SUMMER SESSION TEACHING

Faculty members on nine‑month contracts are under no obligation to teach during the summer sessions. Furthermore, there is no understanding, either stated or implied, that an opportunity for summer session employment will be accorded to any faculty member except when it has been definitely established by the administration that the faculty member’s services are necessary. Regular members of the academic faculty will be granted first preference in their particular area of specialization for summer session employment when available. The department coordinator, after consultation with the faculty of his/her department, shall make an initial recommendation regarding summer session class offerings to the chair of the department. Innovations are encouraged and courses of proven popularity and general acceptance should be given priority in planning. All teachers to be employed will be notified, normally by March 1, of proposed assignments and salaries. A full teaching load shall consist of six (6 ) credit hours compensated as determined by the Board of Regents. Teaching loads of less than six credit hours shall be prorated accordingly. Exceptions to the March deadline may be made for visiting professors.

CODE OF ETHICS PERTAINING TO OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT

Full time members of the Faculty are encouraged to engage in outside professional activities such as writing, consulting, lecturing, or activities of a similar nature which will enhance their professional growth or reputation, subject to the following:

1. Since the faculty member’s primary responsibility is to the University, all outside activity is considered secondary. Outside activities will be deemed excessive when, in the judgment of the chair and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, they are of an extent which interferes with the discharge of the faculty member’s full obligation to the University. An individual faculty member will usually consider himself or herself the best evaluator of how he or she is husbanding professional energies; nevertheless, the member is enjoined to consult with the chair whenever there might be any doubt as to whether the sum total of external obligations incurred could detract from the member’s ability to give adequate continuing attention to primary University obligations.

2. Outside professional activities shall not significantly conflict with classes, office hours, or other assigned duties and commitments. When outside activity does not involve absence from assigned duties and commitments, the faculty member is nevertheless responsible for keeping the chair of the department fully informed, in writing, about the nature and extent of any current outside professional commitments.

3. Except in cases specifically approved in writing by the President authorizing official University involvement, the faculty member in undertaking such employment shall act as an individual and not as an agent of the University and shall not use the name of the University nor official University stationery in connection with such work, nor shall the faculty member solicit such employment through use of his or her University position.

4. The amount of earnings from outside activities is not a concern of the University. However, in order to avoid possible charges against the University of unfair competition, a faculty member should charge fees at least as great as would be charged by firms or individuals doing similar work, except when advice or legal services are given free in the public interest.

5. In undertaking outside employment the faculty member shall not make use of University facilities nor personnel without prior written approval of the department chair responsible. (Authorization for use of University facilities will not be given when comparable facilities are available in the immediate area or when the project will involve use of equipment on a continuing basis.)

6. Great care should be taken to avoid a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict situation in carrying out any type of consultant or research activity.

7. When exceptions to this policy are necessary in the interest of the University, they must have the advance written approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

POLICY ON RELEASE OF PERSONNEL INFORMATION

[This policy, while it affects Western New Mexico University faculty, is not a part of the Faculty Handbook.]

It shall be the policy of the Board of Regents and Administration of Western New Mexico University (WNMU) to protect the privacy of current, former and prospective employees to the extent permitted by law. Accordingly, all personnel information retained by WNMU shall be considered confidential unless the Inspection of Public Records Act, NMSA 14-2-1 et seq., requires otherwise.

Confidential personnel information will not be released without the affected person’s written consent unless an administrator, who is responsible for maintaining the relevant records, determines that exceptional circumstances justify such action. Other personnel information will be made available pursuant to the Inspection of Public Records Act, as interpreted by the New Mexico courts.

The Act and decisions interpreting it provide that the following types of personnel information may be treated as confidential:

1. letters of reference concerning employment, licensing or permits;

2. letters or memoranda which are matters of opinion in personnel files, including documents concerning infractions and disciplinary actions, performance evaluations, and related materials, opinions as to whether a person should be rehired or reasons why an applicant was not hired, and any other material expressing an opinion as to a current or former employee or an applicant for employment;

3. medical and related information pertaining to illness, injury, disability to perform a job task, or sick leave;

4. names or other identifying information on applicants for positions with WNMU, until and unless a candidate is selected for a final applicant pool;

5. other types of personal information, such as military discharge or arrest records, (a) which is solicited by WNMU; (b) which is considered vital to the employment procedure; (c) which was furnished after a promise to keep the information confidential, and (d) for which disclosure would not appear to serve any identifiable public interest.

Western New Mexico University will treat these types of information as confidential to protect the privacy of current, former and prospective employees and to encourage qualified persons to apply for positions with assurance that the mere fact of their application for another job need not become public information. Western New Mexico University shall be entitled to ask persons seeking disclosure of personnel records to provide reasonable justification for such disclosure.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL

[This policy, while it affects Western New Mexico University faculty, is not a part of the Faculty Handbook.]

The chair shall be nominated by his or her respective department for a three-year term with yearly evaluations in late April by departmental faculty. The appointment is made by the University President. A department chair can be removed by a ¾ majority vote of the members of the department. Removal shall occur either at the end of a semester or academic year.

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF FACULTY MEMBERS

Faculty members, as citizens, are free to engage in political activities. With administrative approval, leaves of absence may be granted for the duration of an election campaign or a term of office, on timely application, and for a reasonable period of time. The terms of such leave of absence shall be set forth in writing, and the leave will not affect unfavorably the tenure status of a faculty member, except that time spent on such leave will not count as probationary service nor as time in rank.

MAIL DELIVERY

No university employee or anyone under the direction of a university employee will open, inspect, hold or in any way delay the delivery of mail addressed to university faculty and delivered to a university employee or anyone under the direction of a university employee by the U.S. Mail or any private delivery service.

It is the unconditional policy of Western New Mexico University that mail under the control of a university employee or under the control of anyone under the direction of a university employee be placed in the department mail box within 24 hours of the mail’s delivery to a university employee or anyone under the direction of a university employee.

Faculty Handbook

Section 400 General Academic Policies

Section 400
General Academic Policies