The mission of Kalamazoo College is to prepare its graduates to better understand, live successfully within and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world.

For fifty years, Kalamazoo College’s distinctive K-Plan has served as the foundation and focal point of the College's curriculum. The original four components -- on-campus instruction, career service internships, foreign study, and the senior integrated project -- have remained at the heart of the K-Plan experience, augmented and enhanced by new opportunities such as service learning, externships, Guilds, social justice leadership, and intercultural research projects. Throughout a half century, however, the underlying principles of the K-Plan have remained unchanged:

• Depth and breadth in the liberal arts;
• Learning through experience;
• International and intercultural engagement, especially through study abroad; and
• Independent scholarship, culminating in the Senior Integrated Project (SIP).

Following these principles, students construct individualized K-Plans combining activities that reflect and expand their own interests. Some activities will integrate multiple K-Plan components, since the principles suffuse and reinforce one another. For example, students may experience depth and breadth in the liberal arts while on study abroad, intercultural engagement through service learning, independent scholarship while participating in the Guilds, or experiential learning while conducting their SIP. Thus, rather than narrowly prescribing a single path for students to follow from matriculation to graduation, the guiding principles in the K-Plan encourage students to navigate their own path to an individualized, integrated liberal arts education, and provides a structure to support them while doing so.

This faculty handbook was initially compiled during the Winter and Spring Quarters of 1998 by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Executive Committee. It was a collaborative project undertaken by Lonnie Supnick, representing the Administration, and Ken Reinert, representing the Faculty. During the time of this project, the Faculty Executive Committee was chaired by Ahmed Hussen.

The Board of Trustees shall appoint or elect a President and other officers of the College as shall be considered by the Board necessary for the efficient administration of the College. Such officers shall serve at the pleasure of the Board.

The President of the College shall be elected a member of the Board of Trustees and shall attend all sessions of the Board and all sessions of the Executive Committee, except when The Board or Executive Committee meets to consider matters relating to the President. The President shall be the executive head of all departments of the College, exercising such supervision and direction as will promote their efficiency and without limitation in that regard, shall:

1. Be the chief administrator of the affairs of the College.
2. Be Chair of the Faculty and in cooperation with it formulate additional policies for recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
3. Be responsible for the ideals and academic standards of the College and improve its status among institutions of higher learning.
4. Appoint the administrative officers and faculty members of the College; provided, however, that all tenure appointments shall be made only with recommendation of the Academic Affairs Committee and action of the Board of Trustees.
5. Execute such measures, including discipline of the College, as the Board may enact concerning the internal administration of the College.
6. Present a formal report on the condition of the College at each regular meeting of the Board of Trustees.
7. Direct the preparation and presentation to the Board of Trustees through the Finance Committee the annual budget for the operation of the College.
8. Sign and deliver diplomas for academic and emeriti degrees conferred by the Board of Trustees and perform such other duties as pertain to the office of President or as shall be specifically directed by the Board of Trustees.

The faculty of the College shall consist of the President of the College, the Provost, the deans, all regular members of the teaching staff consisting of professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, and all members of the administrative staff whose duties require participation in the faculty meeting, and also all academic officers given ranking as members of the faculty by these By-Laws of the Board of Trustees.

The President shall make all faculty appointments and promotions, provided all tenure appointments shall be made only after recommendation of the Academic Affairs Committee and action by the Board of Trustees.

The faculty shall meet regularly during the college year and shall adopt By-Laws and rules of procedures for its organizations and functioning. It shall keep a written record of its proceedings that shall be made available to the Board of Trustees, if requested. The By-Laws and rules of procedure shall not be inconsistent with the College Charter and the By-Laws of the Board of Trustees as they shall from time to time exist.

The Board shall adopt and may from time to time amend rules and regulations governing appointments, length of service, and termination of the same, all of which shall be known as "The Plan of Employment for the Teaching Faculty of Kalamazoo College."

Subject to approval of the President and the Board of Trustees, the faculty shall be charged with the responsibility and shall be given the authority to

1. determine the academic criteria for admission of students,
2. determine the academic curriculum of the College,
3. determine the requirements for earned degrees,
4. recommend to the Academic Affairs
5. Committee candidates for earned degrees,
6. determine the nature of the system to be used in grading students in courses,
7. participate in the establishment and implementation of disciplinary policies as exemplified by the Honor System,
8. make recommendations to the President concerning any other matters of educational policy,
9. participate in fostering an inclusive learning environment centered on student intellectual and personal development.

Adopted by Board of Trustees, April 13, 1996
Amended January 17, 1997, October 25, 1997,
June 9, 2001, March 12, 2005, January 8, 2016,
& June 16, 2018

This Plan of Employment for Faculty is intended to provide a clear and understandable procedure for employment and personnel decisions. It is designed to aid and support the College in building and retaining a competent faculty, and in dealing consistently with decisions regarding appointment, reappointment, tenure, promotion, and termination. It is also designed to promote professional growth and independence for the individual faculty member in the performance of duties, to provide incentives to individual faculty members to set and maintain high standards of teaching, scholarship, and service, and to protect the integrity of the faculty and the College as a whole.

This Plan of Employment replaces the Plan of Employment adopted by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees on March 19, 1981, by authority granted by the Board of Trustees on February 9, 1981. The Administration referenced subsequently in this document includes the President, the Provost, and such other administrative officers of the College as are delegated authority in personnel matters by them or by the Board of Trustees. The term Provost, in the following sections of this document, may also refer to any administrative designee of the Provost. The Faculty Executive Committee, Faculty Personnel Committee, and Educational Policies Committee referenced in this document are part of the Faculty governance structure as defined in the Faculty Bylaws adopted by vote of the Faculty on June
9, 1986.

The rights and responsibilities of the Faculty in personnel matters are affirmed by this document, including the requirement that changes in or additions to Faculty Bylaws be consistent with and complement these provisions, so as to make possible continued, effective participation of Faculty in personnel matters. To the extent that there are any inconsistencies or conflicts between the Plan of Employment for Faculty and the Faculty Bylaws, the Plan of Employment shall control. The Faculty Bylaws cannot grant rights that are inconsistent with or not contained within or granted by the Plan of Employment for Faculty.

The Administration, in consultation with the Faculty, shall have authority for appointments to ranks, for promotion to higher ranks, for authorizing the total number of continuing faculty positions, and for the total number of Faculty actually employed consistent with the means and needs of the College.

1. Regular Faculty Appointments
   1. Regular faculty appointments are to tenured or tenure-track positions in academic departments or programs. Full engagement with the College and their profession is expected of regular faculty members as outlined in Section III.B. Faculty members in such positions shall hold one of the following ranks: Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
   2. Tenure refers to the status achieved by regular faculty members successfully completing the required sequence of probationary appointments and reviews. Only regular faculty members are eligible for tenure. Tenured faculty members remain subject to performance review. However, they may lose their appointments only through termination procedures described in Section VII.
2. College Professor - Under exceptional circumstances the College may appoint as College Professor with tenure individuals whose stature in their fields will enhance the ability of the College to accomplish its mission. These appointments must be reviewed by the Faculty Personnel Committee and other committees as needed and by the Provost and the President and must be approved by the Board of Trustees before the appointment becomes effective.
3. Renewable Non-Tenure-Track Appointments
   1. In certain circumstances, the College may appoint an individual to a fixed term, but renewable, appointment without eligibility for tenure. Renewable appointments are typically made for a period of three years, although appointment periods may be made longer by the Administration after consultation with members of the affected department(s) or program(s), the Educational Policies Committee, and the Faculty Personnel Committee. The responsibilities of individuals on renewable appointments are essentially the same as for regular faculty, although typically there are no scholarship expectations.
   2. Faculty who hold a renewable appointment shall be given a title appropriate to their educational background and experience, usually Instructor, Senior Instructor, or Assistant Professor.
   3. Renewals are to be made only after a review has been conducted by the Faculty Personnel Committee according to procedures as specified in “Faculty Personnel Committee – Procedures.” The review typically takes place during the penultimate year of the current appointment period.
   4. Renewable appointments are not covered by the remaining provisions of this Plan of Employment except Sections VIII and IX and except as explicitly provided for in letters of appointment or other written agreements with the Administration.
4. Visiting Term Appointments
   1. Term appointments involve teaching for a fixed, limited duration to cover positions vacated by regular faculty due to leaves, reassignment, resignation, or emergencies or to provide necessary flexibility as determined by the Administration to meet specific shortterm curricular or programmatic needs of the College not covered by regular or renewable appointments. Term appointments are usually for one year, and are not to exceed three years. The responsibilities of individuals on term appointments are essentially the same as for regular faculty, although typically there are no scholarship or college-wide service expectations.
   2. Faculty who hold term appointments shall be given a title appropriate to their educational background and experience, typically with the modifier “visiting” used.
   3. Term appointments are not covered by the remaining provisions of this Plan of Employment except Sections VIII and IX and except as explicitly provided for in letters of appointment or other written agreements with the Administration. Renewal of term appointments is at the sole discretion of the Administration.
5. Lecturer or Visiting Lecturer Appointments
   1. Appointments as Lecturer or Visiting Lecturer, or other title appropriate to their educational background and experience, and depending on the anticipated duration of the relationship with the College, are given to individuals with needed or desirable teaching specialties not covered by regular, renewable, or term appointments. These are usually compensated on a “per course” basis and do not entail College service beyond that entailed by the nature of the courses taught and those additional duties, if any, as specified in the letters of appointment.
   2. Honorary appointments as Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor, or Adjunct Professor, or other title appropriate to their educational background and experience, are given to individuals with academic qualifications whose association with the College is deemed beneficial. Such appointments are uncompensated, except when specific teaching or other responsibilities are entailed.
   3. Lecturer, Visiting Lecturer, Adjunct, and other “per course” or honorary appointments are not covered by the remaining provisions of this Plan of Employment except Sections VIII and IX and except as explicitly provided for in letters of appointment or other written agreements with the Administration.
6. Library Faculty - Librarians with the appropriate professional qualifications, as determined by the Provost, may have faculty status, but without academic rank or eligibility for tenure. Library faculty are expected to participate in faculty governance and in the academic advising of students.
7. Physical Education Faculty - The Athletic Director as well as full time head coaches and trainers with the appropriate professional qualifications, as determined by the Provost, may have faculty status, but without academic rank or eligibility for tenure. Physical Education faculty are expected to participate in faculty governance and in the academic advising of students.
8. Administrative Faculty
   1. The President and Provost shall have the status of regular faculty members with rank appropriate to their academic qualifications. The President and the Provost will a) be eligible for the award of tenure in the relevant academic department, subject to review by the appropriate academic department and the Faculty Personnel Committee, and approval by the Board of Trustees; or b) retain tenure status if previously achieved as a teaching member of the Faculty.
   2. Other administrators with appropriate qualifications and responsibilities may have faculty status, but without academic rank or eligibility for tenure, regardless of whether or not their duties involve teaching. Such status will be given by the Provost in consultation with the Faculty Executive Committee.
   3. Faculty members who are subsequently appointed to administrative positions retain all aspects of their previous faculty rank and status. Specific agreements with non-tenured faculty will be made at the time of the administrative appointment with regard to future eligibility and qualifications for tenure.

1. All regular appointments are authorized by the President. The initial appointment to a regular position under normal circumstances will be probationary: i.e., not tenured. Such appointments and any subsequent probationary reappointments shall be for a fixed duration, and carry with them no presumption that reappointment or tenure will be granted at the end of such term. Except when the probationary period has been lengthened for personal leaves (see IV.A.2), no faculty member on regular appointment will be continued for more than seven (7) years without tenure status unless arrangements are specifically agreed upon in writing by the Administration, the faculty member involved, and the Faculty Personnel Committee in advance of the sixth (6th) year of appointment. In the rare instance that an initial appointment is to be made with tenure, the Administration will consult with the appropriate department or program and the Faculty Personnel Committee regarding the faculty member’s academic qualifications. The President’s positive recommendation on tenure shall be submitted to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, and then to the full Board, for final approval at a regular meeting.
2. The initial appointment, under normal circumstances, shall be for two (2) years. Thereafter, the length of each subsequent reappointment shall normally be for two (2) years or as determined by the outcome of the review procedure provided under Section IV of this Plan of Employment. Up to four years of previous college teaching may be recognized by the College toward tenure qualification. The amount of such credit shall be established by the Administration at the time of the initial appointment to a position and that shall be so specified in the letter of appointment.
3. There may be special circumstances when an appointment letter will contain information intended to help codify the expectations of a position or include some other agreement that will affect the terms of the faculty member’s reappointment, tenure or promotion reviews. In the event that this information impacts the work of the Faculty Personnel Committee, they will be consulted when the appointment is made or as soon as possible thereafter.
4. In rare circumstances, a renewable appointment may be converted to a regular, tenure-track appointment by the Administration upon consultation with the appropriate department or program, the Educational Policies Committee and the Faculty Personnel Committee. As a general rule when a renewable position is converted to a regular, tenure-track position, the affected department conducts a national search to fill the regular, tenure-track position.
5. The Administration shall consult with members of the affected department(s) or program(s) and with the Educational Policies Committee before creating, reassigning, or eliminating a regular or renewable faculty position, and before converting a term appointment to a regular or renewable appointment. As a general rule, when a term position is converted to a regular, tenure-track position, the affected department conducts a national search to fill the regular, tenure-track position.

1. The process of evaluating a faculty member for reappointment, tenure, or promotion is by necessity complex. The individual faculty member's own performance and capability must be judged by the high standards of the Faculty and must also be viewed in the context of the College's overall mission to provide superior liberal arts education, as well as the College's assessment of its needs, directions and resources. This process calls for full cooperation between the Faculty and the Administration—both groups responsible to the Board of Trustees—acting in the best overall interest of the institution.
2. Each faculty member, through individual performance, helps determine the weight and importance of various factors relevant to assessing performance and contributions to the College. While other factors may become important in some cases, those generally recognized as relevant are:
   1. Formal preparation—the Ph.D. or advanced degree generally considered the terminal degree in the faculty member’s field;
   2. Effectiveness in teaching;
   3. Effectiveness in advising and mentoring;
   4. Evidence of scholarly productivity and potential;
   5. Contribution to institutional renewal through program initiative and inventiveness;
   6. Effectiveness in service, including committee and administrative assignments;
   7. Contribution to the educational mission of the College, including fostering an inclusive
      learning environment; and
   8. Relevance of the individual's specialties, interests and talents to current and projected programmatic emphases and needs.
      
      Changes in the importance of the above factors or in other expectations as specified in an initial appointment letter or in subsequent performance reviews shall be communicated to the faculty member in a timely manner. However, this should not be construed as limiting the Administration’s ability to change institutional direction or to respond to changing needs and circumstances.
      
3. Reappointment or tenure cannot be determined by individual competence alone, as the institution must also determine where it can best commit its limited resources. The Faculty, through its procedures, is principally responsible to provide information and to make its evaluation regarding the individual's performance and the relevance of the individual's skill to the present and anticipated programmatic needs of the College. In making its decision on
   reappointment, the Administration makes its evaluation based upon the individual's performance and skill, but also must consider allocation of available resources to best accomplish the overall mission of the College.
4. While the same factors are to be considered in all reviews, the weighting of these factors and the specific criteria applied may vary as a function of the kind of review and other circumstances. In particular, tenure decisions, which represent long-term commitments by the College, require a prudent long-range perspective on institutional conditions and directions.

1. Eligibility
   1. Reappointment—Each regular faculty member on probationary appointment shall have his or her status and performance reviewed to determine whether reappointment will be offered. Reappointment, however, also depends on a determination that institutional conditions and directions make it both desirable and prudent to continue filling the position. To the extent that it is reasonable to do so, the review shall be conducted when the faculty member is resident on campus, if so doing allows all review procedures to be followed and notification deadlines specified in this Plan of Employment to be met.
   2. Tenure—A probationary faculty member is eligible for appointment to a tenured position after six (6) years of full-time teaching, including credit for prior teaching experience. Leaves taken for personal reasons lengthen the probationary period, unless a written agreement between the faculty member and the Administration specifies otherwise. Leaves of absence shall be granted consistent with applicable laws. In addition, a faculty member with credit for prior teaching experience may request that the probationary period be extended, not to exceed the sixth year in a regular faculty appointment at the
      College. Personal leaves may extend this six year period. Such requests require written approval of the Administration, in consultation with the Faculty Personnel Committee.
   3. Promotion—Normally, a faculty member is eligible to be reviewed for promotion to Professor after six years in the Associate Professor rank. However, at any time, the President, the Provost, or the department chair may nominate outstanding faculty members for consideration for promotion. A faculty member who proceeds through the submission of a complete file and does not receive promotion will not be reviewed again for at least two years. A faculty member who submits a “short” file and, after feedback from the Promotions subcommittee, decides not to proceed in a given year may be reviewed again the following year.
2. General Procedures
   1. Faculty members being reviewed shall be responsible to provide all relevant information requested by the Administration and the Faculty Personnel Committee for inclusion in a review file. More generally, faculty members on probationary appointment are responsible for demonstrating their competence and for providing opportunities for others to determine the relevance of their contributions to the needs of the College. Faculty members shall be able to see all materials submitted to their files, except those designated as confidential by the Faculty Bylaws or by the explicit procedures of the Faculty Personnel Committee.
   2. The Provost will notify the Faculty Personnel Committee of each faculty member eligible for consideration for further probationary appointment, tenure, or promotion. The Committee shall develop a review procedure that is consistent with the directives and policies of the College and this Plan of Employment. Pursuant to that review procedure, the Committee shall then conduct a review of each eligible faculty member. Upon concluding its review, a report from the Faculty Personnel Committee, including its recommendation and rationale shall be submitted to the Provost (See Section IV.D regarding deadlines for the review by the Faculty Personnel Committee.)
   3. The Provost, having the review file, the Faculty Personnel Committee's report, and information concerning institutional status and direction, shall also prepare a report. Should the Provost consider making a negative recommendation on reappointment or tenure on the grounds of institutional status and direction, as opposed to performance or qualification issues, there shall be consultation with the Educational Policies Committee and members of the affected department(s) or program(s) beforehand. The reports of both the Provost and the Faculty Personnel Committee shall then be submitted to the President.
   4. Having received the reports of the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Provost, the President may review the file and any other pertinent material before making a decision on reappointment, promotion, or tenure. Should the President disagree with the recommendation of the Faculty Personnel Committee, he or she shall meet with them in an attempt to reach consensus before making a final decision.
   5. The President’s positive recommendation on tenure shall be submitted to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, and then to the full Board, for final approval at a regular meeting.
   6. After being notified of the decision, the faculty member shall meet with the Provost to discuss both the review and decision. After that conference, a faculty member notified of a negative decision on reappointment, tenure, or promotion may choose to meet with the President as well to discuss the decision. The faculty member may also request in writing that the President provide a written statement of the reasons for the decision. A copy of this written statement shall be placed in the faculty member's review file.
3. Notification of Faculty Member
   1. The review schedule and notification for reappointment shall be predicated on providing one-year’s notice in the event of the President’s decision not to reappoint. A faculty member being reviewed shall be notified of the President’s decision by August 31 of the last year of the current appointment. Should the decision to reappoint be negative, a final one-year appointment will be offered, if needed to provide the one-year’s notice.
   2. Only positive recommendations by the Administration on tenure are forwarded to the Board of Trustees for approval. A faculty member being reviewed for tenure shall be notified of the Board of Trustees’ decision no later than immediately following the regular Board meeting in June of the year in which the review takes place.
      
      The obligation of the College to honor these deadlines requires and is contingent on the full cooperation of the faculty member in the review process. Such early notice is also predicated on the assumption that affected faculty members shall under any circumstance continue to provide professional, cooperative and complete service to the College for the duration of their appointments. There is a reciprocal obligation on the part of faculty members to give adequate notice if they plan to resign for any reason
      .
4. Review Timetable and Deadlines
   
   The Administration and the Faculty Personnel Committee shall, by mutual agreement, establish a
   timetable and additional deadlines as are deemed necessary to ensure timely completion of
   reviews within the framework of the notification deadlines stated in Section IV.C. The Faculty
   Personnel Committee shall inform affected faculty members of this timetable and deadlines.

1. Promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor is by action of the Provost, upon evidence of terminal degree completion by a faculty member or other achievements as specified in a faculty member’s letter of appointment.
2. The granting of tenure to an Assistant Professor carries with it promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.
3. Eligibility and review procedures for promotion to Professor are described in Section IV.

1. At the beginning of each academic year the Faculty Executive Committee shall appoint a Hearing Committee composed of a minimum of seven tenured faculty with the rank of Professor. It shall also designate one of the seven to chair the Committee. If necessary, additional qualified faculty members will be appointed at the time of a hearing request to bring the number of available Committee members to a minimum of five. This Committee shall review procedural questions arising out of reappointment, promotion, and tenure decisions as described in Section IV of this document. In addition, it will consider appeals of decisions to terminate an appointment of any kind, as described in Section VII. Finally, it shall hear cases alleging violation of the principles of Academic Freedom, as described in Section VIII.
2. A faculty member who believes that a reappointment, tenure, or promotion decision was not made according to the procedures described in the Plan of Employment, Faculty Bylaws, or the rules of the Personnel Committee, resulting in less than full and fair consideration of his or her performance and professional qualifications, may file a request for a hearing within twenty (20) calendar days of receiving written notification from the Administration.
   
   Decisions resulting from hearing procedures provided under this Section VI are final and binding. These hearing procedures are the exclusive avenue for faculty members to challenge decisions on reappointment, tenure, and promotion. If faculty members allege violation of civil rights in termination decisions, they must also bring their claims under applicable civil rights laws in this forum.
   
3. A faculty member desiring a hearing shall submit a written request, including a specification of the reasons for the request, to the Chair of the Hearing Committee who shall provide the Committee and the Provost with a copy of the request, and convene the Hearing Committee within seven (7) calendar days.
4. The function of the Hearing Committee in these circumstances is to: a) determine whether prescribed procedures were followed in making the decision; and b) assess whether any departures from or omissions in procedures deprived the candidate of full and fair consideration of his or her performance and professional qualifications. The Committee is not an agency giving the candidate a second hearing on the substance or outcome of the decision itself.
5. The Hearing Committee shall make a written report to the President and to the faculty member requesting the hearing within twenty (20) calendar days following its initial convening.
6. The President shall communicate a decision to the faculty member within twenty (20) calendar days of receiving the report of the Hearing Committee as to whether further procedures for review of the faculty member should be invoked. Any decision by the President that the matter should be resubmitted to any stage of review shall have the effect of waiving the normal timetable of events and deadlines, provided only that all parties shall endeavor to complete the procedure with all deliberate speed.

1. Standards and Limitations
   
   Termination refers to action by the Administration to: 1) end an appointment prior to the completion of a contract term; 2) end a tenured appointment; or 3) not offer reappointment in contravention of notification deadlines. Termination does not refer to non-reappointment, which is covered in Section IV. Any appointment may be terminated by the Administration with the approval of the Board of Trustees, for the following reasons: 1) adequate cause; 2) financial exigency; or 3) a change in institutional conditions or directions which affect the faculty member's department or the College as a whole.
   
   1. Adequate cause includes incompetence, personal or professional misconduct, or inability or unwillingness to carry out responsibilities in an appropriate manner.
   2. Financial exigency, as established by the Board of Trustees in consultation with the administration and faculty, is defined as a situation where an imminent financial crisis exists which threatens the survival of the institution as a whole and which cannot be alleviated by less drastic means.
   3. Institutional conditions or directions shall refer to situations which make it desirable or prudent to eliminate positions in a department or program.

If the Administration ever finds it appropriate to respond to a condition of financial exigency or changes in institutional conditions or directions, it shall first advise the Faculty Executive Committee of this conclusion and meet to discuss alternative approaches designed to respond to the condition before taking further steps toward termination.

Although the standards which govern decisions in matters of termination must necessarily vary according to the circumstances of each case, this Section VII of the Plan of Employment provides a procedure for challenge and review that is available to a faculty member dissatisfied with a decision to terminate his or her appointment for adequate cause, financial exigency, or changes in institutional conditions or directions.

Decisions resulting from review procedures provided under this Section VII are final and binding. These review procedures are the exclusive avenue for faculty members to challenge termination decisions. If faculty members allege violation of civil rights in termination decisions, they must also bring their claims under applicable civil rights laws in this forum.

Any employment decision that is subject to review under this Section of the Plan of Employment shall be handled only under this section. The affected faculty member does not have the right to challenge the substantive aspects in one hearing under this Section VII and the procedural aspects in another hearing under Section VI. If the affected faculty member wishes to challenge both the procedural and substantive nature of the termination decision, the appeal must be brought and adjudicated under this Section VII.

2. Procedures
   
   In the event it becomes advisable to terminate an appointment, the procedures outlined below will be followed:
   1. 1. Formal procedures for termination for adequate cause shall not be instituted until the Administration has consulted with the affected member of the Faculty in an effort to seek a mutually satisfactory solution. The faculty member shall be given an opportunity to tender a voluntary resignation before further action is taken.
      2. In cases of financial exigency or other institutional conditions or directions, formal procedures for termination shall not be instituted until the Administration has consulted with members of the department(s) or program(s) and the Educational Policies Committee as well as with the affected faculty member in an effort to seek a mutually satisfactory solution.
         
   2. In the event the matter cannot be resolved in a mutually satisfactory manner, formal proceedings for termination will be initiated by the Provost, who shall prepare a clear and concise Statement of Grounds for Termination. A copy of the Statement of Grounds for Termination shall be provided to the faculty member and to the Faculty Executive Committee.
   3. The affected individual may elect to challenge the grounds for termination by so informing the Faculty Executive Committee in writing, including a statement of the reasons for the challenge, within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the Statement of Grounds. The Faculty Executive Committee shall immediately inform both the Hearing Committee and the Provost of this action.
   4. The Hearing Committee shall convene to consider a disputed Statement of Grounds for Termination within thirty (30) days from the date the Faculty Executive Committee was notified of the challenge. While the specifics of the hearing shall remain within the province of the Hearing Committee, the following procedures will be honored in any instance:
      1. The hearing will not be open to either members of the College community or the
         general public.
      2. The parties in this proceeding are the Administration on behalf of the College and the
         faculty member subject to termination. Each party shall have the right to counsel of
         its choosing and the right to present relevant witnesses and documents and to
         examine and cross-examine all witnesses.
      3. A record of the proceedings shall be maintained and available to both parties.
   5. The Hearing Committee, within twenty (20) days from the conclusion of its proceedings, shall provide the President and the affected faculty member with a report of its findings and recommendation.
   6. 1. If the Hearing Committee concludes that the appointment should be terminated, the President shall immediately transfer the matter to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees with a recommendation that the appointment be terminated.
      2. In the event the Hearing Committee recommends that the appointment should not be terminated and the President disagrees, they shall meet in an attempt to secure a consensus before further action is taken. If, after such conference, the President concludes that the appointment should be terminated, he or she shall forward that recommendation to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, along with a copy of the report of the Hearing Committee.
   7. 1. A faculty member shall have fifteen (15) days from the date served with a notice that a recommendation that his or her appointment be terminated has been submitted to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees to request a review by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board. Such a request for review shall set out in detail the basis for appeal. Copies of the request for review shall be simultaneously given to the Hearing Committee and to the President.
      2. The faculty member shall have twenty (20) days from the date a request for review is submitted to send the Hearing Committee, the President and the Academic Affairs Committee an analysis of the record and a position statement. The Hearing Committee and the President shall have twenty (20) days from receipt of this statement to file a reply. The faculty member involved, the Hearing Committee and the President may also request the opportunity to appear by themselves or with counsel before the Academic Affairs Committee to present their positions. A request for oral argument shall be made no later than the date for submission of written arguments, provided that every party shall be allowed to appear before the Academic
         Affairs Committee if a request is granted to any party.
         
         The Academic Affairs Committee shall consider only the record of the Hearing Committee’s meetings and the written arguments unless it approves a request by either party for the submission of evidence not available or discovered at the time of that hearing or, on its own motion, elects to conduct further factual inquiries in relevant areas.
         
         The Academic Affairs Committee of the Board shall act for the Board in all matters under this Section and inform the Board of its decision. That decision will be final for all parties of the proceeding.
3. Suspension
   
   A faculty member will not be terminated while the above procedures are pending. If, however, the President determines that harm to the faculty member, to others in the College community, or to the College itself could result from continuance, then the faculty member may be suspended. The President shall meet with the Faculty Executive Committee to discuss the reasons for and conditions of the suspension as soon as possible.

Kalamazoo College subscribes to the definition of academic freedom as articulated in the American Association of University Professors’ 1940 Statement of Principles on this issue:

Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but
research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.

Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter
which has no relation to their subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at
the time of the appointment.

College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.

(AAUP, 1995, pp. 3-4)

The protection of these professional freedoms rests with the force of opinion of the Faculty, acting in complete possession of the facts, rather than with regulations and prohibitions upon the Administration. In a case where a member of the Faculty believes that freedom of speech, scholarship independence, or political or religious viewpoints has been breached by actions of the College, the individual faculty member will be given the opportunity to have his or her grievances reviewed before the Hearing Committee.

An allegation of such a violation shall be made by clear and specific written notice to the Administration and to the Hearing Committee. The Hearing Committee shall review the matter in an open and fair manner, giving all interested parties a full and equal opportunity to appear and present their positions. The Hearing Committee shall issue a report to the Provost and the Faculty Executive Committee regarding the allegations.

The written recommendations of both the Provost and the Hearing Committee, with reasons, will then be submitted to the President. The President, having also examined all available information and both recommendations, shall make a decision. If the President's decision does not concur with the recommendation of the Committee, there shall be a meeting of the President, the Provost and the Committee in which all parties attempt to reach a consensus before the President’s report is made to the Board of Trustees.

As campus employees, faculty are governed by the Kalamazoo College Policy Against Harassment.

1. The Plan of Employment is to be examined periodically by a joint Faculty-Administrative Committee, appointed by the President in consultation with the Faculty Executive Committee in order to recommend modifications to the President and Provost and, subsequently, to the Board of Trustees. The provisions and procedures of this Plan also may be reviewed periodically by an appropriate committee of the Board of Trustees as determined by the Executive Committee of the Board. This document may be amended by the Board of Trustees as it deems appropriate and such amendment will be effective for all matters occurring after the date of such amendments.
2. If any faculty or administrator feels the Plan of Employment has not been followed, they should bring this to the attention of the Provost, the Faculty Executive Committee, or the President. A joint brief report from the Provost and the Faculty Executive Committee of such concerns should be given to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board annually, as necessary, usually for informational, not adjudicative, purposes.

Adopted by vote of the Faculty June 9, 1986; amended by vote of the Faculty May 29, 1990, and June 9, 1990; amended by vote of the Faculty November 25, 1996; amended by vote of the Faculty May 6, 2002; amended by vote of the Faculty June 15, 2002, amended by vote of the Faculty September 26, 2005, amended by vote of the Faculty May 4, 2009, amended by vote of the Faculty March 7, 2011, amended by vote of the Faculty May 31, 2011.

Preamble: The purpose of the Bylaws of the Faculty of Kalamazoo College is to set forth clearly the organization of the Faculty and to give definite statement to the various rules, practices, customs, and traditions that have come to be recognized informally as pertaining to Faculty governance. These Bylaws are designed to define the organized channels of cooperation between the Faculty, the College Administration, and the Trustees. No portion of these Bylaws may contradict relevant sections of the Kalamazoo College Charter, the Kalamazoo College Bylaws, or the Plan of Employment for Faculty.

For the purposes of these Bylaws, the Faculty will include all members holding those ranks defined in Section I of the Plan of Employment. The responsibilities of the Faculty are enumerated in Article X, Section 5, of the College Bylaws.

Section 1. Three regular Faculty meetings will be held during each term at times to be set by the Faculty Executive Committee. Special meetings may be held by vote of the Faculty, or at the call of the President, the Provost, or the Faculty Executive Committee, whenever any of these will consider such meetings desirable, or at the call of the secretary of the Faculty whenever a request is made by a standing or special committee of the Faculty or by five members of the Faculty.

Section 2. All members of the Faculty are expected to attend regular and special meetings, and each member will have a vote on all questions that come before the meeting subject to limitations which may be imposed by the Faculty Executive Committee. [See Article III, Section 1, Subsection A.8]

Section 3. A quorum will consist of fifty percent of the members of the Faculty in residence that particular term.

Section 4. The President of the College, as designated by the College Bylaws, will chair regular and special Faculty meetings. In the President's absence, the Provost will chair Faculty meetings, and in the Provost's absence, the chair and then the vice chair of the Faculty Executive Committee will chair these meetings.

Section 5.  A secretary will be elected by the Faculty for a term of one year.  The secretary will keep the minutes of each meeting and distribute them for approval or correction at the following meeting. Copies of each set of minutes will be made for the archives of the College, for the President, and for other administrative officers and the Faculty. At least one complete collection of approved minutes of past meetings will always be available for Faculty perusal. In the absence of the secretary, the chair of the Faculty Executive Committee will appoint a substitute secretary.

Section 6. A parliamentarian will be elected by the Faculty for a term of one year. In the absence of the parliamentarian, the chair of the Faculty Executive Committee will appoint a substitute parliamentarian.

Section 7. Regular and special meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.

Section 8. All matters brought to the Faculty for approval must be decided by majority vote, except for the election of representatives to the Executive Committee and the Personnel Committee. In the case of elections to the Executive Committee and the Personnel Committee, candidates will be elected by a plurality vote, with the candidate(s) receiving the most votes being elected up to the number of empty seats on the committee in question (and subject to the rules regarding representation in Article III, Section 1, Subsection B and Article III, Section 2, Subsection B). The Executive Committee may authorize elections by anonymous electronic balloting for Executive and Personnel Committee representatives. In the case of an electronic election, a preliminary slate must be announced at least one week before the election period starts with a solicitation for additional nominations from the Faculty at large before a final slate is determined. The Executive Committee will determine in advance the manner in which run-off elections are to be decided.

Section 1. There will be an Executive Committee of the Faculty.

1. The functions of the Executive Committee are as follows:
   1. It will establish certain standing committees, chaired by a member of the faculty, and determine their Faculty composition. It will, together with each committee chair and in consultation with appropriate administrators, set their agendas. These standing committees include the following:
      1. Academic Standards Committee
      2. Admission and Retention Committee
      3. Educational Policies Committee
      4. Experiential Education Committee
      5. Faculty Development Committee
      6. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
      7. Planning, Budget and Compensation Committee
      8. Teaching and Learning Committee
         In conjunction with administrative entities, it will also maintain certain advisory committees, chaired by a member of the administration, and
         determine their Faculty composition. Agendas for these advisory committees will be set by the appropriate administrators, in consultation
         with the Faculty Executive Committee. These advisory committees include the following:
         1. Athletics Advisory Committee
         2. Student Life Advisory Committee
   2. Create any special committees it may deem appropriate for special tasks.
   3. Appoint members of the Faculty to standing and special committees.
   4. Nominate candidates for election to the Faculty Personnel Committee in consultation with that body.
   5. Nominate candidates for election as Faculty representatives for President and Provost search committees upon request from the Administration.
   6. Nominate candidates for election as College representatives to the Great Lakes Colleges Association.
   7. Report to the Faculty at Faculty meetings, seeking its advice and consent on issues requiring Faculty approval. For matters not involving regular elections or actions originating with standing committees, the Executive Committee will determine, in consultation with the Provost or the President, whether a matter to be brought before the Faculty for a vote is one of College or Faculty policy (See Article IV). On the basis of this judgment, the Executive Committee will determine which members of the Faculty as defined in the Plan of Employment are eligible to vote on a given question. In general, Faculty members holding term appointments will not vote in Faculty meetings. Any decision of the Executive Committee may be set aside or overturned by a majority vote of the Faculty.
   8. Set the agenda of Faculty meetings together with the chair of the meetings.
   9. Serve as the Faculty's representative in the Faculty's dealings with the Provost and the President.
2. The Executive Committee will consist of eight members of the Faculty elected by the Faculty. Members of the Executive Committee will serve for three-year staggered terms. Elections will be held before the end of the spring quarter for the following academic year and will be conducted by secret ballot. Each of the divisions will elect one person from that division; the untenured members of the Faculty will elect one of their number, and one person will be elected by the Faculty at-large to serve on the Executive Committee. Members of the committee may be reelected for a second consecutive term but not for a third. The Executive Committee is elected to represent the interests of the Faculty as a whole.
3. The Executive Committee will elect annually a chair and a vice chair and appoint a secretary. The chair will serve all terms during the academic year. The chair will be one of the Faculty representatives who attends trustee meetings as an observer and will serve as spokesperson for the Faculty. The vice chair will act as chair in the absence of the chair and will serve as the second Faculty observer at trustee meetings. The secretary of the Executive Committee will provide copies of the minutes of meetings to the Provost's office, the President, the College archives, and the Faculty.
4. The Executive Committee will meet as frequently as necessary to conduct all Faculty business.
5. Meetings and other activities of the Executive Committee will be conducted in accord with written procedures.
6. Any vacancy on the committee will be filled using the selection procedures specified in Article III, Section 1, Subsection B.

Section 2. There will be a Personnel Committee of the Faculty.

1. The function of the Personnel Committee is to make recommendations to the Provost and the President regarding reappointment, tenure, and promotion. It will follow the general procedures as outlined in the Plan of Employment, Sections III, IV, and V.
2. The Personnel Committee will consist of seven tenured members of the faculty. Members of the committee will serve a term of three years. Members may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The Executive Committee will prepare a slate of nominees in consultation with the Personnel Committee and will solicit additional nominations from the Faculty at large. The election will be held before the end of the spring quarter for the following academic year. Members will be elected by the Faculty with the stipulation that no more than two members may be from any one division. Members of the committee will elect annually from among their regular members a chair who will serve for that academic year. To ensure proper divisional representation, the Personnel Committee may augment its membership for reappointment reviews with nonmembers who are regular tenured Faculty members (here defined in accord with the Plan of Employment) as needed and who are to be appointed by the committee chair in consultation with the members of the committee. The Personnel Committee is elected to represent the interests of the Faculty as a whole.
3. A Promotion Subcommittee will consist of the members of the Personnel Committee holding the rank of Professor augmented by other Professors to be appointed by the committee chair in consultation with the members of the subcommittee as necessary.
4. The Personnel Committee will recommend to the Faculty candidates for election to emeritus/a status. Retiring members become eligible for election at the conclusion of their service to the College. (See Appendix.)
5. Meetings and other activities of the Personnel Committee will be conducted in accord with written procedures.

Section 1. Proposals for new or revised College and Faculty policies may be initiated by the Administration, standing or special committees of the Faculty, or by individuals or groups charged by these agents.

Section 2. A proposed policy should include the following:

1. a statement of purpose
2. a general indication of the means by which the policy will be implemented
3. a designation of the parties responsible for its implementation.

Section 3. A proposed policy or any proposed change to existing policy will be reviewed by each of the following:

1. The Faculty Executive Committee
2. The Provost
3. The President.

Section 4. When all parties named in Section 3 have agreed upon a final version of the policy, it will be considered to be official College or Faculty policy and copies of the policy will be made available to all interested or affected parties.

Section 5. Additional consideration or approval steps may be initiated under two general circumstances:

1. The Faculty Executive Committee decides to present the proposed policy to the Faculty for consultation or approval before adoption or
2. The President decides to present the proposed policy to the Board of Trustees for its consultation or approval before adoption.

Section 6. Any amendments made to a proposed policy by a vote of the Faculty are not considered officially adopted as part of College or Faculty policy until subject to review, as described in the preceding points.

Section 7. In addition to these processes, calls for reconsideration of prevailing or newly established policies or the questioning of the appropriateness of procedures for implementing policies may be made by an individual Faculty member or a group of Faculty members through appeal to the Provost, the Faculty Executive Committee, or at a regular or special Faculty meeting. For action taken during Executive Committee or Faculty meetings, a majority vote of the respective body is sufficient to begin reconsideration. Such actions, however initiated, do not suspend the policies or procedures then in force.

Section 8. In the event that the processes described above do not produce an agreement, the President or Board of Trustees will make the final decision.

The Faculty Bylaws and the following appendix will be amended by the following procedure only. Notice of the proposed amendment will be presented to the Faculty orally with a written copy to the secretary at the meeting prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be voted upon. Not later than ten days before the meeting at which the voting is to occur, an exact copy of the amendment will be given to each Faculty member. Adoption will be by a two-thirds vote of the Faculty members present, providing that there is a quorum.

(See Article III, Section 2, Subsection D)

Emeriti/ae Faculty members have the following privileges:

1. march in academic processions
2. attend faculty meetings
3. attend division meetings
4. serve on standing or special committees through appointment by the Faculty Executive Committee or the President with concurrence of the Executive Committee

Emeriti/ae Faculty members do not vote in any meetings.

1. Faculty Executive Committee
   To a great extent the functions of the Faculty Executive Committee are defined by the Faculty Bylaws (Article III, Section 1) and the Plan of Employment for the Faculty (Section VI, A). Faculty members should consult those portions of the Faculty Handbook along with this section.
   
   As stated in Article III, Section 1.B of the Faculty Bylaws:
   
   The Executive Committee will consist of eight members of the Faculty elected by the Faculty. Members of the Executive Committee will serve for three-year staggered terms. Elections will be held before the end of the spring quarter for the following academic year and will be conducted by secret ballot. Each of the divisions will elect one person from that division; the untenured members of the Faculty will elect one of their number; and one person will be elected by the Faculty at-large to serve on the Executive Committee. Members of the committee may be reelected for a second consecutive term but not for a third. The Executive Committee is elected to represent the interests of the Faculty as a whole.
   
   As stated in Article III, Section 1.C of the Faculty Bylaws, “The Executive Committee will elect annually a chair and a vice chair and appoint a secretary.” In practice a secretary is appointed for each meeting. The secretary distributes minutes at the following meeting, and after correction and approval at the following meeting, the minutes are posted on the Faculty Executive Committee website.
   
2. Faculty Committees
   
   As stated in Article III, Section 1.A of the Faculty Bylaws, the Executive Committee “will establish certain standing committees and determine their Faculty composition.” Those committees are the following:
   
   Academic Standards Committee
   Admission and Retention Committee
   Athletics Advisory Committee
   Educational Policies Committee
   Experiential Education Committee
   Faculty Development Committee
   Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
   Planning, Budget and Compensation Committee
   Student Life Advisory Committee
   Teaching and Learning Committee
   
   To staff these committees the Executive Committee through the Provost’s Office distributes a standing committee preference form to all faculty members at the beginning of the spring quarter. On the basis of the responses the Executive Committee begins assigning faculty colleagues to committees in the later half of the spring quarter and concludes this work by the end of that term. A preliminary list is distributed at that time. Adjustments to memberships are made early in the fall quarter of the following academic year after which a final list for the academic year is produced.
   
3. Additional Executive Committee Duties
   
   According to Article III, Section 1.A of the Faculty Bylaws, the Faculty Executive Committee also has the following responsibilities:
   
   Create any special committees it may deem appropriate for special tasks.
   
   Appoint members of the Faculty to standing and special committees.
   
   Nominate candidates for election to the Faculty Personnel Committee in consultation with that body.
   
   Nominate candidates for election as Faculty representatives for President and Provost search committees upon request from the Administration.
   
   Nominate candidates for election as College representatives for the Great Lakes College Association.
   
   Further, as stated in Section VI.A the Plan of Employment of the Faculty, “At the beginning of each year the Faculty Executive Committee shall appoint a Hearing Committee composed of a minimum of seven tenured faculty with the rank of Professor. It shall also designate one of the seven to chair the Committee.”
   
   In 2006 the Executive Committee produced a general statement – Faculty Service on Elected, Standing, and Special Committees: A Statement of Principles from the Faculty Executive Committee – that provides detailed guidelines on faculty committee function with regard to responsibilities of and protections for faculty members; administrator and student membership; general committee operation; and committee chair duties. This statement appears later in the Faculty Handbook.
   
4. Faculty Elections and Voting at Faculty Meetings
   
   In bringing slates of candidates before the faculty for election, the Executive Committee’s practice has been to recommend which members of the faculty should be eligible to vote. For example, the Executive Committee suggests that only those faculty members subject to evaluation by the Faculty Personnel Committee should participate in elections for Personnel Committee membership.
   
   See Article II, Section 8 of the Faculty Bylaws for information on elections.

1998
Revised October 2021

For Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC) procedures please visit the Faculty Personnel Committee Procedures on the FPC website.

Please see the Faculty Personnel Committee Defining Scholarship at Kalamazoo College article on the FPC website.

When a tenure‐track hire is made, we have every hope and expectation that this colleague will ultimately be successful in attaining tenure. The formal tenure review process occurs in the colleague’s sixth year – the distant future, as seen from the first year of a faculty appointment. However, the reviewed work requires ongoing attention from the candidate and the department. Later success depends on groundwork laid in the early stages.

At the time of tenure review, the Faculty Personnel Committee bases its recommendation on many factors documented in the dossier. Among the most important information in the tenure review file is the written input from the candidate’s department. The department statement provides unique perspective on all of the areas on which tenure decisions are based: Teaching, Scholarship, and Service. The Personnel Committee relies on the department letter for

• Assessment of teaching effectiveness, via direct classroom observation from the perspective of experienced faculty in a given discipline, and student course evaluations, to which only the Department Chair or the person asked to write the department letter has access
• Assessment of scholarly engagement from the viewpoint of established scholars in the discipline
• Assessment of service activities in the department—ranging from informal collegial cooperation to formal roles and responsibilities—from the perspective of experienced department members.

The purpose of this document is to provide practical guidance for departments to follow during the pre‐tenure years. Ideally, the pre‐tenure experience in the department is one of mentorship. The department review statements can be thought of as a documentation of the mentoring process. As such, department review statements will not come as a surprise to the candidate because the assessments contained therein, both positive and negative, will have been addressed and hopefully resolved in the course of the mentoring relationship. Everything we suggest here is motivated by the Committee’s desire for department review statements to reflect the high standards we as faculty members set for ourselves both in faculty excellence and in faculty collegiality.

FPC understands that each department works according to its own patterns, personnel and history. In some cases, the department responsibility for mentoring and evaluating pre‐tenure colleagues will fall entirely to the chair. In departments with several senior members, the responsibility might be shared. In any case, the document that the department provides for the candidate’s review should reflect views that are representative of the department as a whole. We leave it to each department to establish a workable mechanism for providing this representative voice. We ask that the review letter state clearly the manner in which departmental input was solicited and included in the letter. We emphasize that departments have a responsibility to the pre‐tenure colleague to provide consistency and continuity as the role of chair passes from one person to another.

In preparing the department letter for candidates, the chair or other colleague designated by the department will have access to:

1. course evaluations
2. candidate's statement
3. candidate's CV
4. candidate's scholarly materials
5. previous department review and tenure statements
6. any supplementary teaching materials, including SIPs supervised and advisees lists because these pertain to department workload

Chairs do not have access to:

1. committee, faculty, and student letters because of the privacy expectations of those letters
2. FPC's tenure statement because it might contain quotes from or summaries of external reviews
3. external reviews
4. advocate's statement

At the end of the first year of a tenure track appointment, the work of a tenure‐track faculty member is reviewed by FPC. A negative review might result in the candidate not being retained at the end of the initial two‐year contract. At the same time, concerns and suggestions for improvement must be voiced at this review in order for the candidate to know clearly what will be expected in future reviews. In the first‐year review the committee is looking for:

• Evidence that the colleague is becoming a successful teacher
• Evidence that the colleague is establishing a trajectory of externally validated scholarship
• Evidence that the colleague is engaged in the department.

Over the course of the first year at the college, a department can help the new colleague establish a record that merits a positive first‐year review by attending to each of the following areas of faculty responsibility:

To promote mentorship and support of a new colleague’s teaching, the Provost requests that departments arrange several visits each year to the classrooms of pre‐tenure faculty. Multiple visits allow department colleagues to observe the results of comments and suggestions from earlier observations. The ensuing dialogue between the new colleague and more experienced department members—what’s working, what’s not, expectations, suggestions, techniques, strategies, etc.—will
ideally be reflected in the department’s first‐year review statement.

FPC reads student course evaluations with great care. The department review statement can provide context by pointing out special circumstances, historical trends concerning student response to a given course in the department, etc

To promote mentorship and support of a new colleague’s scholarship, departments find it useful to establish an explicit dialogue to monitor and promote scholarly progress. In each review, FPC holds the candidate to the standard of “evidence of externally validated scholarship.” Following the model of teaching mentorship, FPC suggests several intentional conversations each year about this scholarship:

• research projects
• plans for dissemination of scholarship (conference presentation, publication, etc.)
• timelines
• research support in the form of grants, etc.

As it reflects these conversations, the departmental review statement will be most helpful in providing documentation of the candidate’s scholarly trajectory. The FPC document “Defining Scholarship at Kalamazoo College” was prepared to help with these conversations.

Because first‐year faculty are typically exempted from committee service, engagement in the life of the department is an indicator of success in the responsibility to serve the interests of the College. At the same time, we emphasize that departments have a responsibility to the candidate to protect them from becoming involved in department activities and tasks to such an extent that scholarship activities are unduly limited.

At the end of the third year of a tenure track appointment, the work of a tenure‐track faculty member is reviewed by FPC. This review is the final pre‐tenure review. As such, it serves as a basis of the reappointment decision at the end of the second two‐year contract. We have a responsibility to the candidate to state as clearly as possible any and all potential obstacles to tenure that exist in the record as it stands at the time of this review. In the third‐year review the committee is looking for

• Evidence that the colleague is establishing a record of sustained success as a teacher
• Evidence that the colleague has established a record of externally validated scholarship
• Evidence that the colleague is engaged in service to the department and the college.

In the time between the first and third year reviews, a department can help the pre‐tenure colleague establish a record that merits a positive third‐year review by attending to each of the following areas of faculty responsibility:

To promote mentorship and support of a new colleague’s teaching, the Provost requests that departments arrange several visits each year to the classrooms of pre‐tenure faculty. Multiple visits allow department colleagues to observe the results of comments and suggestions from earlier observations. We emphasize the importance of continued classroom visits and feedback. Through these visits, the department review statement will point out areas of new or continued strength, discuss ways in which the candidate has successfully responded to earlier issues, and identify and address issues that have not been satisfactorily resolved since the first year review.

FPC reads student course evaluations with great care. The department review statement can provide context by pointing out special circumstances, historical trends concerning student response to a given course in the department, etc.

As the department dialogue about the pre‐tenure colleague’s scholarship progresses, important issues for discussion during the second and third year are:

• Appropriate goals regarding number and scale of scholarly projects planned for completion by the time of the tenure review.
• Time frames: how long does it take to go from submission to appearance in targeted dissemination outlets?
• Do plans need to be adjusted so that there is a record of externally validated scholarship at the time of the third year review? As an example, a large book project might need to be split into smaller article‐sized pieces to ensure that the work attains successful peer review and publication.
• Discipline‐specific issues regarding dissemination of scholarship (e.g. some fields put more importance on conference proceedings, while others put more value in traditional journal articles, while others put most importance on book publication).
• Discipline‐specific issues regarding external validation and peer review for each of the colleague’s research projects: Is a given volume of conference proceedings peer reviewed, and in what manner? What level of peer review is constituted by the editorial policy of a given book publisher? Is a given book chapter peer reviewed, and in what manner?

The most useful third‐year review department letter will reflect these conversations.

The review file will contain statements from committee chairs concerning the committee service of the reviewed colleague. The department statement is the primary source of information about service activities within the department. In addition, the department statement might provide insight into college service as well, especially as it pertains to overall workload.

Typically, tenure‐track colleagues submit their tenure files for external review in early September of the sixth year of employment at the College. This timetable, which allows for completion of the tenure review before the March meeting of the College Board of Trustees, results in a review that considers the candidate’s work during the first five years at the College. For this reason, the fourth year is critically important time for forward‐looking conversations in the department. An ultimately successful tenure decision depends upon a thorough stock‐taking at this time, in dialogue between the candidate and the department, of the tenure case as it stands. Any work necessary to strengthen the tenure case would need to be undertaken at this time. In the tenure review the committee is looking for

• Evidence that the colleague has a record of sustained success as a teacher
• Evidence that the colleague has a body of externally validated scholarship
• Evidence that the colleague contributes, substantially and effectively, to the department and to faculty governance.

To promote mentorship and support of a new colleague’s teaching, the Provost requests that departments arrange several visits each year to the classrooms of pre‐tenure faculty. Multiple visits allow department colleagues to observe the results of comments and suggestions from earlier observations. We emphasize the importance of continued classroom visits and feedback. Through these visits, the department review statement will point out areas of new or continued strength, discuss ways in which the candidate has successfully responded to earlier issues, and identify and address issues that have not been satisfactorily resolved since the third year review. Of particular interest to FPC will be a department statement that discusses the candidate’s development as a teacher over their time at the
College.

FPC reads student course evaluations with great care. The department review statement can provide context by pointing out special circumstances, historical trends concerning student response to a given course in the department, etc.

As the department dialogue about the pre‐tenure colleague’s scholarship progresses, important issues for discussion during the fourth and fifth year are:

• Time frames: Are the plans made in previous years on target? What needs to be done to ensure that article submissions are accepted in final form before the tenure review?
• Do plans need to be adjusted so that there is a body of externally validated scholarship at the time of the tenure review? As an example, a large book project might need to be split into smaller article‐sized pieces to ensure that the work attains successful peer review and publication.
• Discipline‐specific issues regarding external validation and peer review for each of the colleague’s research projects: Is a given volume of conference proceedings peer reviewed, and in what manner? What level of peer review is constituted by the editorial policy of a given book publisher? Is a given book chapter peer reviewed, and in what manner?

The tenure file will contain statements from committee chairs concerning the committee service of the reviewed colleague. The department statement is the primary source of information about service activities within the department. At the tenure review, FPC will look to the department letter for evidence that the colleague is a substantial and effective contributor to the overall work of the department. In addition, the department statement might provide insight into college service as well,
especially as it pertains to overall workload.

Revised 2016

A Statement of Principles from the Faculty Executive Committee

The role of faculty committees in the governance of colleges and universities is deeply rooted in tradition. For Kalamazoo College this is codified broadly in the Faculty Bylaws and occurs in part through elected, standing, and special or ad hoc committees and in faculty meetings. The elected committees include the Faculty Executive Committee (named the Executive Committee of the Faculty in the bylaws) and the Faculty Personnel Committee (named the Personnel Committee of the Faculty in the bylaws). The Faculty Bylaws delegate oversight of these committees to the Faculty Executive Committee. For standing committees this involves assigning faculty members to these committees, approving or setting the agendas of standing committees in consultation with those committees, assisting committees in achieving their goals, and periodically reviewing their charges and compositions. In addition, there are special committees established by administrators or others that call upon the services of faculty colleagues. Membership on faculty committees may include administrators or students in addition to faculty members.

What follows is a statement from the Faculty Executive Committee on faculty committee service that results from the work of restructuring faculty committees over the past several years. The goal of this statement is to clarify faculty committee function with regard to responsibilities of and protections for faculty members; administrator and student membership; general committee operation; and committee chair duties.

1. Current Standing Committee Array – The Faculty Executive Committee periodically assesses the array of standing committees to determine if they are the best ones to accomplishing the mission of the faculty.
2. Charges and Compositions for Standing Committees – At this point committee charges and compositions for all standing committees match current practice reasonably closely. So that these remain current, individual committees need to review their charges regularly and suggest changes as needed; this should be done at a minimum at least yearly. The Executive Committee assumes primary responsibility for periodic review of charges and compositions of all committees.
3. Procedures of the Faculty Executive Committee and the Faculty Personnel Committee – These are posted in the Faculty Handbook and on the Intranet.
4. Faculty Service on Committees – For the elected committees the duration of service for faculty colleagues should be defined by the term of office, usually three years with the possibility of reelection once. Academic and other types of leaves do not suspend the service clock. A replacement should be selected to complete the unfinished term or to cover leave absences. Members of elected committees normally do not serve on standing committees.
   
   Except for unusual circumstances the typical service length for faculty members on standing committees is three years. Exemptions from committee service may be allowed for good reason but must be requested formally; faculty colleagues should not seek exemptions in successive years. The annual committee preference form allows for requests for exemption. The Executive Committee regards the practice of routinely asking for exemption from committee service as unfair to one’s colleagues and strongly discourages this.
   
   Because of the difficulty in maintaining continuity in standing committee membership and especially in identifying experienced colleagues to act as committee chairs, exemption for faculty members from assignment to standing committees for work on special committees or other duties requires careful consideration by the Executive Committee. Faculty colleagues, especially untenured members, who are in doubt about accepting assignments on special committees, should consult with their Executive Committee representatives or other trusted associates. Service as department or division chair does not usually alter one’s availability for committee service.
   
5. Committee Member Lists – A list of membership for all elected, standing, advisory, and many special committees is made available at the start of each academic year. This inventory is a resource that should be consulted when committee staffing by members of the College community is undertaken.

The Faculty Executive Committee acknowledges the considerable burden assumed by faculty colleagues chosen to serve as committee chairs. To assist chairs in accomplishing their duties we suggest the following guidelines:

1. The Chair’s Role – The Executive Committee recognizes the importance of having experienced faculty members assume the role of committee chair and the occasional risk assumed by chairs when committees confront controversial issues. For that reason we believe that untenured colleagues should become committee chairs only when that is absolutely unavoidable.
2. Meeting Times – Committees should find meeting times during regular College business hours that do not impose unreasonable burdens on members. This assumes that faculty colleagues and others show sufficient flexibility in their schedules to permit a range of satisfactory meeting times. If this cannot be done, then the impasse should be referred to the Faculty Executive Committee.
3. Consultation – Committees should work in tandem with other committees as appropriate, particularly when issues overlap with several committees’ portfolios.
   Progress on realizing each committee’s agenda should be communicated to the Executive Committee.
4. Report at Faculty Meetings – Committee chairs should report on committee business with sufficient frequency to allow the faculty to keep abreast of the committee’s activities. There is, of course, no requirement to report at every faculty meeting.
5. Policy Changes – When committees contemplate bringing major policy or procedure changes to the faculty, the Executive Committee should be informed in advance of such action. This allows for consultation about matching the agendas of committees having common interests and about scheduling and strategies for issues brought to the monthly faculty meetings, among other considerations.
6. Charges and Compositions – Committee chairs should be mindful of the need to review charge and composition statements at least yearly.

March 31, 2006
Revised May 1, 2007

1. Primary Mission – We assume that the primary mission of the faculty is teaching and advising, scholarship, and service.
2. Governance – We assume that faculty members value the role of faculty governance in the life of the College. We assume further that the notion of shared governance involving interaction among faculty, administrators, and trustees is an important goal. This does not mean that faculty members necessarily share with administrators and trustees responsibility and accountability for major decision-making at the College.
3. Faculty Role on Committees – Because much of faculty governance is accomplished through the work of committees, service on them should be seen as an important task for all professors for whom this is a position expectation. Faculty members need to be competent and engaged enough to consider the complex issues that individual committees may address but not necessarily expert in the details of those issues. A critical role for the Faculty Executive Committee is the protection of faculty members’ time, and colleagues are encouraged not to assume too many committee assignments at one time
4. Special or ad hoc Committees – Creation and staffing of special committees requiring faculty participation should normally go through the Faculty Executive Committee. Duplication of effort with existing groups, especially faculty standing committees, should be avoided, and whenever possible business should be routed through standing committees. Faculty representatives cannot be provided for every meritorious purpose, and the Executive Committee is often unaware of generation of special committees. Administrators responsible for establishing these committees usually approach those faculty members who will become members but should do so with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.

1. Professionalization – As more functions in the academic realm have been assumed by professional administrators, the ability of faculty members to master technically demanding aspects of higher education has declined. Thus certain faculty committees require the input of administrative colleagues. The strength of the faculty governance structure in this regard lies in faculty members’ ability to provide alternative perspectives on important issues, including institutional memory, disciplinary expertise, and direct academic contact with students.
2. Numbers of Administrators on Committees – Administrators should not outnumber faculty members on standing committees of the faculty.
3. Membership by Administrators on Several Committees – This aspect capitalizes on the benefit of administrative insight into specific issues handled by different committees. Advantage conferred to administrators by this detailed knowledge should be used to direct the agenda of a given committee with great care.
4. Exclusion of Administrators in Committee Meetings – Standing committees vary in their approach to meeting with administrators whose expertise may be necessary for success in achieving the committee’s mission. Faculty committees should define the circumstances under which administrators, particularly those specified for membership in committee charge and composition statements, should be excluded from meetings.
5. Administrator Voting – Individual committees determine procedures for formal voting by administrator members of faculty committees.

1. Investment – Having a major stake in the College’s operation and distinctive perspectives, students may contribute to the work of faculty committees. At the same time they are also limited by their experience in contributing substantively to accomplishing a committee’s agenda.
2. Selection of Student Representatives – Student representatives are normally elected by the students as a whole or are appointed by the Student Commission.
3. Numbers of students on committees – Students should not outnumber faculty members on standing committees of the faculty.
4. Responsibilities – In order that student representatives function effectively on faculty committees, they should attend committee meetings regularly and read carefully any materials distributed in advance of meetings.
5. Learning experience – Faculty members on committees should ensure that committee membership is a constructive learning experience for students.
6. Exclusion of Administrators in Committee Meetings – Faculty committees should define the circumstances under which students should be excluded from meetings. Examples of taking this action might include discussion of issues that name specific faculty or other staff members.
7. Student Voting – In 2007 the Faculty Executive Committee and officers of the Student Commission reached accord on student voting on faculty standing committees that was approved by the faculty standing committees having student representatives. When formal votes are taken, only one student member will vote on a given committee, and that student will be the most experienced representative. He or she will consult with the other student members in advance of the vote. The Student Commission has devised procedures for handling the absence of experienced student representatives.

Missions, Compositions, and Charges

Committee charge statements for each faculty standing and advisory committee are given in this section of the Faculty Handbook. They have been developed by each committee and have been compiled by the Faculty Executive Committee, and each follows a standard format that is given below. The goal of this compilation is to provide enough information so that committees in future years may conduct the business of the faculty without relying solely on institutional memory.

Each committee’s statement includes the following sections:

• Responsibilities
• Composition

Faculty Executive Committee
August 03, 2011

Responsibilities of Faculty on Academic Standards Committee

Faculty (and administrators) on Academic Standards Committee (ASC) help ensure that Kalamazoo College upholds the academic policies and procedures of the College as set forth in College catalogues and other college documents. Members of ASC will endeavor to accomplish the following:

1. Recommend, to the faculty, candidates for the BA degree who have fulfilled all graduation requirements.
2. When appropriate, remind faculty, individually and as a group, of College policies related to academic issues.
3. Review all student grades at quarter’s end and instruct the Registrar to dismiss or
   place students on probation according to College policy.
4. Decide on requests for readmission by students dismissed for poor academic performance.
5. Hear student requests for exceptions to College policies and procedures and recommend exceptions to the faculty at the regular faculty meetings.
   
   With regard to some policies, the Academic Standards Committee has been given responsibility by the faculty for final disposition of certain classes of requests for exceptions. These include the following:
   
   • Substitutions for the graduation requirements,
   • Waivers of units needed for graduation up to 0.2 unit,
   • Approval of non-automatic course overloads,
   • Withdrawals from courses after the College deadline (including retroactive course withdrawals),
   • Waivers of the residency requirement,
   • Exceptions to College deadlines (including adding courses, changes in course schedules, dropping courses, SIP registration, SIP registration changes, extension of deadline for incomplete),
   • Exceptions to College deadlines for proposals to be considered by other programs or departments at the College (including proposals for Independent Interdisciplinary Majors, retroactive leave of absence),
   • Allowing spring SIPs,
   • Allowing independent studies above the limit,
   • Extension to 3/2 engineering contract,
   • Request for reconsideration of academic dismissal or probation.
6. Recommend to other College committees and/or to the faculty changes in College policies and procedures based on ASC’s experience with the above issues.
7. Annually review and update the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the College catalogue to reflect faculty and committee decisions during the previous year.

The Academic Standards Committee reviews petitions for reinstatement to the College for students who withdrew from the College while on academic probation or who were dismissed for academic reasons. Students applying for reinstatement must do so no later than thirty days prior to the start of their anticipated quarter of return. If reinstatement were sought for the Fall term, a reinstatement vote would be needed in August and a meeting of representatives for the Academic Standards Committee would be convened by the Dean of the First Year and Advising. A quorum for this meeting is defined as three administrators with faculty status - specifically Dean of Advising, Assistant Provost for Teaching, Learning and Assessment, and Associate Provost. In addition, FEC recommends that two voting administrators (Registrar and Dean of Students) and one non-voting resource administrator (Director of Financial Aid) serve (ex officio) at this meeting.

Note: all voting on ASC requires a quorum (one more than 50%) of faculty representatives.

Composition of Academic Standards Committee

Four (4) voting faculty will be appointed for service on ASC by FEC. In addition, FEC recommends that two voting administrators (Registrar and Dean of Students) and two nonvoting resource administrators (Dean of Advising and Director of Financial Aid) serve (ex officio) on ASC.

(ASC charge revised on 6/12/15)

Responsibilities of Faculty on Admissions and Retention Committee

Faculty (and administrators) on the Admissions and Retention Committee (ARC) shall review policies and procedures of the College that relate to the admission and retention of students. Members of ARC will endeavor to accomplish the following:

1. Gather, analyze, and disseminate information regarding admissions and retention on a quarterly basis
2. Consult and make recommendations on admissions criteria and retention strategies
3. Encourage faculty participation in admissions events and provide feedback on how to make faculty involvement more effective
4. Monitor national and regional student demographics trends

Composition of Admission and Financial Aid Committee

A minimum of four (4) faculty will be appointed for service on ARC by FEC. Composition of the committee should reflect divisional representation. In addition, FEC recommends that the Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid and the Dean of Financial Aid serve (ex officio) on ARC.

Responsibilities of Faculty on Athletics Advisory Committee

Faculty on Athletics Advisory Committee monitor, communicate, and provide advice on issues related to athletics and advocate for the entire College community (Faculty, Students, and the Physical Education Department) on issues related to athletics. In addition, faculty representatives on AAC assist in upholding policies and procedures of MIAA and NCAA as set forth in the College catalogues and other college documents. Possible tasks include, but are not limited to:

1. Advocate for concerns of athletes to the Faculty, the Student Government, and the Administration.
2. Bring concerns of the Faculty, Student Government, and the Administrative to the Physical Education Department.
3. Help coordinate roles and duties of FAR (Faculty Athletic Representative), SAR (Student Athletic Representative), and AAR (Administrative Athletic
   Representative) to the MIAA and NCAA. These roles and duties include, but are not limited to:
   • Liaison with the MIAA NCAA Compliance Officer; understand regulations necessary for the college and duties of the office,
   • Attend MIAA meetings in fall and spring. MIAA rules require FAR representatives to attend MIAA meetings on behalf of the college. Meetings are typically scheduled on a Tuesday in weeks 7-10 and require a full day of attendance,
   • Remind the Faculty Executive Committee that continuity of appointments to the Athletics Committee is critical because effective service at the MIAA and NCAA requires knowledge of rules and regulations of the two organizations,
   • Coordinate the application process for NCAA graduate school scholarships.
4. Serve in an advisory role to the Physical Education Department in matters and decisions that affect the College community as a whole.

Composition of Athletics Advisory Committee

Two (2) faculty will be appointed as Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) and for service on AAC by FEC. There should be at least one returning faculty member, and one faculty member of the AAC must be female. In addition, FEC recommends that two to three students (one of whom must be female) also serve on AAC. The Director of Athletics will chair AAC.

Responsibilities of Faculty on Educational Policies Committee Faculty (and administrators) on Educational Policies Committee (EPC) oversee the educational programs of the College for which academic credit is granted. Members of EPC will, therefore, endeavor to accomplish the following:

1. Recommend to the faculty any addition, or removal, of a course or program to, or from, the curriculum of the College.
2. Review other curricular changes proposed by departments.
3. Make recommendations to the faculty on matters of educational policy.
4. Advise the Provost and other administrators on matters of educational policy.
5. Review applications from departments for open tenure-track faculty lines and review proposals to add, move, or eliminate lines and advise the Provost when lines are assigned to departments.
6. Annually review and update curricular sections of the College catalogue to reflect faculty and committee decisions during the previous year.

Composition of Educational Policies Committee

At least eight (8) voting members from the faculty will be appointed for service on EPC by FEC. At least one member will be a library faculty. In addition, FEC recommends that non-voting representatives from appropriate administrative offices (including the Registrar and Associate Provost for Curriculum and Faculty Development) serve (ex officio) on EPC. FEC also recommends that, when possible, at least one student – selected by the Student Commission – serves on EPC (note: the student member(s) will have a single vote on the committee).

Responsibilities of Faculty on Experiential Education Committee (revised October 9, 2023)

The Experiential Education Committee (EEC) shall promote experiential education at Kalamazoo College.  This involves informing the faculty of the relationship between experiential education and academic programs, encouraging and supporting integration of experiential education into the general academic program, and fostering faculty engagement in community-based learning beyond the campus.  

To these ends, members of EEC will endeavor to accomplish the following: 

1.    Review and make recommendations related to the College’s on- and off-campus experiential programs currently administered by centers such as the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), Center for International Programs (CIP), Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), and Larry J. Bell (’80) Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC). 

2.    Communicate the results of program reviews and other assessment activities from these centers. 

3.    Facilitate faculty grant applications to the various centers.  

4.    Bring to the faculty regular reports, and items or proposals related to experiential education that require faculty action. 

Composition of Experiential Education Committee

Five (5) faculty will be appointed for service on EEC by FEC. In addition, FEC recommends that the Director of the CIP, the Director of the CCPD, and the Director of the MJUSISL serve (ex officio) on EEC. FEC also recommends that, when possible, two students – selected by the Student Commission – serve on EEC.

Responsibilities of Faculty on Faculty Development Committee

Faculty (and the administrator) on Faculty Development Committee (FDC) seek to foster and encourage a life of learning for faculty. As such, members of FDC endeavor to accomplish the following:

1. Seek ways and means of encouraging faculty development and apportion to individuals the amount of financial assistance that the budget supports.
2. Establish and revise guidelines and application forms in recognition of evolving venues for faculty development.
3. Review faculty proposals for sabbatical and other academic leaves.

Composition of Faculty Development Committee

Four (4) faculty will be appointed for service on FDC by FEC. In addition, FEC recommends that the Associate Provost for Curriculum and Faculty Development serves (ex officio) on FDC.

Responsibilities of Members of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Members of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee oversee policies and programs and other activities of the College in order to develop and sustain an inclusive and diverse campus community, a culture of justice, equity, and inclusion, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the College's practices toward that end. Members of JEDI are, therefore, charged to accomplish the following:

1. Collaborate with relevant committees and offices to evaluate College policies, practices and structures through a JEDI lens, and proposing changes. Collaborations may include but not be limited to the Office of Student Development, Human Resources, Provost Office, Admissions Office, Admission & Financial Aid Committee, Educational Policies Committee, Teaching & Learning Committee, and Faculty Personnel Committee.
2. Interface with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or until this office exists, advocate for the creation of this office and a President’s Staff level officer.
3. Collaborate with Bias Data Gathering System to facilitate circles of support and accountability for bias-related concerns. The committee shall develop a non-disclosure agreement to deal with sensitive information.
4. Faculty committee chair to provide to the FEC, Provost and President, and the faculty periodic reports (in writing or verbal) on the state of JEDI at the College including regular electronic reports for faculty meeting. JEDI may advise the Provost and President on other matters.
5. Review faculty and staff job position announcements to ensure the use of a common language regarding diversity and inclusion at the College and work with Human Resources to meet JEDI goals. Be available to consult with departments and other hiring bodies so that such announcements will resonate with a variety of diverse groups.
6. Review and update sections of the College By-Laws and Faculty and Staff Handbooks to reflect faculty and committee decisions.

Composition of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

At least four (4) voting members from the faculty from four different divisions will be appointed for service on the executive committee of JEDI by FEC. In addition, FEC recommends that representatives from appropriate administrative offices (including the Chief Diversity Officer, Dean of Students, Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, Director of Religious & Spiritual Life, Title IX coordinator, Director of Human Resources, Director of Intercultural Student Life, Director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, Director of Athletics) serve ex officio on JEDI and meet at least once per term. The executive committee may request regular meetings collectively or with individual members as needed. Two students – selected by the student government – serve on JEDI (note: the student member(s) will have a single vote on the committee).

Responsibilities of Faculty on Planning, Budget and Compensation Committee

Faculty (and the administrator) on Planning ,Budget and Compensation Committee (PBCC) are responsible for communication, planning and policy formation, and audit review as related to the College’s budget and financial conditions, and faculty salary and benefit oversight. As such, members of PBCC will endeavor to accomplish the following:

1. Communication – report to the faculty the broad outlines of the institutional budget and financial condition, and prompt the faculty when intervention or additional discussion is needed on particular issues of a financial nature.
2. Planning and Policy Formation – function as an interface between the faculty and the administration on financial issues, and assist the administration, and indirectly the Board of Trustees, with formation and evaluation of financial policy and institutional budgets. The primary point of contact with the administration is the Vice President for Business and Finance. The primary means of interacting with the Board is through participation (as an observer) in meetings of the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board; PBC may occasionally also interface with the Investment Committee of the Board.
3. Audit Review – function as part of a system of financial safeguards, designed to insure that expenditures and revenue are properly accounted for in ledger entries, and are fairly represented in presentations of the institutional budget and balance sheet. Primary responsibility for this task rests with the Business Office, the external auditors hired by the College, and the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board. The process established by the Board of Trustees for external audit of college finances requires the presence of a faculty observer at the audit review, but not participation in the audit itself. This observer is generally a member of the Planning, Budget and Compensation Committee.
4. Faculty Benefits and Pay Review - appoint a subcommittee to analyze and communicate faculty compensation and benefits in general and specifically to monitor the implementation of the faculty salary proposals passed in Spring 2022. PBCC will also appoint faculty representatives from PBCC to act as liaisons to serve on the college Benefits Review Group.
5. Retirement Oversight - monitor issues related to faculty retirement, appointing a PBCC member to serve as faculty representative to the College Retirement Oversight Committee.

Composition of Planning, Budget and Compensation Committee

A minimum of seven (7) faculty, who have interest and/or expertise in budgetary matters, will be appointed for service on PBCC by FEC. In addition, FEC recommends that the Vice-President for Business and Finance serve (ex officio) on PBCC.

(PBCC charge revised 9/16/22)

Responsibilities of Faculty on Student Life Advisory Committee

The Student Life Advisory Committee serves as an advisory group to the division of Student Development through the Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students. The Student Life Advisory Committee will study and make recommendations about student life issues, with the goal of improving the overall quality of student life at Kalamazoo College. Tasks include, but are not limited to:

1. Studies and makes recommendations about student life issues identified by the Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students (VPSD/DOS).
2. Identifies student life issues of interest or concern for study and consideration.
3. Provides feedback and advice about student life issues.
4. Though primarily a thinking and advisory group, the SLAC may, on occasion, be charged by the VPSD/DOS with specific tasks and initiatives that fall outside of
   providing advice. For example, SLAC may be asked to help communicate information across campus.

The faculty members of SLAC are also responsible for bringing any general student life issues and concerns raised by faculty to the VPSD/DOS. These issues could include, but are not limited to, academic misconduct, disability accommodations, and disruptive student behavior in class. These issues may be raised and addressed within regularly scheduled SLAC meetings, as appropriate, or in a separate meeting with the VPSD/DOS.

Composition of Student Life Advisory Committee

SLAC membership consists of four students selected by the student government organization, two faculty members appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee, an at-large member of the staff, and the Associate Deans of Students and the VP/DOS.

(SLAC updated on 3/28/16)

Responsibilities of Faculty on Teaching and Learning Committee Because our institutional mission centers on teaching and learning, faculty (and administrators) on Teaching and Learning Committee (TLC) support good teaching and strive to keep teaching and learning at the center of the College’s collective thinking. As
such, members of TLC will endeavor to do the following:

1. Monitor the Shared Passages Seminars, advise the Educational Policies Committee and Provost’s Office on needs of this program, and provide development
   opportunities for program faculty.
2. Examine curricular and course structures – in light of teaching and learning issues – and create pedagogical and course design initiatives to enhance teaching
   development and student learning.
3. Act as the planning committee for the fall Teaching and Learning Symposium, the purpose of which is to launch each academic year with a half-day devoted to
   dimensions of teaching and learning informed by recent scholarship and practice.
4. Supervise the Teaching and Learning website of the College, acting as the clearing committee for new content.
5. Encourage the College to support, acknowledge, and value the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Faculty Development proposals, in retention, tenure, and promotion files, and in leave proposals.
6. Survey the faculty to ascertain teaching needs, interests, and concerns.
7. Support faculty development in learning-centered teaching in the following ways:
   • Provide grants to enable faculty to take advantage of off-campus opportunities to enhance teaching;
   • Sponsor visiting speakers who bring expertise in some area of teaching and learning;
   • Collaborate with other campus groups on projects related to teaching and learning;
   • Develop and promote new programs designed to enhance learning-centered teaching.

Composition of the Teaching and Learning Committee

Four (4) faculty will be appointed for service on TLC by FEC. In addition, FEC recommends that the Associate Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment as well as the Dean of the First-Year Experience serve (ex officio) on the TLC. FEC also recommends that the Director of the Academic Resource Center serve as a consultant to the committee on an ad-hoc basis.

Responsibilities of Faculty serving as Advancement Representatives

Advancement Representatives act as liaisons between Faculty and Advancement Officers. As such, ARs are responsible for the following:

1. Meeting with Advancement Officers from all three of their broad areas of engagement: Development Funding, Alumni Relations, and Marketing.
2. Communicating the aspirations, successes, and needs of Advancement to the Faculty.
3. Communicating the aspirations, successes, and needs of the Faculty to Advancement, including specific and accurate evidence of K’s commitment to
   the liberal arts.
4. Maintaining a sharepoint site where Academic Departments may inform and prioritize their monetary needs to Development.
5. Representing the faculty in interactions with potential donors or alumni hosted by advancement or helping identify and recruit the Faculty, Administrators, or Staff whose expertise might more closely match the needs of the situation.

Composition of Advancement Representatives

Two (2) faculty will be appointed for service as ARs by FEC. One of the two faculty representatives will act as convener, and, in consultation with Advancement Officers from all three branches and his/her colleague, will take the lead in setting meetings and an agenda for the year.

For policies please see the Faculty Development Policies section on the Faculty Development Committee website.

For more information, see the Human Resources section in Section 10 of this Handbook and also Human Resources Policies on the HR Employee Relations page.

Regular full-time employees and regular employees who work at least half-time are eligible to participate in the College's benefit programs. Requirements specific to each plan are available from the Human Resources Office.

Kalamazoo College provides health insurance coverage for eligible employees. Both the College and employee contribute to premiums for health insurance for the employee. Coverage for spouses, eligible dependents and domestic partners is also available. Spouses and partners with coverage available through their own employers are required to enroll in that coverage. The College does not contribute to the cost of dependent coverage for employees with less than a ¾ time appointment (.75 FTE). The employee’s share of the health insurance premium is taken on a pre-tax basis through a flexible benefit plan unless the employee waives this option.

Kalamazoo College provides basic term life insurance for eligible employees in the amount of two times annual base salary with a minimum coverage level of $50,000 and a maximum coverage level of $100,000. The basic life insurance program is noncontributory. In addition to the basic program employees may elect optional term life insurance at their own cost for the optional program through payroll deduction.

Kalamazoo College also provides long term disability insurance for eligible employees who have completed one year of service to the College which is waived if the employee is coming from comparable coverage with no more than 90 days lapse of coverage. The College pays 100% of the insurance premium, with the level of benefits determined by annual salary. Benefits in the event of disability is 60% of salary, integrated with social security benefits, following a six-month elimination period. This includes a monthly annuity premium benefit credited to the 403(b) plan.

Medical and term life insurance coverages take effect on the date of employment, provided the employee completes the required paper work within 30 days of that date. The Michigan Workers' Compensation Act has provisions that govern the treatment of persons who suffer a work related injury. An employee in such circumstances should get immediate medical treatment and report to the Human Resources Office either directly or through the immediate supervisor.

A summary plan description for each benefit plan has been developed by the Human Resources Office to comply with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
(ERISA). Brochures setting forth specific eligibility requirements, benefits provided, and claim procedures are also available.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), a Federal law, requires that the College offer extended health-care coverage, at the group rate, under certain circumstances where coverage would otherwise end. The College will provide proper notice and information when circumstances require.

The College reserves the right to modify and/or terminate any group insurance plan at any time subject to the Federal laws and regulations governing such plan.

The College contributes to Social Security for each employee. In addition, the College contributes to a 403(b) defined contribution retirement plan through Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association/College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA/CREF) for each eligible employee who has completed two years of service to the College. This program includes a basic College contribution of 5% of salary. In addition, an employee may contribute up to 5% of annual salary which the College matches one for one.

A group supplemental retirement annuity program (SRA) through TIAA/CREF is also available with no waiting period for participation.

The Human Resources Office has summary plan descriptions for the TIAA plans and can answer questions concerning eligibility and other plan details.

Depending upon employee hire date, children of eligible, full-time employees may receive financial assistance for attendance at Kalamazoo College. Financial assistance for attendance at other institutions of higher education may also be available. Contact the Human Resources Office for details related to eligibility and to specific procedures for application to participate in this program.

Kalamazoo College employees may use such campus facilities as the Anderson Athletic Center, pool, tennis courts, and library. Attendance at fine arts, community reflection, and athletic events is encouraged by the College for its employees. Contact the office of the area in question for more specific information.

The College offers a faculty/staff wellness program which includes the Wellness Room, classes and workshops, family activities, confidential health assessments and one-on-one consultations and coaching. Please see the Fitness Wellness Center website for details.

Each employee will be provided with an identification card. This card may provide access to certain buildings, entitles the employee to participate in certain events on campus at reduced cost for admission, and provides access to the resources of the College library. It is College property issued for personal use only; use may not be delegated to any other individual. The card must be returned to the Human Resources Office at the time the employee leaves the College. Lost or misplaced cards should be reported at once to the Campus Safety Office.

In general, full-time faculty appointments are nine-month appointments with salary paid in 12 equal installments beginning on October 1st of each academic year. Paychecks are available in the business office on the first day of the month; paychecks are not sent through the campus mail. The College encourages the use of direct deposit. Employees may authorize salary deductions for savings or for loan payments to designated financial institutions. Pay advices are available online through Hornet HQ. Choose “Employee” on the College’s intranet and then "Earning Statements." To enroll or make a change in your direct deposit, visit the Payroll website. If the first of the month is a weekend or holiday, checks are available on the last business day prior to the pay date.

Deductions as required by law are made for federal and state withholding taxes and for Social Security (FICA). Employees are responsible for filing and keeping current all withholding information on the appropriate forms in the Human Resources Office and are available on the Payroll website.

Employees may also authorize other approved payroll deductions, including the Kalamazoo College Annual Fund, The Greater Kalamazoo United Way campaign, and supplemental retirement annuities (SRA) with TIAA/CREF.

The College Human Resources Office establishes and maintains all official records concerning employment. This information may be given only to authorized persons. An employee or former employee may review his/her file after:

• submitting a written request to the Human Resources Office one week in advance, and
• presenting proper identification to the Human Resources Office upon request

Copies of file documents will be provided at cost to the employee upon request.

Solicitation by employees during working time in working areas by or for any individual, organization, club or cause is prohibited with the exception of College approved charitable campaigns such as United Way.

Kalamazoo College employees are permitted to participate in political and governmental activities as long as the College does not become directly involved, College resources are not used and the employee fulfills his/her responsibilities to the College.

Safety and health require individual responsibility on the part of every College employee. The College expects all employees to contribute positively to health and safety at the College and to report to the Human Resources Office or the Campus Safety Office any action or condition which is or might be unsafe or detrimental to the health of anyone on campus. A safety committee, chaired by the Campus Safety Director, serves to identify and help to resolve issues related to campus safety.

If an employee is involved in an accident or suffers personal injury arising out of and in the course of College business, the matter should be reported as soon as possible to that employee's supervisor and to the Human Resources Office.

Certain personal information—date of birth, mailing address, phone number, dependent and tax withholding information, beneficiary designations—shall be provided to the Human Resources Office at the time of employment. The College has a right to rely on the most recent information provided in writing by the employee; it is the responsibility of the employee to notify the Human Resources Office at the time of any change in such information.

Expenses incurred while on College business shall be reimbursed if authorized in advance, requested in accordance with Business Office procedures and approved by the appropriate person. See the Business Office website.

When an employee is selected for jury duty, the College will continue his/her salary at the normal rate of pay.

Employees shall be entitled to military leave pursuant to the provisions of applicable state and federal law and regulations.

Leave for up to 12 weeks may be granted to eligible employees who are covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) with job protected leave for qualifying reasons such as:

• For incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care of child birth;
• To care for the employee's child after birth or placement for adoption or foster care;
• To care for the employee's spouse, qualified domestic partner, son, daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition.

Leave for up to six months may be granted for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee's job. Extensions beyond six months may be granted within the sole discretion of the College.

For leave policies specific to faculty, please see Section 9 of this Handbook.

When the need for leave is foreseeable, employees are expected to provide 30 days advance notice. When not foreseeable, employees are required to provide notice of the need for leave as soon as practicable. Failure to provide appropriate notice may result in the denial of leave.

The College will require medical certification to support a request for a leave because of a serious health condition and may require recertifications as well as a fitness for duty report to return to work. Medical leaves beyond 12 weeks for an employee's serious health condition may require verification by an MD/DO selected by the College. The medical certification must include the first anticipated date of absence from service to the College and the expected date of return. A fitness for duty report may be required to return to work.

When leave is required for a serious health condition, employees will normally be given 15 calendar days to obtain the necessary medical certifications to support the leave. Employees will be required, unless the College waives the requirement, to recertify the need for the leave at least every 30 days and report in on a periodic basis no less often than every two weeks with respect to their progress, the progress of their parent, spouse, or child, and their anticipated date for return to work.

During a leave of absence for the employee's own serious health condition, faculty will be provided full salary continuation. This salary continuation will be in effect for the period of recuperation, not to exceed six months. Payments will occur on the monthly pay schedule.

For the duration of leave under this policy, the College will maintain the employee's health coverage under any group health plan. Such benefit continuation will be for a maximum of six months annually. Any employee contributions to the health plan must be maintained during the leave to maintain coverage. Employees who fail to return from a leave will be obligated to reimburse the College for the cost of the College paid health coverage, except when the employee's failure to return is due to the continuation, recurrence or onset of a serious health condition which would entitle the employee to medical or family leave or other circumstances beyond the employee's control.

Upon return from a leave of six months or less, employees will be restored to their original or equivalent position, with equivalent pay, benefits and other employment terms. The employee will not lose any employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of the leave.

For purposes of determining eligibility for a leave, the College hereby adopts a rolling 12 month period whereby each time an employee takes family or medical leave, the remaining leave entitlement will be any balance of the 12 weeks which has not been used during the immediately preceding 12 months.

In unusual circumstances, not covered by other policies, the College may grant a leave of absence without pay to regular full-time faculty on ongoing appointments. Whenever possible, reasonable advance notice should be given. Leave will not be approved retroactively to cover a prior period of absence. A request for leave should be presented first to the department chair and Provost, and then to the Human Resources Office for approval. If such leave is granted, arrangements must be made with the Human Resources Office regarding any continuation of insurance coverage during unpaid leave.

Except as provided above, benefits such as retirement, health insurance, life insurance, etc. will continue in force with College contributions as long as an employee is on a paid leave of absence. For unpaid leaves other than those covered above, or in excess of those covered above, fringe benefits paid by the College shall be suspended unless agreed to in writing prior to the start of the leave. COBRA continuation of health insurance at the employee's own cost will be offered where required by law.

Eligible employees who have completed the period of orientation will have health insurance and life insurance provided by the College during an approved disability leave:

• for a period not to exceed the end of the sixth month following the start of the disability leave, or
• until such disability leave is cancelled by return to work, resignation, retirement, or the death of the employee, whichever condition occurs first.

Please note that where insurance or other employee benefit plans are concerned, the terms of the insurance policy or plan will prevail regardless of any statements contained here.

An official College closing due to severe weather, power outages, etc., will be posted on the College’s web portal and may also be communicated to employees through the K-Alert system which provides notifications through campus email, home phones, and/or cell phones (as provided by employees). Notice of closings is communicated to area radio stations such as WKZO (590 AM) and WMUK (102.1 FM). Broadcast television stations in the southwest Michigan area are also notified and include WWMT (local Channel 3) and WOOD-TV (Grand Rapids Channel 8).

August 2011

Kalamazoo College seeks to provide all of its full-time faculty the support that they need to continue to develop as teachers, as scholars, and as human beings. The College recognizes that personal circumstances of faculty may require some flexibility in terms of leaves for faculty—and corresponding adjustments in the probationary periods for tenure track faculty. The following guidelines are set down to address those situations that occasionally arise in which full-time faculty might request leaves of absence from the College, and in which pre-tenure faculty may seek to extend the probationary period for a period of time.

1. When an individual receives a sabbatical or academic leave from the College
   
   Faculty may request sabbatical and research leaves of absence from the College. Sabbatical and academic leave requests by tenured faculty will be supported by the Provost if, and only if, (s)he determines that the faculty member’s department will not suffer from that faculty member’s absence. In some circumstances the College may be able to replace the faculty member in question, but this will not automatically be the case, and the College reserves the right to deny a request by a faculty member for a leave of absence.
   
   If a faculty member requests a research leave funded by the College during the probationary period, that leave may be approved by the Provost if, and only if, the Provost determines that the faculty member’s department will not suffer during the period in question. Should a leave of absence be granted by the Provost the faculty member in question will ordinarily not be able to extend the probationary period during that period; the period during which time the faculty member will be away from campus will under normal circumstances count toward the probationary period.
   
2. When an individual receives an external grant and wants a “leave without pay” from the College for a short or extended period of time
   
   Faculty at Kalamazoo College should be encouraged to seek outside research grants. Leave requests by tenured faculty will be supported by the Provost if, and only if, (s)he determines that the faculty member’s department will not suffer from that faculty member’s absence. In some circumstances the College may be able to replace the faculty member in question using funds made available by the faculty member’s unused salary, but this will not automatically be the case, and the College reserves the right to deny a request by a faculty member for a leave of absence. This applies to probationary faculty as well as tenured faculty. To make the prospect of an outside grant more attractive to probationary College faculty, they should normally have the option to extend the probationary period for a period of time. As a general rule, a faculty member should be able to be away from campus for no more than two years during the probationary period,
   and no more than one of these years can be applied to the probationary period. If there is to be an extension of the probationary period, the faculty member must request this extension at the time that the discussions for the period of leave are originally undertaken. Requests for an extension of the probationary period may not be made after the research leave period has begun or after it has been completed.
   
3. When an individual requests a leave for personal medical reasons, involving an illness that makes him/her unable to fulfill his/her responsibilities to the College
   
   In cases of personal medical exigency the faculty member in question should normally have his or her request for a leave from the College approved by the Provost. For probationary faculty, this should include, with the approval of the Provost, an extension of the probationary period should the faculty member involved request this.
   
   If a faculty member submits to the Provost within six months of an appropriately documented illness a request that the probationary period be extended for an appropriate period of time, the Provost will, within thirty days, respond to the request and if (s)he has approved the extension of the probationary period will note that extension in the faculty member’s personnel file. Under normal circumstances this type of eventuality will result only when the cause of the absence is clearly beyond the control of the faculty member.
   
4. When an individual requests a leave for family reasons
   Adhering to the Family Medical Leave Act guidelines, Kalamazoo College has a maternity/paternity leave policy for its employees set by and available from the Human Resources Office. At the time that a probationary faculty member requests a leave of this type, (s)he may request an extension of the probationary period of up to one year.
   
   Other leave requests for family reasons by tenured faculty will be supported by the Provost if, and only if, (s)he determines that the faculty member’s department will not suffer from that faculty member’s absence. In some circumstances the College may be able to replace the faculty member in question using funds made available by the faculty member’s unused salary, but this will not automatically be the case, and the College reserves the right to deny a request by a faculty member for a leave of absence.
   
   A probationary faculty member may submit to the Provost a request that the probationary period be extended for an appropriate period of time when a family situation has so distracted the attention of the faculty member that (s)he has not been able to adequately perform his or her duties, entirely for reasons beyond his control. A serious long-term illness of a family member or a death in the family with corresponding long-term distractions might be examples of the kind of situations which might reasonably be eligible for this type of policy.
   
   Requests for this kind of extension of time will normally be decided on a case-by-case basis, after appropriate discussion between the Provost, the faculty member, and the Faculty Personnel Committee. As outlined above, the request for the extension of the probationary period should come within a brief period of the event, six months at the most. The key, as described above, is that the event would have to be beyond the control of the faculty member and would have to have been a major distraction for the individual. If a faculty member submits to the Provost within six months of an appropriately documented family event a request that the probationary period be extended for an appropriate period of time, the Provost will, within thirty days, respond to the request and if (s)he has approved the extension of the probationary period will note that extension in the faculty member’s personnel file.
   
5. When an individual has negotiated a shorter-than-normal probationary period at the time of employment and decides subsequently that (s)he wants that shorter period extended
   
   A faculty member with credit for prior teaching experience may request that the probationary period be extended, not to exceed the sixth year of teaching at the College. Such requests require written approval of the Administration, in consultation with the Personnel Committee.

The most important resource of Kalamazoo College is its faculty. While we often offer this statement as an articulation of the respect that we have for our hard-working faculty, it needs to be an action principle as well as a statement of general philosophy. Hiring the best faculty available, and then retaining the best faculty who are here, are the most pressing challenges that we face on a year-in, year-out basis.

We have been fortunate as an institution to have been given a significant resource base by trustees in recent years to help us hire the best new faculty available. Our “start up” package – including a course release in the first year, a new computer, individual research funds, and then a full one-term leave following the third year review – competes with the very best such packages in the country to help us attract outstanding new faculty.

This helps us to attract and retain the best faculty, but we need to do more.

A college that seeks to attract and retain the best faculty must demonstrate to its faculty that it understands the resources that are needed by active and productive scholars, and outstanding and caring teachers and advisors, not only to survive, but to flourish.

A college that seeks to attract and retain the best faculty must demonstrate to its faculty that it understands the ultimate value of human relationships, and that the college supports those with family responsibilities.

To this end, Kalamazoo College announced a new policy which took effect in the Fall term of 2002. The policy described here applies to teaching faculty, for reasons that will become clear in the document.

Parenthood demands time. Being a college professor demands time. It is reasonable to assume that a member of our faculty will not be able to devote the same
amount of time to her or his classes and advising, College service commitments, and professional development activities immediately after bringing a baby into the family as was the case before the arrival of the baby.

Under the law, birth mothers are granted six weeks’ medical leave following a birth. Because of the special demands of the teaching role, depending upon when the six weeks’ leave ends the College may not be able to place a faculty member back in the classroom in any specific ten-week academic term. This is because we cannot “hold open” the teaching slot for up to six weeks for an individual; classes must take place consistently during an academic term. With a ten-week term, if an individual is going to miss more than (more or less) two weeks of the term, it will very likely be necessary for the College to hire a substitute instructor to cover that faculty member’s classes: adjunct faculty cannot usually be hired for part of an academic term*. It would be punitive – and illegal – for us to force our birth mother colleagues to take unpaid leave for the duration of the academic term in which they had medical leave because there were no teaching assignments available for three, or four, or even eight weeks for them to assume.

Kalamazoo College has informally responded to this situation in the recent past by developing and utilizing the principle of a flexible workload for new faculty parents.
Recognizing that our faculty perform a variety of tasks in a variety of roles in addition to the responsibilities of a classroom instructor, the College has asked new birth mothers who have had medical leave to spend the part of the term after they return from medical leave focusing upon other responsibilities of their jobs. The focus of their time has been on departmental responsibilities – they may spend time on SIP supervision, working on a departmental web page, contributing to departmental self-study activities, taking a leading role in long-range departmental planning, or on any of a variety of other tasks that would otherwise have to be handled by departmental colleagues in addition to their respective full teaching loads – thus, their flexible workload assignments help the rest of the department as well as the new mother. Similarly, there is never a shortage of College level work to be done – including committee research, institutional research, participation on search committees, or working with department chairs on special projects – and they might help out with this type of work, as well.

This practice has served us well in the past, and in our current Faculty Development Flexible Workload policy we have expanded it. The principles are the same:

• The College recognizes that faculty development time is crucial for faculty to grow and improve professionally; it is worthwhile for the College to devote resources to this end in order to help its faculty.
• Having a new child in the home will pose an additional challenge for the faculty member in terms of his or her professional growth and development.
• Faculty perform a variety of tasks in addition to being classroom instructors; because a faculty member is not serving as a classroom instructor in a given term does not mean that the individual is not working “full time” for the College.

* Even if it were possible to hire a visiting faculty member for only part of an academic term, a very good argument can be made that it is not a good idea to do so. Continuity through an academic term has value, and switching instructors mid-term – even if they were both willing to do so – would almost unavoidably disrupt the educational experience of the students involved.

In the Fall 2002 term, we implemented a Faculty Development Flexible Workload plan that seeks to respond to this need. The key principle is that this is not a work reduction for our faculty, but rather a reassignment of work responsibilities. There are a number of jobs done by Kalamazoo College faculty all the time, and by offering some flexibility in the balance of teaching and non-teaching assignments, we seek to be responsive to a clearly-felt faculty need.

1. Birth mothers. Birth mothers are at the present time entitled to six weeks’ medical leave following the birth of a child under FMLA. (Individual doctors
   may recommend more than this in specific cases.) If a birth mother will miss more than two weeks of class as a result of a birth (or the medical leave following
   a birth), the mother will not be assigned teaching responsibilities for the duration of the term of the leave in order to continue to earn a full-time faculty salary
   (regardless of whether that period is before or after the birth). Rather, a flexible work assignment will be made for the remainder of the term for all teaching
   responsibilities.
   (Note: This recognizes that not all departments have identical teaching responsibilities. In some departments the “normal” teaching load is two courses per term, six courses per year. In other departments – the natural sciences and computer science – the “normal” teaching load is four courses per year, to reflect the extra responsibilities of lab sections of the class.)
   
   If the six-week medical leave period takes place exclusively during the summer, so that the birth mother has not benefited from a flexible work reassignment as a consequence of the birth, then she will be eligible for the option described in #2. The justification for this is simple: our goal is to help faculty development. If a
   mother uses her entire summer in newborn care, she will not be able to engage in research that will contribute to her professional development. We want her to
   have some part of the time she would otherwise lose, thus justifying the policy outlined in #2.
   
2. Birth fathers, adoptive mothers and fathers, and birth mothers who did not receive flexible work assignments because their entire “maternity leave” period came during the summer. Our policy will be to give a faculty member who is in one of these four categories a flexible work reassignment in place of one normally assigned course in the term of the arrival of the baby or in a subsequent term of the faculty member’s choosing within one year of the arrival of the baby.
   

In each of these cases, determination of the flexible work assignment will be made in consultation with the Provost and the department chair and documented as early as possible to allow for maximum planning flexibility. In all cases this should take place by first week of Fall for a Spring reassignment, first week of Spring for a Fall reassignment, and Commencement week for a Winter reassignment.

Life is not always tidy, and babies are well known for not being considerate of the world around them as they decide when to join us. In most instances our faculty colleagues will be able to predict the approximate arrival date of their babies, but we know that babies often come late, and often come early, and any number of factors can interfere with advanced planning. In all cases a soon-to-be birth mother should notify her chair and the provost as soon as she feels prepared to do so in order to discuss plans for covering for her time away from class. While we understand that families may wish to wait until several months into a pregnancy before making any public announcements, it is clear that warning about the need for a flexible work assignment will help us to minimize problems in the transition. Similarly, birth fathers and adoptive parents will need to make alternative plans well in advance.

We end as we began. The most important resource of Kalamazoo College is its faculty. If we want to have the outstanding faculty that we need to be viewed as one of this nation’s premier small liberal arts colleges, we must demonstrate a degree of flexibility and responsiveness – within a context of institutional responsibility to our students and to financial resources – that faculty feel permits them to grow and develop as teachers, as scholars, and as human beings. At the end of the day, this will not only benefit the individual faculty involved, but it will also benefit Kalamazoo College, the other faculty at the College, and the students of the College.

Approved by the Provost’s Office and the Faculty Executive Committee, Spring, 2002
Update August 2012

Current Year Calendar

Visit the Academic Calendar page for this year's academic calendar.

Additional Calendar Notes:

Day of Gracious Living (DOGL)

During each spring quarter you will see that there is a student‐determined ‘holiday ’of sorts called The Day of Gracious Living (DOGL). Professors cancel classes on this day (you will be notified the day before it occurs). It is usually on a MWF, and is usually during week 6, 7,or If you have a MWF class, you may want to put a TBA day on your syllabus that you can move depending on when DOGL is, or just know that something may have to be moved or cut to accommodate losing that day of class.

Severe Weather

Closures for severe weather are unusual, but occasionally do occur. Official closings will be announced on the College’s web portal and may also be communicated via the College’s K‐Alert system. Between 5pm and 8am, the college may also notify certain local radio and television stations.

Classroom Assistance

If you arrive for class and your room is locked, call Campus Safety: 269.337.7321

If your media equipment is not working, call Media: 7138 (during class or after hours)

Please visit the Faculty Events page for the Faculty Meetings and Events calendar.

Academic Freedom

The 2022-23 Kalamazoo College Academic Catalog includes a statement on Academic Freedom

Nondiscrimination Statement

The Kalamazoo College Staff Handbook includes a nondiscrimination statement. This is as follows:

An equal opportunity employer, Kalamazoo College is committed to equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal protection under the law. The College administers its programs without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, national origin, height, weight, marital status, and physical disability as protected by law, or sexual orientation. The College’s definition of sexual orientation proscribes discrimination based on a person’s heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender identity, actual or presumed. Inquiries should be addressed to the Human Resources Director, Renee Boelcke (269.337.7248).

The Honor System

• Kalamazoo College operates under an Honor System.
• Academic Policies and Regulations: The Office of Student Development’s policies pertaining to student conduct in the classroom (including academic dishonesty and classroom behavior) can be found on their “Policies” website.

Harassment Policy

• The college's policy on Harassment applies to all students and all employees.

Title IX

Title IX protections and support are available to all students and all employees.

Prohibition of Intimate Relationships between Faculty and Students

The College has a policy prohibiting intimate relations between faculty and students as follows:

The faculty‐student relationship, however warm or collegial, inherently involves disproportionate power and influence on one side and is thus liable to abuse. A sexual relationship between a faculty member and a student can not only exploit this imbalance but inhibit the learning environment. For these reasons, it is the consensus of the Kalamazoo College community that sexual relationships between Kalamazoo College faculty and Kalamazoo College students are unacceptable and constitute personal and professional misconduct. Such actions may be considered adequate cause for termination under the Plan of Employment of the Board of Trustees.

Other Important Policies:

• Classroom Behavior
• Alcohol
• Controlled Substances:
  • Faculty Drug Policy
  • Student Development Drug Policy
• Student Development Smoking Policy
• Weapons:
  • Faculty Weapons, Firearms, Explosives Policy
  • Student Weapon, Firearms, Fireworks and Explosives Policy

Human Subjects and Animal Research Policies

Faculty research involving human subjects must receive approval from the College Institutional Review Board (IRB). Faculty SIP advisors should also consider whether student research projects warrant IRB approval. Please refer to the College IRB Policy Manual and IRB application form for more information on IRB policies.

Computer Usage Policies

Kalamazoo College’s Information Services staff has developed a set of policies regarding computer usage. These may be found on IS Policies section of the Information Services website.

What your students need to know

There is no universal, prescribed set of College policies pertaining to student attendance and grading of student performance. However, it is vital that each faculty member spell out clearly his/her particular requirements for a given course as part of a syllabus provided to students at the beginning of the term (students will expect a syllabus on the first day of class). In general, students need to know what is expected of them, when their work is due and how their performance will be evaluated.

It’s an excellent idea to ask your department chair for sample syllabi in your discipline and to ask specifically about student workload norms (typical number of exams/quizzes; pages of reading per week; written pages; attendance, etc.) in your department. The Teaching Commons has a range of helpful links and resources to support you in designing courses and in writing excellent syllabi.

One of the most important tasks your syllabus needs to accomplish is to make your expectations clear.

General Rule of Thumb: If you have a course policy, state it clearly on the syllabus.

The Educational Policies Committee (EPC), the faculty committee that approves new courses, has helpful tips for what your syllabus needs to include.

The Teaching and Learning Committee, Assistant Provost Barth and education technology specialist Josh Moon have compiled many resources to assist faculty in incorporating instructional technologies while retaining the kind of personalized learning experience that Kalamazoo College is known for.

You can find these resources at the TLC Teaching Development site that was built in 2020.

And there are additional resources at the “Popular Faculty Resources” section from this page on the Information Services.

Successful Students Collaborate

The Learning Commons is dedicated to the idea of students helping students to raise academic achievement. Students who study in pairs or small groups tend to learn more and perform better than students who study in isolation. The Learning Commons capitalizes on the strength of peer collaboration by hiring students who have distinguished themselves in math, writing, science or library research to work with other students in these areas. Experienced students are an excellent resource. Because they remember what it was like to learn the material, they are adept at perceiving points of confusion and explaining difficult concepts. In addition, students who seek help from their peers tend to feel less intimidated about asking questions because of the inherent equality in the peer relationship.

The Learning Commons currently offers peer assistance in general learning strategies as well as help in specific areas of math, physics, writing, biology, chemistry and library research. There is also support for English as a Second Language. The Learning Commons provides a quiet place to study as well as find help. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly these peer assistance services are available to all students at no cost.

Locations:

Learning Specialist—Learning Commons (Upjohn Library)
English as a Second Language—Learning Commons (Upjohn Library)
Writing Center—Learning Commons (Upjohn Library)
Library Research—Learning Commons (Upjohn Library)
Math/Physics—Olds‐Upton (2nd Floor)

During the 2022-2023 academic year, the Learning Commons will work with students both in-person and virtually in order to accommodate as many students as possible. More information is available, including sign-up for virtual appointments, on the Learning Commons web page.

Visit Learning Commons for more information.

Suggestions from Malcolm Smith, Dean of Students

I have concerns about a student’s academic progress, or they seem particularly detached from the academic environment (not attending class, being distant during a class, or always arriving late).

The campus Early Alert system is an excellent way to report concerns. While many students can become occasionally or momentarily detached, the Early Alert process works best when all such behaviors are reported. The Early Alert response group includes staff from the offices of advising, student development, the registrar, counseling center, athletics, and admission/financial aid. The methods of response range from notifying an academic advisor for intervention to individual contact with a given member of Early Alert. The primary goal in responding to concerns is to provide students with helpful support and information in an effort to help them reengage academically and in other ways.

I have a student who has emotional difficulties, has experienced a difficult event, seems extremely anxious, depressed, etc. What do I do?

Two things can be helpful here. First, feel free to contact Student Development or the Counseling Center Staff directly to consult regarding what you know about the student and possible courses of action (typically, how and to whom to refer a student). Second, feel free to refer a student directly to Student Development or the Counseling Center. If a student has disclosed significant information to you, they may feel more comfortable if you accompany them to a referral with Student Development or Counseling. In this case, you may wish to make the referral call yourself with the student present, and schedule a time when both of you can meet
with a Student Development or Counseling Center colleague. The key issue here is that you “hand off” significant issues rather than assume that you need to figure it out on your own or carry the responsibility by yourself.

See also: Counseling Center FAQs

It seems as though one/some of my students are having a hard time adjusting socially to campus. Is there something I can do to help them?

Engagement in activities outside of academic coursework has shown to not only lead to higher retention and graduation rates, but to overall well-being of students on campus as well (Gallup-Purdue, 2015). Often, students can find their stride in the classroom, but struggle to develop a sense of belonging to their campus as a whole. If you feel this is something a student of yours is experiencing, a conversation with them about their involvement on campus might spark interest in them. You can direct them to the Office of Student Activities to learn more about student organizations, campus programming, and more.

I have a student who is disruptive in class. What do I do?

Contact the Provost’s Office right away. Disruption is an ambiguous term and can mean lots of things. Consulting can help clarify the nature of the disruption and an appropriate course of action. A likely course of action, prior to or after consulting, is to speak directly and privately to the student who is causing the disruption. Talk in concrete terms about the behavior(s) that is/are problematic, explain why they are problematic, and direct the student to cease the behavior. If you believe that you are unable to have such a conversation, be explicit about this when you talk with the Provost’s Office. Student Development can be a helpful resource as well. Student Development cannot, however, share specific information about a particular student. What they can provide is general information about conditions which may affect a student’s learning style and classroom behavior and provide you with strategies for working with students.

See also: Student Development Classroom Behavior Policy

I think a student plagiarized, cheated on an exam, etc. what do I do?

1. Confirm your concern by checking the appropriate resources (the library’s resources, your own knowledge of resources in your discipline, and so on).
2. Once confirmed, contact Student Development to report your conclusion. If your report is the student’s first offense (which SD will establish), you will make the determination about the appropriate response or sanction. You may wish to consult with colleagues in your department (without using student names) about their responses to academic misconduct, or with colleagues in the Provost’s Office or Student Development.
3. Then you will need to meet with the student individually and privately to discuss the matter and your decision about the sanction.
4. Once done, please send a copy of all relevant materials, plus a written summary of your findings to Student Development who will follow up more formally. If a student has a prior record of academic misconduct, please provide all relevant information to Student Development who will institute the formal campus conduct process.

Determining Sanctions for first offenses:

A determination of plagiarism rests with the reporting faculty member. For a first violation, the faculty member’s judgment about severity, intention, preparation, and other factors weigh into their determination of a response. When faculty members consult with us, we also encourage them to think about a student’s history at K – a first‐year student may have a bit more latitude (in proper citations, for example) than a junior or senior with much more experience. We also encourage faculty members in every single instance to talk to the student about the issue – what was problematic, the proper way of doing whatever was problematic, and soon.

Preventing Plagiarism:

The best advice is for every faculty member to address this issue explicitly during class –what they view as academic misconduct (for example, when is group work acceptable and when does it cross a line?), what the proper citation standards are, what online resources are ok, and so on. Different disciplines have different standards and, in fairness, students need to know what is expected of them. It is best if there is also clarity about these issues on course syllabi so that students can refer to it when necessary. My sense is that there are lots of mistakes that faculty discover and use as teaching moments without calling it academic misconduct.

Why It is Important to Report Academic Dishonesty to Student Development:

We encourage faculty to report every instance of academic misconduct because it is a serious violation. This helps us avoid a situation where a given student can claim that they’ve never done it to five different faculty members (a serial first‐violator, if you will), a problem that we have mitigated in the past hand full of years.

Regarding Student Development’s response when we have a second violation, we look at the information available (often having multiple contacts with the faculty member to fully understand the issue, and always reviewing all of the materials) and in all but two cases that I am aware of have suspended the student. When a student has a first violation, they deal with the instructor and they also meet with Student Development where we discuss the problem, strategies for avoiding it down the road (sometimes it’s as simple as time management, often it involves seeking clarity from their faculty members), and make it clear that a second violation is likely to result in a suspension. The rationale for this strong stance is that academic honesty, what one ultimately does rather than what one intends, is the central value in an academic community. It is the spine from which the rest of the academic structure extends, and we protect it because of its value. So by the time we get to a second violation, we are likely to suspend and students who have a first violation know this.

See also: Academic Dishonesty Policy

A Very Important Resource for Instructors: Early Alert

If you have concerns about a student’s academic progress, or they seem particularly detached from the academic environment (not attending class, being distant during a class, or always arriving late), please use our early alert system at any time during the quarter (use it early and often, is our motto).

What is Early Alert?

Kalamazoo College has had an Early Alert system in place since 1996. Each quarter faculty and advisors are asked to notify the Early Alert Committee of advisees or students in their classes who are struggling or disengaged, unresponsive to attempts at contact, or who otherwise seem to be in academic or personal difficulty. Advisors are notified immediately via email of all reports submitted about their advisees. We expect that advisors respond promptly by meeting with the advisee to help them assess the problem, see what changes might be made, and refer them to resources as needed.

The Early Alert Committee, a group of academic and student development administrators, meets weekly each term between Weeks 2 and 9 to review all reports, determine if there might be a larger problem, and make plans for follow-up, if needed. Faculty should report students to Early Alert (early, as the name implies, and frequently) whenever they have concerns about a student experiencing academic difficulty, or if a student seems particularly disengaged from the academic environment. Students reported may show some of the following symptoms: poor attendance or participation; missed assignments or tests; chronic lateness or sleeping in class; signs of emotional or physical distress; disruptive classroom behavior; chronic unavailability for advising appointments; unresponsiveness; and so on.

Please note that academic difficulty may not be limited to failing grades; a student may be passing a course, but nevertheless appear detached or exhibit other worrisome behaviors. A grade of D or F in coursework should be an automatic trigger of concern. When in doubt, you should alert students about whom you are concerned, even if you are following up yourself. Also remember that students may need more than one alert. If you see no change in progress/behavior over the course of a week or two, please submit another alert.

 If a student has been reported more than one time, for more than one course, or is showing symptoms of trouble in other areas, a member of the EA Committee will reach out to the advisor and/or student directly. Early Alert reports are considered confidential to the committee and the advisor. If, when you are reporting, you would prefer that the student not be informed of the report, the Committee will find a discreet way of following up. Also remember that students *often* may need more than one alert. The committee is interested in knowing about continued signs of problematic academic behavior. When in doubt, submit an Early Alert. If you see no change in academic progress over the course of a week or two – again – submit an Early Alert.

The EA (Early Alert) online reporting link is located on the Hornet Hive in the “Resources” area – the left-side navigation column.

If the student is neither member of your class nor an advisee, in which case, email: Early.Alert@kzoo.edu. Please contact Lesley Clinard, Director of Academic Advising and Chair of the Early Alert Committee (lclinard@kzoo.edu or 337-5767) if you have any questions.

All textbooks, supplemental materials, and supplies for classroom use are to be ordered through the College Bookstore.  The Bookstore utilizes an online textbook adoption system called Verba Collect to obtain course materials from instructors.  I begin collecting course materials through this system about three weeks before registration begins for the next quarter, you will receive an email message when the system is ready for you to enter your materials.

The Bookstore does not order desk copies for faculty.  If you need a desk copy, I suggest that you check with your department coordinator, they should be able to obtain one for you.  Most publishers will provide faculty members with a free copy if the book has been adopted for classroom work.  Please call if you need assistance with any publisher information.  The Bookstore does allow faculty to purchase books and then return them when they receive their desk copy.  If a new copy is purchased it must be returned in mint condition.

If you plan on using a coursepack for your class that information should be entered into the online system so that I know to reserve space on the shelf.  If the material in the coursepack is not yours then copyright permission will be required before the pack can be printed.  The company we use for coursepacks is Mycoursepack.com and you can contact them at 269-387-0825 or mycoursepack@gmail.com. They will work with you, get permission to print the material, and then sell the coursepacks to the Bookstore to be sold to the students.  If the material in the coursepack is yours and copyright permission is not needed then you can contact the college’s Mail and Copy Center for printing.  They will print the coursepack to your specifications and then the Bookstore will sell them.

Please feel free to contact Debbie Thompson, Bookstore Director, at 337-7318 or at debbie.thompson@kzoo.edu if you ever have any course materials questions or issues.

Administering Evaluations Process

The FEC requests that all faculty read the following to their classes before distributing the evaluation forms.

“These evaluations are the primary source of guidance for improving the entire academic endeavor for both students and faculty at Kalamazoo College. Please take a few minutes to address specific aspects of your course experience as prompted on the evaluation form. The information you submit will be used for course revision and evaluation of faculty. A Student volunteer will take the completed evaluation forms to the Registrar’s Office and they will remain sealed until after final grades are assigned. Scores will then be compiled by the Provost’s Office and evaluations read by administrators, a faculty committee, and by your instructor.”

Procedure for Administering Student Evaluations

• Students receive information, a link, and a reminder to complete evaluations through their Kalamazoo College email.
• Students have a window of time at the end of the quarter to complete the evaluations.
• Faculty can increase the response rate by reminding students in class, explaining how the faculty member and/or department benefits from this feedback, and even setting aside class time during the final week for students to complete the form on their device.

The Teaching Commons offer detailed information and instructions on procedures for the course evaluations.

Check out the Information Services (IS) Staff Directory to contact a particular person in the department.

Visit the Registrar Staff page to contact a particular person within the department.

Registrar FAQ

Visit the Student Development page to contact a particular person within the department.

Campus Safety

Kalamazoo College operates its own non‐deputized security program. Campus Safety personnel therefore have no arrest powers. Campus Safety personnel, under the direction of Timothy Young, Director of Campus Safety, regularly patrol the campus 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Campus Safety will respond to all requests for service and attend to situations around the campus that affect the security of residents and visitors. The College administration has increased exterior lighting, added outdoor emergency phones and trimmed shrubbery to make our environment safer. Although these improvements, and the presence of security patrols, greatly increase campus security, safety must always be of personal concern to members of the College community.

The Campus Safety department requests that criminal acts and unusual or suspicious activity that occurs on college property be reported immediately (269.337.7321). The department has established a close working relationship with the local public safety department. Campus Safety conducts most of the preliminary investigations on nonviolent type criminal offenses. These criminal offenses are forwarded to the local public safety department for further action. The College has no off‐campus housing or student organizations to monitor. The College Judicial Council or the Improper Sexual Conduct Panel acts on violations of College policy and may also take action on a criminal offense (see Student Conduct Code). Campus Safety will request immediate response from the public safety department on crimes in progress, crimes against a person and medical emergencies.

Emergency response requests to college campus can be accomplished by contacting Campus Safety (269.337.7321) or the Kalamazoo Public Safety Department (9‐911).

Visit the Campus Safety website for more information on campus emergency procedures.

Student Development Policies

For a full list of student policies, visit the Student Development Policies page.

• Human Resources website
• Human Resources Staff Directory
• Fitness and Wellness Center website
• Fitness and Wellness Center Contact
• Payroll website

Kalamazoo College Summary of Benefits for New Faculty

This brief summary of benefits is a guideline only; nothing herein should be construed as creating any contract rights for any employee. Plan Documents and Certificates of Coverage will govern plan provisions at all times. Basic eligibility for most benefits requires at least half time employment. Consult Human Resources staff, benefit handbooks and summary plan documents for more information. Please note that the College reserves the right to alter, modify, amend or terminate any benefit at any time. For current details, see the Human Resources Benefits web page. Information specific to new employees can be found here: https://hr.kzoo.edu/current-employees/new-employee-benefits/

Faculty/staff wellness program

Includes Fitness and Wellness Center, classes and workshops, family activities. Details at https://fitnesscenter.kzoo.edu/.

Health and dental insurance:

Coverage is effective the first day of employment, pending completed enrollment within 30 days of hire.

• Kalamazoo College Healthcare - The College and the employee contribute to the premium. Dependent coverage is available for spouses, eligible domestic partners and children. Spouses and partners with coverage available through their own employers are required to enroll in that coverage. The College does not contribute to the cost of dependent coverage for employees with less than a ¾ time appointment (.75 full time equivalent).
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance

Flexible Benefit Plan (Section 125 pre‐tax reimbursement accounts)

• Annual enrollment provides opportunity to pay on a pre‐tax basis through reimbursement accounts for out‐of‐pocket qualified health expenses and dependent care expenses.
• Employee’s share of health insurance premium is taken pre‐tax unless employee waives this option.
• More information can be found here: https://hr.kzoo.edu/benefits/healthcare/

Term life insurance:

• Effective upon employment, pending completed application within 30 days of hire. College pays premium for basic coverage, which consists of two times annual base salary with a minimum coverage of $50,000 and a maximum coverage of $100,000. In addition, employee may purchase additional coverage for themselves and/or their eligible dependents.
• More information can be found here: https://hr.kzoo.edu/benefits/life-and-disability/unum-life-insurance/

Long term disability insurance:

• One year waiting period for enrollment eligibility; waiting period waived if the employee is coming from coverage under a similar plan with no more than 90 days lapse of coverage.
• College pays premium. Benefit in the event of disability is 60% of salary, offset by social security and certain other benefits, following a six month elimination period. Monthly maximum benefit is $8,000. Benefits for total disability continue to age 65. Includes a monthly annuity premium benefit credited to 403(b)plan.
• More information can be found here: https://hr.kzoo.edu/benefits/life-and-disability/long-term-disability/

Other benefits from Unum include

• Employee assistance program
• Emergency travel assistance

403(b) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan:

• Two year waiting period for participation, with credit given for service in a benefits eligible position at another institution of higher education. College contributes an amount equal to 5% of annual base salary; in addition, employee may contribute up to 5% of annual salary which the College matches dollar‐for‐dollar.
• Group SRA available with no waiting period for participation.
• More information can be found here: https://hr.kzoo.edu/benefits/retirement-savings/

Emeriti Retirement Health Plan

• Eligibility for new employees requires minimum 1/2 time appointment (.50 full time equivalent).
• Tax‐advantaged health accounts, pre‐funded during the working years with contributions from the College and voluntary contributions from the employee, to pay for qualified health expenses in retirement.
• Provides qualified retirees with access to group health plans that coordinate with Medicare.

Tuition benefit for children of employees

• Employee must be 3/4 time with at least two consecutive full time service years immediately prior to benefit period.
• Benefit applies if eligible child attends Kalamazoo College or a school in the GLCA Tuition Remission Exchange. Provides full tuition benefit at Kalamazoo College. At other schools participating in the GLCA Tuition Remission Exchange, the student is charged a participation fee equal to 15% of average GLCA tuition. Kalamazoo College currently pays one third of this participation fee. Provides benefit for up to four years for up to two children; portion of benefit unused by first two children may be used by a third child.

Note: See the helpful Business Office FAQ page on the website.

Staff

See the Business Office Contact Us page for full staff.

Paydays

The first pay date for the 2021-22 academic year is the October 1 paycheck paid on October 1, 2021.  Salary checks are available for pick-up at the Business Office counter, Mandelle, Room 201, on the first of the month; they are not sent through campus mail.  Once you have access to the college intranet, you may sign up for Direct Deposit on the Payroll website page (https://payroll.kzoo.edu/direct-deposit/).  If the pay date falls on a weekend or a holiday, the paychecks are available (in paper form or as direct deposit) on the last working day prior to that date.  Accordingly, your ‘January 1, 2022’ paycheck is paid December 31, 2021 and is part of the 2021 tax year.

Direct Deposit

• Direct deposit is available for all College payments— payroll, student refunds, and accounts payable payments.
• Enjoy the many benefits of direct deposit—No more lost checks. No more rushing to the bookstore or bank to cash your check.
• Complete the Direct Deposit online form on the Payroll website to sign up.

Additional Information

See Quick Guide to Business Office Questions

Faculty Development Opportunities

• Faculty Development Committee website for more information regarding grant and leaves
• Professional Development Projects and Travel Grants
• Teaching and Learning Grants (TLC);
• Faculty/Student Summer Research Grants

Other Funding Options

International travel grants may be available from the Center for International Programs.

One‐Quarter Academic Leaves:

During the academic year, the Provost will offer one‐quarter, full‐pay Academic Leaves to two faculty members for the purpose of furthering or completing a professional project. For tenured faculty, preference is given to those whose sabbatical year is more than two years past. For tenure‐track faculty the first retention review must be successfully completed before being eligible for either of these leaves. Tenure‐track faculty should remember that if they choose to take a one‐quarter leave, they are not eligible for the post‐3rd‐year review leave. If there are any questions about this, please contact the Provost.

See the Grant and Leave Guidelines for more information.

Year‐Long Leaves:

Following at least six years of full‐time service to the College and/or associated professional activities in College‐approved programs or the equivalent, a faculty member is eligible to apply for one‐quarter’s leave (at full pay), two quarters’ leave (at 8/9 annual pay), or three quarters’ leave (at 2/3 annual pay). Among the criteria for the granting of sabbatical leaves are the following: quality of the proposed project, schedule of previous leaves, evidence of productivity on previous leaves, and likelihood of long‐range contribution of the leave to the enrichment of the College environment. Faculty members requesting sabbaticals are expected to investigate sources for outside funding and to work with departments in guaranteeing that their teaching and other obligations may be effectively covered in their absence.

See the Grant and Leave Guidelines for more information.

Criteria for Instructional Development Grants (Teaching and Learning Committee) can be found on the TLC website.

See the Pedagogical Development Grants page to complete the grant application form.

NOTE: Awards will not be given by both Faculty Development and the Teaching and Learning Committee for the same conference/workshop/meeting. Choose the funding method that best suits your request, please.

Help Finding Outside Funding for Scholarship/Teaching
Research and Development

The College’s Director of Faculty Grants, Jessica Fowle, will work with individual faculty interested exploring outside funding for their work.

See the Faculty Grants website for more information or call the Director of Faculty Grants at 269.337.7418.

Tenure‐track faculty typically undergo a first‐year review followed by a reappointment review during their third year in service, though individual contracts may vary according to previous experience. At the beginning of the spring term of the first year of service, the Provost's Office notifies faculty to be reviewed of materials necessary to the review, and the deadlines for submitting these materials.

For more details on file preparation and specific timeline, visit the Faculty Personnel Committee website.

See Acronyms Commonly Used at Kalamazoo College