2. Introduction

2.1     MISSION - AMENDMENTS REQUIRE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

Champlain College educates adaptable thinkers, daring change-makers, and inclusive innovators who shape professions and inspire communities.

2.2     VISION - AMENDMENTS REQUIRE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

*NOTE: Vision forthcoming in the 2020-2021 academic year, following Champlain’s Presidential transition.

2.3     VALUES - AMENDMENTS REQUIRE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

We stand for:

Innovation - We anticipate the future and thrive in dynamic conditions.

Engaged Learning - We commit to learning so everyone does meaningful work.

Inclusivity - We practice inclusive teamwork and value diverse individual strengths.

Practicality - We provide experiential professional education.

Interconnectedness - We connect with people and places, from the local to the global.

Every endeavor should have a vision and tone. Through ongoing discussion and consensus, the members of the Faculty Welfare Committee, the President, and the Provost agree that John Gardner’s vision of “vital professors” captures the spirit of this Handbook and should continue to guide future editions:

Vital professors typically are individuals who challenge students academically and contribute to their overall development. Usually they participate in the governance and intellectual life of their institution and are involved in the debates of their discipline or professional field. Vital professors are curious and intellectually engaged. They enjoy the respect of their colleagues and are effective in the multiple roles of members of the academic profession. Perhaps most significant, vital professors grow personally and professionally throughout their academic career, continually pursuing expanded interests and acquiring new skills and knowledge. Adjectives that would apply to vital professors include: enthusiastic, caring, dedicated, vigorous, creative, flexible, risk-taking, and regenerative.

(Source: Attributed to John W. Gardner by R.G. Baldwin, Journal of Higher Education, March/April 1990, page 180)

2.4     HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE

Since it’s establishment in 1878, Champlain College has reinvented itself many times over, transforming its curricula in pursuit of its aim to provide an innovative, career-oriented education to serve the needs of students and employers. Along the way, Champlain College’s central values have remained based on innovation, engaged learning, inclusivity, practicality and interconnectedness.

For a complete history, see About Champlain on our website (https://www.champlain.edu/about-champlain)

2.5     COLLEGE COMPETENCIES

The College has established these skill areas as the foundation of the educational experience at Champlain College, regardless of the student’s major. The goal is to help the Champlain College graduate develop into an ethical, self-guided learner:

Life is a process of continuous development-learning in its broadest sense never ends. Developing these skills helps Champlain graduates continue to grow and develop after college by giving them the tools to take charge of their own learning, by identifying what they need to learn and how to do it. This self-directed learning is combined with the ability to examine one’s own assumptions and obligations to others and to act accordingly with autonomy, integrity, and intention.

We believe that each of these skills is best developed through consistent practice, application, and instruction. As a result, each faculty member is expected to design courses with these competencies in mind, that  incorporate instructional and developmental activities in these areas wherever possible and that are consistent with the goals of the course and program.

2.6     DEFINITION OF FACULTY

Full-time regular faculty members are those whose appointment letters specify that their primary responsibility is teaching and whose appointment is not temporary. Full-time faculty appointments are for a minimum duration of one year, unless terminated sooner as provided in this Faculty Handbook. For purposes of this Handbook, the term faculty refers to full-time, regular faculty, unless otherwise noted.

The Provost, associate provosts, academic deans, and librarians, while considered administrators for employment purposes, are also defined as faculty, with privileges of voice and vote in the Faculty Senate. The Provost, associate provosts, and academic deans may also be considered for academic rank in accordance with policies and procedures in this Faculty Handbook.

2.7     PURPOSE OF THE FACULTY HANDBOOK

The Faculty Handbook is a compilation of publications and websites, consolidated to provide information to faculty regarding the policies and procedures related to the academic operation of Champlain College.  The Faculty Handbook is also designed to offer guidance in matters of concern to faculty and to improve communication throughout the College.

The policies and procedures contained in this Handbook supersede those issued by Champlain College in any and all previous publications, policy memoranda or statements, and administrative directives, with the exception of the People Center policies and any others specifically noted in this Handbook. In the event that contradictions occur between the requirements or privileges provided in the Faculty Handbook and those provided in a faculty member’s letter of appointment, the provisions of the letter of appointment shall be followed.

The Champlain College Academic Catalogs, as well as policies and procedures posted on the College’s internet site, intranet site, and shared folders also contain information on rules and regulations related to the operation and management of the College. Some of these publications are noted as an official part of this Handbook, and may be reprinted here. The most current version of these external procedures, as they appear on the College website, takes precedence over the Faculty Handbook. The College reserves the right to alter, amend, or suspend terms of policies summarized in the Faculty Handbook, according to the procedures outlined in section 2.8.

The Faculty Handbook is stored on the College website. It is updated annually for any approved amendments, at the beginning of the academic year, unless a modification is approved to take effect immediately, in accordance with section 2.8.5 of this Handbook.

2.8     AMENDING THE FACULTY HANDBOOK

College policies, including the policies contained in the Faculty Handbook, are established by the Board of Trustees. The Board reserves the right to modify these policies, upon the advice of the administration and/or the faculty through the processes described below.

Some policies in the Faculty Handbook require Board approval for amendment or addition. Other sections are administrative and can be changed at the discretion of the administration, with appropriate faculty consultation, without Board approval.  Changes to sections of the Handbook which are not purely administrative may be proposed by faculty or by administration, through the processes described below.

Minor corrections, edits or administrative changes that do not alter the meaning or intent of any handbook policy or procedure may be made at the Provost’s discretion.

Changes to the Handbook apply in the academic year following the academic year in which changes were approved.

2.8.1     CHANGES REQUIRING BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

• 2.1     Mission
• 2.2     Vision
• 2.3     Values
• 4.2     Academic Freedom
• 4.3     Intellectual Property
• 4.4     Nondiscrimination and Harassment Prevention
• 4.5     Statement of Professional Ethics
• 5.3     Sabbatical Leave
• 6.4     Faculty Evaluation
• 6.11   Relationships Between Faculty and Students
• 6.12   Related Persons as Students
• 6.13   Graduate Faculty Qualifications
• 6.15   Faculty Emerita/Emeritus Status
• 6.16   Research on Humans
• 7.0     Faculty Personnel Policies
  • 7.1     Appointment Letters and Terms
  • 7.2     Provisional Employment Period
  • 7.3     Academic Rank: Initial Hire
  • 7.4     Promotion in Rank
  • 7.5     Official Leave
  • 7.6     Official Personnel File
  • 7.7     Disciplinary Procedures
  • 7.8     Probation and Progressive Discipline
  • 7.9     Separation from the College
  • 7.10   Exit Interview
  • 7.11   Re-employment Rights
  • 7.12   Faculty Grievance Procedure
  • 7.13   Employment of Relatives
• 8.2     Financial Exigency
• 8.3     Discontinuing Academic Programs

Changes to all other sections of the Handbook may be made by the process described below. The process may be circumvented if the Board determines that exceptional circumstances or financial exigency prevails.

The following procedure is the process for the initiation and consideration of amendments or additions to the Champlain College Full-time Regular Faculty Handbook:

2.8.2     ADMINISTRATION-INITIATED AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS

Sections which are administrative in nature may be changed by the President and/or the Provost without Board or Faculty Senate approval. Minor corrections, edits or administrative changes that do not alter the meaning or intent of handbook policies or procedures (such as changes to maintain consistency among handbook sections, updating of official names, etc.) can be made to any section of the Handbook at the Provost’s discretion. When possible and expedient, the administration will communicate all substantive changes to the faculty through the Faculty Senate in advance.  In all cases, changes will be communicated to the faculty prior to implementation.

Faculty may suggest or request that the administration make changes to sections that are administrative through the following process. (A) Faculty submit(s) a proposal to amend a handbook policy to the appropriate Faculty Senate Committee; if there is no committee specifically charged with the proposal, then the faculty will submit the proposal to the Executive Committee. (B) Once the appropriate Senate Committee agrees to sponsor the proposal, the author and sponsoring Senate Committee will then bring it to the entire Senate for deliberation. (C) If the Senate, by majority vote, agrees to move the proposal forward, the faculty author(s) of the proposal, the chair of the sponsoring Senate Committee, and the Faculty Senate President will present the amendment in writing to the Provost.

The following sections are administrative in nature:

• 1.0     Introduction
• 2.4     History of the College
• 2.7     Purpose of the Faculty Handbook
• 3.0     Organization and Governance
• 5.0     Professional Development Resources (except for 5.2.7)
• 6.2     Orientation of First-Year Faculty
• 6.3     First-Year Expectations
• 6.6     Course Overloads
• 6.7     Independent Study Courses
• 6.8     Minimum Enrollment Class Cancellation
• 6.14   Outside and Professional Activities
• 8.1     Business Continuity
• 8.4     News Releases and Press Conferences
• 8.5     Confidentiality
• 8.6     Travel Expense Report
• 8.7     Emergency Travel Funds

Amendments or additions to all other sections of the Handbook initiated by the administration should be submitted, along with a rationale, to the Faculty Senate for review and comment. The Faculty Senate will refer the amendment or addition to the appropriate faculty committee for study and recommendations. The appropriate committee will consult with the administration and work toward a mutually satisfactory solution. The committee will then forward the change to the Faculty Senate for review and comment by the full faculty. The administration should receive a response from the Faculty Senate, in writing, on behalf of the faculty in an expedient manner, according to a mutually agreed upon timeline. The exception to this process is section 5.3, Sabbatical Leave. Changes to the sabbatical leave policy require voted approval of the full Faculty Senate as well as approval of the Provost, President and the Board of Trustees.

2.8.3     FACULTY-PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS

Proposals that are initiated by the faculty to sections other than those defined as administrative in section 2.8.2, should be sent simultaneously to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate and the Provost.

A submitted proposal, whether intended as a revision of this Handbook or as an addition to the Handbook, shall follow these guidelines:

• a proposal shall be made in writing;
• each proposal shall contain no more than one substantive alteration to the Handbook; and
• a brief explanation of the reason(s) for proposing the revision or addition shall accompany the proposal.

2.8.4     PROCESSING OF PROPOSALS

The Executive Committee shall consider the proposal and recommend its approval or disapproval as it deems appropriate, with or without amendments, to the Faculty Senate.

The Role of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee

In considering proposals, the Executive Committee may, at its discretion, consult with individuals connected with or interested in the proposal. The committee will, prior to making its recommendation to the Faculty Senate, appropriately edit and amend the proposal and suggest where it might most appropriately be integrated into the current Faculty Handbook, if it were to be adopted.

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee may propose amendments and additions to the Faculty Handbook based on suggestions made to any member of the committee or based on the committee’s review of the Faculty Handbook. In such case, the committee is responsible for preparing the written proposal, submission of the proposal to the Provost, and processing the proposal in accordance with Section 1.

The Role of the Faculty Senate

Upon receiving a proposal from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee with its recommendation of approval or disapproval, the Faculty Senate shall vote to recommend approval or disapproval of the proposal with or without further amendments and editing. The Faculty Senate shall inform the Provost in writing of its recommendation.

Alternatively, the Faculty Senate may choose not to vote on the proposal at the current time and send it back to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for further work or modification prior to resubmission to the Faculty Senate.

The Role of the Provost

The role of the Provost is to accept or reject the recommendation of the Faculty Senate. The Provost may choose to remand any proposed amendment or addition to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for further study or modification. The Provost shall meet with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to discuss the proposal if he or she has concerns about it. The Provost will make a diligent attempt to reach a mutually agreeable compromise regarding the wording and intent of the proposal.

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee, at its discretion, will resubmit the proposal, with or without further amendments, to the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate will once again vote to recommend approval or disapproval of the proposal and forward its recommendation in writing to the Provost, who will accept or reject the recommendation, or modify the proposal. If the Provost rejects the recommendation of the Faculty Senate or chooses to modify the proposal, he/she will explain promptly his/her decision to the Faculty Senate in writing.

Once a proposal has been accepted by the Provost, it shall be sent to the President and, upon approval by the President, the proposal can be implemented unless the President determines that the proposal represents a new policy or a policy change to policies defined in section 2.8.1 as requiring Board approval, in which case the proposal must go on to the Board of Trustees for consideration at its next regular meeting.

2.8.5     EMERGENCY PROCEDURE

When the Provost, the academic deans, and the President of the Faculty Senate agree that, in the best interests of the College, a modification to the Faculty Handbook is immediately necessary, they may petition through the President for a special review of a proposed policy. It shall be fully within the discretion of the President to grant or deny such a request for special review of a proposed policy.

2.8.6     GENERAL RULES OF IMPLEMENTATION

An amendment or addition to the Faculty Handbook to sections defined in section 2.8.1 becomes effective by directive of the Board of Trustees.   Amendments or additions to other sections become effective by directive of the President, after going through the approved process. Any grandfathering provision will be specific to a given policy or administrative regulation and so noted in specific language.

Annually, the Provost and the Faculty Senate President will review and approve the official copy of this Handbook for the upcoming year.  That official copy will be available to the Faculty Senate on its digital storage platform, as well as on the People Center and Academic Affairs pages of the web site. Responsibility for maintaining this current copy will be with the Academic Affairs office. In addition, at the time of their employment, all new faculty members shall be advised in writing of the web address of the Faculty Handbook.