Faculty Handbook
Section
VI| Faculty Handbook
Section
VI |
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| B. Professional Growth, Development, and Awards |
C. Faculty Research Grants |
D. Adjuncts, Teaching Fellows, Teaching Assistants, and Student Assistants |
E. University Libraries |
| F. Centers and Libraries |
G. Services in Support of Faculty |
H. Means of Communication and Publications |
I. Miscellaneous Services and Information |
A. Conditions of Employment
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New Faculty Orientation
At the beginning of each fall semester an orientation session is held for new faculty. The session acquaints new faculty with services available on campus and emphasizes personnel policies and benefit options such as insurance and retirement. All new faculty must attend the orientation session. Additional orientations for new minority faculty are held during fall and spring semesters.
New faculty members are asked to schedule an appointment for a photograph and an interview at the beginning of the fall semester at the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services. Faculty are requested to bring a copy of their vita. Those who do not will be contacted through their dean's office.
New faculty members should visit the university Human Resources Department in Marquis Hall soon after arriving on campus, since necessary forms have to be completed for pay purposes, mandatory retirement program participation, and enrollment in optional insurance programs that may be appropriate for the faculty member or his or her family. In addition, the university Human Resources Department provides detailed information on all retirement and insurance programs.
The university participates in the Uniform Group Insurance Program which is administered by the Employees Retirement System for employees of the state of Texas. Faculty members have the option of participating in the following plans: health insurance with $5,000 basic life or membership in a Health Maintenance Organization in lieu of coverage in the indemnity health insurance plan; optional term life insurance equal to either one, two, three or four times annual salary; voluntary accidental death and dismemberment; dependent group term life; short-term disability; long-term disability; long-term care; dental insurance and the Premium Conversion Program (Section 125 pre-tax benefits including premium conversion, dependent care reimbursement accounts and health care reimbursement accounts).
Health coverage for eligible faculty and their dependents is subject to a 90-day waiting period for employees hired on or after September 1, 2003.
The State of Texas contributes a monthly amount set by the legislature toward group insurance premiums for each faculty member. A faculty member who elects not to participate in any insurance program forfeits all rights to the state contribution. The state contribution per month is paid on a 12-month basis. Faculty members are entitled to the state contribution during the summer months.
A faculty member may elect to pay insurance premiums for all coverage (except dependent life) with tax-free dollars by participating in the premium conversion plan. With premium conversion, the money used to pay insurance premiums is not subject to federal income tax or Social Security.
A faculty member may also elect to pay for dependent care expenses and certain medical expenses with pre-tax dollars subject to the provisions of the premium conversion dependent care and health care reimbursement programs. Participation in the dependent care reimbursement program may begin immediately; a six-month waiting period is required for participation in the health care reimbursement program.
The Teacher Retirement System of Texas provides death benefits, and many faculty members hold group life insurance policies. The estate of a deceased faculty member is entitled to payment for one half of unused accrued sick leave up to a maximum number of hours as prescribed the State Legislature. The university Human Resources Department will assist beneficiaries.
The basic faculty contract is for nine months. Untenured faculty receive an annual contract that contains essential employment information such as rank, salary, and conditions. Conditions include such terms as "temporary," indicating a yearly appointment; "probationary," indicating non-tenured status but a position on the tenure track; and "terminal," indicating an expiration of the appointment as of the end of the academic year or as stated in the contract. Tenured faculty receive annual letters indicating their salary and rank for the upcoming year.
A means of selecting a pay option is included with the contract and the annual letter. The date of issuance of contracts and letters varies yearly according to the time when the university receives its appropriations; by law, commitments cannot be made before that time.
Summer employment is contingent upon the classes having sufficient enrollment and availability of funds. Notification of employment in a summer program is through the department chair.
According to available funds, salaries are determined annually on the basis of merit, promotion, and market adjustment unless the legislature stipulates across-the-board increments. The basic salary is for nine months.
The salaries of all faculty members are subject to mandatory deductions for federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and retirement contributions.
Faculty members on nine-month contracts may elect at the time their annual contracts are signed or annual letters (for tenured faculty) are received whether to receive their salary in nine or 12 installments (See UNT Policy Manual, Vol. III, #15.1.14). This choice has no bearing on their summer salary except that faculty members receiving 12 installments and who also are employed in the summer will find that they are subject to somewhat higher withholding rates for the summer session.
Paychecks are distributed on the first state working day of the next month and are available in departmental offices. Regardless of the number of accounts a faculty member is paid from, all earnings are paid on one single, combined check. Checks are distributed in the faculty member's base department.
Any special arrangements concerning salary checks should be worked out with the Payroll Office.
The earnings_statement accompanying each paycheck reflects the gross earnings, the amount withheld for federal income tax and Social Security, and the amount withheld for the retirement plan, plus any additional amounts withheld at the option of the employed (insurance, payroll savings, etc.).
Electronic_Funds_Transfer_-_EFT
UNT has the capability of sending payroll checks to any bank in the United States (which has the EFT response) to deposit the employee's paycheck on payday. Faculty members desiring to participate must complete an EFT Authorization Form (available from the Human Resources Department) which allows the university to forward their checks to a participating financial institution. When authorizing or canceling EFT, an authorization form must be completed by the last working day of the month before the cancellation or authorization will be effective. Faculty terminating employment during the month must keep their bank checking account open until the first working day of the next month in order to have an account for deposit of their final paycheck.
Additional_Compensation_and_Salary_Limits
Full-time employees on 12-month contracts may have a cap on the amount they receive for extension teaching and may not be paid additional money for summer school teaching. Full-time employees on nine-month contracts may also have a cap on the earnings from extension salaries during the nine months but may be paid for summer work. The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will verify the salary figure allowed. Summer salaries shall be paid at a rate not to exceed that of the nine-month rate.
In addition to summer work for nine-month employees and stipends earned via extension work, faculty members may also receive additional compensation in various ways including consulting and from externally funded grants. However, faculty members should consult university policy on Dual or Outside Employment (UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.2.2 and #1.2.2 Att A) before accepting external funds.
State of Texas faculty research funds covering salary are in lieu of the regular instructional salary.
Faculty members are free to take vacations during all university holidays and student recesses. The vacation policy stated in the UNT Policy Manual applies only to those in a non-faculty status, and these employees should check for rules comprising vacation policy.
Sick,_Emergency,_Personal,_and_Military_Leaves
Faculty members accrue sick leave on the same basis as all other state employees and have the same responsibility to report time missed due to medical reasons.
Faculty members at institutions of higher education must submit prescribed leave forms for all sick leave even though no classes are missed if the absence occurs during the normal work day for regular employees. Form VPAA 151, Faculty Sick Leave Reporting Form, is used to report faculty sick leave as required by the state of Texas (Texas Government Code 661.203). Faculty will report sick leave as actual time missed from their normal forty-hour work week. Sick Leave taken must be recorded in hours. When charging for time less than an hour, sick leave taken must be rounded off to tenths of an hour, e.g., 6 minutes = 0.1 hour, 12 minutes = 0.2 hours, 18 minutes = 0.3 hours, etc. For absences over a continuous period exceeding one day, the amount of time charged against sick leave should include each working day, except holidays. Report all days absent, not just days on which classes were missed or taught by a substitute. For example, when a faculty member, whose normal 40 hour schedule includes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, is ill all three days thereby missing his/her Monday and Wednesday classes and office hours, the faculty member will use and report 24 hours of sick leave for the three-day period, even though there were no classes or office hours scheduled on Tuesday. (UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.4.10.2)
A sick leave pool is maintained by the university Human Resources Department to provide for the alleviation of a hardship caused when a faculty member is forced to exhaust all accrued leave because of a catastrophic illness or injury either to the faculty member or to a member of his/her immediate family. Faculty members may contribute an unlimited amount of sick leave to the pool each fiscal year, in increments of eight hours. These contributions are strictly voluntary. (UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.4.10.3)
Emergency leaves may be granted by the President because of a death in the employee's family or for other reasons, at the discretion of the President.
All faculty members are eligible for leave without pay for personal reasons or for injury, illness, or pregnancy after exhausting all leave with pay entitlements. Faculty members who have been employed for at least 12 months of state service may be eligible for Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) for up to 12 weeks. (Refer to the UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.4.21) FMLA is granted for any of the following reasons:
a. to care for the employee's child after or birth, or for placement for adoption or foster care;
b. to care for the employee's spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition; or
c. for a serious health condition that results in the employee being unable to perform their job.
FMLA may be with or without pay depending on whether a faculty member has accumulated sick leave to be used. Faculty members not eligible for FMLA may use Parental Leave for up to 12 weeks for the birth of a natural child or the adoption or foster care placement of a child under three years of age. Faculty members may elect to use any combination of leave or leave without pay; however, sick leave is only applicable under the provisions of the sick leave policy. (UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.4.21)
Faculty members are also entitled to an annual military leave of absence with pay for national guard or reserve duty up to 15 days per year and may request from the President a leave for the purpose of going on active duty.
The UNT Policy Manual contains more detailed information on all leaves, and further information is available from the university Human Resources Department.
Whenever a faculty member plans to be absent during normal working days but is not traveling at university expense, there must be completed, in advance, a Faculty Application for Approval of Leave form, VPAA 150. Available in departmental offices, these forms are filed with the chair for forwarding to the appropriate dean and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, when applicable. The department chair has policy statements and information concerning all types of absences and is to be contacted prior to the absence unless the nature of the absence prohibits prior notice.
State law prohibits the employment of persons related within the second degree by affinity (marriage) or within the third degree of consanguinity (blood) to any officer or member of any board making, voting for or confirming the employment. Whenever an appointment is made, either on a full-time or part-time basis, it shall be made solely with regard to the qualifications of the appointee, subject to Articles 5996, 5996a to 5996f, Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes; and subject to other applicable state and federal laws, as well as the provisions of university policy.
University policy (UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.2.6) stipulates that no person shall be employed, appointed or promoted if related within the second degree by affinity or within the third degree of consanguinity to any person employed by the University of North Texas, whose duty would involve acting in any official capacity upon such an employment or promotion regardless of the source of funds for payment of salary. Nor shall any person be employed if either person would come under the administrative supervision of the other, or if either would have any official voice in recommending salary increases or promotion in rank for the other.
Where employed in the same college or department, neither shall any person related within the second degree by affinity or within the third degree of consanguinity to the other person serve on those committees whose purpose it shall be to recommend compensation, promotion or tenure for the other.
Relationships shall not affect honorary positions or non-remunerative positions.
Outside_(Dual)_Employment_and_Political_Involvement
The official university policy on Dual Employment and Other Activities as adopted by the Board of Regents is designed to avoid conflicts of interest. The complete policy is set forth in the UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.2.2. The form to request approval of dual employment is found in the www.unt.edu/hr/forms/.
The Office of Equity and Diversity, administered by the Associate Vice President for Equity and Diversity, is responsible for providing leadership on issues related to equal opportunity, diversity and multicultural affairs. The Associate Vice President's responsibilities include facilitating the development and implementation of university-wide equal opportunity and multicultural policies, activities, and programs. Additionally, the Associate Vice President advises the President on related issues. The policy statement on diversity and nondiscrimination appears in the UNT Policy Manual, Vol. II, #10.15.
In addition to the nondiscrimination policy, equal opportunities include, but are not limited to, employment, upgrading, promotion, demotion or transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay, and selection for training. In addition to complying with federal and state equal opportunity laws and regulations, the university, through its diversity policy, declares harassment based on individual differences (including sexual orientation) to be inconsistent with its mission and educational goals.
The Office of Equity and Diversity also plays a proactive role in advancing understanding among all peoples on the campus and the community that the university primarily serves. Such duties include providing and/or sponsoring conferences, workshops and presentations that offer information on how to promote diversity and nurture a community of unity. Additionally, negotiating agreement when disagreements have occurred is also a part of the office function.
Most information in faculty files is open to the general public. Exceptions to this rule include information that would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Questions concerning access to records should be referred to the Vice Chancellor and General Counsel, who is the designated custodian of public records.
The university offers courses, principally at the graduate level, at Metroplex sites. In addition, the university also offers selected undergraduate and graduate courses at out-of-state and out-of-country sites. These are regular courses offered for full residence credit, and the teaching of these courses is a part of a regular faculty load. Locations include various community colleges, public schools and other public buildings.
Courses offered away from campus must follow certain approved procedures and must meet specific criteria in order for the semester hours or the contact hours to be used for formula calculation purposes. Contact the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for complete details concerning the offering of off-campus, out-of-state or out-of-country courses.
UNT is a member of the TAGER network which provides interactive, closed-circuit television instruction to numerous receiving sites in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Program_of_Assistance_to_Faculty_Whose_Primary_Language_is_Not_English
It is the policy of the university to comply with the provisions of House Bill 638 of the Seventy First Legislature of the State of Texas (Section 1, Chapter 51.917 of the Education Code) by establishing a program of assistance to faculty whose primary language is not English. Responsibility for the program is vested in the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, academic deans, and department heads. The program includes a means of identifying teaching personnel whose primary language is not English, provisions for assessment of English language communication skills of those individuals, and procedures to assist those whose language skills need improvement in order to carry out effectively the responsibilities of a classroom teacher at the university. (See UNT Policy Manual, Vol. III, #15.1.31.)
Standards_and_Principles_of_Ethical_Conduct
The UNT Policy Manual, Vol. I, #1.2.9, spells out the UNT Standards and Principles of Ethical Conduct. This statement is based on the ethics code for federal employees. The essence of the statement is a prohibition against conflicts of interest and of making unauthorized promises on behalf of the institution and requirements of honesty, fair play, reporting of malfeasance, adherence to equal opportunity policy, lawfulness. Disciplinary actions for unethical conduct are established in the policy.