This website publishes administrative rules on their effective dates, as designated by the adopting state agencies, colleges, and
universities.
| Rule |
Rule 3362-2-05 | Faculty professional leaves.
(A) Purpose The primary purpose of this policy is to advance
the academic competence of faculty members while enhancing their contribution
to the university as scholars and teachers. Faculty professional leave (FPL)
proposals typically focus on improvement of scholarship skills and knowledge
and/or production of scholarly products. Faculty members may, however, use FPL
for a substantial improvement in pedagogical or administrative skills and
knowledge that are beneficial to both the faculty and the university. The FPL
program is developed in compliance with section 3345.28 of the Revised Code.
All provisions of section 3345.28 of the Revised Code will be adhered to in
implementing this policy. (B) Restrictions The FPL program is designed to provide faculty
with a significant period of uninterrupted time to invest in their professional
development. (1) Enrichment activities involving little or no investment
in new skills and knowledge are not appropriate for the program. (2) Faculty should restrict any other employment activities
during a leave to that which clearly advances or enhances the purpose of the
FPL. Such employment must be expressly approved by the provost. (3) Proposals for faculty improvement designed to address
long-term institutional priorities or targeted tuition reimbursement or
training for approved program initiatives will not be covered under this policy
but may be funded in other ways. (4) Faculty may not apply for the same educational
opportunity under both FPL and another university faculty development program
during the same year. (5) Tuition and fees incurred by the faculty member during
FPL will not be reimbursed under this policy. In other words, one may apply for
tuition and fee reimbursement or FPL, but not both during the same
year. (C) Eligibility Faculty seeking FPL must have been employed as a
tenure-track or tenured faculty member for seven years and be otherwise
eligible according to provisions of section 3345.28 of the Revised Code. (1) Time served at another university, as an adjunct,
full-time instructor, visiting or temporary faculty member or while on unpaid
leave does not count towards the seven year requirement. (2) A faculty member who takes an FPL, regardless of
duration, becomes eligible again only after completing another seven years of
service at Shawnee state university (SSU). (D) Evaluation As described in the underlying procedure, FPL
applications will be evaluated and approved by both faculty peers and
appropriate academic administrators. The president's final approval is
required. Evaluators will place greatest weight on the merits of the proposal
with regards to the professional development of the faculty member and the
advancement of the mission of the university. (E) Faculty obligations Faculty who take an FPL must understand and
consent to meeting certain obligations. (1) Faculty who take an FPL are required to return to SSU
for a full academic year following completion of the FPL. The underlying
procedure will address consequences for failure to return. (2) Faculty who take an FPL are required to submit a
written report of goals and accomplishments within sixty calendar days of the
date of their return to service at the university. (F) Compensation Faculty who take a one semester leave will be
paid one hundred per cent of base salary. Faculty who take a two semester leave
will be paid sixty-six per cent of base salary. (1) The salary noted above is the total amount that may be
earned by the faculty member from SSU general funds. Departments and colleges
may not rehire faculty on FPL to teach or engage in other compensated
activities. (2) The FPL application must describe any non-SSU
compensation that the faculty member will receive while on FPL. Faculty members
on FPL for one semester are prohibited under Ohio law and this policy from
receiving additional compensation from an external source for FPL
work. (3) A faculty member on a two semester FPL may supplement
his/her salary through external sources, such as grants, provided that the
activity to be compensated supports the purpose of the FPL and the external
support combined with the reduced stipend does not raise the faculty
member's compensation above the level of their base salary. (G) Procedures The board of trustees authorizes the president to
establish procedures to effectively implement this policy.
Last updated October 15, 2024 at 1:39 PM
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Rule 3362-2-07 | Approval of graduates.
Effective:
September 24, 2020
(A) Candidates for graduation must meet
all academic and university requirements in order to be certified as candidates
by the office of the registrar. Degrees and certificates shall be awarded by
the board of trustees to all certified candidates for graduation who meet final
requirements and are recommended by the faculty and approved by the
president. (B) Annual action approving the granting of degrees and
certificates during the year shall be taken by the board of trustees at a
meeting preceding spring graduation and the president shall then be empowered
by the board to award these degrees and certificates as students earn them. The
list of graduates shall become part of the board's resolution after all
graduates are confirmed by the office of registrar.
Last updated October 15, 2024 at 1:40 PM
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Rule 3362-2-09 | Academic program review.
Effective:
December 2, 2021
(A) Introduction (1) An effective academic
program review process is essential for the health of Shawnee state
university's academic programs. The academic program review process
strives to ensure the quality and academic integrity of all programs through
continuous program improvement. At its most basic, the program review process
is simply a review of the good works, processes, procedures, and measured
learning outcome results that programs develop as they strive for continuous
improvement. (2) Program review is a
best practice in american higher education that involves stakeholders in the
continuous improvement process. Such a review includes an assessment of past
and current performance that is used to inform future directions and decision
making. Those charged with overseeing and coordinating program review
activities should be engaged in some aspect of assessment and program review
year-round. (3) The academic program
review process provides an opportunity for program faculty and administration
to evaluate the goals and effectiveness of a program and make appropriate
changes that will lead to improvement in the quality of instruction and
curricular requirements, improved career and life preparation for students, and
effective and efficient use of university resources. (B) Purpose (1) Assist programs in
the identification, evaluation, and assessment of their mission and goals and
the development of short and long-term strategic plans. (2) Assist programs in
the determination of their relationship to the mission of the university,
college, department, or school. (3) Assist programs in
assessing the quality of instruction, instructional methodology, student
learning, and the strengths and challenges in their curriculum. (4) Provide programs the
opportunity to compare their curriculum, resources, and facilities with those
at peer institutions. (5) Assist programs in
the identification of existing resources and determination of the resources
needed to carry out identified mission and goals. (6) Assist the university
in the evaluation of the value, quality, effectiveness and efficient use of
resources for the academic programs. (7) Provide direction and
priorities for the university that can be used for needs assessment, resource
allocation, and planning. (8) Provide structure, a
plan of action, and information for continuous program
improvement. (9) Academic program review is not intended to
place a program under discontinuation or warehousing (or a "watch
list") as a result of the review. Rather, program review is intended to
provide a constructive and formative review to the program. In the event
discontinuation or warehousing of a program is needed, it is to occur via a
separate program closure process. (C) Definitions (1) Academic program -
refers to any and all coherent instructional activities of Shawnee state
university and includes degree and certificate programs and other non-degree
curricular entities, such as the honors and general education
programs. (2) Degree program -
refers to any prescribed course of study which constitutes an area of
specialization leading to a recognized degree. This is the same as the term
"discipline specialty" used in reporting to the u.s. department of
education's integrated postsecondary education data system (IPEDS). In
baccalaureate degrees or higher, the term "degree program" is the
same as "major." Degree programs must be significantly distinct from one another.
Where two proposed degree programs have sixty percent or more of their program
course requirements in common, they may be classified as concentrations within
a single degree program, rather than as separate degree programs. When deemed
appropriate by their college dean, programs with curricular links (for example,
associate and baccalaureate programs in the same area or programs with
concentrations, minors, or associated certificates) will be combined into a
single review. (3) Preliminary
self-study - refers to a structured reflection of a program's faculty,
staff, students, and alumni concerning the educational effectiveness of its
academic program. It is not a description of the unit, but a data- and
constituent-informed analysis that leads to the identification of key issues
and recommendations of potential steps to address them. (4) On-site visits and
external reviewer reports - on-site visits by external reviewers are not
mandatory, but generally recommended, and ought to be considered a justifiable
expense in conducting a proper program review. (5) Final program review
report - the end product of a program review shall take the form of a final
report, which includes recommendations and a timeline for their
implementation. (6) Interim progress
report - the provost, upon consideration of the final program review report,
can mandate a special review and interim progress report. Such interim progress
report shall be conducted under the procedures approved for a regular program
review. (D) Academic program review (1) Organization (a) The cornerstone of a program review is the development of the
academic program's preliminary self-study. Following its submission, a
review to clarify, verify, and amplify the self-study will be conducted by
external reviewer(s) appointed by the respective dean or the provost in
consultation with the unit under review. (b) The preliminary self-study becomes the core component of the
final program review report, which will be submitted to the respective college
dean. In the case of non-degree curricular entities, such as the honors or
general education programs and similar non-departmental academic programs,
final reports will be submitted to the office of the provost. (2) Timeline (a) Programs will be scheduled to undergo review on a recurring
five-year cycle. Program reviews shall be scheduled so that no department shall
have to conduct more than one program review per academic year, except in cases
when departments are home to more than five programs or when a previous review
requires a more frequent program review. Reviews, when possible, should be
spread out along the five-year cycle to evenly distribute a department's
program review efforts. (b) Whenever possible, programs with outside accreditation will
be put on a program review schedule that will allow those programs to complete
review and analysis for the accreditation self-study with a timeline for
submission that corresponds with the university's program review
cycle. (c) Programs that are accredited by an outside body may submit
their most recent self-study produced to satisfy accreditation in place of the
final program review report. The dean of the program's college may require
a supplemental report, providing data or material required in the standard
review (as outlined in the academic program review guide) if such information
is not sufficiently up-to-date or not found in the program's accreditation
study. (E) Procedures The president or their designee will ensure the
establishment of procedures necessary to effectively implement this policy.
These procedures will be revised and developed based upon the recommendations
of the university faculty senate.
Last updated December 2, 2021 at 1:52 PM
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Rule 3362-2-11 | Copyright, patents and research for university personnel.
Effective:
December 19, 2022
(A) Purpose and scope (1) Shawnee state
university is committed to facilitating the dissemination and utilization of
the knowledge acquired by research for the public good. The university is also
committed to developing existing technologies for licensing and
commercialization, and it particularly encourages projects that will contribute
to the economic development of the region. In furtherance of such development,
the university recognizes the need to protect intellectual property rights of
authors and inventors and to include university authors and inventors in the
distribution of income derived from its intellectual property. (2) This rule is
applicable to all departments and units of the university and to all university
personnel. (B) Definitions (1) These definitions
apply to all sections of the rule and its procedures. (a) "University personnel" is defined as university
faculty, administration and staff members. (b) A "copyright work" describes original works of
authorship that have been fixed in a tangible medium of expression, including,
but not limited to, written materials, dissertations, papers, articles, books,
poems, audiovisual materials, videos, audio recordings, architectural drawings,
on-line instructional materials, musical compositions, dramatic creations,
software, databases, photographs, or sculptures that are likely to be subject
to protection under United States copyright law. (c) "Patentable inventions" describes inventions,
discoveries, and manufacturing designs that have been reduced to practice, and
are considered novel and likely to be subject to protection under United States
patent law. (d) "Academic works" are works created by faculty
members within the scope of their regular faculty appointment, including work
created while on paid professional or sabbatical leave. Academic works include,
but are not limited to, those works created within the scope of their faculty
appointment for research, for teaching, whether for a traditional course, a
distance learning course, an online course offering, or some other
non-traditional setting, unless such work was specifically created as a work
for hire. This interpretation of academic works shall be at least as broad as
the definition used in any collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with faculty
members, and the university's use of academic works shall be consistent
with any requirements or restriction in such CBA. (e) "Work for hire" or "Work made for hire"
is: (i) A work prepared by
university personnel within the scope of his or her employment that does not
meet the definition of an academic work as defined by this policy and as
further described in the SEA collective bargaining agreement. (ii) A work directed by
or specially ordered or commissioned by the university via a supplemental
employment contract or similar agreement. If support for the work is from an
outside contractor or sponsor, the intellectual property ownership may be
governed by the contractor or sponsorship agreement. (f) "Significant allocation" is: The use of university resources (including,
but not limited to, facilities, equipment, staff time, supplies, funds,
financial support, or release time from assigned duties) over and above the
usual salary or resource assignment where the value of the resources comprises
more than half of the cost incurred in creating a work. (C) Copyright work (1) All rights granted
under copyright law for a particular work remain with the authors (creators) of
the work. (2) The university will
not have an interest in copyright ownership of university personnel works,
including academic work products except in the following
instances: (a) When the work is a work for hire. (b) When the work is created through a significant allocation of
university resources for the express purpose of the creation of that
work. (c) In these instances, copyright ownership of the works in
question belongs to the university, unless it expressly waives its rights
thereto. (3) The sharing, use, and sale of copyrights for materials
developed for use by multiple faculty teaching different sections of the same
course shall be governed by any existing collective bargaining agreement with
faculty members. (D) Patents (1) The university shall
have ownership of patent rights to patentable inventions created by university
personnel in direct connection with activities involving a significant
allocation of university resources. (2) The university shall
convey patent rights to the inventors in accordance with an underlying
procedure to this policy. Such conveyance shall be given in writing upon
approval by the provost. (E) Licensing, royalties and distribution
of income (1) University personnel
may be eligible for participation in the distribution of income, as established
by an underlying procedure. This eligibility does not apply to works for
hire. (2) If the university
grants a copyright or patent license to a commercial entity, the university may
seek a reasonable royalty from the licensee. Royalties earned on any
intellectual property owned by or assigned to the university will be
distributed to university personnel in accordance with a distribution schedule
established by an underlying procedure that will include a percentage to the
inventor. (F) Conflicts of interest and researcher
responsibilities (1) University faculty
and staff may not participate in or be directly involved in negotiating
external agreements for intellectual property that is owned, assigned to or
otherwise controlled by the university. (2) University personnel
who hold positions as operating officers or act in key decision-making
capacities in businesses that have or intend to establish commercial or
business relationships with the university must disclose such positions to the
university. (G) Procedures The university will establish procedures in
collaboration with appropriate university constituencies, including the shawnee
education association, to effectively implement this policy.
Last updated December 19, 2022 at 11:44 AM
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Rule 3362-2-12 | Faculty workload.
Effective:
December 26, 2025
(A) Purpose Shawnee state university is primarily an undergraduate institution with some graduate level programs. Teaching is the primary means by which a faculty member contributes to the institutional mission. The university recognizes that the undergraduate teaching mission is the foundation upon which flexibility is granted for the achievement in scholarship, research, commercialization, and service. Besides classroom teaching hours, faculty workload also includes classroom preparation, research or scholarship, service, advising, and commercialization which advances the university mission. Under the authority of section 3345.45 of the Revised Code, the board of trustees establishes the following faculty workload rule. (B) Scope of authority (1) All faculty members will be assigned a full (one hundred per cent) workload based upon their full-service, full-time, or part-time status. (2) At Shawnee state university one hundred per cent workload shall equal thirty-three to thirty-four credit hours/or credit hour equivalents (CHE) spread over the fall and spring semesters in an academic year. (C) Definitions (1) Credit hour: In accordance with the credit hour definition stated in 34 C.F.R. 600.2 and in agreement with Shawnee state university policy 2.17 credit hour assignment, one credit hour of teaching workload is equivalent to seven hundred fifty minutes of faculty-led instruction (in-person or online) and at least fifteen hundred minutes of out-of-class planning, preparation, assessment, and revision over the term in which the course is delivered. (2) Substantial: As used in this policy related to research, scholarship, commercialization, and service, substantial activity is of a quantity and quality that is ongoing, productive, and with the aim of exceeding basic expectations. (D) Undergraduate teaching requirement Across each department in which undergraduate programs are assigned, all faculty will engage in teaching undergraduate students. (E) Teaching workload duties Teaching workload obligations include meeting all sessions of assigned classes, class preparation, timely grading of and return to students of assignments and examinations, and maintaining of office hours and/or other methods of permitting students in their classes to meet with them. (F) Full-service faculty workload (1) The normal fall and spring semester classroom teaching load for continuing contract, tenure-track, and tenured full-service (FS) and full-service temporary/visiting (FST) faculty is greater than or equal to twenty-four credit hours. (2) The minimum twenty-four credit hour teaching load expected of FS and FST faculty represents at least seventy per cent of their total workload. (3) Faculty (FS and FST) workload also includes required research, scholarship, commercialization, or service which advances the university mission. The research, scholarship, commercialization, or service must be substantial, measurable and will comprise no more than thirty per cent of the total FS and FST faculty workload. (4) Faculty with significant leadership positions within the department, university, or union including those serving as department chairs, academic program directors, graduate program directors, or the faculty director of the graduate school receive reassignment of their teaching workload for performing these administrative duties. A faculty member holding such a position may receive up to twelve credit hours per academic year toward their teaching workload for this work. (5) Research, scholarship, commercialization, and service activities are assigned credit hour equivalency as shown in the table in appendix a of this policy. (6) Faculty members will be accountable for meeting expectations in teaching excellence and substantial research, scholarship, commercialization and/or service. This shall be evaluated during annual performance evaluations conducted in accordance with policy 2.26 faculty annual performance evaluation. (G) Full-time instructor and clinical faculty workload (1) The normal fall and spring classroom teaching load for full -time instructors (FTI) and full-time online instructors (FTO) on the semester system is thirty credit hours. The normal fall and spring classroom teaching load for full-time temporary instructors (FTT) is fifteen credit hours during only one semester of the academic year. (2) Teaching load for full-time instructors (FTI) shall represent up to ninety per cent of their total workload. The remaining time shall be dedicated to service in the form of committee meetings, scheduled office hours, etc. (3) The normal fall and spring classroom teaching load for clinical faculty (CF) on the semester system is twenty-four credit hours. (a) Teaching associated with clinical lab or field experiences, clinical instruction, and clinical supervision shall represent up to eighty per cent of a CFs workload. (b) The remaining time shall be dedicated to service in the form of committee meetings, participation in accreditation requirements, scheduled office hours, etc. (c) CFs may also be assigned regularly scheduled hours in a student practice lab and receive credit hour equivalency (CHE) to a regularly scheduled lab course. (4) Service workload CHE for FTIs and CFs will be determined according to the table listed in appendix a of this rule. (H) Part-time faculty workload (1) The maximum normal fall and spring semester classroom teaching load for part-time faculty on the semester system is nineteen credit hours. (2) Part-time faculty are not expected to engage in other duties, but are expected to fulfill all teaching obligations as listed in paragraph (E) of this rule. (I) Compliance with faculty workload policy expectations (1) All faculty covered by this policy may face administrative review of their compliance in completing their assigned workload. (2) A department chair or school director may report to the appropriate college dean, any concerns regarding compliance for faculty who hold temporary contracts and who are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The dean will meet with the faculty member to discuss concerns and determine the administrative action that should be taken. Actions may include censure, remedial training, for-cause termination, or other disciplinary action. (3) A department chair or school director may report to the appropriate college dean any concerns regarding compliance for faculty who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, regardless of tenure status or eligibility. Concerns shall be addressed according to the procedure set forth in the collective bargaining agreement to address complaints concerning violations of university policy, or through the post-tenure review process, if appropriate. (J) Prevailing provisions (1) Until August 22, 2027, the 2024-2027 collective bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and the Shawnee education association article ten non-tenure track faculty and article twelve workload and course load responsibilities prevail over any conflicting provisions adopted in this policy and accompanying appendix. (2) Beginning August 23, 2027, this rule, faculty workload, and any amendments hereto, prevails over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into after August 22, 2027.
Last updated December 26, 2025 at 1:07 AM
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Rule 3362-2-15 | University promotion and tenure system.
Effective:
December 26, 2025
(A) Policy purpose Shawnee state university recognizes that a clearly articulated promotion and tenure system that is based upon a comprehensive peer review process serves as an effective means towards promoting and supporting continued excellence of its faculty. This rule is adopted as required by section 3345.454 of the Revised Code. (B) Definitions (1) Tenure system: A peer based mentoring, evaluation and promotion system for faculty. (2) Tenure: The continuous employment status awarded to an eligible faculty member by the board of trustees upon determination the faculty member has fulfilled the requirements of tenure in accordance with the criteria and rigorous peer-mentoring and review process detailed in procedure 2.15:1. Tenured faculty may only be disciplined or terminated for just cause. (C) Awarding of tenure (1) The awarding of tenure is the university's recognition of a faculty member's achievement and reflects the highest standard of academic excellence. (2) The awarding of tenure is the sole prerogative of the board of trustees. (D) Eligibility and review for awarding tenure (1) Only faculty appointed to established tenure-track positions will be eligible for tenure. Shawnee state university (SSU) faculty recognized as having tenure under any previous Shawnee state university agreement will continue to have tenure status. (2) The awarding of tenure will be the result of an articulated promotion and tenure system that is rigorous in nature and will include a systematic and structured peer review that includes mentoring, performance review and performance evaluation of each faculty member serving in a tenure-track position over an established period of time. Faculty who successfully complete the tenure review process will be awarded tenure by the board of trustees. (3) An award of tenure is earned by faculty members on the basis of their past performance during the tenure-track period as evaluated by tenured faculty, the academic administration, university president, and the board of trustees. The award of tenure shall be based on a record of demonstrated achievements in teaching, university service, scholarship, and/or commercialization as set forth in procedure 2.15:1. (E) Annual evaluation of tenured faculty In order to promote continuous development of faculty awarded tenure, tenured faculty shall undergo annual performance evaluation according to policy 2.26 and regular peer evaluation of professional development in the area of teaching according to policy 2.27 . (F) Prevailing provisions (1) Until August 22, 2027, the 2024-2027 collective bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and the Shawnee education association article eleven, promotion and tenure, and appendix a promotion and tenure guidelines, criteria, and sources of evidence prevail over any conflicting provisions adopted in this rule and procedure 2.15:1. (2) Beginning August 23, 2027, this rule, university promotion and tenure system and procedure 2.15:1 prevail over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into after August 22, 2027.
Last updated December 26, 2025 at 1:07 AM
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Rule 3362-2-16 | Intellectual property rights for students.
(A) Purpose and application (1) Shawnee state
university is committed to providing an educational environment that fosters
student creativity and the sharing of ideas. The university is committed to
making its resources available to its students to support this
effort. (2) This policy is
applicable to all Shawnee state enrolled and continuing students. (B) Definitions (1) These definitions
apply to all sections of the policy. (a) A copyrighted intellectual property describes original
works of authorship that have been fixed in a tangible medium of expression,
including, but not limited to, written materials, dissertations, papers,
articles, books, poems, audiovisual materials, videos, audio recordings,
architectural drawings, on-line instructional materials, musical compositions,
dramatic creations, software, databases, photographs, or sculptures that are
likely to be subject to protection under United States copyright
law. (b) Patentable intellectual property describes inventions,
discoveries, and manufacturing designs that have been reduced to practice, and
are considered novel and likely to be subject to protection under United States
patent law. (c) Work for hire is a work prepared by an employee, who
may be a student employee, within the scope of his or her employment, or is a
work or project directed by or specially ordered or commissioned by the
university. (C) Copyright (1) All rights granted
under copyright law for a particular work remain with the authors (creators) of
the work. (2) All student works
created from independent work, research and/or academic work, whether supported
by university resources or facilities, belong exclusively to the student,
unless excepted by written agreement, expressly waived, or if prohibited by
law. (3) The university will
not have an interest in copyright ownership of student work, except in the
following instances: (a) When the work is a work for hire. (b) When the work is created as a result from a prior
university agreement with an outside sponsor from a grant
agreement. (D) Patents Ownership of patent rights to inventions or
discoveries created independently by students, whether supported by university
resources or facilities, belongs exclusively to the student, unless excepted by
written agreement, expressly waived or if prohibited by law.
Last updated October 15, 2024 at 1:42 PM
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Rule 3362-2-17 | Credit hour assignment.
Effective:
September 2, 2022
(A) Introduction (1) Shawnee state
university's (SSU) credit hour definitions constitute a formalization of
policy in order to: (a) Ensure compliance with federal and accreditation
expectations; (b) Ensure compliance also with Ohio department of higher
education's credit hour definition; and (c) To provide consistency throughout the university. Courses may
be comprised of any combination of elements described, such as a lecture course
which also has required laboratory periods or a lecture course having an
additional requirement for supervised practice time. (2) Shawnee state
requires this policy to be practiced by all full-time and part-time faculty.
All definitions and standards apply equally to courses offered both on and off
campus. (B) Credit hour definitions and
equivalence The requirements that follow represent minuma for
average students; however, deviation in excess of these requirements may occur,
particularly at the graduate level. In the interest of accurate academic
measurement, cross-campus comparability, and clarifying the relationship among
contact hours, work outside of class, and credit hours, the following policies
and practices apply: (1) Formalized
instruction requirement Consistent with the Ohio department of higher
education's definition, a semester credit hour is earned for a minimum of
seven hundred fifty total instructional minutes of classroom instruction, with
a normal expectation of at least one thousand five hundred minutes of outside
study (homework, reading assignments, preparation for class) for each credit
hour. Credit hours may be calculated differently for
other types of instruction (e.g., laboratory experience, directed practice
experience, practicum experience, fieldwork experience, and studio experience)
as long as the credit hour calculations align with commonly accepted practices
in higher education and with the regulations of institutional accreditors and
the federal financial aid program. (2) Shortened sessions
and/or flexibly scheduled courses Credit hours may be earned in shortened
session. Courses offered over a period of time other than a standard Shawnee
state university full-semester will require the same amount of classroom and
out-of-class work per credit hour as is required of SSU semester-long courses.
The same amount of work will be distributed over a shorter period of time and
may be allocated in various ways. Shortened session and flexibly scheduled
classroom courses will adjust the per-class meeting instructional minutes as
appropriate, given the number of class meetings, so as to meet the total
instructional minutes' requirement. (3) Distance education,
online and hybrid (blended) courses SSU's credit hour policy and credit award
practice for distance education, e.g., online and hybrid courses, will be
consistent and equivalent with the standards for courses offered through
face-to-face instruction, although some or all of course content and
faculty-student interaction occurs through one or more forms of distance
education. (a) Fully online For courses in which one hundred per cent of
the instruction is delivered in an online mode, each credit hour consists of
seven hundred fifty minutes of instructor-led, computer-assisted modules,
multimedia interaction, discussions, and/or assessment activities as documented
in the course syllabus, and one thousand five hundred minutes of supporting
"homework" consisting of independent preparatory work, such as
readings, viewing of instructional materials, or writing. Online courses which
have traditional lecture course equivalents are expected to achieve equivalent
student learning outcomes for the equivalent number of credit hours. (b) Hybrid (blended) courses This modality uses the same requirements as
fully online courses with the exception that each credit hour or portions
thereof may include on-campus scheduled direct/in-person faculty directed
instruction or assessment. (4) Courses involving
travel Transportation time does not count towards
student work effort unless time is simultaneously used for a designated
learning activity. (5) Other
courses Student teaching, clinical experience,
cooperative education, study abroad, internship, field placement, experiential
learning activity, independent study, thesis, dissertation, or other academic
work that fit no other classification may receive credit if the work is
performed under the supervision of and with the approval of a member of the
faculty and with a formal written agreement noting the nature of the academic
work that is approved also by the appropriate academic program
leader/coordinator, chair, or similar overseeing authority at a program-wide
level. In this modality, each credit hour consists of no less than two thousand
two hundred fifty minutes spent on approved work during the term of
instruction. Specific curricula/programs may require more minutes in order to
award one credit hour. Credit for these experiences may be determined in
accordance with the recommendations of a program's specific accreditor or
other applicable regulations.
Last updated September 2, 2022 at 8:40 AM
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Rule 3362-2-18 | Textbook selection.
(A) Purpose Pursuant to state legislation including section
3345.025 of the Revised Code, it is the policy of Shawnee state university to
respect the academic freedom of faculty in choosing textbooks and other
instructional materials and to encourage efforts to minimize the cost of
textbooks and other instructional materials. (B) Academic freedom It is the policy of Shawnee state university to
respect the academic freedom of faculty to select textbooks and education
materials they judge to be most appropriate for their courses and most
effective for student learning. Specifically, the university believes faculty
should have the right to choose curricular materials and pedagogical techniques
within the reasonable boundaries of professional discretion subject to relevant
standards of academic merit, teaching effectiveness, and consistency with
catalogue course description. (C) Reducing student cost It is the policy of Shawnee state university to
encourage or require efforts, as directed by the state legislature or Ohio
department of higher education, to minimize the costs of textbooks and other
instructional materials for students. Such efforts may include but are not
limited to the following: (1) High quality,
open-access sources. (2) Inclusive-access
programs in which students choose to pay a course fee that includes access to
below-market price instructional materials available to students at the
beginning of a course. Such programs must comply with United States department
of education regulations for the use of title IV funds. (3) An auto adoption
procedure, as discussed in paragraph (D) of this policy. (D) Auto adoption
requirement (1) To the maximum extent
reasonably practical, faculty members will disclose required and recommended
textbooks to students not later than the first date of course registration for
the semester in which the textbooks will be used. (2) In cases in which a
faculty member does not disclose required and recommended textbooks to students
by the date set forth in this paragraph, the faculty member will be deemed to
have selected identical materials, including the same title and the same
edition, from the prior semester in which the course was offered. (E) Scope This policy applies to all full-time and
part-time undergraduate and graduate course faculty, including
instructors.
Last updated July 18, 2022 at 8:16 AM
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Rule 3362-2-19 | Transfer credit.
Effective:
February 27, 2023
(A) Policy statement and purpose (1) Understanding the variables involved in the transfer credit evaluation process for both undergraduate and international students is imperative to ensuring that students are awarded credit consistently and equitably. This policy is designed to facilitate the transfer of students and credits from other institutions and/or foreign institutions of higher education to Shawnee state university, assure maximum utilization of prior learning, and encourage students to advance as far through the educational system as they can in pursuit of their goals. (2) This policy aims to facilitate fair and consistent transfer credit evaluations for undergraduate and international course work. As used in this rule and related procedures, the following definitions shall apply: | Acceptability | In reference to course work, the quality of having met standards for evaluation and award of transfer credit. | | Accreditation | The educational status of an institution assessed by specific governing bodies and associations indicating that an institution has met certain minimum standards. | | Applicability | Course work that the degree-granting department/school deems appropriate for use within a degree program to fulfill specific requirements. | | College-level course work | Course work that is non-remedial, post-secondary, curriculum that offers an advanced level of content and rigor. | | International course work | Course work that is performed within the curriculum of a course of study in an institution located outside of the United States. | | Level of course work | The rank of a course as determined by the type of student for whom the course is designed, the content, and the expectations of completion (e.g., 1000 level, freshman; 2000 level, sophomore, etc.). | | Official transcript | A document issued by an institution showing enrollment dates, courses, grades, grading scale, and earned academic credentials. Transcripts must arrive directly from the originating institution to the appropriate office and be signed and certified by the registrar or similar institutional authority. | | Originating institution | An institution (i.e., college, university, agency, organization) at which course work has been taken and/or academic credit earned by a student seeking transfer credit. | | Semester hour equivalent value | The number of semester hours of credit assigned to a course on the basis of content and amount of time required for completion. |
(B) Implementation-undergraduate (1) This rule is consistent with the Ohio articulation and transfer policy, first adopted by the Ohio department of higher education in November of 1990; and, the joint statement on the transfer and award of credit. The Ohio articulation and transfer policy complies with state statutory and policy requirements, including, but not limited to, sections 3333.16, 3333.161, 3333.162, and 3333.164 of the Revised Code. (2) When evaluating whether to award transfer credit, the university registrar office uses a multifactorial process initially driven by an assessment of the educational quality of the course work as evidenced by the accreditation held by the originating institution. Transfer credit will be awarded provided the course is similar in level and content to Shawnee state course offerings. The appropriate instructional department has the authority to determine equivalent Shawnee state credit for transfer courses which have not been established through ODHE transfer initiatives and/or established articulation agreements. (3) Shawnee state university will award transfer credit for courses that have been approved through the following transfer programs: OT36, TAG, CTAG, ITAG, and MTAG. In addition, the university will honor transfer equivalencies that are established as part of articulation agreements with other institutions. (4) Shawnee state employs, updates in accordance with, and recognizes the research and recommendations of professional associations to establish best practices in transfer credit evaluation. Associations commonly used include, but are not limited to, the American association of collegiate registrars and admissions officers (AACRAO), American council on education (ACE), and council for higher education accreditation (CHEA). (5) Shawnee state requires that students complete a minimum of twenty hours of credit for associate degree or thirty hours of credit for the baccalaureate in residence at Shawnee state university. (C) Implementation-international (1) Evaluation methodology (a) International course work will be evaluated based on a course-by-course evaluation completed by incred (international credential evaluations) based on the originating institution's official transcript. (b) If Shawnee state determines that the credit from the foreign institution is eligible for evaluation and meets standards for satisfactory academic performance as defined in this rules's procedures, Shawnee state will apply criteria relative to the level and content of the course to determine acceptability for transfer credit. (c) The university registrar oversees the awarding of undergraduate transfer credit, and the appropriate degree-granting department/school will determine its applicability to specific degree requirements. (2) Professionally recognized resources and recommendations Shawnee state employs, updates in accordance with, and recognizes the research and recommendations of professional associations to establish best practices in international transfer credit evaluation. Associations commonly used include, but are not limited to, the American association of collegiate registrars and admissions officers (AACRAO), American council on education (ACE), council for higher education accreditation (CHEA), and NAFSA: association for international educators. (D) Implementation-graduate (1) Shawnee state's policy on graduate transfer is consistent with best practices recommended by the council of graduate schools and guidelines provided by the Ohio department of higher education. (2) When deciding whether to award transfer credit, the graduate program director will determine equivalencies based on level of coursework, acceptability, and applicability. (3) Transfer credit is awarded based on program area requirements. Official transcripts must be forwarded from the transferring institution and must be mailed directly to graduate admissions. The grades of transferred courses are not posted to the Shawnee state transcript and are not used to calculate grade point averages. (E) Policy scope (1) International course work completed at non-U.S. institutions that hold regional accreditation is covered by this rule; however, course work completed at all other non-U.S. institutions is subject to the international transfer credit rule. (2) The acceptance of transfer courses for university transfer credit is distinct from the application of credit toward university degree requirements. While this rule governs the acceptability of undergraduate and graduate courses for university transfer credit, the applicability of credit is determined by the student's department/school. (F) Link to the Ohio department of higher education Ohio articulation and transfer policy: https://transfercredit.ohio.gov/educational-partners/educational-partner-initiatives/articulation-transfer-policy-policy
Last updated February 27, 2023 at 8:04 PM
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Rule 3362-2-20 | Institutional animal care and use.
Effective:
February 27, 2023
(A) Purpose statement The purpose of this rule is to ensure the humane
care and use of live, vertebrate animals in research, teaching, training, and
biological testing activities; to ensure a safe climate for conducting
scientific inquiry; and to ensure that Shawnee state university complies with
all applicable regulations. In cases of conflict between this rule and federal
regulations, the federal regulations take precedence. (B) Applicability and ethical principles (1) This rule applies to all activities which, in whole or
in part, involve research, teaching, training, and biological testing of live,
vertebrate animals if: (a) Such activities are
sponsored by Shawnee state university; or (b) Such activities are
directed or conducted by university faculty or staff in connection with their
institutional responsibilities; or (c) Such activities are
conducted by university students under the direction of university faculty or
staff; or (d) Such activities are
conducted at the university or involve use of university property;
or (e) Such activities are
conducted at another institution as a consequence of sub-granting activities or
the establishment of other cooperative agreements. (2) Shawnee state university will make a reasonable effort
to ensure that all individuals involved in the care and use of animals
understand their individual and collective responsibilities for compliance with
this rule as well as all other applicable laws and regulations pertaining to
animal care and use. (3) Shawnee state university will comply with all
applicable provisions of the Animal Welfare Act and other federal statutes and
regulations relating to use of animals in teaching and research. (C) Institutional animal care and use committee
(IACUC) (1) The provost will appoint three faculty members to the
IACUC as well as one outside committee member who is not affiliated with the
institution and is not an immediate family member of a person affiliated with
the university. The committee will be responsible for electing a
chairperson. (2) The term for each member will be three years and will
commence at the beginning of autumn semester and end at the conclusion of
spring semester of the final year of service. (3) The IACUC will report to the provost or provost's
designee. (4) The IACUC will be responsible for receiving, vetting,
and approving institutional animal care and use proposals. All work with
vertebrate animals must be approved by the IACUC prior to work
commencing. (5) The IACUC will conduct a six-month review of the
university's program and facilities where applicable teaching and research
take place. (D) Procedures The provost or provost's designee is
responsible for establishing procedures to ensure that the IACUC and the
university's research involving live, vertebrate animals are in
conformance with federal, state, and local laws. Procedures will include
information regarding meetings of the IACUC, the application approval process
for students and faculty, standards and criteria for program and facility
review, and standards for record keeping.
Last updated February 27, 2023 at 8:04 PM
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Rule 3362-2-21 | Accommodations for student religious beliefs.
(A) Purpose The university is dedicated to reasonably accommodating the sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements or absences for reasons of faith or their religious or spiritual belief system. (B) Absences A student will be granted up to three days each academic semester to take holidays for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system, or participate in organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or other religious or spiritual organization. The university shall not impose an academic penalty as a result of a student being absent as permitted in this policy. (C) Alternative accommodations (1) Students will be provided with alternative accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements missed due to an absence described in paragraph 2.0, if both of the following apply: (a) The student's sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student's ability to take an examination or meet an academic requirement; and (b) Not later than fourteen days after the first day of instruction in a particular course, the student provides the instructor with written notice of the specific dates for which the student requests alternative accommodations. (2) The university shall accept without question the sincerity of a student's religious or spiritual belief system. An instructor shall keep requests for alternative accommodations confidential. An instructor shall schedule a time and date for an alternative examination, which may be before or after the time and date the examination or other academic requirement was originally scheduled but shall do so without prejudicial effect. (D) Policy posting Both of the following will be posted in a prominent location on the university website: (1) A copy of this policy and the contact information of an individual who can provide further information about the policy; (2) A non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays or festivals for the next two academic years. The posting shall explicitly state that the list is non-exhaustive, and that it may not be used to deny accommodations to a student for a holiday or festival of the student's faith or religious or spiritual belief system that does not appear on the list. No inclusion or exclusion of a religious holiday or festival on the list shall preclude a student from full and reasonable accommodations for any sincerely held religious beliefs and practices with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements and absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system provided under this policy. (E) Syllabus posting Faculty members are required to include in each course syllabus a statement regarding this policy. The statement shall include both of the following: (1) A description of the general procedure for requesting accommodations; (2) Contact information for an individual whom a student may contact for more information about the policy. (F) Grievances If a student believes that a reasonable accommodation was improperly denied, the student may appeal the instructor's decision as outlined in accompanying procedure 2.21:1. The request must be in writing with reasons for support, and made within seven calendar days of the date of the notice of denial. (G) Procedures The president is authorized to enact procedures to address the list of major religious holidays discussed in paragraph 4.2, contact information for students to obtain more information about this policy as discussed in paragraphs 4.1 and 5.2, additional details regarding the grievance procedure discussed in paragraph 6.0, and other matters to carry out the purposes of this policy as he or she sees fit.
Last updated May 6, 2023 at 12:09 AM
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Rule 3362-2-22 | Student work experiences, internships, and cooperative education programs.
Effective:
February 28, 2025
(A) Purpose Shawnee state university is committed to
providing programming that responds to the needs of a dynamic and evolving
workforce. This includes integration of quality, major-related work experiences
into the education of students through degree requirements and cocurricular
programming. These offerings shall allow the student to develop transferable
skills, expand their professional network, and evaluate potential career
options. This rule serves to further the university's commitment to these
outcomes by defining types of student work experiences, internships, and
cooperative education programs and establishing consistent parameters for
implementation of such programming. (B) Definitions (1) Work experience. Work
experience involves learning practical skills and gaining insights in a work
setting in order to understand specific roles, companies, or career paths. This
may include short duration shadowing typically done without any
payment. (2) Internship. An
internship is a partnership between students, the university, and an
employer(s) that formally integrates academic study with work or community
service experience. Internships: (a) Are of a specified and definite duration; (b) Evaluate each participating student's performance
from both the university and employer perspectives; (c) May provide the student with academic credit upon
successful completion and/or may provide students with compensation in the form
of wages, salaries, stipends, or scholarships. (d) May be full-time or part-time during the internship
period. (3) Cooperative education
(co-op). A co-op is a partnership between students, the university, and an
employer(s) that formally integrates academic study with work experience in
cooperating employer organizations and: (a) Alternates or combines periods of academic study and
work experience in appropriate fields as an integral part of student
education; (b) Provides students with compensation from the
cooperative employer in the form of wages or salaries for work
performed; (c) Evaluates student performance in the co-op position
from both the university and cooperative employer perspective; (d) Provides academic credit upon successful completion of
their cooperative education; (e) Is part of an overall degree or certificate program for
which a percentage of the total program is acceptable to the chancellor of the
Ohio department of higher education and involves cooperative
education. (C) Participation in work experiences,
internships, and/or co-ops should not automatically extend a student's
overall time to degree completion. This may require completion of experiences
or courses during the summer semester. (D) Where accredited programs of study
have requirements for clinical and field experiences dictated by their
accrediting bodies, any conflicts created by this rule with the requirements
from the accreditor are settled in favor of the accrediting body. (E) Faculty and staff shall not prevent
students from participating in a work experience, internship, or co-op that
meets established learning outcomes on the basis that the student is both
financially compensated and earning academic credit for the
opportunity. (F) In all instances where a degree
program requires a mandatory work experience, internship, or co-op, students
will be given assistance from the department or school in identifying employers
who will enter into a partnership with the student and the university that is
designed to meet required learning outcomes. (G) Co-op and internship experiences must
be educational, allowing opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a
real-world setting. It must not only advance the operations of the employer or
replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform. (1) Each opportunity
shall include a position description, with clear responsibilities and
qualifications. (2) Each opportunity will
have clearly defined learning objectives in alignment with academic program
goals and institutional requirements. (3) Each opportunity will
include direct supervision by a professional(s) with relevant expertise,
education, and/or professional experience who provides feedback, guidance, and
resources for successful completion of the work experience, internship, or
co-op. (4) Unless prohibited by
a programmatic accrediting body, students will not be disallowed from
participating in a work experience, internship, or co-op based upon their
currently holding a regular position of employment with the cooperating
employer. The participating student shall gain new skills and experience
outside of their normal employment job description or duties while engaged in
the work experience, internship, or co-op. (H) Employers entering into work
experience, internship, or co-op arrangements are expected to: (1) Adhere to ethical and
legal recruiting, interviewing, selection, and offer practices and regulations
of the U.S. equal employment opportunity commission; (2) Be legitimate
organizations that can provide verifiable information such as business name,
type of business (sole proprietorship, corporation, LLC, partnership, or
other), physical address, contact name, email address, phone number, and
website; (3) Share any materials
received from Shawnee state students (letters, resumes, transcripts, etc.) with
only those persons involved in the selection or hiring process. This may extend
to clinical supervisors or coordinators at the location; (4) Enter into clinical
affiliation agreements/contracts where required by programmatic accrediting
bodies, degree programs, or the university. (I) The university reserves the right to
decline work experience, internship, or co-op arrangements or offers that do
not match the mission or goals of the academic program or institutional
requirements. Examples include: (1) Work in private homes
such as childcare, tutoring, nannying, moving, etc.; (2) Positions that pay
students in cash, in informal arrangements, or commission-only positions
(students who are compensated via accepted forms must receive a W-2 or form
1099); (3) Fast food, catering,
bartending or other food service; (4) Adult industry,
escort services, or similar organizations; (5) Network, matrix, or
pyramid marketing organizations; (6) Organizations
involved in the production or promotion of cannabis. Important links: Ohio department of higher
education internship and co-op information
Last updated February 28, 2025 at 7:51 AM
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Rule 3362-2-23 | Diversity, equity, and inclusion and other concepts.
Effective:
October 3, 2025
(A) Purpose The purpose of this rule is to set forth the rule
of the Ohio general assembly as defined by the advance Ohio higher education
act of the 136th General Assembly, codified in section 3345.0217 of the Revised
Code, and to keep the university eligible for state operating subsidy payments,
state capital improvement funds, and other state appropriations to the fullest
extent possible. (B) Definitions (1) As used in this
policy, the following definitions shall apply. (a) "Controversial belief or policy" means any
belief or policy that is the subject of political controversy, including issues
such as climate policies; electoral politics; foreign policy; diversity,
equity, and inclusion programs; immigration policy; marriage; or abortion.
(b) "Intellectual diversity" means multiple,
divergent, and varied perspectives on an extensive range of public policy
issues. (C) Prohibitions - diversity, equity, and
inclusion (1) The university
prohibits the following: (a) Any orientation or training course regarding diversity,
equity, and inclusion, unless the university submits a written request for an
exception to the chancellor of the Ohio department of higher education because
the university determines the orientation or training course is exempt from the
prohibition on the basis that all aspects of the orientation or course are
required to: (i) Comply with state and
federal laws or regulations; or (ii) Comply with state or
federal professional licensure requirements; or (iii) Obtain or retain
accreditation. (b) The continuation of existing diversity, equity, and
inclusion offices or departments; (c) The establishment of new diversity, equity, and
inclusion offices or departments; (d) The use of diversity, equity, and inclusion in job
descriptions; (e) Contracting with consultants or third-parties whose
role is or would be to promote admissions, hiring, or promotion on the basis of
race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender
expression; (f) The establishment of any new university scholarships
that use diversity, equity, and inclusion in any manner. (D) Existing scholarships For any university scholarships that were in
existence on June 26, 2025, the university shall, to the extent possible,
eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements. If the university is
unable to do so because of donor requirements, the university will continue to
offer the scholarships but will not accept any additional funds for the
operation of the scholarships. (E) Bar on renaming programs to avoid
prohibitions The university will not replace any orientation,
training, office, or position formerly designated for diversity, equity, and
inclusion with an orientation, training, office, or position under a different
designation that serves the same or similar purposes, or uses the same or
similar means. (F) Exception for certain research
grants (1) If the requirements
to obtain a research grant conflict with any of the prohibitions listed in
paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule, the university will attempt to
the extent possible, to comply with paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this
rule while retaining eligibility for the research grant, including by
consulting with the general counsel. If the university is unable to comply with
paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule with respect to a research
grant, a written request for an exception will be submitted to the chancellor
of the Ohio department of higher education. (2) The exception request
referenced in paragraph (F)(1) of this rule, will explain the circumstances and
the effort made by the university to comply with paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to
(C)(1)(f) of this rule while retaining eligibility for the research grant.
(3) Agreements or
contracts regarding research grants entered into prior to June 26, 2025 will
not be subject to paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule. However, any
renewal of such agreements or contracts after June 26, 2025 shall be subject to
paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule. (G) Affirmations and declarations
(1) The university
affirms and declares that: (a) Its primary function is to practice, or support the
practice, discovery, improvement, transmission, and dissemination of knowledge
and citizenship education by means of research, teaching, discussion, and
debate. (b) To fulfill the function described in paragraph
(G)(1)(a) of this rule, the university shall ensure the fullest degree of
intellectual diversity. (c) University faculty and staff shall allow and encourage
students to reach their own conclusions about all controversial beliefs or
policies and shall not seek to indoctrinate any social, political, or religious
point of view. (d) It will not endorse or oppose, as a university, any
controversial belief or policy, except: (i) On matters that
directly impact the university's funding or mission of discovery,
improvement, and dissemination of knowledge. (ii) The university may
endorse the congress of the United States when it establishes a state of armed
hostility against a foreign power. (iii) The university may
recognize national and state holidays and may support the constitution and laws
of the United States and the state of Ohio. Display of the United States or
Ohio flag does not violate paragraph (G)(1)(d) of this rule. (e) The university will not encourage, discourage, require,
or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or
publicly express a given ideology, political stance, or view of a social
policy, nor will the university require students to do any of those things to
obtain an undergraduate or post-graduate degree. (f) No hiring, promotion, or admissions process or decision
shall encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or
administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or
political stance. (g) The university will not use a diversity statement or
any other assessment of an applicant's political or ideological views in
any hiring, promotions, or admissions process or decision. (h) No process or decision regulating conditions of work or
study, such as committee assignments, course scheduling, or workload adjustment
policies, shall encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or
administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or
political stance. (i) The university will seek out invited speakers who have
diverse ideological or political views. (H) Permissible activity (1) Paragraphs (G)(1)(a)
to (G)(1)(c) of this rule, do not apply to the exercise of professional
judgment about how to accomplish intellectual diversity within an academic
discipline, unless that exercise is misused to constrict intellectual
diversity. (2) Paragraphs (G)(1)(d)
and (G)(1)(e) of this rule do not apply to the exercise of professional
judgment about whether to endorse the consensus or foundational beliefs of an
academic discipline, unless that exercise is misused to take an action
prohibited in paragraph (G)(1)(d) of this rule. (I) Curriculum requirements The university will demonstrate intellectual
diversity for course approval, approval of courses to satisfy general education
requirements, student course evaluations, common reading programs, annual
reviews, strategic goals for each department, and student learning outcomes.
(J) Hiring, promotions, and
admissions The university prohibits political and
ideological litmus tests in all hiring, promotion, and admissions decisions,
including diversity statements and any other requirement that applicants
describe their commitment to any ideology, principle, concept, or formulation
that requires commitment to any controversial belief or policy. (K) Speaker fees (1) The university will
post prominently on its web site a complete list of all speaker fees,
honoraria, and other emoluments in excess of five hundred dollars for events
that are sponsored by the university. That information shall be: (a) Accessible from the main page of the university's
web site by use of not more than three links; (b) Searchable by keywords and phrases; and (c) Accessible to the public without requiring user
registration of any kind. (L) Complaints under this
policy The university will respond to complaints from
any student, student group, or faculty member about an alleged violation of the
prohibitions and requirements included in the policy adopted under this chapter
using the process established under procedure 5.10:2.
Last updated October 6, 2025 at 8:09 AM
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Rule 3362-2-24 | Curriculum approval process.
Effective:
December 1, 2025
(A) Purpose The purpose of this rule is to establish a
curricular approval process as codified in section 3345.457 of the Revised
Code. This rule applies to the following curricular actions: establishing or
modifying academic programs, curricula, courses, general education
requirements, and degree programs. This rule applies to the approval,
rejection, and discontinuation of academic programs. (B) Scope of authority (1) The Shawnee state
university board of trustees is the ultimate authority to establish and modify
academic programs, schools, colleges, institutes, departments, and centers at
Shawnee state university. (a) The Shawnee state university board of trustees also
retains final authority over adoption and modification of the curricular
approval process required to establish, modify, or discontinue curricula,
courses, general education requirements, and degree programs. (b) The Shawnee state university board of trustees has the
overriding authority to approve or reject any establishment or modification of
academic programs, curricula, courses, general education requirements, and
degree programs. (2) The Shawnee state
university faculty senate shall have the opportunity to provide advice,
feedback, and recommendations on the establishment and modification of academic
programs, curricula, courses, general education requirements, and degree
programs. This feedback from the university faculty senate is advisory in
nature. (C) Process for establishing,
significantly modifying, or discontinuing academic programs Academic departments or schools may submit requests to establish,
significantly modify, or discontinue academic programs by first submitting a
proposal to the academic resource management committee (ARMC), chaired by the
provost. The faculty involved in the proposal shall meet with the office of
institutional budgeting and office of enrollment management to receive feedback
on budget and enrollment impacts, as well as marketing strategies. The proposal
will be reviewed at the department or school level by the chair or school
director, and submitted to the appropriate college dean for review and comment
prior to submission to the ARMC. (1) The faculty,
chair/school director, and dean associated with the proposal will present the
proposal to the members of the ARMC and answer questions regarding the
proposal. The ARMC shall vote to recommend support, postponement, or lack of
support for the proposal to the provost. (2) Upon
recommendation from the provost, the faculty may then submit the proper
curricular program and course proposals to the appropriate curricular approval
committee. (D) Curricular approval
committees (1) All proposals
reviewed by these committees must be submitted in the curriculum
software. (a) Members of the board of trustees may approve initiation
of a proposal for review and shall designate the provost to submit a board of
trustees initiated proposal into the software. Such proposals will start at the
appropriate committee for review. If the university has entered into an agreement, such as a
state-wide curricular agreement required by the Ohio department of higher
education or mandated by sections of state or federal law, the board of
trustees will review alignment of current curriculum and request that the
proposals needed to achieve the required outcomes of the agreement be submitted
by the provost. (b) The provost may initiate a proposal seeking to
discontinue an academic program when the department or school does not agree to
initiate such a proposal or when required to by law. (c) Current tenure-track and tenured faculty members may
initiate curricular proposals that shall be reviewed and recommended by their
department or school prior to review by the college dean. For graduate
curriculum proposals, the initiator must be a current tenure-track or tenured
graduate faculty member. (2) General education
advisory committee (GEAC): All curricular policies, assessment plans, and
proposals that impact the general education program (GEP) will be reviewed and
evaluated by the GEAC. All course proposals received by GEAC will be evaluated
to ensure that the course meets the learning outcomes for its respective GEP
category and aligns with the GEP assessment plan. All business before the GEAC
will be made available for comment and criticism to the campus community via a
five-day open hearing process. All proposals recommended by the GEAC shall be
forwarded to the education policies and curriculum committee (EPCC) for review
and evaluation. The Shawnee state university administration shall assign one
senior administrator to be the primary representative to the GEAC. This senior
administrator will be a non-voting member of the GEAC. (3) Education policies
and curriculum committee (EPCC): All undergraduate educational policies and
curricula proposals, including those recommended by the GEAC, will be reviewed
and evaluated by the EPCC. All business before the EPCC will be made available
for comment and criticism to the campus community via a five-day open hearing
process. As needed, proposals requiring review and evaluation for distance
learning will be forwarded to the distance learning committee (DLC) upon
recommendation by the EPCC. All other proposals recommended by the EPCC shall
be forwarded to the university faculty senate (UFS). The Shawnee state
university administration shall assign one senior administrator to be the
primary representative to the EPCC. This senior administrator will be a
non-voting member of the EPCC. (4) Graduate council
(GC): All graduate educational policies and curricula proposals will be
reviewed and evaluated by the GC. All business before the GC will be made
available for comment and criticism to the campus community via a five-day open
hearing process. As needed, proposals requiring review and evaluation for
distance learning will be forwarded to the DLC upon recommendation by the GC.
All other proposals recommended by the GC shall be forwarded to the university
faculty senate (UFS). The Shawnee state university administration shall assign
one senior administrator to be the primary representative to the GC. This
senior administrator will be a non-voting member of the GC. (5) Distance learning
committee (DLC): All distance learning, hybrid (a defined percentage of class
sessions meet in person with additional instruction conducted online), hyflex
(a student may attend all class sessions in-person, online synchronously, or
online asynchronously), or online curricular and program proposals shall be
reviewed and evaluated by the DLC. Proposals for new courses and programs
seeking to use these modes of instruction shall first be referred from the
appropriate governance committee (EPCC or GC). Proposals seeking to add
distance learning modalities to existing courses may be submitted directly to
DLC following department/school and dean recommendation. All proposals
recommended by the DLC shall be forwarded to the university faculty senate
(UFS). The Shawnee state university administration shall assign one senior
administrator to be the primary representative to the DLC. This senior
administrator will be a non-voting member of the DLC. (6) University faculty
senate (UFS): Policy, program, and curricular proposals recommended by the
EPCC, GC or DLC will be reviewed and evaluated by the UFS. Matters for
consideration by the UFS may be referred to the UFS by any member of the
university community. Academic policies, curricular proposals, and resolutions
to be put before UFS must be submitted through the curriculum software. Upon
recommendation of the UFS, all proposals will be forwarded to the provost for
review and evaluation. (7) Upon receiving
curricular and policy recommendations from the UFS, the provost will evaluate
and review the proposals and make a recommendation that the proposals be
presented at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Shawnee state
university board of trustees during the academic and student affairs committee
meeting where the proposals will be considered for final approval. Proposals
approved by the academic and student affairs committee will be presented as
part of the consent agenda or as individual action items on the agenda of the
board of trustees meeting. A vote in favor for approval by the board of
trustees must be recorded before the university registrar incorporates
curricular changes into the Shawnee state university academic
catalog.
Last updated December 4, 2025 at 2:36 PM
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Rule 3362-2-25 | Low-enrolled courses.
Effective:
December 1, 2025
(A) Purpose The purpose of this rule is to create a
consistent framework for identifying low-enrolled courses across the entire
academic course schedule. The goal of this framework is to ensure balanced
enrollment in courses to improve student outcomes, accessibility to courses,
and efficiency of planning section and staffing needs. (B) Scope of authority (1) Shawnee state
university retains the right to schedule courses in accordance with
programmatic and student needs and the provost has the final authority over
class schedules. (2) Department chairs and
school directors will consult with program faculty in determining the timing,
rotation, and staffing of courses for each academic semester and session. The
department chairs and school directors will submit a recommended course
schedule to the appropriate college dean. (3) College deans will
review the recommended class schedules from the schools and departments in the
college. The dean may suggest or enact changes and has final approval over the
course schedule submitted to the registrar. A faculty member may request alterations to the published course
schedule; however, the department chair or school director will determine
whether such requests will be recommended to the college dean, and the dean has
discretion to approve or reject any such recommendation. (C) Determination of course section
capacities (1) Course capacities
will be established for all courses, as detailed below, regardless of whether
they are taught in-person, as a hybrid course (in which a defined percentage of
class sessions meet in person with additional instruction conducted online), or
in the hyflex modality (student can attend in person, online synchronously, or
online asynchronously). (a) Specific faculty-student ratios as determined in the
collective bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and the
faculty union unless and until such provisions have been superseded by a board
of trustees policy. (b) Faculty-student ratios for in-person courses not
covered by a collective bargaining agreement or superseding board policy are
determined by considering a combination of pedagogical, safety, and/ or
accreditation restrictions along with physical room capacity. Department chairs, school directors, and deans should strive
for consistent faculty-student ratios across all sections of the same in-person
course. (2) Course capacities for
fully online courses and course sections are determined by the collective
bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and its faculty union
unless and until such provisions are superseded by a board of trustees
policy. (3) In instances where
more than one course or course section is scheduled in the same room with the
same instructor at the same time (concurrent instruction), the faculty-student
ratio will be calculated using the total capacity in all sections or courses
included in the concurrent instruction format. (D) Identification and cancellation of
low-enrolled courses (1) Approximately six
weeks prior to the first day of classes for a semester, the college dean will
review the enrollments in each class section on the course
schedule. (2) Class sections that
have enrollment less than or equal to seventy per cent of the course capacity
("low-capacity sections") will be identified. The college dean will provide a list of low-capacity sections to
department chairs and school directors and engage in discussions as to whether
each low-capacity section should remain on the course schedule or should be
canceled due to low enrollment. No later than the end of the fifth week prior to the start of the
semester, department chairs and school directors will send written
justification for running low-capacity sections to the dean. The dean will
determine if each low-capacity section remains open or will be canceled. (a) The department chair or school director will provide
the class schedule to each faculty member in their unit no later than
four-weeks before the start of the semester. (b) If possible, the individual faculty
member assigned to a course that has been canceled should be reassigned to
another course or section if canceling a class is likely to decrease their
teaching workload to fall below twenty-four workload credits for the academic
year. (c) Faculty may request in writing to extend
the deadline for the dean's decision on cancellation of a low-capacity
section or course. If the dean grants this request, a deadline for a final
decision and enrollment requirement will be clearly communicated. (3) Following discussions
with chairs and school directors, if a course that is enrolled at less than or
equal to fifty per cent of its capacity is requested to remain on the course
schedule, the college dean must send the request with justification to the
provost for approval. This will also include requests to run emergency low-enrolled
sections and course sections not included in the teach-out plan for an academic
program undergoing a teach-out in anticipation of its discontinuation. (E) Later changes to class
schedule After faculty have received their class schedule (by the end of
week four prior to the start of the semester), the university shall not
subsequently change the faculty member's class schedule unless program
needs or enrollments require such action. Department chairs and school directors shall make reasonable
efforts to discuss needed changes with impacted faculty members prior to the
changes being made. (F) Monitoring of and removal of
infrequently scheduled courses from the academic catalog (1) At the start of each
spring semester, the office of institutional data, reporting, and analytics
will generate a report on courses listed as active in the academic catalog that
have not been offered in the past five academic years. The list will be shared
with the provost, registrar, and college deans. (2) The college deans
will engage in discussions with the department chairs and school directors
associated with these courses to determine the reason for not running the
courses on a regular rotation to allow students the opportunity to enroll in
the course. (3) The college deans
will provide a summary report to the provost and registrar with justification
for maintaining these courses in the academic catalog. (a) Following review of the justification, the provost and
registrar will determine if a course that has not been offered in the previous
five academic years should be removed from the academic catalog. (b) The provost will recommend courses that should be
removed from the academic catalog to the academic and student affairs committee
of the board of trustees. The board of trustees may approve a resolution
authorizing the provost to submit course discontinuation proposals as part of
the curriculum approval process.
Last updated December 4, 2025 at 2:36 PM
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Rule 3362-2-26 | Faculty annual performance evaluation.
Effective:
December 26, 2025
(A) Rule purpose This rule ensures compliance with the requirements of section 3345.452 of the Revised Code which mandates that all full-time faculty directly compensated by the university undergo annual performance evaluations using standardized, objective, and measurable performance metrics. (B) Scope This rule applies to all full-time faculty members directly compensated by Shawnee state university, including those in tenure-track, tenured, instructor, clinical instructor, and full-time online classifications who have more than one-year of employment at the university. (C) Timing of annual performance evaluation (1) Annual performance evaluations will be first conducted in the spring 2027-2028 semester and will include student evaluations completed during the spring and summer 2026-2027 and fall 2027-2028 semesters. (2) Full-time faculty members in the first three years on the tenure-track will follow the timeline in procedure 2.15:1 based on their contract year. The annual performance evaluation will be conducted beginning on or around February fifteenth and culminating with the provost notification (March fifteenth or June first) depending on the candidate timeline. (3) All other full-time faculty members will annually submit a self-evaluation in each performance area set forth in paragraph (D)(2) of this rule to be evaluated to their department chair/school director no later than March first of each spring semester. (4) The department chair/school director will complete the annual performance evaluation for each full-time faculty member in their unit between March fifteenth and April fifteenth of each academic year and submit their evaluation and recommendations to the college dean. (5) The college dean will review and the chair/director's evaluation send their recommendations to the provost by the grades due date for the spring semester. (6) The provost will review the recommendations and provide a final approval of the annual performance evaluation by June first. (D) Evaluation parameters (1) The annual performance evaluation will be comprehensive and include standardized, objective, and performance metrics. (2) The faculty member will be assessed in each of the following performance areas that they spent at least five per cent of their annual workload on over the preceding academic year: (a) Teaching (b) Research (c) Service (d) Clinical care (e) Administration (f) Commercialization Hereinafter, as used in this rule, "performance areas" shall mean the items in paragraphs (D)(2)(a) to (D)(2)(f) of this rule. (3) The evaluation will include a summary assessment of each of the performance areas with a rating for each area as to whether the faculty member "exceeds performance expectations," "meets performance expectations," or "does not meet performance expectations" . (4) Policy 2.11 details the percentage of teaching duties in the total annual workload for each faculty classification. In addition to reviewing student evaluations, peer evaluation of professional development in teaching, classroom observation, and/or review of teaching activities will be evaluated. The total teaching workload percentage assigned to the specific faculty member will equal the total weight assigned to the teaching performance area in the evaluation. For example, ninety per cent teaching and ten per cent service for a full-time instructor. Student evaluations conducted pursuant to section 3345.451 of the Revised Code will account for twenty-five per cent of the teaching performance area evaluation. These student evaluations will include the following three questions and answer options: (a) Does the faculty member create a classroom atmosphere free of political, racial, gender, and religious bias? (yes or no) (b) Are students encouraged to discuss varying opinions and viewpoints in class? (yes, no, or not applicable) (c) On a scale of one to ten, how effective are the teaching methods of this faculty member? (One is not effective and ten is extremely effective.) (5) The annual performance evaluation will establish a projected work effort distribution for the faculty member for the upcoming academic year, which shall be used during the next evaluation. The projected work effort will be in accordance with policy 2.11 and must be recommended by the dean and approved by the provost. (6) The remaining performance areas in which the faculty member spent at least five per cent of their workload allocation will be weighted according to the assigned percentage. (7) Annual performance evaluations shall be conducted by the department chair or school director, reviewed and approved/disapproved by the college dean or equivalent administrator, and submitted to the provost for review and final approval. If there is a disagreement between the department chair/school director and the dean, the provost shall have the final decision authority. (E) Appeal of final evaluation (1) Following receipt of the annual performance evaluation results, the faculty member may appeal the evaluation in any performance area in which they have been rated as "does not meet performance expectations. (2) Appeals must be submitted to the provost no later than the first Friday of the subsequent fall semester. (3) Within ten working days of receiving an appeal, the provost will meet with the faculty member to discuss the basis for the appeal and review any supporting materials provided by the faculty member. (a) If a faculty member files the appeal during the summer, but also requests a delay in the appeal meeting, the provost will schedule the appeal meeting for a mutually agreed upon date no later than the last day of the first week of class of the subsequent fall semester. (b) The provost may seek additional information from the faculty member, the dean, and/or the department chair/school director. (c) The provost will provide their final decision as to whether the performance area rating will be amended to "meets performance expectations," "exceeds performance expectations," or will remain as rated within ten business days of the appeal meeting. (F) Prevailing provisions (1) Until August 22, 2027, the 2024-2027 collective bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and the Shawnee education association prevails over any conflicting provisions adopted in this rule. (2) Beginning August 23, 2027, this rule, faculty annual performance evaluation, including any amendments hereto, prevails over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into after August 22, 2027.
Last updated December 26, 2025 at 1:07 AM
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Rule 3362-2-27 | Peer evaluation of faculty teaching.
Effective:
December 26, 2025
(A) Purpose This rule serves to support the teaching mission of Shawnee state university and encourage all full-time faculty at Shawnee state university to achieve excellent performance in teaching. In accordance with section 3345.451 of the Revised Code, each faculty member will undergo a peer evaluation of their professional development as it relates to teaching. (B) Non-tenure track faculty (1) Non-tenure track, full-time faculty employed on term contracts who have been issued a renewal contract will be subject to this rule. (2) During the second year of employment, the non-tenure track full-time faculty member will be assigned a faculty peer evaluator by the department chair or school director. The peer evaluator will conduct an in-class observation of the non-tenure track faculty member as described in paragraph (D)(2)(b) of this rule. (3) Following the peer evaluation, the department chair/school director shall recommend to the dean, who shall further recommend to the provost, if the non-tenure track faculty member should receive an offer of renewal or be notified of non-renewal. Non-tenure track faculty who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement will receive notice of this decision according to timelines stated in the collective bargaining agreement. (4) If a non-tenure track faculty member is renewed, they must undergo faculty peer evaluation in every third year of employment in the same position, following this first peer evaluation. (C) Tenure track faculty (1) Faculty in the first three years on the tenure-track are required under procedure 2.15:1 university promotion and tenure system to have at least one classroom observation per year conducted by their chair, school director, or dean. These faculty are also expected to have regularly scheduled meetings with a department mentoring committee. (2) The observation and records from their mentoring committee will serve as peer evaluation of the faculty member's professional development in teaching. In a year when the observation is conducted by the dean or school director, the mentoring committee will review the observation report, meet with the faculty member, and provide a summary report to the school director and dean. (3) When a tenure-track faculty member is continuing on a three-year contract, the department mentoring committee will provide yearly reports to the chair/school director, which will be shared with the dean. (D) Tenured faculty (1) Tenured faculty will undergo peer evaluation of their professional development in the area of teaching every three years. As this rule is implemented, the tenured faculty members in a department will be placed on an annual cycle so that not all faculty are being reviewed during the same year. This schedule will be on file with the college dean. Faculty will be provided with their scheduled year for peer evaluation, and a reminder will be sent by the college dean to the faculty member during the first week of the fall semester during the review year. (2) The faculty member will work with the department chair/school director to select a peer evaluator. This may be from their home or other department/school. Prior to the date of the regularly scheduled faculty annual performance evaluation, the faculty member may complete the peer evaluation in one of two ways: (a) Provide a written summary of the teaching related professional development activities over the past three years to the evaluator, and schedule a meeting to discuss the activities and what they gained from engaging in the activities. The evaluator will send a summary of the professional development activities and their evaluation to the chair/school director; or (b) Invite the peer evaluator to conduct a classroom observation. The faculty member will provide the peer evaluator with access to course materials and/or access to the course in the university learning management system. The peer evaluator will then conduct an in-class observation. This may include review of the digital course design in asynchronous online courses, virtual attendance of a synchronous online class session, or in-person attendance of a regular class meeting. (i) Following the class observation, the peer evaluator will complete the standard observation form and meet with the faculty member to provide feedback on course materials and recommendations for alternate pedagogical approaches, assessments, or engagement in professional development activities to be considered over the next three-year period. (ii) The peer evaluator will provide the department chair/school director with the completed evaluation and a summary of recommendations shared with the faculty member. (iii) Once the peer evaluation has been conducted and summary provided to the department chair/school director, the faculty member and chair/school director will review the results and recommendations during the annual faculty performance evaluation for that year. The peer evaluation and recommendations will be incorporated into the department chair/school director's annual evaluation report and into the faculty member undergoing evaluation of planned professional activities for the coming academic year. (E) Prevailing provisions (1) Until August 22, 2027, the 2024-2027 collective bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and the Shawnee education association prevails over any conflicting provisions adopted in this rule. (2) Beginning August 23, 2027, this rule, peer evaluation of faculty teaching, as amended where applicable, prevails over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into after August 22, 2027.
Last updated December 26, 2025 at 1:07 AM
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Rule 3362-2-28 | Post-tenure review.
Effective:
December 26, 2025
(A) Purpose This rule establishes a post-tenure review process at Shawnee state university that is in accordance with section 3345.453 of the Revised Code. This rule includes institutional compliance with statutory requirements while preserving principles of due process and academic freedom. (B) Definitions A post-tenure review is focused on offering pathways and opportunities for improvement to address identified deficiencies in teaching, research, scholarship, service, commercialization, administration, and/or clinical care. A post-tenure review is not meant to address cases of gross negligence of duties, incompetence in job performance, a significant failure to meet obligations to the university, or any other conduct or action addressed by the complaint process in the faculty collective bargaining agreement. Corrective action for these situations should be addressed through the complaint process. (C) Scope This rule applies to all full-time, tenured Shawnee state university faculty members. (D) Requirements and conditions for conducting post-tenure review (1) Shawnee state university will conduct a post-tenure review if a tenured faculty member receives a rating of "does not meet performance expectations" within the same performance area for a minimum of two of the past three consecutive years on the faculty member's annual performance evaluation conducted pursuant to policy 2.26 and section 3345.452 of the Revised Code. (2) Any faculty member who maintains their tenure status following a post-tenure review and receives an additional rating of "does not meet performance expectations" in any performance area during their annual performance evaluation in the subsequent two years will be subjected to an additional post-tenure review. (3) The department chair, school director, college dean (or equivalent administrator), or provost may require an immediate and for cause post-tenure review at any time for a faculty member who has a documented and sustained record of significant underperformance outside of the faculty member's annual performance evaluation. For this purpose, for cause shall not be based on a faculty member's allowable expression of academic freedom as defined by Shawnee state university, the faculty collective bargaining agreement, or Ohio law. (E) Timeframe for post-tenure review (1) No later than September fifteenth of the fall semester following the triggering of a post-tenure review requirement, the department chair/school director and college dean will establish a post-tenure review committee. If an appeal has been filed regarding the triggering of the post-tenure review, the post-tenure review will be delayed until the appeal has been resolved. (2) Once established, the post-tenure review committee must meet within twenty working days. (3) The post-tenure review committee will schedule a conference with the reviewee within ten working days of the first meeting of the post-tenure review committee. (4) Within ten working days of the conference with the faculty member, the post-tenure review committee will submit their summary and recommendation to the provost. (5) Within ten working days of receiving the post-tenure review committee recommendations, the provost shall either forward all previous materials submitted during the review and their recommendation for no administrative action to the administrative post-tenure review board (see paragraph (H) of this rule), or will schedule a conference with the reviewee if administrative action has been recommended. (6) If administrative action is recommended, within five working days of the provost conference, the provost will forward their recommendation and all previous materials submitted during the review process to the administrative post-tenure review board. (7) The administrative post-tenure review board shall meet within five working days of receiving the provost recommendation and determine the outcome of the post-tenure review within ten working days of their meeting. Within an additional two working days, the review board will notify the faculty member of the outcome in writing. (8) The university president will provide a written decision on the appeal no later than ten working days following filing of the appeal. (9) The due process period for post-tenure review, from beginning to end, shall not exceed six months, except that a one-time, two-month extension may be granted by the university president. (F) Post-tenure review committee (1) The post-tenure review committee shall consist of the department chair/school director, a tenured full-professor from the reviewee's department appointed by the dean, and two tenured faculty members chosen by the reviewee. One of the faculty members selected by the reviewee must be from their home department. (2) All faculty members of the post-tenure review committee must be tenured. If there are not enough full professors with tenure in the department, an associate professor may be appointed by the dean. (3) The dean and department chair/school director will provide information and documentation regarding the need for the post-tenure review to the post-tenure review committee. This shall be reviewed at the first meeting of the committee. Following review of the provided information, the post-tenure review committee will hold a conference with the faculty member undergoing review. (4) The post-tenure review committee shall summarize their findings and recommend to the provost whether documented deficiencies in the performance area exist. (G) Role of the provost (1) The provost shall review the summary and recommendation of the post-tenure review committee. If the committee has recommended deficiencies exist that require administrative action, the provost will schedule a meeting with the reviewee. (a) If no administrative action is recommended, and the provost agrees, then no meeting with the reviewee is required. (b) Following a required meeting with the reviewee, the provost may seek clarification from the post-tenure review committee as needed. (2) Once the provost has a recommendation, all materials submitted to-date in the post-tenure review process will be forwarded with the provost's recommendation to the administrative post-tenure review board. (H) Outcomes of post-tenure review (1) The administrative post-tenure review board will be composed of all college deans. (2) The administrative post-tenure review board will review all materials and recommendations forwarded from the provost and make a final recommendation on the outcome of the post-tenure review. A simple majority of votes by the board is required to enact administrative actions. The review board may schedule meetings with any party involved to-date in the post-tenure review process, as needed. (3) The administrative actions may include: (a) Censure, (b) Remedial training, including an improvement plan, (c) For-cause termination, regardless of tenure status. (I) Appeals process (1) For any of the administrative actions in paragraph (H)(3) of this rule, the reviewee may file an appeal in writing to the university president. (2) The appeal must allege procedural error; present substantial new facts previously unavailable to the post-tenure review committee, provost, or administrative post-tenure review board; or claim that the administrative action is grossly disproportionate to the deficiency in performance. (3) The university president may: (a) Request additional information from any party involved in the post-tenure review process; (b) Dismiss the appeal if not based on one of the allowable grounds for appeal; or (c) Uphold or reject the decision of the administrative post-tenure review board. (4) The university president's decision will be made in writing and will be final. (J) Prevailing provisions (1) Until August 22, 2027, the 2024-2027 collective bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and the Shawnee education association article eleven section fifteen post-tenure review prevails over any conflicting provisions adopted in this rule. (2) Beginning August 23, 2027, this rule, post-tenure review prevails over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into after August 22, 2027.
Last updated December 26, 2025 at 1:07 AM
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Rule 3362-2-29 | Retrenchment.
Effective:
December 26, 2025
(A) Purpose This rule governs the process by which the university addresses the employment of faculty in response to a reduction of programs or services in accordance with section 3345.454 of the Revised Code. (B) Definitions (1) Days: In this rule days refers to calendar days. (2) Retrenchment: A process by which a state institution of higher education reduces programs or services, thus resulting in a temporary suspension or permanent separation of one or more institution faculty to account for a reduction in student population or overall funding, a change to institutional missions or programs, or other fiscal pressures or emergencies facing the institution. (3) Furlough: A non-permanent, unpaid leave of absence from work for a specified period of time. A furlough is not a layoff. (4) Seniority: the length of continuous employment as a full-time faculty member with the university or its predecessors. Time spent on an approved leave of absence with no break in service shall be considered continuous service. (C) Conditions for retrenchment (1) The reorganization, warehousing, or closure of academic programs that do not substantially affect currently employed full-time faculty are not subject to this rule. In such a case, the relevant university governance procedures will be followed. (2) The elimination or reassignment of currently employed faculty may occur under the following conditions: (a) Change(s) in the university's missions or programs. (b) Upon determination through the normal ongoing academic program review process that a major or program is no longer viable after completion of a program improvement plan (approved by the dean and accrediting body, if applicable) due to such factors as: a pattern of declining enrollment, loss of accreditation, licensure or regulatory changes, or failure of the program to meet academic goals. (c) Determination by the provost in consultation with the deans, department chairpersons, and school directors of a need to reorganize colleges, schools, or departments, or make modifications to majors or non-major (minors or concentrations) academic programs. (d) A reduction in student population. (e) A reduction in overall funding. (f) An undergraduate program confers an average of fewer than five degrees annually over any three-year period and must be discontinued in accordance with division (C) of section 3345.454 of the Revised Code. No academic year prior to the first academic year in which an undergraduate degree is conferred for the program will be considered in determining this metric. (g) The university faces the need for quick and substantial retrenchment due to documented extreme circumstances that would not allow the university to continue to operate without a reduction in force. (h) Other fiscal pressures or emergencies facing the institution. (3) In such cases in which full-time faculty members may be impacted, such actions will be based on qualifications and seniority. Annually, faculty will provide the department chair with an updated CV and a list of all courses they are qualified to teach by October first of each academic year. The university will cooperate to develop a seniority list that incorporates all eligible personnel. This list will be updated on an annual basis. (4) Faculty may be reassigned to other departments, majors or non-major academic programs by mutual agreement between the faculty member, the relevant dean(s) and provost and the relevant departments/schools. (D) Procedures for a long-range determination of reduction in force (RIF) (1) The long-range RIF process discussed in paragraph (D) of this rule applies as a result of the conditions identified in paragraphs (C)(2)(a) to (C)(2)(f) of this rule, and may occur in academic departments, majors, minors, and concentrations as follows: The provost shall officially notify the following parties in writing: (a) The president of the SEA; (b) The president of the faculty senate; and (c) The potentially impacted department chairperson, school director, program director or coordinator. (2) Upon issuance of this notice the provost shall create and convene a meeting of a committee comprised of three administrators chosen by the provost and three faculty members chosen by mutual agreement between the SEA president and UFS president to review the matter and develop a report to address the issues and possible alternative actions. At least one of the faculty members must be from the affected unit, with a preference for all colleges being represented. The committee shall elect a chair who shall be responsible for convening and presiding over committee meetings and for delivering the recommendation on schedule. (a) The report shall be submitted to the provost within forty-five calendar days from the date of the first committee meeting. (b) The provost will include the report along with their recommendations regarding proposed actions to the president. (c) Notification of layoffs or reassignments shall be provided to faculty members one year prior to reducing faculty or closing the program and shall include a rationale for the action. (E) Financial instability (1) Paragraph (E) of this rule is applicable when there are conditions which may lead to financial instability for the university as in paragraph (C)(2)(h) of this rule. (2) The university provost shall notify the president of the Shawnee education association and the president of the faculty senate providing evidence that describes the financial circumstances. (3) The university provost will convene a joint review committee consisting of three university officials appointed by the university president and three individuals selected by mutual agreement between the SEA president and UFS president, with a preference for all colleges being represented. The committee shall elect a chair who shall be responsible for convening and presiding over committee meetings and for delivering the recommendation on schedule. (4) This joint committee shall review the notice and the accompanying data, and any other relevant documents. The committee shall make recommendations to the provost concerning the financial circumstances and recommendations for methods to improve financial stability. These recommendations will be submitted to the provost within forty-five calendar days after the first committee meeting. The provost with the approval of the president may take action, upon receipt and review of the joint committee's recommendation(s). (F) Imminent reduction in force and furloughs (1) This paragraph is applicable when the university faces the need for quick and substantial retrenchment as in paragraph (C)(2)(g) of this rule. (2) An imminent reduction in force or furloughs may occur when: (a) The university projects a senate bill six (SB6) ratio of 1.75 or lower for the current fiscal year under rule 126:3-1-01 of the Administrative Code. In this event, only a furlough of one day per semester may be implemented. (b) The president with approval of the board of trustees makes a declaration of financial exigency, or the university realizes a first-year senate bill six ratio of 1.75 or lower. For either of these events, a furlough of up to three days per semester and/or a reduction in force may be implemented. (3) The university president shall notify in writing the president of the Shawnee education association and the president of the university faculty senate (UFS) providing evidence that supports the extreme circumstances. The notification will include the proposed decision regarding reductions in force and/or furloughs. (4) This notice shall include a rationale for the determination and supporting data. The provost shall schedule a meeting to discuss the matter and solicit possible alternative actions with the UFS and SEA president to ascertain if it is possible to address the issues without a reduction in force or furloughs. Such alternative proposals may be submitted in writing to the provost within fifteen calendar days after this meeting. (5) Within fifteen calendar days of receipt of the UFS and SEA jointly written recommendations, the provost will submit the report to the university president along with the determination of whether a reduction in force and/or furloughs is necessary. (6) The university president (or designee) will notify the UFS and SEA presidents of any final decision regarding the reduction in force and/or furloughs. (7) Individual written notifications to affected faculty members shall be in accordance with paragraph (I) of this rule. (G) Procedures for retrenchment (1) In cases where a major or program is retrenched, the university will limit the impact of retrenchment to the directly affected academic unit. (2) In all cases, faculty members already employed by the university shall have priority of employment as follows: (a) Tenured and/or continuing contract faculty in the programs and areas of academic specialization in which they were initially hired to teach or demonstrated competence based on previous teaching and/or preparation; (b) Tenure-track faculty in their specialization or area(s) of competence; (c) Clinical faculty (non-tenure) in their specialization or area(s) of competence; (d) Full-time instructors (non-tenure) in their specialization or area(s) of competence; (e) Full time online faculty (non-tenure) in their specialization or area(s) of competence; (f) Visiting faculty in the programs and areas of academic specialization in which they were initially hired to teach or demonstrated competence based on previous teaching and/or preparation; and/or (g) Part-time faculty in the programs and areas of academic specialization in which they were initially hired to teach or demonstrated competence based on previous teaching and/or preparation. (3) Determination of affected faculty members shall be based on seniority as defined in paragraph (B)(4) of this rule, with the most senior person in an affected academic unit of instruction or program to be laid off last. Recall shall be in inverse order of layoff as defined in paragraph (G)(2) of this rule: the last person laid off shall be the first person recalled. (4) A retrenched faculty member's specialization or area(s) of competence shall be based upon the individual's teaching history at Shawnee state university, relevant scholarship, and academic degree. In cases where a faculty member is reassigned to a different department, that person's credentials shall be reviewed by the relevant department chairperson and faculty to determine appropriate course assignments. (5) If retrenchment occurs, the university shall reassign duties of part-time faculty in the same specialization or area(s) of competence to a faculty member who would otherwise be retrenched, in order to accommodate the faculty member. (6) The university shall relocate displaced faculty into other budgeted but vacant administrative or staff positions needing personnel as the faculty member's qualifications permit. If a shift involves movement to an administrative or staff position, the salary and other conditions of employment shall not exceed those which are shown in the guidelines for the administrative or staff position. If the reassignment is to a full-time faculty assignment, the rank and salary shall be the same as held by the faculty member being transferred. (7) When an opportunity arises to potentially preserve full-time employment for a faculty member who has been retrenched, by combining a needed part-time administrative role with a part-time teaching role, the university will explore the feasibility of such a combination. If feasible, the combined role will be effectuated. When this occurs, the employee will not be a member of the faculty union while they hold the combined position and their credit towards seniority will be suspended while in the combined role. In this situation, the employee retains the right to reinstatement to a full-time faculty position to the same extent as other members who have been retrenched. Employee salary will be prorated based on the proportion of time devoted to each role. The faculty portion will be calculated in accordance with the faculty collective bargaining agreement. (8) The provost's office will send individual notifications of displacement to impacted faculty members once the provisions of paragraphs (G)(1) to (G)(6) of this rule have been completed. (H) Considerations for retrenched faculty (1) Displaced faculty who file a complete, up-to-date dossier (up to date CV and a list of courses they are qualified to teach) with human resources will be considered for such positions by submitting a formal application for a period of one year following the date of retrenchment. Consideration will be given for faculty openings for an additional three years upon receipt of notification of interest by the displaced faculty member. (2) A retrenched faculty member whose academic unit has been reduced but not eliminated shall have their contract placed in suspension and will have recall rights to that program or unit for three years. A right to recall means that the retrenched faculty member has first rights to a position for which they are deemed qualified by the department chairperson and dean in accordance with reasonable applications of standards of academic merit. During the three-year period, the faculty member's advancement in the salary system shall cease. Upon recall, the faculty member will enter the salary system at the level held at the time of retrenchment, unless additional degrees, credit hours, and/or related professional experience that were earned during the period of retrenchment place the faculty member at a higher salary level as determined by the provost and the SEA. (3) A retrenched faculty member whose academic unit has been eliminated shall have their contract placed in suspension and will have recall rights to the program or unit should it be reinstated within a three-year period. (4) The faculty member may continue benefits provided by the university at the time of retrenchment as provided for in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). (a) Faculty members who are terminated through the processes of this rule, and who choose to continue their medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug insurance benefits per COBRA, will be deemed to have provided notice three months in advance of their termination date. The university will follow the same provisions for implementation of insurance benefits as described in the faculty collective bargaining agreement regarding fringe benefits. (b) The university shall cease payment of all the retrenched faculty member's other benefits upon retrenchment. (I) Notification of furlough or layoff (1) At least fourteen calendar days of advanced written notice of a furlough will be provided to affected faculty members by the department of human resources. (2) Notice of a faculty member's reassignment, layoff, permanent separation, or non- renewal, will be provided by: (a) A personally-delivered document; and/or (b) Certified U.S. mail to the faculty member's last address provided by the member for payroll purposes. (3) The university's obligation to serve notice is met if the date of personal delivery or the postmarked date of mailing is on or before the date of notification stated in paragraph (I)(1) of this rule. (4) The layoff shall commence on the date set forth in the notice. (5) In the case of an outside inquiry about a retrenched faculty member's status, the university will stipulate that their contract suspension was due to program retrenchment. (6) In the case of layoff or elimination of the position of a faculty member, the university shall provide the faculty member with a letter upon request explaining the conditions of retrenchment. The university will not dispute payment of unemployment benefits. (J) Seniority and retrenchment (1) The following situations shall constitute a break in continuous service for which seniority is lost: (a) Discharge for just cause. However, if reinstated within one academic year, seniority shall be considered continuous. (b) Retirement. (c) Non-renewal of contract. However, if reinstated the following academic year, seniority shall be considered to have been continuous. (d) Retrenchment. However, if recalled within one academic year, seniority shall be considered to have been continuous. (e) Failure to return to work within thirty calendar days of receipt of recall from layoff. (f) A resignation where the faculty member is not re-employed or reinstated after thirty-one days or less. (2) Seniority shall not accrue during the time spent out of the bargaining unit as an administrator, but previously accumulated seniority shall not be lost. A bargaining unit member shall not accrue seniority while on retrenchment, but shall retain seniority earned prior to retrenchment. (3) Seniority shall accrue during furlough periods. (4) For retention purposes, if two or more faculty members have the same length of continuous service, seniority shall be determined by the following factors in order: (a) Tenure/contract status: The retention order shall be as follows: Tenured or continuing contract professors, tenured or continuing contract associate professors, assistant professors with continuing contracts, tenure track assistant professors, senior instructors with continuing contracts including FTIs, senior instructors including FTIs, instructors with continuing contracts including FTIs, instructors including FTIs, and full-time online instructors. (b) Areas of specialization. (c) Level of degree. (d) Date and time of hiring. (K) Reorganization (1) In the event that the university desires to reorganize academic departments, programs, colleges, or other academic units, the university will notify the SEA president and UFS president. The written notification will include the goals, need, rationale, and a timeline. Prior to written notification, joint conversations with the SEA and UFS presidents are permissible. These joint conversations may also include the impacted party or parties. (2) The SEA and the UFS will have the opportunity to discuss the proposal and provide written feedback which will be considered by the university. (3) The reorganization process shall adhere to the UFS constitution. (4) In accordance with section 3345.457 of the Revised Code, the Shawnee state university board of trustees is the ultimate authority to establish and modify academic programs, schools, colleges, institutes, departments, and centers at Shawnee state university. (L) Prevailing provisions (1) Until August 22, 2027, the 2024-2027 collective bargaining agreement between Shawnee state university and the Shawnee education association article twenty-two retrenchment, furloughs, and reorganization prevails over any conflicting provisions adopted in this rule. (2) Beginning August 23, 2027, this rule, retrenchment prevails over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into after August 22, 2027.
Last updated December 26, 2025 at 1:07 AM
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