Chapter VI

Personnel and Professional Policies

Section B: Appointment, Retention, Tenure, Promotion, and Evaluation

Eligibility Criteria for Tenure and Promotion

(Senate: 4/6/71, 8/23/73, 8/27/74, 4/4/78, 2/27/79, 5/23/79, 7/3/84, 10/27/87, 7/11/89, 5/21/91; 11/12/13; President: 4/7/71, 9/11/73, 9/13/74, 4/24/78, 7/26/79, 7/12/84, 6/22/88, 8/8/89, 6/26/91, 3/19/14; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01)

Each department/division/school shall maintain with the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs a written statement that will define the appropriate terminal degree for tenure track faculty serving in that department/division/school. This statement must be recommended by the appropriate department/division/school and college committees, the dean of the college, and the Faculty Policy Committee and have the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President.

The appropriate terminal degree is required for consideration for tenure and promotion beyond the rank of assistant professor or senior assistant librarian, with the exception described in the following paragraph:

Any department/division/school having a position in which professional or vocational experience in lieu of a terminal degree is highly beneficial shall develop a written statement that will define the equivalence for that position. Such statements shall have been recommended by the appropriate department/division/school and college committees, the dean of the college, the Faculty Policy Committee, and approved by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President prior to advertisement of the position. A faculty member appointed to such a position shall be eligible for tenure and promotion under the criteria contained in that statement. That faculty member must be judged by the same qualitative standards as are other tenure and promotion candidates.

A faculty member, after 10 years of meritorious service may be considered for promotion to the next higher rank, although technically not eligible for consideration for promotion under regular criteria (e.g., a terminal degree or equivalency). Those faculty members must be judged by the same qualitative standards as are other promotion candidates.

Each college shall state in writing its procedure for determining that the faculty member's years of service are meritorious. Such procedure shall include provision for formal consultation with an appropriate college committee. Once declared eligible for promotion, the faculty member remains eligible for such consideration thereafter until promoted to the rank of professor.

Evaluation of Faculty Serving as Administrators

(Senate: 4/28/70, 2/4/92; President: 6/11/70, 3/11/92; Editorial Amendment: 9/00)

When a faculty member serving in an administrative position is nominated for or required to be considered for promotion, retention, or tenure, it is understood that of the three general categories, instructional performance, professional achievement and contributions to the University, the individual would normally contribute quantitatively most to the last category. However, it is expected that he or she will not neglect academic pursuits and will have made contributions in instructional performance and professional achievement as well.

Procedures for evaluating administrators for retention, tenure and promotion will be the same as procedures for all faculty members. Administrators are encouraged to place copies of their work plan and annual report in their personnel file to document their contributions to the university.

At the request of the faculty member being reviewed, the appropriate college shall establish an ad hoc committee to develop a written evaluation of the administrative service by interviewing those administrators and faculty members who normally come into contact with the candidate. This committee shall develop a written report prior to the closure of the personnel file for the year. The report shall be placed in the personnel file of the faculty member and shall be available for all levels of review.

Student Input in Academic Personnel Processes

(Senate: 2/15/77, 2/5/85, 10/17/90, 2/15/94, 10/13/20; President: 2/23/77, 2/11/85, 11/9/90, 3/11/94, 11/6/20; Editorial Amendment: 8/01, 3/1/18 [EA])

Students at Cal State LA have the right to submit written and signed statements regarding their instructors. The University shall directly inform students of this right each academic term through formal University communication channels. Colleges may establish additional policy regarding how this right is communicated to students within their programs.

These statements shall be limited to the students' own experience with faculty members performance of assigned duties. Students shall submit such written and signed statements to the department office or the college dean's office. Anonymously written or unsigned materials will not be considered. Inclusion of such statements in the personnel action file is governed by article 11 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the California State University and the California Faculty Association.

Faculty members shall not solicit performance appraisals for themselves or any other faculty member from any students. This does not preclude a faculty member from requesting anonymous, voluntary statements from students currently enrolled in a class during the semester solely for the purpose of improving that course. Students who express positive or negative opinions of a faculty member should be informed of the appropriate procedures for expressing these views.

Faculty members shall not confront or retaliate against students who have submitted negative performance appraisals.

Temporary Full-time and Part-time Faculty (Lecturers)

(Senate: 3/30/77, 1/13/81, 8/27/85, 10/17/89, 2/4/92, 11/19/02, 2/3/09,5 /28/13; President: 4/14/77, 1/22/81, 10/29/85, 11/10/89, 3/11/92, 11/26/02, 3/26/09, 7/9/13; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01, 3/1/18 [EA])

Governing documents: Articles 12, 15, and 35 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the California State University and the California Faculty Association.

Temporary full-time and part-time faculty shall be provided with written statements from the department/division chair or school director, or college dean specifying, as far as can be determined in advance, courses to be taught, class size and schedule. Temporary full-time faculty also shall be informed of their expected extra-instructional support duties (e.g., advisement, committee assignments).

Working Conditions. Since the teaching responsibilities of temporary full-time and part-time faculty are the same as those of the regular faculty insofar as their courses are concerned, they should be provided with facilities and services consistent with the performance of their duties. Temporary full-time and part-time faculty shall have participatory rights in department/division/school meetings, except that voting rights shall be subject to department/division/school, college, and university regulations and the Agreement between CSU and CFA. Part-time faculty may not, however, be required to attend such meetings.

Official personnel files for all temporary full-time and part-time faculty members shall be maintained in the office of the college dean.

Employment as a temporary faculty member at California State University, Los Angeles includes the teaching of assigned classes, being available to students during scheduled office hours, and fulfilling other duties as agreed to by the temporary faculty member with the respective department/division/school.

Temporary faculty members may not engage in any outside activities that adversely affect the performance of their duties at Cal State L.A.  Such activities include, but are not limited to, excessive employment and those activities that are unprofessional and therefore incompatible with the aims and objectives of the institution.

All temporary faculty members appointed full-time at the University shall be required to provide a written statement to the appropriate administrator of all outside employment, where such outside employment is expected to amount to more than 160 hours per semester for faculty holding academic year or ten month appointments.

Appointment Procedures for Grant-Related Instructional Faculty of Exceptional Merit

(Senate: 4/20/82, 7/28/82 [EA]; President: 9/28/82; Editorial Amendment: 8/01)

Definition and Minimum Qualifications. As a result of action taken by the CSU Board of Trustees, instructional faculty members meeting specified criteria may be appointed to two classes, academic year and 12-month. Each provides for compensation from grants, individual gifts or bequests, or Foundation allocations at a differential of five to 25 percent above the salary for their regular rank and step. In addition to the education and experience normally required for the academic rank to which they are to be appointed, the criteria are that the candidate have exceptional professional merit in scholarship and in teaching as evidenced by regional or national recognition.

Each appointment to one or the other class is to be made, as appropriate, for one academic year or 12-month period only, subject to additional appointments by the President after faculty consultation and within the limits of the grant support. No tenure accrual or salary right accompanies either class separate from the tenure rights and salary normally accruing from regular full-time faculty appointment. Appointment to either class does not constitute a promotion, nor does termination of an appointment without renewal constitute a demotion.

Appointment Procedures. Particular qualifications for positions shall be identified in writing, either by the fund grantor, subject to the approval of the appropriate department/division/school committee(s), or directly by the appropriate department/division/school committee(s). Approval of these qualifications shall follow department/division/school, college, and university procedures.

Department/division/school, college and university procedures for the recruitment and selection of faculty should be adhered to. Procedures for selection of recipients of particular grants shall be developed in consultation with department/division/school recruitment committee(s) and reviewed by department/division chairs or school directors, college personnel committee(s), and college dean(s), with final approval from the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President. Procedures necessarily will vary because of differences in the nature and terms of funding arrangements, but should include specific provisions relating to recruitment of candidates (e.g., by national Affirmative Action search or nomination by grantor, university faculty, or university administrators) and the final selection. Every such appointment requires the recommendation of the appropriate faculty committee(s) and administrator(s) in the unit to which the appointment is made as well as the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President.

International Faculty Exchange Program

(Senate: 10/17/67; President: 10/30/67; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01)

Definition.

As used in this section, the term "International Faculty Exchange Program" refers to the development and administration of continuing, long-range, institution-to-institution agreements with specific foreign institutions for exchange of faculty. Individual faculty arrangements under fellowships such as the Fulbright program or individual arrangements with foreign institutions do not fall within the purview of an institution-to-institution exchange program.

Procedures.

1. Exploration on an informal basis of a possible exchange program with a particular university may be initiated by any college, department/division/school, or individual faculty member, as well as by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. In the interest of coordination, however, copies of all communications shall be submitted to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
2. Formal proposals shall in all cases be submitted to the Awards and Leaves Subcommittee for its study and recommendation to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Final approval shall be given by the President through a signed agreement with the responsible official of the foreign institution.
3. The coordinator of the International Faculty Exchange Program in the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall be the Director of the Program, who shall be appointed in consultation with the Faculty Policy Committee and given assigned time as required.
4. Any formal exchange agreement that is concluded between this University and a foreign institution only establishes a relationship within which exchanges may take place. Correspondence relative to the possible openings or available faculty at either institution is conducted by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. All decisions regarding the acceptance of foreign faculty members or the possibility of releasing any members of this faculty from their teaching assignments so they may teach at the foreign university shall be made by the academic department/division/school and college or division concerned.
5. Establishment of an exchange relationship shall not imply a need for complete reciprocity. Any department/division/school or college at either institution may indicate its needs and consider available candidates from the other institution independently, without regard to the numbers or disciplines of faculty who have been or are scheduled to be exchanged in either direction.
6. Priority will be given to the establishment of exchange agreements with institutions that have a broad range of high-quality programs.

Visiting Faculty Appointments

(Senate: 2/3/76, 4/18/78, 11/6/84, 9/10/19; President: 2/6/76, 4/26/78, 1/25/85, 10/23/19; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01)

Visiting faculty appointments are full-time appointments for up to one (1) academic year. Individuals appointed into this classification shall not be eligible for a subsequent visiting appointment.

Visiting faculty carry no academic rank and the title "visiting professor" may be used for this appointment. Any variations of this title must be approved by the president prior to the beginning of the appointment.

The request for a visiting professor position may be initiated by a department/division/school or program. Faculty shall be involved in the recruitment and hiring process, which will require an elected committee of tenured faculty. Probationary faculty may be members of such a committee with the permission of the president. As in normal faculty recruitment, an intensive effort should be made to recruit underrepresented candidates. The hiring of visiting faculty shall not result in the displacement or time base reduction of an incumbent temporary faculty unit employee as reflected in the order of work in provision 12.29 of the Unit 3 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the California Faculty Association and the California State University.

Offers of appointment and salary recommendations by the college dean must be approved by the president. Assignment of workload will be at the discretion of the dean in consultation with the department/division chair or school director and the visiting faculty member.

Effective with academic year 2006/2007, the number of employees in the visiting faculty classification code shall not exceed one hundred twenty-five (125) full time equivalent faculty (FTEF) systemwide.

The use of the visiting faculty class code shall expire at the end of each subsequent Collective Bargaining Agreement between CFA and the CSU and shall be subject to re-negotiation during negotiations for a successor agreement.

Volunteer Faculty

(Senate: 3/3/87; 7/25/88, 9/25/18; President: 10/15/18; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01)

In cases when the University may benefit from the appointment of professional persons on a voluntary basis, such persons will be designated as volunteer faculty.

Appointment. Upon initial appointment, volunteer faculty shall be provided with information on applicable faculty rights and responsibilities. Volunteer faculty shall be provided with written statements from the department/division chair or school director, or college dean specifying, as far as can be determined in advance, the scope of responsibilities such as: courses to be taught, class size, schedule, other requirements for the assignments, department/division/school policies on evaluation of faculty; and the possibility of cancellation of appointment. The selection and procedures for appointment of volunteer faculty will be conducted in the same manner as for part-time faculty.

Official personnel files for all volunteer faculty members shall be maintained in the office of the college dean. Volunteer faculty shall have the same rights in regard to their files as probationary and tenured faculty.

Working Conditions. Since the teaching responsibilities of volunteer faculty are the same as those of the regular faculty insofar as their courses are concerned, they should be provided with facilities and services consistent with the performance of their duties. Volunteer faculty shall schedule regular office hours according to the Office Hour Policy.

Volunteer faculty shall have participatory rights in department/division/school meetings except that participation and voting rights shall be subject to department/division/school, college, and university regulations. Volunteer faculty are encouraged but may not be required to attend such meetings.

Subsequent Appointments.

1. Subsequent Appointment. Volunteer faculty are appointed without acquisition of the right for subsequent appointment. Subsequent appointments may be made subject to department/division/school need. Volunteer faculty on one semester appointments shall be reviewed prior to each subsequent appointment by the department/division chair or school director, and at least once annually by a department/division/school personnel committee, except where department/division/school hiring patterns make this procedure impracticable. Where such patterns exist, the volunteer faculty member shall be reviewed during the first semester of employment and no faculty member shall be reviewed more than once annually by department/division/school personnel committees. Volunteer faculty members shall be invited to submit cumulative vitae covering their off-campus employment and other professional activity during the period following their last review. The evaluation of volunteer faculty by department/division/school personnel committees shall, when feasible, include provisions for student input regarding instructional performance. The volunteer faculty member shall be informed in writing of the results of each such evaluation by the chair of the personnel committee.
2. Notice of Prospects for Subsequent Appointment. Whenever possible, volunteer faculty on one-semester appointments shall receive from the department/division chair or school director written or oral notice one month before the following semester, informing them of their prospects for appointment in the next semester. Whenever possible, volunteer faculty on annual appointments shall receive from the department/division chair or school director written or oral notice one semester before the terminal date of their appointment, informing them of their prospects for appointment in the next semester or academic year.

Distinguished Visiting Fellow

(Senate: 3/11/86; President: 7/25/88; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01)

Distinguished Visiting Fellow designation may be extended to individuals visiting this campus for one year or less without remuneration from this institution. Colleges will devise their own selection procedures, subject only to the provision that every department/division/school be permitted to nominate and that the dean approve the final nominees in consultation with a college-level faculty committee. Each recipient shall furnish a resume/vita to be maintained by the college. The designation should be predicated upon, but not necessarily limited to, one or more of the following: scholarly distinction, excellence of teaching or research, distinguished service, professional accomplishments.

The host department/division/school should provide or arrange for office space, access to the library, staff parking, and other amenities as available.

Section C: Reduced Worktime, Preretirement, and Retirement Plans

Reduced Worktime Program

(Senate: 9/22/82, 10/13/82 [EA], 9/26/84 [EA], 10/17/89; President: 11/5/82, 11/2/84, 11/10/89, 3/1/18 [EA])

Purpose, Eligibility, and Options. Title 5 of the Administrative Code, sections 4313043155, 4317043174, and section 42852, provides all full-time faculty members with the possibility of voluntary participation in a reduced work-time program in which the faculty member will work less than full time with a prorated reduction in salary and benefits. For academic teaching employees, the available options are a reduction in the employee's time base, a reduction in the number of semesters taught, or a combination of both. For faculty members other than academic teaching employees, the available options are a reduction in the number of hours of work per day, number of days per week or per month, or a reduction in the number of days of work per year.

Information about this program is available from the office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Preretirement and Retirement Plans

(Senate: 10/16/84, 11/5/85, 12/1/87, 10/17/89; President: 1/30/85, 12/19/85, 6/22/88, 11/10/89)

Faculty members who are approaching retirement and who desire to reduce their time base prior to retirement should consider their options under the Reduced Work-time Program, (see preceding section) and under the Pre-retirement Reduction in Time Base Program, which is defined in the Agreement between CSU and CFA (Article 30). Faculty who are interested in teaching after retirement may wish to consider the Faculty Early Retirement Program which is defined in the Agreement between CSU and CFA (Article 29).

Employment of Retired Faculty Members Not on the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP). Faculty members who have retired and who are not participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program are eligible for the department/division/school part-time faculty pool.

Limitation. A retired faculty member may serve without reinstatement from retirement for a total of 90 days or 50% of the hours the faculty member was employed during the last fiscal year of service prior to retirement. A permanent academic year teaching employee whose last year of service was as a full-time faculty member could be employed for up to 22 1/2 units in a fiscal year. A twelve month academic employee whose last year was full time could be employed to teach for up to 30 units in a fiscal year.

Voting Rights of Faculty

(Executive Committee: 5/2/79; Senate: 6/19/79, 10/17/89, 5/11/93, 4/5/11; President: 11/10/89, 6/21/93, 6/23/11; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01)

Governing documents: The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the California State University and the California Faculty Association (Articles 29 and 30 as pertain to retired faculty) and The Constitution of the Faculty, Faculty Handbook, Appendix C).

Unless otherwise mandated by the California State University System (CSU) or the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the California Faculty Association (CFA) and the CSU (hereafter the Agreement), only those permanent (Unit 3) faculty members in the following categories shall be permitted to vote in all-University elections:

probationary or tenured faculty
librarians
counselors
full-time coaches
faculty who are in the Preretirement Reduction in Time Base Program
faculty who are in the Faculty Early Retirement Program while on duty

1.  Probationary and Tenured Faculty Voting

All faculty have full voting rights in the department/division/school and college in which they hold appointments and shall be eligible to vote in elections for committees in that department/division/school and college.  Faculty with joint appointments shall be considered full-time faculty members in both departments/divisions/schools in which they hold appointments and will be eligible to vote in elections for, and serve on, committees in both departments/division/schools.   If those departments/divisions/schools are in two different colleges then the faculty member shall be eligible to vote in both colleges.  However, the faculty member shall vote only once in a university election.

2.  Faculty Serving in Academic Administrative Positions

Faculty serving in academic administrative positions with retreat rights may vote in University, college and department/division/school elections, except for the election of personnel committees.  Faculty serving in academic administrative positions may not, in any case, vote on personnel matters.

3.  Faculty Participating in the Preretirement Reduction in Time Base Program and the Faculty Early Retirement Program

Faculty members participating in the Preretirement Reduction in Time Base Program retain their voting rights throughout the duration of their participation in the program.

A faculty member participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program retains the right to vote while on active duty but is not eligible to vote when not on duty.

4.  Faculty on Leave

Faculty members on leave are permitted to vote in department/division/school, college, and university-wide elections, unless otherwise prohibited by the Agreement.  Those faculty members wishing to vote during their absence must make appropriate arrangements to access and submit a ballot.  Only ballots received by the time the polls are closed will be counted in the election.

5.  Temporary Faculty, Retired Faculty with Temporary Appointments and Volunteer Faculty

Part-time temporary faculty and volunteer faculty are not eligible to vote in faculty meetings, faculty elections, or in any personnel or governance matters put before the faculty at any level.  For department/division/school and college elections, voting rights for temporary full-time faculty shall be subject to department/division/school and college regulations.

Retired faculty with temporary appointments, other than those associated with the Faculty Early Retirement Program, are granted the same voting rights as other temporary faculty, as specified above.

6.  Proxy Voting

Voting by proxy (one person casting a vote for or on behalf of another) is prohibited in all cases.

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