New policy appendices for faculty handbook

by Dave Dobsonin Clerk's Committee, Faculty Issueson Posted on

Hi, colleagues –

Clerk’s committee recently discussed two new appendices to the Faculty Handbook which cover policies that we are required by SACS-COC to have in place. Clerk’s decided that these fell under the category of “routine policy,” and that it was thus not necessary to bring them to faculty meeting for approval.
According to section 1.400 of the handbook, we are publishing these for comment. In section 1.400, we are directed to publish these items in the Beacon, but it is the sense of the Clerk that this is an outdated and unwieldy method for this publication, and I’ve sometimes had some difficulty getting items into the Beacon in a timely manner in the past.
Therefore, rather than publishing them in the Beacon, I am distributing them by e-mail and publishing them on the Moon Room site.
If you have comments or feedback about the appendices, please send them to me. If you have difficulty with my decision to publish them through the Moon room, please also let me know. I’ve included the relevant section of the Handbook below.
Thanks,
Dave
From Faculty Handbook Section 1.400:

Recommendations regarding routine policy coming from College committees shall appear in the Beacon, published weekly during the academic year. Unless challenged within thirty (30) calendar days, excluding holidays and summer recess, by petition of one (1) or more faculty or staff members, the policies will be considered approved and binding upon the College.

 However, one or more faculty or staff members may challenge a specific decision by petition to the Clerk’s Committee for decisions of faculty committees or the President for decisions of collegewide committees, Such challenges shall include a written rationale. Clerk’s Committee or the President, the originating committee, and the petitioner(s) should first attempt to find a resolution. If no resolution is forthcoming, Clerk’s Committee will address petitions by bringing the issue to the faculty meeting, or first sending it to the appropriate committee or to a special ad hoc committee; and the President will address petitions by making a final decision or first sending the issue to the appropriate committee or to a special ad hoc committee.