive grants to work on
campus with students during the academic year normally must teach at least half time in
order to accrue time toward tenure.
Under extraordinary circumstances, after a successful pre-tenure review, the faculty
member may request that the tenure review be conducted at an earlier time than
established in the faculty member’s initial letter of agreement. This request is sent to the
FAC and the Academic Dean. The FAC and Academic Dean will make a
recommendation to the President. If the President’s decision is to proceed with the
review, the College will follow the normal procedure for a tenure review in the following
year.
2.4.4 Preparation of FAC members and others conducting faculty reviews
Through its policies and decisions, the FAC has a direct effect on both the short- and
long-term makeup of the Guilford faculty. Thus, in addition to being conscientious, the
members of the FAC and anyone conducting faculty reviews should receive appropriate
preparation and training each academic year, before conducting any faculty reviews.
1. As part of the preparation, the Academic Dean and FAC chairperson are
responsible for ensuring that all reviewers (1) have a clear shared understanding
of current scholarship on topics relevant to the faculty evaluation process; (2)
understand how our standards and criteria are applied at Guilford and of how the
review process functions; (3) have undergone anti-bias training and are aware
and cognizant of common types of biases based on race, gender and other
factors, as well as practical steps to minimize biases. At the beginning of fall
term, the Dean and FAC chair will assemble a meeting of all faculty reviewers. At
least two members of the Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Committee will also attend this training.
2. For example, reviewers could explore current research on the psychology and
sociology of group decision making; the interactions of biases (especially ones
based on ethnicity or gender); and the interpretation of student and peer
evaluations. The FAC’s applications of these findings to its own work can occur
in any of several ways, including through attendance at workshops or
conferences on faculty evaluation; through presentations to the FAC by scholars
in the field of faculty evaluation; and through discussions involving the full faculty.
3. If substitute members will be needed for FAC during the year, where possible
they should be selected from former FAC members who have participated in
these trainings and discussions.
4. To promote equity and minimize explicit and implicit biases during the
deliberation process, the FAC designates a “reflector” during each faculty review.
While all FAC members should try to avoid bias, the reflector is specifically
tasked to listen for potentially biased languages in FAC deliberations and call out
potential biases in letters, student evaluations, and other materials for the review.
The FAC decides how to designate the “reflector” for each review.
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2.4.5 Tenured Faculty with Administrative Status
If a tenured member of the faculty accepts an administrative appointment, the tenured
status does not apply to the administrative position but will be in force at any future date
that administrative duties are relinquished, and teaching duties are resumed. Tenure is
not affected by a leave of absence when such leave is officially approved by the
President; however, tenure is relinquished by the faculty member upon resignation from
the College.
2.4.6 Periodic Review of Tenured Faculty
In a process separate from faculty reviews for contract renewal, tenure, and promotion
that are conducted by the Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC), the Academic Dean, in
conjunction with the chair of the Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Committee, will conduct periodic, five-year reviews of all tenured faculty in order to
1. Support the efforts of tenured faculty members to renew, deepen, and strengthen
their pedagogical skills;
2. Encourage continuous professional and personal growth and service to the
community; and
3. Facilitate the use of Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching resources
by tenured faculty members.
Post-tenure, five-year reviews will address the same four areas as FAC reviews:
teaching, advising, community service, and scholarly growth, but the outcome of these
five-year reviews will have no impact on the tenured status of faculty members.
Grounds for dismissal of tenured faculty remain unchanged, and Guilford College
continues to adhere to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
Statement of Principles.
The first five-year review will be conducted four years after promotion to associate
professor and will serve as a formative evaluation of the faculty member’s progress
toward promotion to full professor. Subsequent reviews will be conducted on a five-year
cycle, and the last review within five years of retirement. The Academic Dean may grant
requests to alter the review schedule to accommodate study leaves, imminent
promotion reviews, or other contingencies.
The Academic Dean and Chair of the Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Committee will establish a rotating schedule for the reviews. Within the first two months
of the semester when the review will be conducted, the Chair will initiate the procedure
by contacting the faculty member and the department chairperson. The Chair will
explain the procedure to all faculty members involved and keep the process on
schedule, assuring that each review is completed within one semester.
Two tenured faculty members and the designated member of the Faculty Development
and Excellence in Teaching Committee will constitute the three-member panel that will
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conduct the review. The faculty member under review will choose one member of the
panel, either from members of the faculty member's department, or if there are no other
tenured members of the department, from among the faculty at large. If the faculty
member under review chooses to do so, he/she/they may invite a tenured faculty
member in her or his field from a department with a comparable discipline at another
institution to participate in the review if the invited reviewer does not require financial
compensation. The Academic Dean will choose the second panel member.
The three members of the review panel and the faculty member under review will
establish a schedule for completing the review. The designated member of the Faculty
Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee will serve as clerk of the review
panel and will collect and distribute copies of the review material to the panel. All
material will be considered confidential, and except for the final report, will be destroyed
when the review is completed.
The review will consist of the following components:
A self-evaluation that addresses the faculty member's achievements and challenges in
the four components of faculty responsibility: teaching, advising, community service,
and scholarly growth. The self-evaluation should include copies of syllabi, abstracts, or
examples of research or creative works. The faculty member will forward these to the
designated member of the Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Committee.
On at least two different occasions, two members of the panel will visit at least one
class taught by the faculty member under review, according to a schedule established
between the faculty member and the panel. Following these visits, panel members will
summarize their observations about the teaching effectiveness of the faculty member
and submit them to the designated member of the Faculty Development and Excellence
in Teaching Committee.
Panel members will have access to advising evaluations and course evaluations for all
courses taught by the faculty member during the four teaching semesters prior to the
year of the review.
Using class lists secured by the Academic Dean's office, the designated member of the
Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee will request letters from at
least 25 students, chosen at random, who have taken classes from the faculty member
under review within the previous two years. In addition, the faculty member under
review will provide the names of three students of her or his choice from whom the
designated member of the Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee
will also request letters.
After the designated member of the Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Committee has gathered all the review material and the panel has reviewed the
material, they will submit a final, written report, including suggestions for Faculty
Development, to the individual under review and to the Academic Dean. After a
conference with the Academic Dean, the faculty member will discuss the review with the
Chair of Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee to determine if
and how he/she/they should use Faculty Development Resources to address any
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issues raised in the review. The Academic Dean's copy of the review will be kept in the
faculty member's confidential files in the Dean's Office, along with any written response
deemed appropriate by the faculty member who has been reviewed.
2.5 PROMOTION
Guilford College does not adhere to a system of automatic promotions after a specific time of
service in rank. Neither is there a rigid quota system. Promotions are based on merit. In
judging merit, the President, the Academic Dean, the FAC and the faculty as a whole have
agreed to guidelines described in “Review Criteria” (2.340).
2.5.1 Promotion to Assistant Professor
Criteria for promotion to assistant professor include (a) a terminal degree appropriate to the
teaching appointment, (b) previous teaching experience, and (c) strong evidence of potential
for growth as a teacher and scholar/artist. Faculty are promoted from Instructor to Assistant
Professor at the start of the first academic year after they have earned the appropriate
terminal degree. The College recognizes that in some disciplines the appropriate terminal
degree may not be the doctorate.
2.5.2 Promotion to Associate Professor
Minimum criteria for promotion to Associate Professor include a terminal degree and completion
of at least five years of teaching at the college level. Additionally, faculty should have
demonstrated (a) excellence in teaching, (b) scholarly or creative achievement, (c) high quality
academic advising, and (d) service as described in the review criteria. Faculty are typically
promoted to Associate Professor when they are awarded tenure, since the criteria and
standards are the same for both.
2.5.3 Promotion to Full Professor
Faculty are promoted from associate professor to full professor when they are able to
demonstrate substantial and sustained excellence in teaching and marked or sustained
achievement in at least two of the other areas set out in section 2.340 (“review criteria”), since
the promotion to associate professor. Minimum criteria for promotion to full professor include
(a) a terminal degree, (b) completion of at least five years at the rank of associate professor,
although exceptions may be considered for equivalent experience in past academic
appointments. Additionally, faculty should have demonstrated (a) sustained excellence in
teaching, (b) continued record of peer-reviewed scholarly or creative activities, (c) excellent
advising, and/or (d) excellent service to the college community, including leadership roles.
2.5.4 Endowed Professorships
Each endowment establishes its own criteria. Endowments require recommendations
of the Academic Dean and President and approval by the Board of Trustees.
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2.5.5 Emerita/Emeritus Status
On recommendation by the Academic Dean and President, faculty who are retiring
from Guilford may receive the designation “emerita”/”emeritus” as an addition to their
rank at the time of retirement. Faculty eligible for those designations must have taught
at Guilford for at least 10 years before retirement, and during that time have
exemplified both the highest standards of the profession and distinguished service to
the Guilford community.
2.5.6 Process for Promotion to Associate and Full Professor
Tenured faculty members may stand for promotion at any time when they have met
the criteria for promotion. To be considered for promotion, the faculty member should
notify the Academic Dean and their department chair in the spring semester prior to
the FAC review. The information gathering, materials reviewed, and review process for
promotion is the same as is described above. Any exceptions to the minimum
requirements specified above must be approved by FAC and the Academic Dean.
2.6 APPEALS PROCESS (FOR REVIEW, TENURE, AND
PROMOTION) AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
2.6.1 Appeals for Review, Tenure and Promotion
[Revisions approved by the faculty, the President, and Board of Trustees, October 2018
and February 2019]
The faculty member under review shall be notified by the Academic Dean and the FAC
of their recommendation(s) to the President.
The President will review the recommendations and render a determination within ten
working days of receipt of the recommendation. The entire file of each
faculty member used in the review must be transmitted along with the recommendation
made by the FAC and the Dean. In so doing, the President may, but is not required to,
adopt the reasoning, in whole or in part, of the Academic Dean, the FAC, or both. The
President may also make additional inquiry of the Academic Dean or the FAC, or
he/she/they may seek additional resources, as he/she/they deems appropriate.
If the President’s determination is positive with respect to a tenure review, the matter is
referred to the Board of Trustees. If the President’s determination is positive with
respect to all other promotions, the decision is final.
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If the President’s determination is negative but the FAC’s recommendation was positive
and the faculty member wishes to appeal, he/she/they may submit a written appeal to
the Academic Dean within ten working days of the receipt of the determination. The
Academic Dean will notify the Clerk’s Committee immediately to constitute the Appeals
Board, and within ten working days, an Appeals Board will be convened to review the
matter.
The Appeals Board, chosen to hear just one case, will consist of three individuals, one
of whom will be a former FAC member, selected by the Clerk's Committee of the faculty,
from among the tenured faculty of the College. The faculty member will have the right to
disqualify summarily up to two individuals recommended for appointment. If an
appointee is so disqualified by the faculty member, a replacement will be selected by
the Clerk's Committee. In all cases, individuals uninvolved in the earlier decisions of the
specific case being appealed should be selected, but specific constituencies are not
required to be appointed. The Appeals Board will re-examine all materials relevant to
the appeal, including the FAC review file and teaching evaluations, and will interview the
candidate (who may be accompanied by a Guilford College faculty member as an
advocate), the Academic Dean, and the chairperson of the FAC, as well as any other
individuals it believes may have information helpful in reaching a decision.
The Appeals Board shall consider the faculty member’s written appeal in light all other
relevant materials used in the review, focusing on questions of procedural correctness,
claims of discrimination (as defined by the College’s statements and policies on
discrimination), and whether the information upon which the negative determination was
based was accurate, appropriate, and complete. Examples of inaccurate, inappropriate,
or incomplete information may include the following:
● information supporting the determination that is demonstrably false;
● information beyond the scope of materials listed in Section 2.3.1 used in supporting the
determination;
● information deemed insufficient to support the determination.
From the time the Appeals Board is convened by the Clerk’s Committee, the Appeals
Board shall have fifteen working days to reach its conclusions and submit a
recommendation to the President. The Appeals Board shall provide a copy of its
recommendation to the faculty member, the FAC and the Academic Dean, either of
which may write a response to the Appeals Board’s recommendation that will be sent to
the President. The President shall review the Appeals Board’s recommendation and all
accompanying reports, and then render his/her/their final decision.
If the President’s final decision is negative but the recommendations of the FAC and the
Appeals Board were both positive, then and in that event, the Board of Trustees,
through its Academic Affairs Committee, will entertain a final appeal upon written
petition from the Faculty Member, but such an appeal may only be made on the
following grounds: (a) specific, identified procedural irregularity so substantial as to
deny a fair review; or (b) claims of discrimination. The Academic Affairs Committee may
affirm the decision or remand it to the President for further consideration. Furthermore,
if the decisions of the FAC, Dean, and President are all negative, the Faculty Member
may also request, through written petition, a final appeal by the Board of Trustees,
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through its Academic Affairs Committee, that may only be made on the following
grounds: (a) specific identified procedural irregularity so substantial as to deny a fair
review; or (b) claims of discrimination. The Academic Affairs Committee may affirm the
decision or remand it to the President for further consideration. No further appeals will
be entertained.
Example Timeline for Appeals
Example date
Action taken
January 15
Academic Dean and FAC notify faculty
member and President of their
decision(s)
January 30
President renders a decision
February 15
Last day for faculty member to submit
appeal to Academic Dean
March 1
Appeals Board appointments finalized
by Clerk’s Committee
March 22
Appeals Board submits
recommendation to President
April 1
President issues final decision
April 10
If President’s decision is negative, but
FAC and Appeals Board decisions were
positive, faculty member can submit
written petition to Board of Trustees for
final appeal
2.6.2 Grievance Procedures
Guilford College wishes to provide the best possible working conditions for its
employees. As part of its commitment to employees, the College encourages an open
and frank atmosphere in which any problem, complaint, suggestion, or question can be
discussed fairly and without bias. The College shall provide a grievance process that
resolves problems quickly and effectively. This policy and the procedures that follow do
not apply to the elimination of positions or to termination of employment (cf. with 2.720
and 2.721).
The grievance procedures that follow are written to supplement other procedures that
have been designed to protect academic freedom and ensure fair treatment of all
employees.
A grievance is any claimed violation, misinterpretation, or inequitable application of the
policies, procedures, or work rules of the College.
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Every employee will have the right to present her or his grievance free from
interference, coercion, restraint, discrimination, or reprisal.
The formal grievance process at Guilford College involves several steps. The entire
process is defined below. In most instances, however, a grievance can be satisfied
through informal discussion between the employee and her or his immediate supervisor
prior to setting in motion the procedures which involve the appropriate formal grievance
committees.
PROCEDURES
Step One. All formal grievances pertaining to faculty will be presented to the Academic
Dean in person, within fourteen days of the employee's becoming aware of the alleged
violation, unless the grievance concerns the Academic Dean, in which case the faculty
member may go directly to the President. The grievance is to be filed in writing by the
person affected directly. The Academic Dean will take appropriate steps to respond to
the grievance, provided he/she/they has the authority to take such action.
The Academic Dean in consultation with the Director of Human Resources will handle
any grievance that relates to an established policy, procedure, or work rule unknown to
the faculty member or that relates to an incident which, for legal or other reasons, must
be handled outside the Guilford College community. The Dean will explain this fact to
the faculty member. The explanation will assist the faculty member in improving and
increasing her or his awareness of the issue so that the faculty member understands
that it is not a grievance that can be handled through the grievance process of the
College.
(For appeals process dealing with termination of academic position or program see
2.720 and 2.721.)
The Academic Dean's response to the grievance will be provided within five business
days and will be one of the following:
Referral to another department. The faculty member is advised by the Academic
Dean in writing that he/she/they does not have the authority to resolve the grievance.
The faculty member is advised as to which department and department manager the
grievance should be forwarded.
Resolution. The issue is resolved, and the faculty member is given an explanation of
the resolution in writing.
Denial. The faculty member is told that nothing can be done about the grievance and is
given reasons why in writing. A referral to the appropriate manager or to the Office of
Human Resources is offered, should the employee want to receive further information
or consideration.
Step Two. If the faculty member believes that the action taken is insufficient or
unsatisfactory, the faculty member may meet with the President if he/she/they has not
done so already. A copy of the grievance will be forwarded to the President for review, if
the President has not previously seen the grievance.
The President will schedule a meeting within five working days of receiving the written
notice of the grievance. Attendees at the meeting will include the faculty member, the
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Academic Dean, and any other individuals the President believes should be in
attendance based on discussions with the faculty member who has filed the grievance.
A written response to the faculty member will be made within five working days of this
meeting unless it is determined that more time is needed so that additional investigation
and consultation can occur, in which case the faculty member will be so informed.
Copies of this response will be furnished to the Academic Dean. A copy of the response
will also be filed in the Academic Dean's personnel file for faculty.
Faculty members are encouraged to exhaust other administrative remedies prior to
setting in motion the procedures which involve the appropriate grievance committees.
However, this is not a requirement of the policy.
Step Three. In the event that the grievance is still not resolved, a Grievance Committee
will be established to consider and resolve the issue.
A Grievance Committee is an ad hoc committee chosen to hear just one case.
The Faculty Grievance Committee will consist of tenured faculty members, three regular
members and an alternate, appointed by the Nominating Committee on an as needed
basis. No grievance committee members shall be serving on Clerk's Committee or
Faculty Affairs Committee during the appointment. The Committee will be responsible
for appointing its own chairperson.
Training in conflict resolution will be provided to each participant. Committee members
will be required to treat all proceedings as confidential and will observe the
confidentiality of all documents and statements presented to it. Any violation of
confidentiality shall be deemed a breach of trust and of professional ethics. Appropriate
disciplinary action and removal from the committee will be immediate, should violation
of confidentiality occur.
The Grievance Committee will consider the written grievance, all written responses to
the grievance, a brief written explanation by the President of the earlier steps taken, and
any other relevant materials, and will interview the persons directly involved in the
grievance, the Academic Dean, the President, and any other individuals it believes may
have information helpful in resolving the issue. The committee will immediately seek to
mediate and to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of those directly involved.
If mediation fails, the matter will be reported to the President. All relevant materials and
a brief report by the Grievance Committee of its efforts to resolve the issue will be
forwarded to the President. The President shall determine and set forth the College's
position and any requisite action with respect to the grievance. The President will
respond to those directly involved within two weeks of receipt of the grievance from the
chairperson of the grievance committee.
(See appeals policies for Harassment and Intimidation [2.800], Tenure and Promotion
[2.600], and for Termination [2.700].)
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2.6.3 Record Keeping
A confidential record of complaints and their resolutions will be maintained by the Office
of Human Resources.
2.7 TERMINATION
A faculty member wishing to terminate an appointment at the end of an academic year
must do so in writing on or before April 1, or thirty days after receiving notification of the
terms of appointment for the coming year, whichever date occurs later.
2.7.1 Faculty and Committees Involved in Cases of Termination Because of
Financial Exigency
If the Board of Trustees believes a situation of financial exigency exists or is imminent, it
will ask for a review of the financial situation of the College by the Budget Committee
and then the Board will make a final determination whether financial exigency exists. If
the Board determines that financial exigency exists, it will ask Budget Committee,
working in conjunction with Clerk's Committee, FAC, and Curriculum Committee to
develop a solution to the financial problem that preserves the academic integrity of the
college. This solution will be presented to the faculty meeting for approval. In the
absence of approval, the recommendations of Budget Committee and the Minutes of
the faculty meeting will be forwarded to the President, who will make a recommendation
to the Board of Trustees.
If the administration issues notice to a particular faculty member of an intention to
terminate the appointment because of financial exigency, the faculty member will have
the right to a full hearing before an Appeals Board. This Appeals Board will be selected
on a case by case basis and will consist of three individuals selected by the Nominating
Committee of the faculty from among the tenured faculty of the College. The faculty
member will have the right to disqualify summarily up to two individuals recommended
for appointment. If an appointee is so disqualified by the faculty member, a replacement
will be selected by the Nominating Committee. In all cases, the attempt should be made
to select individuals both judicious and uninvolved in the earlier decisions of the specific
case being appealed who are generally representative of the population of the College,
but specific constituencies are not required to be appointed.
If the College terminates appointments because of financial exigency, it will not at the
same time make new appointments except in extraordinary circumstances where a
serious distortion in the academic program would otherwise result. The appointment of
a faculty member with tenure will not be terminated in favor of retaining a faculty
member without tenure, except in extraordinary circumstances where a serious
distortion of the academic program would otherwise result.
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Before terminating an appointment because of financial exigency, the College, with
faculty participation, will make every reasonable effort to place the faculty member
concerned in another suitable position within the College.
In all cases of termination of appointment because of financial exigency, the place of the
faculty member concerned will not be filled by a replacement within a period of three
years, unless the released faculty member has been offered reinstatement and a
reasonable time in which to accept or decline it.
2.7.1.1 Faculty and Committees Involved with Cases of Discontinuance of
Program or Department Not Mandated by Financial Exigency
The decision to discontinue formally a program or department of instruction will be
decided by Clerk’s Committee in consultation with the Curriculum Committee. It will be
based essentially upon educational consideration and will include discussion with and
careful evaluation of the department or program, with appropriate documentation. The
decision will go to the faculty meeting for approval. In the absence of approval by the
faculty meeting, Clerk’s Committee and the Curriculum Committee may choose to
forward their recommendations and minutes from the faculty meeting to the President
for final decision.
Before the administration issues notice to a faculty member of its intention to terminate
an appointment because of formal discontinuance of a program or department of
instruction, the College will make every reasonable effort to place the faculty member
concerned in another suitable position. If placement in another position would be
facilitated by a reasonable period of training, financial and other support for such
training will be proffered.
A faculty member may appeal a proposed relocation or termination resulting from a
discontinuance and has a right to a full hearing before an Appeals Board (see 2.720 for
Appeals Board structure).
2.7.2 Dismissal of Tenured Faculty
In cases of dismissal of tenured faculty, the burden of proof is upon the institution.
Except for situations involving financial exigency and program discontinuance, tenured
faculty shall not be dismissed except for cause. Dismissal for cause is defined as moral
turpitude, incompetence, or negligence. Such dismissal will be related, directly and
substantially, to the fitness of faculty members in their professional capacities as
teachers or researchers. Dismissal will not be used to restrain faculty members in their
exercise of academic freedom or other rights of American citizens.
Dismissal of a faculty member with tenure, or with a special appointment before the end
of the specified term, will be preceded by
• Discussions between the faculty member and appropriate administrative officers
seeking a mutually satisfactory solution, and if the faculty member so desires,
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• Informal inquiry by the FAC which will determine whether in its opinion dismissal
proceedings should be undertaken if discussions do not result in resolution. The
FAC's opinion is not, however, binding on the President.
Dismissal for cause shall be accompanied by a statement of reason by the President.
The faculty member will have the right to be heard by the selected Appeals Board. (See
Chapter II, 2.600 for selection and procedure.) Under extraordinary circumstances,
where immediate harm is threatened, the Dean or President may suspend a faculty
member from teaching duties and/or assign the faculty member to other duties while
pay continues until a formal review process can be accomplished.
In cases of suspension, the administration will consult with the FAC concerning the
propriety, length, and other conditions of the suspension. Normally, salary will continue
during the period of suspension.
2.7.3 Sanctions Other than Dismissal of Tenured Faculty
If the administration believes that the conduct of a faculty member, although not
constituting adequate cause for dismissal, is sufficiently grave to justify imposition of a
severe sanction, such as suspension from service (with or without pay) for a stated
period, the administration may institute a proceeding to impose such a severe sanction;
the procedures outlined above will govern such a proceeding.
If the administration believes that the conduct of a faculty member justifies imposition of
a minor sanction, such as a reprimand, it will notify the faculty member in writing on the
basis of the proposed sanction and provide the faculty member with an opportunity to
persuade the administration that the proposed sanction should not be imposed. A
faculty member who believes that a major or minor sanction has been unjustly imposed
may initiate an Appeals Process (similar to the Appeals Process described in 2.600).
2.7.4 Process for Appeal of Dismissal or Other Severe Sanctions
The Appeals Board may, with the consent of the parties concerned, hold joint pre-
hearing meetings with the parties in order to
● Simplify the issues,
● Effect stipulations of facts,
● Provide for the exchange of documentary or other information, and
● Achieve such other appropriate pre-hearing objectives as will make the hearing
fair, effective, and expeditious.
Service of notice of hearing with specific charges in writing will be made at least twenty
days prior to the hearing. The faculty member may waive a hearing or may respond to
the charges in writing at any time before the hearing. If the faculty member does not
wish to appear before the Appeals Board but denies the charges or asserts that the
charges do not support a finding of adequate cause, the Appeals Board will evaluate all
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available evidence and rest its recommendation upon the evidence in the record. The
committee, in consultation with the President and the faculty member, will exercise its
judgment as to whether the hearing should be public or private. During the proceeding
the faculty member will be permitted to have a Guilford colleague of his/her/their choice.
At the request of either party or the Appeals Board, a colleague will be permitted to
attend the proceeding as an observer. A verbatim record of the hearing or hearings will
be taken, and a hard copy will be made available to the faculty member without cost, at
the faculty member's request.
The burden of proof that cause exists rests with the institution and will be satisfied only
by a preponderance of evidence in the record considered as a whole. The Appeals
Board will grant adjournments to enable either party to investigate evidence as to
whether a valid claim of surprise is made.
The faculty member will be afforded an opportunity to obtain necessary witnesses and
documentary or other evidence. The administration will cooperate with the Appeals
Board in securing witnesses and making available documentary and other evidence.
The faculty member and the administration will have the right to confront and cross-
examine all witnesses. Where the witnesses cannot or will not appear, but the
committee determines that the interests of justice require admission of their statements,
the committee will identify the witnesses, disclose their statements, and if possible
provide for interrogatories.
In the hearing of charges of incompetence, the testimony will include that of qualified
faculty members from this or other institutions of higher education. The Appeals Board
will not be bound by strict rules of legal evidence and may admit any evidence which is
of probative value in determining the issues involved. Every possible effort will be made
to obtain the most reliable evidence available. The findings of fact and the decision will
be based solely on the record of the Appeals Board.
Except for such simple announcements as may be required, covering the time of the
hearing and similar matters, public statements and publicity about the case by either the
faculty member or administrative officers will be avoided until the Board of Trustees has
turned in its report. The President and the faculty member will be notified of the decision
in writing and will be given a copy of the record of the hearing.
If the Appeals Board concludes that adequate cause for dismissal has not been
established by the evidence in the record, it will so report to the President. If the
President rejects the report, the President will state the reasons for doing so, in writing,
to the hearing committee and to the faculty member, and provide an opportunity for
response before transmitting the case to the Board of Trustees. If the Appeals Board
concludes that adequate cause for a dismissal has been established, but that an
academic penalty less than dismissal would be more appropriate, it will so recommend
with supporting reasons.
If dismissal or other severe sanction is recommended, the President will, on request of
the faculty member, transmit to the Board of Trustees the record of the case. The Board
of Trustees' review will be based on the record of the Appeals Board hearing, and it will
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provide opportunity for argument, oral or written or both, by the principals at the
hearings or by their representatives. The Board of Trustees will make a final decision.
2.8 POLICY ON HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION
Included in the College Policy Library.
2.9 ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICY STATEMENT
Included in the College Policy Library.
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Chapter III: Faculty Responsibilities
3.1 INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1.1 Teaching Load
Full-time faculty normally teach the equivalent of three courses (three-week or twelve-
week) each semester. Co-requisite laboratory sections are the equivalent of one-half
course, and the Provost may make similar adjustments for other courses that have
significant additional contact time or responsibilities. The Provost may grant course
releases for those faculty who have heavy administrative responsibilities.
In meeting the specific targets and service responsibilities that support Guilford
College’s student learning experience, and in affirmation of shared governance,
decisions about course assignments should be made at the department level, under the
leadership of the department chair, with the support of the Provost and the Office of
Academic and Student Affairs. While departments schedule and assign teaching load
responsibilities among department faculty, the Provost has final authority and discretion
to approve the scheduling of courses and distribution of teaching loads to ensure
regular and quality delivery of the curriculum and student learning experience, equitable
distribution of teaching load and responsibilities among department faculty, full-time and
part-time, reflecting the College commitments to diversity and equality, as well as
reflecting best practices in faculty development, administrative oversight, and additional
academic needs.
3.1.1.1 Course scheduling and service to the general education program and
interdisciplinary studies programs
In order to support the student learning experience and curriculum, including the
general education program, essential to Guilford College, each full-time faculty member
is expected to contribute regularly to their department’s overall service obligations. To
the extent appropriate, departments will also consider the role that part-time faculty can
provide in supporting the course offerings necessary to meet student demand.
Departments are expected to provide regular and appropriate levels of service. In
general, such service will require:
● Regular offerings of courses distributed between the fall and spring semesters,
including both the twelve- and three-week sessions.
● 30% of courses taught by department faculty offered in the three-week session
and 70% of their faculty’s courses in the twelve-week session. In any given
semester, the ratio of courses might be more or less than these targets, but the
average for each department over several semesters should be in accordance
with this ratio.
● Regular offerings of courses that support the general education program.
Department faculty will often provide courses for general education requirements
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that reflect their disciplinary expertise, and department faculty are also expected
to provide courses that meet a range of requirements (first-year courses,
experiential courses, etc.) across the full year schedule.
● Regular offerings of courses that support interdisciplinary majors and minors,
with specific obligations to be determined by department chairs, IDS program
coordinators, and the IDS coordinator, under the direction of the Provost.
3.1.1.2 Team teaching
Team-teaching is valued as an essential element in supporting a rich and successful
learning environment for our students. Team-teaching also affirms the values essential
for the recruitment, development and retention of excellent teaching faculty. A team-
taught course counts as one course equivalent in the workload of each full-time or part-
time faculty member. While some courses may be intentionally designed by a
department or others for team teaching, no faculty member is required to participate in
team teaching. The College supports team teaching under the following expectations
and levels of support:
1. All team-taught courses should first be endorsed by the chairs and program
coordinators of any associated department and/or program. Such endorsements
reflect proper staffing and scheduling considerations, both in regard to the team-
taught course as well as any secondary scheduling impacts of the team-taught
course.
2. The Provost has ultimate responsibility in determining an appropriate number of
team-taught courses in a given session, semester and year. Faculty interested in
developing a team-taught course are encouraged to begin planning early and to
share updates on the development and scheduling of a course with the
appropriate chairs, coordinators and the Provost. The Provost will also review the
distribution of team-taught courses to ensure that the opportunity to team teach is
enjoyed by as many interested faculty as possible.
3. Courses should be identified as a team-taught course on the draft schedule
submitted to the Provost and Registrar to ensure proper recordkeeping of the
course.
4. When it is necessary to choose which team-taught courses will be offered,
departments, programs and the Provost will give priority to courses that
demonstrate the following qualities, all of which are critical to learning
collaboratively at Guilford College:
a) Interdisciplinarity, as demonstrated by faculty from more than one
department.
b) High-impact practices as defined by the College.
c) Student interest and the Explore, Integrate, Apply experience, as
demonstrated by prioritizing student curiosity and choice in the learning
outcomes for the course.
d) Use of team-based and group-based methods in the course.
Faculty planning to team-teach a course are invited to apply for Keiser-Stoneburner
funds, which can provide small stipends to help support this work. The Faculty
Development Committee will also consider programming and support for faculty whose
professional goals include team teaching.
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3.1.1.3 Experiential teaching and learning
Experiential teaching and learning are hallmarks of the educational life of the College
and are supported as vital components of collaborative learning. Internships,
independent studies, directed research and creative endeavors, community
engagement, professional practice, cultural immersion, study away, and other
pedagogies are all recognized by the College as valued approaches, in addition to
traditional on-campus instruction, for a complete learning experience for students.
Unless otherwise specified in advance with the Provost and department chair, all full-
time and part-time faculty are compensated for serving as the named faculty of record
for internships and independent studies at a rate commensurate with part-time or
overload compensation for classroom teaching. The Provost will update this rate at least
once each academic year and share this rate with the faculty. [For example, if the part-
time or overload compensation rate for a course is $4,000 and the average class size
for the college is 16 students, compensation per student averages $250.] This amount
would be assigned to compensation for each internship and independent study course
for that academic year. At the end of each academic year, the Provost’s Office will
share the total experiential learning compensation for that year.
Each faculty member may receive experiential learning compensation directly or allow
the compensation to accrue. When total compensation accrued matches or exceeds the
amount of part-time or overload compensation for a course, the faculty member may
elect, with the approval of the department chair, to take that compensation as a course
release in a future semester. The Provost will work with faculty and chairs to ensure that
no faculty member’s accrued compensation exceeds more than one course release or
the cash equivalent and will ensure compensation is paid out in a timely manner in
consultation with the faculty member and chair.
Part-time faculty may be eligible to receive compensation for serving as a named faculty
of record for internships and independent studies with the endorsement of the
department chair and the Provost in advance. Compensation for part-time faculty
members will be according to the same scale as full-time faculty members and cannot
be accrued.
Only internships and independent studies that are successfully completed by the
student and appear on the student’s transcript will be compensated under this policy.
The college strives to support all forms of experiential learning and faculty and
department chairs should work in partnership with the Provost to determine the proper
support, budget and resources necessary to ensure a successful environment for
student learning and success. The Faculty Development Committee will also consider
programming and support for faculty whose professional goals include experiential
learning.
3.1.2 Outside Employment
Included in the College Policy Library.
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3.1.3 Summer School
Guilford College operates its own summer school. In assigning faculty for summer
school teaching, the College gives preference to full-time Guilford faculty, part-time
Guilford faculty, and outside instructors respectively. Every effort is made to design a
curriculum which meets student needs and to distribute summer teaching opportunities
broadly and fairly throughout the faculty. Normally, the summer school load for any
faculty member will be restricted to no more than two four-credit courses per summer.
Salary is contingent upon an enrollment of three students (excluding auditors) and
increased per student on a scale approved by the Academic Dean. Independent study
and Internships are compensated on a per credit hour basis.
3.1.4 Text Selection and Library Reserve
Professors select their own textbooks. Required texts are to be ordered through the
College Bookstore. In order for textbooks to be available for class use when needed,
faculty members shall observe deadlines for orders set by the Bookstore: books should
be ordered before the mid-semester break of the previous semester.
Books and copies of articles may be placed on library reserve. Each faculty member
may place a total of ten items on reserve for each course taught during the semester.
Reserve forms, available at the circulation desk, need to be filled out for each book
(personal copy or library book) or article placed on reserve. The library staff requires
one week for processing each reserve item. Books from other libraries cannot be put on
reserve. The library staff recommends that faculty members keep a copy of any article
or other reproducible item in case of damage or theft. All articles and books are
removed from the reserve shelves at the end of the semester and stored, unless
otherwise instructed or picked up by the instructor.
3.1.5 Course Syllabi
Professors shall prepare a syllabus for each course taught, including special topics
courses study abroad seminars, and courses offered for credit during summer school. A
primary purpose of the course syllabus is to provide the student with exact information
about what is expected in the course. Syllabi shall include a description of the course,
an explanation of course objectives and general procedures, required and suggested
readings, examination and paper requirements, all major assignments, the course
attendance policy, and the instructor's grading policies.
For courses not specifically described in the catalog, a description similar to those
appearing in the catalog shall be prepared, with a copy of the description filed with the
Registrar. All special topics courses require approval by the department prior to
scheduling the course and filing the description with the Registrar. Curriculum
Committee approval must be secured if the course is to count as part of the required
liberal arts degree requirements.
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Each student must receive a copy of the syllabus. Copies shall also be deposited in the
office of the Academic Dean for accreditation purposes.
3.1.6 Class Hours and Class Attendance
Faculty members shall consider carefully and responsibly the needs of their disciplines
and of their students in determining how many hours per week their classes should
meet in order to fulfill the objectives of the course. The amount of time the student
spends in the classroom as compared to the amount spent in outside study may vary
from course to course, according to the needs of the material and the style of work the
instructor or department deems most desirable. This flexibility in the number of class
meetings will be maintained as long as classroom space is available.
Guilford bases course credit on student effort outside, as well as inside, the classroom.
This policy stems from the College’s Quaker heritage that encourages students to be
active partners with faculty in the learning process. One of Guilford College’s five
academic principles, “student-centered learning,” means that Guilford expects faculty
members to “serve less as lecturers and more as tutors, resource persons, and critics.”
As a result, the College considers student interaction with faculty, other students,
community members, and organizations outside the classroom as vital to the learning
experience. In addition to standard reading, research projects, and papers, Guilford
faculty members are expected to include in their courses active learning activities which
may include, but are not limited to, the following:
● Conferences and workshops
● Experiential and serving learning incorporated into courses
● Fieldwork and field trips
● Foreign language conversation tables
● Group work or cooperative work
● Journaling
● On-line discussion groups
● Related labs
● Required attendance at lectures, performances, and film showings
● Research projects that require substantial work outside of class
● Sketch groups in the visual arts
All syllabi should contain the number and types of such projects or assignments and
should describe how they will be evaluated. Department chairs will periodically review
syllabi and recommend adjustments in course content to assure adequate active
learning experiences when appropriate. In addition, courses will be reviewed to assure
adequate content as part of the regular program reviews conducted on a rotating basis
for all academic programs.
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Attendance and interaction during class are integral to the education provided at
Guilford, and College policy fundamentally emphasizes individual instructors' rights to
set limits on the number of absences allowed in a given course. In further support of
individual instructors, however, the College grants an associate academic dean the
right, following a consultation with the faculty member of record, to withdraw a student
administratively from any course in which he/she/they has reached the number of
absences listed below. Faculty are encouraged to inform students ahead of time if they
are approaching the limits indicated below, but since class attendance is absolutely the
responsibility of the student, faculty are not required to do so. In no way should these
limits be interpreted by students as maximum allowable absences. Instead they
represent the point at which College policy authorizes administrative withdrawal; a
student with this number of absences will have missed twenty percent of a given
course, and fairness to other students dictates the administrative withdrawal. For
specifics, see “Class Attendance” section of the Guilford College Catalog.
Teachers and/or academic departments are free to set their own more stringent
attendance policies for their classes. Students on academic probation are permitted no
unexcused absences. When students are absent from class for as long as a week,
faculty members shall inquire into the reason and notify an associate academic dean,
who will determine whether the student is in need of counseling.
3.1.6.1 Vacation Breaks
Teachers shall not adjust class schedules or course requirements to accommodate
students' travel plans that conflict with scheduled tests, exams, classes, labs or
assignments. Teachers shall not modify class meeting times the week prior to vacation
without permission of the department chairperson.
3.1.6.2 Weather Emergency Policy
Included in College Policy Library.
3.1.7 Responsibility for Making Up Missed Classes
Intellectual development is the central concern of a liberal arts college. Extracurricular
activities offer a wide variety of opportunities for enrichment of undergraduate
experience, but established academic priorities must be maintained. Guilford College
students must attend all classes and meetings, which are part of their course work,
according to the class attendance policy. Those representing the College in
departmentally or institutionally sponsored extracurricular activities which cause them to
miss classes, labs, or meetings should, with the approval of the professor, make up that
work, including examinations. In cases where make-up work is impossible because of
the nature of the instructional experience, students must assume personal responsibility
for choosing between their academic obligation and the extracurricular activity. At no
time will students be excused from curricular responsibilities such as classes, labs, field
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trips or meetings to participate in extracurricular practices, rehearsals, or meetings, but
must arrange with coaches and/or sponsors to make up missed work.
3.1.8 Office Hours
Because Guilford College strongly values personal contact between faculty and
students, faculty members are responsible for holding regular office hours. The table
below provides the minimum expected office hours faculty are expected to hold.
Full-time
faculty
Part-time
faculty
Full-time faculty not teaching
in the three-week session
Three-week session
Office hours per
week
1
1
1
(office or virtual)
Virtual hours per
week
as needed
as needed
Twelve-week session
Office hours per
week
(spaced over at
least two days)
4
2
Virtual hours per
week
no more than
50% of total
no more than
50% of total
All faculty members may hold more than the minimum required number of weekly office
hours and these additional meeting times may be held on campus and/or remotely.
Additionally, when holding office hours on campus, faculty may work with a student who
is located elsewhere.
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3.1.9 Academic Advising
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members, following their first year as a faculty member
at Guilford, serve as academic advisors for traditional age and adult students, including
first year and transfer students. Under some circumstances, first year tenure-track
faculty and faculty not on tenure-track serve in this advising capacity as well.
So that they may effectively advise students, faculty members shall be familiar with the
information provided in the college catalog and be aware of academic deadlines
provided by the Registrar’s office. Faculty members shall respond in a timely manner to
appropriate requests from faculty and college offices associated with advising and
student status.
Faculty members serving as academic advisors are expected to participate in academic
advising workshops to maintain and further develop their advising knowledge and
expertise.
(See also 2.3.3.3: Effective Academic Advising.)
3.1.10 Reading Day, Final Examinations, and Course Grades
[Revision approved by the faculty, March 2008]
The Registrar sets the final examination schedule and this schedule may not be
changed. Under exceptional circumstances, however, final examinations for individual
students may be adjusted at the sole discretion of the course instructor. Reading Day
(RD) is allotted for student preparation for final examinations and papers. Except for
Fast Track II and Intensive classes, no day or evening classes may be scheduled on
RD, no events may be scheduled on RD, and no assignments may be scheduled or due
on RD. Instructors may offer optional review sessions on RD and instructors are
expected to hold their regular office hours on RD. A student may schedule her/his/their
own thesis defense to occur on RD. The days following RD are to be used for students
to prepare for and take final exams and / or complete remaining course work. A
student's final work, such as a final exam or research paper, may not be due before the
time that course final exam is scheduled to end as listed on the Registrar’s final exam
schedule. Students have the right to review all written work prepared by themselves. If
papers, including examination papers, are not returned to the students, instructors must
keep these papers on file by for one calendar year. Students have the right to review
their papers at any time within this time period.
Final grades must be carefully calculated and reported to the Registrar within forty-eight
(48) hours after the final examination. Once posted, final grades cannot be changed
unless a faculty member discovers a computation or clerical error and an associate
academic dean grants approval for such a change, or an official grade appeal results in
an approved change. No grades for graduating seniors may be changed after
transcripts are sealed prior to graduation.
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Normally, a student's performance in a course is measured by a letter grade: A, B, C, D
or F. Plus (+) and minus (-) additions to letter grades may be assigned and will be
shown on the student's permanent record and used in the calculation of GPA. The
grade for auditing is AU. The possible grades for credit / no credit classes are CR and
NC, respectively. The grade of A represents exceptional achievement and is awarded
for original insight, sound reasoning and the ability to evaluate the scope of the
materials studied. The grade of B is granted for superior work and reflects interpretive
skill on the part of the student and a clear understanding of the meaning and
interrelatedness of the course materials. A grade of C is given for average work and
indicates thorough familiarity with the basic facts and concepts considered in the
course, even though underlying principles may not have been grasped. Although D is
labeled a passing grade, it reflects a lack of fundamental knowledge of the subject. The
grade of F is assigned for failing work.
Faculty shall use provisional (“X”) grades only when a student is unavoidably prevented
from completing the work in a given course. Unavoidable circumstances are defined as
cases of extended personal illness, death or serious illness in the family, significant
accident, or other grave circumstances beyond a student's control. Students must
request approval for a provisional grade from her/his instructor as soon as possible and,
for unavoidable circumstances that occur before the Friday before the last week of
classes, no later than this date. If the instructor approves this request, the instructor
must complete and submit the college on-line provisional grade request form. The
generated e-mail will notify the student’s primary advisor of this request and submit the
provisional grade request directly to the Registrar’s office. However, beginning students
(those with less than 32 Guilford College credits) and students on academic probation
must also obtain the approval of an associate academic dean. The Registrar’s office will
be responsible for forwarding requests that require such approval to an associate
academic dean. Instructors must calculate provisional grades under the assumption that
the student will complete no additional work (i.e., by awarding zeros on all outstanding
assignments). Provisional grades may only be replaced with a better mark upon the
student’s completion of the work. Because provisional grades may only consist of two
characters (XB, XC, XD, and XF) and may not be lowered, faculty must be careful to
award the student the appropriate provisional grade. For example, if a student had
otherwise earned a provisional grade of C-, a faculty member would be required to
instead award a provisional grade of XD, the next lowest possible provisional grade. It is
the responsibility of the faculty member awarding the provisional grade to evaluate
promptly additional work completed by the student and to replace the provisional mark
with a permanent grade by the deadline set by the instructor that is no later than interim
of the next regular semester. Provisional grades become permanent grades after this
deadline. Graduating seniors may not receive a provisional grade.
Students may withdraw from a course with a grade of W up through the published last
day to withdraw from a course with a W grade. After that, the regular grade shall be
given unless (a) the Dean for Campus Life authorizes a medical withdrawal (which
would result in a grade of W), (b) the student is eligible for a grade of WP or WF as
described below, (c) the student never attended the course (which would result in a
grade of WN, see section 3.150), or (d) an associate academic dean or Dean of
Students authorizes an administrative withdrawal for some extraordinary reason. A
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grade of WP, which does not affect a student's grade point average, shall be used only
to indicate withdrawal while passing when a student (a) withdraws completely from the
College or (b) is administratively withdrawn for poor attendance (see section 3.150). A
grade of WF, which affects a student's grade point average as if it were an F, may be
used to indicate withdrawal while failing when a student (a) voluntarily withdraws or is
administratively withdrawn completely from the College, (b) is administratively
withdrawn for poor attendance (see section 3.150), or (c) voluntarily withdraws or is
administratively withdrawn from a class after the published last day to withdraw with a
W grade and before the end of classes for that semester. The grade of WN, which does
not affect a student's grade point average, is given when a student registers for a
course but neither attends nor withdraws (see section 3.150).
Certain programs, seminars, and workshops offered by the Center for Continuing
Education do not carry academic credit. However, when such projects are sponsored
and approved by the Academic Dean in conjunction with the appropriate department,
one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is granted for each ten hours of satisfactory
participation. All CEUs are recorded on CEU forms permanently maintained in the
Registrar's Office. CEUs are not convertible to academic credit at any time.
3.1.11 Grade Appeals Procedure
Grade appeals may not be made simply because a student wants a better grade or
because of a disagreement over a subjective evaluation of submitted work. In addition,
once posted, grades may not be lowered.
Grounds for grade appeals are:
● Clerical error by the instructor (e.g., misplacing an assignment that had been
submitted properly by the student, mistyping a grade in a spreadsheet, or
“clicking” on the wrong grade in BannerWeb);
● Computational error by the instructor (e.g., combining individual grades
incorrectly); and
● Deviation from the grading scheme provided in the syllabus so significant as to
affect a student’s grade (e.g., assigning a different weight to an assignment than
stated in the syllabus so as to change the final grade).
The following procedures are followed by the Academic Dean’s Office in cases of
student protests of final course grades.
● In all cases, the appeal of a final course grade must first be made to the
instructor within 10 business days* after the official due date for final grades at
the close of any given grading period. In the event that the instructor is
unavailable, the student must, within the 10 business day period, initiate contact
with the department chair or Associate Academic Dean (e.g., by sending an e-
mail message) and, in this correspondence, describe her/his attempt to reach the
instructor and state her/his intent to appeal a particular final course grade. Either
the student or the professor may invite one individual from within the Guilford
Community to attend the discussion. If the student and/or the professor are
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uncomfortable with meeting face-to-face, even with the assistance of others, it is
possible to have this discussion in writing. Note: Because transcripts are sealed
and may not be changed for any reason after a student graduates, graduating
seniors have only until 5 pm two days before the graduation date to appeal final
regular, intensive, fast track II, and Saturday course grades and have them
corrected. * A “business day” is a weekday that the college is open for business
regardless of whether classes are in session.
● If the student remains unsatisfied, he/she/they must then discuss the situation
with the chairperson of the academic department involved, unless the instructor
is the department chair. If the instructor is the department chair, the student must
instead discuss the situation with the chair of the division in which this course
was taught. The student shall bring all relevant materials and information to this
meeting, including papers, tests, syllabi, etc. The student must contact the
department chair, or the division chair if instructor is the department chair, within
5 business days of having finished discussing the matter with the instructor.
● If still unresolved, the case may be appealed to the Office of the Academic Dean,
where the Associate Academic Dean will continue to try to achieve an
appropriate resolution. The student must contact the Associate Academic Dean
within 5 business days of having discussed the matter with the department chair
and present to the Associate Academic Dean a complete, written account of the
facts and an argument that explains the justification for a grade change.
● If the student wishes to appeal the decision made by the Associate Academic
Dean, he/she/they must submit this appeal in writing to the Academic Dean
within 5 business days of the date of the Associate Academic Dean’s decision.
This appeal must include a discussion of the grounds upon which the Associate
Academic Dean’s decision should be reviewed; such grounds could include the
discovery of additional information or a procedural irregularity so substantial as to
have compromised the student’s right to a fair hearing. The Academic Dean will
review the matter and make a determination whether or not the appeal warrants
calling together a special hearing board. If the Academic Dean decides there are
no grounds on which to proceed further with the appeal, the decision of the
Associate Academic Dean will be considered final. If the Academic Dean decides
otherwise, a special hearing board will be constituted.
● At the discretion of the Academic Dean, a special hearing board will be instituted,
composed of Guilford faculty and professional staff. The student and the
instructor will each be asked to submit a list of requested faculty the Academic
Dean might appoint to such a committee. Utilizing each list, the Academic Dean
will appoint a group, drawing one individual from the student list, one from that of
the instructor, and nominating a third. Both the student and the instructor will
have the opportunity to reject up to three proposed members of the projected
hearing board, until a group of three individuals satisfactory to the Academic
Dean, the faculty member, and the student have been chosen and have agreed
to serve.
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● The hearing board may meet with the student, the instructor, and anyone else
appropriate and examine all relevant documentation. It will then make a final
recommendation to the Academic Dean.
● After receiving the recommendation of the hearing board, the Academic Dean will
make the final decision regarding the student’s grade.
3.2 INSTRUCTIONAL TRAVEL
As part of the instructional program, faculty members may plan departmental field trips
or may be asked to accompany students on off-campus seminars. In such cases,
faculty expenses are reimbursed.
Off-campus seminars and departmental field trips are charged to either institutional or
departmental budgets. The process by which faculty seek reimbursement utilizes the
same form used for reimbursement of expenses for travel to professional meetings, and
receipts for expenses must be attached. Eligible for reimbursement are out-of-pocket
faculty expenses for meals, lodging, and travel. In the case of travel, it is assumed that
faculty will accompany the students rather than use more expensive transportation. On
a field trip or an off-campus seminar, the supervising faculty member shall make every
reasonable effort to maintain the safety and well-being of students.
3.3 ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
In addition to the following regulations (3.310-3.340), additional academic information,
policies, and regulations are to be found in the most recent editions of the Guilford
College Student Handbook and the Guilford College Catalog.
3.3.1 Academic Honor Code
[Updated June 1, 2007, changes approved by the Clerk and the Associate Academic
Dean]
To foster responsibility, the College operates under an honor system. Faculty members
and students shall insist upon high standards of honesty and integrity in their classes.
Faculty members shall call the Honor Code to the attention of their students, and may
require that the Honor Pledge, "I have been honest and have not observed any
dishonesty," be written on all academic work and may refuse to extend credit for work
on which it does not appear. Academic honesty and integrity represent central elements
of the liberal arts education at Guilford College. As scholars pursuing knowledge and
truth, informed by the Quaker testimony on integrity, we seek a community where each
member acts responsibly and honorably in all activities and at all times.
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Acts of dishonesty represent a serious offense at Guilford College. As part of every
students' obligations under the Guilford College Honor Code, the good faith and honest
participation in the honor code process represents a critical embodiment of the values of
excellence, community and integrity underlying the Honor Code. Any evidence of
actions or statements which may be considered harassment or intimidation by one
student of another student, staff or faculty member associated with the investigation of a
possible honor code violation will be referred to the Dean of Students as a possible
violation under the Student Code of Conduct. Such alleged violations would be
processed independently of the Honor Code and therefore not depend on a finding of
responsibility for an Honor Code violation. Specific academic violations for which there
are penalties include:
3.3.1.1 Plagiarism
Guilford College defines plagiarism broadly as presenting the interpretations, wording,
images, or original conceptions of others as one's own without appropriate
acknowledgement. Individual faculty members determine what constitutes "appropriate
acknowledgement" within the context of their courses, either by specifically stating
requirements or by acknowledging the standard practice within a given discipline. The
charge of plagiarism applies to any and all academic work, whether done inside or
outside of the classroom and whether submitted as a rough draft or a final product.
[Updated June 1, 2007, changes approved by the Clerk and the Associate Academic
Dean]
3.3.1.2 Unauthorized Collaboration
Students may not combine efforts on any and all academic work, done inside or outside
the classroom, submitted to an instructor as a rough draft or a final product, unless
specifically permitted by the instructor. Although instructors should clearly define the
limits of collaboration allowed, the absence of any instructions indicates that
collaboration is not permitted. When uncertain, the student should seek clarification
from the instructor.
In cases of unauthorized collaboration, any student giving aid is as responsible as the
recipient, unless the former is unaware that she/he has provided aid. A student who
seeks unauthorized aid is responsible for participating in unauthorized collaboration
whether the aid was given or received. The charge of unauthorized collaboration applies
to any and all academic work, whether done inside or outside of the classroom and
whether submitted as a rough draft or a final product.
3.3.1.3 Unauthorized Use of Materials
[Updated June 1, 2007, changes approved by the Clerk and the Associate Academic
Dean]
It is the student's responsibility to ascertain what materials may be used in any and all
academic work whether done inside or outside of the classroom and whether submitted
as a rough draft or a final product. The submission for credit of the same written work in
more than one course is not permitted without the prior permission of both instructors.
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3.3.1.4 Procedures for Dealing with Violations of the Academic Honor Code
[Name changed for 3.3.1.4 approved by Academic Dean’s office, October 6, 2006;
section updated September 2015 by Clerk’s Committee]
I. When a Guilford College faculty member, student, or staff member observes or
learns of a violation of the honor code as defined in the Student Handbook,
he/she/they shall report this observation or discovery to the person responsible for
the activity or assignment where the alleged violation has supposedly occurred; e.g.,
the instructor of a course. This person will be referred to below as the “instructor”
even when the alleged violation is not associated with a course.
II. The instructor shall, by College e-mail or otherwise, endeavor to contact the student
who allegedly violated the honor code to ascertain whether the student admits or
does not admit responsibility for an honor code violation. At any time during the
initial meeting or discussion between the student and an instructor or administrator,
the student may request that the meeting be suspended for up to one week so that
he/she/they may invite another Guilford College student or employee to this meeting
to serve as his/her/their advocate for any or all subsequent meetings. The instructor
or administrator may invite a Guilford College employee to any or all meetings. If the
alleged violation occurs in a course and the instructor becomes aware of an alleged
honor code violation after the last day of classes for that semester, after making an
effort to reach the student by telephone or e-mail, the instructor may proceed without
conducting an initial meeting or discussion with the student, if the student fails to
respond within two days before grades for the class and/or for that particular student
are due.
III. If the instructor considers the alleged violation to be an academic honor code
violation, the instructor must report and describe the incident in full to the Associate
Academic Dean, regardless of whether the student admits responsibility.
IV. If the student admits responsibility for an academic honor code violation, the
Associate Academic Dean shall take the steps outlined in paragraph 6 below.
V. If the student does not admit responsibility for an academic honor code violation, the
Associate Academic Dean shall conduct an investigation to obtain the necessary
information from the instructor, the student, and others to determine whether the
student has committed an academic honor code violation. If the Associate Academic
Dean concludes that he/she/they has a conflict or should otherwise remove himself
or herself from the matter, the Associate Academic Dean shall transfer the matter to
the Academic Dean, who shall, in turn, appoint a hearing panel to proceed as
described in paragraph VII.C below. If the Associate Academic Dean does transfer
the matter to the Academic Dean, or if the Associate Academic Dean concludes
after investigating that no violation occurred, he/she/they shall notify both the student
and the instructor in writing by College e-mail or campus mail.
VI. If the Associate Academic Dean concludes that an Honor Code violation has
occurred, either because the student has admitted to responsibility or because the
Associate Academic Dean has so concluded after investigation, the following steps
apply:
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A. The Associate Academic Dean shall check the student’s record for any prior
violations of the honor code.
B. If the student has no record of a previous honor code violation, the Associate
Academic Dean will consult with the instructor and ordinarily impose one of the
three standard sanctions (see Standard Sanctions section below), or a more
serious sanction if one is stipulated in the course syllabus.
C. If the student does have a record of one or more honor code violations, the
Associate Academic Dean must impose at least the standard sanction based on
the number of prior violations (see Standard Sanctions section below).
D. In all cases, the Associate Academic Dean enters an honor code violation in the
student’s academic record.
E. The Associate Academic Dean reports this outcome in writing, by College e-mail
or campus mail, to both the student and the instructor.
VII. The student may appeal a decision by the Associate Academic Dean that finds
him or her to have committed an honor code violation. If the student chooses to
appeal the decision, he/she/they has ten (10) business days from the delivery date
of this decision to submit such an appeal, in writing, to the Academic Dean:
A. On the basis of the Associate Academic Dean’s written decision and the
student’s written appeal, the Academic Dean will decide, in his/her/their sole
discretion, whether the appeal has sufficient merit to proceed to a hearing panel.
Typically, sufficient merit to proceed to a hearing panel would require new,
relevant information obtained after the decision by the Associate Academic Dean
or some procedural error so substantial that it interfered with the student’s right to
a fair decision.
B. If the Academic Dean, in his/her/their sole discretion, does not conclude that the
appeal has sufficient merit to proceed to a hearing, then the case is closed, and
the decision of the Associate Academic Dean will remain in effect and will be
followed.
C. If the Academic Dean, in his/her/their sole discretion, concludes that the appeal
has sufficient merit to proceed to a hearing, or if the Academic Dean has
assumed responsibility for the case due to the Associate Academic Dean’s
stepping aside under paragraph 5 above, then the Academic Dean shall convene
a hearing panel of three faculty (appointed pursuant to faculty governance
procedure) and three students (appointed pursuant to student governance
procedure). This panel shall investigate the case and collect evidence, including
any statements, to determine whether the student is responsible for an academic
honor code violation. Once it has made its determination, the panel shall report
its conclusion to the Academic Dean in writing. A copy of this report shall be
available to the student and the instructor upon request.
D. The Academic Dean shall make the final determination, after considering the
Associate Academic Dean’s report (if any), the transcript from and evidence
presented in the panel’s hearing, and the panel’s final report. Because the
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decision of the Academic Dean is final, no appeal may follow his/her/their
decision.
E. If the Academic Dean finds the student responsible for an academic honor code
violation, the Academic Dean shall affirm the decision of the Associate Academic
Dean or, in cases where the Associate Academic Dean has stepped aside, shall
impose a sanction under the procedure outlined in paragraph VI above.
F. The Academic Dean shall inform the student in writing of his or her decision, by
College e-mail or campus mail, and send a copy of this notice to the instructor,
chair of the hearing panel, and Associate Academic Dean, who will update the
student’s record to reflect this decision and sanction.
G. If the Academic Dean finds the student not responsible, he/she/they will inform
the student in writing and send a copy of this letter to the instructor, chair of the
hearing panel, and the Associate Academic Dean, who will update the student’s
record by deleting from it all references to this alleged violation.
VIII. As an exception to the foregoing rules, certain instances of plagiarism may be
addressed under their own procedures, as follows:
A. Specifically, in a case of plagiarism where an instructor concludes
i. That the violation was due to the student’s genuine incomplete understanding
of standard acknowledgment practice or of what constitutes plagiarism and
ii. That the student has accepted an appropriate level of responsibility for the
plagiarism based on the circumstances involved, the instructor may choose to
report, but is not required to report, to the Associate Academic Dean that an
honor code caution is appropriate.
B. Upon receiving such a report, the Associate Academic Dean, in consultation with
the instructor, shall conclude whether to issue an honor code caution.
C. The Associate Academic Dean shall maintain an updated list of such cautions,
including a description of the type of each incident. Entries in this list will not be
considered part of a student’s permanent academic record. However, if a student
is alleged to have committed a violation of the honor code that is the same as or
similar to a previously reported academic honor code caution, this subsequent
offense will be treated as an academic honor code violation with no possibility of
resulting in a caution. The Associate Academic Dean will determine whether an
alleged violation will be considered the same as or similar to one that previously
resulted in a caution. The Associate Academic Dean’s determination will be final
and may not be appealed.
D. In cases of plagiarism, the instructor should offer to work with the student to
address the relevant honor code issues in an educational fashion and will grade
the student’s work as the instructor considers appropriate and as is consistent
with the course syllabus.
E. Instances of plagiarism that the instructor concludes are not the result of the
student’s genuine incomplete understanding of standard acknowledgment
practice or of what constitutes plagiarism, or instances of plagiarism for which the
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student does not accept an appropriate level of responsibility based on the
circumstances involved, shall be handled as all other alleged violations of the
honor code, and the provisions of paragraphs I-VII above shall control.
Standard Sanctions
[Updated December 2015, changes approved by the Clerk and the Clerk’s Committee]
● First offense: F or zero on the assignment
● Second offense: F in the course, if any, or, if not, a comparable sanction (as
determined by the Associate Academic Dean)
● Third offense: F in the course and Suspension from Guilford College
NOTE: Instructors may have a policy that imposes failure of the course for the first
Academic Honor Code offense; in such a case, this policy must be specified in the
syllabus at the beginning of the semester.
3.3.2 Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal
[See policy in the College Catalog]
3.3.3 Falsification of Information
Guilford College strictly forbids falsification of information on College forms and records.
Such misconduct may result in termination of employment.
3.4 OTHER FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES
3.4.1 Attendance at Faculty Meetings
Regular attendance at faculty meetings is considered a major responsibility of all
faculty.
3.4.2 Committee Service
[Revision approved by the faculty, January 28, 2014 and the President, March 19, 2014]
Faculty members shall serve on committees and attend committee meetings regularly.
Normally, each faculty member sits on one standing committee annually, which may be
replaced by service as departmental chair. The Nominating Committee makes every
effort to distribute the workload of committee assignments evenly. New faculty normally
do not serve on committees the first year. (See "Nominating Committee" 1.4.15.)
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3.4.3 External Community Service
The College encourages its faculty to engage in community activities according to their
own preferences, but faculty members should consult with departmental chairpersons
and the Academic Dean before accepting unusually demanding outside activities. In
speaking publicly, faculty members should always make it known when they speak for
themselves rather than for the College.
No expenses are to be charged to the College for the preparation or distribution of
materials
● Announcing community meetings not sponsored by a department or official
organization within the College;
● Encouraging the adoption of views of partisan political or public policy; or
● Promoting community concerns that do not directly and substantively enhance
the operation of the College. Individuals may create and distribute such materials
at their own expense. The distributor should identify himself or herself on
distributed materials. These regulations do not apply to meetings or materials
related to the content of College courses, or to officially sanctioned College
functions or events.
3.4.4 New Student Orientation
Faculty shall assist in the welcoming of new students and parents during orientation. All
faculty are expected to attend the opening convocation. Those with first-year or transfer
advisees shall be available to meet with them during the orientation program.
3.4.5 Commencement
Members of the faculty shall participate in spring commencement exercises. In
exceptional cases, a faculty member who cannot participate shall notify the Academic
Dean's office. In the commencement procession, retired faculty will march first and
retiring faculty second; the remainder of the faculty follow in no designated order.
Faculty shall provide their own caps, gowns, and hoods to wear in the academic
procession or pay a rental charge if such items are ordered for them by the College.
The rental fee is to be paid either in advance, when the cap and gown are picked up, or
through authorization of a payroll deduction to be made in the May 31 salary payment.
Some faculty members believe that traditional academic cap and gown are inconsistent
with the Quaker belief in simple dress. Such individuals are excused from appearing
thus garbed but should dress with a dignity befitting the public and formal nature of the
graduation ceremonies.
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3.4.6 Departmental Guidelines for Initiate course
Initiate courses, offered in the fall semester of each year, are generally taught by full-
time faculty who have been at Guilford a minimum of two years. The teaching load shall
be spread proportionately across all departments. For instance, two-person
departments shall teach a minimum of one Initiate course every two years, three-person
departments shall teach a minimum of two Initiate courses every three years, and four-
person departments shall teach a minimum of one Initiate course every year. The
Academic Dean may release departments which are temporarily understaffed from this
program.
3.4.7 Academic Department Chairs
The successful accomplishment of College goals depends heavily upon the leadership,
administration, and management of the academic department by the chair. The
department chair is of critical importance to the mission and program of the department
and the institution. Academic department chairs serve on only one College standing
committee in order to allow them sufficient time to fulfill their responsibilities as chair
(see Workload Policy in Appendix H).
The department chair has five major responsibilities:
● Effective curriculum development and administration;
● Effective leadership in professional and personnel relations, with and among
faculty and staff;
● Effective recruiting of new faculty;
● Orienting and mentoring new and part-time faculty; and
● Supervision of departmental budget.
Specifically, the chair provides leadership in curricular planning, fosters interdisciplinary
and experimental curricular offerings and programs, arranges for the procurement and
maintenance of instructional equipment, coordinates the purchase of library materials
and teaching materials, tracks enrollments and enrollment trends, oversees the
scheduling and staffing of course offerings, coordinates advising and registration, and
directs assessment planning and implementation.
In addition, the chair oversees the recruitment of new full- and part-time faculty (see
2.200), orients new faculty to the services and policies of the department and the
College, reviews the performance of "temporary part-time" faculty members, (See "Part-
time Faculty Status" 2.221 for schedule of review.) nominates departmental colleagues
for promotion, fosters the development of the team concept of responsibility to the goals
of the department and college, prepares and oversees the departmental budget in
consultation with department members, attends or sends a representative to all
meetings pertinent to the department, prepares the department's annual report, and
supervises the department's assessment program.
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The department chair also has specific responsibilities to students. He/she/they
disseminates information about department programs, employment, graduate school
and other related information to students; hires and supervises the students employed
by the department; hears student complaints about department faculty and programs;
and evaluates student petitions for special arrangements.
In carrying out these responsibilities, the chair convenes and leads regular departmental
meetings. Academic departments use the Quaker process of seeking the sense of the
meeting in conducting their business. Other members of the department equitably share
responsibility for the implementation of departmental duties. The Academic Dean will
conduct an orientation meeting for new departmental chairs in the spring semester, and
chairs will occasionally be asked to meet with the Dean to discuss matters of academic
administration.
The Academic Dean, in consultation with all members of the department involved,
appoints academic department chairs. The normal term of service is three years. Chairs
may serve more than one three-year term in a row, but the expectation is that the chair
is a rotating responsibility. In cases of leaves, departmental personnel shifts, and similar
situations, the normal pattern may be modified.
3.4.8 Response-Time Guideline
[Revisions approved by the faculty, March 5, 2014]
All College employees will make reasonable efforts to respond to inquiries from
students, parents, and other off-campus constituencies, and each other, by the close of
the next business day.
3.5 Formative Review of Faculty
The Formative Review of Faculty (FRF) reflects Guilford College’s commitment to
faculty development. The FRF occurs on a three year cycle that allows the faculty
member to identify an area of professional development in consultation with a
department chair or other designee. All full-time and continuing adjunct (defined in
section 2.2.2.1 above) faculty will participate in this review
process, which is guided by
the following:
• The FRF should be simple, useful, and complements broader faculty
development goals.
• The FRF is a developmental element of Guilford’s faculty development program
and distinct from the promotion and tenure process outlined in sections 2.3-2.5 of
the Faculty Handbook.
• The FRF also provides a means of identifying areas across the college where
support would be helpful which, in turn, should inform the priorities for faculty
development.
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The faculty member can choose a project from any area of professional activity
described in 2.3.3 of the Faculty Handbook. Some projects may focus on a curricular or
pedagogical innovation, while others will focus on a scholarly or artistic work.
Alternatively, faculty members might propose to revise their student advising
methodology, or a defined project in college or community service. The three-year cycle
finishes with an assessment or self-evaluation of the faculty member’s work.
Year One. Faculty members will begin the review cycle in Year 1 by identifying the
focus of the project in a one-page summary. Faculty members may request a peer
reviewer who is not the chair of their department or program, in which case they may
choose another faculty colleague in consultation with the chair of the Faculty
Development Committee and the Academic Dean.
The summary should be no longer than 500 words, reviewed by the department or
program chair, and submitted to the chair of the Faculty Development Committee and
the Associate Academic Dean by June 1.
Year Two. In Year 2, faculty will work on implementation. There is no reporting
requirement for the second year of the cycle unless the project deviates significantly
from the overview provided in Year 1.
Year Three. The cycle is completed when the faculty member assesses the results of
the project, discusses the findings with the chair, and submits a 500-word report with
the results. This document is due on April 1 to the chair of the Faculty Development
Committee and the Associate Academic Dean.
The review calendar for faculty will be adjusted to accommodate, first, the faculty
member’s tenure/promotion schedule, with the post-tenure review receiving second
priority. At no point should a faculty member be engaged in two review activities in the
same year, and the Associate Academic Dean will adjust the faculty member’s review
calendar accordingly.
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Chapter IV: Institutional Procedures
4.1 CORRESPONDENCE AND COPYING
4.1.1 Copy Service
See Employee Handbook.
4.1.2 Copyright Policy
It is the policy of Guilford College to comply with all relevant sections of the United
States Copyright Law. Our policies assume respect for the rights of copyright holders,
tempered by the recognition that the educational process dictates a flexible and good
faith interpretation of the "fair use" doctrine.
The information and guidelines presented below are based on United States Copyright
Law. Some materials of interest to the College community may be protected under the
copyright regulations of other nations. This document does not address the copyright
issues that arise in such circumstances; members of the College community who wish
to make use of such materials are encouraged to seek more specialized guidance.
Some of the material appearing below is taken from the US Copyright Office Web page
at http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/; US government publications are not subject to
copyright protection.
This policy addresses the use of copyrights materials by students, faculty, and staff of
Guilford College. It has been adapted, with permission, from the policy approved by
Swarthmore College in June 2000. Issues regarding the allocation of rights to
intellectual property created by members of the College community are addressed in
the separate Intellectual Property Policy [approved by the Board of Trustees on October
7, 2006].
This policy consists of two parts: a narrative statement and a tabular matrix of
instances likely to arise in the course of the College’s activities.
WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S.
Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic,
musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both
published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally
gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the
following:
● To reproduce the work;
● To prepare derivative works based upon the work;
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● To distribute copies of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of
ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
● To perform the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and
choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual
works;
● To display the copyrighted work publicly, in the case of literary, musical,
dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or
sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other
audiovisual work; and
● In the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a
digital audio transmission.
It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the copyright law to the
owner of copyright. These rights, however, are not unlimited in scope. Sections 107
through 121 of the 1976 Copyright Act establish limitations on these rights. In some
cases, these limitations are specified exemptions from copyright liability. One major
limitation is the doctrine of "fair use," which is given a statutory basis in section 107 of
the 1976 Copyright Act. A second relevant limitation is the ability of libraries to make
copies of copyrighted works under specified conditions.
WHAT WORKS ARE PROTECTED?
Copyright protects "original works of authorship" that are fixed in a tangible form of
expression. The fixation need not be directly perceptible so long as it may be
communicated with the aid of a machine or device. Copyrightable works include the
following categories:
● Literary works
● Musical works, including any accompanying words
● Dramatic works, including any accompanying music
● Pantomimes and choreographic works
● Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
● Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
● Sound recordings
● Architectural works
These categories should be viewed broadly. For example, computer programs and most
"compilations" may be registered as "literary works"; maps and architectural plans may
be registered as "pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works."
There are time limitations to copyright protection. Copyright protection has expired for
all works published prior to 1923. For works published between 1923 and 1977,
copyright protection extends for 95 years, if the copyright owner complied with certain
statutory formalities; otherwise, the copyright protection may have expired. Works
created or first published between 1978 and the present are protected by copyright for
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the author's life, plus 70 years, if the work is ascribed to an individual. For anonymous
works, or works created by corporate authors, copyright protection extends for 90 years
from the time that the work was created.
Out of print materials are generally protected by copyright, unless the copyright time
limits have expired. Out of print materials may be reproduced in accordance with the fair
use guidelines described below.
Works published since March 1989 need not bear a copyright notice to be protected
under the Copyright Act.
WHAT IS NOT PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT?
Several categories of material are generally not eligible for federal copyright protection.
These include among others:
● Works that have not been fixed in a tangible form of expression, (for example,
choreographic works that have not been notated or recorded, or improvisational
speeches or performances that have not been written or recorded)
● Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; mere
variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring; mere listings of
ingredients or contents
● Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles,
discoveries, or devices, as distinguished from a description, explanation, or
illustration
● Works consisting entirely of information that is common property and containing
no original authorship (for example: standard calendars, height and weight
charts, tape measures and rulers, and lists or tables taken from public
documents or other common sources)
● Publications of the United States government.
● Materials on which the copyright has expired, or been declared in the public
domain, including all works published prior to 1923 in the United States.
WHAT IS FAIR USE?
Fair use is a vaguely defined concept that is described in the statute as follows:
§ 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. Notwithstanding the provisions. of
sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by
reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section,
for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple
copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the
factors to be considered shall include:
● The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a
commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
● The nature of the copyrighted work;
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● The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted
portion as a whole; and
● The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted
work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if
such finding is made upon consideration of all of the above factors.
With this less than clear legislation, it is obvious that the concept of "fair use" has come
to be defined by judicial rulings, most of which are not directly relevant to the use of
copyrighted materials at institutions such as Guilford. Court decisions that rule in favor
of or against fair use in particular instances consider all four of the factors listed above,
with weightings that vary from case to case. In general, factor (4) has come to be
viewed as the most important determinant of the fair use of copyrighted materials,
although always in the context of the other three criteria.
WHAT ARE THE RIGHTS OF LIBRARIES TO REPRODUCE COPYRIGHTED
WORKS?
Section 108 (d) and (e) of the statute describes a limitation to copyright that is used
frequently in academic institutions. It is not an infringement of copyright when libraries
(or patrons) make single copies of certain copyrighted works (excluding musical works,
graphic, pictorial or sculptural works; motion pictures or other audiovisual works, except
audiovisuals dealing with the news) provided that:
● Only individual articles or small portions of a larger work are copied;
● The copies become the property of the patron;
● The copies are used for private study, scholarship or research and the copying is
not done for commercial advantage;
● The library displays prominently a notice warning of copyright in accord with
requirements published by the US Copyright Office.
Libraries may make copies of entire works (or substantial pieces of a work) if the work
cannot be obtained after a reasonable search and at a reasonable price.
COURSE READINGS
● Faculty can provide supplementary materials or course readings by:
● Distributing multiple copies for classroom use;
● Placing items on print reserves in the library;
● Making materials available using electronic reserves via class conferences;
● Compiling anthologies ("course packs");
Each one of these methods is treated somewhat differently under copyright law.
Multiple Copies for Classroom Use
(Following the American Library Association's Model Policy Concerning College and
University Photocopying for Classroom Research and Library Reserve Use (1982).)
With respect to classroom uses, the following guidelines apply:
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● Only one copy may be distributed for each student per course;
● The distribution of the same photocopied material may not occur every semester
that a particular course is taught;
● The material must include a copyright notice on the first page of the portion of
material photocopied; and
● Students may not be assessed any fee beyond the actual cost of photocopying.
Furthermore, copying should meet the tests of brevity and spontaneity.
To meet the brevity test, no more than one article, poem, story or essay may be copied
from the same author and no more than three from the same collective work or
periodical volume during one class term.
Spontaneity is defined as that which meets the following two criteria:
● The copying is at the inspiration of the individual instructor, and
● The decision to use the work and the time of its use are so close in time that it is
impractical to expect a timely reply to a request for permission to copy.
Given the amount of time it often takes to get permissions, faculty may generally
presume that the first time they use an item that otherwise appears reasonable, the use
will fall within these guidelines. However, if the faculty member expects to use the
materials again, they should seek permissions from the copyright holder before a repeat
use. (Alternatively, faculty should seek permissions when they decide to use the work.
They may proceed with use of the work if permission is not forthcoming prior to the time
when the work is introduced in the course).
In any case, photocopying for classroom use:
● Should not contribute to a significant detrimental impact on the market for the
copyrighted work;
● Should not be used to create or replace or substitute for anthologies,
compilations or collective works;
● Should not be used to reproduce consumable works such as copyrighted
workbooks, exercises, standardized tests and test booklets and answer sheets,
etc.; and
● Should not substitute for purchase of books or periodicals.
Print Library Reserves
It is reasonable to believe that fair use applies to photocopies on the Library's reserve
shelf to the extent that it functions as an extension of classroom readings (provided that
the brevity and spontaneity criteria are satisfied) and reflects an individual student's right
to photocopy for his/her/their personal scholastic use. The use of photocopied material
for course reserves is subject to the following guidelines:
● The Library must own a copy of a work placed on reserve. Alternatively, the
Library may accept a copy of a work that is not in its collections with the
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assurance from a faculty member that the work is in her/his own personal
collection.
● Photocopies of only one work from a single author, or three from the same
collective work or periodical volume, may be placed on reserve for a single
course. Faculty members who wish to place photocopies of more than three
chapters from a collected work or monograph or more than three single journal
articles on Reserve must seek permission from the copyright holder.
● Generally, the Library should not place more than five photocopies of a single
article, reading, etc. on reserve, but factors such as the length or difficulty of the
assignment, the number of enrolled students and the length of time given for
completion of the assignment may permit the Library to place more than five
photocopies on Reserve.
● If faculty members wish to place photocopied material on Reserve for a second
semester, they must seek permission from the copyright holder to do so, unless
that material comes from a journal for which Guilford pays an institutional
subscription price.
● Photocopies must not be retained by the Library following completion of the
course.
Placing Entire Works or Large Sections of a Monograph on Reserve
● Sometimes a faculty member wishes to place multiple photocopies of an entire
work on Reserve.
● If the work is a monograph and is in print, the Library can only accept individual
chapters (not to exceed 10% of the entire work during a single semester).
● To place larger sections on reserve, the faculty member must seek permission
from the publisher of the work. The Library will help the faculty member ascertain
if the work is available and/or under copyright.
● If the work is out of print and it is unlikely that the Library can obtain the work "for
a fair price", under Section 108(e) of the Copyright Act, the Library may either
photocopy a work it owns or accept up to three photocopies from the faculty
member.
Special Considerations Concerning Sheet Music
In addition to the general guidelines that pertain to all printed materials, the following
apply to the photocopying of sheet music:
● Faculty may copy for classroom distribution (or place on reserve) an excerpt
which is no more than 10% of the whole work. In addition, the portion copied
must not comprise a part of the whole work that would constitute a performable
unit such as a section, movement or aria.
● Purchased printed copies may be edited or simplified provided that the
fundamental character of the work is not distorted, or the lyrics altered or added if
none exist.
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Electronic Library Reserves
Some publishers, as well as the Copyright Clearance Center, treat electronic reserves
(that is, reserve readings which are scanned in and made available digitally) as different
from printed reserves. However, in general, the guidelines for print reserves (above)
should be used as the basis for determining fair use in the case of electronic reserves,
as well. To the extent technically feasible, electronic reserves are subject to certain
additional restrictions:
● The reserve system will restrict the number of patrons that can access each work
simultaneously. Generally, the restriction will be 5 simultaneous users.
● Reserve materials will be password protected; the password will be made
available only to those enrolled in the class (and those responsible for
maintaining the system).
● The electronic reserve system will display copyright notice.
● Materials will be removed from the public server at the conclusion of each
course.
● The reserve system will include a notice in conjunction with each item on
electronic reserve, indicating that downloading or creation of an additional
electronic copy is prohibited.
Network delivered course readings
Criteria for use of a secure server, such as a Lotus Notes conference or academic
share space limited to the faculty and students in a particular class can be considered a
similar extension of the classroom reading function. Access to the share space must be
limited to current members of the course. Faculty members are responsible for
ensuring that all other requirements for electronic reserves are met when posting
readings to course conferences under their control, including the posting of copyright
notices, the removal of copyrighted materials from the server at the end of the course,
and obtaining permission before posting copyrighted material for a second or
subsequent use.
Course Packs
If a faculty member wishes to compile a set of articles into a course pack for distribution
or sale:
● He/she must seek permissions for all materials to be included.
● Even with significant lead time, there may be some instances wherein
permissions are not secured prior to the beginning of the term. If this occurs, we
suggest that those readings be place on reserve in the library or they may be
distributed to students following the guidelines for "multiple copies for classroom
use" (above).
SCHOLARLY USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS
The College has long held that the scholarly activities of the faculty are integral to the
educational mission of the institution. In recent years, the growth of student/faculty
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research in the curriculum only highlights the degree to which faculty scholarship is an
extension of the work done with students in the classroom and laboratory.
Traditional interpretations of copyright law have long held that the reproduction of
copyrighted materials for the individual use of scholars is fair use. While this
environment remains largely intact, recent court rulings have circumscribed the breadth
of this fair use exception.
Reproduction of entire journal articles or small sections of a monograph is permitted,
assuming that the copy is for the individual use of a scholar. (Further distribution of that
copy by, for example, producing copies for a group of students will typically fall under
the guidelines for "multiple copies for classroom use", above.)
Reproduction of entire monographs may be permitted only for the scholarly use of
individuals, provided that the "spontaneity" test is met. Absent this, scholars should
either purchase a copy of the monograph, if available, or seek copyright permission.
(For out of print materials, a reasonable attempt must be made to obtain copyright
permission as these materials retain their copyright protection.)
Institutional encouragement of widespread reproduction of copyrighted material (by, for
example, circulating individual journal issues to faculty for systematic copying of
individual articles for their files) is not considered fair use.
VISUAL RESOURCES
The use of visual materials in teaching and research by studio artists, art historians,
architectural historians and historians of film, among others at the College, is
fundamental to their ability to carry out the educational mission of the institution. The
following guidelines recognize the crucial nature of these needs and aim to respond to
them in the most productive and generous spirit possible, while still upholding the tenets
of copyright legislation.
For visual materials, ownership of the copyright can be ambiguous, with several
possible rights holders involved. These include:
● For published materials into which images are incorporated, the compiler of the
images (i.e., the publisher or author), one or more photographers who may not
have relinquished copyright to the compiler, and/or the creator of the work(s) or
art shown (if not in the public domain).
● For collections of published images, the printer/publisher of the images, the
creator(s) of the individual prints, and/or the creator(s) of the original unique
works of art reproduced in print form.
● For unpublished images, those who originally created the works.
● Any person or entity to which any of these copyright holders have transferred or
assigned their copyrights.
In addition, museums or other repositories may have "proprietary interests" which grant
them the legal right to control access to and distribution of reproductions of works under
their control.
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For the purposes of educational, not-for-profit uses of materials such as 35 mm slides
depicting works of art, the "mechanical" means used to photograph those works usually
can be characterized as documentary in intent and fundamentally non-creative in
nature. These depictions are therefore not protected by copyright. This then enables the
free use -- use without seeking permission -- of reproductions of these "mechanical
productions" in the event that the works they depict are not themselves copyright
protected.
Acquisition/production of visual materials
The following guidelines govern the acquisition of visual materials (images) for
educational and scholarly use:
● The first recourse for obtaining visual materials for use in the classroom (or for
other professional activity by faculty, short of publication) should be purchasing
or licensing these materials from appropriate vendors in a volume adequate to
cover such use or activity.
● In-house production of visual materials through copy photography or duplication
of original materials is a fallback option, provided that the "brevity" and
"spontaneity" criteria are met, or in the event that documented good faith efforts
to find commercial sources, at a fair price, for the materials have been
unsuccessful.
● For purposes of the "brevity" criteria, a published collection of images (or
published text into which images have been incorporated) is judged to be a
single work; reproduction of images in such a work should be limited to 10% of
the total number of images in the collection.
● If materials are acquired through the duplication of original copyright-protected
slides, photographs, or digital works (as distinct from those reprinted in texts or
other collections of images), it is necessary to seek permission from the copyright
holder(s) before their duplication and/or use can proceed. In the event that the
spontaneity of the need for these materials precludes obtaining permissions prior
to their use, reproduction and use may proceed on a one-time basis only.
Subsequent use may proceed only once the necessary permissions have been
secured, or good-faith efforts to obtain them have been documented.
● Under no circumstances may more than one copy of a given image be made at
any one time.
● Low resolution digital representations of images ("thumbnails") can be produced
and used in support of scholarship or the curriculum by College faculty, students
and staff without the need to secure permission from the copyright owners of the
original image. (The audience for "thumbnail" reproductions should be limited,
however, to the College community.)
Use of visual materials
Visual materials that have been produced or acquired in accordance with the guidelines
outlined above may be used for teaching in the classroom and for other related, non-
commercial, non-publication purposes by faculty, staff and students. Specifically, the
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non-commercial, nonpublication, professional activities of faculty and staff (public
lectures, presentations at professional meetings or other institutions, etc.) are
understood to be extensions of the educational work carried out in the classroom. All
such activities generally are considered fair use under these guidelines.
NOTE: The use of visual materials in scholarly or professional publications requires
prior permission of the copyright owner(s). In this context "publication" is taken to mean
both traditional print media, and any Web-based or on-line presentation with an
audience that extends beyond the College computing network.
VIDEO/MULTIMEDIA MATERIALS
(Derived from the 1996 guidelines developed by the Consortium of College and
University Media Centers.)
Examples of multimedia materials include slide presentations, videos, and secure web
pages. When incorporating the work(s) of others into multimedia creations, the
following are considered amounts of materials that are likely to be construed as fair use:
● Motion media - up to 10% of a work or 3 minutes, whichever is less;
● Text - up to 10% of a work, or 1000 words, whichever is less;
● Poetry - up to 250 words from a work, but also limited to 3 poems or portions of
poems by one poet or 5 poems or portions of poems by different poets from an
anthology;
● Music - up to 10% of a work or 30 seconds, whichever is less (any alterations to
a musical work should not change the melody or basic character of the work);
● Photos and images - up to 5 works from one author or up to 10% or 15 works,
whichever is less, from a collection;
● Database information - up to 10% of a work, or 2500 fields or cell entries,
whichever is less.
In all cases, incorporation of the works of others must be accompanied by attribution to
the author (or other copyright owner) and a valid copyright notice.
Because of the time and effort required to develop multimedia materials, the fair use of
incorporated works is allowed for a period of 2-years from the first instructional use or
public display of the multimedia work.
Faculty may:
● Incorporate the work of others in their multimedia creations (subject to the
restrictions above) to develop curriculum materials where access is limited to
students enrolled in the relevant classes and to others with curricular justification;
● Demonstrate their multimedia creations at professional symposia and retain the
creations in their own portfolios (though display/dissemination privileges are
restricted to a period of 2 years from the time of first instructional use or public
display).
Students may:
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● Incorporate the works of others into their multimedia creations (subject to the
restrictions above) and display them for the exclusive purpose of fulfilling their
academic assignments;
● Demonstrate their multimedia creations at professional symposia and retain the
creations in their own portfolios (though display/dissemination privileges are
restricted to a period of 2 years from the time of submission of the academic
assignment or first public display).
For both students and faculty, retention within a portfolio does not include the right to
display multimedia works in a public forum such as the World Wide Web, unless
permission from the relevant copyright owners have been obtained for this purpose.
Even if incorporating the work of others into a multimedia work is considered fair use,
creation or distribution of additional copies of the multimedia work incorporating those
materials is not fair use. Duplication of multimedia creations beyond that required to
provide a backup copy is not generally considered fair use, though joint developers may
each have a copy.
UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS
All materials of intellectual and/or creative content not produced for dissemination in
multiple copies beyond a narrow group are considered unpublished. For example, a
College staff policy circular is unpublished, but a newsletter is a publication.
Unpublished materials can be in any format. Most common are personal papers,
organizational records and such memorabilia as snapshots and home movies.
Unpublished materials may be used without the consent of the copyright owner if either
the copyright has expired, or the fair use exception applies. Historically, the creators of
unpublished materials have been assumed to own a "right of first use" of their own
work. Under modern copyright law, unpublished materials have been accorded a
greater presumption of copyright protection than other materials, i.e., the factors that
determine fair use are heavily weighted by the unpublished nature of the copyrighted
work. The other three factors (purpose and character of use, amount used and effect on
the market for the work) must be overwhelmingly in favor of fair use in the case of
unpublished materials.
(Note: Be aware that posting on the World Wide Web, while often considered “public
display,” often has the properties of publication.)
The College has institutional collections of unpublished materials created by others and
deposited with College departments (for example, the Quaker Archives). If the College
holds the copyright to such materials, the College has full right to determine if and under
what circumstances the material may be used, subject only to fair use. As owner of an
object, the College may also have proprietary rights, allowing it to deny and/or limit use
of the object.
Often the College does not hold the copyright to unpublished materials in its collections.
Any such material provided to any individual or group must be accompanied by a
disclaimer imposing upon the user the obligation to clear all matters of copyright and
requiring the user to indemnify the College for all penalties due to infringement.
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SOFTWARE
The vast majority of all computer software is protected by copyright law. The exceptions
to this rule are so few that faculty, staff and students should assume that all software on
Guilford's computer system, on third party systems, or available through the Internet is
protected by copyright, unless there is clear indication to the contrary.
Simply stated, the copyright law allows a user of software to use the software, load it
onto the hard drive of a computer, and retain the original disk as an archive copy. Users
generally are not allowed to modify the software, make more copies of it, simultaneously
use a single copy on both a home and a campus computer, or distribute the software
through the Internet, unless the license agreement explicitly permits those activities.
Possessing software for which an individual does not own a license is a violation of the
Copyright Act, and may subject both the College and individual faculty, staff and
students to sanctions as set forth in the Act. For all practical purposes, the fair use
exception does not apply to most uses of operating system and application software.
In addition to application software and operating systems, federal copyright protection
also extends to the data files (content) created for use with or by applications and
operating systems (e.g., spreadsheets, databases, mpeg3 music files, QuickTime video
files, scanned images). Unauthorized creation, copying and distribution of these
materials are violations of the federal copyright statute, unless they can be construed as
fair use.
DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was signed into law by President Clinton
in October 1998. One of the provisions of the legislation provides an opportunity for
online service providers (OSPs) to shield themselves from liability for the actions of their
subscribers that infringe on the copyrights of others. All institutions of higher education
that provide Internet access fall within the scope of the definition of an OSP, with
relevant subscribers being their students, faculty and staff. This document outlines the
policies and procedures that Guilford will follow to comply with the DMCA.
● Who is a Subscriber?
o All faculty, staff and students who receive Internet access or Web server
space from the College are considered subscribers. Anyone who uses the
"guilford.edu" Internet address or accesses the Internet using College-
provided hardware, software or network connections is considered a
subscriber. For example, faculty and staff using their College owned office
computers, faculty and staff (and their families) using dial-up services
provided by the Information Technology and Services Department,
students working in the dormitories, on departmentally provided facilities,
or using dial-up services provided by the Guilford College Information
Technology and Services Department are all subscribers of the College
services.
● What is the scope of the College's liability?
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o As an OSP, the College (as well as the subscriber) is potentially liable for
monetary damages (plus attorney's fees) if any of its subscribers provide
Internet access, using the College's facilities, to material that infringes on
the copyrights of others. (The same is true if, for example, a subscriber
transmits infringing materials in an e-mail message.) Copyright owners are
entitled to recover either their "actual" damages, or statutory damages that
range as high as $30,000 per work infringed. (In the case of willful
infringement, the statutory damages can be as high as $150,000 per
work.) In all cases, the "fair use" exemption that allows use of copyrighted
materials in narrowly defined circumstances applies to materials in digital
form just as it applies to traditional media.
The DMCA does not address the liability that individual subscribers carry for their own
actions. The penalties that can be assessed against individual subscribers for copyright
infringement are the same as those outlined in the preceding paragraph.
The DMCA does not require that the College "police" the Internet activities of its faculty,
staff or students. It only requires that the College respond in specified ways when
evidence of infringing activity is brought to its attention or when it receives information
that makes it apparent that infringing activity is occurring (and only then to avoid
institutional liability).
● Limitation of the College's Liability
o The DMCA provides an opportunity (a "safe harbor") for the College to
avoid liability for the actions of subscribers, provided that rigorous policies
and procedures are in place and that the College did not have prior
knowledge of the infringing activity. These policies and procedures
include:
▪ The College must register a designated agent with the US
Copyright Office and this individual must be identified on the
College WWW site. This individual will receive notices from
copyright owners that College subscribers have infringed on the
owner's copyrights. These notifications must be in a form
prescribed in the legislation and are made under penalty of perjury.
▪ Following receipt of a proper notification, the College must
"expeditiously" remove ("take down") the infringing material or block
access to it.
▪ The College must "promptly" notify the subscriber of the College's
action.
▪ The subscriber may provide a counter notification (also under
penalty of perjury) to the College's designated agent stating that the
copyright owner is either mistaken or that the use of the material is
lawful. At this point, the College must "promptly" notify the copyright
owner and restore the material no less than 10 business days and
no more than 14 business days after the owner is notified of the
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counter notification. If the matter has been referred to a court in the
intervening time, the "put back" requirement does not apply.
▪ The College must have in place information regarding copyright
compliance and its own institutional policies and procedures. These
materials must be disseminated to all subscribers.
▪ The College must develop policies for sanctions (including
termination of services under appropriate circumstances) against
subscribers who are repeatedly found to engage in infringing
activities.
▪ The legislation makes special note of the role of faculty at
educational institutions. The College is shielded from liability for the
infringing activities of the faculty only under certain limited
circumstances. Briefly, if the infringing material is required or
recommended for a course taught at the College by the infringing
faculty member during the preceding 3 years, then the liability
limitations do not apply.
● Guilford College Policies and Procedures Related to the DMCA
o The Director of Information Technology and Services (IT&S) is the
designated agent registered with the US Copyright Office for the purpose
of receiving notifications under the DMCA (hereafter referred to as the
Copyright Compliance Officer). The Copyright Compliance Officer may be
contacted through the IT&S Help Desk, 101 Bauman Hall, Guilford
College, 5800 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27410
or by email at help@guilford.edu. The elements to be included in any
claim of infringement are specified in the DMCA, Section 512(2)c3A,
available from the Library of Congress Copyright website at URL
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/legislation/hr2281.pdf, pp. 22-23.
o Upon receipt of a notice from a copyright owner, the Copyright
Compliance Officer shall determine whether it is in the form prescribed
under the legislation and shall notify the relevant Vice President or
equivalent officer, the infringing subscriber and the Fair Use Committee,
which shall consist of the Library Director, the Director of information
Technology and Services, and two faculty members to be appointed by
the Education Support Committee. These notifications will occur within 24
hours of receipt of the notice. (The "relevant" Vice President or equivalent
officer depends on the identity of the subscriber. If the subscriber is a
student - the Dean for Campus Life; if a member of the faculty - the
Academic Dean; if a non-faculty employee - the supervising Vice
President.) If the notice from the copyright owner is defective (e.g., not
sufficiently specific to locate the allegedly infringing material, etc.), the
Copyright Compliance Officer will contact the copyright owner for
clarification.
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o If either the subscriber or a member of the Fair Use Committee believes
that a claim of fair use is plausible, that individual must notify the
Copyright Compliance Officer within 3 business days of learning of the
original notice. The Fair Use Committee will convene and consult with
College Counsel to determine whether the "take down" procedure should
proceed.
o Absent a fair use determination, within 10 business days of the receipt of a
notification from a copyright owner the Copyright Compliance Officer will
take the steps required to remove the infringing material or to block
access to it. Within 1 business day of this action, the Copyright
Compliance Officer will notify both the subscriber and the relevant
member of President's Staff of the action.
o Upon receipt of a valid (as defined in the DMCA) counter notification, the
Copyright Compliance Officer will notify the copyright owner within 2
business days. Absent notice from the owner that the matter has been
referred to a court, the director shall restore the material no less than 10
business days and no more than 14 business days after the owner is
notified of the counter notification. A subscriber who wishes to argue that
the material is not infringing should consult with her/his own private
counsel and the Fair Use Committee prior to filing such a counter
notification.
o The Copyright Compliance Officer will keep records of copyright
infringements identified by either the College or by copyright owners.
Instances of subscribers who are repeat offenders will be handled in
accordance with the College’s Network Acceptable Use Policy. When
appropriate, these sanctions can include termination of all OSP services.
o Electronic mail is the normal means of communication for the notifications
described in these procedures, unless otherwise specified by the DMCA.
Written communication is also acceptable, but phone calls/voice mail are
not sufficient.
TEACH Act
The Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH) of 2002
extended the provisions of the Copyright Act for educational of copyrighted materials to
the world of distance education. It essentially applies the privileges accorded classroom
use of copyrighted materials to instruction delivered via digital networks. Any institution
wishing to make use of these provisions must conform to very specific and stringent
requirements. Because Guilford College does not at this time operate any distance
education programs, the College has chosen not to take advantage of the TEACH
Act. This could change should the College undertake new programs that fall within the
purview of the Act.
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4.1.3 Software Copyright
Guilford faculty using computer software in their teaching or research should be aware
of, and are expected to abide by, the licensing agreements and copyright laws
pertaining to the programs and manuals which they use. Most computer programs are
not only protected by copyright; they are usually sold under a licensing agreement as
well. Licensing agreements can restrict the use of the software to a single machine.
While the copying of such programs, in whole or in part, is often necessary and
frequently desirable, it is only legal to do so on the licensed machine, and then only if
the copies are to be used solely on that machine. Copyrighted computer manuals of
course, are protected under federal copyright laws, as described above.
It should be noted, especially in the case of personal computers, that not all machines
on the Guilford campus are licensed to run all programs owned by the College. If there
is any doubt about the terms of the licensing agreement for any of Guilford 's computer
software, a faculty member should check with the Computer Services staff to see if the
proposed use conforms with the software license.
4.2 LIBRARY
4.2.1 Lending Policies
See Employee Handbook.
4.3 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES
4.3.1 Computers
See Employee Handbook.
4.3.2 Media Services
See Employee Handbook.
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4.4 RESEARCH
4.4.1 Patents
(See the Guilford College Intellectual Property Policy in the College Policy Library.)
4.4.2 Ethical Principles in the Conduct of Research with Human Participants
In undertaking research projects, especially those involving human participants, the
College conforms to the American Psychological Association statement of ethical
principles in the conduct of research. They pertain to specific guidelines in the planning
of research, as well as its conduct and evaluation, that involve: informing participants of
all dimensions that might influence their willingness to participate; openness and
honesty in the relationship with participants; respect for individual freedom, dignity and
comfort; protection of confidentiality; and adequate protection against any undesirable
consequences for participants. Anyone undertaking research projects involving human
subjects must conform to the ten principles as outlined in the APA guidelines and file
with the Academic Dean in advance a statement indicating intention to comply.
4.4.3 Grant Applications
All faculty and academic departments and staff seeking grants from private foundations,
corporations, or governmental agencies should do so in consultation with their
departmental chair and in cooperation with the Office of Advancement. Grant
applications are to be approved in advance by the Academic Dean.
The Office of Advancement maintains lists of philanthropic, corporate, and
governmental agencies that may be sources of funds and can advise applicants as to
proper procedures and effective content of proposals.
The President's signature is necessary on all grant proposals. In processing the grant
proposal, the applicant must allow ample time to secure the necessary approval and
signature of the President.
For additional information, see the Guilford College Fundraising Policy in the College
Policy Library.
4.5 MISCELLANEOUS GENERAL PROCEDURES
4.5.1 Purchase of Gifts
See Employee Handbook.
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4.5.2 Telephones
See College Policy Library.
4.5.3 Postal Service
See Employee Handbook.
4.5.4 Rental of College Facilities
See College Policy Library.
4.5.5 Requisition of Supplies
See Employee Handbook.
4.5.6 Equipment Maintenance
See Employee Handbook.
4.5.7 College Keys
See College Policy Library.
4.5.8 Extracurricular Activities
4.5.8.1 Intercollegiate Athletic Contests
To facilitate the scheduling of intercollegiate athletic competitions, an effort is made to
make the calendar for the academic year a stable one that is announced as far in
advance as possible. When given satisfactory notice by student athletes, faculty are
encouraged to work with students to assure that they are given every opportunity to
make up any class assignments or exams.
4.5.8.2 Class Attendance and Extracurricular Activities (See 3.1.7)
Intellectual development is the central concern of the liberal arts college. Extracurricular
activities offer all kinds of opportunities for enrichment of undergraduate experience, but
established priorities must be maintained. Guilford College students are expected to
attend all classes and meetings which are part of their course work. Those representing
the College in departmentally or institutionally sponsored extracurricular activities which
cause them to miss classes, labs, or meetings should, with the approval of the
professor, make up that work, including examinations. A student must arrange for
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make-up work with the professor prior to any absence he/she/they expects to have
excused. In cases where make-up work is impossible because of the nature of the
instructional experience, students must assume personal responsibility for choosing
between their academic obligations and the extracurricular activity. At no time will
students be excused from classes, labs, or meetings to participate in practices or
rehearsals, but must arrange with coaches and/or sponsors for opportunities to make up
missed drills.
4.5.9 Vehicles
4.5.9.1 Use of College Cars and Vans
See College Policy Library.
4.5.9.2 Parking
See College Policy Library
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Chapter V: Benefits Specific to Faculty
(For benefits available to all employees, see the Employee Handbook.)
5.3 LEAVE POLICY
See Employee Handbook.
5.3.2 Faculty Personal Leave
Faculty may request a personal leave of absence without pay for a period of one
semester or one academic year. The faculty member should send a written proposal to
the Academic Dean which requests the leave, specifies the time period, and outlines the
purpose of the leave.
Under normal circumstances, the proposal will be reviewed by the faculty member's
department. The department chair or other senior member of the department, if the
chair is submitting the leave proposal, will send the department's recommendation
about the leave to the Dean. The Dean will submit to the President a recommendation
which includes a summary of the views of the department. The President has final
authority for approving the leave. If the leave is approved, the Dean will work with the
faculty member and the department to ensure coverage of the faculty member's classes
and other responsibilities during the leave.
Normally, faculty members will only be granted a study leave or a personal leave for
one year. Under unusual circumstances the college will consider personal leaves for an
additional time period. The proposal will follow the procedure outlined above. If any
portion of the leave includes a study leave, the faculty member must return to the
college for at least one year following the personal leave.
5.3.3 Family Leave
See Employee Handbook.
5.3.4 Faculty Study Leaves
The College provides for full-time tenured faculty members to receive study leaves.
Tenure-track faculty may apply for their first leave during their sixth year of full time
teaching at Guilford College in order to take leave their seventh year. Faculty members
who receive credit towards tenure when they are hired may apply for study leave during
their sixth year of full time teaching at Guilford. Approval of study leave is conditional for
tenure-track faculty until tenure is officially granted by the Board of Trustees. Thereafter,
tenured faculty may apply for leave in the sixth year of service since the academic year
in which the last study leave ended in order to take leave in their seventh year. For
tenured faculty with joint faculty/administrative responsibilities see "Allocation of Joint
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Faculty/Administrative Positions" (2.120, #7). Periods of personal leave will not count
towards the six years of service, nor will they be basis for refusal of leave. Unpaid
leaves of absence for grant supported research or teaching improvement purposes may
count towards the six years of service. Tenured faculty members are encouraged to
apply for a leave at all stages of their career. Such leaves may be taken for one or two
semesters. Faculty on study leave are granted a maximum of $1000 study leave
expense grant plus regular travel funds. See "Individual Grants for the Improvement of
Teaching" (5.4.2.1).
Recipients of a one-semester leave will have no College duties during that period of
time and will receive full salary and benefits. Recipients of a two-semester leave will
have no College duties for an entire year and will receive two-thirds annual salary and
will continue under the benefit plan for that academic year. These salary provisions are
unaffected by external funding acquired by the faculty member.
The primary purposes of study leaves are scholarly activity and personal renewal and
refreshment, benefiting the individual, the individual's students, the teaching profession
and the College. The leave may be used for the preparation of new courses, for post-
doctoral study at a major university, for research and writing, for public service, for
professional development, and/or for academically related travel.
The selection process is guided by an evaluation by the Clerk's Committee of the written
proposal submitted by the individual requesting a study leave. The proposal should be a
detailed statement, two or three pages in length, describing specifically the nature of the
contemplated plan, the methods to be used in developing and evaluating it, the time
schedule for completion, and the anticipated benefit of the study leave activities to the
individual, the individual's students, the teaching profession, and the College. While
study leaves are understood to be a dimension of College faculty careers, they are
awarded selectively, not automatically.
Faculty members, departments, and the Academic Dean should make every effort to
inform and discuss with one another the impact of anticipated faculty absences for study
leaves, personal leaves, leading study abroad programs, and administrative
responsibilities. When the Clerk's Committee considers study leave proposals, the
Academic Dean should inform the Clerk's Committee about all anticipated faculty
absences.
Institutional needs may take precedence over individual preferences. The Clerk's
Committee, in consultation with the Academic Dean and the President, will balance the
individual request with the needs of the department and the institution. Although the
quality of the faculty study leave proposal is an important component in the Clerk's
Committee's decision, so too are other factors such as years since a prior leave, and
departmental staffing needs.
Requests for study leave must be submitted to the department chairperson by AUGUST
15. Requests, accompanied by recommendations from the department chairperson, are
submitted to the Academic Dean by SEPTEMBER 1. The chairperson's (or most senior
department member if the chair is submitting the proposal) recommendation should
consist of at least one paragraph describing the department's support for the leave and
how the department plans to deal with the absence of the faculty member on leave and
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any other anticipated changes in faculty teaching responsibilities. Accompanied by
recommendations from chairpersons and the Academic Dean, requests are presented
to the Clerk's Committee. The Dean forwards all recommendations to the President for
final decision, after which the candidates are notified. Candidates must make a firm
decision according to the stipulations of the letter recommending the leave as to
whether to accept or to decline the leave. Candidates who have applied for outside
funding which would affect the length of the study leave should stay in contact with the
Dean and their department regarding the outcome of the outside funding request.
Upon return from the study leave, the recipient will submit a prompt written report to the
Dean with a copy to the department chairperson, focusing upon the activities
undertaken during the leave and projecting the benefits of those activities.
Faculty who are on study leave remain in every sense of the word employees of the
College, differing from other faculty only in the duties expected of them during the leave.
These duties, leading to professional growth and development, are of not less value to
the institution than other faculty assignments. The decisions of the College, therefore,
as to salary, raises and promotion are in no way affected by whether or not a faculty
member has or has not been granted a study leave.
Individuals granted study leaves must return to the College to teach for at least one full
academic year immediately following the leave year. Should the recipient choose to
leave the College within one year following the study leave, repayment of all the monies
advanced during the leave will be required. This will include salary, benefits and other
monies including travel and other general expenses paid for or advanced to the faculty
member during the leave. Normally, faculty members will be granted a study leave or a
personal leave for only one year. Under unusual circumstances the college will consider
personal leaves for an additional time period. The proposal will follow the procedures
outlined in Faculty Personal Leaves (5.220) above. If any portion of the leave includes
study leave, the faculty member must return to the college to teach for at least one year
following the personal leave.
With the specific approval of the Academic Dean, part-time faculty may be employed to
teach courses which cannot adequately be covered by other members of the
department during the absence of a faculty member on study leave. Departments are
encouraged, however, to formulate long-range curricular schedules which permit
members to take study leaves with a minimum of disruption to the educational programs
of the College as a whole, the departments, and students. Normally, it will be in the best
interests of the College if a minimum of part-time instruction is required to fill gaps
created by study leaves.
5.4 FACULTY DEVELOPMENT and Excellence in Teaching
Guilford College recognizes the importance of good teaching, making it the most
important criterion in judging merit. Faculty members, therefore, are encouraged to work
continually to improve their teaching skills. To assist faculty in this enterprise, a Faculty
Development and Excellence in Teaching Program guided by the Faculty Development
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and Excellence in Teaching Committee and supported by the CPPSET initiates and
administers activities which encourage the intellectual and pedagogical development of
the faculty. In addition, through endowed and college funds the College offers faculty
development and excellence in teaching grants for professional development.
Eligibility for grants awarded by the Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Committee are restricted to:
• Full-time faculty (tenure, tenure-track, visiting)
• Staff with teaching responsibilities to support work directly related to a credit-
bearing class or classes for which they have responsibility
• Part-time faculty who have teaching at Guilford College for three consecutive
years
5.4.1 The Faculty Development Program
The Faculty Development Program is guided by the Chair of the Faculty Development
and Excellence in Teaching Committee in consultation with the Director of the CPPSET
and the members of the committee.. The Chair administers the program, working with
individuals and groups, planning workshops and conferences, and securing visiting
teachers or consultants when needed. The Chair is concerned solely with faculty
development and does not participate in any way in tenure, promotion, or salary
decisions. The Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee determines
activities and the allocation of Kenan and other faculty development funds, subject to
the final approval of the Academic Dean.
Additional compensation provided to faculty members will be paid through the regular
monthly payroll. Requests for such compensation shall be submitted to the Office of
Human Resources on a requisition sheet, with appropriate authorizations. This
procedure applies to all additional stipends to faculty members, including those
originating outside the faculty development program, as well as within it.
5.4.2 Grants for the Improvement of Teaching
Applications for Improvement of Teaching Grants will be solicited three times during the
year with firm deadlines of September 30, November 30, March 30, and May 30 (the
deadline will move to the following Monday if the usual date falls on a Friday or
weekend). The deadlines for applications will be widely publicized each semester.
5.4.2.1 Individual Grants for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Individual faculty members may apply for grants for attendance at workshops or
conferences; for taking courses (excluding courses taken toward terminal graduate
degrees in the primary field); for travel to libraries, research sites, purchasing needed
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materials, etc.; for summer research expenses and stipends. In unusual cases, student
assistance or clerical help may be funded. Expenses which should be part of normal
departmental budgets will not be covered by Faculty Development and Excellence in
Teaching Kenan monies. Individual grant applications typically are to be submitted
following the deadlines listed above in 5.4.2. Faculty may request exceptions to this
schedule on a case by case basis. (Receipts for all expenses must be submitted at the
conclusion of each project.)
The development of new courses within one's area of competence is considered a
normal part of faculty workload. However, individual Improvement of Teaching Grants
may be made available for the preparation of new courses (1) when there is an
institutional necessity to work on a course outside one's area of normal teaching, or (2)
when one is experimenting with major new teaching techniques.
5.4.2.2 Group Grants for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching
Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Grants may be applied for and used
by groups of faculty members. These groups may be informal collections of faculty
members with a common interest, departments focusing on teaching skills or subject
matter (as opposed to regular departmental planning), the Faculty Development and
Excellence in Teaching Committee, or other committees or groups of individual faculty
members planning a project for themselves or for any interested faculty. Monies
awarded may be used for honoraria for visiting consultants, master teachers, speakers
and workshop leaders, or for expenses (supplies, books, lodging, meals, travel, etc.) for
faculty members participating in workshops, symposia, faculty study groups, etc., held
either at Guilford or at some other designated site. Whenever possible, workshops, etc.,
should be held on the College campus so that money may be spent on resources and
leadership rather than on living expenses. Funds for living expenses may constitute a
portion of the grant when it is deemed that the success of the project will be
considerably improved by scheduling a meeting offcampus.
When a group project is planned primarily for faculty and the majority of persons
participating in it are faculty members, participation may be extended to College staff,
retired faculty, spouses or committed partners of faculty members, or students, if
attendance by these groups is not detrimental to the intent of the project for faculty
development. In such cases, actual expenses, but not a share of the leadership costs,
shall be paid by the invited participants.
The selection process in the awarding of grants is guided by an evaluation of the written
proposal for the project and a consideration of its value to the department and to the
College. Preference is given to creative and imaginative proposals furthering the long-
range aims of the College. Special consideration is given to individuals who have not
previously received Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching grants in the
same academic year and to faculty in departments which have not previously received
such grants in the same academic year. Decisions of the Faculty Development and
Excellence in Teaching Committee in the awarding of grants are final.
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The recipient of all Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching Grants must agree
to submit a written report within one month of the conclusion of the grant. A group
project requires only one report. Reports are to be submitted to the Faculty
Development and Excellence in Teaching Committee. Faculty are encouraged to share
the report with their departmental chair or chairs.
The report should describe the project and evaluate its worth to both the College and
the individual or group.
5.4.3 Faculty Research Fund
Guilford College provides a Faculty Research Fund to support grants to selected faculty
to assist them with research expenses. Applications will be judged on the relation of the
project to institutional purposes and to continuing research potential. In the selection
process, high priority is given to direct research expenses. The Faculty Research Fund
is administered by the Academic Dean in consultation with the Clerk's Committee.
Faculty members eligible for faculty research funds include full-time faculty, professional
librarians, and continuing part-time faculty.
[Revised paragraph approved by the faculty, October 21, 2013 and the President,
March 19, 2014]
Faculty members make requests for research funds by September 15, January 15, or
May 15 of each year on application forms available in the Office of the Academic Dean.
The project for which funding is sought must be described in some detail.
5.4.4 Excellence in Teaching Awards
The Bruce B. Stewart Teaching Award is intended to recognize individuals for their
contributions to attaining the highest levels of academic excellence for the students and
academic programs of Guilford College. Candidates should be nominated based on
meritorious service that is beyond the responsibilities normally assigned to their
positions. Annually, one award will be given to a tenured faculty member, and the other
award to an untenured full-time faculty member, whether on tenure track or not. These
awards, especially for the tenured faculty member, are designed to recognize excellent
performance sustained over time rather than potential. The award is named in honor of
Stewart, a 1961 Guilford graduate who served the college as director of admissions,
assistant professor of education, assistant to the president, acting academic dean,
provost, acting president, associate to the vice president for development, trustee, chair
of the Board of Trustees and trustee emeritus. The awards of $5,000 each were
generously established and endowed by Trustee Bill Soles '81, his wife, Melanie, his
sister, Jan Soles '87, and their father, the late W. Roger Soles.
5.4.5 Professional Meetings
The College's faculty members are expected to remain active in their professional
associations and are encouraged to attend professional meetings. With the prior written
approval of the Academic Dean, the College provides reimbursement for the cost of
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such travel up to a budgeted limit per year. The Academic Dean notifies the faculty of
the budgeted limit annually.
No travel to professional meetings may be charged to a departmental operating budget
except with the prior written approval of the Academic Dean.
When individuals are listed as both faculty and administrators, funds for professional
travel must come out of the administrative budget, unless two-thirds time is devoted to
teaching.
5.5 TUITION REMISSION AND TUITION EXCHANGE
See Employee Handbook.
5.6 TRAVEL BENEFITS
See College Policy Library.
5.6.3 Moving Expenses
See College Policy Library.
5.9 MISCELLANEOUS BENEFITS
5.9.1 College Housing
New faculty members are given priority on college housing. However, they are expected
to make their own housing arrangements before the end of their third year of
employment with the College. Lists of requests for faculty housing and of available
homes with applicable rental costs are maintained in the Office of the Assistant Director
of Facilities and Campus Services. Generally, housing is assigned on a first-come, first-
served basis. However, other considerations, including size of family, urgency of need
for housing, and other issues may be taken into consideration.
5.9.2 Office Space
The assignment of faculty office space is the responsibility of the Academic Dean in
consultation with department chairpersons. Whenever possible, members of each
department will be kept in close proximity. When other office space is not available for
members of the active teaching faculty, the Dean may request a faculty member on
leave or otherwise temporarily not assigned teaching duties at the College to expect
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temporary reassignment of her/his office to a colleague. Every effort will be made to
keep such dislocation to a minimum.
The priorities for the assignment of faculty office space are:
▪ Continuing, tenure-track, full-time faculty members;
▪ Temporary, non-tenure-track, full-time teachers;
▪ Continuing part-time faculty; and
▪ Temporary part-time faculty.
When a faculty contract is not renewed, the faculty member must vacate the assigned
office space within fifteen (15) days from the end of the exam period.
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Appendix A- Procedures for Substantive Change
Guilford College is responsible for compliance with the Policy Statement on Substantive
Change for Accredited Institutions of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The requirements for substantive change
notification are available at http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/081705/SubstantiveChange.pdf.
Substantive changes are modifications in an accredited institution that significantly
modify or expand the nature and scope of an institution. The following modifications are
substantive changes:
● Any change in the established mission or objectives of the institution
● Any change in legal status, form of control, or ownership of the institution
● The addition of courses or programs that represent a significant departure, either in
content or method of delivery, from those that were offered when the institution was
last evaluated
● The addition of courses or programs of study at a degree or credential level different
from that which is included in the institution’s current accreditation or reaffirmation.
● A change from clock hours to credit hours
● A substantial increase in the number of clock or credit hours awarded for successful
completion of a program
● The establishment of an additional location geographically apart from the main campus
at which the institution offers at least 50% of an educational program.
● The establishment of a branch campus
● Closing a program, off-campus site, branch campus or institution
● Entering into a collaborative academic arrangement that includes only the initiation of a
dual or joint academic program with another institution
● Acquiring another institution or a program or location of another institution
● Adding a permanent location at a site where the institution is conducting a teach-out
program for a closed institution
● Entering into a contract by which an entity not eligible for Title IV funding offers 25% or
more of one or more of the accredited institution’s programs
SACSCOC has outlined the procedures to be followed in specific substantive changes,
and Guilford College adheres to those policies.
When the faculty, President, and Board (if necessary) approve changes in curriculum or
course delivery that would meet the requirements for notification of SACSCOC, the
Academic Dean will compile the appropriate documents, cover letter, and fee payments
(if required) for submission of the request for approval of the substantive change. Hard
copy of all material is maintained in the Academic Dean’s office, and electronic copies
are maintained in the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
Return to Table of Contents
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 111 of 116
The Academic Dean is responsible for ensuring that substantive changes are requested
in a timely manner, according to the requirements of the SACSCOC.
Return to Table of Contents
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 112 of 116
Appendix B- Revision History
Approved by the Faculty, April 2019
Editorial changes
● Replaced “he or she” or “she or he” with “he/she/they” throughout to be
inclusive
● Changed “Friends Historical Collection” to “Quaker Archives” in three places
(1.3.4 Recording Clerk section; “Committee Files” section of 1.4 Committee
Structure; 4.1.2 Copyright Policy section)
Minor changes
● 1.4.9 Faculty Affairs Committee: Changed “has been nominated for tenure or
promotion, or is being evaluated for review” to “is being evaluated for tenure,
promotion, or review,” to square with section 2.5.6 Process for Promotion to
Associate and Full Professor (which allows faculty members to self-nominate for
promotion)
● 1.4.13 Institutional Review Board: Since there is no IRB website at present,
removed the following statement: “Further policy and procedure information,
links to documents related to the IRB proposal and review process, and links to
other useful sites are available on the IRB site.”
Committee membership changes
● 1.4.5 Clerk’s Committee—Membership: Changed “one traditional and one CCE
student” to “one student”
● 1.4.6 Curriculum Committee—Membership: Changed “The Academic Dean” to
“The Academic Dean or designee”; removed “one representative from the CCE
professional staff”; changed “one traditional student, and one student from CCE
are also on the committee” to “one student is also on the committee.”
● 1.4.8 Enrollment Committee—Membership: Changed “one CCE and one TRAD
student (preferably students who have recently gone through the admission
process)” to “one student (preferably a student who has recently gone through
the admission process)”
● 1.4.14 Learning Technology Advisory Committee—Membership: Changed “Two
student representatives—one traditional, one adult” to “One student
representative”
Major changes already approved
● 2.3.2 Deliberative Process: Replaced with new section approved by faculty,
President, and Trustees (October 2018 and February 2019)
● 2.4.4 Preparation of FAC members and others conducting faculty reviews:
Added requirement to undergo anti-bias training and to include a “reflector” in
Return to Table of Contents
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 113 of 116
each FAC review process (approved by faculty and President, October/November
2018)
● 2.6.1 Appeals for Review, Tenure and Promotion: Replaced with new section
approved by faculty, President, and Trustees (October 2018 and February 2019)
● 3.100 Instructional Responsibilities: Replaced with new section approved by
faculty, President, and Trustees (October 2018 and February 2019)
Approved by the Faculty, April 2020
Section(
Description(of(change(
Introduction!
Change!description!of!how!changes!to!the!Handbook!are!recorded;!
reference!to!Appendix!B,!where!substantive!changes!are!listed.!
1.3.1!Faculty!Meetings!
Eliminate!reference!to!“second!Wednesdays”!of!the!month!as!regular!
meeting!time!
1.3.2!Faculty!Forum!
Eliminate!reference!to!Wednesdays!as!regular!meeting!time`!
1.3.3!Clerk!of!the!
Faculty!
State!that!the!Clerk!serve!ex!officio!on!college-wide!committees,!not!
just!Budget!and!Institutional!Effectiveness !
1.4!Committee!
structure:!Sel ection!of!
Committee!
Representatives!
Eliminate!references!to!“traditional!students”!and!“CCE!students”!and!
two!different!student!government!associations!
1.4.1!Assessment!
Committee!
• Remove!reference!to!“division!chairs”;!reports!to!Institutional!
Effectiveness!Committee!instead!of!Academic!Dean;!!
• faculty!membership!reduced!from!6!to!5;!!
• co-chairs!become!tenured!faculty!member!and!Director!of!IR!
and!E;!!
• add!Librarian!for!Research!and!Learning!as!member.!! !
Changes(proposed(by(Assessment(Committee(and(recommended(by(
Clerk’s.!
1.4.5!Clerk’s!
Committee!
• Replace!“academic!divisions”!with!“a!diversity!of!academic!
disciplines”!and!ma ke!language!in!section!regarding!reviewing!
position!requests!consistent!with!that!change;!
• remove!reference!to!“academic!division!meetings”!and!
“Wednesday”! as!faculty!meeting!time;!
• remove!reference!to!“Faculty!Development!Associates,”!which!
are!being!discontinued.!
1.4.6!Curriculum!
Committee!
Add!representative!from!Assessment!Committee!as!member;!repl a ce!
“academic!divisions”!with!“a!diversity!of!academic!disciplines”;!replace!
“Interdisciplinary!Studies!Division!Chair”!with!“a!representative!from!
the!Interdisciplinary!Studies!majors”;!Changes(proposed(by(Curr iculum(
Committee(and(recommended(by(Clerk’s.!
1.4.9!Faculty!Affairs!
Committee!
Replace!“academic!divisions”!with!“a!diversity!of!aca demic!disciplines”!
1.4.10!Faculty!
Development!
Committee!
• Change!name;!
• Change!in!membership!
Due!to!eliminatio n!of!Faculty!Development!Associates!and!Faculty!
Development!Director!
Return to Table of Contents
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 114 of 116
1.4.11!Honors!Council!
Replace!“divisions”!with!“a!diversity!of!academic!disciplines”;!change!to!
Honors!Director!chairs!the!committee!and !“one!Dean’s!Office!
representative”!as!member.!!(This!is!what!the!original!2012!Honors!
Program!proposal!approved.)!Changes(proposed(by(Honors(Council(and(
recommended(by(Clerk’s.!
1.4.15!Nominating!
Committee!
State!that!the!Clerk-elect!will!serve!ex!officio!with!the!Clerk!on!college-
wide!committees,!not!just!Budget!and!Institutional!Effectiveness;!
replace!“divisional”!with!“a!diversity!of!academic!disciplinary”!
2.2.1!Search!
Procedures!for!
Recruiting!Faculty!to!
Guilford!College!
In!section!on!“Campus!Visits,”!change!“Director!of!Faculty!
Development”!to!“Chair!or!Assistant!Chair!of!Faculty!Development!and!
Excellence!in!Teaching”;!
In!section!on!“Campus!Visits,”!change!to!include!a!visit!with!“the!Vice!
President!!for!Diversit y,!Equity,!and !Inclusion!or!sta ff!rep resentatives!
of!the!DEI!office.”!
2.1.2!Allocation!of!Joint!
Faculty/Administrative!
Positions!
Remove!references!to!ad ministrative!positions!no!longer!held!by!full -
time!faculty!
2.2.2.1!Continuing!
Part-time!Faculty!
Status!
Change!“a!substantial!length!of!time”!to!“three!consecutive!years”!
2.2.3!The!Faculty!
Letters!of!Agreement!
Replace!description!of!raises!(including!reference!to!“merit!raises”)!
with!reference!to!salary!ra ises!being!administered!according!to!the!
College’s!Compensation!Plan.!!We!do!not!currently!have!a!“merit!raise”!
plan!and!the!former!“merit!raise”!plan!has!already!been!deleted!from!
the!Handbook.!
2.3.1!Information-
Gathering!
Responsibilities!
Regarding!confidential!letters!gathered:!
• Change!name!of!Faculty!Development!Committee!to!Faculty!
Development!and!Excellence!in!Teaching!Committe e;!
• Say!tha t!members!of!this!committee!who!have!“formally!
mentored”!the!faculty!member!should!not!write!to!FAC!about!
the!faculty!member!undergoing!review,!though!such!a!letter!
may!be!requested.!
2.3.3.1!Teaching!
Excellence!
In!“Criteria!and!A s s essment”!section:!
Change!“faculty!development!workshops”!to!“faculty!development!or!
excellence!in!teaching!workshops”!
2.3.3.4!Service!
Replace!“faculty!development!projects”!with!“faculty!development!or!
excellence!in!teaching!projects”!
2.3.4!Evaluation!of!
Full-time!Non-tenure-
track!Faculty!
Remove!entire!section;!this!will!be!covered!by!new!Annual!Review!of!
Faculty!sect ion!
2.4.3!Extensions!of!
Probation ary!Period!
Remove!“(the!deadline!for!faculty!to!return!their!signed!letters!of!
agreement)”!since!April!15!is!no!longer!that!deadline!
2.4.4!Preparation!of!
FAC!members!and!
others!conducting!
faculty!reviews!
In!part!1,!replace!“Faculty!Development!Committee”!with!“Faculty!
Development!and!Excellence!in!Tea ching!Committee”!
2.4.6!Periodic!review!
of!tenured!faculty!
• Replace!reference!to!“Director!of!Facul ty!Development”!with!
“Chair!of!Faculty!Development!and!Excellence!in!Teaching!
Committee”;!
Return to Table of Contents
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 115 of 116
• Update!Faculty!Development!and!Excellence!in!Teac h ing!
Committee!reference;!
• Remove!multiple!references!to!Faculty!Devel opment!
Associat es,!replacing!that!with!“designated!member!of!the!
Faculty!Development!and!Excellence!in!Teaching!Committee”;!
• Remove!“No!more!than!two!post-tenure!reviews!will!be!
conducted!per!semester”;!
• !
2.7.1!Faculty!and!
Committees!involved!
in!Cases!of!
Termination!because!
of!Financial!Exigency!
Replace!references!to!SLRP!(which!no!longer!exists)!with!Budget!
Committee.!!Recommended(by(Clerk’s(Committee.!
2.7.1.1!Faculty!and!
Committees!involved!
with!Cases!of!
Discontinuance!of!
Program!or!
Department!not!
Mandated!by!Financial!
Exigency!
Replace!reference!to!SLRP!and!change!to!Clerk’s!Committee!
Recommended(by(Clerk’s(Committee.!
3.1.3!Summer!School!
Replace!“Director”!(a!position!that!no!longer!exists)!with!“College”!
3.1.5!Course!syllabi!
Replace!“250!and!450!courses”!with!“special!topics!courses”!
3.1.6!Class!Hours!and!
Class!Attendance!
Remove!references!to!credit!hours;!delete!specifics!of!attendance!pol icy!
and!refer!to!College!Catalog;!remove!reference!to!Division!Chairs!
3.1.8!Office!Hours!
Revise!per!proposal!from!Provost,!reviewed!by!Clerk’s!Committee!in!
April !2019!
3.1.10!Special!
Academic!Event s!
Period,!Reading!Day,!
Final!Examinations,!
and!Course!Grades!
Remove!references!to!SAEP!(eliminated!by!calendar!ch ange)!
3.1.11!Grade!Appeals!
Procedure!
Remove!reference!to!“Conflict!Resolution!Resource!Center”!and!First!
Year!Experience!and!Adult!Transitions!courses!
3.1.12!Provisions!for!
Student s!with!
Disabilities!
Delete!entire!section!because!this!information!is!covered!elsewhere!
and!the!statement!here!is!out!of!date!
3.2!Instructional!
Travel!
Delete!sentence!“Normally,!however,!the!expenses!of!only!one!faculty!
member!will!be!covered!for!either!a!field!trip!or!an!off-campus!seminar!
unless!the!student!enrollment!exceeds!twenty.”!![This!avoi d!some!
confusion!about!team-taught!courses!and!seems!like!an!outdated!policy!
that!hasn’t!been!followed!in!a!while.]!
3.3!Academic!
Regulations!
Delete!reference!to!“the!Advisers’!Handbook”!(which!no!longer!exists)!
3.3.1!Academic!Honor!
Code!
Add!following!per!suggestions!from!Associate!Academic!Deans:!!“As!
part!of!every!students'!obligations!under!the!Guilford!College!Honor!
Code,!the!good!faith!and!honest!participation!in!the!honor!code!process!
represents!a!critical!embodiment!of!the!values!of!excell ence,!
community!and!integrity!underlying!the!Honor!Code.!Any!evidence!of!
Return to Table of Contents
Guilford College Faculty Handbook
Revised April 2020 116 of 116
actions!or!statements!which!may!be!considered!harassment!or!
intimidation!by!one!student !of!another!student,!staff!or!facul t y!member!
associated!with!the!investigation!of!a!possible!honor!code!violation!will!
be!referred!to!the!Dean!of!Students!as!a!possible!violation!under!the!
Student !Code!of!Conduct.!Such!alleged!violation s!would!be!processed!
independ ently!of!the!Honor!Code!and!therefore!not!depend!on!a!
finding!of!responsibility!for!an!Honor!Code!violation .”!
3.4.6!Departmental!
Guidelines!for!First-
Year!Experience!
Change!reference!to!“First-Year!Experience”!or!“First-Year!Seminars”!to!
“Initiate”!
3.5!Formative!Review!
of!Faculty!
New!section,!approved!by!Faculty!April!7,!2020.!
4.4.3!Grant!
Applications!
Add!sentence:!!“For!additional!informa tion,!see!the!Guilford!Coll ege!
Fundraising!Policy!in!the!College!Pol icy!Libra ry.”!
5.3.4!Faculty!Study!
Leaves!
Change!to!a llow!application!for!study!leave!by!TT!faculty!in!their!sixth!
year!of!FT!teaching!for!leave!in!seventh!year!!
Recommended(by(Clerk’s(Committee(and(approved(by(the(Faculty(on(
January(28,(2020;(Presidential(approval(pending!
5.4!Faculty!
Development!
Major!revisions!due!to!alteration!of!program,!too!detailed!to!enumerate!
here.!
5.4.1!The!Faculty!
Development!Program !
Remove!specific!reference!to!Kenan!Foundation!
5.4.2.1!Individual!
Grants!for!the!
Improvement!of!
Teaching!
!
Eliminate!reference!to!the!“Correspondence!Center”!(which!no!longer!
exists)!
Chapter!VI:!!
Professional!Librarians!
Remove!entire!chapter!as!librarians!are!now!classified!as!staff,!not!
faculty;!a!proposal!for!revising!this!entire!chapter!is!under!
consideration!by!Clerk’s!Committee !
Appendix!A—
Workload!Analysis!
Eliminate!entire!appendix!as! this!procedure!is!no!longer!in!use.!
Appendices!B!&!C!
Rename!as!Appendices!A!&!B!
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