Faculty Handbook

    Faculty HandbookFaculty Handbook (PDF Versions for easy searching and printing)

    I. Introduction

    II. Organization of the College

    A. The Board of Trustees
    B. Administration of the College 
    1. The President
    2. Academic Administration
    3. The Library
    4. Business Administration
    5. Chief Advancement Officer
    6. Special Assistant to the President for Diversity
    C. The Faculty
    D. Other Instructional Personnel
    E. The Students
    F. The Alumni
    G. Five Colleges, Incorporated

    III. Faculty Appointments, Tenure, Promotions, Leaves and Terminations

    A. Procedures for Academic Appointments to Tenured or Tenure-Track (Regular) Positions
    B. Visiting Appointments
    C. Diversity and Inclusion in Search and Appointment Procedures
    D. Duration of Appointments and Procedures For Reappointments To Tenure-Track Positions
    1. Duration of Initial Appointment
    2. Annual Conversation with the Chair
    3. The Meaning of Reappointment
    4. Reappointment Procedures
    5. The Reappointment Schedule in Relation to the Tenure Decision
    E. Tenure For Regular Full-time Members of the Faculty
    1. The Meaning of Tenure
    2. The Timing of the Tenure Decision
    3. The Criteria for Tenure
    4. Procedures Followed in Tenure Decisions
    F. Tenure For Regular Part-time Members of the Faculty
    G. Promotion
    H. Leave Policy, Fellowships, and Research And Professional Support
    1. Sabbatic Leaves and Leaves of Absence
    2. Fringe Benefits during Sabbatic Leave and Leaves of Absence without Pay
    3. Leaves of Absence for Temporary Disability, Illness or Parenting
    4. Leaves of Absence for Family or Pressing Personal Reasons
    5. Trustee Faculty Fellowships
    6. Miner D. Crary Summer Fellowship
    7. Miner D. Crary Sabbatical Fellowship Class of 1952 Dean Eugene S. Wilson Faculty Development Fellowship Senior Sabbatical Fellowships for Tenured Faculty
    8. External Fellowships and Grants
    9. Institutional Support for Faculty Research
    I. Termination, Dismissal For Cause, and Grievance Procedures
    1. Termination
    2. Dismissal, suspension, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay for cause (Voted by the Faculty, May 1995)
    3. Grievance Procedures for Members of the Faculty (Voted by the Faculty, October 1986)
    4. Resolution of Student Grievances with Members of the Faculty (Voted by the Faculty, May 1995)
    5. Resolution of Faculty Grievances with Students

    IV. Faculty Responsibilities, Academic Regulations, Meetings and Committees

    Introduction
    A. Academic Regulations
    1. Statement of Intellectual Responsibility (Voted by the Faculty 1966: amended April 1987)
    2. Statement on Freedom of Expression and Dissent (Voted by the Faculty, 1968)
    3. Statement on Respect for Persons (Voted by the Faculty, 1969)
    4. Statement of Student Rights (Voted by the Faculty 1987: amended 1998)
    B. Teaching and Advising
    C. Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree
    D. Classroom Attendance
    E. The Scheduling of Courses
    F. Final Examinations
    G. Completion of Work; Policy on Extensions
    H. Grade Deadlines
    I. Special Exception for Reasons of Conscience
    J. Religious Observance
    K. The Honors Thesis
    L. Foreign Study and Exchange Programs
    M. The Cooperative Doctor of Philosophy Degree
    N. Classified Research
    O. Faculty Attendance and Grade Reports
    P. Informing the Administration of Address Changes
    Q. Outside Employment
    R. Faculty Meetings
    1. Attendance and Voting
    2. Attendance Without Vote
    3. Regular Faculty Meetings
    4. Special Faculty Meetings
    5. Presiding Officers
    6. Quorum
    7. Agenda
    8. Rules of Order
    9. Voting
    10. Concurrence of President
    11. Binding Nature of Decisions
    12. Confidential Nature of Meetings
    S. Committees
    1. Committees of the Faculty
    2. Committees of the Board of Trustees
    3. Committees of the College
    4. Five College Committees
    T. Department and Program Reviews

    V. Salaries and Fringe Benefits

    Introduction
    A. Salaries and Payroll
    B. Grants and Allowances
    C. Fringe Benefit Programs for Full-time Faculty
    1. The Housing Program
    2. Retirement
    3. Group Health and Dental Insurance
    4. Employee Assistance Plan
    5. Group Life Insurance
    6. Long Term Disability Insurance
    7. Workers' Compensation Insurance
    8. Death Benefits
    9. Travel and Sojourn Insurance
    10. Benefits During Sabbatic Leave and Leave of Absence
    11. Family and Medical Leave
    12. Moving Expenses
    13. Grant-in-Aid Program
    14. The Amherst Plan
    15. Unemployment Compensation
    16. Computer Purchases
    D. Fringe Benefit Programs for Part-time Regular Faculty
    1. Retirement
    2. Housing
    3. Insurance Coverage
    4. Life and Disability Insurance

    VI. College Facilities and Services

    A. Libraries
    1. The Libraries on the Amherst College Campus
    2. Five-College Library Cooperation
    B. Department of Information Technology
    C. Office of Administrative Services/Mailing Center
    D. Athletic Facilities
    E. Reserving Campus Facilities
    F. Campus Services
    1. Campus Mail and Post Office
    2. The Purchasing Office
    3. Campus Police
    4. Physical Plant Service Center
    G. Telephone Service

    VII. Student Life and Welfare

    VIII. General Information

    A. The Town of Amherst
    B. The Five-College Area
    C. The Amherst Public Schools
    D. Automobile Registration in Massachusetts

    IX. The Folger Shakespeare Library

    X. The Doshisha University

    XI. Appendix: Federal, State and Local Policies and Regulations

    A. Copyright Law
    B. Scientific Misconduct
    C. The Family and Medical Leave Act
    D. Drug Free Schools and Communities Act
    E. Smoking
    F. Sexual Harassment Policy
    G. Patent Policy