Life University’s Vision
A world centered on vitalistic thinking and action.
Life University’s Credo
• We believe that living systems are self-aware, self-developing, self-maintaining and selfhealing.
• We understand that living systems function best when operating free of interference.
• We recognize that interference results in the diminished expression and quality of life.
• Therefore, Life University’s programs are designed to educate students to identify and correct interference, allowing living systems to improve expression of their innate potential.
Life University’s Mission
The mission of Life University is to empower each student with the education, skills and values to maximize the perfection within, based upon a vitalistic philosophy.
Life University is committed to a global vision and excellence in teaching, learning and research, providing an exceptional student experience leading to a life of integrity and Lasting Purpose.
Life University’s Values
Values Definitions
• Lasting Purpose- To live an inner-directed life, to give, to do, to love, to serve, out of your own abundance.
• Vitalism- Our recognition that the Universe itself is self-conscious, and as such, creates itself as a dynamic system wherein living organisms are self-developing, self-maintaining, and self-healing.
• Our Vitalistic Ethos- We acknowledge that the phenomenon of life is fundamentally original, adaptable, and unpredictable. It is original in that life creates its own meaning: adaptable in that it expresses itself through overcoming entropy: and unpredictable as it transforms itself and evolves.
• Integrity- A state of completeness or wholeness; adherence to a set of values, implying wholeness of body, mind and spirit; and in our relationships with people and the planet.
Mission Statements of Our Colleges
College of Chiropractic
The Mission of the College of Chiropractic is to educate, mentor and graduate contemporary and compassionate Doctors of Chiropractic, based on a model of Vertebral Subluxation. The College establishes an environment demonstrating the expression of University core values; to embody Vitalism, nurture the standard to live an exceptional life of Integrity and be of service to the world.
College of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies
The mission of the Life University College of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies is to empower students to achieve successful careers and meaningful lives, based on a vitalistic philosophy that promotes optimum performance and transformational leadership, to produce a positive impact in a dynamic world.
College of Online Education
The Mission of Life University’s College of Online Education is to provide a high-quality global online educational experience, based on a vitalistic philosophy, that maximizes each student’s innate potential to pursue their goals and assume roles in leadership and the workplace through the application of integrity and principals of lasting purpose.
Faculty Handbook Purpose
1. The Faculty Handbook (FHB) is a compilation of information, policies, and procedures that apply specifically to faculty members employed by Life University and require review by the Faculty Affairs Committee of Faculty Senate if changes are introduced.
2. It details the responsibilities and terms and conditions of employment for faculty members.
3. It briefly outlines the major avenues of faculty governance.
4. This Handbook is included among the faculty employment documents. It complements but does not supersede the Life University Employee Handbook.
5. Faculty members who have questions of interpretation or believe they have detected errors of fact or omission in the FHB should bring these issues to the chief academic officer, the Faculty Senate, or the Faculty Affairs Committee. The Faculty Affairs Committee, along with the Faculty Senate and chief academic officer will collaborate to resolve any issues.
6. This handbook is not a legal document or contract.
Faculty Handbook Amendment Process
1. The Faculty Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate originates, receives, and reviews all suggestions for changes to the Faculty Handbook and/or its Appendices. It sends its recommendations to the Faculty Senate for approval. The Faculty Senate then forwards recommendations to the CAO who approves the recommended changes or notifies the Faculty Affairs Committee of reasons why he/she does not approve.
2. When revisions to a section are made, that section will be updated by the responsible person in the President’s office and the change(s) will be recorded and maintained in the Faculty Handbook Revision History (Appendix 1).
3. The FHB is reviewed in its entirety at least every seven years by a committee comprised of administrators and faculty members, convened by the chief academic officer CAO.
4. Life University reserves the right to make changes to the FHB, its appendices, and administrative documents at any time, after consultation with the Faculty Senate and its Faculty Affairs Committee.
General Definition of the Faculty
The faculty includes individuals responsible for the didactic instruction of students in classrooms, laboratories, seminars, and other settings, as well as individuals responsible for professional practice instruction in clinics and other practice sites. Research and library faculty include those individuals employed in the Dr. Sid E. Williams Center for Chiropractic Research, and the Library who have faculty appointments and carry academic rank.
Categories of Faculty Members
- Didactic and Clinical Faculty
- This faculty consists of those faculty members who have primary responsibility for instruction and includes didactic and clinical faculty members. Faculty members may be either full time or adjunct.
- Full Time Faculty
- A full-time faculty member is a faculty member who provides a professional workweek involving some combination of activities of teaching, scholarship/research, and service. Full time faculty members are appointed on an academic year basis with the potential for a multi-year letter of appointment as detailed in Appendix 2. The requirements to fulfill this appointment are detailed in the job description. The general guidelines for workloads are detailed in Administrative Document 1.
- Adjunct Faculty
- An adjunct faculty member is a faculty member whose workload is consistently less than 75% of full time, and who is appointed and paid on a quarterly basis. Adjunct faculty members do not receive rank or other full-time faculty benefits and have reduced responsibilities as stated in their job descriptions and appointment letters.
- Library Faculty
- The library faculty consists of those individuals employed in the Drs. Sid E. and Nell K. Williams Library who have faculty appointments and carry academic rank.
- Research Faculty
- Research faculty members from the Dr. Sid E. Williams Center for Chiropractic Research have faculty appointments and carry academic rank.
- Administrators with Faculty Rank
- Administrators who have been appointed from within the faculty or who are newly hired with faculty rank will retain that rank for as long as they maintain their administrator status. However, exceptions may occur in which certain accrediting bodies require a joint appointment.
- Visiting Professors/Limited Specialized Expertise Faculty
- Specialized categories of faculty members include Visiting Professors and Limited Specialized Expertise faculty members, who are members of Life University faculty during their terms of employment at Life University.
- Guest Lecturers/Distinguished Lecturers
- Guest lecturers and distinguished lecturers are guests of Life University, but not members of its faculty.
- Presidential appointments may be made; see Section G, below
Academic Rank
- Faculty members are entitled to receive academic rank commensurate with their accomplishments and experience, and to be compensated proportionately to their rank.
- Faculty ranks include Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor and Professor Emeritus.
- Minimum qualifications for each rank, along with the terms and conditions of faculty ranking, are found in the Minimum Qualifications for Rank (Appendix 2) for newly hired faculty members and Appendix 4 for continuing faculty members), with specific ranking expectations for each program contained in the appropriate college documents.
- Faculty members at Instructor or Assistant Professor rank receive one-year letters of appointment, those at the Associate Professor receive two-year letters of appointment, and those at the Professor receive three-year letters of appointment.
Opportunity for Promotion in Academic Rank
- Faculty members are entitled to advance in their academic ranking commensurate with their academic contributions and accomplishments, ongoing service to Life University, increasing pedagogical skills and professional development over time.
- In pursuing the possibility of promotion in academic rank, faculty members are entitled to have, and assist in the development of:
- A clear and relevant set of promotion criteria.
- A fair, transparent, merit-based and peer-driven promotion process.
- The guidelines for an appropriate increase in both responsibilities and rewards consequent to earning promotion in academic rank.
- Criteria for promotion include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Excellence in teaching/pedagogy.
- Productive scholarship and creative activities (research, authorship, publication).
- Exemplary service to the Life University community and/or the faculty member’s profession, including:
- Possession of advanced degrees
- The promotion process is detailed in Guidelines for Rank and Promotion (Appendix 5).
- Initial Appointment/Employment o When a vacancy occurs in the faculty ranks, a search committee will be assembled and charged with identifying and recommending the best candidates for the position, following the procedures detailed in the Recruitment and Selection Guidelines located in the Employee Handbook available on the Faculty and Staff webpage and on the Faculty Senate Blackboard
- Full time faculty appointments are probationary until the end of the initial appointment or for the first year (12 months), whichever comes first.
- Any modification of an appointment will be communicated in writing to the faculty member.
Presidential Appointments
1. Faculty Members
The President, at the request of the chief academic officer or a dean, may authorize the hiring of individuals with exceptional records in scholarship or professional service, as faculty members, under a special “presidential appointment.” The President may award salaries for these individuals based on their value to the institution outside of the approved guidelines for faculty salary calculations.
a. Professor Emeritus: See Guidelines for Rank and Promotion (Appendix 5)
b. Distinguished Professor (Honorary)
The President, at his/her discretion, may award the honorary title of “Distinguished Professor of “insert program name” to individuals who advance the mission of Life University in significant and meaningful ways through education, research and service.
i. Eligibility:
1. A recipient cannot be employed by Life University or otherwise eligible for professor emeritus status as per the Faculty Handbook.
2. A recipient must be of solid moral character and good legal and professional standing.
3. An individual must possess a demonstrable record of significant contribution and sustained scholarship in an area of instruction directly associated with Life University’s academic programs and supportive of Life and its mission. Use of the title:
a. Is in name only.
b. Holds no faculty rank and does not create eligibility for benefits associated with faculty rank or employment at Life University.
c. May not be used alone as in “Distinguished Professor”, or simply “Professor” in a manner that implies rank or employment at Life University.
d. Is revocable at the discretion of the president and/or Board of Trustees for any reason that is deemed in violation of eligibility requirements.
Outside Employment
1. Faculty members are encouraged to participate in outside activities, such as clinical practice/consultations, professional consulting, research, expert testimony, and seminars/presentations; however, faculty members must consult with their supervisor before undertaking additional employment to discuss any real or perceived potential conflicts of interest including whether the amount of time spent on the additional employment might adversely affect the quality or quantity of work for Life University. The faculty member will present a plan to handle any possible conflicts of interest. If the faculty member and supervisor cannot agree on a resolution, the Dean, in consultation with the CAO, will resolve the issue of whether the proposed additional employment is appropriate.
2. Faculty members must evaluate the amount and character of the work they do outside Life University with due regard for their paramount responsibilities to Life University.
3. Faculty members who participate in outside activities are expected to act with good faith and loyalty toward Life University. Such activities must not unduly interfere with the faculty member’s duties and responsibilities, or in any way constitute an ethical or legal conflict of interest.
4. Faculty members may not compete with Life University, or convert any Life University-related business opportunities, confidential information or trade secrets to their own personal gain or advantage, or the personal gain or advantage of others.
Shared Faculty/Administration Responsibilities
1. As a whole, the faculty shares responsibilities with the administration in the areas of teaching, advising and mentoring, service, research and scholarship, faculty professional development, enrollment, and planning. Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees are contained in the Life University Constitution and Bylaws.
2. These shared responsibilities are enumerated, and the distribution and prioritization of these shared responsibilities are found in Life University’s Statement on Shared Governance (Appendix 7).
Individual Faculty Members’ Responsibilities
The responsibilities enumerated below are based on the balance between the obligations faculty members have to the Life University community as a whole; and to the college faculty of which he/she is a member; and the individual faculty member’s academic and personal freedom. For a comprehensive list of specific duties of faculty members, refer to Administrative Document 2, list of Faculty and Clinic Duties.
1. Individual Faculty Members’ Responsibilities to Scholarship
a. Faculty members recognize their primary responsibility to seek and state truth in relationship to their assigned subjects.
b. They embrace their responsibility to be knowledgeable and current in their subject matter.
c. To this end, they devote their energies to developing and improving scholarly competence in their subject matter.
d. Faculty members accept the obligation to exercise critical self- discipline and judgment in using, extending and transmitting knowledge.
e. Faculty members practice intellectual honesty.
2. Individual Faculty Members’ Responsibilities to Their Students
a. Faculty members encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students.
i. They understand and present the best scholarly standards of their discipline for their students and are committed to their roles as intellectual guides and counselors.
ii. They respect the dignity of students, individually and collectively.
iii. They develop and encourage an atmosphere of openness in the classroom. At the same time, they set appropriate bounds on classroom behavior and the use of classroom time.
iv. They make every reasonable effort to foster students’ honest academic conduct and to assure that any evaluations of their students reflect each student’s true merits.
v. They respect and protect the confidentiality of the faculty/student relationship at all times.
vi. They avoid any exploitation of students for personal academic or financial advantage and acknowledge any significant academic assistance from students.
b. Faculty members discharge their pedagogical responsibilities to students while adhering to the highest possible standards.
i. They understand and apply fairly and dispassionately Life University’s academic policies.
ii. They prepare and update course syllabi according to Life University’s guidelines.
iii. They adhere to the syllabus provided to the students for each course they teach.
iv. They meet classes as scheduled and are thoroughly prepared for each class.
1. A faculty member who is expecting to be absent from one or more classes will arrange alternative coverage and/or appropriate assignments so that valuable learning time is not lost.
2. In the case of illness or any other unexpected absence, the faculty member will notify her/his supervisor of the absence and will make every effort to find short term coverage.
3. If any unexpected absences will extend more than a day or two after notification of the supervisor, the supervisor will find coverage as quickly as possible.
4. Upon return the faculty member will arrange with the students in the class to make up for any missed classes.
v. They create and provide students with well-planned learning opportunities and fair evaluations based on the learning objectives in the course syllabus.
vi. They continually strive to implement teaching strategies and learning opportunities that meet the needs of all students and are designed to promote learning and understanding.
3. Faculty members evaluate students’ performance fairly and dispassionately, based on their own good faith and professional judgment, and in accordance with all applicable University standards.
a. They provide evaluations that are timely, appropriate, equitable, valid and professional, and that provide constructive feedback to the student.
b. They avoid using factors such as race, color, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, political affiliations and/or unrelated activities outside the classroom in evaluating students.
c. They calculate, post, and submit grades promptly and accurately in accordance with Life University procedure.
d. Faculty members maintain complete, accurate academic records in accordance with Life University’s document retention policy
i. They take measures to assure that students’ academic records contain only information reasonably related to education purposes.
ii. They consider all such records strictly confidential, not to be released except with the written consent of the student whose records they are, or as required by law.
iii. They keep accurate attendance records as required.
e. Faculty members develop and maintain appropriately professional, ethical, and helpful relationships with their students at all times.
i. They exhibit objectivity in all dealings with students and in all aspects of the learning process.
ii. They maintain posted office hours and are available to meet with students during those assigned times for the specific purpose of advising or mentoring students in their academic endeavors.
iii. Recognizing that faculty members are in positions of authority over students, they avoid inappropriate interactions with students.
iv. They are familiar with all services provided by the Office of Student Affairs, including but not limited to, Student Advocacy, Student Disability, and Student Life, so as to be able to assist and direct students when necessary.
v. They participate in student activities as appropriate and are involved with students on a meaningful, professional level.
4. Individual Faculty Members’ Responsibilities to Their Colleagues
a. Faculty members strive to be objective at all times in their professional judgments of other colleagues.
b. Faculty members, in the exchange of ideas and scholarly criticism, show due respect for the opinions of their colleagues, and avoid personal or ad hominem attacks.
c. Faculty members accept their proper share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of Life University.
d. Faculty members make appropriate preparations for the committee, college and Life University meetings in which they participate.
e. Faculty members actively pursue opportunities, and make themselves available, for collaboration with colleagues.
5. Individual Faculty Members’ Responsibilities to the Life University Community
a. Faculty members follow the principles of Life University’s Statement on Shared Governance (Appendix 7) in their interactions with the administration and Life University’s Board of Trustees.
b. Faculty members recognize, understand and follow the University’s policies, procedures, rules and regulations, while retaining the right to analyze, critique, and seek revisions to them.
c. Faculty members support and adhere to the Life University Honor Code, as well as all other University-accepted standards of interpersonal and community behavior.
d. Faculty members demonstrate an understanding of the value of the ‘whole person’ by striving to maintain healthy family and community relationships, and to create a balanced distribution of time and energy among their collegiate, non-collegiate, professional and personal activities.
6. Individual Faculty Member’s Responsibilities to the Community at Large
a. Faculty members have the rights and obligations of any citizen. However, faculty members take care to weigh the demands of these obligations against their responsibilities to their assigned subject, their students, their profession and Life University.
b. When speaking/acting as private individuals, faculty members state clearly that they represent themselves alone, and not Life University.
c. Faculty members, as private citizens, are free to engage in political activities outside of normal working hours.
i. As in all non-University situations, faculty members engaging in political discourse or activity take care to make it clear that they are not representatives of, nor speaking for, Life University.
ii. Conversely, Life University takes care to assure that faculty members’ political choices and activities will not adversely affect their position with Life University; nor will they be a factor for consideration in faculty members’ evaluations, promotions or compensation.
Faculty Schedules/Temporal Responsibilities
In the discharge of the various responsibilities enumerated above, faculty members are expected to adhere to the following Life University definitions and standards.
1. Work Year
a. The academic calendar is determined by the administration in order to meet the various academic programs’ requirements.
b. The Life University Academic Calendar is located on the university’s Faculty and Staff Page
c. Didactic faculty members must be present from the start of classes through graduation each quarter, unless they have prior arrangements approved by their supervisor.
d. Clinic/Clinical faculty members must be present to meet the expectations of the clinic hours/clinical rotations and preceptors as detailed in Administrative Document 1, Workload Guidelines.
2. Faculty Workloads
a. Full time main campus faculty members are required to spend time on campus each work week for a variety of activities such as class, clinic, academic support responsibilities, scholarship or service activities, as well as for conducting institutional business and meetings with campus constituents (students, other faculty, and/or members of the administration).
b. Full-time online faculty members are required to be available for their class hours and student hours as outlined in their job descriptions.
i. Workload Calculations
1. Current faculty workloads are described in Workload Guidelines (Administrative Document 1).
3. Attendance at Meetings, Programs and Events
a. Faculty members are required to attend and actively participate in college/department/division/clinic meetings, and meetings of committees of which they are members.
b. Faculty members are required to attend Commencement, faculty development programs, and University meetings, or at any time when requested by a supervisor, or University administrator.
c. Any absence from required activities must be approved in advance by the supervisor.
Academic Freedom
1. Faculty members are entitled to academic freedom, defined in the American Association of University Professors’/Association of American Colleges and Universities’ 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, as follows:
a. Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
b. Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment.
c. College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence, they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.
2. Faculty members are entitled to assume the support and protection of Life University in matters of academic freedom.
3. Faculty members are entitled to address any violations of their academic freedom through the Faculty Grievance Procedure. (See Appendix 6).
Support for the Discharge of Professional Duties
Faculty members are entitled to have Life University provide reasonable support, in the form of time, facilities, and equipment necessary to be able to discharge their assigned duties, including the development and continual improvement of assigned courses, and to pursue the ongoing acquisition of knowledge through research, seminars, and publications pertinent to their areas of expertise.
Support for Faculty Research and Scholarly Activities
Faculty members are entitled to have Life University provide adequate support facilities and services for their scholarship, research and creative activities. Presidential Awards for Scholarship are detailed in Administrative Document 5, Scholarship Awards.
Ownership of Intellectual Property
Faculty members are entitled to unencumbered ownership of their own intellectual work in accordance with Life University’ policies
Opportunities for Professional Development
1. Faculty members are entitled to have Life University provide adequate support for the development and advancement of their pedagogical and professional expertise, reputation, and accomplishments.
2. To promote ongoing faculty development, Life University maintains professional development planning and support mechanisms through both the Faculty Development Committee of the Faculty Senate and Life University’s Faculty/Staff Development Committee.
As employees of Life University faculty members are governed by the Employee Handbook as well as the Faculty Handbook. For details on comprehensive employee benefits, see the Employee Handbook on the Faculty and Staff Page under Human Resources.
1. Faculty Compensation
a. Salary Calculations
i. Salary Calculation Guidelines are temporarily removed from the Faculty Handbook. These guidelines are under review with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Human Resources, and University Executive team. Salary Calculation Guidelines will be returned to an Administrative Document.
2. Faculty Leave and Release Time As detailed in Faculty-Specific Benefits (Administrative Document 4), faculty members are entitled to certain benefits specific to their positions.
The purpose of the performance appraisal process is the fair, equitable and professional appraisal of the level of performance of a faculty member against an established set of standards. The goals of the evaluation process are to:
1. Identify mutually agreed commitments and responsibilities as outlined by this handbook, the faculty member’s current job description, and their appointment letter.
2. Identify standards of performance for those commitments and responsibilities.
3. Objectively rate the level of performance against these standards.
4. Specify appropriate measurement tools to assess the degree of achievement of a faculty member’s commitments and responsibilities.
5. Provide a process for faculty members, in concert with their supervisor, to identify areas for professional growth and development.
6. Provide faculty members with opportunities to be recognized for exemplary work that provides a foundation for promotional opportunities.
7. Agree upon a fair and equitable plan of action for areas of identified deficiencies and a timetable in which the substandard performance will be corrected and re-evaluated.
8. Provide a fair process for cases in which areas needing improvement fail to be adequately addressed. The Annual Faculty Evaluation process is detailed in Guidelines for Evaluation, Appendix 4. In addition, there is a university-wide appraisal process.
1. Reappointment Faculty members are reappointed to their faculty positions with a new or updated Letter of Appointment signed prior to the end of the current appointment. Faculty members with multiyear appointments will receive an annual updated appointment letter with salary information.
2. Non-renewal If a faculty member’s appointment is not renewed, notice of the non-renewal will be communicated in writing to the faculty member by the chief academic officer a minimum of one academic quarter prior to the end of his/her current appointment. Non-renewal of a faculty appointment may not be appealed.
3. Termination
a. Termination for Cause
i. Any faculty appointment may be terminated for cause at any time with documented reason or for failure to meet agreed upon corrective action. The term for cause refers especially to demonstrated incompetence or dishonesty in teaching or research, to substantial and manifest neglect of duty, and to personal conduct which substantially impairs the individual’s fulfillment of their institutional responsibilities.
ii. There is no right to appeal if the appointment is probationary as defined in section II.F.b. Refer to Appendix 6, Grievance Procedures, for information about appealing termination.
b. Termination for Financial Exigency
i. It is the right of the Board of Trustees, under extraordinary circumstances, to discontinue any of Life University’s academic programs.
ii. It is also the right of the Board of Trustees to terminate faculty members or reduce faculty salaries as financial exigencies may demand.
iii. Before termination of a faculty member’s appointment because of financial exigency, Life University will make every effort to reassign the faculty member to another suitable position within Life University.
iv. In all cases of termination of a faculty member’s appointment because of financial exigency, the faculty member concerned will be given notice and be considered for severance pay.
c. Termination for Discontinuation of Program or Department: A faculty member’s appointment may be terminated as a result of the formal discontinuation of a program or department.
d. Termination for Health Reasons
i. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, respectively, Life University makes every attempt to continue the employment of a faculty member with a disability and/or a serious medical condition.
ii. In the event that a faculty member cannot perform the essential functions of his/her employment, even with reasonable accommodation, or a faculty member with a serious health condition cannot return to employment after leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act is exhausted, he/she may be terminated.
e. Termination for Corrective Action
i. A faculty member’s appointment may be terminated as a consequence of a Corrective Action. Refer to Administrative Document 7 for the procedures of Corrective Action.
ii. Any termination for corrective action may be appealed except in the case of a probationary (as defined in section II.F.b) faculty member.
4. Reassignment It is the right of the President, after conferring with the chief academic officer, to assign or reassign any faculty member to any appropriate position.
5. Retirement or Resignation A faculty member who plans to retire or resign will notify, in writing, his or her immediate supervisor a minimum of one academic quarter (longer if possible) prior to the effective day of his or her resignation or retirement.
1. Grievances Although the administration of Life University maintains the right to non-renew a faculty member’s appointment, faculty members are entitled to have access to a clear, fair, orderly and confidential grievance resolution process.
a. A grievance is a claim of a violation, misinterpretation, or misapplication of any provision of the faculty member’s Appointment Documents (the appointment letter, current job description(s) and the current Faculty Handbook) or published Life University, College, Division or Department policies and/or procedures.
b. Life University’s grievance and hearing procedures provide for an orderly resolution of such a grievance.
c. The grievance process is detailed in Faculty Grievance Procedures (Appendix 6).
2. Corrective Action
a. The purpose of corrective action is to address performance or behaviors in faculty members who fail to carry out their responsibilities as detailed in their Appointment Documents as detailed above, or published university, college, division or department policies and/or procedures, or to address behaviors implicating noncompliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.
b. There are two types of corrective action – progressive corrective action and immediate corrective action
i. Progressive Corrective Action The purpose of progressive corrective action is to provide a progressively administered sequence of remedial measures, where appropriate, to improve professional conduct and, if necessary, to provide a procedure for discipline or discharge.
ii. Immediate Corrective Action The purpose of immediate corrective action is to remedy a problematic situation where progressive action is insufficient. Immediate corrective action provides a mechanism to bypass the timeframe of progressive corrective action, when needed.
c. The Corrective Action Process is described in Administrative Document 7.
1. Purpose
a. The principle of shared governance is an honored tradition and an expectation of accreditation in higher education, wherein governance of an institution results from collaboration and interdependence between and among the Board of Trustees, President, administration, faculty and, as appropriate, other interested constituencies.
b. Shared governance is an effective way to coalesce the community around the common goal of fulfilling the mission of the institution.
c. It acknowledges competence in discipline and draws on the expertise of all.
d. It is in the best interest of Life University for the Board of Trustees, President, administration and faculty to work collegially and to speak with a unified voice to agencies and publics whenever possible.
e. Consequently, Life University, its Board of Trustees, President, administration and faculty all embrace the principle of shared governance through Life University’s Statement on Shared Governance (Appendix 7) which includes a delineation of faculty roles in shared governance.
2. Structure
a. Faculty Senate: The Faculty Senate is the primary mechanism through which the faculty, individually and collectively, contribute to shared governance at Life University. The Faculty Senate Constitution and Bylaws (Appendix 8) detail the structure and functions of the Faculty Senate.
b. Faculty Senate Committees i. Faculty Senate committees are organized to facilitate the work of the University. These committees represent the faculty and advise the administration with respect to the development and implementation of academic and administrative policies and procedures, as well as provide formal communication between the various constituencies of Life University. Any faculty member may make recommendations, volunteer for committee appointments or nominate themselves or others for elected committee positions.
ii. The committees are recommending bodies and report to various administrative offices or other committees as detailed in the committee descriptions in Appendix 8.
iii. All committees shall conduct business in conformity with the procedures stipulated in the most current edition of the Faculty Senate Standards for Committee Procedures, which can be found on the Faculty Senate Blackboard page. Each committee chair is responsible for preparing an agenda for each meeting, appointing at least one vice chair and a secretary, assigning specific duties to each member as required to achieve the goals and objectives of the committee, and ensuring that a record of committee proceedings in the form of official minutes are kept. The minutes should include a record of which members were present and absent. Complete, official minutes of each committee are to be kept and archived by the chair of the committee with a copy sent to the Faculty Senate President or designee and the individual(s) to which the committee reports and posted to the Faculty Senate Blackboard page.
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