Professional Responsibilities

Policies of the Board of Trustees

The Policies of the Board of Trustees defines the roles of College Administration, the President, Department Chairs and Faculty. Significant statements from the Policies of the Board of Trustees include:

1. “The chief administrative officer shall supervise the members of the professional and non-academic staff of such college and shall appoint or recommend to the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees persons for appointment as members of the professional staff of the college.” [Article IX, 2]
2. “The faculty of each college shall have the obligation to participate significantly in the initiation, development and implementation of the educational program.” [Article X, 4]
3. “…Chairs of departments or divisions of colleges shall be designated and redesignated by the college chief administrative officer after consultation with appropriate faculty including the department or division concerned…The Chairs of departments and divisions of a college shall, in consultation with their respective faculties, be responsible to the chief administrative officer of the college for the supervision of the personnel and educational program of the departments or divisions for which they serve. They shall have such other powers, duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the chief administrative officer of the college.” [Article IX, Title C, Items 2 and 4]

For additional detail, refer to the Policies of the Board of Trustees.

Academic Department Chairs

(From a Statement on the Role of the Department Chair, dated February 14, 1994)

Within the college governance structures the department chair acts in a unique role. The chair is an integral link between the department and the college administration. He or she serves both as a representative and as an executor for the department, its program and its faculty. As a representative of the department the chair serves as spokesperson (for recommendations, opinions and concerns of department members) and advocate for department interests. As a departmental administrator the chair is accountable for properly managing the department and is responsible to the college president, the Provost, and the appropriate dean. In addition, the chair must maintain ties to his or her discipline by teaching courses and by being a strong advocate for the discipline within and outside the college environment.

Expectations of the Chair

The role of the chair includes but is not limited to these primary responsibilities:

1. Facilitating the development and implementation of department goals, plans, and programs;
2. Facilitating curriculum development (including timely course offerings and schedules, course change requests, new course proposals, changes in major or minor), and assuring quality of curriculum and instruction.
3. Facilitating responses to external and internal reports for assessment documents and information;
4. Facilitating development of faculty teaching schedules, office hours and examinations, and supervising same;
5. Advising students and acting on student requests such as course waivers, transfer credits, course overloads, and declarations of both majors and minors, certification of minor completion and award of departmental honors;
6. Approving department internships, independent studies, individual course enrollments, and grade change requests while assuring academic quality and consistency with college policies and procedures, including transmission of all transactions and summary reports to the appropriate dean;
7. Preparing reports as needed, including Annual Reports;
8. Processing external department correspondence and requests for information;
9. Communicating department needs to the administration in a timely fashion;
10. Maintaining appropriate liaison with other academic departments, units, and the administration;
11. Facilitating information flow (administrative guidelines, criteria, expectations, etc.) from the administration to the department;
12. Representing the department by attending meetings and official functions as the department’s spokesperson and representative;
13. Ensuring department representation on College committees, and at other functions;
14. Facilitating relationships among faculty/faculty, faculty/administration, faculty/student, and faculty/student/administration;
15. Managing the department office, facilities and staff;
16. Facilitating personnel actions such as preparation of department recommendations for hiring, contract renewals, promotions, continuing appointments, and discretionary and special awards;
17. Administering the departmental account(s);
18. Conferring with the dean regarding designation of an acting chair to carry out the duties of the chair during periods of planned absence;
19. Recommending approval or disapproval of various faculty requests for travel, absence, reduced teaching loads, sabbatical and other leaves, and reporting faculty absences to the dean; and
20. Accepting other responsibilities as assigned.

Modification and Review of Schedules Including Low Enrollment Courses

During the schedule preparation process, department chairs prepare justifications for low-enrollment courses. The dean reviews these justifications. Following preliminary enrollment information, the dean again reviews courses whose enrollments are low and makes schedule adjustments in consultation with the department chairs. The decision to retain some low-enrollment courses is based upon a number of factors including overall institutional as well as programmatic need, effective use of resources, and budgetary constraints. The administration will analyze, on a regular basis, faculty utilization, using both a statistical summary of workload data and other faculty activities that do not lend themselves to statistical review.

Chair Selection Process

An appointment as department chair may not exceed 3 years. While the department chair is appointed by the chief administrative officer of the College in accordance with the Policies of the Board of Trustees, the selection process leading to this appointment is normally carried out in the following manner:

1. The department will meet, use its internally agreed upon selection process, and present its recommendation for department chair to the dean.
2. The department will then present one or more nominees to the dean by the first week of the last semester of the current chair’s appointment.
3. The dean will then make a recommendation to the Provost. It is the normal expectation that the dean’s recommendation will support the departmental recommendation. If this is not the case, the dean will meet with the Provost to discuss this situation. The dean is obligated to share the department’s recommendation with the Provost. If the dean still cannot support the department recommendation, the dean and department will submit separate recommendations to the Provost.

 Discretionary Award Process for Department Chairs

1. Each department should submit a statement or recommendation to the dean that considers the chair’s performance as chair and also addresses the chair’s performance as a faculty member (as per the Faculty Activity Form).
2. The dean will recommend awards to the Provost.

Because of the responsibilities associated with the position of chair, the individual normally receives compensation in the form of a reduced teaching load and a stipend. The size of the reduction in teaching load and the amount of the stipend are tied to the weight of the administrative responsibilities connected with a particular department. While most chairs are on academic year appointments, some chairs spend a considerable amount of time in the office during the summer. The stipend is paid in partial recognition of that fact. Chairs on academic year appointments are not, however, required to work during the summer, but when they are absent they should designate someone as being in charge in case of emergencies.

Period of Professional Responsibility for Faculty

SUNY has different types of appointments that are described in Article XI of the Policies of the Board of Trustees defined below. Refer to your appointment letter for your designation.

Term of Obligation. The term of professional obligation, except in the case of part-time or temporary employment where the obligation may be less, shall be one of the following as determined by the chief administrative officer, or designee:

1. Calendar year obligation - an annual obligation of service for the full year, i.e., 12 months; or
2. Academic year obligation - an annual obligation of service for the academic year, not to exceed 10 months; or
3. College year obligation - an annual obligation or service for any period less than the full year.

Professional Obligation. The professional obligation of an employee, consistent with the employee’s academic rank or professional title, shall include teaching, research, University service and other duties and responsibilities required of the employee during the term of the employee’s professional obligation.

Appointment Year. Unless the terms of appointment otherwise provide, the normal appointment year shall be from September 1 to August 31, regardless of payroll mode; provided, however, that an academic year employee may be required to commence the employee’s professional obligation at a date reasonably prior to September 1 as may be necessitated by a college’s operating requirements.

Other Employment. No employee may engage in other employment that interferes with the performance of the employee’s professional obligation.

Classes begin in August. Commencement occurs before Memorial Day weekend. Academic custom and tradition define the normal duties of a faculty member to include participation in regularly scheduled orientation and workshop sessions, student advisement and counseling (both at registration and later during the term), and commencement exercises, the evaluation of student learning (including final examinations except in those courses where other means of evaluation make finals unnecessary), and meeting the normal deadlines for functions related to instruction such as submission of interim grade reports, final grades, class schedules, etc. Although the major task of the faculty is regular class instruction, examinations are a basic part of instruction. A flexible schedule is followed during the last week of each term. Periods of two and one half hours are scheduled and must be used either for final examination or other instructional purposes. Faculty members should be available to students during that period and should not be out of touch with the College in case they need to be contacted.

Faculty Professional Obligations and Expectations

The following was included in the State University College at Oneonta Faculty Utilization Policy submitted at the request of SUNY Systems Administration in 1992.

Responsibilities of Full-Time Faculty

To provide a quality undergraduate education as well as create excellence in its graduate programs, SUNY Oneonta encourages all faculty to engage in teaching, scholarship and service activities. SUNY Oneonta recognizes the normal responsibilities for all full time faculty to include instruction, scholarship (research or creative activities), and campus and community service. The specific responsibilities assigned to a faculty member are made by the department chair after review by the division deans. However, the final determination of duties resides with the President of the institution.

The duties assigned to a faculty member are based upon institutional need and the training, interests, and expertise of the individual faculty member. Teaching assignments are determined by division deans, who will take into account the recommendations of the department chair. The appropriate balance among the activities of teaching, scholarship, and service is communicated to faculty in a variety of ways including:

1. Statement of Faculty Teaching Responsibilities;
2. Preparation and Submission Guidelines for Term Contract Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion; and
3. Faculty Activities Report.

The normal undergraduate teaching commitment for all full time faculty members is 12 or 9 semester hours per semester or 21 semester hours per academic year. In consideration of the diversity of educational needs, as much flexibility as possible will be provided for purposes of departmental scheduling while keeping in mind the general guideline stated above. Reductions in the semester hour commitment may be authorized when recommended by the department chair and approved by the appropriate dean. Reductions may be justified based on alternative assignments or on an exceptionally heavy workload in the remaining teaching assignments. The approval of such reductions must be based on the overall needs of the College. Appropriate justifications for reductions may include but are not limited to the following:

1. exceptional involvement in specific instructional activities, such as preparation of a new course, the revision of existing course materials, involvement in the development or instruction of new academic programs, or the instruction of graduate level courses;
2. exceptional involvement in a specific program of research and scholarly activity;
3. exceptional involvement in specific service activities, such as assignment to special college projects or committees;
4. involvement in professional development activities, such as retraining for another specialty area or to address departmental needs;
5. administrative assignments, such as service as department chair or designation as program or area director;
6. an exceptionally heavy workload in teaching assignment, due to reasons such as participation in courses with large class sizes resulting in unusual time commitments, such as assignments that generate a total of 375 credit hours or more.
7. supervision of internship activities for program or department;
8. an unusually high teaching load or other assigned professional responsibilities in a previous semester or planned for a subsequent semester;
9. other assigned professional responsibilities or scholarly activities as deemed appropriate.

Faculty Activities Reports

The Faculty Activities Report is required of all faculty at the end of each academic year. Forms are available in departmental offices. The Faculty Activities Report, along with a cover page narrative highlighting the faculty member’s contributions over the past year, is submitted to the department chair for use in the department’s annual report and also to the division dean for review.

Along with their Faculty Activities Reports, faculty will be asked to describe any planned changes in their current responsibilities regarding teaching, research, scholarship, or service that are anticipated for the following year. Each faculty member’s teaching assignments for the coming year are determined through the normal process of developing and publishing the College class schedule. This process includes approval of each faculty member’s individual teaching assignments by the appropriate department chair and division dean. Certain non-teaching assignments and other responsibilities are also arranged during the schedule development process.

Responsibility for Instruction

The College Senate passed the following resolution:

The main business of the College is instruction. Instruction takes precedence over vacations, bus schedules, or personal convenience. Classes before and after vacations are a significant part of instructional time. Instructors will include significant materials in these classes, and will at their discretion schedule examinations or other written assignments for these days.

Members of the faculty have the responsibility to:

1. Teach the topics covered in the Catalog description of the course and in accordance with the course syllabus;
2. If the course is a General Education 2 course, it must meet the objectives of the SUNY Learning Outcomes;
3. Following the Course Syllabus Checklist (see checklist below), develop and distribute the course syllabus no later than the second class meeting;
4. Submit a copy of the course syllabus to their department office by the 2nd class meeting;
5. Meet their respective classes at the appointed time, duration, and location as scheduled;
6. Obtain permission to change class meeting times and/or location (including time and location of final exam). Changes require prior approval from the department chair, dean and Registrar;
7. Meet all classes, including those the day before and following a scheduled college vacation;
8. Notify department chair of any absence that would result in a failure to meet a class at the designated time;
9. Submit interim progress reports required by the College by the deadline established by the Provost;
10. Meet each class at the designated final exam time for the purpose of giving a final exam OR providing instruction;
11. Submit final grades within 48 hours of the administration of the final exam;
12. Be present in their office during posted weekly office hours. At least one office hour per week for each 3 semester hour class taught on campus is required;
13. Be on campus at least 4 days a week;
14. Provide effective academic advisement;
15. Retain grade books/final exams according to College policy.

Course Syllabus Check List

A course syllabus for each section of courses you teach is required to be distributed to enrolled students by the second class day. One must also be placed on file with the Department Chair.

Please use the check list below to assure that your syllabi contain all the required elements.

Required Elements for the Course Syllabus

• Course and section number
• Course title
• Classroom location (building and room number)
• Class schedule (meeting days and times)
• Faculty name
• Faculty office phone number
• Faculty office location (building and room number)
• Faculty office hours
• The College Catalog description of the course, to include course pre-requisites and approved General Education course attributes
• Course goals/objectives, preferably as measurable student learning outcomes.
• SUNY Learning Outcome objectives must be listed if a course is a General Education 2 course.
• Textbook title(s), author(s), publisher(s), date of edition(s)
• Reading list & additional resources to enhance course as applicable (required for graduate courses)
• Order of readings and other assignments, preferably by due dates
• Course activities and teaching strategies as applicable
• Outline listing course content by expected order of coverage, preferably by dates
• Course requirements
• Method of evaluation specifying evaluation procedure
• Test dates and test coverage
• Attendance policy
• Late assignment and make-up test policy
• Additional unique aspects of course

Responsibility for Advisement

Faculty advising is a key aspect of faculty responsibility and is an integral part of the recruitment and retention of students. Faculty members are assigned advisees by their department chair.

The Academic Advisement Center provides each department and program with reports that identify all the undergraduate students following programs of study within the given department, accurate lists of advisors’ advisees, and updated copies of students’ advisement documents. These reports are generated and distributed in October and February after new students’ data have been entered on Banner. The Graduate Office distributes updated advisement documents to students and advisors at the end of each semester.

The Registrar’s Office is responsible for providing advisors of undergraduate students with information regarding advisees’ progress toward degree in the form of interim grade reports, notices of students on probation, notices of academically dismissed students and notice of missing degree requirements for undergraduate degree applicants. For advisors of graduate students, the Graduate Office sends an academic record of courses completed to date for their graduate advisees if the students were enrolled during the current semester. The Graduate Office notifies graduate students, their faculty advisors and the chairs of their departments when graduate students have been placed on probation or dismissed from the College for academic reasons.

Responsibility for Assessment

Along with all other SUNY campuses, the College at Oneonta must address a variety of externally-originated expectations. Especially noteworthy among these is the need for assessment. Overarching assessment mandates have arisen from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (the entity responsible for periodically reaccrediting the College), the State Education Department, and SUNY Systems Administration. Middle States, for instance, emphasizes “outcomes assessment” which “involves gathering and evaluating quantitative and/or qualitative information that demonstrates congruence between the institution’s mission, goals, and objectives and the actual outcomes of its educational activities.” Presently, external mandates exist related to assessment of all undergraduate and graduate academic majors and the undergraduate general education program. More specific assessment mandates also have arisen within particular academic disciplines (for example the Division of Education and the Division of Economics & Business). The non-academic areas of the College face parallel assessment expectations tailored for them. Therefore, successfully undertaking meaningful assessment has important implications ranging from the viability and future of the College itself to that of individual academic programs and the participating students. Of course, the process of meeting these expectations provides the College and its components with invaluable opportunities to reflect on its mission, how it is meeting that mission, what modifications and improvements may be undertaken, and planning for the future in a challenging and shifting regional and national environment.

It is vital that faculty, students, and staff meaningfully participate in the assessment process. As noted by Middle States, “…Implemented effectively, the assessment of student learning will involve the shared commitment of students, administrators and academic professionals. The assessment of student learning has the student as its primary focus of inquiry. It is related to the assessment of institutional effectiveness…” Assessment-related expectations typically first are communicated to the College President and Provost. Within the Division of Academic Affairs the Provost and division deans work with the department chairs and program directors and the faculty to implement and monitor the effectiveness of assessment processes. It is very important that this line of communication be maintained to address mandates as they may evolve or to address competing mandates from different external sources. It is equally critical that faculty complete the appropriate assessment-related activities in a timely fashion: setting articulated expectations, undertaking their assessments often using campus forms (for example the “SUNY General Education Course Assessment” form), and using these assessment results to improve teaching and learning (“closing the loop”). Pragmatically, this permits the College to meet formal external expectations and associated deadlines. At the same time, however, the College strongly encourages faculty and staff to embrace the assessment process as an opportunity to effect meaningful improvement in our activities and thus in the outcomes for our students.

Retention of Class Materials and Grade Books

• If an incomplete or pending grade for a student has been assigned or is extended, all course materials should be kept until the final grade for the course has been assigned.
• All graded material not yet returned to students should be kept by instructors for a period of one year beyond the semester in which a course is taught. This is in compliance with College policy that states grades may not be changed after one year has passed.
• Instructors should keep all grade books (hard copy records of attendance, quizzes, exams, papers, etc.) for a period of three years beyond the semester in which a course is taught. This is in compliance with the SUNY Records Retention and Disposition manual.
• All instructors who will not return for the following semester should leave class materials with the department chair at the end of the course, after turning in the grades for the course. This includes faculty who are beginning a sabbatical as well as adjunct instructors hired for one semester. Chairs should maintain records for non-returning instructors in accordance with the above.

When disposing of materials, please note that Federal law requires shredding of any personally identifiable information. Pages with names and/or ID numbers and grades should be shredded. Portions of materials not containing this information may be recycled.

Responsibility for Classroom Environment

Instructors have a responsibility to maintain an effective learning situation in their classrooms and to deal promptly with any disruptions that interfere with the learning situation. The instructor is in charge of the classroom. If it is felt that a student is interfering with the right of other students to profit from attendance in that classroom or if the instructor feels unreasonably hindered in the presentation of subject matter, the instructor has every right to eject the offending student from class and/or notify the Student Development Office of the student’s behavior. Either course of action should be taken with discretion and only for reasonable cause.

If a student is ejected from the class it shall be for that class period only and the instructor should submit immediately a written report of the incident to the Office of the Associate Vice President for Student Development and a copy to the student and the appropriate division dean. (If the incident involves physical violence, a report should also be made to the University Police.) Upon receipt of the report, the Campus Judicial Officer will immediately schedule an interview with the student to discuss the incident. Any subsequent incident reported to the Vice President for Student Development involving the same student in any class will result in administrative action by the Student Development Office and possible referral to the Standing Disciplinary Board of the College. The consequences of such action may include denying the student further access to the class or other disciplinary action, including dismissal from the College.

Refer to the Preface  of this Handbook for the complete text of Judicial Procedures Relating to the Maintenance of Public Order, adopted by the SUNY Board of Trustees.

Graduate Teaching Faculty Status (GTFS)

Academic and professional accrediting agencies mandate that faculty who teach graduate courses (500 and 600 level) meet certain qualifications to offer these courses. Requests for Graduate Teaching Faculty Status must be submitted to the College Graduate Committee no later than the middle of the semester prior to the applicant’s scheduled course. The Chair of the College Graduate Committee has the authority to grant GTFS Category III in the event that faculty are hired after the CGC as a whole can meet to act on a GTFS request. The Chair will report these appointments to the Committee.

Category I GTFS – Permanent. Faculty on continuing appointment or tenure track lines who hold doctorates or other terminal degrees recognized by their discipline will automatically be granted GTFS-P. Approval of the College Graduate Committee will no longer be necessary for these faculty to teach 500 and 600 level courses.

Category II GTFS – Designated. Faculty on adjunct or lecturer appointment who hold doctorates or other terminal degrees recognized by their discipline must initially be approved for GTFS-D by the College Graduate Committee, and can teach only the courses designated in the request.

Applicants must submit a completed and signed Faculty Profile Sheet (available from the Graduate Office) and a letter from the department chair noting:

1. the approval of the department or program faculty; and,
2. the specific courses the applicant is designated to teach.*

Category III GTFS – Designated and Limited. Faculty having a continuing, tenure-tract, adjunct, or lecturer appointment who do not hold doctorates may offer graduate level courses only if they have

1. a relevant Master’s;
2. a minimum of three years of documented relevant experience and/or additional education to teach the course designated. They will be limited to teaching the designated courses.

Chairs must submit a Faculty Profile Sheet (available from the Graduate Office) completed and signed by the applicant as well as a letter that provides:

1. evidence of a diligent search for a candidate with a terminal degree;
2. the specific course(s) the applicant is to be designated to teach;
3. a description of the applicant’s experiences and/or educational qualifications to offer the designated courses,*

Category IV GTFS – Administrators and Staff. Administrators and staff who hold doctorates or other terminal degrees may be approved under the following guidelines to teach courses consistent with their educational preparation. Applicants must submit:

1. a completed and signed Faculty Profile Sheet (available from the Graduate Office);
2. a letter from their program director or supervisor approving the time commitment to offer the graduate course(s), noting the specific course(s) the applicant would be designated to teach;
3. a letter from the chair of the disciplinary department noting approval of the applicant to offer the designated course(s).

Category V GTFS – Curriculum Components. A graduate teaching faculty member may be one whose expertise facilitates the successful completion of an important learning objective or objectives and who is responsible for teaching specific components within a graduate course or courses rather than a full course. If this instructional contribution is expected to be sustained and integral to the learning outcomes of a graduate program, beyond the normal contributions of a guest lecturer or internship/field supervisor, that individual may be granted graduate teaching faculty status to teach designated curriculum components. This situation arises most often at the Cooperstown Graduate Program, but other programs may also make use of this category of graduate teaching faculty status.

Persons approved by the College Graduate Committee for Category V Graduate Teaching Faculty Status – Curriculum Components (GTFS-CC) must possess appropriate relevant academic credentials: a doctorate, a terminal degree recognized by their discipline, or a relevant master’s with a minimum of three years of documented experience and/or additional education. Chairs must submit a Faculty Profile Sheet completed and signed by the applicant, a copy of the applicant’s curriculum vitae, as well as a letter which outlines:

1. the specific curriculum component(s) the applicant would teach,
2. a description of the applicant’s experience and/or educational qualifications to teach the designated curriculum component(s),
3. a description of how the curriculum component(s) relate(s) to the graduate program’s learning objectives.

* Chairs must request review by the College Graduate Committee in order to add courses or course components to the list of those approved for a Category II, III, IV or V GTFS appointee. They must include justification demonstrating the relevant experience and/or education of the applicant as they relate to the additional courses. It will not be necessary to submit a new Faculty Profile Sheet.

Professional Development Opportunities

Ashok Kumar Malhotra Seva (Compassionate Service) Award

This award is designated to recognize a faculty member who has an exemplary record of community service (locally, nationally, and/or internationally); who demonstrates an ability to motivate others to perform community service; and who has a record of integrating community service into the teaching and learning process. The successful applicant will receive a prize of $1,000 and will be required to give a public presentation on the subject for which the applicant was granted this award. Deadline for a submission of an application is September or early October. More information is available through the Provost’s Office (Netzer 340, x 2517).

Academic Excellence Award for the Use of Instructional Technology

All teaching faculty are invited to submit applications for the Award for Uses of Instructional Technology. Nominations by colleague can also be made for this award.

The major goals of this award and presentation are to recognize uses of technology to improve instruction and to publicize model uses of technology among the faculty. A secondary goal is to publicize the instructional technology accomplishments of Oneonta faculty with the SUNY system and the region.

The successful candidate will receive an award of $1000. In addition, the department of the successful candidate will receive $1,000 for use during the current fiscal year to purchase hardware or software for the department or a member of the department or to bring in an outside speaker on technology in the discipline.

Each year, a panel of faculty will evaluate submissions based on the criteria below. Successful candidate selection will be by reecommendation of the Educational Technology Committee to the Provost.

Creativity: Has the nominee used technology in a new and creative way to improve student engagement? Metrics that might be used to show creativity could include student evaluations, student testimonials, empirical research data on student engagement similar to NSSE or other studies.

Effectiveness: Has the nominee been effective in bringing new technology or a new use of existing technology into the teaching and learning process? Metrics that might be used to show effectiveness could include student evaluations, student testimonials, assessment data, or research data.

Transferability: Could what the nominee has done be easily transferred to other programs or disciplines? Metrics that might be used to show transferability could include specific examples of similar work in other disciplines/programs or course at other campuses or here at Oneonta.

Significance: Is the work of the nominee significant or does it address any significant issues in teaching and learning? Metrics that might be used to show significance could include literature reviews, bibliographies or faculty testimonials.

For more information about the award, contact the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (Milne Library B259, x2871).

Richard Siegfried Junior Faculty Prize for Academic Excellence

All full-time, non-tenured faculty or those faculty recently approved for tenure are eligible for this award. Applicants with an excellent record of scholarship, creative activity, or other evidence of academic excellence who can present an interesting and stimulating lecture to a general audience are invited to apply. The successful applicant will receive a prize of $1,000. Deadline for submission of an application is early November. More information is available through the Provost’s Office (Netzer 340, x2517).

Susan Sutton Smith Faculty Prize for Academic Excellence

This $1,000 cash award is given to a tenured member of the College faculty in recognition of academic excellence as demonstrated in the contributions made to his/her field of study. The term academic excellence is to be broadly interpreted to include not only research and scholarly work, but also work in the creative and performing arts. The winner of the award attends a morning ceremony at which the award is announced, and on the evening of that same day, does a presentation related to his or her work. The presentation consists of an address of an hour or less to a general audience comprised of students and faculty members of the College, people from Oneonta and the surrounding communities, and the press and is televised live on a local cable channel. The presentation is followed by a question and answer period. Detailed information may be obtained through the Provost’s Office (Netzer 340, x2517).

State University of New York Chancellor’s Awards

Information concerning these awards and the SUNY-wide regulations are usually available late in the fall and the local deadline for submitting completed nominations is mid-January. For details regarding any of the Chancellor’s Awards, contact the President’s Office (Netzer 301, x2748).

Distinguished Teaching Professorship. This is a prestigious tenured University rank that is bestowed only to persons who have consistently demonstrated outstanding teaching competence over a period of years at the graduate, undergraduate, or professional levels. The Distinguished Teaching Professorship is a rank above that of full professor, and can be conferred only by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. Distinguished Teaching Professors are expected to devote a considerable portion of their time to curricular reform and to the improvement of instruction on the home campus. Over and above this campus responsibility is a responsibility to the State University as a whole. During each ten-month academic year, Distinguished Teaching Professors are expected to devote up to one full week in service to the University on campuses other than their own. Such service may come at the request of the Chancellor, from a member of the Chancellor’s staff, or at the request of a campus President.

Distinguished Service Professorship. This is a prestigious tenured University rank that can be conferred only by the State University of New York Board of Trustees upon faculty in any of the disciplines or fields of study. Nominees must have achieved a distinguished reputation for service not only to the campus and the University, but also to the community, the State of New York or even the nation, by sustained effort in the application of intellectual skills drawing from the candidate’s scholarly and research interests to issues of public concern. Like the other Distinguished ranks, the Distinguished Service Professor carries with it extraordinary responsibility. Those appointed are expected to function as role models and devote appropriate service to University-wide activities, both ceremonial and professional on campuses other than their own when requested to do so by the Chancellor.

Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Nominees for this award must demonstrate sustained excellence in teaching. Additionally, consideration is given to sound scholarship (usually demonstrated through publications or artistic productions) and service to the University and to the campus. There must be positive evidence that the candidate performs superbly in the classroom. Candidates must be teacher/scholars who keep abreast of their own field and who use the relevant contemporary data from that field and related disciplines in teaching. Evidence in this area includes publications or artistic productions. In relating to students, candidates must be generous with personal time, easily accessible, and must demonstrate a continual concern for the intellectual growth of individual students.

Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship. Nominees for this award must demonstrate superb performance in fulfilling his or her librarianship duties. The candidate must be generous with personal time and easily accessible. The individual must be flexible and adapt readily to the needs of the library, the institution and the constituents served. The candidate must keep abreast of developments in the field and use relevant contemporary data in relation to his/her work situation. Evidence in this category should include references to publications, membership in professional organizations, attendance at meetings, seminars, etc.

Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Nominees for the award should be individuals who have repeatedly sought improvement of themselves, their campuses and ultimately the State University and, in doing so, have transcended the normal definitions of excellence. At all position levels, nominees shall be those individuals who can serve as professional role models for a University system in the pursuit of excellence. The candidate must perform superbly in fulfilling the job description for the position held. The candidate should also demonstrate excellence in professional activities beyond the parameters of the job description. The ideal candidate will satisfy the standards in a creative and innovative fashion while demonstrating flexibility and adaptability to institutional needs. Consideration should be given to capabilities and accomplishments in the areas of leadership, decision making, and problem solving. Evidence in this category would include professional recognitions, initiation of ideas, development of proposals, committee activities, etc.

Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship & Creative Activities. Nominees for the award should be individuals who have evidence of sound scholarship and creative productivity through a variety of avenues, including grants, presentations, release time and honors. For Scholarship – the individual must show an excellent, sustained record of research publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or research-oriented texts. For Creative Productivity – the individual must show evidence in creative or scholarly activity appropriate for the specific unit or discipline, such as exhibitions, shows, performances, productions and stage work. In addition to showing evidence of critical reviews, grants, inclusion of works in permanent collections, retrospectives, or other forms of external recognition should be shown.

Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service. The nominee must be an individual who has continuously demonstrated outstanding achievement, skill and commitment to excellence in fulfilling the job description for the position held. The nominee must also demonstrate excellence in activities beyond the scope of the job description. The ideal candidate will demonstrate creativity and flexibility in performing his or her position to meet campus needs. Special consideration will be given to employees who consistently provide exemplary customer service to students, staff, and other members of the campus community. All nominees must have completed at least three (3) years of continuous, full time permanent service in the Classified Service position for which they are nominated. Prior recipients of a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in the Classified Service are ineligible for consideration. Posthumous nominations are also ineligible.

Creative Activity Grant Program

In order to enhance the presence of the arts and music on campus, the College at Oneonta provides awards of up to $1,500 for expenses related to new original creative work conducted by faculty or professional staff in areas including, but not limited to, creative writing, music, performing arts and the visual arts. Funding is not intended for work done by students, or for curriculum or course development (the improvement of instruction may be an inherent result of the creative work, but is not considered as meeting the program’s primary purpose). The program also does not fund costs associated with performance or exhibition, work conducted under a contract for which payment will be received, travel to attend conferences or to disseminate the creative work (travel to collaborate on the creative activity is an eligible expense), or projects that do not represent NEW original creative work. Awardees must be employed by the College at Oneonta for the period within and immediately following the project period, adjunct instructors included, and the work must be integral to the applicant’s position at the College. Other conditions apply. Detailed information can be obtained from the Grants Development Office (29B Bacon Hall, x 2632).

Faculty Development Grants

Faculty development grants are available on a year by year basis pending availability of funds. This program is directed to tenure track faculty and tenured faculty, with non-tenured individuals having a tie-breaking priority. Grants are awarded in three categories: teaching, scholarship, and service. Announcement of development grant opportunities is made early in the fall semester. Details may be obtained through the Provost’s Office (Netzer 340, x2517).

Research Grant Program

For the purpose of enhancing scholarship and the academic environment of the campus, the College at Oneonta provides awards of up to $2,500 to support original research conducted by faculty or professional staff in all subject areas. For the purpose of this program, research is defined as the process of finding facts that will lead to knowledge; it is an analytical, systematic, organized and objective process that should answer a question or hypothesis in order to increase knowledge and information regarding a certain unknown thing. Funding is not intended for research conducted by students, or for curriculum or course development (the improvement of instruction may be an inherent result of the research, but is not considered as meeting the program’s primary purpose). The program also does not fund work to complete a dissertation or publication costs of any kind, work conducted under a contract for which payment will be received, travel to attend or present at conferences or to disseminate results (travel to conduct or collaborate on the research is an eligible expense), program evaluation or evaluation research. Pilot projects that can be subsequently developed into competitive proposals for external funding are a priority. New faculty and those who have not previously received awards are especially encouraged to apply. Awardees must be employed by the College at Oneonta for the period within and immediately following the project period, adjunct instructors included. Other conditions apply. Detailed information can be obtained from the Grants Development Office (29B Bacon Hall, x2632).

Individual Development Awards Program

The State of New York/United University Professions Professional Development Committee’s Individual Development Awards Program is intended to assist eligible SUNY employees in developing their full professional potential and in preparing for advancement. Both full-time and part-time employees in the UUP Bargaining Unit are eligible for awards. Examples of projects or activities are: basic, applied or historical research; curriculum or instructional material development; workshop, seminar, internship or course work not covered by Contract Article 46 or SUNY tuition waiver; conference participation or attendance; preparation of material for publication; grant proposal development; artistic or creative endeavors; professional reading or independent study; or other work-related professional development projects or activities. More detailed information may be obtained through the Vice President for Finance and Administration (Netzer 200, x2081).

TLTC Faculty Fellowship Program

The Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (TLTC) makes funding available to provide faculty with opportunities to improve student learning through the use of information technologies. Any tenured, tenure-track or adjunct faculty member of the College may apply for a Fellowship. Calls for this program usually come out in October of each academic year and are announced in the Bulletin. For more information on this program visit the web site: http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/tltc/fellowships

Faculty Research Show

The Faculty Research Show, held annually in the spring semester, spotlights the excellent and diverse research and related programs conducted by College at Oneonta faculty and staff. The Show serves to enhance the academic atmosphere on campus and provides an excellent opportunity to expose students to the varying research methods used in a wide range of fields, as well as other elements of conducting and presenting academic research. Exhibits cover topics ranging from the applied, physical, behavioral and social sciences to the humanities and arts. Because the show is multidisciplinary in nature, a number of different formats for presentation are accommodated, including posters, hands-on exhibits, and PowerPoint video or slide presentations. Additionally, the College Senate Committee on Research sponsors an annual Student Research Day, in which students and their faculty mentors present research and creative activity projects to the campus community. For more information or to obtain past Faculty Research Show programs, contact the Grants Development Office (29B Bacon Hall x2632).

Code of Ethics

General

All employees of the State are legally considered to be public officers and subject to the Public Officers Law (section 74 concerns New York State law on Code of Ethics, a portion of which is reprinted below):

In 1987, New York’s new Ethics in Government Act was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor into law. The Act imposes restrictions on the business and professional activities of state officers and employees and political party officers, and requires that financial disclosure statements be filed by state officers and other employees who earn at or beyond a certain financial level, and also further financial disclosure for such persons upon application for research grants. For further details, please see Faculty Financial Disclosure  in the Personnel Policies chapter of this Handbook.

Policy for Use of Campus Information Technology

This policy governs the use of all information technology facilities, labs, networks and resources provided by the College. It applies to all SUNY Oneonta students, faculty, staff, retired faculty and staff, and “Friends of the College” with a valid usercode.

The Policy can be found at: http://policies.oneonta.edu/PDF/UseofCampusInformationTechnology-86-20100114.pdf

Copyright Law

All members of the College community are expected to comply with copyright laws. For more information see Milne Library’s website on copyright at: http://www.oneonta.edu/library/reference/readyref/copyright.asp

Copyright law protects original works of authorship that are “fixed in any tangible medium of expression” from unauthorized use. Protected works, whether published or unpublished, include books, articles, artwork, music, software, traditional or electronic correspondence, and materials placed or found on the Internet.

Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 defines fair use. Although the definition is intentionally vague, there are broad principles that help decide under what circumstances it is fair to duplicate a copyrighted item without infringement of copyright. Under such “fair use,” a copyrighted work may be reproduced for “purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research.” Section 107 states:

In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use, the factors to be considered shall include:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

For more information see:

http://www.arl.org/pp/ppcopyright

~or~

http://www.arl.org/pp/ppcopyright/fairuse