Library resources are available to faculty, staff, and students at two branches and through online access. The University’s main library is the Murdock Learning Resource Center (MLRC) and is located on the Newberg campus. A branch library is located in the Portland Center.
The MLRC collection includes books, periodicals in paper format, microform collections, sound recordings, video cassettes, and other formats. Special collections include the Quaker, Hoover, and Peace Collections. The MLRC also houses the Northwest Yearly Meeting archives and the education curriculum collection. Study rooms are available to faculty and can be reserved for up to a semester.
The Portland Center Library (PCL) collection includes books, periodicals, and audiovisual materials. The PCL collection has particular strengths in the areas of religion and counseling. The PCL houses the archives of George Fox Evangelical Seminary.
Institutional Technology
Email, course websites, and other network accounts.
Technical support and troubleshooting of office and classroom hardware, software, and network resources.
Delivery and configuration of audio, video, and computer resources to classrooms and campus events.
A faculty development center in which faculty may receive one-on-one assistance with developing electronic course materials and accessing hardware and software not normally found in their offices.
One-on-one consulting on instructional uses of technology, as well as workshops focusing on technology and effective teaching with technology.
Institutional Technology (IT) is located on the third floor of the Stevens Center. The following services are available from IT:
Contact the IT service desk for all of your technology-related needs. You may visit the service desk Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m., on the third floor of the Stevens Center in Newberg; call 503-554-2569; e-mail it@georgefox.edu; or log onto http://it.georgefox.edu/.
FACULTY GUIDELINES
Meetings and Organizations.
Each member of the faculty is expected to attend all regular and special faculty meetings. Faculty meetings are held at both the Newberg and Portland campuses.
Chapel services are offered at all University campuses. Attendance at chapel is expected of all faculty members.
Faculty members are expected to attend and participate in meetings of their assigned committees.
Each faculty member is to be familiar with policies and procedures printed in the catalogs, the Student Handbook, this Faculty Handbook, the Academic Procedures Handbook, and in communications from the Registrar’s, Academic Affairs, and President’s offices.
Each advisor or sponsor of a class or group should feel it is his or her responsibility to attend all business meetings of the organization, keep close contact with it, attend its social events, and give suggestions or advice as occasions may arise. He or she should also see that the organization conforms to the principles and policies of the University.
All faculty members are expected to participate in the Fall Honors Convocation, and graduate or undergraduate Commencement exercises. The faculty marshal, appointed by the Provost, will direct the faculty for academic processions. (Attendance at Baccalaureate is encouraged.)
Hours and Days of Service
Office Hours
Faculty offices are assigned by the appropriate Academic Dean in consultation with the department chair or program director. Faculty are expected to be in their offices and available to students a minimum of six hours each week. Hours must be included in the syllabus. A copy of faculty schedules is distributed to the appropriate Academic Dean at the beginning of each semester.
Outside Activities and Employment The University encourages its faculty to become involved in the life of the community. There are many opportunities to speak to church groups, school groups, and service clubs. Up to a point, such activities are helpful and desirable, particularly if they involve reporting research in one’s field and contribute to the University relations program. Nevertheless, before accepting responsibilities outside the University that would take a significant amount of time, attention, or energy, the faculty member should present the matter to the Provost for evaluation in the light of his or her primary commitment to the University. When contracting for outside employment during the University’s contract period, a faculty member must first gain permission for such activity from the appropriate Academic Dean and the Provost.
Absence from Campus
If a faculty member must be away from the campus during the week, he or she should notify the appropriate Academic Dean and the department chair in advance. Summer addresses and telephone numbers should be made available to the Office of Academic Affairs.
Vacations and Holidays
A university is a unique institution and cannot be operated in quite the same manner as other businesses. Professors are professional people and are not required to put in “clock” hours. However, there are obligations incumbent on instructors to meet deadlines in cooperation with their peers. Teaching faculty on nine-month contracts, generally speaking, will have completed their responsibilities on the campus after all student work is returned, grades are submitted to the Registrar, and the contract period has expired. Faculty continue to be responsible for students who were given an incomplete or other grade extension, and should resolve these cases in a timely manner. Faculty are expected to serve for a full nine months. Faculty on extended contracts are expected to provide full-time service during the additional contract period. Campus-wide holidays are published annually.
Budget Control
Careful budget control is absolutely essential. All purchases must be approved by the department chair and appropriate Academic Dean before actual purchase. A complete set of procedures are printed in the Academic Procedures Handbook.
Faculty Load Determination
Loads are based on equivalency with comparable colleges and universities, the particular expectations of each course or duty, and equity among the departments.
The normal load for a full-time faculty member on a nine-month contract is 24 load hours. Loads for those faculty members who receive 10-month and 11-month contracts will be negotiated with the appropriate Deans on an annual basis.
Faculty members assigned to duties in excess of the above contracted loads are entitled to overload compensation at the prevailing level, with the following limitations. One course per semester is the maximum overload allowed. Loads less than one-half hour over the normal amount are not compensated.
Assigned loads for classes that meet the same number of clock hours as credit hours receive one load hour per credit hour.
Loads for scheduled rehearsals in the performing arts reflect the demands of the particular group with respect to preparation and performance.
Loads for laboratories in the natural sciences and in other fields reflect the faculty member’s responsibility for lab setup, responsibilities during the lab, and the grading of papers related to the lab.
Loads for Human Performance activity courses reflect a combination of credit hours, preparation time, and the amount of written work to be graded.
Loads for coaching and recruiting are expressed in load hours, even though the duties are very different from teaching traditional courses. The differences in these loads reflect the length of the seasons, the number of athletes involved, and the extent of the recruiting responsibilities.
Loads for supervision of learning off campus, e.g., student teaching and internships, reflect the amount of time the faculty member is expected to observe the student in their duties and to interact with their on-site supervisor.
No load credit is given for Special Studies (Independent Studies) during the faculty member’s regular contract. Faculty members are not to agree to teach more than three Special Studies per academic year. Faculty members are paid one-third of the tuition for teaching Special Studies during the summer, when the work is done outside the regular contract period.
Load credit for supervising field experiences during the faculty member’s contract period is generally not given unless it is negotiated when the department chair and the appropriate dean are determining loads for the coming year. Faculty members who supervise field experiences outside their contract year (summer) are paid one-third of the tuition.
Calculating faculty loads is difficult, as academic duties vary a great deal among the various disciplines. The following statements provide guidance to the academic administrators and department chairs in determining loads. Each year in the fall semester, the Provost will meet with the appropriate Academic Deans and department and program chairs to determine if changes are needed in the load formulae. That group makes appropriate changes and distributes the adjusted list of faculty loads to faculty members. Copies of the current load formulae are available in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Guidelines for Determining Loads
Academic Travel Courses and Tours
Juniors Abroad Study Tours
Our principal overseas study option is the Juniors Abroad program, which offers international and U.S. cross-cultural study tours directed by full-time undergraduate University faculty during a three-week period in May each year (a graduate faculty member may serve as a secondary faculty member on trips). Eligible juniors receive underwriting of their transportation costs. Eligibility requirements and other general information about the Juniors Abroad program appear in the “International Programs” section of the University Catalog and in the Juniors Abroad Faculty Handbook.
The Juniors Abroad program involves a planning cycle that begins a year and a half before the conduct of the study tours. In the fall semester, the Director of Juniors Abroad will circulate to undergraduate faculty a “Call for Proposals” for trips for a year from the upcoming May. A committee chaired by the Director of Juniors Abroad reviews proposals before acceptance. Each trip must meet the following Juniors Abroad objectives:
The student who successfully participates in Juniors Abroad will:
Experience cross-cultural learning opportunities in cultures distinctly different from their own.
Interact with the host culture through informal and formal contacts.
Experience what it means to be a cultural minority.
Understand how to participate responsibly in the larger international community.
Learn, through the study of disciplines such as the fine arts, language, science, architecture, and history, how various social institutions affect the host culture.
Juniors Abroad tours are typically international in focus; however, one or two tours a year can be U.S.-based, so long as they meet the above objectives.
Proposals must include:
Proposed destination
Faculty name(s)
Qualifications of faculty
A paragraph outlining the academic nature of the course.
A course syllabus that includes:
A description of the specific academic and cultural objectives (including the objectives listed above) of the study tour and how these objectives will be met.
a list of proposed course assignments.
A course bibliography and list of books and articles to be read by the students in the course).
A 21-day itinerary.
A course bibliography and list of books and articles to be read by the students in the course:
Air Travel
Ground Transportation
Lodging
Meals
Incidentals
Any other relevant information (e.g., special need for such a trip, unique qualifications for leading a trip)
For faculty trip leaders, the University covers travel expenses and pays a stipend. As a general guideline, the minimum group size is 10 students. Maximum enrollment for each trip is 20 students. Current information on trips is posted on the Juniors Abroad website on the University website.
Faculty leaders will be responsible for class instruction; making all travel arrangements, including airfare, accommodations, and ground transportation; and keeping track of the trip expenses.
Two faculty leaders are required for each trip.
The tour should balance in-depth cultural experiences in a few locations, with the need to travel among various locations to meet course objectives.
Limit the number of countries visited to a maximum of three.
Each course must have a specific academic focus.
The class must meet a minimum of eight times in the spring semester before the trip.
Eligible Faculty
Juniors Abroad is a program aimed at serving the needs and objectives of the undergraduate college at George Fox University. Professors teaching in the program must be traditional full-time undergraduate teaching faculty (with at least a half-time teaching load) under nine-month contracts. For the benefit of the program and at the discretion of the Director of Juniors Abroad, graduate faculty, individuals with faculty status, and faculty members under 10- or 11-month contracts may be considered for a secondary teaching position in the Juniors Abroad program. (In keeping with University policy, individuals who are on 10-month, 11-month, or 12-month contracts are required to take vacation or leave for the time they are involved in the Juniors Abroad experience.)
Other Policies
Other Study Tours
Proposals for travel courses other than Juniors Abroad trips shall be submitted to the Undergraduate or Graduate Council. The Council will examine the arrangements for travel and study with respect to their soundness, feasibility, and attractiveness. Proposals for overseas tours should be submitted one calendar year before the date of the tour, but in no case later than nine months prior to the tour.
The Council will determine the amount of credit to be given. It will also analyze and approve or recommend adjustment of the budget before it goes to the Provost for final clearance.
Appearances of Speakers and Performers on Campus
George Fox University encourages investigation into many schools of thought. Occasionally, these views may be contrary to community thinking. To facilitate open discussion, it is often desirable to bring speakers or performers to campus. The following process governs the appearance of speakers and performers on campus:
Any member of the faculty may invite speakers to his or her class.
Faculty members who invite speakers to campus to speak to interests and concerns that relate to his or her department, but which are not part of a classroom presentation, must have the appearance approved by the Provost.
Faculty members who invite speakers to campus to speak to interests and concerns that do not relate to departmental interests and that are not part of a classroom presentation must be approved by the Provost.
Individual students or student groups that invite speakers or groups to campus must have the approval of the Provost. All speakers, before being contacted for appearance, must be approved by the appropriate department or administrator.
Speakers, except for those appearing in classes, must be placed on the campus calendar at least four weeks before an on-campus appearance.
Scheduling of facilities, payment of honorariums, rental payments, and general accountability becomes the responsibility of the sponsoring group or person.
Ticket sales, offerings, and sale of merchandise will not be permitted unless approved by the Provost.
Gifts from persons outside the University may not be accepted in support of speakers without prior approval of the Provost.
Faculty Initiatives in Seeking Funds Off Campus
Members of the faculty and administration are encouraged to seek outside funds for instructional improvement, program development, and research. Plans to solicit funds from any outside source must be approved by and coordinated with the Office of Marketing and Advancement before solicitation.
Requests for grants from corporations and foundations should follow the procedures below.
Proposals should be developed (roughly two pages) by faculty members or administrators and include an explanation of the basic idea, how it will be implemented, benefits to the University, an estimated budget and timeline, necessary commitment of institutional funds, and ideas for funding sources.
Completed proposals are submitted to the appropriate Dean and to the Office of Marketing and Advancement, which will review the proposal to determine if it conflicts with other proposals, whether the project is likely to be funded, the quality of planning, and the amount of institutional support required. After reviewing the proposal and feedback from the Deans and the Office of Marketing and Advancement, the Provost will either reject the proposal, ask the author(s) to revise and resubmit the proposal, or endorse the proposal and submit it to the Cabinet. If the proposal is submitted to the Cabinet for approval, the Provost will report Cabinet action to the author(s).
Once approved by the Cabinet, the Office of Marketing and Advancement will help develop the proposal by assisting the author(s) in identifying potential funding sources, and providing history with funding organizations and samples of successful proposals. The Office of Marketing and Advancement will also assist in editing and formatting proposals, final production of proposals, and development of supporting materials.
Copies of all submitted proposals and communications with funding sources must be provided to the Office of Marketing and Advancement for permanent record keeping.
FINANCIAL EXIGENCY - PROGRAMS AND PERSONNEL
Preamble
The provisions of this section apply only when the Board of Trustees has declared that a state of financial exigency (i.e., an imminent financial crisis that threatens the survival of the institution) exists at the University. In the event that financial exigency is declared, the University may reduce or discontinue programs and terminate tenured and nontenured personnel even within the contract year if such actions are deemed necessary. Reductions and discontinuations are guided by the procedures that follow. These procedures will supersede normal budgeting procedures during the period for which financial exigency is declared.
Financial exigency is an actual or projected operating deficit generated by substantial decline in student enrollment or a substantial loss of income from sources other than tuition, fees, and housing; or a precipitous increase in expenses, or both. Reduction and discontinuation include elimination of courses, majors and minors, support programs and services, student activities, and other programs. The termination of tenured or nontenured faculty members within a contract year may be necessary if the need for the services of the appointees no longer exists or the Board of Trustees determines that the University does not possess the financial ability to continue the appointments.
Objectives
When faced with financial exigency, it is the goal of George Fox University to:
Reinforce the mission of the University through any program reductions;
Maintain or enhance the overall quality of the academic offerings of the University in spite of specific program reductions;
Make reductions in programs and personnel in an equitable manner and in keeping with the principles of a Christian community;
Provide appropriate notices to all affected personnel that program reduction or discontinuation will be required; and
Assist, to the extent possible, affected persons to make necessary adjustments to new assignments within the University or to new positions in other settings.
Responsibilities
When extenuating circumstances require, the President should, in consultation with the Cabinet and the Coordinating Councils, prepare for the Board of Trustees a clear statement of the actual and projected budget deficit requiring a declaration of financial exigency. The statement should indicate the potential impact of the deficit on program offerings and personnel.
A declaration of financial exigency is made by the Board of Trustees when the Board believes that such a declaration is in the best interests of the University due to extenuating circumstances. The Board should establish the period of time for which exigent procedures will apply. Any extension of the period of exigency requires further action by the Board of Trustees. In making a declaration of financial exigency, the Board should recognize that the primary purposes of the institution are to develop and maintain academic programs of high quality and to stimulate and encourage student academic achievement within a Christian atmosphere.
At the direction of the Board, the President should develop a modified budget that adjusts expenditures to reflect actual and projected income. The President may consult with the Cabinet, the various faculty committees, and other persons as appropriate in developing the proposed modified budget.
The faculty, department chairpersons, program administrators, faculty committees, student life personnel, development personnel, and business management personnel may participate in reviewing the President’s modified budget to the same extent that they participate in the development of regular annual budgets.
Identification of the Program(s) to be Reduced
The President should submit the modified budget to affected administrators, together with a statement of potential impact of the modified budget on program offerings and personnel.
Each department chair should work with the School Dean and should confer with all members of the programs in question, and should prepare a written evaluation of the impact of the modified budget on the programs and personnel within the school.
After considering the impact evaluation statement, the President should present a proposal for program reductions, including all impact evaluation statements, to the Cabinet and the Faculty Business Meeting.
Each vice president, after due deliberation of the proposal with the affected committees and appropriate personnel under his or her direction, should prepare written recommendations to the President, either concurring with the President’s proposal or recommending alternatives.
The President, in consultation with the Cabinet, should determine which programs will be retained, reduced, or discontinued using this process.
Identification of the Individuals to be Affected
Members of the affected programs should be given an opportunity to consult with the vice president of their administrative unit regarding the proposed reduction or discontinuation in program offerings and the potential impact on their positions.
Each vice president should, after consultation with the affected department chair or unit administrator, recommend to the President the particular individuals to be terminated from their present positions.
The President, in consultation with the Cabinet, should determine which individuals will be retained in their present positions, reassigned to other positions, offered reduced assignments with reduced benefits, or terminated using this process.
Criteria for Retention of Personnel during Program Reduction and/or Discontinuation
Personnel who are to be retained following program reduction must be qualified for the assignments to be filled. Qualified means competent by virtue of completion of graduate preparation and other educational attainments germane to the assignment, as well as recent successful experience in the category or subject matter as measured by written official evaluations in the personnel files.
Age, sex, ethnic background, academic rank of faculty within the affected program(s) and within the University, and compatibility with Quaker distinctives may be given consideration when selecting individuals to be retained by the University in the event of financial exigency.
After qualifications have been determined in each program, seniority is applied in the following order: (1) Nontenured part-time personnel generally are released before other personnel; however, need for an individual’s expertise can outweigh seniority of other nontenured part-time personnel; (2) nontenured full-time personnel (including one-half time or more) should be released before tenured personnel; and (3) tenured personnel are released last when applying seniority.
Notification and Dispute Resolution
After considering all recommendations on the programs to be retained, reduced, or discontinued, the President should make a decision regarding the programs and activities to be affected. The President should notify the affected individuals in writing of the pending action.
Before official notice of termination, the Cabinet should conduct a procedural review of the reductions, discontinuations, and terminations. The affected individuals may be permitted to participate in the meeting when this review occurs.
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