Georgia Southwestern State University FACULTY HANDBOOK SECTION II Faculty Affairs

Each instructor is responsible for the quality and content of instruction in the classroom. In the performance of instructional duties, the instructor should feel free to seek the advice and counsel of the academic dean or department chair.

The Corps of Instruction should be guided by the following objectives and considerations:

1. Provide the highest quality of classroom instruction toward the attainment of the goals of the University, the schools and departments, and the courses.

2. Combine scholarship and research in the faculty member's major field of interest and incorporate the latest research, knowledge and theory in classroom instruction.

3. Seek new and better devices, techniques, procedures, and methods which may improve the teaching and learning process.

4. Recognize individual needs of students and provide challenging learning opportunities for the gifted as well as the average learner.

5. Recognize and provide adequate academic advisement and inspiration through formal and informal conferences with students in order to supplement and improve the regular classroom instruction.

6. Develop efficient and equitable procedures for the evaluation of student academic performance and assign grades which reflect the achievement and progress of students enrolled in the courses.

The foregoing statements, together with other criteria which are generally accepted within the teaching profession, provide the basis for evaluating the performance of members of the Corps of Instruction.

B. Graduate Faculty

¹Graduate faculty are those members of the Corps of Instruction who hold the terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline or must hold a master’s degree in the teaching discipline with a terminal degree in a related discipline. In specific cases, faculty who hold a master’s degree in the teaching discipline and who have demonstrated exceptional scholarly or creative activity or professional experience may also be included in the graduate faculty. Designation as Graduate Faculty is reserved to faculty in academic units which offer graduate degree programs or provide an academic concentration for a graduate degree program offered by another unit.

Graduate faculty may be scheduled routinely to teach graduate courses in the discipline(s) for which they have been designated as holding graduate faculty status or to supervise the teaching of graduate courses by persons who do not hold graduate faculty status. Faculty who are not included in the graduate faculty may not be scheduled to teach graduate courses unless specifically authorized to do so by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

To be elected to the Graduate Faculty a faculty member must be recommended, in specific disciplines, by that faculty member’s academic dean, with concurrence by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Graduate Council will review the nomination and credentials and, if approved, nominate the recommended faculty member to the General Faculty for election. Election, by majority vote of the General Faculty, will be for a period of five years.

Criteria on which recommendation for Graduate Faculty designation should be based are as follows:

2. Demonstrating exemplary competence in teaching and mentoring of students, including supervision of directed studies and coordination of special projects, service on thesis committees and assisting in the direction of masters’ theses; and

3. Demonstrating exemplary competence in scholarship and professional activities, evidence by such activities as:

New faculty or current faculty with less than two years of full-time service at Georgia Southwestern may be granted provisional designation as Graduate Faculty on a year-to-year basis, but not for more that two years in total.

The roster of Graduate Faculty will be published appropriately by the institution in recognition of the accomplishment of its members. Graduate Faculty may also receive special stipends and professional development funds to support continuation of scholarly, professional, and teaching activities which promote and enhance the academic and service programs of the institution.

C. Faculty Work Load

Full-time faculty workload shall be considered the equivalent of a forty-hour work week and shall consist of teaching load, office hours, service, and scholarship. In accordance with Regents Policy 301, the normal teaching load for faculty will be 12 semester credit hours per week.

Variations to the requirement above are possible. Academic deans and department chairs responsible for scheduling courses and assigning faculty loads must insure that sufficient courses are scheduled to meet student needs and that faculty are assigned to staff those courses. Deans and chairs are also responsible for understanding the relationship of student loads and semester credit hours generated within the University System funding formula. With these factors in mind, academic deans and department chairs may adjust work loads as follows:

1. Faculty members who teach courses requiring laboratory or studio work may be assigned a course load based on 12 student contact hours per week.

2. Physical Education activity courses may be considered in the load for appropriate faculty on a 12 hour per week contact basis.

3. Nine semester credit hours of only graduate courses may be considered a full load.

Department chairs are allowed one-fourth release time from teaching duties for department leadership and administration during the regular academic year.

Any variation from the assignment of a normal teaching load of 12 semester credit hours must be approved, in advance of implementation, by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

D. Academic Advisement

The student academic advisement program is under the direction of the Dean for Academic Services and Special Programs. Academic deans and department chairs and other designated faculty members have direct responsibility for providing the best possible information and advice to students enrolled in the programs of the University.

When students are enrolled in the University they are required to indicate the programs of study which they plan to pursue. On the basis of this information, students are assigned to faculty members who will serve as their official advisors.

If a student desires to make a change in his/her program of study, he/she must discuss the intentions with his/her faculty advisor. When a decision is reached as to which curriculum the student will pursue, the student must complete a "Curriculum/Advisor Change Form." This form may be secured from the Office of the Registrar or online at http://www.gsw.edu/~aaf/student_forms/major_change.pdf.

While advisors are especially adept in curriculum requirements in a specialized program, they are expected to be knowledgeable of general university requirements for graduation, including the core curriculum, foreign language requirements (in all B.A. and some B.S. programs), Board of Regents' Testing Program, physical education requirements, and the requirements for history and Constitution of Georgia and the United States. Particular reference is made to the scheduling of these requirements. Hardships often result when the requirements are not met at the appropriate intervals in the student's college career.

E. Faculty Evaluation

The purpose of faculty evaluation is to provide regular feedback to faculty members regarding their performance so they can provide high quality service to the University. Regular evaluations provide an opportunity to assess strengths and weaknesses of faculty performance. There are three major components of the evaluation system - the annual evaluation, pre-tenure review, and post-tenure review. A primary purpose for the evaluation system is the professional growth, development and progress of the individual faculty member. This insures that each member is an important part of the University's accomplishment of its goals and objectives.

F. Annual Evaluation

To insure each faculty member is aware of the expectation of his or her supervisor and is informed of his or her progress as a member of Georgia Southwestern State University faculty, each faculty member will be evaluated on an annual basis. The annual evaluation serves as an evaluation of progress and a discussion of expectations. Achievement of objectives and goals of the individual and of the University will be a major part of the evaluation. The annual evaluations provide the foundation for developing recommendations for promotion, tenure, salary increases, termination, and other tangible or intangible rewards.

The department chairs, academic deans, and the Director of the Library are responsible for continuing development of the evaluation program and for insuring that annual evaluations are conducted. The following minimum requirements of the evaluation program may be supplemented to meet particular needs of the academic units.

1. The department or school faculty must be involved in administering the evaluation program.

3. The evaluation must include student input. The faculty has adopted a campus wide instrument entitled "Student Opinionnaire" which is to be used for student input and must be used in a minimum of one-half of the courses taught by an individual instructor each year. The courses should be selected from a variety of the courses taught by each instructor.

4. The evaluation must include an evaluation of the faculty member's participation in academic advisement. The faculty has adopted (May 26, 1982) a procedure for this part of the evaluation and an instrument for use by department chairs and academic deans.

5. The written evaluation must include a listing of faculty development activities of the faculty member for the year and a listing of planned development activities for the upcoming year.

6. The written evaluation will be discussed by the faculty member's supervisor with the faculty member. The faculty member will sign the evaluation indicating that he or she is aware of its contents.

7. The faculty member will be given the opportunity to respond in writing to the annual evaluation and this response will be attached to the evaluation. The evaluator will acknowledge in writing his/her receipt of this response, noting changes, if any, in the annual evaluation made as a result of either the conference or the faculty member's written responses. This acknowledgment will also become a part of the record which is forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

8. The annual evaluation summary must be written by the academic dean or department chair or Director of the Library and will address the specific criteria in the three broad areas of achievement listed below.

Criteria

The broad areas of achievement for faculty are Teaching, Service to the Institution, and Scholarship, including academic achievement and professional development.

1. TEACHING

The faculty supports the Mission Statement of Georgia Southwestern State University, which emphasizes quality of instruction. Accordingly, quality teaching, including responsibilities that accompany it, is the primary criterion for annual evaluations. It is acknowledged that excellent teaching is a skill that should develop and improve as the individual faculty member grows in experience. Excellence in teaching must be encouraged, nurtured, rewarded, and helped.

Measuring Quality Teaching

Objectively measuring the quality of teaching is a difficult task. For example, variables such as admission standards, motivation , and student expectations can complicate any attempt to measure teaching quality. The performance of individual teachers is affected by numerous factors including, but not limited to, physical environment, course loads, teaching assignments, class size, time spent on other faculty criteria for evaluation, and institutional support for creative endeavors. In addition, departmental/school variations influence measurement of teaching performance. Therefore it is not feasible to expect specific criteria to compare quality teaching across the campus.

Nonetheless, the faculty agrees that there are basics of quality teaching that should be included in the evaluation when appropriate. These basics for use with specific criteria set by individual departments and schools are:

Further, evidence of quality teaching should be demonstratable in peer observations, student opinionnaires, and any additional material submitted from any source.

It is essential that individual faculty not be restricted by any generic criteria when demonstrating the quality of their teaching, so individual faculty members should be encouraged to supplement any evaluative instruments with other information. It should also be recognized that quality teaching is not limited to the confines of the classroom, but may be carried on in many other ways.

2. SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship is not limited to publications or conference presentations but can include a number of professional activities where expertise in the discipline or in the area of professional education is utilized, demonstrated, or enhanced. The principal standards should always be quality, rather than quantity, and consistency with the teaching mission of the University. Examples of scholarship may include, but are not limited to:

b. Conference presentations and publications, particularly those which are peer reviewed or invited, whether in the discipline or in professional education

d. Generation of creative products including recitals, compositions, exhibitions, patents, and other discipline appropriate artistic performance or creative activities

e. Peer review, either in the discipline or professional education, of publications, recitals, exhibitions, contests, performances, and other discipline appropriate activities

f. Submission of and/or participation in grants, fellowship programs, or other externally funded support for scholarship activities

h. Participation in formal course work, special courses, and workshops to improve professional competencies, including emerging technologies

i. Achievement or maintenance of professional certification or licensing pertinent to area of teaching or professional education

j. Continuation of practical experiences outside the University pertinent to teaching duties such as professional work with schools and/or outside entities

k. Other discipline-appropriate academic or developmental activities as defined by the respective units.

3. SERVICE TO THE INSTITUTION

Most service activities are oriented to the needs of the University but may also address needs of the community at large. Examples of the ways faculty members provide service to the institution may include, but are not limited to, the following:

a. Renders conscientious and effective academic advisement and/or career counseling

c. Participates in professional activities, such as consulting, clinical work, and providing technical assistance in ways that reflect favorably on the University

d. Performs notable work collaboratively or individually with a University committee, group, project, etc. including organization of campus programs and preparation of special reports and other accreditation documents

e. Cooperates in out-of-the-ordinary undertakings like off-campus courses, night courses, honors courses, Saturday activities, parents’ receptions, etc. f. Supports campus activities by working with clubs, attending campus events, participating in student functions, etc.

h. Participates in community activities that render service to community, further the mission of the University, or reflect favorably on the University (community should not be construed in narrow geographic terms).

G. Academic Freedom

The teacher is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of his or her other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.

The teacher is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing the subject, but he or she should be careful not to introduce into the teachings controversial matter which has no relation to the subject.

The university teacher is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When speaking or writing as a citizen, he or she should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but the university teacher's special position in the community imposes obligations. As a person of learning and an educational officer, he or she should remember that the public may judge the profession and the institution by his or her utterances. Hence, the university teacher should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraints, and should make every effort to indicate that he or she is not an institutional spokesperson.

A faculty member who believes he or she has been deprived of academic freedom by any member of the faculty or administration and has exhausted all informal means of resolving the difficulty may, in writing, file a grievance as provided in Section G, Article II of the Faculty Handbook. (University Statutes, Article III, Section 8)

Faculty members should assure unimpeded intellectual diversity in their classes and avoid even the appearance that students who disagree with their views will in any way be subject to prejudiced academic evaluation. Student complaints to this effect will be addressed through the Academic Grievance Policy as stated below. If warranted, the faculty member may be subject to disciplinary action administered according to due process through the Office of Academic Affairs.

Intellectual pluralism and academic freedom are central principles of American higher education. Recently, these issues have captured the attention of the media, political leaders and those in the academy. This is not the first time in the nation's history that these issues have become public controversies, but the current interest in intellectual discourse on campus suggests that the meaning of these terms, and the rights and responsibilities of individual members of the campus community, should be reiterated.

Without question, academic freedom and intellectual pluralism are complex topics with multiple dimensions that affect both students and faculty. Moreover, America's colleges and universities vary enormously, making it impossible to create a single definition or set of standards that will work equally well for all fields of academic study and all institutions in all circumstances. Individual campuses must give meaning and definition to these concepts within the context of disciplinary standards and institutional mission.

Despite the difficulty of prescribing a universal definition, we believe that there are some central, overarching principles that are widely shared within the academic community and deserve to be stated affirmatively as a basis for discussion of these issues on campuses and elsewhere.

· American higher education is characterized by a great diversity of institutions, each with its own mission and purpose. This diversity is a central feature and strength of our colleges and universities and must be valued and protected. The particular purpose of each school, as defined by the institution itself, should set the tone for the academic activities undertaken on campus.

· Colleges and universities should welcome intellectual pluralism and the free exchange of ideas. Such a commitment will inevitably encourage debate over complex and difficult issues about which individuals will disagree. Such discussions should be held in an environment characterized by openness, tolerance and civility.

· Academic decisions including grades should be based solely on considerations that are intellectually relevant to the subject matter under consideration. Neither students nor faculty should be disadvantaged or evaluated on the basis of their political opinions. Any member of the campus community who believes he or she has been treated unfairly on

academic matters must have access to a clear institutional process by which his or her grievance can be addressed.

· The validity of academic ideas, theories, arguments and views should be measured against the intellectual standards of relevant academic and professional disciplines. Application of these intellectual standards does not mean that all ideas have equal merit. The responsibility to judge the merits of competing academic ideas rests with colleges and universities and is determined by reference to the standards of the academic profession as established by the community of scholars at each institution.

· Government’s recognition and respect for the independence of colleges and universities is essential for academic and intellectual excellence. Because colleges and universities have great discretion and autonomy over academic affairs, they have a particular obligation to ensure that academic freedom is protected for all members of the campus community and that academic decisions are based on intellectual standards consistent with the mission of each institution.

H. Grievance Procedures for Faculty and Staff

1. Definition

All regular employees or any group of regular employees may file a grievance under this procedure for any action or inaction by an employee of Georgia Southwestern State University that they believe is unfair, discriminatory, or improperly reached due to conditions of employment and perceived as unjust or inequitable or when they believe a mistake has been made in the administration, application, development, or interpretation of a rule, plan or policy.

2. Purpose

Conflicts sometime arise in the relationship between the University, as an employer, and its employees. Both the employee with a grievance and the University benefit when the University responds to grievances promptly and fairly. The grievance procedure at Georgia Southwestern State University consists of three parts:

3. Policy

All employees shall receive fair and equitable treatment. These procedures apply to all employee grievances which arise while employed at Georgia Southwestern State University. Employee grievances will be resolved promptly and fairly.

An aggrieved employee should first seek resolution with his/her immediate supervisor or a first line manager consistent with our philosophy of resolving disputes at the lowest possible level in the organization. If the problem originates with the supervisor, then the employee will have the option of bypassing this step and filing an informal or, if necessary, formal grievance as outlined below.

This institution does not support any punitive or retaliatory action against an employee for any reason. Any such action taken against an employee for seeking redress under these procedures will not be tolerated. Violation of this rule is grounds for dismissal.

4. Informal Grievance

The employee first seeks to resolve the grievance with the immediate supervisor or a first line manager consistent with our philosophy of resolving disputes at the lowest possible level in the organization. These discussions should be conducted in private. If the grievance involves the immediate supervisor, the employee shall have the option of having a discussion in private, and/or shall be given an opportunity to have another employee present as a witness. If the grievance remains unresolved, the employee may then seek to resolve the grievance at each level of supervision up to and including the department head/department chair/dean/vice president.

If the grievance is not resolved or if circumstances of the grievance prevent the employee from using the above mentioned steps, the employee may represent the grievance to the Human Resources Director.

The Human Resources Director shall investigate and counsel with the employee, the supervisor, and the department head/department chair/dean/vice president in an attempt to resolve the grievance.

5. Mediation Procedure

If all reasonable informal efforts to resolve the complaint fail, the aggrieved employee is encouraged to choose the mediation process before filing a formal grievance.

Mediation is an informal process that involves a neutral third party who will assist in resolving the dispute. The objective of this process is to come to an agreement that is fair and meets the needs of the parties involved. This process is confidential and private and is conducted in a private setting.

Mediation does not waive the rights of any aggrieved party to seek resolution of his/her grievance through formal avenues. Mediation is a cost effective, voluntary, fast and efficient way to resolve grievances; it thus encourages reaching a mutually acceptable resolution.

6. Steps for Mediation

a) The parties in dispute jointly choose one mediator from a panel. The panel of mediators is located in the Office of Human Resources.

b) The mediator will set up a time for the employees to meet. This meeting will take place within five (5) working/class days after the mediator is chosen.

c) At the time of the meeting, the mediator will assist the two parties in finding a mutually agreeable and fair solution to the conflict. The mediator may offer suggestions, but cannot impose a solution.

d) If the employee is not satisfied with the outcome of mediation, he or she can file a formal grievance.

7. Formal Grievance Procedure

If a grievance is not resolved by informal appeals or mediation as outlined above, then faculty or staff employees may pursue resolution of the grievance under a Formal Grievance Procedure. The following procedures will be in place to provide the framework and process to resolve formal grievances:

The Grievance Panel shall provide a means to hear the complaints of university employees who have exhausted normal channels but who have not received satisfaction in the resolution of a grievance by the informal process and/or mediation.

There will be 15 members of the Grievance Panel elected by the employees. The Human Resources Department will administer this election on an annual basis. The 10 employees receiving the most votes will be permanent members of the Grievance panel. The next five will be alternate members. The members of the Grievance Panel will be elected within the first two weeks of the Fall term for a calendar year. The newly elected members will meet within two weeks following the election. At this meeting, the Chair of the Grievance Panel, who also serves as Chair of each Review Board, will be elected by the ten (10) member panel.

With the exception of the President, all regular employees with at least 1 academic year (nine months) of continuous service at Georgia Southwestern State University are potential Grievance Panel members. Employees’ names shall be removed from the pool if:

The grievant shall file a written request for a hearing with the Chair of the Review Board as soon as possible stating the following:

(1) The facts of the complaint, including the date, time, and place the act occurred and other pertinent facts verified by the grievant. Disputes involving tenure and salary are not considered by a Review Board except if the basis of the grievance is alleged discrimination based on gender, age, race, disability, or religious affiliation.

The Chair within three (3) working days from the filing of the application of the grievant, shall determine whether the nature of the grievance is one which may be properly heard by a Review Board.

Each Review Board shall consist of the Chair (nonvoting) and five (5) voting members chosen from a panel of nine (9), constituted as set forth in Section a) above. Upon notification of the names of the Grievance Panel members, each party shall in the presence of the Chair strike the names of two (2) persons from the Grievance Panel. The parties shall alternate in exercising their strikes, beginning with the grievant, until five (5) members remain. The five (5) members shall constitute the Review Board who will hear the grievance. It is anticipated that this “striking” process will be completed within five (5) working days following the decision by the Chair to review the case.

Grievance Panel members who are drawn as possible Review Board members may be excused if a majority of the 15 member Grievance Panel determines that:

(1) there is a bona fide conflict of interest between the Review Board members and either of the parties of the grievance;

A party may present a request, in writing, at least three (3) working days in advance of any hearing, to the Chair, to remove any member of the Review Board for reasonable cause. If the Chair grants the request, he or she shall fill the vacancy from the alternate five members. The member chosen to fill the vacancy may likewise be removed for reasonable cause. The Chair may, on his or her own motion, remove any member for reasonable cause stated.

After the Review Board (five members) has been selected as described in Section d) above, written notice of the time and date set for the hearing shall be hand delivered or mailed to the parties and to the members of the Review Board by the Chair. This notice will be delivered no less than ten (10) working days before the scheduled date of the hearing.

The Chair of each Review Board shall not vote but shall be responsible for the conduct of the hearing and implementation of the grievance procedures. The Chair’s duties include the following:

Within five (5) working days following receipt of a written grievance, the Grievance Panel of ten (10) persons as potential members of the Review Board are notified that the selection of the Review Board will be conducted.

If it is determined that there is a conflict of interest for the Chair on a specific grievance, the Chair will be removed from the process and the President of the University will appoint an Interim Chair for the Grievance Panel to facilitate the process.

The hearing before the Review Board shall be conducted in a private setting and remain confidential. The parties have the right to select one (1) person to attend as an observer. Attorneys are not authorized to participate in grievance hearings. The grievant may select an advisor (Georgia Southwestern State University employee) to assist at the hearing, and the advisor may participate in the hearing.

A tape recording or transcript of the proceedings shall be kept within a secured area in the GSW Human Resources Department and will be available to the parties at a reasonable cost.

The parties and their advisors shall have the right to cross examine witnesses against them. Should a witness be unable to appear because of illness or other cause acceptable to the Chair, the sworn statement or affidavit of the witness may be introduced into the record. An affirmation shall be administered to all witnesses by a notary public. The Review Board will not be bound by strict rules of legal evidence. It may receive any evidence deemed by the Chair to be of value in determining the issues involved. The Review Board shall state its finding in writing that shall be based on the evidence introduced at the hearing. The Chair will report the findings in writing to the President. The confidentiality of the hearing shall be preserved.

The findings and confidential recommendations, if any, made by the Review Board to the President shall be advisory only. The President will render a final decision within 10 working days of receiving the Review Board’s recommendation. The President reserves the right to return the grievance to the Review Board for further consideration. The President’s final decision may be appealed to the Board of Regents by requesting a hearing with the Board of Regents. The request for a hearing is sent to the Board of Regents, Office of Legal Affairs.

The time limits described in this formal grievance procedure may be waived or extended with the consent of both parties or the President of the University.

I. Affirmative Action

The current Georgia Southwestern State University Affirmative Action Plan is available in the James Earl Carter Library, each academic school and department office, Human Resources Office, and the Affirmative Action Office. Georgia Southwestern State University employees are encouraged to examine and recommend constructive modifications of the plan.

In addition, each employee should be acquainted with the Classified Personnel Policy Manual and The Policies of the Board of Regents.

J. USG Background Check Policy

All successful internal candidates (current employees) for positions at GSW or any USG institution will be subject to a background check.

Background checks will include both state and Federal criminal history checks covering a minimum of seven years, social security number check, and credentials/education checks for all professional and academic positions.

All resident assistants (RA's) will be subject to a background check.

Any employee (including student workers) who is charged with a crime (other than a minor traffic offense) must report it to his or her supervisor within 72 hours of becoming aware of the charge. Failure to report being charged with a crime may result in appropriate disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

K. Faculty Personnel Files

Files are maintained on each faculty member in the Human Resources Office and by each person in the chain of supervision of the faculty member - department chair, academic dean, Vice President for Academic Affairs and President. Information filed in each office is listed in the material which follows. Some information is required, and other information is filed at the discretion of the person responsible for that file or the faculty member whose file it is. All files must be maintained in accordance with the Georgia Open Records Law, which means, among other things, that each faculty member may request in writing to review any or all of his or her files.

The official faculty personnel files are those maintained by the administrators mentioned above and only administrators in the chain of supervision of an individual faculty member maintain personnel files for that faculty member. Information pertaining to a faculty member that is available to any other person on campus is not to be considered in personnel actions unless that information is transmitted in writing, at or near the time such information is collected, to an administrator who is responsible for faculty personnel files. The term “personnel action” includes initial appointments to the faculty, tenure, promotion, leave of absence, assignment of additional duty, new appointments, change of title, contract renewal, non-renewal, reprimand, and termination. Faculty members must be notified in writing that any documents related to them have been transmitted.

General guidelines used to determine the location of each item of information are as follows:

1. The documentation of initiated action is filed at the appropriate level nearest the faculty member.

For example, a recommendation for or against tenure is filed by the department chair.

2. The final record of action taken is filed at the highest level in the chain of supervision. For example, a recommendation to the Board of Regents for tenure is on file in the Office of the President.

3. Records common to all faculty members are filed in the Human Resources Office. The only exception to this rule is the Annual Evaluation, which is kept in the faculty member’s departmental file and the file in the Office of Academic Affairs.

Since information filed at the discretion of an administrator has the potential of being used as documentation for personnel action, the faculty member must be informed when such information is filed. The administrator who files discretionary material must record, by either memorandum, letter or notation on the material, that the faculty member was notified within ten working days of the time that the information was filed. Faculty members have the right to add a response to any such discretionary material if they so choose, but they must request in writing to review any such material before drafting a response. Responses should be filed within ten working days of the time the faculty member receives the material for review. Furthermore, a faculty member has the right to request that discretionary materials be added to their file. If an administrator has not notified the faculty member that a meeting summary or a copy of correspondence has been included in their file within two weeks of the meeting or sending of the correspondence, the faculty member may request in writing that the discretionary material be included. Such a request must be fulfilled within ten working days of receipt of the request.

The following lists the location where each document should reside regardless of whether it is required or discretionary.

Human Resources Office (There are no discretionary files kept by the Human Resources Office)

A complete list of all required documents for Human Resources can be found on the GSW website at http://www.gsw.edu/~hr/NewEmployeeOnlineOrientation/welcome_to_gsw_march_2008.shtml.

***Note that the previous policy stipulated that the Human Resources Office held all annual evaluations (original copies).

7. Evaluation of graduate work completed to verify that accreditation (SACS, NLN, NCATE, etc.) criteria have been met

8. Recommendations of personnel actions directed to or from the Vice President for Academic Affairs

2. In case faculty member is a department chair, all filing requirements under "department chair"

3. In case school is not organized into departments, all filing requirements of department chair

4. Summary of third-year conference on progress toward tenure 5. Letters of commendation

L. Faculty Handbook Revisions Policy

¹Proposed amendments or changes to the Faculty Handbook of Georgia Southwestern State University shall be made by the Faculty Affairs Committee and forwarded to the Faculty Senate. An amendment or change must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the faculty at a faculty meeting at which a quorum is present. These guidelines do not apply to the Appendices which shall contain only information, such as calendars and committee assignments, that change as a matter of course.

SECTION II. FACULTY AFFAIRS

A. The Corps of Instruction