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SJMC Policies and Procedures

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SJMC Tenure and Promotion Guidelines


Adherence to University Policy

If any difference should arise between the school’s policies and procedures and university policies and procedures (except where expressly allowed), university policies and procedures will take precedence.

SJMC policies will be formulated to ensure compliance with university policy. SJMC policies will be revised to conform to university policy whenever a conflict is identified.

A

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
As an accredited journalism program, faculty support accreditation in higher education as defined as a collegial process based on self- and peer assessment for public accountability and improvement of academic quality. Peers assess the quality of an institution or academic program and assist the faculty and staff in improvement.

PROCEDURE:
An accreditation of an academic program typically involves three major activities:

  1. The faculty, administration and staff of the institution or academic program conduct a self-study using the accrediting organization’s set of expectations about quality (standards, criteria) as their guide.
  2. A team of peers, selected by the accrediting organization reviews the evidence, visits the campus to interview the faculty and staff, and writes a report of its assessment, including recommendations to the council of the accrediting organization (group of peer faculty and staff, professionals, and public members).
  3. Grounded by a set of expectations about quality and integrity, the council reviews the evidence and recommendations, makes a judgment and communicates the decision to the institution and other constituencies, if appropriate. 

(From the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications)
After the initial site visit, accrediting visits are made at six-year intervals.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: April 15, 2016

POLICY:
Temporary faculty will be employed to teach courses for the School when it is deemed appropriate by the Director. The title for such faculty will be Adjunct Instructor. Ideally, a candidate will hold the master’s degree or higher to be considered for appointment.

PROCEDURE:
When a course is to be offered and regular faculty are not available, or unique skills and/or experience are needed in the teaching of the course, the Director, having conferred with Sequence Head(s) and, as appropriate, individual faculty members, will inform the faculty that such a temporary faculty appointment is to be made.

In accordance with the University policies and procedures regarding appointment of academic personnel, the Director will extend the invitation to the prospective adjunct faculty member.

The Director, in coordination with Sequence Heads, should arrange for the orientation, training, support and supervision of adjunct faculty members.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers graduate work at both the Master’s and Doctoral degree levels.

PROCEDURE:
An applicant for admission to the M.A. or M.M.C. degree programs programs will be evaluated on a combination of factors: undergraduate grade point average, performance on the GRE; professional experience (especially if that experience is in mass media-related positions); recommendations and a written statement of objectives, in which the applicant outlines reasons for seeking a graduate degree in mass communications. Successful applicants usually present an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00 and a combined GRE score (verbal and quantitative) of 1,000 and at least a 4.5 on the analytical writing section of the exam.

Admission to the doctoral program is voted on individually by the School’s graduate council after consideration of a number of factors including: the applicant’s academic record in undergraduate and master’s degree work, performance on the GRE, professional experience (especially if that experience) is in mass media-related positions), recommendations and the applicant’s personal statement outlining reasons for applying for doctoral study. Successful applicants usually present a combined GRE score (verbal and quantitative) of 1800 and a 5.0 on the analytical writing section. International applicants are expected to present a TOEFL score of a minimum of 600 or 250 on the computer-based version or a score of 75 on the most recent version of the test.


C

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
There is to be no eating, drinking or smoking in any computer lab in the School or in any other similar University space. Smoking is not allowed in any public building in South Carolina.

Students are not allowed to possess or drink alcoholic beverages in the School facilities. In the event that a student is disruptive, the instructor can ask the student to leave the classroom and/or notify campus police of the disruption.

PROCEDURE:
The faculty will enforce the above policy and will set an example by refraining from eating, drinking and smoking during class.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
All money collected in the School will be handled through the appropriate office and will be deposited to the appropriate accounts. All transactions will be conducted according to established University fiscal policy.

PROCEDURE:
Money that is collected in the School is the responsibility of the office for which funds are received, e.g., Director’s Office, Continuing Education. Receipts of all deposit transactions will be kept in an orderly fashion for periodic internal audit.

The Director will ensure that the handling of all funds will be conducted according to University policy.

Date: February 20, 2015
Revised: April 15, 2016

POLICY:
The Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications will appoint, ideally by the beginning of the Fall term, faculty to serve on standing committees. Elected committees, including the Policies and Procedures Committee and the Select Committee on Tenure and Promotion, shall be chosen by the faculty before the end of the Spring term.

Unless otherwise provided in the School’s Policies and Procedures Manual, membership of standing committees (including, but not limited to, Graduate Council, Curriculum Committee, Tenure and Promotion committee) will be determined by the Director of the School, based on indications of interest in service by the School’s faculty members.

Chairs of all faculty committees in the School shall be selected by the members of the committee. Normally, assistant professors on the tenure track should not be selected as committee chairs.

Chairs of ad-hoc faculty committees (including search committees) shall be selected by the Director.

Policies and Procedures for each committee shall be specified in the Policies and Procedures Manual. In addition, the Director shall charge each committee with the committee’s responsibilities and duties at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the committee.

Chairs of all committees shall be responsible for publicizing an agenda at least 24 hours prior to all regularly scheduled and special meetings.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Any changes to the curriculum, either in the form of a new course proposal or as a change to existing undergraduate courses, may be originated by faculty of the School. The School Director is responsible for implementing the change.

PROCEDURE:
The initiator will present the recommendation for a new course or course change to the Curriculum Committee. Full documentation (i.e. description, hours, etc.) must accompany the proposal.

The Curriculum Committee will consider the proposal and present a recommendation to the entire faculty at the next scheduled faculty meeting. Faculty may approve the proposal in which case the proposal will be forwarded to the School’s Director who is responsible for sending to the appropriate University committee. Faculty may also disapprove the proposal or faculty may refer the proposal back to the Curriculum Committee for change and resubmission to the faculty.

The Director is responsible for tracking curriculum changes at the University level and then seeing that those changes are implemented within the School.

D

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School’s Distinguished Alumni Awards were established to recognize former students of the School who have achieved significant recognition in the field of journalism and mass communications. The Dean and Director’s Award for Service is to recognize contributions by Alumni to the School.

PROCEDURE:
The School has two Distinguished Alumni Awards. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is for graduates who have been out of school for more than 10 years and whose careers represent significant professional achievement. The Outstanding Young Alumnus award is for graduates who have been out of school 10 years or less but who have already demonstrated significant professional accomplishments early in their careers.

Alumni selected for the awards are initially nominated by faculty or alumni of the School in the spring semester of the year of recognition. A two-thirds vote of the faculty is required for a nominee to be named a recipient of one of the awards. While anyone may nominate someone for the Dean and Director’s Award for Service, the Director and Dean select the honoree. All three recipients are traditionally recognized at an event during Homecoming weekend.

E

Date: April 25, 2003

POLICY:
The School will follow the University’s Emergency Management Plan.

PROCEDURE:
During a crisis, the Director’s Office (803 777-6791) will serve as the input point for receiving word of an emergency originating outside the building and will coordinate the response to any emergency that originates inside the building.

Should an emergency occur during a normal business day when classes are in session, the Director’s office will notify the dean, associate dean, directors and sequence heads in person or by telephone. Such individuals would physically move through the School’s section of the Coliseum and alert students, staff and faculty.

If an emergency requiring action to protect individuals or equipment or records originates outside normal business hours, the Dean and/or other top College/School official will alert appropriate personnel.

Because the Coliseum serves as an authorized emergency shelter, the facility can be expected to attract people, both within and without the University community, to seek shelter. All would seek safety away from the windows on the academic level.

Internal threats would normally require immediate evacuation via the nearest exit. Periodic fire drills coordinated by the Director and campus police should prepare students, faculty and staff for quick and orderly evacuation of the building.

In the case of an internal threat of violence or criminal behavior, notification would be via telephones and e-mail, with only the Director, or his/her representative, moving through the building to alert students and staff. If the threat is deemed widespread, then students, staff and faculty will be advised to move to the nearest secure area with a communication device and wait out the threat.

With the possibility of power outages, each faculty and staff office is equipped with a flashlight. Staff and faculty will be expected to monitor, and assist with, evacuation of the building during a power failure. The College’s technical staff  will assume responsibility for checking batteries at the beginning of each semester and replacing weak batteries as warranted.

Date: April 25, 2003

POLICY:
The Events Committee is responsible for coordinating with the appropriate sponsoring groups the planning, advertising, implementing, staffing, and assessment of all social activities of the School.

PROCEDURE:
The Chair of the Committee is responsible for directing the activities of the Committee.

Examples of such activities include anniversary celebrations, Showcase Carolina, retirements, commencement receptions, annual social event for current and former faculty and staff, homecoming social for alums, honors night program and convocation program for entering freshmen.

Date: April 25, 2003

POLICY:
Students may apply to exempt courses by presenting a portfolio and/or taking an examination. If successful, the student will replace required courses with an equal number of hours of elective courses. Exemption from required courses does not reduce the length of the program.

PROCEDURE:
Any student who wishes to discuss exemption possibilities should schedule an appointment with the faculty member who is currently teaching or taught the course in question most recently. The faculty member and student will discuss the student’s background and reasons for the exemption request. Students determined to be qualified will be allowed to proceed with the exemption process. The faculty member will determine whether the student is to present a portfolio and/or sit for an exam. If a portfolio is to be presented, the faculty member will provide the student with a current course description/syllabus. The student will be instructed to include in the portfolio evidence such as: 1. documentation of content and performance in previous pertinent coursework (graduate and undergraduate level); 2. demonstration of proficiency related to the course; 3. description of work experience directly related to the course. The student will submit the portfolio to the faculty member currently teaching or who most recently taught the course.

A portfolio may be presented only once for a given course. Portfolios will be received only during fall and spring semesters. If the portfolio is determined to be unacceptable for exempting the course, the faculty member who evaluated it may recommend that the student attempt the exemption exam. The faculty will notify the Student Services Director in writing if this recommendation is made. If an exemption exam is to be taken (instead of or in addition to the portfolio), the Student Services Director will arrange an
appointment at the request of the appropriate faculty member. The examination will be prepared and graded by faculty currently teaching course. An examination may include demonstration of competencies related to the course. The exam will be scored as soon as possible after completion and the graded exam will be returned to the Student Services Director who will notify the student of the outcome. The student will be allowed to view the graded exam if desired, but may not remove the exam from the Student Services Office. The exam will be retained in the Student Services Office and a memo will be placed in the student’s file indicating that the student either passed or failed the exam. Exemption exams will be given only in fall and spring semesters.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
”Experimental” courses are numbered 463 and 563. “Topics” courses are numbered 463X and 563X. Experimental courses are courses which have not been previously offered in the School and which will be offered as a means of determining need and receptivity of students, or possibly as a one-time offering. “Experimental” courses can be offered during Maymester. “Topics” are courses that are aimed at a special limited audience. Graduate students may take the 500 level courses for credit if approved by their advisors.

PROCEDURE:
Both experimental and topics course should be submitted to the Curriculum Committee  for review and determination that it is needed and does not conflict with or duplicate existing courses. Justification of the course and provision of necessary information to the Curriculum Committee is the responsibility of the proposer. Information given to the Committee should include:

  1. Course title
  2. Course description
  3.  Possible pre-requisites
  4.  Length and credit hours
  5.  Justification
  6. Indication of whether this course replaces other courses in the curriculum
  7.  Anticipated audience
  8.  Resource implications for the course (library resources, supplies and equipment, computer time, etc.)
  9. Whether the course relates to others in the curriculum and, if so, how it relates to other courses
  10. .Indication of why the course should be offered in the School
  11. Whether the course is related to courses offered in any other unit of the University and, if so, how it relates to these courses.

If the Curriculum Committee approves the course, it will recommend this approval to the faculty and also recommend the maximum number of times the course may be offered as experimental or special course, the appropriate amount of credit, and the course title and description.

If the course has been approved by the faculty, the proposer must confer with the Undergraduate and Graduate Directors to appropriately schedule the course.

F

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School will have a faculty meeting at least once a month during the academic year. Special faculty meetings may be called by the Director or by a request of at least three faculty members; all meetings of the faculty are open. The faculty may go into closed session for the discussion of personnel or student matters pertaining to confidential student information or other matters in compliance with Freedom of Information.

PROCEDURE:
Dates for regular faculty meetings will be established at the beginning of each semester and added to the School’s Master Calendar. An agenda for the meeting will be distributed from the Director's office prior to the meeting. Those wishing to have items placed on the agenda may do so by informing the Director. The Director will be responsible for publicizing the agenda, time, and place of the faculty meeting at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting. No faculty meetings will be scheduled during reading day and/or exam period.

Faculty meetings will begin and faculty decisions may be made when a quorum is present. A quorum will be at least 50% of the faculty plus one. Faculty meetings shall be limited to 90 minutes maximum. Minutes of all faculty meetings will be recorded by the Assistant to the Director and will be distributed to all faculty and staff before the next scheduled meeting. An official file copy of the minutes with attachments will be maintained in the administrative office.

Date: March 1, 2004
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications shall establish mentoring procedures to ensure that all tenure track faculty below the rank of professor have access to important information about the School’s tenure and promotion policy.

PROCEDURE:
To ensure each eligible faculty member's access to a mentor, the director of the school shall assign, in consultation with the parties involved, mentors for all tenure-track faculty below the rank of professor. In the case of new faculty, the director shall, within 10 days of appointment and/or arrival on campus of a new faculty member, select a mentor for that new member of the faculty. The Director shall notify in writing the mentor and the faculty member immediately upon assignment of the mentor.

The Director shall select as a mentor a person with a strong record who is a good role model and whose achievements are worthy of emulation.

In addition to the Director’s appointed mentor, the School encourages faculty to confer with other members of the faculty on an informal basis. Faculty may also choose to have more than one mentor.

The duties of the mentor shall include providing advice and counsel, especially on matters relating to effective teaching; scholarship and publication; and service to the College, University and profession - and all criteria regarding tenure and promotion. Mentoring partners may confer about all matters affecting academic performance.

Date: March 20, 2015

POLICY:
In consultation with the full-time faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SJMC), the Director of the School shall determine the number and subject-matter specializations of potential new hires for all positions at the rank of assistant professor, associate professor and professor. Once such
determination is made, the Director shall appoint a committee to conduct the search for all positions requiring a faculty search committee and announce in writing the commencement of the search. The Director shall notify the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs of the proposed composition of the committee.

PROCEDURE:

Committee Composition:
1. The search committee shall consist of either five or seven full-time SJMC faculty members, including a tenured professor or associate professor appointed by the Director who shall serve as chair of the committee. A sequence chair may not serve as a chair of a search committee formed to search for a candidate who would be housed primarily in the chair’s sequence.
2. If possible, each search committee should contain at least one full professor and at least two tenure-track professors from either the associate or assistant professor ranks (total of three).
3. If possible, each search committee should contain a mix of academic and professional faculty, with consideration of this division given to reflecting the type of new hire desired.
4. In addition, a doctoral student, who is beyond his or her first year as a full-time student, shall be appointed by the Associate Director for Graduate Studies to serve as an ex officio member of each search committee. The doctoral student shall not be a voting member of the committee.
5. One faculty member shall be designated by the committee to ensure the search is in compliance with all University requirements for ensuring diversity and fairness in the search process.

Committee Responsibilities:
6. The search committee shall solicit candidates, create files for applicants, make reference checks, conduct preliminary screening interviews (if deemed appropriate), select a minimum of three finalists (if possible) for consideration by the full faculty, manage the on-campus interviewing process for each of
the finalists and make final recommendations for filling a position to the full faculty.

The Search Process:
(Note: All steps in the solicitation and evaluation of potential faculty hires must be
in compliance with appropriate University policies)
7. National searches will be conducted for all tenure-track openings with the exception of all affirmative-action hires in administrative positions, or other positions where an exception is provided by university policy. Notice of opening(s) shall be posted on the School’s website and in other appropriate avenues (such as the AEJMC newsletter) in a timely manner so that all interested candidates have an equal opportunity to apply. Current University approved wording related to affirmative action/equal opportunity requirements shall be included in every notice.
8. In cooperation with the Director, the search committee shall draft an advertisement to solicit applicants for each position to be filled. If more than one position is to be filled, the search committee may elect to construct one advertisement for all positions. However, the ad copy must clearly distinguish
the individual positions and include the same information about a position as if placed in a position-specific advertisement.
9. Ads shall state the time frame of the screening and selection process, the title and rank of the position, responsibilities of the position, minimum preferred qualifications (e.g., skills, experience and education), contingencies associated with the position (such as degree earned by a specific date),
description of materials to be submitted and whom to contact. Current University-approved wording related to affirmative action/equal opportunity requirements shall be included in every advertisement.
10. The final advertisement copy containing the specifics of the job description must be approved by a majority vote of the full-time faculty prior to its placement in any medium and should not be altered in any material way without notice sufficient to allow a vote, by the full-time faculty, approving the altered language. Plans (including location and duration) for placing new-hire advertisements shall be reported to the faculty in advance.
11. The committee shall create individual files for all applications as received. The files shall be kept by School’s administrative personnel and shall be subject to all necessary confidentiality requirements.
12. The committee shall meet as necessary to discuss the search process and completed files to date. All meeting times must be posted 24 hours in advance and shall be open to the public, as shall all records of these meetings unless the committee enters into executive session to discuss matters (e.g., specific candidate files) permissible under South Carolina’s FOIA. A record of all those in attendance at all search committee meetings shall be maintained and kept as part of the record of the search.
13. Individual files created for all applicants shall be available to faculty at least 24 hours in advance of any committee or School administration interaction with applicants identified as being of continued interest (e.g., those singled out for reference checks, Skype interviews, etc.).
14. When the search committee has narrowed the results to applicants deemed as finalists, the search committee shall provide a written list of the final candidates to the faculty at least 24 hours prior to inviting those finalists for on-campus interviews.
15. A schedule of events for each candidate finalist visiting the campus shall be posted no later than 24 hours before the candidate’s arrival.
16. The committee is responsible for providing accommodations, transportation and meals for candidates. It would be appropriate to seek faculty not on the search committee to meet with candidates in informal as well as formal meetings.
17. Normally, each candidate will be asked to teach a segment of an appropriate course or seminar and, if so, this presentation should be open to visitation by interested faculty. Likewise, each candidate will be asked to make a research or creative activity presentation open to all interested faculty and graduate students. If possible, both the teaching and research presentations should be recorded and made available to interested faculty shortly after a candidate’s visit.
18. Standardized, candidate-evaluation forms shall be made available to students in classes taught by a candidate and for students meeting a candidate or attending presentations by a candidate to solicit feedback for the search committee. All forms shall become part of a candidate’s file and made available to interested non-committee faculty members at least 24 hours before a faculty vote on a hiring recommendation by the search committee.
19. A standardized, candidate-evaluation form shall be made available to nonsearch-committee faculty to solicit feedback for the search committee in a timely fashion. All forms shall become part of a candidate’s file and made available to interested non-committee faculty members at least 24 hours before a faculty vote on a hiring recommendation by the search committee.
20. After evaluating each finalist on the criteria listed in the advertisement for the position, the search committee shall present its conclusions about choosing a candidate and to whom to make an offer at a regular or specially called faculty meeting.
21. Notice of the meeting and the appearance on the agenda of a motion from the committee shall be posted no later than 24 hours before the meeting unless the faculty, by two/thirds vote, approves a motion to waive the 24-hour requirement for the introduction of the search committee motion.
22. The motion from the search committee may list the finalists in terms of committee preference or simply announce that several or all finalists are acceptable to the committee, the reasons for these conclusions and the numerical vote for the motion by the members of the search committee.

Voting:
23. Unless specified above, all decisions on motions, both within the search committee and those presented to the faculty by the search committee, shall be determined by a simple majority vote of eligible faculty present at a meeting of the search committee or a regular or specially called faculty meeting.
24. A vote of “abstention” shall be treated as a “no” vote in deciding motions from the search committee presented to the faculty.
25. Absentee votes may be counted in determining the outcome of motions both within the search committee and those presented by the search committee to the faculty. However, an absentee ballot will be counted only if the ballot is in written form, signed by the absentee voter (unsigned email is specifically disallowed) and is in favor either of a specific, named candidate or to accept the motion of the search committee as originally presented to the faculty.
26. Absentee votes for or against a motion from the search committee subsequently amended by the faculty in a faculty meeting, or that state that the absentee ballot may be cast based on the judgment of a faculty member presenting the absentee ballot, are specifically disallowed.

Date: April 25, 2003

POLICY:
The School has two faculty members to server as representatives to the Faculty Senate. The number of faculty senators is determined by the size of the School. Senators will serve for a three-year term.

PROCEDURE:
The faculty of the School will elect members to serve as Faculty Senators. Any person elected who cannot serve the full term will be replaced through another election.

Faculty Senators will report to the faculty at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting and may make such other reports as appropriate. Faculty Senators for the School of Journalism and Mass Communications will also serve as school representatives to the other school’s faculty meetings.

G

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
It is the student’s responsibility to maintain and produce all graded work to support review for settlement of disputed grades.

PROCEDURE:
The faculty will return graded work to students except final examinations. Photocopies of work graded "C+" or lower will be retained by faculty for at least six months. In the case of an Incomplete grade, the work should be maintained for two years. Faculty are to retain copies of exams for one semester after a course is offered. Faculty should review graded exams and papers with their students if the student desires.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Graduate Assistants employed by the School are considered part-time employees of the University.

PROCEDURE:
Graduate Assistants are to receive a stipend and a tuition supplement if the School’s budget allows. Non-resident graduate assistants may also receive a reduction in tuition. The number of Graduate Assistantships will depend on the School's budget. To qualify as a Graduate Assistant, students are required to enroll in a minimum of six (6) graduate credit hours per semester. If the assistantship continues during the summer terms, the student is required to be enrolled in a minimum of one (1) graduate credit hour.

To be fully qualified for a graduate assistantship, and thus eligible for the special tuition privileges, a student must be admitted to a degree program.

Requests for Graduate Assistant support are to be directed to the Associate Director for Graduate Studies at a specified time each semester.

Ph.D. students with assistantships are expected to teach courses and conduct research appropriate to their areas.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School, in conjunction with the principal investigators, will coordinate the employment of graduate assistants whose salaries are funded by grants. Grant-funded graduate assistants will perform duties exclusively related to the grant project.

PROCEDURE:
A faculty member awarded a grant, which includes the hiring of a graduate assistant, will be responsible for selecting a student to work as his/her grant-funded graduate assistant. The Associate Director for Graduate Studies will process the paperwork
necessary for hiring the graduate assistant. Grant-funded graduate assistants will work only on the grant project; therefore, a faculty member with a grant-funded graduate assistant may also be assigned his/her School-funded graduate assistant. Grant-funded graduate assistants will be subject to the same evaluation procedures as those who are funded by the School.

Date: April 25, 2003

POLICY:
The Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications will appoint faculty members to the School’s Graduate Council.

PROCEDURE:
The Graduate Council Committee is responsible for all admission policies, curriculum changes, and awarding of spaces to the School’s Graduate Programs including the M.A., M.M.C. and Ph.D. The committee should refer to the written and published graduate admission policies for their decisions.

Any other matters relevant to the School’s graduate students are referred to this committee.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Faculty are encouraged to invite guest speakers into their classes. Faculty have the responsibility for any costs involved (i.e., honorarium, meals, etc.) unless prior approval is given by the Director for the expenditure.

PROCEDURE:
Faculty may utilize guest speakers in their classes at any time. The faculty will make the arrangements for the speaker. At the faculty member's discretion, notices may be posted to invite those interested in the speaker's topic to attend. Unless prior approval is obtained from the Director, any costs involved in having a guest speaker will be paid by the faculty.

L

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School will maintain laboratories to support the teaching activities of the faculty and to enhance the learning environment of the students.

PROCEDURE:
At the beginning of each session of classes, The Director of Information Technology will post the hours of operation and availability of the labs will be posted on the doors and communicated electronically to students. Reservation of the labs for regular classroom use must be made before the beginning of the semester and is subject to availability. Reservation of the labs for periodic workshops must be made at least two weeks in advance and is subject to availability.

M

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008
POLICY:
Every effort will be made to ensure that the building is in good repair and that problems are resolved.

PROCEDURE:
When faculty or staff observe maintenance problem areas (e.g., inoperable heat or air conditioning) in the building, the nature of the problem should be reported immediately to the Administrative Assistant in the Dean's office. This person will notify the maintenance department and will follow up on the call to try to ensure correction of the problem.

Faculty and staff must remember that the maintenance department is not under the jurisdiction of the School and operates according to its own priorities.

Date: April 25, 2003

POLICY:
Media equipment will be provided to support the academic program of the School. Equipment is not to be removed from its storage area except for instructional or professional use. The user is responsible for the equipment. University owned equipment may not be borrowed for personal activities.

PROCEDURE:
Media equipment must be signed out each time it is removed. A log book will be provided for the name of the borrower, description of equipment, USC tag number (if applicable), date and location of use, and the date the equipment is returned. Use of media equipment for more than 24 hours must be approved at least 48 hours in advance.

Student use of media equipment outside the lab period will be approved on a case-by-case basis.

The student must adhere to the sign-out procedure for each lab and be held responsible for any damage or loss of equipment.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School shall have a mission statement that reflects its goals and objectives.

PROCEDURE:The Mission of the School shall reflect the following statement approved by the faculty with review at least every three years.

Mission
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
University of South Carolina

The mission of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications is to improve and strengthen the societal roles of the professions of journalism and mass communications by:

*providing undergraduate instruction within a liberal arts context that leads to a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications and prepares students for an increasingly multinational, multicultural professional work environment.
*providing graduate instruction, leading to the master’s and Ph.D. degrees, that prepares students for leadership and management roles in the journalism and mass communications professions and in the professorate.

*educating students, both majors and those in disciplines outside the School about the roles and functions of the mass media and of mass communications industries so that they can be informed consumers of information.

*adding to the body of knowledge for the professions and for the general public through research, scholarship and creative professional activity.

*providing service to journalism instruction at the middle and high school levels in South Carolina and the Southeast, and to journalism and mass communications professions in South Carolina and at the regional, national and international levels through such activities as continuing education programs, workshops and constructive commentary on current media, advertising and public relations practices.

O

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed:

POLICY:
It shall be the policy of the School to assign offices on the basis of groupings, proximity to classrooms and/or labs or studios and expressed preference when possible.

PROCEDURE:
When office space becomes available the Director will make a determination regarding the assignment. Faculty who would like to move to another office should notify the Director.

When office space becomes available the Director will contact faculty in order of rank and seniority to determine whether they would like to move to another office.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Faculty shall have a minimum of four office hours weekly during the fall and spring semesters and during the summer session in which they teach.

PROCEDURE:
At the beginning of each term, faculty will determine a minimum of four office hours and will post the hours on their office doors and provide a listing to the administrative office. Faculty should also be available at other times by appointment.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The organizational chart of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications will reflect the make-up of the School and is shown as follows:

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15 2008

POLICY:
Faculty members may conduct remunerated, professional work outside the university when the work contributes to their professional development and when it does not interfere with their research, teaching and university service obligations.

Faculty are not to use University resources to support outside consulting work.

PROCEDURE:
As University Policy, ACAF 1.50, mandates, any outside consulting work performed by faculty of the School must have the prior approval of the Director and the College Dean. These activities, which are allowed and encouraged, will
be reported annually.

Outside professional activities to be reported should not normally include colloquia, textbooks, and performances, but special attention should be given to compensated services, private practice or for-profit activities.

A compliance form, which may be obtained from the Dean’s office and, the following should be included for approval:
1. Compensated services - contract with any private sector entity (individual, business, or corporation), ownership of or equity holding in a business or corporation, management or board position in a business or corporation,

  • participation in a contract or proposal through an entity other than the University,
  • participation in a service or teaching contract with another college or university, and,
  • academic remuneration noted as fees and honoraria.

Faculty applying for or participating in governmental and private sector proposals or contracts are required to fulfill additional reporting requirements stipulated by the given agency or the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research (SPAR).

2. Additional Circumstances: In addition to the aforementioned instances, the local unit, by virtue of its discipline, etc., may have unique circumstances, as deemed by the Dean, which require faculty disclosure.

3. Unpaid consulting/pro bono service: The University encourages pro bono work for reasonable time periods and without substantial allocation of University resources, as a normal and desirable activity for faculty. Reporting pro bono work allows the university to properly recognize such work which benefits the university, but which currently may not be reported formally.

Reporting Format
1. In conjunction with each full-time faculty member's annual review within the local unit, the faculty member being reviewed will report on outside professional activities over the previous year and known or anticipated activities for the coming year to the reviewing local unit head.

2. The faculty member's report should be in an approved format consistent with applicable legal or professional ethical requirements, if any. Reports should include the following, as appropriate, for a given field or activity.

  • type of activity,
  • whether the activity is compensated,
  • duration/time requirements
  • whether a potential conflict of interest or commitment exists and, if so, an explanation,
  • whether the activity involves the use of University facilities, resources or personnel, including students, staff, or fellow faculty, or other commitment, and if whether appropriate procedures have been followed.

3. Reports prepared by individual faculty pursuant to this policy constitute information of a personal nature and shall be treated as confidential and kept for three years in the reporting employee's local unit file.

4. External sponsors, particularly government agencies, require additional information and certification concerning the potential for conflict of interest. The University’s Office of Sponsored Award Management,SAM, in the ORHS shall prepare and submit to the Provost for approval the appropriate procedures and reporting mechanism to meet these requirements.

5. Any material increase in outside professional activity status should be
reported immediately to the Dean.

Reporting Procedures
Reporting will begin within the unit on an annual basis simultaneously with the individual's tenure and promotion, or annual performance review.

P

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The Partnership Board will assist the Director in educating the University community, legislators, community leaders and the public at large on the School’s accomplishments and its role in the information age.

PROCEDURE:
The Board will advise the Director on current issues and concerns and undertake special assignments and reports when requested, assist in raising funds for the School, enhance the image and visibility of the School at the community, state and national levels, and with prospective students, and assist in promoting the mission and objectives of the School with leaders in the public and private sectors. Details on the Partnership Board can be obtained through the Director’s office.

Date: April 25, 2003
Reviewed:

POLICY:
As mandated by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education, each faculty member in the School will be reviewed once annually. Approximately half will be reviewed in fall, half in spring. Generally, full professors will review one another, full or associate professors will review associate professors, and full or associate professors will review assistant professors and instructors.

NOTE: Untenured faculty will schedule two peer reviews annually, one in the fall and one in spring, for two different courses.

A. PROCEDURE:
To prepare for your peer review:
1. Choose your reviewer from among the tenured professors in the School. NOTE: Full professors will be reviewed by full professors; associates may be reviewed by associate or full professors; untenured assistant professors and instructors will be reviewed by full or associate professors. No faculty member shall choose the same reviewer in two consecutive years.

2. Agree on a date for the visit at least ten days in advance.

3. Choose a time to meet with the reviewer at least one week ahead of the visit (see procedure for reviewers on the next page). Provide a syllabus for your course and any other materials (including assigned readings) that will help the reviewer observe your class with some knowledge of its broader purpose.

4. If you so desire, ask to meet with the reviewer after you have received a written evaluation of your teaching. The purpose of such a meeting should be to focus on ways to improve your teaching, points in the evaluation with which you disagree, and any other matters related to the evaluation that you feel merit discussion.

5. Attach the most recent peer review(s) to the back of your next Annual

Performance Review.
1. To prepare for a classroom visit, reviewer should:Meet with instructor prior to classroom visit. Choose a date for the visit. Obtain syllabus and any other relevant materials, review assignments (readings, presentations, discussion etc.) given students for the day of the visit. In other words, know what should take place when you walk into the classroom. Discuss goals of this session, mix of students in the class (year, grad/undergrad, etc.), required or elective course, and any other aspects of the course that would assist you in your review.

2. Visit the class on the appointed date. Sit in the back so as not to cause a distraction and also to confirm that all students can hear the instructor. Observe and comment on ability to explain content and teaching methodologies, which may include:

A. class organization and preparation
B. clarity and ability to explain materials
C. stimulation of thought and interest
D. enthusiasm and dynamism of instructor
E. pace of the class
F. presentation style
G. use of varied and appropriate instructional techniques
H. effective use of class time
I. use and quality of handouts
J. use and quality of visual materials
K. meeting of class/assignment objectives

3. As soon as possible after the class, write your report. You will tend to forget details if you delay writing the first draft. Once you have the report in what you consider to be final form, deliver it in a sealed envelope to the instructor. Keep a copy for yourself. Offer to meet with the instructor to discuss the review.

3a. If the instructor wishes to meet, arrange your meeting as soon as possible after the classroom visit. You may wish to offer specific recommendations for new instructional strategies if this is appropriate.

B. FREQUENCY AND SCHEDULING
The Tenure and Promotion Committee will publish a list of suggested peer review dates for each faculty member (by term only). It is up to you to make arrangements with a reviewer to complete this process. Should you wish to change terms, please find someone who is willing to trade with you and inform the chair of T&P. Candidates for tenure and promotion will be reviewed twice annually.

C. TRAINING OF PEER REVIEWERS
Any tenured faculty willing to serve as reviewers must meet with the T and P chair for a brief training session and should be dedicated to spending time evaluating a colleague as well as mentoring him/her on instructional strategies and overall teaching methodologies. Should the Tenure and Promotion Committee agree that an individual does not fulfill these requirements, it may deny that person the right to review other faculty. Although it may also serve as documentation or support materials for the colleges’ annual review or tenure and promotion process, its primary purpose is to improve a teacher’s performance in the classroom.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The Petitions Committee reviews and responds to student petitions. There will be no student representative to the Student Life Committee.

PROCEDURE:
The Chair of the Committee will direct the activities of the Committee. The Student Services Manager is responsible for informing students of the faculty’s decisions concerning petitions.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The policies and procedure committee is a three-member committee selected by the Director at the end of each spring semester. The committee is responsible for all policies and procedures of the School.

PROCEDURE:
Each fall, the committee chair will request from the full-time faculty any revisions and/or additions necessary for the School’s Policies and Procedures Manual. The committee will review all input and make recommendations to the full faculty.

Changes to the manual will require a majority vote of the full faculty. The committee chair is responsible for updating the policy manual as deemed necessary. Two official printed copies of the Policies and Procedures Manual will be available, one with the committee chair and the other in the Director’s office. The Manual will also be available on the School’s web site.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised:: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
In compliance with University policy, the faculty of the School follows the following plan for post tenure review.

PROCEDURE:
Each tenured faculty member will undergo a post-tenure review every six years. one sixth of the tenured faculty will be reviewed each year. The order of review will be determined by a faculty member’s decision year for tenure, beginning with those tenured earliest.

The only exceptions to this schedule shall be faculty who notify the Director that they will be retiring within three years of their review date, faculty who have been promoted in the last six years, faculty who have been named to administrative position in the last six years, and faculty holding named professorships or chairs that are subject to periodic review.

(Faculty promoted within the last six years shall be reviewed six years from their date of promotion, while faculty named to an administrative position shall be reviewed six years from their appointment to such positions.

A. Timing of Reviews

A faculty member undergoing post-tenure review shall assemble the following materials and forward them to the Director by the spring deadline for annual performance reviews:

  1. Annual performance reviews for the last six years/the most recent being the one for the year in which the post-tenure review takes place. Materials should include the Director’s evaluations and those of the Tenure and Promotion Committee for each year/student and peer evaluations of teaching, and evidence of scholarship.
  2. A brief (two to three pages) summary statement of growth and accomplishments during the six-year period being reviewed.

B. Outside Review of Materials

The Director shall determine whether or not materials in the file require external review. An external reviewer must be someone who is not a member of the unit/but may be a faculty member in another unit at the University or someone outside the University. The following are examples of items that will not require additional external review because they already have been subjected to such review professional or scholarly refereed publications/ textbooks/ and creative works that have won top awards. Other scholarship/creative work will be judged individually to determine if external review is required.

C. Ratings shall be consistent with the School’s Tenure and Promotion Policy in accordance with the faculty member’s rank.

D. Standards used to evaluate faculty shall be consistent with the School’s Tenure and Promotion Policy.

E. Procedures for Unsatisfactory Reviews

A faculty member who receives an unsatisfactory review will be asked to participate in a development plan to improve his or her performance. The nature of the development plan will determined jointly by the Dean and the faculty member. One or more tenured colleagues shall be involved in the mentoring of the individual. At the next annual review, the Dean and the mentor or development committee will make an assessment of the progress of the faculty member. That assessment will be forwarded to the Select Tenure and Promotion Committee, which will review the evaluation and concur or dissent, in general or in any particular. The committee’s response will be forwarded to the Dean and copies provided to the Dean and copies provided to the faculty member. The Dean will make the final determination as to whether or not further measures may be needed.

A faculty member who receives an unsatisfactory review and disagrees with the evaluation or any aspect of the recommendations and/or does not agree to a development plan may appeal to the unit Select Tenure and Promotion Committee. The findings of the select committee/ together with its recommendations for action and a statement by the faculty member/will be forwarded to the Dean for a final decision.

R

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Released time will be granted to faculty for the purpose of conducting research funded by an outside agency. Since released time for this purpose involves budgetary and scheduling considerations, the proposer must confer with and gain approval from the Director for funded released time.

PROCEDURE:
As part of the process of formally seeking outside funding, the proposer will confer with the Director concerning the issue of released time.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
A student in good standing who receives a grade of D+ or D in a course that is required for the degree must retake the course in order to try to earn a grade of at least C so that the course can be applied to the degree.

PROCEDURE:
A student receiving a D+ or D should consult with his/her advisor regarding the student's option of re-taking the course. If the course is re-taken and the student receives a higher grade, the new grade may be counted toward the degree. However, the student should be reminded that the deficient grade is a permanent grade and will be counted in the student's grade point average. A student is permitted to re-take a course only one time.

S

 

Date December 2, 2008
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Students are awarded scholarships by the academic year. Freshman applicants may apply only after being accepted as a student by university admissions. Continuing students apply in December. Students must apply in order to be considered for a scholarship.

PROCEDURE:
Upcoming freshmen:

1. The scholarship coordinator sends a letter after acceptance by admissions, which provide instructions to complete the scholarship application online.
2. The scholarship coordinator creates reports of those students who have applied for scholarships.
3. A committee of sequence heads, the director and the scholarship coordinator meet to discuss awards. Scholarships are awarded to students if the scholarship and university criteria are met.
4. Notification letters are sent to all applicants. If awarded a scholarship the recipient must accept by letter.

Continuing students:

1. Students apply online for scholarships from December 1 until January 19.
2. The scholarship coordinator creates reports of those students who have applied for scholarships.
3. A committee of sequence heads, the director and the scholarship coordinator meet to discuss awards. Scholarships are awarded to students if the scholarship and university criteria are met.
4. Notification letters are sent to all applicants. If awarded a scholarship the recipient must accept by letter.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The School supports scholastic journalism including the South Carolina Scholastic Press Association, the Southern Interscholastic Press Association and the Carolina Journalism Institute which is actually a part of SIPA.

PROCEDURE:
SIPA and SCSPA are housed in the School and use facilities throughout the building for workshops and conventions. They also use campus-wide facilities.

Faculty and/or staff provide leadership for these organizations. The executive director answers directly to the dean. If they are a faculty member in the school, they may also be involved in teaching.

The executive committees for SIPA and SCSPA set policy for both of these organizations. SIPA is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

It is expected that these organizations are financially independent except for office space, equipment and staffing. The College Dean serves as director of SIPA as set forth in its constitution.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
A student may petition the School for any reason they think appropriate except in matters falling within the purview of the grievance policy.

PROCEDURE:
Students should meet with the Manager for Undergraduate Student Services to discuss his/her case and receive a petition form. This form to be completed by the student is presented to the Student Life Committee for review. The Committee will review the case, in consultation with the Manager. The Manager’s office will notify the student of the petition decision.

T

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The Technology Committee advises the Dean and Director and the faculty in regards to the information technology needs of the School.

PROCEDURE:
The Chair will direct the activities of the Committee and appoint one member to record the minutes of each meeting.

The Committee examines new developments in technology, assesses the value of such developments, and recommends policies concerning the purchase, upgrading, and removal of equipment in the School. The Committee’s responsibilities encompass the technology needs of students, faculty, and staff. All purchasing decisions will be made by the Director and the Dean.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
The Tenure and Promotion Committee carries out the School’s personnel policies in accordance with the University Tenure and Promotion system.

PROCEDURE:
The responsibility for formulation of practices and procedures for granting of tenure and/or promotion within the School shall be that of the Tenure and Promotion Committee, which comprises the tenured faculty of the School. The Select Committee of the School's Tenure and Promotion Committee shall annually evaluate tenure track faculty, not including the tenured fall professors, assist the Tenure and Promotion Committee chair in gathering materials for candidates' files and perform other duties as assigned by the Tenure and Promotion Committee and/or requested by the chair.

The Select Committee, elected each spring semester from among the tenured faculty, shall be composed of four full professors and four associate professors, which will serve three-year terms. At least three members shall be elected from the academic track and three from the professional track. The chair of the School’s Tenure and Promotion Committee, elected from the Tenure and Promotion Committee membership, shall be a voting member and shall chair the Select Committee.

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Students may receive credit for coursework completed at prior institutions.

PROCEDURE:
All students who transfer into the School from other institutions will have their previous work evaluated by the Undergraduate Student Services Manager under terms of general USC policies as well as policies of the School. Where possible, academic courses from other institutions will be equated to USC equivalents by examining course titles and content (descriptions). If there is no equivalent, the Undergraduate Student Services Manager will determine appropriate placement in the curriculum.

Journalism and Mass Communications courses from institutions accredited by the journalism and mass communications accrediting body, the ACJEMC, may be accepted either as equivalents of required college courses or as elective courses, up to a maximum of 15 semester hours.

Courses from other institutions not accredited by ACEJMC may be accepted as journalism and mass communications electives only, up to a maximum of 12 semester hours.

In some cases, students may take a competency examination to establish equivalency. This can be attempted by those who completed the course at their prior institution with a grade of “B” or better and the validation score must be completed within one semester of transfer.

Date: April 25, 2003

POLICY:
It is the policy of the School to provide travel funds consistent with budgetary limitations for scholarly and professional travel for faculty and staff, for representational travel.

PROCEDURE:
Before leaving for any University related travel faculty should provide the information necessary for completion of a Travel Authorization form in compliance with University policy. Even if the trip will involve no expense to the University, the authorization should be submitted for insurance purposes. The Dean's Administrative Assistant will prepare all travel authorizations for the Dean and Director’s signature.

Request for travel reimbursement will be submitted within seven days after the trip. Original receipts and/or ticket stubs must be attached for all expenses, since photocopies are not acceptable for reimbursement purposes. Airline tickets may be ordered through a travel agent and charged against the travel authorization (TA) number, provided ample time has elapsed for approval of the TA. This procedure will eliminate the need for cash outlay by the traveler.

U

Date: March 1, 2004

POLICY:
All School of Journalism and Mass Communications programming and literature will adhere to the “use of the title Professor” policy.

PROCEDURE:
In keeping with the University Faculty Manual, the title "professor" may be used in published material before the proper names of any full-time tenured or untenured faculty member who holds the position of assistant professor, associate professor or professor. Faculty members holding the position of instructor may be referred to in published material as "Dr.," "Mr.," "Ms.," or "Mrs.," depending on the instructor's preference. Adjunct faculty may be referred to in published material as "Dr.," "Mr.," "Ms.," or "Mrs.," depending on the adjunct faculty member's preference. Graduate teaching assistants not holding the terminal degree may be referred to in published material as "Mr.," "Ms.," or "Mrs., "depending on the graduate teaching assistant's preference. Those having earned the terminal degree may be referred to as "Dr.," "Mr.," "Ms.," or "Mrs.,"
depending on the graduate teaching assistant's preference.

V

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Some students who have taken courses elsewhere or have had professional experience may desire to obtain college credit for those courses at USC.

PROCEDURE:
The University and the School normally accept academic credit from other higher education institutions that are accredited by their regional accrediting organization, such as the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges.

The School occasionally gets transfers from institutions that are not regionally accredited, such as private sectarian schools. Credit from such institutions is not automatically transferred. Students are required to petition the Petition's Committee. Our normal procedure is to see the Student Services Manager and request a petition form. Once the petition is returned to the Student Services Director, the petition will be forwarded to the committee for approval.

Journalism and mass communications courses taken at a school that is not accredited by ACEJMC cannot be counted for the degree unless they are “validated” by the Student Services Director and the student must have earned a grade of "B" or better in the class. The student must bring the course syllabus or course description to the Undergraduate Student Services Office to be referred to the Associate Director.

The Student Services Director will determine the course’s eligibility to be validated. If approved, the student will be notified.

Validation exams should be arranged within one semester after the student transfers or the student should enroll in the class.

No more than 12 credit hours in journalism and mass communications may count from a non-ACEJMC accredited institution. A maximum of 15 credits hours in journalism and mass communications may count from an accredited institution.

Date: April 17, 2015

POLICY:
All full-time faculty, who are not degree candidates in the unit, including tenured, tenure-track, instructors, visiting faculty, and any other terms used for full-time faculty status may vote on all school-wide matters including curriculum, leadership, representation by the school, awards and elected committee membership. Only tenure-track faculty may vote on tenure and promotion matters.

PROCEDURE:
Unless specified below, all decisions on motions shall be determined by a simple majority vote of the eligible faculty present at a regularly scheduled faculty meeting, specially called faculty meeting or sub-committee meeting (e.g., Curriculum Committee).

A vote of “abstention” or “present” shall be accepted as a legitimate vote but will not be counted in passage or rejection of motions presented to the faculty. For example, a vote of 10 votes in favor, six votes opposed and five abstention or present votes shall mean that the motion passes.

Absentee or proxy votes may be counted in determining the outcome of motions to the faculty. However, to be counted, an absentee or proxy ballot must be in written form, signed by the absentee voter (unsigned email is specifically disallowed) and in favor either of accepting or rejecting a specific, written motion presented to the faculty or to accept or reject a motion from a faculty committee as originally presented to the faculty.

Absentee or proxy votes for or against a motion subsequently amended by the faculty in a faculty meeting, or that state that the absentee ballot may be cast based on the judgment of a faculty member presenting the absentee ballot, are specifically disallowed.

Absentee or proxy votes will not count toward the determination of whether a quorum is present at a faculty meeting.

W

Date: April 25, 2003
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Course prerequisites listed for any course offered by the School may be waived for individual students.

PROCEDURE:
Course prerequisites for any course offered by the School may be waived for a student, provided that the student obtains written permission from both the instructor of the course and from his/her advisor. Copies of the written permission shall be placed in the student’s permanent file.

Students complete an academic waiver form, which must be approved by their advisor, Sequence Coordinator and the Student Services Director.

Date: March 1, 2004
Revised: December 15, 2008

POLICY:
Each faculty member’s workload is to be constructed in a modular fashion to reflect both the faculty member’s preferences and the School’s needs. This workload will be established in concert with the faculty member’s Sequence Coordinator and Director in the spring semester for the following academic year as part of the annual performance review and planning process.

PROCEDURE:
Recognizing that the University policy establishes 12 hours or its equivalent as the “standard” semester workload, the administration of the School shall support an individual faculty member’s workload request that consists of the following:

1. One course “reduction,” to 9 hours, for normal/routine faculty responsibilities such as counseling/advising, School/College committee work and other service activities, University committee work and other service activities, and service activities connected with the profession at the local, state and national and international levels.

2. A Second one-course “reduction,” to 6 hours, for scholarly/professional activities of sufficient magnitude to be the equivalent of one course. Depending upon the individual faculty’s track, scholarly/professional activities may include but are not limited to refereed journal publications, refereed conference presentations and papers, grant submissions and grant work  when approved, national/international professional publications, serving as a consultant for professional organizations and corporations such as a television station, newspaper, and/or media corporation, and/or organizing/directing national conferences.

The reduction in the 12 hours are to be approved by the School Director in consultation with the faculty member and their respective sequence coordinator.

The workload policy outlined above should be recognized as one that meets an individual faculty member’s obligations in an exemplary fashion.

The policy above is not meant to be an inflexible prescriptive document. Each faculty member and the school administration will work out the individual faculty member’s workload on a yearly basis.

Since all faculty are expected to teach at least two courses per semester, the following course assignments will merit student assistance.

• Excessively large classes
• Two or more lab classes
• Excessively large number of contact hours in any semester.

 

 


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