Article X: Faculty Members

Section 1: Appointments

All appointments and promotions of members of the faculty shall be made by the President in accordance with Policies of the Board of Regents. Recommendations regarding faculty positions shall ordinarily originate with the department and shall be presented to the Dean of the school or college for consideration. Upon approval, the Dean will transmit recommendations to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for consideration and transmission to the President for final approval prior to their initial appointment. Every recommendation of an appointment shall be made solely on the basis of merit and the special fitness of the individual for the work demanded by the position. [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Personnel § 2.5.3.]] [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Personnel, § 3.2.2.]]

Section 2: Ranks

The following academic ranks shall be recognized: professor, associate professor, assistant professor, and instructor.

Section 3: Tenure

Tenure for University Faculty shall be permanent as governed by the Policies of the Board of Regents. Guidelines and amendments to the Guidelines for tenure shall be proposed by the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost and approved by University Council. [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Tenure and Criteria for Tenure, § 8.3.7.]]

Section 4: Promotions

Guidelines for promotion and amendments thereto, in accordance with criteria of the Policies of the Board of Regents, shall be proposed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and approved by the University Council. [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Criteria for Promotion, § 8.3.6.]]

Section 5: Academic Freedom

  1. University Faculty members are entitled to full freedom of expression in research, teaching, and publishing, subject only to those restrictions that are imposed by professional ethics and respect for the rights of others. University Faculty members have the right to criticize and seek alteration of both academic and non-academic University policies, whether or not those policies affect them directly. University Faculty are free from institutional censorship, discipline, or reprisal affecting their professional careers for exercising freedom of expression.

  2. The confidentiality and security of University Faculty files in offices throughout the campus shall be preserved and protected at all times, insofar as is consistent with state and federal law. A University Faculty member shall have the right to examine his/her official records as provided under state and federal law.

Section 6: Conflicts of Interests

Employees of The University of Georgia should avoid actual or apparent conflict of interests between their university obligations and their outside activities.[[Policies of the Board of Regents, Appearance of Conflicts of Interest, § 8.2.13.2.]]

Section 7: Outside Activities — Occupational [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Outside Activities-Occupational, § 8.2.15.1.]]

  1. Employees of The University of Georgia shall not engage in any occupation, pursuit, or endeavor which will interfere with the regular and punctual discharge of official duties.

  2. All full-time faculty, administrators, and other professional staff members employed by the University are expected to give full professional effort to their assignments of teaching, research, and service.

  3. Professional employees are encouraged to participate in professional activity that does not interfere with the regular and punctual discharge of official duties provided the activity meets one of the following criteria:

    1. is a means of personal professional development;
    2. serves the community, state or nation; or
    3. is consistent with the objectives of the institution.
  4. For all activities, except single-occasion activities, the employee shall report in writing through official channels the proposed arrangements and secure the approval of the President or his/her designee prior to engaging in the activities. Such activities include consulting, teaching, speaking, and participating in business or service enterprises.

Section 8: Outside Activities — Consulting [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Outside Activities-Consulting, § 8.2.15.2.]]

Recognizing that teaching, research, and public service are the primary responsibilities of University Faculty members, it shall be considered reasonable and desirable for faculty members to engage in consulting activities, which are defined for purposes of this policy as any additional activity beyond duties assigned by the institution, professional in nature and based in the appropriate discipline for which the individual receives additional compensation during the contract year.

The guidelines of the University governing consulting activities of faculty members shall include the following:

  1. a plan for reimbursing the institution for use of the institution’s personnel, facilities, equipment and/or materials consistent with rates charged outside groups or persons;
  2. a procedure for obtaining prior approval of the President or his/her designee; and
  3. a procedure for defining and prohibiting conflicts of interest.

Section 9: Leave of Absence [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Leave, § 8.2.7.]]

Upon the request of an individual faculty member, the President may, in accordance with Policies of the Board of Regents, grant a leave of absence, with or without pay.

Leave with pay may be granted for illness, military service, or other reasons as provided by the Policies of the Board of Regents. Leave with pay also may be granted for the purpose of promoting scholarly work and encouraging professional development.The program or project on which the applicant proposes to work will be examined carefully and the likelihood of the applicant’s being able to accomplish the purposes for which the leave is requested will be considered also.

Leave with pay ordinarily will not be granted if the applicant has completed less than three years’ employment in the University. Any person who has been granted a leave of absence with pay shall be required, before beginning leave, to sign an agreement to return the full amount of compensation received while on leave, as well as any other expenses paid by the University during the leave, should the applicant not return to the University for at least one year of service after the termination of leave of less than one year, or should the applicant not return to the University for at least two years after the termination of a one-year leave.

Section 10: Employment and Resignation of Faculty Members [[Policies of the Board of Regents, Notice of Employment and Resignation, § 8.3.4.1.]]

  1. Tenured

    All tenured faculty members employed under written contract for the fiscal or academic year shall give at least sixty (60) days written notice of their intention to resign to the President or authorized representative.

  2. Non-Tenured

    Academic Rank: All non-tenured faculty who have been awarded academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor), are employed under written contract, and who served full-time for the entire previous year have the presumption of renewal of the next academic year unless notified in writing, by the President or authorized representative, of the intent not to renew. Written notice of intent not to renew shall be delivered by hand or by certified mail, to be delivered to the addressee only, with receipt to show to whom and when delivered and the address where delivered.

    Notice of intention not to renew a non-tenured faculty member who has been awarded academic rank shall be furnished, in writing, according to the schedule established by the Policies of the Board of Regents and the University.  The schedule notification does not apply to persons holding temporary or part-time positions, or persons with courtesy appointments, such as adjunct appointments.

    Lecturer Rank: Full-time lecturers and senior lecturers are appointed by institutions on a year-to-year basis. Lecturers and senior lecturers who have served full-time for the entire previous academic year, and who are employed under written contract, have the presumption of reappointment for the subsequent academic year unless notified in writing to the contrary according to the schedule established by the Policies of the Board of Regents and the University.  In no case will the service as lecturer or senior lecturer imply any claim upon tenure or reappointment under other conditions than those above.

    Other Non-tenured Faculty Ranks: Non-tenured faculty members and other non-tenured personnel employed under written contract shall be employed only for the term specified in their contracts. Subsequent or future employment, if any, shall result solely from a separate offer and acceptance requisite to execution of a new and distinct contract.

Section 11: Suspension of Faculty Members

The President may at any time suspend any University Faculty member for cause.[[Policies of the Board of Regents, Discipline and Removal of Faculty Members, § 8.3.9.]]

Section 12: Dismissal of Faculty Members

The grounds and procedure for dismissal of University Faculty shall be in accordance with the Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Regents.[[Policies of the Board of Regents, Discipline and Removal of Faculty Members, § 8.3.9.]]