Doc. T76-081
Passed by the Board of Trustees on June 2, 1976

Article I. Authority, Duration, Definitions

Section 1.1

These academic personnel policies and procedural standards are promulgated by the Trustees of the University of Massachusetts under the authority of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 75. They shall remain in effect until amended; modified, or revoked by action of the Trustees, the right to do which is hereby reserved.

Section 1.2

Amendments and modifications to these academic personnel policies may be recommended by any appropriate campus governance unit and shall be submitted for the appropriate governance review on all other campuses of the University prior to submission to the Trustees.

Section 1.3

Unless otherwise specified herein, these academic personnel policies and procedural standards shall apply to the following personnel actions: appointments, reappointments, promotions; the, award of tenure, alterations of the tenure decision year, sabbatical leaves, and salary adjustments. The standards and criteria herein shall apply to all departmental recommendations and subsequent reviews and decisions initiated after the date of this document.

Section 1.4

Within the, framework of the established allocation of primary responsibility and these University wide policies and procedural standards, the separate campuses of the University may develop supplementary academic personnel policies which are subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Section 1.5

The term department or departmental level as used in this document refers to the first organizational unit of the faculty.

Section 1.6

The term major personnel action as used in Section 6.4 refers to reappointments through the tenure decision year, promotions to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor, and the award of tenure.

Section 1.7

Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language, but technical words and phrases and such others as have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning shall be construed and understood according to such meaning. Words importing the singular number may extend and be applied to several persons or things, and words importing the plural number may include the singular. As used in these policies and procedural standards, the fol1owing terms shall have the meaning herein given unless otherwise expressly provided:

Academic position – A position as a lecturer, instructor, assistant Professor, associate Professor, or Professor and all positions of like title, but bearing a specific designation such as adjunct, visiting, clinical, research, part-time, Commonwealth, etc.

Academic year – Except for the University of Massachusetts at Worcester that period of time commencing with the beginning of the first week of classes in the fall and ending with commencement exercises, including any intersessions occurring during said period.

Basic file – The compilation of all relevant material related to the individual under consideration for a personnel action, and all recommendations based thereon necessary for a decision.

Credit toward tenure – The amount of time in yearly segments credited toward a faculty member’s tenure decision year.

Faculty member – A member of the professional staff of the University who holds an academic position.

Faculty – As used in this document, is the departmental, collegiate, or campus group exercising primary responsibility in academic matters and in matters of faculty status, the membership of which is determined according to campus governance.

Primary responsibility – As defined in Trustee Document T73-098, is the capacity to initiate recommendations, after appropriate consultation, which will be overruled only by written reasons stated in detail. Faculty primary responsibility is the capacity of the faculty to initiate recommendations in academic matters and in matters of faculty status.

Probationary period – The period during which a faculty member can enjoy full-time regular academic appointments without being awarded tenure, not including a terminal appointment as provided for in Section 6.2 (h).

Professional staff – All officers of the University and all persons (except those whose duties are clerical, custodial, security, labor, maintenance and the like) employed by the Commonwealth in the service of the University for teaching "research, administration, extension, enforcement, control laws and regulatory services, technical and specialized support staff, and such related activities as shall be determined by the Trustees.

Tenure – The right of a faculty member to continuous employment in an academic position until retirement age, subject to dismissal or suspension only as established in Trustee policy.

Tenure decision year – The academic year during which a faculty member is considered for an appointment with tenure.