Site Index

Part 1

Part-time Faculty

The University recognizes the importance of part-time faculty to many departments and programs. There are several grounds on which such appointments may be made:

(1) A professional person in practice in the community may have expertise in his or her field that is valuable or even indispensable to instruction or research in an academic program. Such persons may not be willing or able to accept full-time employment at the university but are able to accept such assignments on a regular part-time basis negotiated so as to make the long-range term of service much like that of full- time faculty.

(2) A person otherwise qualified for full-time academic appointment may have personal reasons for desiring regular part-time service. Such reasons may include family obligations, independent academic projects, or other independent interests not related to academic work.

(3) The varying demands of the academic program may require from time to time an addition of teaching or research faculty on a temporary basis. Such service may be unpredictable in length, scope, and frequency, and therefore is often negotiated on a quarterly basis. Under these circumstances it is not usually possible to establish a regular part-time appointment. However, the University recognizes the value of such service and makes every effort to ensure that persons who accept temporary part-time appointments are able to take every possible advantage of the resources and benefits of university service. Where a coherent pattern of employment of such persons has emerged (for instance, when a person has consistently been invited to teach two quarters a year for several years), a regular part-time arrangement should be considered.

The main principle is that all part-time faculty, when they are needed in any of the circumstances mentioned here, should be sought, identified, employed, reviewed, counseled, encouraged, allowed to grow, retained or terminated, as part of a coherent academic plan and under the same standards as those applied to regular full-time faculty. (See the section above, p. 15, on the appointment of faculty; all stipulations there given as to consultation with the faculty on identification of need, searches, appointment, and review should apply to regular part-time appointments and, as far as is reasonable and practical, to temporary part-time appointments.)

It is especially important that the duties, expectations, and rights of part-time faculty in the academic program of the department be spelled out clearly at the time of appointment and these agreements be periodically reviewed as needed.

For instance, any one of the following stipulations might be appropriate for a given appointment, and there may be others:

(a) Assignment to teach a specified course (or courses), with no published research, committee work, or public service expected.

(b) Assignment to teach a specified course (or courses) and in this connection to carry on such research for publication as is necessary for continuing academic credibility; committee work and public service are encouraged and possibly even required.

(c) Assignment to specified research only carrying no teaching, public service, or committee responsibilities.

(d) Assignment to the full range of normal academic duties scaled down to a proportion of full-time service.

Whatever the precise definition of the assignment, the University has the right to assume that part-time faculty be reasonably knowledgeable about the mission and objective of the department in its relation to the whole institution as well as about the conditions (curriculum, general rules and policies) under which students are taking the course or under which the research fulfills the institution's objectives. Toward this end it is important, wherever possible, for part-time faculty to receive all appropriate departmental and university communications, normally to attend departmental meetings, as well as appropriate public events, seminars, and symposia, and generally share something of the life and ethos of the University. If in particular cases such participation is not desired by the individual or by the department, that should be understood and noted at the time of appointment.

The negotiation of regular part-time appointments is ordinarily preferable to temporary arrangements. Department heads and deans are encouraged, in consultation with their faculties, to plan the program of teaching and research so as to avoid undue need for temporary appointments.

Benefits and opportunities available to part-time faculty are the same as those for full-time persons unless otherwise stated in the appropriate sections of this Handbook.


Regular Part-time Status

Although the designation of "Regular Part-Time" faculty does not include tenure track status or the acquisition of tenure, it is meant to ensure an orderly and fair method of evaluating sustained performance and to guarantee reasonable procedures for the negotiation and formation of stable employment agreements. It is meant to confer an employment preference over those part-time faculty who are not so designated. As between non-tenured, full- time and regular part-time faculty there should be no automatic preferences in making general budgetary and staffing decisions. Regular part-time faculty are entitled to participate, and where appropriate to vote, in departmental deliberations. They are to be given a full and fair opportunity to share in or compete for available research support, development grants, and similar opportunities for professional growth.

In line with the following principles, the Department Head may, after consultation with the tenured faculty, recommend to the Dean that a part-time faculty member be considered "Regular Part-Time":

1. The appointment should be ongoing--that is, there must be a reasonable expectation that the individual's expertise will be required in the academic program for an indefinite period.

2. The employment should be continuous from year to year -that is, at least one quarter of service must be expected each year.

It is understood that many professional persons whose services are valued by the University will have diverse and somewhat fluctuating professional or business schedules in which deviation from this norm might occur from time to time.

3. The faculty member must have served at least twelve regular academic quarters of employment, not necessarily in succession. Prior university service or professional experience may be taken into account. The usual procedures for review of credentials, faculty vote, Head's recommendations, approval of Dean and Vice Chancellor are followed.

Revocation of Regular Part-Time Status will occur if the individual fails, over an extended period, to serve in the manner or at the frequency designated by the Head, Dean, and Vice Chancellor. Such revocation will be at the initiative of the Department Head and must be preceded by consultation with the tenured faculty and approved by the Dean, Vice Chancellor, and Chancellor.

The University is not obliged to grant Regular Part-Time status to any part-time faculty and will do so only upon the specific initiative and recommendation of the Department Head in consultation with the tenured faculty, consistent with the principles specified above, and with the approval of the Dean, Vice Chancellor , and Chancellor. The case for consideration must be strong and consistent with the University's commitment to a flexible but fair academic personnel policy. Individuals who desire such status but whose petition has not been approved by the Department Head may, after using the normal route of appeal through the Vice Chancellor, ask the Faculty Affairs Committee to review the matter according to the procedures in the Handbook (pp. 23-24).

Regular part-time faculty who wish to be considered for full- time positions in their disciplines when such positions become available should submit a written letter of application to the Department Head indicating this interest. Such applications should be given full and fair consideration by the departments. Regular part-time faculty may be interviewed for such full-time positions as would any other finalist in the selection process. Regular part- time faculty who are offered full-time appointments may be given a probationary period with proper account taken of quarters already served.

... for most full-time faculty members. (See below).

"and regular part-time"

Part-time faculty (1/2 time or more) may purchase two season tickets at the discount rate for football and basketball games.

"Benefits indicated (*) are available to part-time faculty."

Part II

Benefits for Regular Part-Time Faculty

UTK Administration will take appropriate action to implement the following improvements in benefits for regular part-time faculty: Educational assistance. Regular part-time faculty members who hold the rank of instructor or above and are employed at least 50 percent time will be permitted to take without payment of fees one course or four hours of course work each quarter in which they are employed. In addition, faculty meeting these criteria who are not teaching during the summer quarter but who will be teaching for the coming year (September-June) will be allowed to take up to 9 hours of course work with fees waived during the summer quarter. Eligibility for Professional Development Grants. Regular part-time faculty members will be allowed to compete with full-time faculty for Professional Development Grants. Residency classification of spouse and children. Regular part- time faculty employed at least 50 percent time will be allowed the same residency classification privileges as full-time faculty.

The appropriate UTK and University-Wide administrators will begin to seek the following improvements at the State level:

Group insurance. Regular part-time faculty who are employed at least 20 hours per week (or at least 50 percent time) should be eligible for participation in the University's basic group insurance program, the optional insurance program, and the long-term disability insurance program. Retirement Plans. Regular part-time faculty who are employed at least 50 percent time should be eligible to participate in the Joint Contributory Retirement System (TIAA-CREF) of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. Longevity Pay. Regular part-time faculty who are employed at least 50 percent time should be eligible for longevity pay on a proportional basis. Social Security. Consideration should be given to establishing the eligibility of part-time faculty to contribute to the Social Security System.

Part III

Faculty Senate Eligibility