Faculty Information Brochure
A PDF of the Faculty Information Brochure is available. It requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
January 2007
The first edition of this Faculty Information brochure was prepared by Professors Barbara R. Cole, Michael V. Friedlander, Ronald M. Levin and Gerhild Scholz Williams as a convenient reference guide to entities and policies that affect our lives at Washington University.
This 2007 edition has been updated to include additional and modified policies. This brochure is not meant to be exhaustive; instead, it assembles the organizational information, rules, and statements that we believe to be of broadest importance to faculty and academic administrators on this campus. The introductory material on pages 3-18 are not statements of Univeristy policy (except where policies are quoted) and are intended only as an aid to locating pertinent resources and policies. All of the items in this compilation are of University-wide concern; supplemental or modifying policies established by individual schools are not included.
These policies may be changed at any time, in some but not all cases subject to faculty approval. While this compilation will be updated as the need arises, you may consult with the office of Diversity and Administration if you wish to be sure that you have the most recent copy of any policy.
We hope you will find this brochure useful.
Gerhild Scholz Williams
Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs
Organization
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees of Washington University is made up of approximately 50 men and women from the corporate, professional, educational, governmental, and volunteer sectors of the St. Louis community and other major cities nationwide and abroad. Non-voting representatives to the Board include two faculty, two undergraduate students, and two graduate students.
The Board of Trustees is legally responsible for the institution whose assets it holds in trust and for which it exercises a policy-making and oversight role. The Board appoints the chancellor, reviews and approves or disapproves annual budgets and major capital expenditures, makes final decisions on awards of tenure and degrees, oversees the management of the endowment, and oversees and participates in the development program. Trustees focus on questions concerning future implications of current policies and practices.
Committees of the Board
The basic work of the Board takes place through 13 committees:
- Executive Committee
- Asset Management Committee
- Audit Committee
- Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Compensation Committee
- Development Committee
- Educational Policy Committee
- University Finance Committee
- Medical Finance Committee
- Honorary Degree Committee
- Nominating Committee
- Research-Graduate Affairs Committee
- Undergraduate Life Committee
http://boardoftrustees.wustl.edu/current-trustees.html
Central Administration
Chancellor
The Chancellor is the chief executive officer of the University and exercises authority delegated by the Board of Trustees in a wide range of substantive areas.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of Arts & Sciences
The Executive Vice Chancellor is the chief academic officer of the University and is charged with overseeing academic matters, the libraries, and academic support services.
The Dean of Arts & Sciences oversees all academic and financial support of the College of Arts & Sciences, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and University College of Arts & Sciences.
Executive Vice-Chancellor for Medical Affairs and Dean
The Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine oversees all academic, research, and clinical programs on the medical school campus. This officer also manages relations with all affiliated teaching hospitals.
Executive Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development Programs
The Executive Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development Programs oversees the fund-raising activities for the University and its endowment through donations from alumni, corporations, and other benefactors as well as relations with the University's alumni and parents. The executive vice chancellor coordinates other programs such as the National Councils, the International Advisory Council for Asia, the Parents Council, and Alumni and Parent Admissions Programs. The Alumni and Development Office is also responsible for University relations with private foundations. Grant proposals to foundations must be cleared through this office.
Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration
The Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration serves as the University's chief administrative officer and has overall responsibility for the financial and administrative functions of the University, including human resources, financial services, audit, information technology, facility construction and maintenance, utilities, environmental health and safety, procurement, off-campus housing and real estate, police and transportation.
Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel
The Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel heads the Office of General Counsel and manages the delivery of a broad range of legal services (transactional, litigation and counseling) to the University's Board of Trustees and management, and to the individual schools, departments, committees, and other entities that make up the University community.
Vice Chancellors
Vice Chancellor for Capital Projects
The Vice Chancellor for Capital Projects oversees the planning, costing and timely completion of major construction projects.
Vice Chancellor for Governmental and Community Relations
The Vice Chancellor of Government and Community Relations oversees the federal relations, state relations, local governmental relations and community relations. The vice chancellor leads the University's federal advocacy efforts, working closely with the Missouri congressional delegation, research agencies in Washington, D.C., and with a variety of national associations.
Vice Chancellor for Finance
The Vice Chancellor for Finance is the University's chief financial officer with responsibility for financial services including accounting, treasury, and financial planning and analysis. The vice chancellor coordinates the development of the annual operating budget and monitors and controls the overall fiscal operations of the University.
Vice Chancellor for Human Resources
The Vice Chancellor for Human Resources provides strategic leadership on human resources matters, with responsibility for the School of Medicine Human Resources Department and the functional areas of benefits, wage and salary administration, faculty and staff records, talent acquisition, training and career development, employee relations, affirmative action/equal employment, labor relations, and compliance.
Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Dean of University Libraries
The Vice Chancellor for Information Technology coordinates the development of University technology policy and manages the top levels of the University's web presence. The office also represents the University in regional and national library and information organizations. The Dean of University Libraries oversees the collections and services of the Olin Library and nine school and departmental libraries.
Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs
The Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs works to build and enhance the reputation and relationship of Washington University in St. Louis with international, national, and regional audiences for all campuses, including both the Danforth and Medical Campuses. All University relations with the news media fall under the aegis of Public Affairs, as do official publications for such audiences as alumni, parents, friends, prospective students, and other external audiences. The office also is responsible for marketing, photographic services, Assembly Series, Commencement, and the Record — the faculty & staff newspaper.
Vice Chancellor for Research
The Vice Chancellor for Research oversees research and technology transfer and supervises or works closely with the Research Office, the Office of Sponsored Projects Accounting and the Grants and Contracts Office. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research is responsible for technology management, including research grants and contracts with industry and patenting, licensing, and other activities that encourage transfer of University-developed technology to industry. The Vice Chancellor oversees all compliance activities in the research arena, and is the institutional officer responsible for assuring Washington University conducts its research in an ethical manner, protecting all research subjects, and that the University is a vigilant steward of external awards.
Vice Chancellor for Students and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
The Vice Chancellor for Students oversees the teaching and learning of undergraduates. The offices of Campus Life, Community Service, Greek Life, Student Activities, Undergraduate Admissions, Career Center, Student Financial Services, Orientation, Student Health and Counseling, Office for International Students and Scholars, Residential Life, Athletics, Cornerstone, Dining Services, and Event Services report to the Vice Chancellor for Students.
Schools
Washington University includes the following schools and divisions:
- Faculty of Arts & Sciences
- College of Arts & Sciences
- Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
- University College
- George Warren Brown School of Social Work
- John M. Olin School of Business
- Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
- College of Architecture
- Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design
- College of Art
- Graduate School of Art
- School of Engineering and Applied Science
- School of Law
- School of Medicine
A large portion of the responsibility for academic issues (recommendation for tenure, curriculum, academic calendar) falls to the individual schools and their deans. The schools are the fundamental building blocks of this University and key academic decisions are made primarily by the deans and not by the central administration. Some of the schools further divide into departments.
University Faculty Governance
Faculty Senate and Senate Council
The Faculty Senate consists of the voting members of the faculty of all of the constituent schools. Through the Senate, the faculty can express itself on matters of major University policy and, where such responsibility is assigned by the Tenure Policy, give or withhold its consent. For example, the Washington University Policy on Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Tenure was adopted by the Senate, the Administration and the Board of Trustees, and modifications to this policy require the Senate's approval.
The Faculty Senate is required to have two regular meetings each year and is presided over by the chancellor. Special meetings may be called, on the request of the chancellor, the Senate Council, or any ten members of the Senate.
The Senate Council is the elected executive body of the Senate and consists of one representative elected by each school but with two from the Arts & Sciences and two from Medicine. In addition, there are five members elected by the faculty at-large, elected as follows: two from Arts & Sciences, two from Medicine and one from the other schools. The secretary is elected by the Senate and serves both the Senate and the Senate Council. Each year the Council elects its own chairperson and executive committee consisting of the chair, the secretary and two other members.
The Senate Council meets regularly with the chancellor and executive vice chancellor, or any other representative appointed by the chancellor, to receive reports and provide advice as may be requested. The Senate Council nominates faculty members to a wide variety of University-wide committees and may, as it sees fit, select ad hoc committees for specific tasks. In addition, faculty comment on the annual reappointment of certain senior members of the Administration (such as the executive vice chancellor and vice chancellors) is reviewed by the Council, which then reports to the chancellor. The advice of the Council's executive committee is required for initial appointments to those positions.
The Senate Council does not itself legislate but it can bring to the faculty, at a Faculty Senate meeting, items that require faculty approval or consultation. Two members of the Council, by custom the chairperson and the secretary, serve as nonvoting members of the Board of Trustees.
The five at-large members of the Senate Council constitute the Advisory Committee, which is defined by the tenure policy as a component in the University grievance system.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/council.html for the full text of the Senate Constitution and By-laws.
http://www.wustl.edu/senatecouncil/
University Committees
A number of standing committees, composed of some combination of faculty, students, and staff, are appointed annually by the chancellor. In recent years, these have included:
- Academic Calendar Committee
- Affirmative Action Committee (Faculty and Administration)
- Art Collections and Program Committee
- Assembly Series Committee
- Benefits Committee
- Bookstore Advisory Committee
- Commencement Committee
- Committee on University Policy and Practice Affecting Students with Disabilities
- Coordinating Council for Diversity Initiatives (CCDI)
- Danforth Campus Committee on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
- Holocaust Memorial Lecture Committee
- Library Council
- Mallinckrodt Center Advisory Committee
- Parking and Traffic Advisory Committee
- Safety and Security Committee
- Sports and Recreation Advisory Committee
- Discrimination and Title IX Grievance Committee
- University Judicial Board
Numerous other groups that include faculty are appointed by the chancellor or the executive vice chancellor, or any other representative appointed by the chancellor, to deal with various issues.
University Police Department and Medical School Protective Services Departments
On the Danforth Campus
University Police officers are available 24 hours a day to respond to any emergency request for police services. Officers conduct preventive patrols throughout the campus in vehicles, on bicycles, and on foot. The Police Department specifically assigns officers to patrol all campus residence areas 24 hours a day.
Washington University Police officers are deputized by St. Louis County and are authorized to make arrests when probable cause exists under the laws of the State of Missouri and St. Louis County. Information collected by the University Police may be used by the Judicial Administrator or the Judicial Board to enforce the University Student Judicial Code. See http://www.wustl.edu/policies/judicial.html.
Emergency "blue light" telephones are available at many locations around the campus. They are easily recognizable at night by the bright blue light mounted above each telephone. When the red button on the face of the telephone is pushed, a connection is made directly to the University Police dispatcher. Since the dispatcher knows the exact location of the telephone, help can be sent immediately even if the caller can not talk. These telephones may be used anytime assistance is needed from the Police Department.
For other Danforth services, call the University Police at (314) 935-5555 for emergencies and (314) 935-5533 for non-emergencies.
.On the Medical School Campus
At the Medical School, the Protective Services Department is responsible for the protection of life and property. Both armed and unarmed officers form the Protective Services Department, which provides these law enforcement functions as well as providing customer service assistance on a 24-hour basis, 365 days a year.
Supervisors and Response Officers, are armed and possess police powers, including arrest, search, and seizure, etc. They patrol university buildings, lots and garages, write serious incident reports and handle most crime related calls. Selected armed officers are also trained EMTs. Armed officers patrol on foot, on bicycle or in mobiles.
Communication Officers and Public Safety Officers are unarmed officers. Communications Officers staff the 24-hour Dispatch Center and answer all calls for service. Public Safety Officers patrol campus buildings on foot, assist in the Dispatch Center, and write less serious reports.
A small contingent of contract officers are stationed at fixed posts and report any incidents to the in-house officers for resolution. Any campus community member who witnesses a crime, is the victim of a crime, or has information regarding a crime or safety hazard is encouraged to make an immediate report to Protective Services at (314) 362-HELP. When a crime is reported to Protective Services, a written incident report is prepared. An investigator will be assigned to selected cases.
University Policies
Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity
Washington University welcomes applications for employment from women, minorities, veterans and the disabled at all job levels, and encourages their hire and promotion. Further, the University is committed to the principles of affirmative action, having established affirmative action programs for the employment and advancement of women and minorities, Vietnam-era and special disabled veterans, and the disabled.
Washington University encourages and gives full consideration to all applicants for admission, financial aid, and employment. The University does not discriminate in access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability. Present Department of Defense policy governing ROTC and AFROTC programs discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation; such discrimination is inconsistent with Washington University policy.
Inquiries about compliance should be addressed to the vice chancellor for human resources.
http://aisweb.wustl.edu/hr/pages.nsf/Workplace?OpenFrameset
Candidates and Other Political Speakers at Washington University Guidelines
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/political.html for the full text of the Candidates and Other Political Speakers at Washington University Guidelines policy.
Code of Conduct
Statement of General Principles
April 2002
This code applies to the following members of the Washington University community: (a) individuals who are paid by Washington University when they are working for the University — this category includes faculty and staff; (b) consultants, vendors, and contractors when they are doing business with the University; and (c) individuals who perform services for the University as volunteers. The Code of Conduct refers to all these persons collectively as "members of the University community" or "community members."
Integrity and Ethical Conduct
Washington University is committed to the highest ethical and professional standards of conduct as an integral part of its mission, the promotion of learning. To achieve this goal, the University relies on each community member's ethical behavior, honesty, integrity, and good judgment. Each community member should demonstrate respect for the rights of others. Each community member is accountable for his/her actions.
This Code of Conduct describes standards to guide us in our daily University activities, standards we believe are already being followed.
Compliance with Laws and University Policies
The University and each community member must transact University business in compliance with all laws, regulations, and University policies related to their positions and areas of responsibility. Managers and supervisors are responsible for teaching and monitoring compliance in their areas.
Please visit http://codeofconduct.wustl.edu/ for the full text of the Washington University Code of Conduct.
http://codeofconduct.wustl.edu/statement.html
University Compliance Program and Reporting of Suspected Violations of Laws, Regulations, or University Policies
January 2007
Washington University wants to ensure that none of its staff, faculty, third-party vendors and service providers, or other contractors feel obligated to participate in activities they consider to be illegal or unethical. All staff, faculty, and contractors are required to comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, as well as University policies, including the University's Code of Conduct.
As described in the Code of Conduct, the University Compliance Office maintains a hotline for employees and others to call to report any suspected violations of laws, regulations, or University policies. The hotline number is (314) 362-4998. Calls to the hotline are anonymous unless the caller wishes to give his/her name or phone number. The University Compliance Office is responsible for ensuring issues reported in hotline calls are investigated and resolved.
The federal False Claims Act is intended to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse of government funds. It is a violation of the federal False Claims Act for anyone to knowingly submit, or cause another person to submit, a false claim and receive government funds. Examples of actions that could violate the federal False Claims Act include overcharging the government for services rendered; filing a claim with the government for services that were not rendered; or filing a claim with the government with information known to be false. Anyone who knowingly or intentionally submits a false claim to the federal government is liable for civil penalties of $5,500 to $11,000 per claim, plus three times the amount of damage caused by the false claim.
Anyone who suspects a violation of the False Claims Act or any other federal, state, or local law, a University policy, or the University's Code of Conduct is required to promptly report it to University management. Anyone who, in good faith, reports a suspected or actual violation of law, regulation, or University Code of Conduct or policy will be protected from retaliation and retribution as a result of such reporting, regardless of whether or not, after investigation, a violation is found to have occurred. As outlined in the University's Code of Conduct, the following channels are available for informing University management of the suspected violations:
- Report it directly to your supervisor or department head or chair.
- Report it to the related area-specific compliance office.
- Call the University hotline at (314) 362-4998. Reports may be made anonymously.
If issues related to misuse of government funds are not addressed and resolved by the above reporting channels, the federal False Claims Act contains provisions that allow citizens with evidence of false claims against the government to sue, on behalf of the government, in order to recover the improperly charged funds. If the suit ultimately ends in a monetary judgment, the citizen may share in the damages recovered. The federal False Claims Act extends protections to employees who report false claims from retaliation or discrimination by an employer.
Commitment to Free Forum of Ideas
August 2006
The Assembly Series fully embraces the University's commitment to presenting a wide diversity of ideas and opinions and encouraging free discussion of those ideas and opinions.
It is with this commitment in mind that the Assembly Series Committee agrees that guest speakers should expect to be heard without interference from or harassment by those who oppose their views or positions, and that posters, banners and other forms of expression should not be brought into the presentation area during the talk so that an environment that is free of interference, distraction and intimidation shall be maintained. The Assembly Series Committee welcomes the opportunity to help student groups bring guests to speak on a variety of issues and to arrange forums for a discussion period following a lecture during which opposing perspectives may be discussed.
The University policy is: No placards or banners inside Graham Chapel or other presentation areas on campus, either in support of or in opposition to the speaker. Groups are free to gather outside, to leaflet, to display posters and to distribute literature, as long as they do not obstruct entry or disrupt the speaker in any way.
Computer Use
May 1997
The Computer Use Policy provides guidelines for appropriate use of computer facilities and services at Washington University. It offers principles to help guide members of the Washington University community, and specific policy statements that serve as a reference points. It will be modified as new questions and situations arise.
While some of the guidelines call for respectful and responsible use of the computer networks to protect the rights of individuals, others warn against actions that may violate the law: users within the academic community must understand the perils of illegal use, exchange, or display of copyrighted, deceptive, defamatory, or obscene materials on a web page or through other electronic communication channels.
For the full text of the Computer Use Policy, please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/compolcy.html.
Conflict of Interest
December 1993
The University has adopted a policy relating to situations in which a faculty member may have a conflict of interest because of the possibility of personal benefit or financial gain. Pursuant to the policy, faculty members must complete annual financial disclosure statements identifying potential conflicts. In addition, the University will not permit any research to be carried out under its auspices that permanently is not open to public view, and exceptions (of limited and specified duration) are governed by the Conflict of Interest Policy.
See http://www.wustl.edu/policies/conflict.html for the full text of the Conflict of Interest Policy.
Procurement Conflict of Interest Policy
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/procurement-conflict-of-interest.html for the full text of the "Procurement Conflict of Interest Policy" policy.
Consensual Faculty-Student Relationships
March 1996
The University has adopted a policy that addresses dating, romantic, or sexual relationships between faculty members and students. A faculty member (including, for this purpose only, teaching assistants and anyone else who teaches) may not engage in such a relationship with a student if the faculty member has a "position of authority" with regard to that student.
A faculty member involved in a consensual relationship with a student must avoid entering into activities such as teaching the student in a course or supervising the student in a school program; or, if the personal relationship develops while the activity is under way, the individuals involved must take steps to ensure that the faculty member will no longer occupy a position of authority over the student. Deans and department chairs oversee compliance with this policy.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/consent.html for the full text of the Consensual Faculty-Student Relationships Policy.
Demonstration and Disruption
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/demonstrations-and-disruption.html for the full text of the Demonstration and Disruption Policy.
Discriminatory Harassment
December 2002
University policies have long opposed all forms of discriminatory harassment. In 2002, the University adopted a formal policy emphasizing its commitment to an environment free of harassment on the basis of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status or disability. This policy confirms that allegations of any sort of discriminatory harassment are subject to the policies and procedures described in the Sexual Harassment Policy.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/discriminatoryharassment.html for the full text of the Policy on Discriminatory Harassment.
Drug and Alcohol
Federal law requires that the University maintain and disseminate a policy that strictly prohibits the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of controlled substances and alcohol by students, faculty, and staff members on its property or as part of any of its activities. The Policy must also provide information on the health and legal risks of drugs and alcohol and on counseling and treatment available in the community.
The Drug and Alcohol Policy, and charts describing legal penalties and health risks are available at http://hr.wustl.edu, Workplace Support, Key Policies.
Information Security
October 2006
Most of Washington University's financial, administrative, research, and clinical systems are accessible through the campus network. As such, they are vulnerable to security breaches that may compromise confidential information and expose the university to losses and other risks. At Washington University, security is critical to the physical network, computer operating systems, and application programs and each area offers its own set of security issues and risks.
Confidentiality and privacy, access, accountability, authentication, availability, and Information Technology system and network maintenance are components of a comprehensive security plan.
The University's Information Security Policy plan identifies key concerns and issues faced by the University community at the application, host, and network level, and strives for a balance between the University's desire to promote and enhance the free exchange of ideas and its need for security of critical information and systems.
http://www.wustl.edu/policies/infosecurity.html
Intellectual Property
July 2005
The Intellectual Property Policy addresses the ownership of intellectual property, the responsibilities of the University and of creators (e.g., inventors, developers, authors) in connection with that intellectual property, and oversight of technology transfer activities.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/intelprop.html for the full text of the Intellectual Property Policy. The policy's Guidelines On Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer and "Useful Definitions in Discussions of Technology Management and Conflict of Interest" can be found at http://www.wustl.edu/policies/intelprop.html
.Research Integrity
March 2002
In the course of their research, faculty members may be faced with situations that raise questions about the integrity of research practices, assemblage of data and/or publication of such data. Procedures have been developed to report and resolve issues pertaining to the integrity of research.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/research.html for the full text of the Research Integrity Policy.
Sexual Harassment
April 1997
Washington University is committed to maintaining an environment that is conducive to learning and scholarship, free of sexual harassment. To this end, a policy has been developed that defines sexual harassment and sets forth remedies available to those who believe they have experienced it.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/sexharas.html for the full text of the Sexual Harassment Policy.
Smoking
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/nosmoking.html for the full text of the Smoking Policy.
WUSM Tobacco-Free Policy
April 2007
It is the policy of the University to provide a healthy, comfortable and productive work and learning environment for all faculty, staff and students. All smoking and other use of tobacco products are strictly prohibited within the School of Medicine buildings and on our property, including during breaks and meal times. This policy applies to the entire School of Medicine community, including, but not limited to all faculty, staff, students, patients, contractors and visitors.
Individuals within the WUSM community are not permitted to smoke or use tobacco products within WUSM owned, leased or occupied facilities or on WUSM owned, leased or occupied property. This includes:
- the physical campuses;
- parking facilities and lots (including in personal vehicles at these locations);
- WUSM owned, leased or rented vehicles;
- within 20 feet of entryways or exits; near air intakes; or near fire/explosion hazards;
- any worksites in which individuals within the WUSM Community work.
- If individuals within the WUSM community smoke or use tobacco products off WUSM properties, they are expected to be respectful of residents, hospitals and businesses neighboring WUSM facilities. They should not loiter in front of homes, hospitals or businesses near WUSM facilities and must discard tobacco products in appropriate receptacles.
- Violations of the policy may result in disciplinary action.
Use of University Facilities for Political Activities
The Use of University Facilities for Political Activities can be found on-line at http://www.wustl.edu/policies/polfac.html
Faculty Policies
Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Tenure
The Washington University Policy on Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Tenure, commonly known as the Tenure Policy, governs aspects of the relationship between members of the faculty and the University. It sets forth both responsibilities and rights. The following guide to selected sections, together with occasional comments, is not an "official" interpretation. It is designed to enable the reader to understand the general structure of the document and to locate passages that are most relevant to a particular situation. You should not rely on this brief outline for an understanding of the Tenure Policy's provisions, but should read the document, in its entirety, for all pertinent statements.
The Tenure Policy was adopted by the Faculty Senate, Administration, and Board of Trustees and went into effect in 1976. It has been amended on several occasions; amendments require approval by all three bodies. The policy incorporates many features that are widely accepted nationally, with significant modifications to meet the special needs of Washington University. It must be read with school specific policies and guidelines, which tailor the general policy to the specific situations of the University's individual schools.
Section I articulates the basic principles of academic freedom.
Section II discusses the basic responsibilities of faculty members to the institution, their students, their colleagues, and the larger academic community.
Section III deals with appointments and promotions.
Section IV addresses tenure, and in Section IV.B sets out the procedures for gaining tenure. Section IV.B.2 addresses the probationary period and full and part-time leaves of absence. As of September 1996, the probationary period in the schools of Art, Engineering and Applied Science, Law, and Social Work was seven years; it was seven or eight years (at the faculty member's election) in Arts & Sciences, and it was ten years at the schools of Architecture, Business, and Medicine. The schools may alter these probationary periods and adopt additional tenure rules. Section IV.B.4 defines the length of the termination notification that must be given in cases of decisions for nonrenewal of appointment and also addresses the notice due faculty with full-time "academic appointment," but not on the tenure track.
Section V describes in general the criteria for appointment, promotion, and tenure decisions and require that probationary faculty be reviewed annually.
Section VI explains the procedures for nonrenewal or termination, and should be considered along with Section VIII, which governs termination for cause.
Section VII describes the procedures for seeking relief in the case of alleged violations of academic freedom.
Sections X and XI describe the Advisory Committee on Tenure and Academic Freedom and the Academic Freedom and Tenure Hearing Committee, the highest faculty bodies that review certain kinds of grievances. Section IX sets out procedures applicable to hearings before the Academic Freedom and Tenure Hearing Committee.
Section XII sets out the role of the Senate Council in faculty self-discipline and redress and also reserves to the Administration concurrent responsibility and authority. The Administrative Hearing Committees described in Section XII.B are part of the University's response to discrimination and harassment.
The foregoing commentary is necessarily incomplete. Faculty members who need further guidance may direct their questions to the deans' offices or to knowledgeable colleagues in the University community. Some faculty members also turn to the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors for this purpose. The AAUP is listed in the campus telephone directory.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/tenure.html for the full text of the Policy on Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Tenure.
Administrative Suspension
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/administrative-suspension.html for the full text of the Administrative Suspension Policy.
Leaves of Absence
The University has adopted the following general policy regarding leaves of absence:
Washington University has no standard sabbatical leave program.
An application for a leave is considered on its own merits. A combination of factors, among them length of service, scholarly promise, particular contemplated research, nearness to completion of a major book, delays in production caused by heavy teaching, administrative, or committee loads, etc., are considered in the granting of a leave.
A leave is granted only on an annual basis and may be for all or a portion of the academic year. In unusual cases, consideration will be given to extending the leave for a second year or a portion of the year.
Also see Sections II.A, IV.B.2, and VI.B.2.a of the Tenure Policy, at http://www.wustl.edu/policies/tenure.html.
Danforth Campus Policy on Parental Leave for Full-Time Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Members
July 1999
In 1999, Washington University established a policy on Parental Leave for full-time tenured and tenure track faculty members for the Danforth Campus. The Policy provides in general for a parental leave of one semester when a full-time faculty member who is tenured or tenure-track becomes the primary care giver of a child either by childbirth or by placement of a child for adoption.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/danforth-parental-leave.html for the full description of this Danforth Campus Parental Leave Policy. The Danforth Campus has a different policy for other full-time faculty. The School of Medicine has a separate Medical and Family Leave Policy applicable to medical school full-time faculty.
Consulting Privileges
Danforth Campus
The University has adopted the following policy regarding consulting by faculty:
In common with most academic institutions, Washington University permits faculty members in most of its schools to engage in a reasonable amount of external professional activity that may be compensated from external sources.
The University does not concern itself with the amount of external compensation the faculty member receives for consulting services, but it is of course a legitimate concern of the University that excessive amounts of time are not taken away from normal University duties.
It has been Washington University practice since the 1940's that a faculty member (except Medicine) may engage in such external activities not to exceed an average of one day per week, with the understanding that his/her scheduled University activities including, of course, classes, oral examinations, and scheduled advising activities take precedence in scheduling of his/her time.
The department chairperson is held responsible for monitoring these activities in his/her department. When he/she has questions concerning particular situations, he/she should consult the dean and, if desired, the executive vice chancellor, or any other representative appointed by the chancellor.
There will be occasions when it is considered desirable for a faculty member to engage more extensively in external activities. A part-time or full leave of absence, with corresponding reduction in University duties is then appropriate. So long as the University is willing to extend the leave of absence, there is no necessary alteration of tenure status. But where a faculty member wishes to continue substantial involvement (i.e., more than one day per week) in external activities beyond the period over which the University will extend a leave-of-absence, he/she may do so by resigning his/her tenure.
Medical Campus
April 2000
The University has adopted the following policy regarding consulting by faculty:
In common with most academic institutions, Washington University permits faculty members in most of its schools to engage in a reasonable amount of external professional activity that may be compensated from external sources.
The University does not concern itself with the amount of external compensation the faculty member receives for consulting services, but it is of course a legitimate concern of the University: that excessive amounts of time are not taken away from normal University duties; that material conflicts of interest arising from the faculty member's personally-compensated, external professional activities ("personal external activities") are avoided or appropriately managed; and that such personal external activities do not inadvertently create University obligations to third parties.
The Washington University policy is that faculty members may engage in such personal external activities up to an average of one day per week, so long as those personal external activities: comport with the Conflict of Interest Policy; do not inadvertently create institutional obligations to third parties; and do not interfere with the faculty member's discharge of his/her duties to the University in clinical practice, research, teaching and/or administration. In this connection, it is not permissible for a faculty member to use the day per week permitted for external consulting to generate additional personal compensation derived from clinical care. In all cases, the faculty member's department head shall have sole discretion to determine if the faculty member's personal external activities unduly interfere with any of their University duties.
There will be occasions when it is considered desirable for a faculty member to engage more extensively in external activities. A part-time or full leave of absence, with corresponding reduction in University duties is then appropriate. So long as the University is willing to extend the leave of absence, there is no necessary alteration of tenure status. But where a faculty member wishes to continue substantial involvement (i.e., more than one day per week) in external activities beyond the period over which the University will extend a leave-of-absence, he/she may do so by resigning his/her tenure.
Student Related Policies
Access to Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records, including the right to review their own records and to restrict disclosure to third parties.
Please visit http://aisweb.wustl.edu/studentrecords/home.nsf/pages/ferpa for the full text of the University's statement on Access to Student Records.
Undergraduate Grievance
December 2002
Washington University is committed to assuring that appropriate options are available to students with grievances against faculty members, including grievances involving discrimination and/or discriminatory harassment. University policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status or disability. Discrimination or discriminatory harassment based on any of these classifications violates University policy and will not be tolerated. In some circumstances, such harassment may also violate federal, state, or local law.
The Grievance Policy & Procedures for Allegations by Undergraduate Students Against Faculty describes the informal procedures available to undergraduate students who have any type of grievance against faculty members, and the more formal procedures available to students who believe that they have been subjected to discrimination or discriminatory harassment by faculty members.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/grievance1.html for the full text of the University's statement on Undergraduate Grievance Policy and Procedures.
University Student Judicial Code
July 2005
The Code of Judicial Procedures for Students was drafted by a committee composed of faculty and students, with the aid of legal consultants. It was adopted by the Faculty Senate, the Student Union, and the Administration; and significant modification requires the approval of all three of these groups. The Code was most recently amended in July 2005.
The primary purpose of this code is "the protection of the campus community and the maintenance of an environment conducive to learning and inquiry," including the academic integrity that is crucial to the purposes of the University.
To achieve these ends, the code lists a number of specific actions that will be considered as offenses. It defines the judicial procedures that are to be used where there are alleged violations, and it sets out the sanctions that may be imposed.
Please visit http://www.wustl.edu/policies/judicial.html for the full text of the University Student Judicial Code.
Benefits and Services
Washington University makes available to its faculty and staff a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that ensures protection against catastrophic financial losses while employed, a variety of time off and quality-of-life programs and financial assistance in planning for retirement. Detailed descriptions of plans are available electronically at hr.wustl.edu, in the Benefits Office located at 7509 Forsyth Blvd, Suite 150, the Office of Human Resources located in North Brookings Hall, room 126, and the School of Medicine Human Resources Department located at 4480 Clayton Avenue.