Article III. Roles and Responsibilities in Personnel Matters

Section 3.1

The faculty has primary responsibility in matters of faculty status, such as appointments, reappointments, promotions, tenure and salary adjustments. The faculty also has primary responsibility in academic matters, and shall, whenever appropriate, relate the two in making personnel recommendations. The faculty shall exercise its primary, responsibility as follows:

At the departmental level, the faculty shall establish, subject to campus policy and governance procedures, the procedure for the exercise of primary responsibility in matters of faculty status and academic matters. The procedure shall be designed so as to assure that departmental faculty participate, through a personnel committee or such other committee as may be agreed upon, in the discharge of their primary responsibility.
In each college or school, there shall be a personnel committee of the faculty to review departmental recommendations. The committee shall be chosen by procedures established on each campus in a manner designed to represent the interests of the faculty of each college or school.
At the campus level, the faculty shall be involved, in accordance with established governance procedures, in the further development of personnel policies and procedures.

The faculty initiates written recommendations in matters of appointment, reappointment, promotion, or tenure, acting through established personnel procedures and according to approved policy.

In exercising its primary responsibility of peer review, the faculty has the obligation to present a clear, complete and convincing case for the recommendation so as to assure the faculty member of a complete presentation of his or her qualifications and achievements, and so as to provide the basis both for full reviews of the recommendation, and for the decision.

Section 3.2

The Board of Trustees has the statutory authority to make decisions in matters of faculty status and may delegate that authority only to appropriate administrative officials (Mass. G.L. c.75 §3A). The President has been delegated the authority to appoint members of the faculty to tenure with the concurrence of the Board of Trustees. Within the framework of Trustee policy, the Chancellors have been delegated the authority to make decisions in all matters of faculty status. Any re-delegation of appointing authority to the Provost or other academic administrative officials is subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Section 3.3

Academic administrative officials below the level of the delegated appointing authority are responsible for the review of the faculty recommendations. Such a review shall be based on an evaluation of the strength of the evidence in the basic file regarding the qualifications of the individual, and whenever appropriate, the justification of the recommendation within the context of long-range plans. Any such review shall result in an additional written recommendation which shall specifically address the original faculty recommendation in the context of estab1ished standards and criteria. The decision of the delegated appointing authority shall be made on the same basis. In. making personnel reviews and decisions, all academic administrative officials shall act according to approved policy and through established personnel procedures. No academic administrative official shall make a recommendation or decision which is counter to the original faculty recommendation without compelling reasons in written detail which shall specifically address the content of that recommendation as well as the established standards and criteria. In addition, the President, in making tenure decisions, should disagree with the campus recommendation only in rare instances.

Section 3.4

Students will also be assured the opportunity to participate in the personnel process, through contributing to the evaluation of a faculty member’s effectiveness, particularly in teaching. Procedures for student participation shall be determined on each campus.

Section 3.5

In academic personnel matters, the Department Chairperson/Head is responsible for the proper procedures at the departmental. Level, as outlined in Section 6.4 (a-f), as well as for the following:

Coordinating all administrative matters relating to personnel actions, such as negotiations for initial appointment, notification of impending review, maintenance of personnel files, compilation of the basic file of material, to support a recommendation, and notification of action.
Keeping faculty members informed as to their status, rights, and responsibilities.
Developing and maintaining, with appropriate faculty participation as stipulated under Section 3.1 (a), long-range plans for the department within the context of the current and long-range needs of the college or school and the campus, and keeping the department informed of the status of those plans.
Providing the departmental personnel committee with information appropriate for the consideration described in Section 4.2.

Section 3.6

In academic personnel matters, the Dean is responsible for the proper procedures at the school or college level, as outlined in Section 6.4 (f), as well as for the following:

Ensuring, that general criteria and procedural standards are consistently employed in all departments within" the college, school, or similarly designated academic unit.
Reviewing departmental plans and developing and maintaining, with appropriate faculty participation, long-range plans for the college or school within the context of the current and long-range needs of the campus, and keeping the school or college informed of the status of those plans.
Ensuring the establishment of a college or school personnel committee.

Section 3.7

In academic personnel matters, the Provost is responsible for the following:

Ensuring that general criteria and procedural standards are consistently employed in all colleges and schools of the campus.
Reviewing college and school plans and developing and maintaining, with appropriate faculty participation, long-range plans for the campus within the context of the current and long-range needs of the University, and keeping the campus informed of the status of those plans.

Section 3.8

In academic personnel matters, the Chancellor is responsible for:

Ensuring adherence to the proper procedures at the campus level, as outlined in Section 6.4 (g).
Reviewing the campus .plans within the context of the current and long-range need of the University.

Section 3. 9

In academic personnel matters, the President is responsible for:

Ensuring adherence to the proper procedures at the University level, as outlined in Section 6.4 (h).
Ensuring that general criteria and procedural standards are consistently employed throughout the University.
Reviewing the long-range plans of each campus, and developing and maintaining, with appropriate faculty participation, long-range plans for the University as a whole, and keeping the University informed of the status of those plans.