Employee Handbook
CHAPTER SIX - FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
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Only the President, upon approval of the Board of Trustees, has the authority to enter
into an agreement for employment of any faculty member. The President may, at any
time, delegate this responsibility to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer. No other
faculty member or administrator has the authority to bind the University to any agreement
of employment.
Definition of Faculty
Faculty is defined as those persons who make up the instructional staff of the University.
They are grouped into broad categories, each of which is described below.
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Full-Time Faculty
Full-time faculty are those whose primary responsibility to the University is classroom
instruction. Full-time faculty is typically ranked according to the following categories:
Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. Named Academic
Chairs are also considered Full-Time Faculty. In addition to these typical ranks,
there exist four categories of special appointment faculty that may also be considered
full-time by load: Distinguished Professor, Visiting Professor, Artist/Composer in
Residence, and Lecturer. All full-time faculty are considered members of “The Faculty”
at the University and participate in all of the responsibilities and privileges of
the Faculty. Only Full-Time Faculty who are rostered full-time in a department may
vote in the official proceedings of academic Schools and Departments; in the case
of dually appointed faculty members, the department or school where their primary
teaching duties are assigned is where their service and faculty vote resides.
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Faculty Rank for Academic Administrators and Administrative Staff
Some academic administrators and a number of administrators and staff outside of the
academic administrative structure may be assigned “faculty rank,” (i.e., a title such
as “lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor”).
The following academic administrators and staff normally have faculty rank at the
University: President; Provost and Chief Academic Officer; Deans of the Schools; and
others when determined by the Provost and with approval of the President.
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Library Faculty
Library faculty are librarians who hold faculty rank. The Director of the Warren Library
and all full-time librarians are considered members of “The Faculty” at the University.
The Director of the Warren Library and all full-time librarians are ranked according
to the following categories: affiliate librarian, assistant librarian, associate librarian,
and librarian. As librarians do not receive Letters of Agreement, they are not eligible
for Multi-Year Letters of Agreement. Otherwise, they receive the same rights, privileges,
and benefits as other calendar year faculty.
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Part-Time and Adjunct Faculty
Part-time and adjunct faculty are those who typically teach fewer than twelve credit
hours per semester.
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Part-time faculty are persons who are hired to fill part of an authorized faculty
position. These positions receive a part-time Letter of Agreement specifying compensation
and responsibilities but receive no benefits.
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Adjunct faculty are persons who are selected to teach because of particular expertise
in classes otherwise not covered by the Faculty or because of courses for which there
are not sufficient full-time faculty to cover.
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Special Appointment Faculty
The University recognizes five categories of special appointment faculty: (1) Distinguished Professor, (2) Visiting Professor, (3) Artist/Composer in Residence,
(4) Lecturer, and (5) Associate or (Full) Professor Emeritus. Persons so designated, with the exception of the various levels of Professor and
Professor Emeritus, may serve either on a full-time or part-time basis. Special appointment
faculty are assigned by the Provost, in consultation with the President and the respective
academic dean and department chair. Special appointment faculty may attend meetings
of their academic department but are not considered voting members of that department.
Differential Classification of Academic Personnel
Academic administrators and librarians are employed at will and do not receive Letters of Agreement.
Letters of Agreement
Full-time faculty members receive a Letter of Agreement annually. Letters of Agreement
include information concerning faculty rank, salary and benefits. Agreements are issued
in the spring for the upcoming academic year and are ordinarily issued for a twelve-month
period except when otherwise provided for in this Handbook. Faculty members are expected to accept or reject the offer within 15 days after
receipt. If a letter is not returned within 15 days, this will be considered a “not
accepted” offer and the faculty position will be considered “open.” Exceptions to
this policy must be requested individually and approved by the Provost before the
end of the 15-day period. The Letter of Agreement includes the effective dates of
the agreement, beginning dates and expiration dates. The awarding of any Letter of
Agreement is the prerogative of the University, just as its acceptance is the prerogative
of the faculty member.
Letters of Intent to Employ
Full-time faculty members are offered a Letter of Intent for summer teaching if summer
courses are not included in their regular load requirement. Adjunct faculty members
are issued a Letter of Intent for all short term teaching. The term “intent to employ”
indicates that it is the desire of the University to employ individuals for certain
duties contingent upon sufficient enrollment and/or course need. Letters of Intent
to employ include the effective dates of the agreements, beginning dates and expiration
dates. The awarding of any Letter of Intent to employ is the prerogative of the University,
just as its acceptance is the prerogative of the faculty member. Non-exempt hourly
staff members of the University are prohibited from teaching as adjuncts.
Multi-Year Letters of Agreement
Faculty Evaluation
Each year the School Dean (and any designated Program Director or Program Coordinator)
participates in a review of each faculty member following specified criteria. It may
include reference to any self-evaluation and student evaluations available. Such evaluation
may be used as the basis of discussions with the faculty member as well as for salary
and status for promotion and multi-year Letters of Agreement. Each faculty member
produces an annual growth plan, which is reviewed during the review process. This
growth plan is summarized on the faculty evaluation form.
A schedule of annual review is prepared by the Office of the Provost and the School
Deans. The Deans then discuss the evaluations and the review with each faculty member.
Faculty Evaluation Form
Each year a Faculty Evaluation will be developed in consultation with the School Dean
(and Program Director or Program Coordinator). This plan will describe an overall
plan of activities for a period of two to three years. The faculty evaluation form
and accompanying criteria can be found by clicking on the following link:
The criteria for evaluation include integration of faith and learning in the curriculum;
teaching and relationships with students; teaching effectiveness; evaluation of research
and scholarship efforts; service (professional, community, PBA, church); student relationships
(advising and related services); and evidence of Christian character and commitment.
Faculty Promotion
Policy and procedure faculty use when applying for promotion:
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Faculty Retirement/Separation
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Retirement
A faculty member or academic administrator who has served the University on a continuous
full-time basis for a minimum of ten years and has reached the age of sixty-five,
will be eligible for retirement from the University. The University will explore the
options for early retirement with faculty who are interested. Professional retirement
plans are built upon the assumption of retirement at age sixty-five (65). The University
recognizes the right of each faculty member to choose the age for retirement.
The University wishes to recognize the considerable service rendered to the University
by faculty who are now retired. Although in individual cases the retired faculty member
might not be interested in a continuing formal relationship with the University, the
University recognizes that teaching and other service to the University on a part-time
basis may be to the advantage of both the University and the individual.
Retired faculty, regardless of whether any service is currently being rendered to
the University, have the privilege of using the Library and attending University functions.
Faculty members who resign prior to retirement are not accorded these privileges.
Separation without Cause
Faculty members may be separated from the University under circumstances, as follows,
that require neither the University nor the faculty member to give cause for the separation.
No appeal is available.
From time to time, temporary appointments, such as Visiting Professor, are made that
have a specific expiration date beyond which the University will not offer employment.
Such appointments may be occasioned by the temporary absence of a faculty member from
the campus for study leave or for other reasons. The term of employment and the nature
of the service with its date of expiration are clearly stated in the Letter of Agreement signed
prior to the commencement of service with the University.
The University does not award tenure and no Letter of Agreement is automatic. As
the employer, the University has the right to terminate an existing appointment at
the expiration of a Letter of Agreement. Since the Letter of Agreement is for a limited
period of time, it expires at a given date. When a Letter of Agreement is accepted
by a faculty member, it is understood that the agreement is only for the time specified.
The Letter of Agreement will be renewed if the faculty member has not been notified
in writing by February 15 that the agreement will not be renewed. This date may be
extended to March 15, provided notice in writing to that effect is given to the faculty
member by February 15. In the case of separation from the University without cause,
there is no appeal for non-renewal of the Letter of Agreement. Visiting faculty may
be notified of non-renewal at any time, but the University will seek to provide updates
to these faculty members wherever possible and notice of non-renewal as soon as is
possible.
Separation with Cause
Palm Beach Atlantic University has identified the following as examples, but not an
exhaustive list, of conduct justifying dismissal of faculty members during the term
of a Letter of Agreement:
- Grave moral delinquency
- Incompetence
- Inability of a faculty member to perform the essential functions of the job because
of health
- Unfaithfulness to faculty and institutional duties
- Advocating doctrines contrary to those generally accepted by the Christian faith,
which are affirmed in the Guiding Principles
- Obstructing the administration of the University in carrying out the policies of the
institution as established by the Board of Trustees
- Making false statements or concealing facts related to prior employment or education
- Disruption of faculty cohesiveness
- Misconduct with a student or fellow employee
- Conviction of a felony
In addition to the aforementioned grounds for separation with cause, a faculty member
may be dismissed during the term of a Letter of Agreement due to financial exigency
or limited funds for support of a program in which the faculty member is teaching.
Review of Separation with Cause Decisions
In addition to those items listed above, there may be other grounds for dismissal
with cause of a faculty member during the term of a Letter of Agreement, as determined
by the discretion of the University. In any case of proposed dismissal with cause
of a faculty member during the term of a Letter of Agreement, the person recommended
for dismissal may, if he or she desires, make a written request (no later than seven
days after notice of dismissal) to the Provost and the Senate Ethics Committee for
a review of the decision. The chair of the Committee shall preside over the review.
The decision of the committee shall be recorded in the form of a recommendation to
the Provost either supporting or opposing dismissal. The Provost shall, in turn,
convey the recommendation of the committee along with the Provost’s own recommendation
to the President. Based upon the review of the recommendations of the committee and
the Provost, the President may support or reverse the dismissal. In either case,
there is no further appeal.
Office and Resource Use Upon Separation
It is expected that faculty resigning, retiring, or separating from PBA will vacate
their office not later than thirty days after the last teaching day at the end of
the regular academic year. If a professor is teaching summer school, the office must
be vacated within one week after the last teaching day. Calendar year faculty who
leave PBA must vacate their office within one week of teaching their last class. All
keys and PBA property issued to the faculty member must be returned to the Office
of Human Resources.