198.2 Faculty Status Committee Operating Procedures

198.2 Faculty Status Committee Operating Procedures

A. Background

Article V, Section 5(c) of the Constitution of the Faculty of Furman University establishes the Faculty Status Committee of the Furman faculty.

B. Policy

The Faculty Status Committee is charged with recommending to the Dean of the Faculty and the President policies and their application concerning promotions, tenure, nonrenewal of contracts, distribution of the salary increase allocation, fringe benefits and other matters of professional concern for the faculty.

C. Guidelines

1. Annually the Faculty Status Committee recommends to the Dean of the Faculty and the President relative salary increases (not specific figures) for individual tenured and probationary faculty members (excluding members of the Committee, first-year faculty, and department chairs). Subsequently the Dean of the Faculty reports to the Committee on those instances where the administration deviates from the actions of the Committee.See File 152.2.

2. The Faculty Status Committee considers all recommendations for promotion (see File 157.3), tenure (see File 158.4), nonrenewal of contract, and/or termination as representatives of the entire faculty.

a. The Faculty Status Committee makes its recommendations on promotion, tenure, nonrenewal of contracts, and/or termination to the Dean of the Faculty and the President. The President makes the final decision concerning recommendations to the trustees.

b. The Dean of the Faculty serves the committee as a resource person but does not vote on recommendations for promotion or tenure. His/her recommendation is submitted independently to the President along with those of the chairs and the Faculty Status Committee. In cases of nonrenewal of contract and/or termination, the Dean of the Faculty consults with the Faculty Status Committee and elicits its recommendation/input before taking final action.

c. The Dean of the Faculty will inform the faculty member, the departmental chair, and the Faculty Status Committee what decisions have been made. In cases of adverse decision, the Dean of the Faculty will also inform the Committee on Due Process.

d. A faculty member who has received an adverse decision regarding promotion, renewal of contract, and/or tenure has the right to appeal. The Faculty Committee on Due Process is charged with advising the faculty member of his/her rights and providing guidance through the appeal procedure.

e. If a faculty member believes established procedure was not followed in reaching the negative decision concerning his or her promotion, tenure, or renewal of contract, the faculty member should contact the Chair of the Committee on Due Process. See File 131.5

f. If a faculty member wishes to appeal a negative decision concerning his or her promotion, tenure, or renewal of contract on the grounds that his or her merits justify a positive decision, the faculty member should so inform the Chair of the Committee on Due Process and then submit an appeal to the Faculty Status Committee. The appeal should present additional evidence not available to the Faculty Status Committee in the first decision process, should include letters from all eligible department members addressing the additional evidence, and should be submitted within six weeks of the notification of the negative decision. The Faculty Status Committee will consider the appeal at the first regularly scheduled meeting in the following semester, and render a recommendation no later than the end of that semester. The appeal procedure may continue to the Dean of the Faculty, the President, and the Board of Trustees in the year of the terminal contract.

g. Faculty members who believe they have been discriminated against (See File 832.1) have the right to appeal in accordance with the Faculty Grievance Procedure (See File 153.1).

3. The Faculty Status Committee annually reviews the Faculty Handbook as expressed in the Policies and Procedures manual to update the policies for which FSC is originator.

4. Agenda items to be considered by or reported to the faculty shall be posted in advance and in accordance with the deadlines established by the Chair of the Faculty. When appropriate, motions proposed for faculty approval shall be accompanied by a written explanation that provides a rationale for the recommendation, as well as relevant background.

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