Personnel Policies

Absence and Leave Policies

Accrual Usage – Faculty

As per the UUP contract, faculty members accrue a specified amount of sick leave each month to be used for personal illness, family illness, or family or personal doctor’s appointments. Faculty should follow prescribed departmental guidelines regarding prompt notification of appropriate persons so that classes can be covered by others or canceled. Usage should be indicated on the online Time and Attendance System monthly and submitted to the supervisor for approval.

For guidance on the subject of personal or family extended illness, please speak with the Office of Human Resources.

Sick Leave Accrual and Usage for Faculty

Faculty members accrue a specified amount of sick leave each month during the term of professional obligation to be used for personal illness, pregnancy, adoption, or illness or death of employee’s immediate family as specified in the State/UUP Agreement. To accrue credit for sick leave during each month, employees must be in pay status consistent with their obligation for such month or major fraction thereof. Faculty should follow prescribed departmental guidelines regarding prompt notification of appropriate persons so that appropriate actions can be taken for any classes missed. Usage should be indicated through the electronic time and attendance system and submitted to the department chair.

For guidance on the specifics related to sick leave accrual usage and/or required notifications such as FMLA or Workers Compensation please contact the Office of Human Resources.

Absence for Professional Work Off Campus

Faculty should complete the Travel Reimbursement Application when they need to absent themselves from campus for professional growth, participation in meetings, conferences, etc. The form will be signed by their department chairperson, dean, and the Provost, indicating approval for the absence and the level of financial support they will receive.

Absence for State/College Business

If faculty must absent themselves from the campus in order to attend to state or college business, they must complete the Travel Reimbursement Application, even if expenses are not incurred. They must complete the section indicating why they will be absent from the campus, the nature of their business and the level of expected reimbursement, if applicable. The supervisor and other personnel as indicated must sign the form, in advance of the absence.

Travel expenses are normally paid from the supply and expense funds allocated to each department. Each department determines its own priorities for expending these monies within certain guidelines set by State budget authorities. In cases where a department budget is inadequate to support a legitimate travel request, the dean should be consulted about the availability of other funds. All requests for travel reimbursement should be submitted two weeks in advance for approval by the department chair, dean, and Provost. Reimbursement of conference travel is usually contingent upon actual participation as a speaker, commentator, officer of the sponsoring organization, conference planner, or department recruiter.

Short Absences

Any request by instructional faculty to be absent must be approved by the appropriate department chair and dean.

Attendance by faculty members at professional conferences may be authorized, but it is not College policy to approve absences during final examination periods, except in the most unusual circumstances. Any request to be absent more than two days must be approved by the appropriate dean or the Provost.

Jury Duty

Whenever an employee’s presence is required for jury duty, or as a subpoenaed or otherwise-ordered witness of the court, or before a quasi-judicial body, such employee is entitled to leave with pay without charge to accruals, if the employee is not a party to the action.

Upon receiving a summons, employees must notify their supervisor immediately of their potential absence.  Immediately upon returning from such absence, employees must provide the Office of Human Resources satisfactory proof of the actual hours of attendance at court or for jury.  Reasonable travel time will be allowed.  For more specific information, contact the Office of Human Resources (x2509).

Sabbaticals and Other Leaves

The policies on sabbatical leaves and other leaves are defined in Article XIII, Title E and F of the Policies of the Board of Trustees. Sabbatical leaves are awarded at the discretion of the President and require that the applicant continue as a member of the professional staff for a minimum of one year upon return from sabbatical. Other leaves are awarded by the Chancellor based upon the recommendation of the President.

The merit of a sabbatical leave request is determined by assessing the expected benefit to the College and the faculty member involved.

Applying for a sabbatical leave does not guarantee automatic approval. The department chair generally approves requests that do not adversely affect essential course offerings. The division dean factors in sabbatical replacement costs when reviewing the department’s course schedule. Consequently, sabbatical leave requests and replacement plans must be built into the schedule and budget planning process. The division dean also considers the length of service since the last leave, the quality and appropriateness of the application, and the nature of the anticipated scholarly activity, e.g., the significance of the research.

Leave requests scheduled to begin in the fall semester should be submitted to the division dean no later than November 1st of the preceding year. Leaves that are scheduled to begin in the spring semester should be submitted to the Dean no later than April 1st of the preceding year. Accordingly, the following schedule will normally apply.

Because budget planning is based upon approved leaves, there is a deadline after which an approved sabbatical plan cannot be changed. The division deans will have detailed information on the deadline dates for the current year.

The following guidelines apply to requests for sabbatical leaves. For Title F leaves, please consult your supervisor.

1. Faculty members may request sabbaticals or other leaves of absence consistent with the Board of Trustees’ policies.
2. Written request for permission to take a leave should be submitted by the faculty member on the appropriate forms. The department chair, the dean, the Provost and the President must review the application.
3. The department chair must complete the Leave Request/Department Replacement Plan form for each faculty member requesting a leave. Both of these forms are available in the dean’s office.
4. The purpose of a leave request should be clearly stated on the application. Since a sabbatical leave is a substantial financial commitment on the part of the College, it is incumbent upon the faculty member to demonstrate the potential for significant personal and institutional benefits.
   
   Some factors that will be considered in evaluating the leave are
   • indication of the petitioner’s serious interest in research;
   • scholarly or creative activity as shown by performance to date;
   • length of the petitioner’s service since previous leave;
   • value of the petitioner’s project to the College;
   • significance of proposed research;
   • instructional coverage for essential department offerings.
5. The faculty member shall submit a report of sabbatical activities to the Dean, with a copy to the Department Chair. This report should be submitted within one month of the end of the leave. Following the Dean’s review, the faculty member shall submit the final report to the President, with copies to the Chair, Dean and Provost.

Other relevant policies and procedures, such as the Inclement Weather policy can be found in the Policy Library. Others policies or procedures/forms related to leaves, such as for Jury Duty, can be found in the College Handbook or on the Employee Services website. For specific information, contact the Office of Human Resources.

Contract Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion – Teaching Faculty

[N.B.–the processes for Renewal, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) are under review as this handbook goes “to print.” Please check with The Provost’s Office or your Dean for process or other information specific to your current needs.]

General Time Table for Promotion and Tenure

Normally, teaching faculty must serve seven years before achieving tenure (referred to as “continuing appointment” in the Board of Trustees policies and the collective bargaining agreement with UUP, the “Agreement”). Initial appointments are usually for two years, and subsequent appointments of one or two years may be made depending upon the decision of the College.

It is possible to be considered for promotion simultaneously with the request for tenure. Promotion will not be automatic with the granting of continuing appointment, but will be decided on a case by case basis. Faculty who wish to be considered for promotion at the time of tenure must follow the standing procedure for seeking promotion.

The criteria for promotion of teaching faculty are found in Article XII(B) of the Policies of the Board of Trustees. Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor requires that the individual serve at least three years in the lower rank, as appropriate. Timelines for notification of non-renewal decision are located in Article 32 of the Agreement.

Credit for Prior Service

A new tenure-track faculty member may request prior service credit for up to three years of satisfactory, full-time prior service in academic rank at any other accredited academic institution of higher education, at the time of appointment to the College.  Forms and specifics are provide by the Office of Human Resources at the time of hire.

Deadlines

Deadlines for submitting materials for consideration for reappointment and/or continuing appointment vary, based upon such factors as length of appointment and leaves taken. In February and October of each year, the Office of Human Resources provides each department chair/program director with a “Retention and Permanency List”. This list provides dates by which individual faculty must be notified of continuation. Those dates are available to individual faculty members through the Department Chair or the Office of Human Resources, Netzer 208.

Additionally, the Administrative Calendar for Academic Affairs, distributed to department chairs by the Provost prior to the beginning of the academic year, lists specific deadlines for the following:

• Department recommendations and files due in the Dean’s Office
• Dean’s Advisory Council recommendations due in Dean’s Office
• Dean’s recommendations due to the Provost
• Provost’s recommendations due to the President
• President’s decisions due

Guidelines for Preparation and Submission of Personnel Review Files

Candidates are individually responsible for the preparation and timely submission of personnel review files for matters of Term Contract Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion. Departments should provide: a) a mentor for the candidate who will provide assistance and guidance in the preparation of the dossier, and b) the deans with the assurance that the personnel review files accurately reflect the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. Minimum requirements for each type of review follow in this document. Additional items may be included as determined by the candidate, or required by the Department, Chair, Dean, Dean’s Advisory Council, or College-wide Promotion and Tenure Committee.

The quality and presentation of materials is an important factor. In general:

1. All materials must be prepared in a professional manner, proofread, presented in the prescribed order (see below), sequentially numbered, and placed in a binder or bound.

2. The required Curriculum Vitae (CV) must be detailed specifying the most recent as well as required data. The CV is one of the most important summaries of an academician’s credentials and accomplishments. It should be crafted carefully and updated frequently. Organization and layout are extremely important. Avoid using initials when identifying awards, agencies, etc., for example National Research Council, not NRC. The following outline represents major divisions common to the CV. Your CV may deviate from the order and categories indicated below. Additional sections may be added as necessary to reflect specific accomplishments of individuals or expectations and standards that vary from one discipline to another.

Biographical Data

1. Name, address, phone, e-mail address
2. Academic degrees, dates conferred, institutions
3. Areas of specialization
4. Professional societies – memberships, offices held, accompanying dates, etc.
5. Honors and Awards

Teaching Experience

1. List all teaching positions held beginning with current position, including dates and institutions
2. Other pertinent employment with dates and institutions
3. New courses developed/modified.
4. Courses taught.
5. Innovative methods.
6. Internships supervised.

Scholarship

1. Publications – Only professional scholarly work, includes Research, Performances, and Exhibits. Citations must be complete: full titles (no acronyms), dates, co-authors, serial identification including volume number, pages, etc. Use the following subheadings:
   1. Books and/or monographs authored and in print
   2. Edited books
   3. Juried/competitive/invited/refereed (evaluated and accepted by outside anonymous reviewers)
   4. Non-juried/non-refereed (no formal evaluation process)
   5. Reviews, newspaper and magazines articles
2. Conferences
   1. Conference Presentations (papers) – separate from Publications. Include co-authors, titles, dates, locations, organizations, etc. In the event that a paper was presented at a conference and the abstract published, give citation of abstract here. Do not list presentation separately as publication (above) and presentation in this section.
   2. Conference Panels and/or Participation – title, co-authors, role, dates, locations, organizations, etc.
   3. Invited Presentations – as keynote speaker, invited lecturer, convivium presenter, etc. Include topic, organization, location, dates, etc.
3. Grants and Awards
   1. Grants external and internal with the dates and organizations (no acronyms)
   2. Grants external and internal with amount, organization (no acronyms), title, and date

College and Community Service

1. Committee appointments
2. Department assignments
3. College or program accreditation activities
4. Consulting work
5. Community organization membership and/or community service

3. The candidate’s file should contain only relevant materials from the past five years plus other “selected” materials of the candidate’s choice.

4. Letters of recommendation should be written within the past two years.

Term Contract Renewal

(Candidates should submit a complete master file [clearly identified], plus six abbreviated files containing copies of the following items.)

1. Departmental recommendation. The recommendation should contain details concerning the review process, strengths and/or weaknesses of the candidate, and the specific period for which renewal is recommended. If the recommended term differs from that specified by the standard guidelines, appropriate explanation should be provided.
2. Separate letter of recommendation from the Department Chair.
3. Up-to-date professional vita.
4. Evidence of teaching effectiveness:
   1. Minimum of two peer evaluations, based on classroom observation and/or other experience as appropriate. This item may be omitted as a separate entry if there are letters of support from State University College at Oneonta colleagues that reasonably fulfill the intended function.
   2. Required administration of the Student Perception of Instruction (SPI) or similar tool as recognized by the campus or the department. It is expected that a third party administered the evaluation forms. Statistical results of student evaluation of instruction for the past four semesters as received by the candidate from a third party. The candidate should provide mean scores that are compared with the departmental average and the college. It is expected that statistical information will include the number of students registered for each section, and the number of individuals completing evaluation forms for each section. Candidates may comment on circumstances as well as the results of the evaluations.
   3. If student free responses/comments are included, they should be typed exactly as written. Anecdotal information and letters of recommendation from students may be included.
   4. Grade distribution data, including numbers and percentages for each section for each of the preceding three semesters (or from the date of initial appointment, as appropriate). Candidates are encouraged to comment on unusual grading patterns.
   5. Self-evaluation, which will typically include a statement of pedagogic approach and expectation (teaching philosophy, goals, objectives, etc.). Candidates are also encouraged to provide data and comment on teaching assignment, enrollments, and advisement responsibility. Ideally, the self-evaluation will show how the candidate has sought systematic feedback on teaching performance and used that feedback to improve teaching effectiveness.
   6. Representative course outlines, examinations, and similar pedagogic materials.
5. Summary statement concerning contributions to college-wide goals (committee service, etc.).
6. Summary statement concerning research and scholarship. Sampling of publications, conference presentations, etc. should be included in the master file.
7. Faculty Activities Reports for each year since the most-recent review should be included in the master file.

Continuing Appointment or Promotion

(Candidates should submit a complete master file [clearly identified], plus six abbreviated files.) Decisions dependent on continuing appointment and promotion are based on the following five criteria (Policies of the Board of Trustees, Article XII). For continuing appointment the candidate must be proficient in three, for promotion to Associate, the candidate must be proficient in four, and for promotion to Professor, must be proficient in all five. Note: In the case of continuing appointment or promotion to Associate Professor, one of the areas of proficiency must be effectiveness in teaching.

1. Mastery of subject matter—as demonstrated by such things as advanced degrees, licenses, honors, awards and reputation in the subject matter field.
2. Effectiveness in teaching—as demonstrated by such things as judgment of colleagues, development of teaching materials or new courses and student reaction, as determined from surveys, interviews and classroom observation.
3. Scholarly ability—as demonstrated by such things as success in developing and carrying out significant research work in the subject matter field, contribution to the arts, publications and reputation among colleagues.
4. Effectiveness of University service—as demonstrated by such things as college and University public service, committee work, administrative work and work with students or community in addition to formal teacher-student relationships.
5. Continuing growth—as demonstrated by such things as reading, research or other activities to keep abreast of current developments in the academic employee’s fields and being able to handle successfully increased responsibility.

The completed dossier contains the following items:

1. Departmental recommendation.
2. Separate recommendation from the Department Chair.
3. Up-to-date professional CV.
4. A minimum of three letters of support is required from State University College at Oneonta colleagues conversant with the candidate’s discipline. At least one letter should be from a colleague who is not a member of the candidate’s department and at least one letter should be from a departmental colleague.
5. A minimum of three letters of support from professional colleagues at other institutions.
6. Faculty Activities Reports for the past three years should be included in the master file.
7. Evidence of teaching effectiveness:
   1. Required administration of the Student Perception of Instruction (SPI) or similar tool as recognized by the campus or the department. It is expected that a third party administered the evaluation forms. Statistical results of student evaluation of instruction for the past four semesters as received by the candidate from a third party. The candidate should provide mean scores that are compared with the departmental average and the college. Statistical information should include the number of students registered for each section, and the number of individuals completing evaluation forms for each section. Candidates may comment on circumstances as well as the results of the evaluations.
   2. If student free responses/comments are included, they should be typed exactly as written. Anecdotal information and letters of recommendation from students may be included.
   3. Grade distribution data, including numbers and percentages for each section for each of the preceding three semesters (or from the date of initial appointment, as appropriate). Candidates are encouraged to comment on unusual grading patterns.
   4. Self-evaluation, which will typically include a statement of pedagogic approach and expectation (teaching philosophy, goals, objectives, etc.). Candidates are also encouraged to provide data and comment on teaching assignment, enrollments, and advisement responsibility. Ideally, the self-evaluation will show how the candidate has sought systematic feedback on teaching performance and used that feedback to improve teaching effectiveness.
   5. Representative course outlines, examinations, and similar pedagogic materials.
8. Scholarship section, as detailed within the Guidelines for Preparation and Submission of Personnel Review Files.
9. College and Community Service section, as detailed within the Guidelines for Preparation and Submission of Personnel Review Files.

Emeritus Status

“Members of the University faculty who retire in good standing, in accordance with the provisions of Title B or C of this Article [of the Policies of the Board of Trustees] shall be entitled to append the term ‘Emeritus’ to the title of their academic or administrative post after the time of retirement.

Emeritus rank shall carry with it such of the following privileges which, in the judgment of the chief administrative officer, are feasible: use of library and study facilities, use of office and laboratory space, eligibility for research grants, and representation of the University in professional groups.” Article XV, Title D.

Extra Service and Part-time Employment

The goal of the extra service policy at the College at Oneonta is to enable the campus to be responsive to employee needs, fully utilize its human resources, achieve greater administrative efficiency, maintain necessary accountability and provide for a system that would view and reward extra service equitably across divisions. This policy addresses extra service performed on the Oneonta campus; service performed off campus is handled differently.

Academic Staff

Employees holding academic titles will be eligible for extra service compensation either when asked to teach an overload or when performing other professional duties on campus not related to their normal professional duties within their academic department or division. Such assignments include but are not limited to teaching additional course work beyond the standard college teaching load, assisting in other campus offices performing a variety of tasks, etc. In the event that a faculty person asks to be paid extra service for research or public service activities, it must be clearly demonstrated that the activities exceed normal expectations of a faculty member under regular obligations. Additional compensation for research activities must be consistent with any policies of a grant sponsor.

Academic employees may receive extra service for work performed that is different from or in addition to the individual’s professional obligation.  Compensation for extra service is not exceed an amount equal to 20% of basic annual salary in any academic year beginning September 1.

For academic employees, the same method of approval must be followed as described for professional employees. The Provost, based upon recommendations from department chairs and deans, shall devise an extra service payment schedule that will assure consistency across the division for these payments. For instance, payment for teaching of overloads would be arranged according to the number of credit hours taught and based on a standard payment schedule. Chairs and deans will forward all extra service requests in accordance with the agreed upon schedule on APP forms. This procedure will assure equity and, at the same time, meet budgetary requirements that the funding is available in accounts designated.

Extra compensation for department chairs should conform to the State/UUP Agreement.

Faculty Financial Disclosure

Rules regarding financial disclosure are discussed in Public Officers Law section 73-a and are overseen by the NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE).  Employees considered to be policy makers as per JCOPE, and employees whose salaries meet or exceed the annual minimum set by JCOPE, shall file a financial disclosure statement (FDS) with JCOPE annually.  The purpose of the FDS is to provide transparency in order to prevent conflicts of interest between employees’ person’s professional duties and their private financial interests and affiliations.  Employees required to file the FDS will be contacted by JCOPE via email.  Employees must follow the instructions provided and file timely.  Violators will be fined.  For more information go to the website of the NYS Joint Commission on Public Etthics (JCOPE) or the Ethics web page of the Human Resources/Employee Services site. Please contact Human Resources to reach the College Ethics Officer.

United University Professions

United University Professions is the exclusive representative for collective bargaining with respect to terms and conditions of employment of faculty serving in positions in the State University Professional Services Negotiating Unit.  This includes academic and professional employees. Each State University campus has a local UUP chapter.  Contact the local UUP Chapter at x2135.

Tuition Waivers for Faculty and Staff

UUP  Tuition  Waiver.  UUP offers tuition waivers on a “space available” basis, one course per term (spring, summer, fall), up to 4 credits each course at state-operated SUNY campuses. Each campus has its own form which must be signed by the employee, the instructor and the employing campus. Other fees and charges must be paid by the employee.

SUNY Tuition and Fee Assistance. All employees, except those who have temporary or adjunct appointments, are eligible. The amount of assistance is determined on a case by case basis. Amounts for part-time employees are prorated accordingly.

Forms for both programs are available in the Office of Human Resources (Netzer 208).