Chapter 6--Faculty / Instruction

. Chapter 6--Faculty / Instruction CHAPTER VI

FACULTY / INSTRUCTION

B6.1 Academic Freedom/Responsibility/Propriety: The concept of academic freedom must be accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility and propriety. B6.1.1 Freedom: Faculty must be free from fear that others, inside or outside the College community, may threaten their professional careers or the material benefits accruing from them. The right to protection on the basis of academic freedom will be honored especially while any faculty member is the subject of termination or nonrenewal proceedings.
B6.1.1.1 Faculty must be free to pursue scholarly inquiry without undue restrictions and to voice and to publish their findings.

B6.1.1.2 Faculty are entitled to full freedom in the classroom in discussing the subject that they teach.

B6.1.1.3 Faculty, when they act as citizens of the nation, the State, and the community, must be free from institutional censorship or discipline. B6.1.2 Fundamental Responsibilities: The fundamental responsibilities of faculty are professional practice, educational growth, professional accomplishment, and institutional and community service.

B6.1.3 Professional Propriety: Exercise of professional propriety by faculty members includes recognition that the public will judge their profession and their institution by their statements.

B6.1.3.1 They should strive to be accurate, to exercise appropriate restraint, to show respect for the opinions of others, and to avoid creating the impression that they speak or act for their College when they speak or act as private persons.

B6.1.3.2 They should be judicious in the use of controversial material and should introduce such material only as it has a clear relationship to their field and to the topic being taught.

B6.2 Faculty: The term "faculty" means personnel with specialized training in their respective fields: teachers, counselors, and librarians. B6.2.1 Ranked Faculty: Ranked faculty are tenure-track, full-time, regular teachers, counselors, or librarians who hold continuing budgeted positions within a department as Instructors, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors. They are eligible for tenure and promotion upon fulfillment of the requirements set forth in the following policies.

B6.2.2 Unranked faculty are non-tenure-track term faculty, adjunct faculty, Teaching Fellows, and Assistant Instructors who are not eligible for tenure and promotion in rank as set forth in the following policies.

B6.3 Evaluation of Faculty: The President of the College is responsible for and has the authority for designing and implementing an appropriate system for evaluating the faculty of the College, to include the instructional, the counseling, and the Library faculty. Inherent in all of the steps in the evaluation process as applied to any faculty member and as specified herein is the protection of academic freedom as defined in the previous sections of this policy (B6.1). B6.3.1 Purposes of Evaluation: The purposes of evaluation are (1) to assist faculty in determining their strengths and weaknesses; (2) to stimulate faculty to improve their performance; (3) to encourage faculty to achieve their professional potential; (4) to determine the developmental needs of the faculty; (5) to make and justify personnel decisions on matters such as retention, tenure, and promotion; and (6) to assure that personnel judgments and decisions are fair and impartial.

B6.3.2 The Purpose of Performance Evaluation: The purpose of performance evaluation of the faculty member is to improve instruction, counseling, and librarianship, respectively. The central focus of the professional life of the faculty member is performance in the classroom, lab, studio, or other site of teaching/learning. Other professional areas of activity are relevant to the central professional practice as they contribute to its effectiveness. The ancillary areas of professional activity should include ongoing educational growth, professional activity and accomplishments in one's subject area, related professional service to the College and the community, and other areas of professional activity as may be deemed appropriate by the President.

A6.3.3 Primary Function of Evaluation: The primary function of evaluation of the faculty member is to assist personal efforts at improving instruction. Evaluation also serves as the basis for personnel action decisions, such as those involving retention, tenure, and promotion.

A6.3.4 Types of Evaluation: Evaluation includes self-evaluation and various methods of evaluation by the faculty member's students, the Department Chair (hereafter called "Chair" and to be understood as including the Directors of the Learning Resource Center and Counseling and Advising), and Division Dean as set out in these procedural guidelines. In those years when the faculty member is being considered for personnel actions such probation, tenure, or promotion, the faculty member may request or the Chair may opt for at least one (1) classroom observation. The Chair may schedule classroom observation of other faculty members at other times as deemed necessary or requested. During the self-evaluation and Chair's evaluation, the faculty member’s assigned duties and responsibilities should be reviewed.

A6.3.5 Other Methods of Evaluation: Student evaluations are used as a valuable source of input for teachers (ADM 040) and counselors (ADM 042). Other forms and methods are to be used for librarians and teachers in other than classroom settings. All forms are to be approved by the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development (hereafter called "Vice President"). The general standardized forms (ADM 040 and ADM 042) will be accompanied by the College-wide standardized instruction sheet for administering student evaluations.

During the faculty member’s first year on a full-time term or tenure-track appointment, two (2) classes will have student evaluations administered during both the fall and spring semesters. Following the faculty member’s first full year of service, student evaluations will be administered in two (2) classes each year, as approved by the Chair.

Comments written by students during the evaluation process are essentially for the faculty member’s use and may be reviewed by the Chair, Dean, Vice President, or President. Written comments will be forwarded to faculty members after final grades have been submitted. Student evaluations shall be administered during the second (2nd) half of the semester.

A6.3.6 Self-Evaluation: Using the Faculty Self-Evaluation Form, the faculty member will complete self-evaluation. No more than one additional page may be used. The faculty members may include a log (a simple listing of activities) which may list any or all of the following: educational growth, professional activities and accomplishments in the subject area; related professional service to the College and community; contributions to department, division, and institution goals; and/or other areas of professional activity. The faculty member will indicate goals to improve performance in the classroom, and should address educational growth, professional activities, and contributions to the department, the division, the College, and the community. The faculty member and Chair shall have flexibility in stating individualized professional goals.

A6.3.7 Evaluation Interview: The Chair will hold an annual evaluation interview with each faculty member. At the discretion of the Chair, a Professor, as a faculty member of the most advanced rank, may be evaluated as infrequently as once every three (3) years. The Chair will review the faculty member’s self-evaluation and other evidence of the faculty member’s work such as committee reports and student evaluations and grade distribution. The faculty member and Chair will discuss areas needing improvement and goals which have been set and progress which has been made. The Chair will complete a Chair’s Faculty Evaluation Form emphasizing points not already covered in writing by the faculty member. The faculty member and Chair will sign both Faculty Evaluation forms. After the evaluation interview, the faculty member will have seven (7) calendar days excluding College holidays to write a response, if the faculty member desires, to the Chair’s written evaluation.

The Chair will evaluate Assistant Instructors and other unranked teaching personnel using suitable means as approved by the Vice President. The Faculty Self-evaluation Form, the Chair's Faculty Evaluation Form, and other forms as needed are subject to periodic review and revision under the authority of the Vice President. Specialized forms for evaluating counseling, librarianship, and teaching in settings other than the classroom will be under the approval of the Vice President. The evaluation of counselors and librarians shall include on-the-job observations in lieu of classroom observation.

The President, Vice President,or Dean may require that the Chair complete an additional evaluation of a faculty member at any time. The faculty member may request or the Chair may opt for additional evaluations.

A6.3.8 Review by the Dean: The Division Dean will review the materials, (normally these should not exceed eight (8) pages plus student evaluations) which include the evaluation forms and other evidence of the faculty member's work forwarded by the Chair, and make appropriate personnel action recommendations to the President through the Office of the Vice President. These will include recommendations regarding all personnel actions. The deadline for forwarding the evaluation material to the Dean will depend on upcoming personnel actions. The Dean will sign the evaluation forms as reviewer, noting any matters that need special attention.

Unless needed at this point for personnel actions, the evaluation materials will be returned to the Chair, who will keep the materials on file. In successive years, previous evaluations will be forwarded with the current evaluation materials. During the year of personnel action recommendations, the annual evaluation materials from previous years will be forwarded with the current year’s material as a comprehensive file.

A6.3.9 Evaluation Scheduling: Chairs may schedule evaluations throughout the year. Evaluations of faculty members being considered for tenure or promotion must be completed prior to the required deadlines.

A6.3.10 Changes in Policy: The President may make changes to the administrative sections of this policy as deemed necessary pursuant to B2.3 and subsections.

A6.3.11 Faculty Response to Evaluation: The faculty member shall be free to respond, in writing, to evaluations without fear of retaliation or reprisal.

B6.4 Faculty Promotion in Rank: The President of the College is responsible for and has the authority for designing and implementing an appropriate system for the promotion of faculty members in academic rank. Title ranks are Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor. B6.4.1 Promotion Eligibility: In order to be eligible for promotion consideration, a faculty member must have completed the following requirements in a full-time tenured or tenure-track position. The President is authorized to grant exception to minimum education requirements.
B6.4.1.1 Assistant Professor: To be eligible for consideration for promotion to this rank, a faculty member must have completed a minimum of three (3) years as an Instructor at Del Mar College. The minimum education requirement for promotion to this rank is a bachelor’s degree.

B6.4.1.2 Associate Professor: To be eligible for consideration for promotion to this rank, a faculty member must have completed a minimum of four (4) years as an Assistant Professor at Del Mar College. The minimum education requirement for promotion to this rank is a bachelor’s degree.

B6.4.1.3 Professor: To be eligible for consideration for promotion to this rank a faculty member must have completed a minimum of five (5) years as an Associate Professor at Del Mar College. The minimum education requirement for promotion to this rank is a master's degree.

A6.4.2 Requirements for Promotion: Promotion of faculty members in rank in recognition of merit should serve to encourage improvement in instruction and its corollary, faculty development. In order to be eligible for promotion consideration, a faculty member must have completed the following requirements in a full-time tenured or tenure-track position.
A6.4.2.1 When a faculty member has completed a minimum of three (3) years as an Instructor at Del Mar College and holds at least a bachelor’s degree, the faculty member's name will then enter into consideration for promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor.

A6.4.2.2 When a faculty member has completed a minimum of four (4) years as an Assistant Professor at Del Mar College and holds at least a bachelor’s degree, the faculty member's name will then enter into consideration for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.

A6.4.2.3 When a faculty member has completed a minimum of five (5) years as an Associate Professor at Del Mar College and holds at least a master’s degree, the faculty member's name will then enter into consideration for promotion to the rank of Professor.

A6.4.3 Exceptions and Leaves of Absence: The President is authorized to grant exception to minimum education requirements. Unpaid leaves of absence granted under B6.13 do not count in the years required in a rank before faculty are eligible to be considered for promotion. A faculty member may not be considered for promotion in any year for which unpaid leave has been granted under B6.13. A6.4.4 Promotion and Tenure: Revision Adopted January 29, 2008 Promotion and tenure are separate processes. Promotion to a higher rank does not confer tenure.

A6.4.5 Promotion Schedule: By September 15 each year, the Dean notifies the Chair and the faculty member that the faculty member is eligible to be considered for promotion. The faculty member thus notified must respond in writing to the Chair by September 25. If the faculty member responds in the affirmative, the faculty member's candidacy will go forward through the process to the level of Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. By September 30, the Chair will notify the Dean of the response of the faculty member.
A6.4.5.1 Faculty member may withdraw their names at any time in the promotion process, in which case their candidacy will be ended until the following September.

A6.4.5.2 Failure of the faculty member to respond to the Chair in writing by September 25 will end eligibility to be considered for promotion until the following September.

A6.4.6 Promotion Recommendation: The evaluation interview with the Chair will be held by November 15. In addition to the evaluation materials, the Chair will complete a Promotion Recommendation (ADM 032), including the most salient points for the recommendation.
A6.4.6.1 The Chair’s evaluation will be conducted in accordance with A6.3.7.

A6.4.6.2 In order to serve the purposes established by B6.3.1, all evaluations, whether prepared by the faculty member, the Chair, or the Dean, shall address the faculty member’s fundamental responsibilities (B6.1.2) and professional propriety (B6.1.3). For every conclusive statement in the evaluation as to the existence of some material fact, there must be specific facts and/or events detailed or documentation attached to support the conclusion. Evaluations must report on the progress made in reaching the prior year’s goals. Prior year evaluations must be forwarded in accordance with A6.3.8 when personnel actions are being considered.

A6.4.6.3 Evaluation materials shall include, but not be limited to, evaluations discussed in A6.3.4 through A6.3.9 and A6.3.11.

A6.4.6.3.1 Faculty self-evaluations shall conform to A6.3.6 and shall specifically establish goals to improve performance in the classroom, and address educational growth, professional activities, and contributions to the department, division, the College, and the community.

A6.4.6.3.2 In order to demonstrate that faculty members have met their fundamental responsibilities as described in B6.1.2, they must either include in their self-evaluations a log listing educational growth, professional activities, and accomplishments in their subject areas, related professional service to the College and community, contributions to department, division, and institution goals, and/or other areas of professional activity, or they must attach documentation to the self-evaluations to attest to such practice, growth, activity, accomplishment, and/or contribution.

A6.4.6.4 Within five (5) working days of the date faculty members have their evaluation interviews with the Chair, they may submit a written response to the Chair’s evaluation and/or recommendation. This written response will be made a part of the promotion file. A6.4.7 Process Deadlines: The evaluation materials (as defined in A6.4.6.3), including the computer reports of the student evaluations and grade distributions, and the Promotion Recommendations, will be forwarded to the Division Dean by November 21. The Dean will review the recommendation for each faculty member "eligible for consideration." A negative recommendation by the Chair requires the Dean to hold a joint conference with the Chair and the faculty member on or before January 8. If the Chair’s recommendation is positive, the Dean’s interview will be solely with the faculty member and will occur on or before January 8. The faculty member will have five (5) working days from the date of the Dean’s interview to submit additional material to the Dean for consideration and inclusion in the promotion file. The Dean will add a recommendation whether positive or negative, along with reasons and forward the materials to the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development by January 15. If the Dean’s recommendation is negative, the faculty member will be notified in writing by addressing the same to the faculty member's Del Mar College address. The faculty member, the Chair and/or the Dean may not add additional statements and/or materials to the promotion file after January 15.

A6.4.8 Review by the V.P.I.S.D.: The Vice President of Instruction and Student Development (VPI) will review all promotion recommendations; the Vice President has the authority to interview the faculty member, the Chair, and/or the Dean separately or together, and others who may have knowledge of facts to verify or refute information contained in the promotion file. By March 7, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development will forward a list of positive and negative recommendations for faculty promotions to the President.

A6.4.8.1 A faculty member receiving the positive recommendation of the Chair, the Dean, and the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development will be notified by the Vice President of recommendation for promotion on or before March 7.

A6.4.8.2 Where there is disagreement in the recommendations or agreement on a negative recommendation by the Chair, the Dean, and the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, the Vice President will notify the faculty member in writing on or before March 7 by addressing the same to the official mailing address as recorded in the Del Mar College Human Resources Office. The faculty member’s notification will state that the faculty member has the option of either appealing or withdrawing from consideration within five (5) working days of the date on the Vice President’s notification letter. A copy of the standard procedures to be followed during an appeal will be attached to the notification to the faculty member. The faculty member’s Chair and Dean will be notified of the disagreement or agreement in recommendations, either orally or in writing.

A6.4.8.2.1 Failure of the faculty member to file a Notice of Appeal or to withdraw from consideration within five (5) working days of the date on the Vice President’s notification letter will result in a negative recommendation to the President. A6.4.9 Promotion Appeals: Faculty members shall be free to appeal, in writing, without fear of retaliation or reprisal. They may represent themselves throughout the appeal process or may choose to have one or more designated representatives.
A6.4.9.1 A faculty member may appeal a negative recommendation to the Promotion Appeals Committee by filing a written Notice of Appeal with the President’s Office within five (5) working days after notification by the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development of the negative recommendation or the disagreement in the recommendations. A6.4.9.2 The notice must state the grounds for the appeal.
A6.4.9.3 A designation of a representative by the faculty member must be made in writing by letter to the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee (see A6.4.10) with a copy delivered to the office of the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, within ten (10) working days after the Notice of Appeal is filed. A6.4.10 The Promotion Appeals Committee: The Promotion Appeals Committee shall be composed of seven (7) full Professors who are not Chairs and who are not in supervisory positions which involve performing faculty evaluations. Individual Professors are not eligible to serve in two (2) successive years.

The Faculty Council shall develop and, subject to the President’s approval, implement an election procedure whereby the Promotion Appeals Committee is elected. The Committee shall be representative of the number of the faculty members in each division and shall include at least one (1) minority faculty member. Librarians and counselors shall be included in the Division of Arts and Sciences. The identification of those elected shall be kept confidential by those involved in the election process except that the Faculty Council Chair shall be notified.

A6.4.10.1 On March 7, or the first working day thereafter, the President shall request the names of the Promotion Appeals Committee members from the Chair of the Faculty Council. The President shall designate one Promotion Appeals Committee member to act as temporary chair of the Committee until such time as the Committee first meets.

A6.4.10.2 The first order of business for the Promotion Appeals Committee will be to elect a Chair and a parliamentarian. The name of the elected Chair will be forwarded to the President’s office and the office of the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, by the fifth (5th) working day after March 7.

A6.4.10.3 The business of the Promotion Appeals Committee will be conducted in accordance with the latest edition of Roberts’s Rules of Order except where such procedures are in direct conflict with procedures outlined in A6.4.2 through A6.4.22.

A6.4.11 Notification: Upon receipt of the Notice of Appeal, the President shall notify the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development and the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee of the appeal.
A6.4.11.1 The Vice President of Instruction and Student Development shall immediately forward to the President’s Office the original and eight (8) complete copies of the promotion file. The promotion file shall include all additional materials considered by the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development and the Vice President's conclusions. A6.4.12 Initial Duties of the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee: Once elected by the Promotion Appeals Committee, the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee, upon notification by the President that the Committee’s services shall be needed, shall set a date and time at which the Promotion Appeals Committee will consider each case and conduct any oral argument requested by the faculty member or administration. The Chair shall notify each faculty member who appeals, by letter addressed to the faculty member's Del Mar College address, of the standard procedures to be followed during the appeal and the place, date, and time that the Promotion Appeals Committee will consider the matter. A copy of this notification shall be sent to the respective Chairs and Deans of the faculty members who appeal.
A6.4.12.1 The date for the hearing shall be no later than the second (2nd) working day after the due date of the administration’s response document. A6.4.13 Promotion File: The President shall make the complete promotion file available for review by the faculty member and/or designated representative between the third (3rd) and tenth (10th) working days after the faculty member files the Notice of Appeal. Upon request of the faculty member and/or a designated representative, one (1) complete copy of the promotion file will be provided to the faculty member, who will give a receipt therefor. Thereafter, the original promotion file shall be made available to the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee to review.
A6.4.13.1 During any and all reviews of the file by the faculty member and/or a designated representative, no material may be added to or deleted from the original file.

A6.4.13.2 The Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee shall check out seven (7) copies of the promotion file from the President's Office and give a receipt therefor on the eleventh (11th) working day after receipt of the Notice of Appeal. The Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee is responsible for checking out the copies of the files, distributing the files to the Committee members, obtaining receipts therefor, collecting the files when the Committee work is through, and returning them the President’s Office.

A6.4.13.2.1 The Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee shall provide one (1) complete copy of the file to each Promotion Appeals Committee member by the fourteenth (14th) day after the Notice of Appeal is filed. The Promotion Appeals Committee member will sign a receipt for the copy of the file and shall keep the contents of such file confidential except as authorized in this policy.

A6.4.13.2.2 The Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee shall ensure that no material is added to or deleted from the original file.

A6.4.13.2.3 The contents of the promotion files may neither be disclosed nor discussed by Committee members with persons other than as authorized in this policy.

A6.4.13.2.4 At the conclusion of the work of the Promotion Appeals Committee, the Chair shall ensure that all copies of the original file are returned to the Office of the President.

A6.4.14 Appeal Document: Within ten working days after Notice of Appeal has been filed, the appealing faculty member (Petitioner) must file a total of seven copies of an appeal document with the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee and deliver a copy of the appeal document to the Office of the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. Failure of the Petitioner to file the appeal document or to deliver a copy of the appeal document to the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development will be treated as an abandonment of the appeal process and result in a negative recommendation to the President. The Petitioner’s appeal document shall contain three (3) parts as follows:

a statement of the facts;
a list of the errors that the Petitioner believes were made by the administration in rejecting the promotion; and
a discussion of each alleged error.

(a) The argument on each alleged error shall contain a short statement of the facts necessary to the resolution of the issue and a discussion of the supporting facts and reasons. The statement should reference the pages or documents in the files where the facts may be found.
(b) Where the alleged error is the improper consideration of material or rejection of material, the substance of the material considered and/or the omitted or rejected material will be described in detail with an explanation of where the material is contained in the file. Where the material is not contained in the file, the Petitioner shall attach a copy of the alleged improperly rejected material to the appeal document.
(c) Where the alleged error is a violation of policy or an improper interpretation of a policy, the policy or policies shall be specifically identified, the alleged violation or improper interpretation shall be detailed, and the Petitioner's interpretation and reasons therefor will be specifically detailed.

A6.4.15 Response Document: The administration must file seven (7) copies of a response document with the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee within ten (10) working days of receipt of the Petitioner’s appeal document and deliver a copy to the Petitioner’s Del Mar College address. Failure of the administration to file the response document will result in the case being presented to the Promotion Appeals Committee for its recommendation without a response document. The administration’s response document shall contain a short statement of the essential facts necessary to resolve the issue; respond to the points raised by the Petitioner; and set forth the administration’s counterpoints and their arguments.
A6.4.15.1 Any statement of fact, but not conclusions thereon, made by the Petitioner in the appeal document which is not specifically denied by the administration in its response document will be accepted by the Promotion Appeals Committee as correct for its purposes.

A6.4.15.2 The administration shall designate one (1) or more individuals to represent the administration during the appeal process. The designation must be made in writing by letter from the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development to the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee with a copy delivered to the faculty member at the faculty member's Del Mar College address within ten (10) working days after receipt of the Petitioner’s (faculty member's) appeal document.

A6.4.16 Request for Oral Argument: Either party may request an oral argument before the Promotion Appeals Committee by delivering a written request for the argument to the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee with a copy of the request to the other party (either to the Office of the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, or to the faculty member’s Del Mar College address) within ten (10) working days after the date the Petitioner files the appeal document with the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee.
A6.4.16.1 The oral argument shall be conducted in the following manner:
(1) The oral argument must be solely on the disputed point.

(2) The participants in the oral argument (faculty member, Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, or their designated representatives) may be requested to answer questions from the Promotion Appeals Committee members to clarify the points they raise in their respective oral argument or in their filed appeal/response documents.

(3) The Petitioner (faculty member) or the Petitioner's designated representative shall present arguments first and shall have one (1) hour to do so.

(4) After the faculty member has presented the argument, the administration shall have one (1) hour to present its side.

(5) Thereafter, the Petitioner shall have an additional twenty (20) minutes to rebut the administration’s argument; may not introduce new material or issues at this time; and may sum up the points of the appeal.

(6) After the Petitioner’s summation, the administration shall have fifteen (15) minutes to rebut any issue raised by the Petitioner and to sum up its points of the appeal.

A6.4.16.2 Where only one party to the appeal requests an oral argument, the other party will be permitted to present an oral argument if it so chooses.

A6.4.16.3 At the conclusion of the oral arguments, the case is ready for consideration and a recommendation by the Promotion Appeals Committee.

A6.4.17 Request for Open Meeting: Each appeal case shall be considered individually in a closed informal manner, unless the faculty member submits a written request to the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee for an open meeting with a copy delivered to the Office of the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development within ten (10) working days of the date the Petitioner files the appeal document with the Chair of the Promotion Appeals Committee.
A6.4.17.1 After oral arguments have been presented, or where there has been no oral argument, all persons who are not members of the Committee shall be excused from the hearing. The Committee shall then deliberate the case and shall take an initial vote. The Committee’s deliberations, how each Promotion Appeals Committee member voted on the initial vote, and the identity of each Promotion Appeals Committee member who subsequently participated in the majority and minority recommendations, shall be maintained in strict confidence by all Committee members. This procedure will permit the taking of a secret ballot by the Committee, if desired.
A6.4.17.1.1 The Committee members may discuss the contents of the promotion file among themselves.

A6.4.17.1.2 Where there has been an "open" meeting and/or an oral argument, the Committee by majority vote (four [4] members) may postpone, for two (2) working days only, the deliberation and/or initial vote.

A6.4.17.2 A majority of the vote (a minimum of four [4]) is sufficient to reach a Promotion Appeals Committee recommendation in accordance with A6.4.18. A6.4.18 Committee Recommendation: The Promotion Appeals Committee shall make either a positive (upholding the appeal) or a negative (rejecting the appeal) promotion recommendation and shall forward a written majority recommendation with minority recommendation attached, if any, within five (5) working days after taking its initial vote, setting forth the reason or reasons for upholding or rejecting the appeal to the President of the College and to the faculty member.
A6.4.18.1 The Promotion Appeals Committee’s statement to the President will be as brief as possible. The recommendation must be validated by the signatures of all Committee members on a form provided by the President’s Office. It shall state conclusions of fact and reasons relied upon in reaching a recommendation on each material point raised as error by the Petitioner in the appeal document.
A6.4.18.1.1 One (1) member of the majority, after the initial vote, shall be designated (by majority vote of the majority members) to write the proposed majority recommendation of the Committee.

A6.4.18.1.2 One (1) member of the minority, after the initial vote, shall be designated (by majority vote of the minority members) to write the proposed minority recommendation of the Committee.

A6.4.18.1.3 On or before the fourth (4th) working day after the initial secret vote, the Promotion Appeals Committee will meet to consider the written proposed majority recommendation and any written proposed minority recommendation. The documents will be discussed and a final vote will be taken. The document obtaining the vote of four (4) or more committee members at this meeting will go forward to the President as the majority recommendation with minority recommendations attached, if any.

A6.4.19 Inapplicability of the Grievance/Appeals Policy: The action of the Appeals Committee constitutes the final step in the appeals process. The Grievance/Appeals Policy for Employees does not apply to appeals under this policy.

A6.4.20 Presidential Decision and Notification: The President of the College shall consider all of the recommendations received from the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development and/or the Promotion Appeals Committee and render a decision on or before July 1. The faculty member will be notified in writing by addressing the same to the faculty member's Del Mar College address and a second copy mailed to the faculty member's official mailing address as recorded in the Del Mar College Human Resources Office.

A6.4.21 Definitions: A "working day" is defined as a scheduled administrative staff work day. Administration is defined for this policy to include the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, the Deans, and the Chairs.

A6.4.22 Policy and Procedure Changes: The President may make changes to the administrative sections of this policy as deemed necessary pursuant to B2.3 and subsections.

B6.5 Tenure: Revisions Adopted January 29, 2008 Tenure is the legal entitlement to continuous employment terminable only for cause or for reason of disability, retirement, program decline, program discontinuance, or financial exigency. Tenure status ensures legal entitlement to certain due process requirements prior to dismissal.

B6.5.1 Application: The tenure provisions stated hereafter apply only to regular full-time instructional faculty members (also referred to as tenure-track faculty); that is, those holding academic rank as teachers, counselors, and librarians. Tenure is not applicable to term appointments. B6.5.1.1 Persons who perform some instructional duties as well as some administrative duties shall not be covered by tenure provisions unless their services related to the instructional program constitute more than half-time employment or unless they are designated by the President of the College as instructional faculty members for tenure purposes. B6.5.1.2 Persons who have achieved tenure relinquish it upon acceptance of a nontenured position with the College. B6.5.2 Probation: When the administration appoints a person to the rank of regular full-time Instructor or to a higher rank, the administration shall inform that person in writing that the appointment is probationary until tenure is granted. Term appointments are not tenure-track positions. B6.5.2.1 The probationary term of service at Del Mar College shall be five (5) academic years. B6.5.2.2 Years of service at other institutions and leaves of absence shall not be subtracted from the probationary period. B6.5.2.3 The number of years of credit related to tenure need not be the same and may be fewer than the number of years of experience recognized for salary computation purposes and/or for service awards. B6.5.2.4 Promotion to a higher rank does not alter the probationary status for tenure. Promotion to a higher rank confers tenure for tenure-track faculty hired and on duty before January 29, 2008. B6.5.2.5 Each year the Department Chair must make a written recommendation to the appropriate Vice President through the appropriate Dean to retain or not to retain nontenured faculty; such recommendation is based on an annual evaluation (B6.3), which is required for nontenured faculty during the probationary period. B6.5.3 Non-reappointment of Probationary Faculty: Revisions Adopted January 29, 2008 Notice of nonreappointment or of intention not to reappoint a nontenured faculty member shall be given in writing as follows: B6.5.3.1 The notice shall be given no later than March 15 of any academic year of probationary service, and the appointment shall expire at the end of the academic year in which notice is given. B6.5.4 Requirements for Obtaining Tenure: The following requirements must have been completed in order for a faculty member to be recommended for tenure: B6.5.4.1 The faculty member must have completed four (4) academic years of the probationary period; i.e., the faculty member must be in the fifth (5th) academic year of the probationary period. B6.5.4.2 The faculty member must have demonstrated through the annual evaluation substantial progress in educational growth, professional activities and accomplishments in the subject area, related professional service to the College and community, contributions to the department, division and, institution goals, and other areas of professional activity. B6.5.5 Procedures for Granting of Tenure: At the beginning of the fifth (5th) year of probationary status, the faculty member shall be notified by his Dean to prepare for a comprehensive evaluation by the faculty members Chair by November 15. This evaluation plus previous evaluations shall be utilized by the Chair, Dean, and the Vice President in making a tenure recommendation. B6.5.6 Recommendation for Tenure: The faculty member shall be recommended for tenure in writing by the Chair to the President through the appropriate Dean and the Vice President. The recommendations shall be made in the faculty member’s fifth (5th) year of probationary (tenure-track) service. B6.5.7 Notification of Granting of Tenure: By May 1 of each year the President of the College shall notify successful candidates that they are being granted tenure effective with the beginning of the coming academic year--the beginning of the sixth (6th) academic year of service. B6.5.8 Appeal: After meeting the two (2) requirements listed in B6.5.1, if the faculty member is not approved for tenure by the President of the College, the faculty member may, within five (5) working days of the denial, appeal the President's decision in writing to the Board of Regents. If an appeal is made to the Board of Regents, the Board shall, within thirty (30) days, set a date for the hearing. If the faculty member does not initiate an appeal within five (5) days, the denial of tenure is upheld.

B6.6 Reduction-in-Force Basic Assumptions: Del Mar College must remain a viable, responsive, and effective institution. This policy recognizes, however, that the College may undergo significant programmatic changes or may face financial exigency which could require reduction in force.

B6.6.1 Alternatives to Reduction: Before recommending to the Board a reduction in force, the administration must explore all reasonable alternatives to the termination of tenured faculty positions. These shall include at least the following: B6.6.1.1 Administration, staff, term, adjunct, and non-tenured positions and salaries, as well as budgets for maintenance, equipment, and supplies shall be carefully examined for reduction or temporary freeze. B6.6.1.2 Faculty members who have less than a full class load may be temporarily or permanently assigned teaching duties in another program, if qualified, provided such reassignment will not displace a tenured faculty member in the receiving program. B6.6.1.3 Faculty members who have less than a full class load may be temporarily or permanently assigned to available non-teaching duties of comparable status. B6.6.1.4 Salary reduction for all faculty members shall be considered in the event of financial exigency where enrollment is not a factor. B6.6.1.5 The administration may offer tenured faculty members who qualify for retirement under either the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, pursuant to Texas Education Code, Chapter 3, as amended or the Optional Retirement Program, Texas Education Code, 51.351 et. seg., as amended, a one-time lump sum payment equal to one-half (½) of their current contract salary in addition to payment for accumulated sick leave in accordance with policy approved by the Board of Regents. B6.6.1.6 The administration may offer faculty members leaves, normally not to exceed one (1) year, at half (½) pay for the purpose of retraining in program areas where there is need. B6.6.2 Prior to Implementation: Before implementing a reduction-in-force procedure, the Board must determine that the administration has explored all reasonable alternatives as set forth above and that the financial exigency or programmatic changes are of sufficient magnitude to justify the implementation of the reduction-in-force procedure. B6.6.3 Definitions: The following definitions of terms apply in the reduction-in-force policy. B6.6.3.1 "Retrenchment" or "reduction in force" is that action taken to reduce faculty, administrators, and support staff due to conditions of financial exigency, program discontinuance, or program decline. B6.6.3.2 "Retrenchment unit" is a department that consists of one (1) or more programs in an administrative educational unit with a designated Chair or a program that consists of a set of closely related courses offered within a department and carrying the same course prefix. A retrenchment unit will vary according to the nature of the problem. In the case of financial exigency, the entire College shall be the retrenchment unit. In the case of program discontinuance or decline, the program shall be the retrenchment unit. B6.6.3.3 "Tenure" (B6.5) is the legal entitlement to continuous employment terminable for cause or for reason of disability, retirement, program decline, program discontinuance, or financial exigency. Tenure status ensures legal entitlement to certain due process requirements prior to dismissal. B6.6.3.4 "Seniority" is status secured by length of service with Del Mar College. B6.6.3.4.1 Seniority begins on the effective date of employment as shown on the contract. For full-time faculty, seniority begins on the effective day of employment for a tenure-track position. Prior experience at Del Mar College does not count toward seniority, nor does experience other than that at Del Mar College. B6.6.3.4.2 Seniority is transferable from one department and/or program area to another. B6.6.3.4.3 Seniority is continuous and cumulative during a Board-approved leave of absence for administratively approved educational enhancement. B6.6.3.5 A financial exigency, as declared by the Board of Regents, is a financial crisis that shall exist if a bona fide projection of the financial condition of the District indicates that a budgetary deficit will occur during either or both of the next two (2) succeeding fiscal years of the District. B6.6.3.6 Program review is the Instructional Program Review Policy (B6.9) as adopted by the Board of Regents on January 15, 1985, together with any subsequent revisions. B6.6.3.7 Program decline is the probational status of a program judged against the core criteria of the Instructional Program Review Policy (B6.9). In rare instances a program in the conditional status may qualify. B6.6.3.8 Program discontinuance is the termination of a program as described in the Instructional Program Review Policy (B6.9). B6.6.3.9The academic year begins with the official Faculty Return Day of the fall semester and continues through the day before the scheduled Faculty Return Day of the next fall semester, as defined by the College’s Academic Master Calendar published by the office of the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. B6.6.3.10 Appointment year is beginning and ending dates of present employment as stated in the faculty member's contract. Tenure-track appointments will be a minimum of nine (9) months for the purposes of this policy. B6.6.4 The following sequential order shall be followed with the retrenchment unit when teaching faculty are to be terminated: first, part-time faculty; second, Assistant Instructors; third, full-time, non-tenure-track faculty; fourth, full-time, non-tenured, tenure-track faculty; and fifth, full-time, tenured faculty. For all Assistant Instructors and full-time non-tenure-track faculty within the retrenchment unit, such factors as seniority and program needs shall be considered in determining the order of reduction. B6.6.5 Tenure-Track Faculty: For all tenure-track faculty within the retrenchment unit, the following criteria shall be used in determining the order of reduction. B6.6.5.1 Seniority shall be given first consideration in reduction, commencing with the least senior faculty member and proceeding in reverse order of years of seniority. B6.6.5.2 If two (2) or more faculty members facing reduction have the same seniority status, then faculty members meeting affirmative action policy criteria shall be removed from further consideration for reduction at this seniority level until the following steps are taken. B6.6.5.2.1 Academic rank shall be the next factor in determining the order of reduction among faculty of equal seniority status commencing with the rank of Instructor and proceeding to the rank of Professor. B6.6.5.2.2 Academic degrees held shall be the next factor in determining the order of reduction among faculty of equal seniority and rank status, commencing with the least and proceeding to the most advanced earned degree. B6.6.5.2.3 Years in rank shall be the next factor in determining the order of reduction among faculty of equal seniority and rank and degree status, commencing with the least number of years in rank and proceeding to the greatest number of years in rank. B6.6.5.3 After application of the above criteria, if it is still necessary to distinguish among several faculty, the President of the College shall determine the order of reduction. B6.6.5.4 Before starting reduction at the next seniority level, faculty member meeting affirmative action status as described above shall face reduction following the order described: academic rank, earned degrees, and years in rank. B6.6.6 Termination Procedures: The declaration of financial exigency must be presented by the President of the College to an assembly of the faculty. All relevant documents, facts, figures, interpretations, and statistical data must be made available without charge to any faculty member facing reduction. B6.6.7 Full-time, non-tenure-track faculty and Assistant Instructors will be notified by the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, no later than March 15 of each calendar year, of their appointment status for the forthcoming academic year. B6.6.7.1 By March 15 of each calendar year, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development shall transmit copies of this notification to the appropriate Dean and Chair. B6.6.7.2 Prior to April 1, a faculty member notified of non-reappointment may request a joint meeting with the appropriate Dean and Chair to review the decision. B6.6.8 Procedure for Termination of Non-Tenured Faculty: Full-time, non-tenured, tenure-track faculty positions may be terminated by reason of financial exigency, program decline, or program discontinuance, provided the following actions are taken. B6.6.8.1 A termination letter from the President of the College shall be received by the faculty member no later than October 1 of the academic year at the end of which termination will occur, stating the effective date of termination, rationale for termination, evidence that the termination priority order has been followed, and evidence that all reasonable alternative actions have been explored. B6.6.8.1.1 All faculty of a program in either conditional or probational status must receive a letter from the President of the College no later than June 15 of the academic year prior to a termination, in which justification for the conditional or probational status is clearly outlined. B6.6.8.1.2 Financial exigency will normally be declared no later than August 31 if faculty in this category are to be terminated at the end of the following appointment year. B6.6.8.2 Copies of termination letters shall be transmitted to the appropriate Dean and Chair and to the Chair of the Faculty Council no later than October 1 of the appointment year at the end of which termination will occur. B6.6.8.3 Faculty notified of termination shall be afforded the opportunity of joint meeting with the President of the College, the Vice President Instruction and Student Development, the appropriate Dean, the Department Chair and the Chair of the Faculty Council to review the termination action, on or before November 1 of the appointment year at the end of which termination will occur. B6.6.9 Procedure for Termination of Tenured Faculty: Regular full-time, tenured faculty positions may be terminated by reason of financial exigency, program decline, or program discontinuance provided the following actions are taken. B6.6.9.1 A termination letter from the President of the College shall be received by the faculty member no later than February 1 of the academic year prior to the appointment year at the end of which termination will occur, stating effective date of termination, rationale for termination, evidence that the termination priority order has been followed, and evidence that all reasonable alternative actions have been explored. B6.6.9.1.1 Tenured faculty of a program in either conditional or probational status must receive a letter from the President of the College no later than June 15 of the academic year prior to the appointment year in which a termination letter would be initiated. This letter must clearly outline justification for the conditional or probational status. B6.6.9.1.2 Financial exigency must be declared not later than August 31 if tenured faculty are to receive termination letters during the following academic year, unless there are extreme exceptional circumstances; for example, the Legislature or the Governor has not acted on the appropriations bill. B6.6.9.2 Copies of termination letters shall be transmitted, not later than February 1, to the appropriate Dean, the Department Chair, and the Chair of the Faculty Council. B6.6.9.3 Faculty notified of termination shall be afforded the opportunity of joint meeting with the President of the College, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, the appropriate Dean, the Department Chair, and the Chair of the Faculty Council not later than March 1, following the termination letter, to review the termination action. B6.6.9.4 A tenured faculty member facing termination may request a hearing before the Faculty Council, at which the President of the College will present administrative justification for the termination action. In this hearing the burden of proof shall rest with the administration. The faculty member may contest any points in the administrative presentation and provide new information. Following review, the Faculty Council shall either concur or not concur with the administrative decision to terminate. The Council’s decision to concur or not to concur, along with the Council’s reasons, shall be transmitted through the President of the College to the Board of Regents. B6.6.10 Additional Considerations: All tenure-track faculty, both non-tenured and tenured, terminated under this policy shall be offered the following options.
B6.6.10.1 If circumstances improve so that reduction of a faculty position within the retrenchment unit is no longer required, a letter from the President of the College rescinding the termination notice shall be sent as soon as possible to the appropriate faculty member, the Department Chair, the Dean, and the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. A copy shall be sent to the Dean of Administrative Services to be placed in the faculty member's personnel file. B6.6.10.2 If the Board of Regents decides to terminate a program under exceptional circumstances without the program having passed through all categories of the Instructional Program Review (B6.9), then each tenured faculty member within the terminated program for whom suitable alternative employment within the College cannot be found shall receive a one-time-only lump sum payment equivalent to the person's present salary in accordance with the current year's appointment letter. Insurance and health benefits shall continue for a period of three (3) years unless the individual is gainfully employed elsewhere and receiving benefits. B6.6.10.3 A terminated faculty member shall have first right of refusal for re-employment within the faculty member's area of expertise for a period of three (3) years with rank and seniority status held at the time of termination. The offer, sent by registered mail, must be accepted or rejected within thirty (30) calendar days of notification. If an offer is rejected, there is no further obligation on the part of Del Mar College. B6.6.10.4 Under financial exigency, if there is termination of an appointment, the College will not, at the same time, make new appointments except in extraordinary circumstances where serious distortion of academic programs would otherwise result. B6.6.10.5 A terminated faculty member shall be given the opportunity, for a period of one (1) year, to teach part-time within his area of expertise as a need exists. B6.6.10.6 A terminated faculty member shall be given reasonable assistance in seeking employment, including explanatory letters of recommendation.

B6.7 Procedure for Dismissal for Cause of Faculty: Dismissal for cause procedures apply to a faculty member who is tenured or who is non-tenured with an unexpired term appointment. The procedures in this policy are not applicable to dismissal for sexual harassment (See Policy B5.42).

B6.7.1 Definitions: The term "faculty member"shall be defined as the faculty member, counselor, or librarian in question. The term "VPI" shall be defined as the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development of Del Mar College. The term "President" shall be defined as the President of Del Mar College. The term "days" shall be defined as calendar days. The term "College" means Del Mar College.

B6.7.2 Burden of Proof: The administration of Del Mar College carries the burden of proof to show that the faculty member’s actions warrant dismissal. B6.7.3 Termination Benefits: The faculty member shall not be deprived of any salary or benefits accrued prior to the effective date of dismissal. Unused sick leave pay is forfeited upon dismissal according to the sick leave policy, paragraph B5.27.3. B6.7.4 Resignation: If the faculty member submits a written resignation to the President, all procedures specified in this policy shall cease. Wherever possible, in lieu of resignation, the faculty member should consider regular or disability retirement. Resignation forfeits unused sick leave pay according to the sick leave policy, paragraph B5.27.3. B6.7.5 Process: When alleged circumstances could lead to dismissal for cause under this policy, a fair hearing shall be provided to the faculty member according to the following procedure: B6.7.5.1 Mediation Stage: The immediate supervisor must inform the faculty member in writing that the faculty member may have engaged in conduct which could result in dismissal for cause. A meeting between the faculty member and supervisor shall be held to develop a mutually satisfactory program of resolution to be accomplished within a specified time. If necessary, the next administrator(s) in the line of command, culminating with the VPI, shall serve as mediator(s). All agreements shall be specifically written, dated, and signed by all parties. When the agreed-upon time limit for the program of resolution is reached and the faculty member has fulfilled all agreements, the supervisory administrator(s) shall end the proceedings without prejudice. If the agreements are not fulfilled, or if a mutually satisfactory program of resolution cannot be developed, the supervisor may extend the program of resolution or forward the case with written recommendations to the VPI. B6.7.5.2 Suspension from Normal Duties: At any time VPI deems appropriate, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development may temporarily reassign or suspend a faculty member whose continuation in the normal role may threaten the welfare of the faculty member, the College, and/or the students. These changes shall not be punitive and shall be at full pay. B6.7.5.3 The Vice President of Instruction and Student Development's Decision: Within five (5) days after receiving the case, the VPI shall confer with the faculty member, supervisor, and academic administrator(s) who attempted mediation. The VPI shall then (1) order reinstatement without prejudice, (2) attempt further mediation, (3) specify in writing the conditions by which the faculty member shall ameliorate the problem, or (4) issue a written "Notice of Intent to Dismiss." The VPI's decision shall be presented in writing to the faculty member within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the case. A faculty member satisfying the conditions of decision (3) above shall be fully restored to duty and the proceedings closed. If the faculty member rejects the conditions, the VPI may issue a "Notice of Intent to Dismiss." With decision (4), the faculty member may make a request in writing to the VPI for a Dismissal Review Panel hearing, followed by a ruling from the President. B6.7.5.3.1 Notice of Intent to Dismiss: The written notice, bearing the date of presentation by the VPI to the faculty member, shall include a detailed description of the following: the grounds warranting dismissal, alleged actions which support the grounds, the faculty member's right to request a hearing by the Dismissal Review Panel, and procedural rights available to the faculty member. B6.7.5.3.2 Time Limitations: Upon receipt of the VPI’s written decision the faculty member is allowed a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours and maximum of ten (10) days to accept the ruling by signing the document or, in the case of decision (4), to request in writing a Dismissal Review Panel hearing and appeal to the President. A waiver to extend the time limitation, signed by the faculty member and the VPI, will obviate any time restrictions. B6.7.5.3.3 Selection of Dismissal Review Panel: Within three (3) days of receipt of the written request by the faculty member for a review hearing, the VPI, the faculty member, and the Faculty Council Chair shall meet to determine the membership of the Dismissal Review Panel by the following procedure: B6.7.5.3.3.1 The Faculty Council Chair shall place the names of all tenured faculty members into a rotating drum, from which twenty-four (24) names will be randomly drawn as potential panelists. B6.7.5.3.3.2 Within seven (7) days following the drawing, all twenty-four (24) potential panelists, the VPI, the faculty member, and the Faculty Council Chair shall be asked to convene to select the panel. The VPI and the faculty member shall each privately list up to seven (7) peremptory strikes from the panelists. B6.7.5.3.3.3 If after those strikes, more than ten (10) panelists remain, the Faculty Council Chair will randomly draw ten (10) names. The first person’s name drawn shall be the panel alternate, who shall attend the hearing but shall vote only when replacing a Panel member. The nine (9) remaining persons shall serve as the Dismissal Review Panel. B6.7.5.4 Presentations in Open or Closed Hearing: All presentations to the Dismissal Review Panel shall be closed, unless the faculty member submits a written request for an open hearing to the Panel. The deliberations of the Panel shall be private and closed to all persons other than the Panel. B6.7.5.5 The Dismissal Review Hearing: Within ten (10) days after selection of the Dismissal Review Panel, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development shall convene the hearing. B6.7.5.5.1 The VPI shall provide the following: ten (10) duplicate copies of the "Notice of Intent to Dismiss" to the Panel; the technician(s) and equipment so that a verbatim transcription of the hearing can be made; a mutually agreed-upon campus location for the hearing; and chambers for the Panel. A list of potential witnesses and copies of existing written testimony shall be provided by the VPI to the faculty member at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the hearing. B6.7.5.5.2 Attorneys-at-Law and/or other designated persons may represent the VPI and the faculty member at any time during the hearing. B6.7.5.5.3 Upon convening, the Dismissal Review Panel shall select its chair, who shall preside over the hearing. Even though attorneys may be present, the chair is not bound by judicial protocol. B6.7.5.5.4 Only grounds and alleged actions supporting those grounds specified in the "Notice of Intent to Dismiss"shall be considered at the dismissal review hearing. B6.7.5.5.5 The Panel shall determine, first, if the grounds justify dismissal. If not, they shall recommend reinstatement without prejudice and shall have no further action on the matter, remanding the case to the President. If the grounds are justifiable cause, the Panel shall determine whether alleged actions by the faculty member support those grounds. They may hear evidence presented by the VPI, the faculty member, their representatives, and witnesses; shall permit cross-questioning of witnesses by both sides; and shall judge the case on its merits. B6.7.5.5.6 Upon completion of the testimony and deliberation, the Panel shall decide by two-thirds (2/3) majority to recommend to the President one of the following: (1) reinstatement without prejudice, (2) dismissal, or (3) disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may include (a) immediate reassignment, (b) reassignment and reevaluation at the end of the semester, academic year, or term contract, or (c) disciplinary action short of dismissal. B6.7.5.5.7 The Panel shall forward a written statement of their decision to the President. In the event that a two-thirds (2/3) majority decision cannot be reached by the Panel, the statement and hearing transcript shall be forwarded to the President with no recommendation from the Panel. B6.7.5.6 Transcripts of Hearing: The Vice President of Instruction and Student Development shall submit written transcripts of the Dismissal Review Hearing to the President and the faculty member within fifteen (15) days following the hearing. The transcripts shall be furnished at no cost to the faculty member. B6.7.5.7 Ruling by the President: Within fifteen (15) days following the decision(s) by the VPI and/or receipt of the transcript of the Dismissal Review Panel, the President shall inform the faculty member verbally and in writing of the final ruling. Suggested options are: (1) reinstatement without prejudice, (2) continued mediation, (3) amelioration, or (4) dismissal. B6.7.5.8 Appeal to the Board of Regents: If the decision by the President is dismissal, then the faculty member shall be entitled to appeal to the Del Mar College Board of Regents. The written notice of appeal to the Board must be received by the President within ten (10) days following the final decision by the President. The Board shall review the case within thirty (30) days following receipt of the written notice of appeal. The Board shall, after reviewing the case: (a) order reinstatement without prejudice; (b) order immediate dismissal; (c) order penalty less than dismissal, including reassignment; or (d) remand the case to the President for correction of procedural errors. Under option (d), the case shall revert to the stage in which the procedural error occurred, proceeding from that point to resolution. The decision by the Board of Regents is final, subject to any appeal by law. B6.7.5.9 Effective Date of Dismissal: If the decision for dismissal by the VPI is sustained upon appeal to the President and/or the Board of Regents, the effective date of dismissal shall be the date of abandonment of the Del Mar College appeals process or the decision of the President, whichever first occurs. B6.7.5.10 Time Extensions: Extension of time limits listed in this policy may be authorized by the President upon written request by the faculty member, supervisor, VPI, or the Dismissal Review Panel.

B6.8 Temporary Change of Assignment: If the performance of a faculty member gives cause for concern as to the quality, stability, and continuity of the instruction being given, measures short of dismissal may be desirable and appropriate.

B6.8.1 Possible Action: The administrative decision to invoke any of the following actions will be made after consultation with the appropriate Department Chair, Dean, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, and, possibly, knowledgeable member(s) of the faculty. B6.8.1.1 A faculty member may be placed on sick leave with pay for such period as accumulated sick leave permits if a medical condition is a contributing cause. B6.8.1.2 A faculty member may be assigned to appropriate non-classroom duties. B6.8.1.3 A faculty member may be placed on unpaid leave if no sick leave is available, if sick leave has expired, or if no suitable alternate duties can be performed. B6.8.2 Decision: The VPI shall communicate the decision to the faculty member in a personal conference, or if a personal conference is not possible, in writing. B6.8.3 Conference: The faculty member may request an additional conference with the President and such additional persons in attendance as may be appropriate. B6.8.4 Appeal: The faculty member may appeal to the Board of Regents, which will use such procedures as it desires in hearings. B6.8.5 Time Limit: These actions are intended to be temporary measures, usually not to exceed one (1) semester; during this time, if it appears that resumption of satisfactory performance of regular duties is not probable, the process for dismissal may be initiated.

B6.9 Instructional Program Review: This review process is a formative evaluation designed to bring about systematic improvement in programs, to identify program needs so that the resources of the institution may be appropriately applied, and to assist in curriculum and staff development.

B6.9.1 Definition: An instructional program is a planned sequence of courses, services, or other educational activities specifically associated with a designated set of objectives, not necessarily always certificate or degree oriented, for example, support courses within disciplines, intramural sports, band and choir camps, and publications in connection with journalism. B6.9.2 Time Line: As long as a program is on positive status, it will be reviewed every five (5) years, but on any other status, a program will be reviewed each year. The findings of the Program Review will be reported to the Board of Regents or the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board. A6.9.2.1 On or before September 15, the Division Dean establishes a review committee for each program under review. A6.9.2.2 On or before October 1, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development (hereafter called "VPI") negotiates any additional criteria, beyond those listed as core criteria, upon which the program is to be reviewed. A6.9.2.3 During October, the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness surveys current students and, as appropriate, previous students; this office may also cooperate with others in specialized surveys, if used. A6.9.2.4 Between September and February, the review committee prepares a report resulting from work on core criteria 1, 2, and 3 prior to receipt of the data sheet and from work on other criteria after the data sheet is received. A6.9.2.5 On or before February 1, a Program Review Data Sheet, prepared by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, is distributed to the review committee; statistical data may include, but are not limited to, past and current enrollment, job opportunities, and service to the community. A6.9.2.6 Not later than May 15, the review committee submits "Committee Report" and "Highlights" to the appropriate Dean, who involves faculty in a final consideration before submitting the document to the VPI. A6.9.2.7 Not later than July 1, the Dean submits the above documents to the VPI with recommendations. The VPI may arrange for a discussion meeting with the Department Chair, the Dean, and others. A6.9.2.8 Not later than August 30, the VPI reviews, adds a status report, and forwards it to the President with copies to the appropriate committee members and Division Deans. A6.9.2.9 Not later than the month of October, the College President communicates overall results of the program reviews to the Board of Regents and/or its Academic Affairs Committee and other appropriate persons and/or committees. B6.9.3 Appeal: At any time there is a recommendation to the Board to terminate a program, pertinent faculty, staff, students, and advisory committees may make an appeal to the Board. B6.9.4 Review Committee: The Dean with a given program under review will establish a review committee and select members who are closely involved with the program (program faculty, present and/or former students, Chair, Dean), at least one (1) faculty member not in the program, community persons, and advisory council members, where appropriate; the VPI may appoint other members from core or support programs. A6.9.5 Performance Criteria in the Assessment of Quality: The eight (eight) criteria described below as core criteria will be used to assess the quality of College programs; these criteria require analysis of the degree to which the program is responsive to institutional objectives, student objectives and outcomes, and effectiveness of resource allocations. A6.9.5.1 Assessment of previous program goals must be included in each program review. Program goals for the next five (5) years, which may be carried over from the last program review cycle, must be clear and their relationship to the mission statement of the College must be demonstrated with evidence that the program has considered its goals. Measurable program goals for the next five (5) years, consistent with resource limits, should be developed. One of the listed program goals must be achievement of exemplary educational objectives (student competencies) as provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and other regulating/accrediting agencies. In considering program goals, the committee should review the program's unit plans and the assessment of those plans. Goals should be derived from the overall assessment and analysis of the data for the program.

A6.9.5.2 Instruction-related activities of the program must be congruent with the program goals, and the review committee should consider whether or not the instructional techniques of the program are appropriate to its goals, supportive activities are congruent with the goals, and out-of-class activities are sufficient and related.

A6.9.5.3 Curriculum integration looks to the relationships among the curriculum of the program, the curricula of other programs, and the total curriculum of the institution. Elements are the number of service courses provided for students enrolled in other programs, the number of students provided to service courses offered by other programs, the availability of related curriculum options, and the study of prerequisites for current requirements. A6.9.5.4 Student educational intent is revealed in student demographics and any follow-up studies. Is the program serving the audience intended? Are the program goals and student objectives consistent? Is the pattern of offerings appropriate to student needs? In vocational education, are the students being placed in jobs at a reasonable rate and are there sufficient job openings in Texas to be consistent with student intent and program goals? The sections of the Program Review Data Sheet called "Student Demographics," especially under "Student Objective for Enrolling," "Projected Labor Demand," and "Degree and Certificate Pattern" are particularly helpful. A6.9.5.5 Satisfactory mobility is achieved when the program facilitates a student's shifting to other curricula within the College and/or other colleges or universities without suffering undue loss of credit or time, and the program is accountable for providing flexibility for students from other curricula who wish to transfer into this curriculum. Satisfactory mobility is achieved by the student who completes an educative activity or the program and can then move into related employment, transfer into baccalaureate programs, and/or take other courses with a greater sense of academic confidence. A6.9.5.6 Effective personnel utilization involves effective use of full-time faculty as to teaching load, academic advising load, curriculum development work, and College committee activities. Effective use of part-time faculty should complement full-time faculty so that institutional need for governance and curriculum development and student needs for advising and job placement are adequately met. The adequacy of administrative and technical support for programs of this kind should also be evaluated. A6.9.5.7 Cost effectiveness, like personnel utilization, is a measure of resource utilization, which may include, among others, the number of students who graduate or complete the course or program and the relationship of that number to the minimum acceptable to the College. Full-time equivalent and headcount enrollment patterns in both the program and its primary courses must be considered, as well as the number of students attached to the program. Equipment costs of each program should involve attention to obsolescence, replacement, and maintenance. A final consideration should be effective utilization of the facilities committed to the program and those shared with other programs, such as learning centers, libraries, laboratories, and shops. A6.9.5.8 Strategic advantage is achieved when the program provides a unique response to a demonstrated community need. If a similar service is provided by other educational programs in the area, the review committee should present logical arguments as to why the program has a strategic advantage. What are the national trends in this area? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program? How do others evaluate the program? If program accreditation is relevant, what is the status of the program? A6.9.6 Status Report by the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development: The status report provides feedback to the program administrator and faculty on the administrative evaluation of the program and may include recommendations, suggestions, and support for the committee’s conclusions. It must include a statement about the program status in one of four categories. A6.9.6.l The status is positive if the review is satisfactory; the program will not be analyzed until the next scheduled review period in five (5) years. A6.9.6.2 The status is conditional if there are serious deficiencies in the program's ability to meet institutional criteria. The result is an automatic assignment of the program to annual review status until it can move to positive status. A6.9.6.3 The status is probational if the program has spent at least one (1) year in the conditional category and continues to have serious deficiencies. This designation indicates an intent to terminate the program after one (1) year, with right of appeal to the President and the Board, unless the deficiencies are suitably corrected. A6.9.6.4 The final category, termination, is recommended after a program has been classed as conditional for at least one (1) year and as probation for at least one (1) year with continuing serious deficiencies. A6.9.6.5 The VPI forwards the recommendations on the reviewed program to the President and the appropriate committee members. A6.9.6.6 The President reports the findings of the Program Review to the Board of Regents, and when a program is determined to be in the final category, the President will recommend termination to the Board for approval. An appeal to the Board is permitted at this time. A6.9.6.7 The College administration reserves the right to recommend to the Board the termination of a program under exceptional circumstances (for example, severe and unanticipated drop in enrollment; discontinuance of funds from external sources) without the program having passed through all categories of review. A6.9.7 Oversight Responsibility: The VPI has oversight responsibility for the Instructional Program Review, including detailing of responsibilities of administrators and committees and their time lines, program review data sheets, and the final documents as to content and form. The VPI will guide the procedure from the decision to review a program to the recommendation to the President.

B6.10 Tenure-Track Faculty Salary Structure: Revisions Adopted September 5, 2008 The tenure-track faculty salary schedule consists of four components: common base, rank, education, and experience.

B6.10.1 The schedule establishes a common base for all full-time, tenure-track faculty at $41,463.

B6.10.2 Additional Components: To the common base, additions are made for rank, education and experience.
B6.10.2.1 The rank component is established as follows:

Rank	Increment	Total
Assistant Professor	$2,202	$2,202
Associate Professor	$2,936	$5,138
Professor	$4,891	$10,029

B6.10.2.2 To qualify for a salary incrementation on the basis of additional study, the faculty member must have approval of the Department Chair, the Dean, and the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. Central to the question of approval is the relevance of the additional work to the faculty member's particular discipline and area of employment; thus it is required that prior approval of the faculty member's plans be obtained in writing.

The educational component is established as follows:

Education	Amount
Rate for education hours above Bachelor's	$ 54.00
Bachelor plus 30 Award of Master's Master's Total Master's plus 60 Award of Doctorate Doctoral Total	$1,620 $612 $2,232 $3,240 2,445 $7,917

A6.10.2.2.1 A faculty member requesting consideration for salary increment based on additional education must complete a PER 070 form prior to commencing additional college/university courses. B6.10.2.3 The experience component is established for each year of approved-for experience-pay as follows:

Approved Years	2008-2009 Amount
1-18	$673.00 ea.

B6.11 The President shall approve salary structures for Teaching Fellows, Assistant Instructors, adjunct faculty, and substitutes, as well as Chair stipends and other salary arrangements.

A6.11.1 Adjunct Faculty Teaching Salary Schedule: Revisions Adopted September 10, 2008 Adjunct faculty teaching semester hour courses will be paid as follows:

3 hours lecture per week bachelor's degree	$2,100 per semester
master's degree	$2,500 per semester
doctorate	$3,000 per semester

1 laboratory hour per week bachelor's degree	$400 per semester
master's degree	$400 per semester
doctorate	$400 per semester

A course which meets for three (3) lecture hours per week per long semester is the standard on which compensation is based. Courses which meet for more or fewer lecture hours per week will be adjusted. Courses which have laboratory hours will pay an additional $400 per laboratory hour per semester.

Example:

Compensation for a course with three (3) lecture hours and one (1) laboratory hour per week taught by an adjunct faculty member with a master's degree would be $2,900 ($2,500 for lecture plus $400 for lab).

Compensation for adjunct faculty teaching courses which do not follow the lecture/laboratory structure must be approved by the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development and the President.

Skills Trainers who facilitate student skills development in a laboratory and/or clinical environment and who do not serve as the teacher-of-record for the course will be paid at the rate of $25.00 per hour. Skills Trainers are used in health career and public safety programs where lower student-teacher ratios are required for safety measures and skills development.

Adjunct teachers who teach clock hour instructional classes will be paid at the rate of $21.00 per contact hour for courses which are not reimbursed by the State. Adjunct faculty who teach clock hour instructional classes which are reimbursed by the State will be paid at the rate of $23.00 per contact hour. The adjunct hourly rate for teaching special programs and contract training is flexible and will be recovered through tuition, fees, and/or rates specified in contract training agreements.

A6.11.2 Pay Scale for Substitute Teaching: If full-time faculty substitute for either full-time or part-time faculty and if part-time faculty substitute for either full-time or part-time faculty up to and including the sixth (6th) day of absences from a class (semester-hour programs) and the sixth hour (clock-hour programs), they shall be paid as follows:

Class Lecture per Hour	Lecture/Lab Combination Clock Hour	Lab	Supervision of Exam
$17.47	$15.29	$13.10	$8.74

Beyond the days/hours shown above, beginning on the seventh (7th) day/hour, the substitute rate is time-and-one-half as long as the semester and the teacher of record do not change. If the administration changes the teacher of record, providing the absence is still in effect, the salary of the substitute will be prorated adjunct salary from the time of change. If department members choose to substitute for a colleague after leave is exhausted, and if the faculty substitute free of charge to the College, the salary of the absent employee is not reduced as long as classes are taught under this agreement (and with the Chair's written approval) within the semester in which the classes are scheduled. If another term begins while the employee is absent, (a) another teacher of record may be designated, (b) the remaining sick leave days, if any, may be used under the substitute rate, or (c) the department may choose to continue to substitute free for a time agreed upon by the administration, the Department Chair/supervisor and the substitute.

Deans and other administrators of the College who are employed on a full-time basis will not be paid for substitute teaching.

A6.11.3 Assistant Instructors and Fellows will be paid 100% of the common base salary. Pay for experience accrues within the same job status.

A6.11.4 Full-time faculty pay is not adjusted for absences that may be charged against accumulated sick leave or personal leave, nor for counselors' and librarians' use of their accumulated vacation leave. Similarly, full-time faculty pay is not adjusted for absences for jury duty in accordance with B5.31 or to attend professional development activities that have been pre-approved by the department chair.

An adjunct faculty who is absent and whose at-will employment has not been terminated will incur a pay deduction equal to the cost of the substitute for the first three lecture/lab hours that a substitute is provided. If an adjunct cancels a class without arranging for a substitute who has been approved by the chair or if the adjunct has been absent for more than three lecture/lab hours of the course, and the adjunct's at-will employment has not been terminated, then the adjunct's pay adjustment will be prorated based on the adjunct's semesterly pay rate for the course. Pay is not adjusted for absences for jury duty in accordance with B5.31.

For example, an adjunct with a masters' degree who is paid $2,110 for a three-hour lecture course will incur a deduction of $17.47 per hour for the cost of a lecture substitute for the first three hours of absences in that course during the semester, if arrangements have been made for a substitute. For the fourth hour or more of absence, the adjunct's pay will be adjusted by dividing the semesterly pay rate for the course ($2,110) by the total number of hours for the course (3 hours per week x 16 weeks = 48 hours), or $2,110/48 = $43.96 per hour in this example.

B6.12 Addition of New Programs: Written evaluations of the extent to which a proposed program fits the guidelines listed below shall be presented to the Board of Regents with adequate time allowed for thorough study and consideration.

B6.12.1 Qualification: The College is uniquely, or especially, qualified to offer the proposed program because of staff, faculty, or environmental circumstances. B6.12.2 Benefit: Enrollees are expected to come predominantly from within the College service area, and the program will be of direct benefit in supporting or supplementing the economic and/or cultural base of the College service area. B6.12.3 Enrollment: The total number of students anticipated in the program will be large enough to warrant the offering. B6.12.4 Costs: Anticipated costs and sources of revenue should be clearly defined; cost analysis should include resource utilization, such as equipment, facilities, and personnel. B6.12.5 Final Authority: The Board of Regents possesses, and reserves to itself, the final authority in review, rejection, or approval of proposed new programs.

B6.13 Leaves of Absence: A faculty member desiring unpaid leave of absence shall state the duration and purpose in a written request, through, and with the concurrence of, the faculty member's Department Chair, Dean, and the Vice President of Instruction to the President, for approval.

B6.13.1 Reasons: Such leaves may be granted for reasons shown below, although the President may grant leaves for unusual circumstances not provided in the following reasons. Ordinarily only tenured faculty members are granted leaves of absence. B6.13.1.1 Additional or advanced study must be directly and clearly related to the professional field in which the faculty is employed or to an auxiliary field approved by the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development; such leave will be without salary paid by Del Mar, but with tenure rights, whereby the year off for study will count as a year of tenure for salary purposes. B6.13.1.2 Leave to practice professionally in another college or leave to work in business/industry for purposes of updating knowledge in the faculty member's field will be without salary paid by Del Mar, but with tenure rights, whereby the year off for work will count as a year of tenure for salary purposes. B6.13.1.3 Health leave requests must be accompanied by the written recommendation of a physician. B6.13.2 Length/Renewal: Unpaid leaves may be granted for periods not to exceed one (1) year but renewal may be considered upon written request. B6.13.3 Time: Requests for leaves must be made in sufficient time for necessary preparations to be made by the administration. Should a faculty member on leave of absence determine to resign, written notice will be mailed to the Chair not later than January 15.

B6.14 Absence for Service/Development: In addition to absences excused because of illness or personal affairs, explained in Chapter V, Human Resources, absences for professional service and development are excused if prior approval is obtained from the appropriate administrator.

B6.15 Faculty Sabbatical Leave: Revisions Adopted January 29, 2008 Del Mar College shall offer sabbatical leave to eligible full-time, tenured faculty for professional development activities that clearly benefit the College. Applications for sabbatical leave shall be received by the Vice President of Instruction and forwarded to the Sabbatical Leave Committee. This faculty committee shall make recommendations to the College President who shall then make recommendations to the Board of Regents. The President shall ensure that a system is devised and implemented for determining eligibility requirements, application processes, and selection procedures.

A6.15.1 Value Statement: Sabbatical leave is a privilege that is intended to clearly benefit both the College and the employee. This leave may be granted only to full-time, tenured faculty. Leave may be granted for the purpose of professional improvement which will clearly benefit the College (through activities such as formal or informal study and acquisition of new skills or keeping abreast of new technologies, research, and community service).

A6.15.2 Eligibility: Eligible full-time, tenured faculty may apply for sabbatical leave. Full-time, tenured faculty must have completed six years of continuous, full-time service to be eligible to apply for sabbatical leave except as specified in the following paragraph concerning retrenchment. Time granted for other types of professional leave, other than paid sick leave, will not be included in the calculation of total years of continuous service. Such leave time, however, will not interrupt the accrual of years of continued service. Sabbaticants must complete an additional six years of continuous service from their prior sabbatical to be eligible for another sabbatical.

Any full-time, tenured faculty member with less than 6 years of continuous full-time service who is facing retrenchment may be considered for sabbatical leave if recommended by the supervisor to retrain for a suitable position which might be available concurrent with the date of retrenchment and if that faculty member facing retrenchment has served as a member of the faculty for at least two consecutive academic years of continuous full-time service at the time of consideration for sabbatical leave.

A6.15.3 Purposes for Which Sabbatical Leave may be taken:

A6.15.3.1 A planned program of courses or relevant activity that relates to the professional growth of the applicant and will be of benefit to Del Mar College, its mission and purpose.

A6.15.3.4 Fellowships, grants, lectureships, faculty exchange, or field experience that will materially increase the proficiency of the applicant’s area of responsibility or will be of benefit to Del Mar College, its mission and purpose.

A6.15.4 Criteria: The following criteria will be used in determining the ranking of leave proposals:

A6.15.4.1 Evidence that the objectives of the sabbatical leave, if attained, would contribute to the attainment of the College’s mission, goals and objectives;

A6.15.4.2 Evidence that the objectives of the sabbatical leave, if attained, would substantially contribute to the professional growth of the faculty member, such as projects designed to improve teaching competencies;

A6.15.4.3 Evidence of past achievements within the institution as measured by such factors as merit, promotion, service, etc.;

A6.15.4.4 Evidence that attainment of the objectives of the sabbatical leave as proposed are realistic in terms of time, costs and staff member’s ability to achieve goals based on past experiences and formal educational background; and

A6.15.4.5 Evidence of support in the form of recommendations from other institutions, foundations, immediate supervisors, or persons concerned with the proposed plan or project.

A6.15.5 Length of Sabbatical: Individuals applying for sabbatical leave may be granted either one semester or one academic year; i.e., fall semester or spring semester, or fall + spring. Summer sessions will not be considered for sabbatical compensation. As an alternative form of sabbatical leave, an eligible employee may propose a leave to fit individual plans and College needs, providing that the total period of leave does not exceed one academic year (as defined above). [Texas Education Code § 51.103 , § 51.105 ]

A6.15.6 Sabbatical Leave Committee: The Faculty Council will vote upon and shall forward to the President as part of the annual Committee on Committees report the names of nine full-time faculty to serve on the Sabbatical Leave Committee, a College standing committee appointed by the President. The President will appoint the aforementioned nine faculty members to serve on a Sabbatical Leave Committee as per the timetable include in this policy. It is recommended that the membership of the Sabbatical Leave Committee be balanced in terms of Divisions of the College and librarians/counselors, with four members from each of the two academic divisions and one member from the librarians/counselors. No more than one person per department shall serve on the committee concurrently. Members serve for three years, with one-third of the members selected each year. Replacements for committee members who are unable to complete their term of service will be appointed by the Faculty Council. Faculty may not serve on the Committee during a year in which they are going to apply for sabbatical. In addition to the nine members, faculty receiving a sabbatical shall serve one year on the Sabbatical Leave Committee during the academic year following their sabbatical leave. The Vice President for Instruction and the Vice President of Student Development or their designees and the academic deans or their designees will serve as ex-officio members of the Committee with voting privileges and must be notified of all meetings for participation.

A6.15.6.1 The Sabbatical Leave Committee will establish operational procedures appropriate and consistent with the sabbatical leave policies and procedures. The Committee is empowered to reject applications which are incomplete or late. The Committee will rank each eligible candidate who has applied for sabbatical leave in terms of the criteria stated in the policies and procedures. The Sabbatical Committee will submit to the College President for review and further action the Committee’s recommendations (in rank order) for sabbatical leave, along with the ranked list of all sabbatical applicants and all applications and supporting materials (including the Committee’s basis for its ranking of all candidates.)

A6.15.6.2 The Committee also is charged with reconsideration of sabbatical leave proposals submitted and approved in prior years but deferred for whatever reasons. Deferred leave proposals must be updated by applicants and resubmitted to the Sabbatical Leave Committee for review and ranking.

A6.15.7 Application Process: Applicants will complete a “Sabbatical Leave Application” form (ADM 018), and obtain the signature of their supervisor acknowledging submittal of the proposal. Copies of the completed form and supporting materials, if any, should be forwarded to the Vice President for Instruction and chairperson of the Sabbatical Leave Committee no later than February 1. Each applicant may submit only one proposal. Each proposal will be ranked according to its merits as determined by the sabbatical criteria. The Sabbatical Leave Committee will deliver its ranked list of sabbatical applicants to the President by February 15.

A6.15.7.1 The President will evaluate the rankings established by the Sabbatical Leave Committee, the supporting materials forwarded by the Committee, and the comments of the Vice President for Instruction and recommend candidates for sabbatical leave by March 30 to the Board of Regents for approval at its April meeting.

A6.15.7.2 Application Timeline (If a timeline deadline is on a Saturday, Sunday, or College holiday, then the deadline shall be automatically extended to the next College work day.) This timeline is intended as a guide and not an absolute and may be modified by the Vice President of Instruction upon recommendation of Faculty Council.

November 20	President will announce number of sabbatical positions available.
December 1	Applications available on line or at Office of VPI
February 1	Completed applications for sabbatical leave must be submitted to the Vice President of Instruction. Within three working days, the Vice President of Instruction shall forward all applications to the chair of the Sabbatical Leave Committee.
February 15	Sabbatical Leave Committee must notify applicants of candidate ranking.
February 28	Noon deadline for applicants to appeal to the Vice President of Instruction
March 5	Vice President of Instruction must notify committee of his/her recommendation regarding appeal
March 15	The Sabbatical Leave Committee must forward a final ranked list of all applicants to the President of the College along with applications and supporting materials.
March 30	List of sabbaticants recommended by the College President for the following academic year will be presented to the Board of Regents for approval at the April meeting.
On or about April 15	Successful sabbaticants will receive a letter of confirmation from the President of the College following the April meeting of the Board of Regents
May 1	Sabbatical Leave Committee will be selected for the following academic year.

A6.15.8 Cancellation of Leave: Sabbatical leaves are contingent upon approval of the College’s operating budget by the Board of Regents. If, after approval by the Board of Regents, it becomes necessary for the College to cancel a sabbatical leave, the applicant will receive first priority for sabbatical leave in the next fiscal year, if the resubmitted proposal meets the specified criteria for ranking. If an individual has been recommended to the President for sabbatical leave and withdraws the application or decides not to take leave, then the applicant will not receive priority in a subsequent year. Either the original proposal in updated form or a new proposal must be submitted to the Sabbatical Leave Committee when leave is again requested.

A6.15.9 Appeal of Sabbatical Leave Recommendations: An applicant for sabbatical leave may appeal the recommendations of the Sabbatical Leave Committee by appealing to the appropriate Vice President within five working days. The Vice President will notify the chairperson of the Sabbatical Leave Committee of a pending appeal. Appeals should be in writing and provide evidence based on the criteria established for sabbatical leave indicating why the rank order assigned should be altered. If the appeal is approved by the appropriate Vice President, then the Vice President will submit the proposal for review and consideration by the Sabbatical Leave Committee.

A6.15.10 Post-Sabbatical Leave Service Requirements: Faculty granted sabbatical leave are required to return for at least two years of employment following completion of the sabbatical leave. Sabbaticants will be required to sign an agreement prior to the acceptance of sabbatical leave that they will repay the full amount of salary and fringe benefits received while on leave if they should not return to the College for at least two years of service. Upon the recommendation of the President of the College, this obligation shall be cancelled if serious accident or permanent disability as supported by medical certification from a physician, or death prevents the applicant from fulfilling the terms of the written leave contract. In addition, Sabbaticants shall serve one year on the Sabbatical Leave Committee during the academic year following their sabbatical leave.

A6.15.10.1 Report: Upon completion of the sabbatical leave, the recipient will submit a detailed report following the chain of command (chair/dean/VP) of the results of the leave within 90 days of the date of return to regular duties by the employee. The report will include:

1. An account of activities during the leave, including travel itineraries, institutions visited and persons consulted;

2. A statement of progress made on the sabbatical leave program as proposed in the application and an explanation of any significant changes made in the program;

3. An appraisal of the relationship between the results obtained and those anticipated in the sabbatical leave program statement.

A6.15.10.2 Presentation: In addition, upon request, the employee will make a presentation to his or her peers and other employees concerning the sabbatical experience, the benefit gained, and other appropriate related topics. The presentation may be given at a faculty development workshop, a discipline-specific workshop, or at convocation.

A6.15.10.3 Modifications to Sabbatical Leave: If sabbaticants find that the sabbatical leave proposal cannot be completed as originally approved, the following must occur:

A6.15.10.3 .1 The sabbaticant must write the President of the College explaining what changes are being proposed. The President will then notify the sabbaticant acceptance of changes, if any, relative to the leave conditions and requirements.

A6.15.10.3.2 In the event that the sabbatical leave project is not carried out in accordance with the approved plan or modifications, then the President of the College can take appropriate action.

A6.15.11 Funding of Sabbatical Leaves: In