Faculty Handbook
Human Resources

December 2024

Table of Contents

• PREFACE
• DEFINITIONS
• PART I. FACULTY CONSTITUTION
• PART II. PERSONNEL POLICIES
• PART III. ACADEMIC POLICIES
• PART IV. INFORMATIONAL AND ADVISORY STATEMENTS
• PART V. FACULTY SENATE POLICY FOR PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO PARTS II-V

PREFACE

The Faculty Handbook has been assembled to inform the Regular and Term Faculty about the College's expectations of them and to explain the rights and responsibilities of the members of the Regular and Term Faculty. Following this Preface is a list of Definitions approved by the Board of Trustees on May 31, 2019 that apply to the parts that follow.

Part I. Faculty Constitution, describes how the faculty participates and organizes itself for self-governance. The Regular Faculty must approve changes in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate. The President and Board of Trustees may veto any changes approved by the faculty.

Part II. Personnel Policies, describes College personnel policies that apply specifically to the Regular and Term Faculty. These are an extension of each Regular and Term faculty member's appointment and employment contract.

Section A describes those policies and procedures that specifically govern the professional performance of Regular and Term Faculty. These policies and procedures have been developed in consultation with the Regular and Term faculty through the Faculty Senate and approved by the Board of Trustees on June 2, 2004. The Board of Trustees must approve all changes or revisions to these personnel policies and procedures.

Section B describes those policies that are required by federal or state law or by mandate of the Board of Trustees. Generally, the Faculty Senate and the President jointly develop procedures for the implementation of these policies, as needed. These policies do not need to be approved by the Board of Trustees but do require approval by the President of the College.

Part III. Academic Policies, describes policies and procedures that guide the implementation of academic standards. The Regular and Term Faculty guides the development of these policies, but such policies must be approved by the Administration of Fort Lewis College. The Academic Standards Committee of the Faculty Senate and the College Office of Academic Affairs are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of these policies. These policies do not need to be approved by the Board of Trustees but do require approval by the President of the College.

Part IV. Informational And Advisory Statements, describes miscellaneous guidelines for the Regular and Term Faculty and College Administration. These policies do not need to be approved by the Board of Trustees but do require approval by the President of the College.

Part V. Faculty Senate Policy For Proposing Amendments To Parts II-V, describes process for proposing and approval of amendments. The Board of Trustees must approve all changes or revisions to these procedures.

DEFINITIONS

The following definitions are agreed upon by the Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College, Administration, and the governing body of the Faculty of Fort Lewis College, and apply throughout this Handbook:

1. "Academic Administrators" means all members of the Academic Faculty whose positions do not primarily require teaching or scholarly activities.

2. "Academic Faculty" means all employees of the Board holding Tenure or Tenure-track positions; i.e., all Academic Administrators and Regular Faculty.

3. "Administration" means the administration of Fort Lewis College, including its President, Vice Presidents and deans (or equivalents), and their designees and staffs.

4. "Board" means the Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College, the governing Board of the College.

5. "Probationary Faculty" means all members of the Faculty appointed to a Tenure- track position but who have not been awarded Tenure, including librarians if applicable.

6. "Regular Faculty" means all members of the Teaching Faculty holding a Tenure or Tenure- track position in one of the following categories:

• i) "Full-Time Ranked Faculty" means those faculty members who serve in academic departments or Schools with teaching as their primary duty and are appointed to the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
• ii) "Library Faculty" means those faculty members who serve in the Library and are appointed to the rank of Assistant Professor Librarian, Associate Professor Librarian, or Professor Librarian.
• ii) "Instructor" means those faculty members who have not completed their terminal degree in their area of specialization and are actively working toward degree completion.

7. "Tenure" means the contractual right to continuous yearly appointment by the Board until resignation or retirement, subject to dismissal or termination only in accordance with the Personnel Policies stated in this Handbook.

8. "Tenured Faculty" means all members of the Regular Faculty who have been awarded Tenure and the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.

9. "Tenure-track" means the eligibility to achieve Tenure for demonstrated merit in teaching, service, scholarly activities, and on the judgment that meritorious performance shall continue in the future. A Tenure-track appointment is an appointment to a permanent position in an academic program, department, or unit without Tenure to one of the following ranks: Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Assistant Professor Librarian, Associate Professor Librarian, or Professor Librarian.

10. "Term Faculty" means full-time or part-time faculty members who are not eligible for tenure. Term faculty members are subject to the rights, responsibilities, and standards of professional conduct for faculty as specified in this Handbook. The College makes the following term faculty appointments:

• a) "Renewable Faculty" means faculty members appointed with the title of Lecturer or Senior Lecturer with the applicable qualifications and standards for appointment in those ranks. Renewable Faculty may be identified as Senior Lecturer after serving in a Lecturer position for five years.
• b) "Visiting Faculty" means all members of the Faculty who hold temporary positions or temporarily hold unfilled permanent positions. A "temporary position" is a position that is either not Tenure-track or is expected to be funded only on a temporary basis. A faculty member with a terminal appointment, because they did not achieve Tenure, shall be considered Visiting Nonrenewable Faculty.
• c) "Adjunct Faculty" means all members of the Faculty who hold part-time faculty appointments that are defined one semester at a time. Adjunct faculty members are hired by departments or Schools on a per-course basis. Their primary obligation is teaching the course(s) for which they are hired; however, Adjunct Faculty are expected to hold office hours to be available to their students outside of class.

PART I. FACULTY CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE

Fort Lewis College is committed to the growth, perpetuation and application of knowledge. Legal authority to govern Fort Lewis College is vested by the Colorado State Legislature in the College Board of Trustees (the Board). In accordance with the principle of academic freedom, the Faculty has responsibility for academic matters, including guiding the curriculum and related scholarly activity. The Faculty has a solemn professional commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence in knowledge and learning and to govern itself in this pursuit.

ARTICLE I. THE FACULTY

Subject to state law and Board and Administration policy, the Faculty of Fort Lewis College governs itself in the pursuit of academic excellence.

• A Faculty Senate, a representative body duly elected by and from the Faculty, is hereby established.
• Faculty governance is hereby delegated by the Faculty to the Faculty Senate which is empowered to act on behalf of the Faculty.
• Fort Lewis College is an equal opportunity institution. The Faculty Senate and any committee, body or agent acting under its authority will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

ARTICLE II. THE FACULTY SENATE: PURPOSES, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS

The Faculty Senate serves as the primary governing, advisory and review body of the Faculty. The Faculty Senate

• has responsibility and authority, within the limits delegated by the Board, regarding the conduct of academic matters, including issues of academic freedom, curricular design, academic standards, requirements for conferring academic degrees and certificates and other matters under the normal purview of the academic profession.
• shall advise the Board of Trustees and the College President on matters pertaining to the College, including the appointment of the College President and the appointment of College wide administrative officials.
• shall advise the College administration on the preparation of the annual budget and its allocation to operational units; on equipment and physical facilities; and on the mission, goals and objectives of the College.
• shall review academic programs and policies. Examples include policies governing intellectual property, student academic conduct and operation of the College Library.
• shall review and make recommendations on policies and procedures directly affecting the Faculty, including, but not limited to, academic freedom; tenure and promotions; appointments, reappointments and dismissals; teaching loads; working conditions; salary schedules or other compensation or benefits; retirement, sabbatical or other leaves; issues of employment; and the reorganization of academic units.

The Faculty Senate, through its review and advisory functions, serves as an integral participant in the governance of Fort Lewis College and its planning processes. The Senate shall be provided with reasonable financial and space resources and staff assistance. Reassigned time shall be provided for the President of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP AND ELECTION

Section 1. Senate Composition

The Senate shall consist of 24 senators and a President of the Faculty Senate, totaling 25 people:

1. The President of the Faculty Senate is elected at large by the Faculty (the Faculty is defined as those faculty members eligible to vote as defined in section 2 of this Article).
2. One Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees is elected at large by the Faculty.
3. One senator is elected from the faculty of the School of Education.
4. Two senators are elected from full-time, non-tenure-track faculty.
5. Two senators are elected from the Katz School of Business.
6. Three senators are elected from the disciplinary category of the Sciences (including Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Public Health, Health & Human Performance, Geosciences, Physics and Engineering, and Mathematics).
7. Three senators are elected from the disciplinary category of the Interdisciplinary and Social Sciences (Anthropology, Environment and Sustainability, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology and Human Services).
8. Three senators are elected from the disciplinary category of the Arts and Humanities (Art & Design, English, History, Music, Philosophy, and Theatre).
9. The remaining 9 senators are elected at large. However, each department and the School of Education is limited to no more than two faculty senate representatives; whereas Katz School of Business is limited to three faculty senate representatives. The President of the Faculty Senate's department affiliation does not count towards these limitations.
10. For faculty with interdisciplinary or interdepartmental appointments, their eligibility for Senate representation is based in their home department for tenure and promotion.

All elected representatives shall represent the Faculty as a whole and not solely the academic area in which they teach. Numbers of faculty used in calculating representation shall be based upon the number of faculty members employed by each school (see Section 2 of this Article for definition of those faculty members to be included in apportionment calculations). These numbers shall be presented every second year to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate in the winter trimester preceding Senate elections. Census information will be provided by the Office of Institutional Research in collaboration with the Office of the Provost.

Section 2. Definition of the Voting Faculty

With exceptions noted below, faculty members eligible to vote in faculty elections and to be elected to the Faculty Senate shall meet all the criteria designated within at least one of the three categories below.

1. Tenured or tenure track faculty members shall devote at least one half of their time to teaching.
2. Visiting and Renewable faculty members shall hold full time appointments and be appointed on a yearly contract.
3. Library faculty members shall hold full time appointments.
4. Exceptions. Those with faculty appointments who are serving as a senior administrator (the president, a dean, an assistant/associate dean/vice president or a director) shall be eligible to vote in Faculty elections but shall be ineligible to serve on the Faculty Senate or to be elected as the Faculty Member of the Board. The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall decide questions that arise concerning definition of the voting faculty.

A faculty member holding a joint appointment shall be considered to belong to the school or area (e.g., the College Library) within which they are assigned more duties than in the other areas of their assignment. When a faculty member is assigned equally in two or more areas, they must choose to which area to belong for voting purposes. At the time of providing census information to the Faculty Senate, the Office of Institutional Research will also provide the names of faculty members with joint appointments of equal weight in two or more areas. The Corresponding Secretary will contact any such faculty members to determine, for voting purposes, their school or area affiliation.

Section 3. Term of Office

The term of office for a senator (excepting that of the Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees) shall be three (3) years. The term of service shall begin on the first day of the fall term and end on the last day preceding the start of the fall term. The term of office of the Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees shall be as provided in state statute.

Section 4. Open Senate Seats

By the end of April, the Senate Executive Committee will conduct elections to fill those Senate seats that will become open at the start of the following fall term. The Senate Executive Committee will conduct an election for the at large representatives as well as separate elections within each school/area to fill representative seats. All voting shall be by secret ballot.

Section 5. Election of President of the Faculty Senate

By the end of April, the President of the Faculty Senate shall be elected, in a separate election, by the Faculty. The term of service of the faculty member elected to the office of President of the Faculty Senate shall begin the following fall term. In order to be elected to the office of President of the Faculty Senate, a candidate must receive a majority (50% plus 1) of the votes cast. If no candidate receives a majority of votes cast, a runoff election will be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes in the initial election. In order to be elected to the Office of President of the Faculty Senate through a runoff election, a candidate must receive a majority (50% plus 1) of the votes cast in the runoff election. In the event of a tie, the current President of the Faculty Senate shall cast the deciding vote. Senators whose terms have not yet expired are eligible to run for the office of President of the Faculty Senate.

Section 6. Faculty Member of the Board of Trustees

During the final spring trimester in office of the current Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees, a new Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees shall be elected, in a separate election, by the Faculty. In order to be elected as the Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees, a candidate must receive a majority (50% plus 1) of the votes cast. If no candidate receives a majority of votes cast, a runoff election will be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes in the initial election. In order to be elected as the Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees through a runoff election, a candidate must receive a majority (50% plus 1) of the votes cast in the runoff election. In the event of a tie, the President of the Faculty Senate shall cast the deciding vote. Senators whose terms have not yet expired are eligible to run for the office of Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees.

Section 7. Acclamation of Senators

In any election conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article III, section 4, if the number of candidates for election to seats equals exactly and does not exceed the number of open seats, an election shall not be held, and the candidates shall be elected by acclamation. In any election conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article III, sections 5 and 6, if a sole candidate is identified for election to office, an election shall not be held, and the candidate shall be elected by acclamation.

Section 8. Officers

The officers of the Faculty Senate shall be the President, the Vice President, the Recording Secretary, the Corresponding Secretary and the Committees Officer. All officers, with the exception of the President, shall be nominated and elected by the Senate by secret ballot at a special spring meeting of the newly constituted Senate (i.e., those who will comprise the Senate beginning the following fall). Terms of office for officers of the Faculty Senate shall be one (1) year.

Section 9. Recall of Officers

Any officer of the Faculty Senate may be subject to ballot recall if a motion to recall the officer is passed by the Faculty Senate. A secret ballot shall be distributed, and if two thirds (2/3) of the Faculty Senate vote to recall the officer, they are removed from office. The Faculty Senate will hold an election to fill the position.

Section 10. Vacancies

There is no provision for alternates in this Constitution. Replacement senators will be elected to fill vacancies. A vacancy is created in one (1) of two (2) ways:

1. through lack of attendance at regular Senate meetings (a senator's seat will be declared vacant if they miss more than three (3) regular meetings in any academic year) or
2. through resignation.

When a seat is declared vacant, the President of the Faculty Senate will immediately report the vacancy to the Senate Executive Committee. Within two weeks, the Senate Executive Committee shall call for nominations and the election of a faculty member to fill the vacated seat. The length of term for a replacement senator shall be the remaining portion of the term of the senator originally elected.

3. Replacement senators shall have all the privileges of Senate membership.

Section 11. Temporary Senators

Temporary senators will be elected by a school or area if a seat is vacated temporarily due to leave of absence, sabbatical, incapacity, the election of a current senator to the office of President of the Faculty Senate, the election of a current senator to the office of Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees or other reason. The term of a temporary senator shall be the length of the temporary vacancy. Temporary senators shall have all the privileges of Senate membership.

Section 12. The Inaugural Faculty Senate

Should the inaugural Faculty Senate commence its operation at a date other than the first day of the fall term, the terms of all senators elected to this initial implementation of the Faculty Senate shall serve reduced terms of office. Whatever portion of the academic year (since the first day of the fall term) has passed prior to the commencement of the inaugural Faculty Senate shall be counted as part of the terms of office of all senators elected to the inaugural Faculty Senate, with two exceptions:

1. The term of office of the inaugural President of the Faculty Senate shall be at least one year. Should the inaugural year of operation of the Faculty Senate be a short year, the newly elected President of the Faculty Senate shall serve in that office for the inaugural year and the year following the inaugural year.
2. The term of office of the Faculty Member of the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees shall not be disrupted by the commencement of the Faculty Senate. The election schedule for this position shall follow and continue from the schedule prescribed by the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees.

Initial implementation of this Constitution shall require the election of senators, within each of the three schools, to serve staggered terms. Faculty members in each school will determine how their senators' terms will be staggered. The term of the initial senator elected from the College Library shall be three years.

ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS

Section 1. Frequency

The Faculty Senate shall meet, at a minimum, once monthly during the regular academic year. Other meetings may be called by the President of the Faculty Senate. Special sessions of the Senate will be called at the request of ten (10) or more members of the Faculty or at the request of the College President. Special sessions will be held as soon as practicable within two (2) weeks from the date they are called. The responsibility for notifying senators and faculty members of special sessions shall rest with the Recording Secretary who shall use the most appropriate means available to fulfill this obligation. A written announcement of the agenda, time and place of every regularly scheduled Senate meeting shall be sent to each senator at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

Section 2. Quorum

A quorum shall be a majority (50% plus one) of the voting Senate members. Vacancies shall not be included in the determination of a quorum.

Section 3. Voting

A voice vote will be conducted on actions requiring a vote. At the request of any senator, a show of hands vote will be taken and individual votes recorded by the Recording Secretary. Votes may not be made by proxy.

Section 4. Minutes

The minutes of Faculty Senate meetings shall be distributed for approval to each Senator no later than seven (7) working days following the meeting recorded. These draft minutes will also be distributed to the College President. Once approved by the Faculty Senate, the minutes shall be posted via the faculty governance Web site or other appropriate posting mechanism.

Section 5. Rules of Procedure

The rules of practice of the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern all proceedings subject to such special rules as have been or may be adopted. In cases of conflict between Robert's Rules of Order and this Constitution, the Constitution shall prevail.

Section 6. Open to Public

Senate meetings are open to the public except in those cases where executive sessions are permitted by Colorado state law. No decision shall be made in any executive session of the Senate. If any student, administrator or non-Senate faculty member wishes to speak to an issue, they will be recognized and allowed to speak briefly. If any non-senator wishes to speak for a longer period of time, they must request agenda time prior to the meeting

PART II. PERSONNEL POLICIES

A. PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND PERFORMANCE

Section 1. Application

The Personnel Policies stated herein apply to all members of the Teaching Faculty.

Section 2. Faculty Appointments

1. All Regular and Term Faculty are public employees of the state of Colorado, acting by, and through the Board, for the benefit of the College.
2. The decisions to offer initial appointments and to renew appointments are decisions made by the President of the College pursuant to the personnel power delegated to the President by the Board. The President shall make these decisions after consultation with the Provost and the appropriate deans (or equivalents) and department chairs (or equivalents).
3. The College utilizes the following categories of Regular and Term Faculty appointments: Probationary, Tenured, Instructor, Renewable (Lecturer and Senior Lecturer), Visiting, and Adjunct.

Section 3. Faculty Assignments

1. Responsibility for various assignments of Regular and Term Faculty members rests with the deans (or equivalents), the Provost, and the President.
2. As a performance standard for administrative guidance, the normal full-time teaching load is 15 credit hours per term, including 12 credits of assigned courses and 3 credits of reassigned time for service (e.g., committee and departmental assignments, and faculty governance). Faculty engaged in scholarly activity also receive a three-credit release per year to support their scholarship/research as defined by their departmental expectations statement and as approved by administration.
3. Responsibility for fulfilling assignments conscientiously and completely rests with each member of the Regular and Term Faculty.

Section 4. Responsibilities of Regular and Term Faculty

It shall be the duty and responsibility of each member of the Regular and Term Faculty to follow all state and federal laws, the Board's Manual of Policy and Procedure, these Personnel Policies, the policies and directives of the Administration, and each faculty member's department in the performance of their employment.

Section 5. Academic Freedom

All members of the Regular and Term Faculty are entitled to academic freedom. The following statement, paraphrasing the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, formulated by the Association of American Colleges and the American Association of University Professors, defines academic freedom for individual faculty members:

1. Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties. Research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
2. Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching matters that have no relation to their subjects.
3. College teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of educational institutions. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special positions in the community impose special obligations. As persons of learning and as educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institutions by their utterances. Hence, they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not representing their institutions.

Academic freedom does not insulate the faculty member from evaluation under the personnel evaluation processes outlined in the Faculty Handbook.

PART III. ACADEMIC POLICIES

Section 1. Academic Integrity by Students

Policy Title: Academic Integrity

Policy Summary: This policy presents the Fort Lewis College academic integrity standard and the policies and procedures for reporting, adjudicating, and recording instances, events, or behaviors that violate this standard.

Effective Date: Fall 2023

Definitions

Academic Hold: A restriction that prevents future registration and prevents the dissemination of an academic transcript.

Academic Integrity: The College-wide expectation that students follow established guidelines and common knowledge to maintain ethical standards in their work.

Academic Integrity Intervention: A procedure where College representatives work with students to develop academic behaviors and integrity. During intervention, a student is permitted to continue as a degree-seeking student with the ability to register for classes on the sufficient condition that the student complies with intervention requirements and is not convicted of a further academic integrity violation.

Academic Integrity Violation: Any form of unethical or dishonest behavior regarding academic work—with or without intent. For examples and further definitions, see Fort Lewis College's Definition of Academic Dishonesty.

Policy Statement

Section I. Standard

1. Students must conduct themselves with academic integrity. In particular, students must not commit acts of academic integrity violations like cheating, falsification, or plagiarism. Students must also refrain from unethical behavior that affects grades, academic placement, or academic standings. These standards apply to all courses taken on or off campus, and all modes of delivery.

Section II. Reporting

1. All faculty will report, without fear of programmatic, departmental, or institutional repercussions, those instances, events, or behaviors which violate the standards of academic integrity as set forth in this policy. Furthermore, only faculty are allowed to file charges of an academic integrity violation.
2. Faculty should file a charge within ten business days of identifying the violation.

Section III: Adjudicating

1. All hearings to adjudicate charges of academic integrity violations are conducted by the Academic Standards Committee. The Academic Standards Committee is composed of eight faculty members appointed by Senate Executive Committee and members from relevant administrative offices or other academic departments as needed.
2. Any of the following conditions are sufficient to trigger a hearing with the Academic Standards Committee:
   1. A student charged with an academic integrity violation requests a hearing.
   2. A student is charged with an academic integrity violation after previously having admitted to, or been convicted of, an academic integrity violation.
   3. New evidence is discovered concerning a case previously adjudicated by the Academic Standards Committee.

PART IV. INFORMATIONAL AND ADVISORY STATEMENTS

Section 1. Department chairs (or equivalents)

a. Nominating a Department Chair

A department should convene itself to nominate a chair. In unusual circumstances, the appropriate dean (or equivalent) may convene the department in order for it to nominate a chair.

b. Appointing a Department Chair

1. When a department has nominated a chair, it shall send its nominee's name to the appropriate dean (or equivalent), and they ordinarily shall appoint the nominee as department chair.
2. If the dean (or equivalent) disapproves of the nomination, the dean (or equivalent) shall indicate disapproval by responding to the department within a reasonable time. The dean (or equivalent) and the department shall attempt to resolve the disagreement by the appointment of a department chair satisfactory to both the dean (or equivalent) and the department.
3. If a choice satisfactory to both dean (or equivalent) and department cannot be agreed upon, the dean (or equivalent) shall appoint the department chair.

c. Evaluation and Removal

1. The department and the dean (or equivalent) shall evaluate annually the chair's service in their role as chair.
2. If serious problems or conflicts arise between a department and its chair, the dean (or equivalent) shall try to resolve the conflict.
3. The dean (or equivalent) may remove a department chair before the expiration of the chair's term of office.
4. If a chair is removed from the office of chair before their term is completed, a new chair shall be nominated and appointed following the procedure above.

d. Determination of Duties and Compensation

The appropriate dean (or equivalent) shall determine the term of office, responsibilities, and compensation of chairs, after consultation with the Regular Faculty of the school or academic unit.

Section 2. Posthumous Degree

Such a degree is an honorary degree awarded to a deceased student.

a. Recommendation and Award of Degree

The Regular and Term Faculty may recommend the award of a posthumous degree to the Board. A department (or equivalent) may initiate the request for such recommendation after determining that a deceased student would likely have completed the College's requirements for a degree at the end of the academic year or trimester in which they died. The Registrar shall determine whether the student meets graduation requirements prior to the Regular and Term Faculty's recommendation. The Board may award a posthumous degree.

b. Presentation

The certificate of the posthumous degree shall be presented to the immediate next of kin. The certificate of degree shall contain the words "Posthumously Awarded." The student's name shall appear on any list that would comprise his graduating class.

Section 3. Search Committees for Academic Administrative Officers

The following procedures are guidelines for the establishment of search committees for all senior level Academic Administrators of the institution, including the dean (or equivalent) and the Provost:

a. Responsibilities

1. To formulate, in consultation with the appropriate administrator, qualities desired of candidates for the administrative position;
2. To comply with affirmative action policies and procedures;
3. To complete the reporting forms required by the Office of Human Resources/Equal Opportunity;
4. To publicize the position to be filled;
5. To screen applications for the position in accordance with the formulated qualifications and the Affirmative Action Plan of Fort Lewis College;
6. To interview the best qualified candidates and to provide means for the college community to interview the candidates; and
7. To recommend to the appropriate administrative officer(s) a non-prioritized list of best qualified candidates.

b. Composition

1. The Search Committee for selecting the Provost shall consist of the following:
   1. Three (3) members appointed by the President of the College two (2) faculty members and one (1) student, selected in consultation with student government);
   2. One (1) faculty member, each elected from, and by, the Regular Faculty of each school of the College.
2. The Search Committee for selecting each Academic Dean (or equivalent) shall consist of the following:
   1. One (1) faculty member appointed by the Provost;
   2. Four (4) faculty members elected at large from, and by, the Regular Faculty of the school choosing a new dean (or equivalent);
   3. One (1) faculty member, each elected from, and by, the Regular Faculty of each school not choosing a new dean (or equivalent); and
   4. One (1) student member appointed by the Provost.

c. Chairmanship

The Provost or the President, in consultation with the Search Committee, shall appoint the chair for each search.

Section 4. Honorary Degrees

The Board of Trustees may issue honorary degrees. Their current policy may be reviewed by consulting the Board of Trustees Manual of Policy and Procedure.

PART V. FACULTY SENATE POLICY FOR PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO PARTS II-V

Part I (Faculty Governance) of the Faculty Handbook is not included in this section because the procedure for amending Part I (Faculty Governance) is described in Article V of Part I (Faculty Governance). As stated in the PREFACE of the Faculty Handbook, any changes to Part I shall be subject to review by the Board, and the Board may veto any changes approved by the Faculty.

Amendments to Parts II (Personnel Policies), III (Academic Policies), IV (Informational and Advisory Statements) and V (Amendment Policy) may be proposed by any member of the Faculty, Administration or Board. Any such proposal must follow the procedure outlined below:

1. If the proposer is from the Faculty, the proposer must consult with and obtain tentative approval from the Provost (or the Provost's designee).
2. The proposal is submitted to the Senate Executive Committee for inclusion on the Senate agenda. The proposal should include a proposed date of when the changes would become effective (as examples, "at the beginning of the academic year following approval" or "immediately upon approval by the Board").
3. Voting on a proposed amendment cannot take place earlier than the next regular meeting after the one in which it was first presented. Voting in the Senate on the proposed amendment will be by a voice vote, unless a secret ballot is requested by any member of the Senate. A two-thirds majority of the Senate will be necessary for approval.
4. After approval by Senate the proposal will be sent to administration for review. The Provost will seek legal counsel as needed.
5. The proposal will return to Senate for final review. A two-thirds majority of the Senate is required for approval.
6. If approved by the Senate, the proposal will, by default, be sent to the full faculty for a vote unless two-thirds of the Senate vote that a full faculty vote is not necessary.
7. A two-thirds majority of those Faculty voting will be necessary for approval.
8. Amendments to Part II (Personnel Policies) and to Part V (Amendment Policy) shall become operative only after the Senate (and Faculty if necessary), the Administration, and Board have approved the proposed changes to these policies and procedures. The Administration will include the proposal in the Board meeting agenda.
9. Amendments to Part III (Academic Policies) and to Part IV (Informational and Advisory Statements) shall become operative only after the Senate (and Faculty if necessary) and the Administration have approved the proposed changes to these policies and procedures. The Senate and the Office of Academic Affairs will work with appropriate administrators to implement the approved changes. These changes require Presidential approval.
10. If the Board (Parts II and V) or President (Parts III and IV) approves the changes, the Corresponding Secretary of the Board and/or the Provost will coordinate with the Director of Human Resources to effect the changes and post the revised Faculty Handbook.

Additional Tables and Forms

Personnel Action File (PAF) Requirements Table

Year of Service	PAF Section Required	Notes
1	Section (a) only	Teaching evaluation focus
2	Sections (a), (b), (c)	Full evaluation
3	Section (a) only	Teaching evaluation focus
4	Sections (a), (b), (c)	Full evaluation
5	Section (a) only	Teaching evaluation focus
6/Tenure and Promotion	Sections (a), (b), (c)	Comprehensive review

Post Tenure Review Schedule

Review Type	Due to Department Personnel Committee	Due to Dean	Due to College Personnel Committee	Due to Provost
Associate Professor – Performance Review	Feb. 1	Feb. 22	Mar. 15	Apr. 15
Professor – Performance Review	Feb. 1	Feb. 22	Mar. 15	Apr. 15

Term Faculty Review Schedule

Faculty Type	Due to Department Personnel Committee	Due to Dean and Department Chair	Due to Provost
Renewable Faculty – Lecturer (1st year)	Jan. 20	Jan. 30	Feb. 9
Renewable Faculty – Lecturer and Senior Lecturer (years 3, 5, 8, 11, etc.)	Oct. 1	Jan. 15	Feb. 15
Visiting Faculty (with contract renewal)	March 1*	N/A	N/A
Adjunct Faculty (with contract renewal)	March 1*	N/A	N/A

*To Department Chair (or equivalent).

Academic Integrity Form

Request for Hearing by Fort Lewis College Student Academic Review Committee