Policies for Faculty and Staff

Table of Contents

A&S Faculty/Lecturer Online Resource Guide
College of Arts and Sciences Faculty/Lecturer Online Resource Guide

Committees
College Events Committee
Curriculum Committee
Faculty and Staff Assembly
College Rank and Tenure Committee
Executive Committee
Student Executive Council
Leadership Council
Graduate Student Advisory Council

Standing Committee Members
College of Arts and Sciences Committee Members List

Department Chairs:
Responsibilities; Selection of Chairs; Evaluation of Chairs
Faculty Performance Review of Chair Form

Promotion and Tenure Information
Professional Review, Promotion, and Tenure

Faculty Scholarship and Research
SU Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Faculty Development
Faculty Development Funds
Faculty Research Fellowships and Promotion Fellowships Application
Student Research Assistantships
Endowed Chairs
Collegium for Tenure Track Faculty

Faculty Searches
Faculty Hiring Procedures

Department Honors Information
Department Honors Curriculum Template
Department Honors Authorship Policy
Department Honors Funding

Lecturer Policies
Lecturer Policies

Other College Policies
Salary Equity Appeal Policy
Outstanding Staff and Faculty Awards
Sabbaticals
Policy Concerning Overload Assignments and Other Workload Adjustments
Student Reference Letter Request

Assessment
Due Dates and Assessment Coordinator
Templates and Instructions for Annual Assessment Reports

A&S Student Scholarships and Awards
Hickey Award
LeRoux Leadership Award
LeRoux Dean’s Scholarship
Naef Scholars

Calendar
Calendar of Due Dates and Events

Note: the policies of the College of Arts and Sciences do not supersede the policies of the university, which are found in the University Faculty Handbook

College Events Committee

The three members of this committee, elected for a two-year term by the faculty, are charged with authorizing funds for bringing educational opportunities to campus such as lectures, concerts, or exhibitions. Faculty who wish to sponsor an event should apply to this committee for funding.

Curriculum Committee

The Curriculum Committee of the College meets at least once a quarter and as needed to review all curricular proposals submitted by departments and programs in the College.

The Committee is composed of four members elected by the faculty, and one member appointed by the Dean. Each member serves a two-year term. The Chair is appointed by the Dean.

The Curriculum Committee’s primary obligation is to ensure that professional standards and due processes are observed in the content and form of all proposals submitted to its review. The committee is responsible for assuring that proposed and existing programs do not overlap, are meeting the educational needs of the college, and are likely to receive the support of the university.

In addition to reviewing curricular changes, the Curriculum Committee appoints a liaison to each department conducting a program review. The full committee reviews the program review and advises the dean in the preparation of the dean’s letter of response to the review.

Click Here for Curriculum Forms

Operations of the Committee:

Annual Orientation Meeting:

During the first two weeks of October, the Curriculum Committee chair schedules an orientation meeting for members of the committee.

Procedures for Making Major Curricular Changes:

1. At the end of winter quarter the Committee informs all chairs and program directors of budget due dates for the college and the university and inquires whether a department or program plans to submit any major curricular changes in the upcoming academic year.
2. During the spring quarter of the academic year, major proposals for the following year are discussed with the Committee in an informal meeting.
3. By October 1 of the succeeding academic year the planners submit the completed proposal to the Committee. A proposal consists of the appropriate forms and a narrative, the template for which is available from the committee.
4. The Committee reviews the proposals and may return them for further revision.
5. The Committee chair signs the approval forms on behalf of the committee, makes sure that all other forms have been signed, and indicates the action recommended. The forms are then forwarded to the Dean, who may request clarifications from the Committee. After the proposal has been approved on the College level, it is sent to the Associate Provost for further review.

Procedures for Making Minor Curricular Changes:

Department chairs should consult with the chair of the committee to determine the required forms for curricular changes.

Departments are required to submit the proper forms for minor changes to the committee by November 1 of the year in which the changes are to be made.

Curriculum Committee Due Dates, At a Glance:

October 1: Major Proposals for the current Academic Year due
November 1: Minor Proposals for the current Academic Year due
Spring Quarter: Meetings to discuss major proposals for the upcoming academic year

College Rank and Tenure Committee

The Rank and Tenure Committee is composed of five tenured faculty members of the College who are not currently applicants for promotion. Three members are elected for set, staggered terms by a majority of voting tenure-track and tenured faculty members. Candidates cannot be nominated if they are from the same department as continuing members, and members of the committee whose terms expire must wait a year before again becoming eligible for nomination. Two other members from any department are appointed by the Dean.

The Rank and Tenure Committee recommends faculty for tenure and promotion in the Fall quarter, reviews the files of faculty in the second and fourth years of the tenure process in the Spring quarter, and recommends policy on all matters affecting promotion and tenure.

Election to the Rank and Tenure Committee is held at the end of the Spring quarter in order to allow the Committee to meet as soon as possible in the Fall. The vacancy to be filled by the election of the Assembly is filled by a faculty member elected for a three-year term. If a Dean’s appointment falls vacant, the vacancy is also filled by a three-year appointment.

Policy on Recusal in College of Arts and Sciences Promotion and Tenure Decisions (Adopted in May, 2001)

1. Tenure and promotion reviews: Faculty members from the same department as a candidate under review who are members of the College Rank and Tenure Committee will recuse themselves from both the discussion of the candidate’s file and from the committee vote at the College level. They may participate in the review of the candidate’s file at the department level. In the case of a split decision at the college level, the College Rank and Tenure Committee will submit a letter reporting the split and explaining both points of view concerning the candidate’s file.
   
2. 2nd and 4th year reviews: Members of the candidate’s department will be allowed to participate in the discussion of 2nd and 4th year review files and to sign the letter of evaluation by the College Rank and Tenure Committee.

Student Executive Council

The Student Executive Council is an association of select undergraduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences whose mission is to act as 1) an advisory board to the Dean on important policy issues that affect students, and 2) a leadership council that works with the Dean on various campus and outreach events (e.g., staging political debates, meeting with prospective students, meeting with alumni, etc.).

Membership is limited to approximately 25 students who are nominated by each department or program. The members will meet with the Dean in a luncheon format approximately once every three weeks during the academic year, and at such other times as may be mutually agreed upon.

SEC Member Website with Current Representatives

Leadership Council

For membership information, please see list of Standing Committee Members

Graduate Student Advisory Council

The College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) provides graduate students of the College a core group of student representatives. These representatives will communicate and collaborate directly with the Office of the Dean.

The primary mission of the Council is to be the voice of the graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The focus will be on creating dialogue between administration and students; fostering academic interdisciplinary partnerships amongst graduate programs, and building community within the College as a whole.

The vision is to provide leadership, advocacy and enrichment for all Arts and Sciences graduate students.

Membership is limited to two students from each graduate program. The members will meet with the Dean in approximately once every three weeks during the academic year, and at such other times as may be mutually agreed upon.

Department Chairs: Responsibilities; Selection of Chairs; Evaluation of Chairs

Responsibilities of Chairs

The Chairs of departments are responsible for developing the faculty, reviewing and revising the curricula, and managing the resources of their departments. In discharging these responsibilities, Chairs assume many duties including the following: drawing up the quarterly schedules of the departments; supervising peer reviews of faculty; conducting the annual professional review; assisting tenure-track faculty with preparation of files for tenure; assisting tenured faculty toward promotion; advising all faculty about opportunities for professional development; hiring tenure-track and adjunct faculty; leading departmental discussions about curricular and professional matters; preparing the annual budget; and advocating with the Dean for departmental resources.

In recognition of the time needed to fulfill these responsibilities, Chairs are provided released time from teaching and a modest stipend. The term of office for a Chair is three years and may be extended for another term or terms after consultation with the department and approval of the Dean.

Selection of Chairs

The Dean will ask the department to choose a colleague to chair the process for selecting the next chair; that person must not be the present chair. The department will first discuss the needs of the department, guided, in part, by the criteria on the chair’s annual evaluation form. Volunteers will be solicited, among whom the present chair may be included. The candidate(s) should leave the room while discussion takes place about the merits of the candidate(s). All tenured or tenure-track members of the department may vote.  A written vote should be taken, the results tabulated by the chair of the process, and the results forwarded to the Dean. 

Evaluating Chairs

1. Chairs are evaluated each year in January by the tenured and tenure-track faculty and by the staff of their departments.
2. At the start of winter quarter the Dean’s office distributes evaluation forms to all tenured and tenure-track faculty in the Chair’s department, requesting that they be returned by the last week of January.
3. To ensure confidentiality, the forms are returned to the Dean in an envelope marked “chair evaluation: confidential” and with the faculty member’s signature on the envelope.  The faculty member should type his or her comments and should not write his or her name on the evaluation form.
4. If the Dean sees matters that need clarification, he or she should set up a meeting to receive that clarification either with the department or with the faculty individually, as needed.
5. Chairpersons will receive copies of the written evaluations as well as a summary of the numerical evaluations.  The Dean reviews the evaluations, and, in early February, meets with each Chair to discuss the evaluation as part of the chairperson’s Annual Professional Review. 

Click here to download the Faculty Performance Review of Chair Form

Faculty Research Fellowships and Promotion Fellowships

The College of Arts and Sciences offers several research and promotion fellowships annually.  Applications for these fellowships are reviewed by a faculty committee that makes a recommendation to the Dean.  Eligibility and application requirements are described in the call for applications (below).  Applications for the FRF are judged by the following criteria:  1) Potential of the project to lead to peer-reviewed publication or presentation of creative work (including factors such as quality of the project design, evidence of prior preparation, and having a publisher or performance/presentation venue in mind), and 2) Equitable distribution of research assistantships among faculty.    For the Promotion Fellowships, applications are judged by the above criteria and, in addition, preference will be given to applicants whose scholarly or creative record suggests that they are within a couple of years or so of achieving promotion, but need the additional development support to actually achieve it. 

Click here for the Application for the A&S Faculty Research Fellowships and Promotion Fellowships

Student Research Assistantships

The College of Arts and Sciences has funding available for several student research assistantships each academic year.  These assistantships are intended to support faculty scholarship and creative work.  Each award consists of approximately $500 in work-study wages, which is usually enough to fund fifty hours of research assistance by a student.

A call for applications for the assistantships is issued in October.  Applicants are asked to submit a one- to two-page description of the proposed scholarly or creative project and up to a one-page description of the specific responsibilities of the student research assistant   Applications are assessed by a faculty committee, using the following criteria:  1) Potential of the project to lead to peer-reviewed publication or presentation of creative work (including factors such as quality of the project design, evidence of prior preparation, and having a publisher or performance/presentation venue in mind), 2) Learning opportunities for the student assistant, and 3) Equitable distribution of research assistantships among faculty.

Endowed Chairs

Mission and Selection of the Endowed Chairs (Approved April 1995)

1. The mission of the Pigott McCone Chair is dedicated to promoting the scholarly life among faculty in Arts and Sciences and across the University; the Gaffney Chair is dedicated to promoting issues germane to the Jesuit mission and identity of Seattle University; the LeRoux Chair is dedicated to working in an area of interest to the College of Arts and Sciences as identified by the Dean.
2. At least one chair holder should be chosen from the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences; at times it may be desirable to choose the second chair holder from outside the University. The term of the chairs will be two years.
3. Whenever a chair is chosen from within the College of Arts and Sciences, the chair holder should be tenured, should have achieved excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, and should have demonstrated leadership in promoting the missions of the endowed chairs.
4. The holder of the Pigott McCone Chair should already have demonstrated scholarship in a public way; the holder of the Gaffney Chair should have demonstrated scholarship at least in teaching if not in print but should also have a thorough knowledge and familiarity with the Jesuit tradition; the holder of the LeRoux Chair should have demonstrated leadership in the area of interest identified by the Dean.
5. In order to attract distinguished holders of the Chairs from outside the University, it may be necessary to “bank” the endowment of a Chair for a year. Therefore, any recommendation to the President for an outside chair holder should be made at least during the budget cycle in the last year of the current Chair holder’s term.
6. The Committee for selecting the Chairs will be composed of two former holders of the Chairs and three tenured faculty, none of whom should be from the same department; the Dean of the College will chair the committee.
7. The method of selecting the committee is as follows: the Endowed Chairs first elect representatives from their number; then, the Faculty Assembly elect three tenured faculty whose departments are not already represented.
8. At the appropriate time, a call for nominations is sent to the faculty, which will include the request for a statement of the themes that the candidate would like to pursue and the manner in which the candidate will pursue the announced theme of purpose of the chair, a vita, and a letter of recommendation.
9. The committee makes recommendations to the President of the University, who appoints the chairholders.
   

Collegium for Tenure Track Faculty

1. The Collegium for faculty of Arts and Sciences consists of all untenured faculty up to their fourth year, inclusive. The purpose of the Collegium is to complement the mentoring of new faculty that takes place within each department by orienting new faculty to the ethos and procedures of the college and providing both information and interdepartmental support on the way toward tenure.
2. The director of the Collegium, who receives a stipend, maintains a confidential relationship with all untenured faculty and, for that reason, may not write letters of recommendation or serve as a spokesperson for individual untenured faculty.
3. The director plans quarterly events for the Collegium, helps untenured faculty to find information and, when desired by the new faculty member, recommends a confidential mentor from among the tenured faculty.
4. The relationship of confidential mentor serves the purpose of providing counsel, especially about requirements for tenure. Until a decision has been made about tenure, the mentor may not write letters of recommendation for the untenured faculty person or speak in any way on his or her behalf. Once a decision has been made about tenure, the mentor is free to write letters and to speak about the mentee but may use knowledge gained in the past only with permission of the mentee.
5. The quarterly events of the Collegium are an opportunity for providing information on a broad range of topics and for socializing between tenured and untenured faculty across departments.

Faculty Hiring Procedures

The following summarizes faculty hiring procedures for the College of Arts and Sciences. University faculty hiring procedures may be found at the following link: https://insite.seattleu.edu/provost/policies/ For policies regarding full time lecturers, please see the section on Lecturers.

1. Advertisements: Before running a position advertisement, please check the copy with the dean, and be sure to include the university's self-description (available at the link above).
2. Inviting Candidates to Campus: Before inviting candidates for on-campus interviews, please review the final pool of candidates with the dean. Also, before scheduling the dates for on-campus visits, please check on the availability of the Dean and the Associate Provost for interviews.
3. Calling References: Please check candidates' references, preferably before inviting them to visit campus. References should be checked before the department makes a hiring recommendation to the dean.
4. Interviews should include the Dean and Associate Provost. The Provost's office has a packet of materials available to send to candidates in advance of the interview. Candidates should be asked to respond in writing to the "Values" section of the university's Mission Statement and this response, along with copies of the position advertisement, the candidate's letter of application, and the candidate's cv, should be provided to interviewers at least three days in advance of the candidate's visit. The Associate Provost’s or Provost’s interviews with candidates should be scheduled for one hour.
5. Outside Member of Committee: It's College policy to include in your deliberations a consultant from another department and to allow the consultant a vote in the hiring recommendation. It's also College policy to have all tenure-track and tenured members of the department vote on the hiring recommendation.
6. Involvement of Students: College policy holds that some means other than the use of written evidence should be used to ascertain the effectiveness of a candidate’s teaching and that the views of students should be sought in some way, such as feedback from a demonstration of teaching or an interview of the candidate.
7. Making an Offer: The initial offer of appointment to a candidate, and any ensuing negotiations, are made by the Dean.
8. Reimbursement: The dean’s office will request from each department a list of anticipated faculty searches for the upcoming academic year. Upon receiving these requests, the Dean's Office will reimburse to each department funds equal to the product of a per-search rate of $3500 and the number of upcoming searches. If a department anticipates that it will spend more than the amount allotted, please contact the Budget Manager. Unless otherwise noted, the department will be responsible for funding the difference. In cases involving diversity initiatives or other special needs, additional funding may be negotiated between the chair and dean.
9. If candidates stay at the Silver Cloud Hotel, please ask for the Seattle University rate.
10. Retaining Files: All candidate files should be kept for three years following the search.

Department Honors Curriculum Template

Many undergraduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences offer honors in the major (department honors).  These programs offer an opportunity for motivated and capable students to engage in more extensive interaction with faculty and to complete challenging individual research projects that will further their personal professional goals. As of 2007-2008, the following departments and programs will offer Department Honors programs:  Cultural Anthropology, Criminal Justice, English, Fine Arts, French, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, and Theology/Religious Studies.

Guidelines for Department Honors Programs ( Adopted by A&S Curriculum Committee, January 22, 2000)

Admission requirements: In order to be admitted to department/major honors, a student must have both a cumulative and major/program G.P.A. of 3.5.  Departments will individually specify any prerequisite courses for admission to department/major honors.

1. Credit hours:  For completion of department honors, students must take a total of 65 program credits.  (This means that department honors students will take 5 to 10 credits above the norm for other majors.)
2. Courses:  Students will be required to take a minimum of 10 credits of designated department honors courses.  Courses taken specifically for the department honors programs will have their own course numbers and will include the word "Honors" in the title.  The following titles have been established for department honors courses:  Departmental Honors Directed Reading, Departmental Honors Directed Study, and Departmental Honors Thesis Supervision.  (In Sociology, the course titles will be: Sociology Honors Directed Reading, Sociology Honors Directed Study, and Sociology Honors Thesis Supervision.)
3. Thesis:  All department honors programs will require completion of a substantial honors thesis of a length appropriate to the discipline.

Transcript notation: Students who complete the department/major honors program will receive a notation to that effect on their transcripts (e.g., "With Departmental Honors in History"). In order to receive this notation, students must not only complete the requisite course work, but must also maintain both a cumulative and major/program G.P.A. of 3.5.  In addition, the grade for the course in "Departmental Honors Thesis Supervision" must be at least an A-.

Department Honors Authorship Policy ( Adopted in May, 2006)

“Products required of A&S departmental honors programs (e.g., theses, papers, presentations) are the sole property of the student and authorship should be limited solely to the student. In the tradition of the thesis or dissertation, faculty involvement should be limited to mentoring and guiding the student’s independent work. Substantial contributions on the part of the faculty advisor (which might merit dual authorship in alternative situations) should be discouraged.”

Department Honors Funding

The College offers annual funding to department honors students and events related to department honors programs.

For 2009-2010, the following funds are available:

1. Catering expenses. Upon request, the dean's office will transfer up to $100 to department budgets for catering expenses related to department honors programs. Please let Sally Hogan know how much of this amount you can use during the current year.
2. Book/Travel/Supplies Scholarships for students. Department honors students may submit up to $150 each in receipts for expenses related to their department honors projects (e.g., travel, books, supplies, photocopying, art supplies). Please inform your department honors students that these funds are available, and please give the names of eligible students to Sally. Receipts are due to Sally by May 1, 2010.
3. Travel Reimbursement. Departments with five or more department honors students may request up to $1200 funding for student travel to an academic conference or support for an exhibition or performance of their honors project. (No more than $600 is available for an individual student.) Departments with fewer than five students in department honors may request up to $600 in travel funding. Please let Sally know the names of the students you have approved for travel funding; receipts should be submitted to Sally by May 1.

Lecturer Policies

College of Arts and Sciences policies regarding Non-tenure Track (NTT) Faculty
Approved by Executive Committee, May 10, 2006

Note: The following policies in the College of Arts and Sciences do not supersede any provisions of the university Faculty Handbook. These policies do not constitute a contractual commitment on the part of the College or the university.

Ranks for NTT Faculty:

Visiting Faculty: From the University Faculty Handbook (revised Feb. 26, 2004), Section 2.5 Visiting Faculty

“Such faculty members normally hold or have held academic rank at another institution of higher education or have equivalent recognition in their field and are appointed on a temporary basis to the faculty of Seattle University. The temporary rank of a visiting faculty member is the rank conferred by the resident institution.”

Visiting Assistant Professor: In the College of Arts and Sciences, the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor is normally assigned to faculty for one to two years during a period of mutual evaluation prior to the possible offer of a tenure track position. The use of this rank, or any Visiting rank, requires the approval of the dean. Faculty assigned the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor must qualify for the rank of Assistant Professor (e.g., they must possess the terminal degree). Before a Visiting Assistant Professor position is converted to a tenure-track position, the faculty member will undergo an interview process. The appointment of a Visiting Assistant Professor to a tenure-track position will follow the usual approval process used for tenure-track hires.

Lecturer: In the College of Arts and Sciences, the title of “Lecturer” is given to adjunct faculty (see University Faculty Handbook for policies regarding appointment of adjunct faculty).

Core Lecturer: In the College of Arts and Sciences, the title of “Core Lecturer” is given to full time non tenure-track faculty who are hired to teach primarily (though not necessarily exclusively) in the Core Curriculum.

Senior Lecturer: The title of Senior Lecturer may be given to a Lecturer who has fulfilled the following criteria:

1. possession of the terminal degree in one’s field
2. five or more years of service at Seattle University
3. record of excellent teaching

The title of Senior Lecturer is given by the department chair in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Faculty Development Funds:

Visiting Faculty: Full time Visiting faculty having the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, Visiting Professor, or Senior Lecturer are eligible to apply for faculty development funds at the same rate as tenured and tenure track faculty. They may also apply for student assistantships and research fellowships offered within the College.

Lecturers: Subject to available funds, full time Lecturers and Core Lecturers are eligible to apply for faculty development funds at a rate set annually by the Budget Manager. They are also eligible to apply for College student research assistantships.

Part time Lecturers: Subject to available funds, a pool of faculty development funds will be set aside annually for which part time faculty may apply. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first served basis as reimbursement for eligible professional development expenses. Part time faculty will be eligible to apply for this pool of faculty development funds annually at the following rate.

1-2 courses taught: $100
3-4 courses taught: $200
5-6 courses taught: $300

Faculty development reimbursements for lecturers are subject to the same maximum amounts as those for tenure-track faculty, e.g., a maximum of $100 for books, software or for course development and $200 for travel.

Workload:

Full time Visiting Faculty: Visiting Assistant Professors, Visiting Associate Professors, and Visiting Professors have a standard workload of 6 courses and one release for research (contingent on their continuing to pursue an active scholarly/creative agenda).

Lecturers, Core Lecturers, and Senior Lecturers have a standard workload of seven courses. One or more sevenths of their load may be assigned to advising or to a significant service project, with the approval of the department chair and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Expectations for attendance at department meetings, availability to students, and other standard service is included in the salary for teaching.

Initial Hiring and Renewal of Contracts for Continuing NTT Faculty:

Hiring for full time lecturer positions should follow the College policy, which is as follows:

College Policy for hiring full-time non-tenure-track faculty (Adopted May 9, 2001)

1. Continuing appointments: If the department recommends rehiring a faculty member who is in a full-time non-tenure-track position already, an annual performance review must be conducted and submitted to the dean's office by April 1, beginning with the first year of the faculty member’s employment at SU. The recommendation to rehire must be approved by the department and submitted to the dean's office at the same time as the annual review.

2. New appointments: For new full-time non-tenure-track appointments, the position must be advertised, including at least one advertisement outside Seattle University. Candidates should be interviewed for the position and references should be checked. The recommendation to hire must be approved by the department and submitted to the dean's office for approval before a verbal offer is made to the candidate.

Part time non tenure-track faculty: Department chairs or program directors should review the teaching evaluations of part time faculty prior to hiring a part time faculty member for the second year. Before hiring a part time faculty member for the third year, the chair should arrange a peer review of the faculty member’s teaching.

Annual Review:

Full time non-tenure-track faculty are reviewed on an annual basis in April.

All full time non tenure-track faculty should have a peer review of teaching during the first year.

Lecturers will use the special APR form designed for their use. Visiting faculty will use the APR form for tenure-track faculty, but it will be due in April rather than in January.

Part time lecturers should be reviewed every three years by means of a peer review of teaching and the chair’s review of teaching evaluations.

Orientation:

Full time visiting faculty and lecturers will be invited to attend the university’s New Faculty Institute and Seminars.

Non tenure-track faculty who are serving as academic advisers will work with the Advising Coordinator and/or the department whose majors they are advising to receive ongoing training, mentoring, and supervision.

Departments are encouraged to provide an orientation and mentorship to new non tenure-track faculty. Additional orientations may be required by the university.

Salary Equity Appeal Policy

The Dean’s office periodically receives requests from individual faculty members to increase their base salaries on the grounds of equity in relation to other members of the College. The “Salary Equity Appeals Process” is intended to strengthen procedural fairness, professionalism in administrative decision-making, and shared governance.
 
Initiating an equity review
A faculty member may initiate an equity review by writing a letter to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.  The letter should make the case that the faculty member’s base salary appears to be less than that of others in the College having similar rank, years of experience, and career merit. Faculty members will receive from the Dean’s office, upon request, scatter-plots for the College showing the relationship between salary and years since receiving the terminal degree.

Review process and criteria
An advisory committee of three tenured faculty members will review any salary equity appeals, and then make a recommendation to the Dean. 

An equity appeal could be justified if a faculty member’s base salary is less than that of others in the College in comparable fields and having similar rank, years of experience, and career merit.  Other considerations such as salary compression, comparisons to salaries beyond the College (or beyond the control of the College), or comparisons to a particular individual will not be considered as part of this process.  Equity adjustments, if made, will not apply retroactively.  Equity appeals will apply to base salary rather than to annual increments.

Timeline:
Equity appeals due in the Dean’s office: November 1
  (Policy last revised: May 10, 2000)

Outstanding Staff and Faculty Awards

The College of Arts and Sciences recognizes a number of staff and faculty members each year with an award announced at the All College Dinner in early June. Faculty and staff are invited in April to submit nominations for these awards, which are reviewed by a faculty committee that submits a recommendation to the dean.
Faculty and staff members who received an Outstanding Staff or Faculty Award in the previous year are not eligible to receive an award during the current year. Nominations should be based primarily on work faculty and staff members have done during the previous calendar year.

Categories and Criteria:

The Outstanding Administrative Staff Award provides the occasion for the College to recognize a member of the administrative staff who has made an outstanding contribution to the staff, faculty, and students of the College.

The Outstanding Teaching Award provides the occasion for the College to recognize the successful embodiment of the Jesuit and Catholic ideal of liberal education by a colleague whose courses are recognized by students and faculty alike as being uncommonly rigorous and challenging, and whose delivery of these courses is again recognized by students and faculty members as having a major impact on the intellectual, spiritual, and/or personal development of the students. Innovative student-centered teaching methods deserve special recognition.

The Outstanding Scholarship Award provides the occasion for the College to recognize the publication of a book, the production of a creative work, or the publication of a series of articles by a colleague that scholars in her or his discipline judge as representing a significant contribution to the field.

The Outstanding Service Award provides the occasion for the College to recognize a colleague who has given generously of his or her time and energy to the department, the College, the University, the community, or the profession, and whose service has had a significant positive impact on those to whom it has been given.

The Outstanding Academic Advising Award provides the occasion for the College to recognize a colleague who has had a major impact on the intellectual, spiritual, and/or personal development of students through serving as their academic adviser.

The Outstanding Contract Faculty Award provides the occasion for the College to recognize a colleague in a full-time non-tenure track position who has met the criteria for the Outstanding Teaching, Scholarship, or Service Award (or who has made an outstanding contribution in a combination of areas).

College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Staff and Faculty Award Recipients 2001-2008:

Administrative Staff
Kate Reynolds, Philosophy
Steve Galatro, Fine Arts
Rose Zbiegien, English
Kate Reynolds, Philosophy
Noreen Elbert, IPS
Katherine Iverson, Dean’s Office
Joella Kirschner, Honors Program
Sue White, IPS
Heather Reis, Dean’s Office

Dean's Award
Sally Hogan, Dean's Office

Teaching
Karen Barta, Theology/Religious Studies
Theresa Earenfight, History
Patrick Burke, Philosophy
Richard Young, Political Science
Maria Carl, Philosophy
Bill Taylor, English
Kathleen La Voy, Psychology
Jacquelyn Miller, History
Dan Dombrowski, Philosophy
Charles Tung, English
Maria Bullon-Fernandez, English

Scholarship
Gary Chamberlain, Theology/Religious Studies
Dan Dombrowski, Philosophy
Maria Bullon-Fernandez, English
Hamida Bosmajian, English
Gary Atkins, Communication
Carol Clay, Fine Arts
Ki Gottberg, Fine Arts
Sharon Suh, Theology/Religious Studies
Marie Wong, IPS
Erik Olsen, Political Science
Tomas Guillen, Communication

Service
Edwin Weihe, English
Ted Fortier, ASSW
Michael Bisesi, Nonprofit Leadership
Sharon Cumberland, English
Gary Chamberlain, Theology/Religious Studies
Jim Hogan, Political Science/Institute of Public Service
Mara Adelman, Communication
David Madsen, History
John Bean, English
Kan Liang, History/International Studies
Jeff Philpott, Communication
Connie Anthony, Political Science

Contract Faculty
Maria Leon, Modern Languages and Cultures
Andrew Franz, Military Science
Larry Nichols, English/Writing Center
June Bube, English
Dan Doyle, English
Mark West, Communication
Bill Kangas, History
Joy Sherman, Fine Arts
Mark Cohan, Society, Justice, and Culture
Corinne Painter, Philosophy
Sven Arvidson, Philosophy
David Moon, Fine Arts

Academic Advising
Bradley Scharf, Political Science
Phil Barclift, Liberal Studies
Marc McLeod, History

Adjunct (Part-Time) Faculty
Sara Berry, Philosophy

Awards in Spring 2000 (These awards recognized achievements during 1995-1999)

Contract Faculty:
Phil Barclift, Theology/Religious Studies
Judy Mayotte, History

Teaching:
Karen Barta, Theology/Religious Studies
John Bean, English
Hamida Bosmajian, English
George Kunz, Psychology
Andrew Schulz, Fine Arts

Scholarship:
Mara Adelman, Communication
Rob Deltete, Philosophy
Dan Dombrowski, Philosophy
David Leigh, SJ, English
Jodi O'Brien, Society, Justice, and Culture
James Risser, Philosophy

Service:
Carol Wolfe Clay, Fine Arts
Jacqueline Helfgott, Society, Justice, and Culture
Jacquelyn Miller, History
Tom Taylor, History
Rosaleen Trainor, Philosophy

Sabbaticals

The University’s sabbatical policies are found in the Faculty Handbook (https://insite.seattleu.edu/provost/policies/FacHandbk2008.pdf). Eligible faculty will be reminded by the dean’s office to submit an application. In the College of Arts and Sciences, sabbatical applications are due to Katherine Iverson by November 1st of the year preceding the proposed sabbatical. Applications may be obtained from the dean’s office or downloaded at the following site: https://insite.seattleu.edu/provost/fs/fs_gp.asp

Policy concerning overload assignments and other workload adjustments

If a faculty member wants to make any change to his or her workload, he or she must first consult with the department chair. If a faculty member’s workload is to be adjusted by someone outside of the college, the chair must be informed and consulted with first. (This paragraph added by vote of Executive Committee, June 2005)

Student Reference Letter Request

This form is used to confirm a request for a letter of reference and is required when a student or former student seeks a reference letter. References include the following: recommendations for employment, for receipt of an honor or honorary recognition, for admission to an educational institution, for application for a scholarship or similar award, or any other pursuit of a student or former student in which a reference is necessary or desired. Download the Reference Letter Request Form

Assessment Due dates, Assessment Coordinator

In the College of Arts and Sciences, Associate Dean Joyce Erickson serves as the assessment coordinator. By October 15, each academic program is asked to submit an annual assessment plan for the upcoming year and a report for the previous year.

Templates and instructions for the annual assessment reports and plans may be downloaded at:

http://www.seattleu.edu/assessment/

Copies of assessment reports from previous years are available at: https://insite.seattleu.edu/provost/Assessment%20Links/PLANS.asp

Hickey Award

Early in the Spring quarter the Executive Committee chooses the outstanding student among the graduating seniors of the College of Arts and Sciences to be awarded the Hickey Award at graduation. The award is based on grade point average, contribution to the academic life at Seattle University, and activities within and outside of the University. The Associate Dean for Students solicits nominations and forwards the names to the Executive Committee who make the selection.

LeRoux Leadership Award

Early in the Spring quarter, the Office of Student Development solicits nominations from all faculty for students who deserve recognition in several categories. On behalf of Student Development, the Associate Dean for Students solicits nominations for the "LeRoux Leadership" award - an award given to a student who best exemplifies the spirit, mission, and values of the College - and forwards the names to the Executive Committee who make the selection.

LeRoux Dean’s Scholarship

The LeRoux Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding junior student in the College of Arts and Sciences chosen in Spring quarter by the Dean and the Council of the Executive Committee from a list of eligible students provided by the Financial Aid Office. The award varies in amount each year and is not renewable.

Naef Scholars

Contact: Prof. David Madsen, History Department

Each year during the first two weeks of Spring Quarter the Dean in conjunction with the moderator solicits nominations on behalf of the Naef Scholarship Program. Faculty recommend students who excel both as scholars and leaders on campus and in their communities. College nominees are chosen according to merit.  The College nomination committee, chaired by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, is appointed annually by the Associate Dean and consists of two to three additional faculty members from different departments within the College.  Candidates must meet the following criteria:

1. Completion of at least 90 credit hours at Seattle University by the time of the award.
2. A Seattle University GPA of 3.4 or above.
3. Intention of  pursuing a full-time degree program at Seattle University during the year of the award.
4. Demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to service in the University and/or community at large.
5. Able and willing to participate in the Naef Scholars Program during the year of the award.
6. Not a Naef Scholar for more than two years.

Students participate in special events under the leadership of the director of the program. Advisors are requested to promote qualified students by nominating candidates for this program. Final Selections follow interviews with a university-wide committee.