Rule 3344-11-02 | Definitions.
The following are definitions of key words and phrases used in rules 3344-11-01 to 3344-13-04 of Administrative Code:
(A) "Faculty"
All persons who have been granted full-time appointments by the board of trustees to the rank of professor, clinical professor, associate professor, clinical associate professor, assistant professor, clinical assistant professor, instructor, assistant college lecturer, associate college lecturer, senior college lecturer, research assistant professor, research associate professor, research professor, college of law clinical professor, college of law legal writing professor, professor of practice, associate professor of practice and assistant professor of practice. Faculty are members of a college as defined in paragraph (A) of rule 3344-13-01 of the Administrative Code. For definitional purposes within these rules, a freestanding school is the equivalent of a college, unless otherwise specified.
(B) "Contract"
The instrument issued annually by the university that specifies rank, tenure status, salary, schedule of salary payment, and any special terms of employment of a faculty member, such as a specific percentage of time assigned to administrative responsibilities. (This is not to be confused with the CSU-AAUP collective bargaining agreement, often colloquially referred to as "The Contract.")
(C) "Appointment"
The original admission to faculty rank and status at Cleveland state university granted by appropriate action of the board of trustees and the entering into a contract. An appointment continues throughout a faculty member's continuous service in the university. Neither promotion in rank nor the issuance of subsequent annual contracts constitutes appointment or "reappointment."
(D) "Tenure"
The status in the university established by formal action by the board of trustees granting the prerogative of a faculty member to employment on a continuing basis subject to dismissal only for the particular causes and after due process specified in this document.
(E) "Probationary period"
The maximum cumulative full-time service that a person eligible for tenure can be required to serve before the time the board of trustees must decide to confer tenure or to terminate the faculty member's appointment, (see paragraph (D)(1) of rule 3344-11-03 of the Administrative Code.)
(F) "Length of faculty service"
Those years of full-time academic service computed for purposes of tenure and promotion representing the sum of:
(1) The number of complete academic years (August through May) of full-time academic service, and;
(2) The whole number (e.g. 0, 1, 2...) obtained by adding together all fractions of academic years served and rounding to the nearest whole number. If the fraction is one-half, the fractions shall be rounded to the nearest lower whole number. Summer teaching shall not be counted in computing years of service, unless the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs (subsequently referred to as the provost) has agreed in writing to substitute a summer semester for an academic year semester of teaching. Leave of absences, paid or unpaid, shall count as years of service if the primary purpose of the leave of absence was scholarly activity other than the completion of the requirements for an degree, unless prior to any such leave of absence, there was a mutual agreement in writing by the faculty member, the faculty member's dean, and the provost excepting the leave from years of service.
(3) Years of service for purpose of promotion and tenure shall not include any year in which less than fifty per cent of assigned duties, as stipulated by contract, entailed departmental research and instruction.
(G) "Primary responsibility" (in personnel actions)
The contract designation at the time of a faculty member's original admission to faculty rank and status at CSU of the department, school, college, or academic unit as appropriate, which has primary responsibility for the making of recommendations for promotion, granting of tenure, and termination. Such primary responsibility can subsequently be transferred to another department, school, college, or academic unit with written consent of all parties concerned.
(H) "Personnel action"
Any decision or recommendation made by a person or persons with authority or responsibility in procedures relating to faculty appointment, termination or continuance of appointment, promotion, and the granting of tenure.
(I) "Peer review committees"
The mechanism through which faculty participate in personnel actions.
(1) Committees shall be formed from departmental faculty, the faculty of two or more cognate departments, or the faculty of a college, depending on the size, maturity, and strength of the academic unit involved in a given personnel action. The faculty body from which a committee is formed shall, hereinafter, be referred to as a grouping.
(2) Rules for the composition of committees.
Departments or schools shall come to an agreement with their dean as to which of three groupings in paragraph (I)(1) of this rule is appropriate for their situation in each type of personnel action. When agreement between the department and the dean is not possible, the decision shall be referred to the college faculty affairs committee.
(a) The various types of personnel actions may be performed by one or several committees as the grouping shall determine.
(b) The faculty of each grouping shall determine the means by which the members of the peer review committees shall be chosen. The selection process shall be subject to annual review in April.
(c) Committees shall consist of at least five members, have a majority of tenured members, and include only faculty at the rank of assistant professor or above. Department chairpersons shall not serve on these committees.
(d) Each committee shall select a chairperson who will receive and disseminate all information pertinent to committee actions.
(e) The names of members of the various peer review committees and their chairpersons shall be reported to the dean of the relevant college and shall be generally available to faculty and administration.
(J) "University personnel committee"
A committee of eight tenured faculty members shall assist the provost (through recommendations) on all personnel action recommendations that are in disagreement. The provost shall also have the discretion to refer any other personnel action to the university personnel committee. This committee shall also represent the faculty in certain matters related to the evaluations of chairpersons and deans. The functions of the committee are prescribed in these policies (see paragraphs (B), (D), (E), and (F) of rule 3344-11-03, paragraph (D) of rule 3344-11-06, and paragraphs (A) and (B) of rule 3344-11-07 of the Administrative Code. The bylaws of the faculty senate shall prescribe the procedures for its selection.
(K) "Dismissal"
The action that results in the ending of a tenured appointment or of a probationary appointment before the conclusion of any contracted term of service.
(L) "Termination"
The action that results in the non-reappointment of a faculty member serving under a non-tenured or probationary appointment at the conclusion of any contracted term of service.
(M) "Visiting professorship"
An appointment on a full-time, but temporary, basis in any faculty rank specified upon a contract of one year's duration, renewable for one additional year for a total of two years, whether consecutive or not. Persons holding such appointments shall not be eligible for tenured status or promotion, nor shall they be entitled to receive successive annual contracts nor any notice that their appointment will not be continued. Persons holding such appointments may seek faculty status through appointment to the professorial ranks set forth in this rule and according to the procedure set forth in paragraph (B) of rule 3344-11-03 of the Administrative Code, if they satisfy the criteria of such appointment as set forth in paragraph (A) of rule 3444-11-03 of the Administrative Code, hereof.
(N) "Emeritus/Emerita professorship"
The honored status awarded to a retiring faculty member upon recommendation of the faculty of the academic unit (department, college, or other unit as appropriate) and approval by the president and the board of trustees. To be eligible for emeritus status, a faculty member shall have attained the rank of associate professor or professor, associate college lecturer or senior college lecturer, associate professor of practice or professor of practice, clinical associate professor or clinical professor, college of law clinical professor or college of law legal writing professor at Cleveland state university and have served Cleveland state university full-time for at least ten years. Upon such appointment, the retiring associate professor or professor shall be designated associate professor emeritus/emerita or professor emeritus/emerita. A retiring associate college lecturer or senior college lecturer shall be designated associate college lecturer emeritus/emerita or senior college lecturer emeritus/emerita. A retiring, associate professor of practice or professor of practice shall be designated associate professor of practice emeritus/emerita or professor of practice emeritus/emerita. A retiring clinical associate professor or clinical professor shall be designated clinical associate professor emeritus/emerita or clinical professor emeritus/emerita. A retiring college of law clinical professor or college of law legal writing professor shall be designated college of law clinical professor emeritus/emerita or college of law legal writing professor emeritus/emerita. The faculty shall be entitled to reasonable email, office, library, mail, clerical, and laboratory facilities and services and bookstore discount privileges, to the extent that the president shall determine that the university resources reasonably allow; the faculty member's name shall be listed in the university bulletins and directory, and the faculty member shall receive any other benefits and privileges that shall be specified by the president.
(O) "Adjunct professorship"
The appointment on a part-time, semester by semester basis in any faculty rank of a person who brings special skills, training, experience, or expertise to some aspect of the academic program of the university. Service to the university shall not be the faculty members principal vocation.
(P) "Equal opportunity hearing panel"
A panel of twenty-one members of the faculty, including deans, associate deans, assistant deans, and chairpersons, that shall determine complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or special disabled or Vietnam-era veteran status by members of the faculty. The functions and the manner of selecting the panel are prescribed in these policies (see rule 3344-11-17 of the Administrative Code) and in the bylaws of the faculty senate (see paragraph (K)(6) of rule 3344-13-02 of the Administrative Code.)
(Q) "Department chairperson/director of school"
The department chairperson is the chief administrative officer of an academic department. All references to department chairpersons that appear in these personnel policies shall be understood to apply also to directors of schools.
Supplemental Information