Teaching & Research Faculty Handbook

Updates to the Faculty Handbook

The Teaching and Research Faculty Handbook is updated four times a year as needed.

  • Click on any item in the Table of Contents or Index and go directly to that policy.
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  • The Compare button at the end of each policy allows users to see the record of changes by individual policy.

The following new policies have been added:

The following policies have been revised:

The policy on Civil and Administrative Leave has been removed from the Handbook because it does not apply to teaching and research faculty.

The January 2023 updates are as follows.

The following new policies have been added:

The following existing policy has been added:

The following policies have been revised:

The October 2022 updates are as follows.

The following sections and policies have been revised.

The July 2022 updates are as follows.

The following policies have been revised:

The following policies have been removed from the Handbook.

College and Department Curricular Recommendations - The content from this policy is covered in two other policies: Policies and Procedures for Academic Degree Program Approval and Approval of Curricular Changes, New Courses and Course Changes.

Reserving Space in Academic Buildings for Temporary Use - The content from this policy is covered in the policy on Use and Keying of Facilities and Grounds.

The following policies have transitioned from the Board of Visitors to University-level policies. The heading for each has been revised to remove the Board policy number, and the approval and revision dates have been revised to note when the policy transitioned to the University-level. No other changes were made except for editorial changes noted below for two policies.

The following policies also transitioned from the Board of Visitors to University-level policies. The link to those policies that appeared in the Handbook has been replaced by the text of each policy. The heading for each has been revised to remove the Board policy number, and the approval and revision dates have been revised to note when the policy transitioned to the University-level. No other changes were made.

The following policies were revised.

The COVID-19 (Interim Policy) has been removed from the Handbook.

One new policy has been added:

  • Undergraduate Program Director

The Faculty Code of Conduct was updated to indicate approval by the Board of Visitors.

The following policies/documents have been revised:

  • Old Dominion University Notice of Non-Discrimination
  • Title IX Non-Discrimination Statement
  • Recruitment and Selection Process for Instructional and Administrative Faculty
  • Tenure
  • Promotion in Rank
  • Evaluation of Tenured Faculty
  • Certification of Faculty for Graduate Instruction
  • Approval of Curricular Changes, New Courses and Course Changes
  • Faculty Senate Constitution

Several new Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been added and other Schedules have been revised as follows.

The current schedule for Tenure has been revised to indicate it is effective for the 2021-22 review period.

  • A second schedule has been added to be effective for the 2022-23 review period and beyond.

The current schedule for Promotion in Rank has been revised to indicate it is effective for the 2021-22 review period.

  • A second schedule has been added to be effective for the 2022-23 review period and beyond.

A new schedule for Research Faculty Seeking Promotion effective for the 2021-22 review period has been added.

  • A second new schedule has been added to be effective for the 2022-23 review period and beyond.

The current Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers and Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Not Undergoing an In-Depth Review has been updated to clarify that it applies to those undergoing a teaching portfolio review but not undergoing an in-depth review.

A new schedule has been added for Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers and Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Not Undergoing a Teaching Portfolio Review or an In-Depth Review.

The Teaching and Research Faculty Handbook is updated four times a year as needed. The January 2021 updates are as follows.

Three new policies have been added:

  1. Faculty Code of Conduct
  2. Parental Leave Policy (Interim Policy)
  3. University Risk Management Travel Policy (Interim Policy)

Board of Visitors policies 1001, Mission of the University, and 1002, Major Goals of the University, were reaffirmed by the Board of Visitors.

The following policies have been revised.

  1. Class Attendance by Guests
  2. Class Rosters
  3. Grades and Grade Sheets
  4. Disruptive Behavior Policy for Faculty and Faculty Administrators
  5. Honorary Degrees: Criteria and Procedures
  6. Research Conflict of Interests
  7. Export Control Policy
  8. Policy for the Use of Non-Research Related Volunteers (Interim Policy)
  9. University Demonstrations Policy (Interim Policy)

The following Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been updated to provide more time for department/school committees to conduct their review.

  1. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Lecturers and Clinical Assistant Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment)
  2. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers, Master Lecturers, Clinical Associate Professors, and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Undergoing an In-Depth Review
  3. Schedule for Lecturers Seeking Promotion to Senior Lecturer and Senior Lecturers Seeking Promotion to Master Lecturer

The new interim policy on Title IX - Sexual Harassment and Sex or Gender-Based Discrimination has been added.

The titles of the following Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been revised to specify which faculty members the schedule applies to.

  • Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Nontenured Faculty Members (Tenure-Track Faculty, Faculty of Practice, Clinical Assistant Professors, and Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers) in their First Year of Employment
  • Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Nontenured Faculty Members (Tenure-Track Faculty, Faculty of Practice, Clinical Assistant Professors, and Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers) Appointed at Mid-Year in their First Year of Employment

The new COVID-19 Interim Policy has been added.

The following policies have been revised:

  1. The Old Dominion University Notice of Non-Discrimination has been updated to include current names and contact information, and a Title IX Non-Discrimination Statement has been added.
  2. The policy on Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Faculty - Language has been added to explain the process for annual reviews and the reappointment process when the faculty member being evaluated is the department chair. In addition, a section has been added to state how the annual review for faculty of practice will be conducted.
  3. Conversion of a Non-Tenure Eligible Position to a Tenure-Eligible Position - The policy has been revised to state that conversions that are approved shall be effective with the beginning of the next academic year.
  4. Conversion from Lecturer Ranks to a Non-Tenure Eligible Clinical Track Position - The policy has been revised to state that conversions that are approved shall be effective with the beginning of the next academic year.
  5. Tenure - Sections of the policy pertaining to a second extension of the tenure clock, early consideration for tenure, guidelines on co-authorship and conflicts of interest, selection of the chair for department promotion and tenure committees and the chair's responsibility, attendance and voting at promotion and tenure committee meetings, and pre-tenure review have been updated.
  6. Promotion in Rank - Updates have been made so that the policy contains the same language as comparable sections in the policy on Tenure.
  7. University Policy on the Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness - The section on Peer Review of Portfolio has been updated to include clinical professors, clinical associate professors, and faculty of practice.
  8. Evaluation of Scholarly Activity and Research - Guidelines on co-authorship and conflicts of interest have been added.

The following Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been updated for clarification and to be consistent with policy changes. In addition, schedules for reappointment/annual review for nontenured faculty groups have been revised so there are separate schedules for different groups.

  1. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Nontenured Faculty Members and Faculty of Practice in the First Year of Service and Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers in their First Year of Employment
  2. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Lecturers and Clinical Assistant Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment)
  3. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers and Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Not Undergoing an In-Depth Review
  4. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers, Master Lecturers, Clinical Associate Professors, and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Undergoing an In-Depth Review
  5. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Conversion of a Non-Tenure Eligible Position to a Tenure-Eligible Position
  6. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Conversion from Lecturer Ranks to a Non-Tenure Eligible Clinical Track Position
  7. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Tenure
  8. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Tenure Mid-Year
  1. The policy on Graduate Program Director has been revised. Two new passages have been added under the section titled Duties and Responsibilities: Thesis and Dissertation Coordination and Certifying Students for Graduation.
  2. The policy on Use of Non-Research Related Volunteers has been added.

The following policies have been revised:

  1. The University Organizational Chart has been updated.
  2. The policy on Grades and Grade Sheets has been updated to accurately reflect the process for submission of grades and grade changes.
  3. The Research and Scholarly Digital Data Management Policy has been updated following the mandated five-year review of University policies.

The policy on Use of Bicycles, Skateboards and Personal Transport Devices on University Property has been added. The policy has been updated to include a definition of electric scooters, such as those offered by Lime in the City of Norfolk. The policy addresses permitted and prohibited parking areas and behaviors.

The following policies have been revised:

  • University Governance, Consultative and Deliberative Bodies: a description of the Deans Council has been added and the description of the Provost's Council has been updated.
  • Criminal Background Checks: the policy has been updated to reference the new Minors on Campus policy.
  • Safety and Security Policy: the policy has been updated following the mandated five-year review of University policies.

Two new policies have been added:

  • Course Materials Adoption - This policy replaces the Textbook Adoption and Sales Policy, which has been removed from the Handbook.
  • Minors on Campus - The policy on Children in the Workplace is included in the new policy and has been removed from the Handbook.

The following policies and sections have been revised:

  • Tenure - One of the changes concerns pre-tenure review. The section on pre-tenure review was included in the policy on Evaluation of Tenured Faculty. The section has been moved to the policy on Tenure, which is a more logical place to find the information. No changes were made to the contents.
  • Evaluation of Tenured Faculty - As noted above, the section of the policy on pre-tenure has been moved to the policy on Tenure.
  • Promotion in Rank
  • Reappointment/Annual Review or Non-reappointment of Faculty
  • Evaluation of Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Master Lecturers and Promotion of Lecturers and Senior Lecturers
  • Conversion from Lecturer Ranks to a Non-Tenure Eligible Clinical Track Position
  • Visiting Scholar/Volunteer Policy
  • Faculty Research and Development Assignments
  • Faculty Records Policy - The policy has been renamed Faculty Credentialing Records Policy and several revisions to the policy have been made.
  • All Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions in the Appendix have been updated except for the Schedule for Annual Evaluation of Tenured Faculty.
  • A new schedule has been added to the Appendix for Clinical Faculty Seeking Promotion.

The policy on Personal Use of University Materials or Funds has been rescinded and removed from the Handbook. The subject matter is covered in other University policies.

Five new policies have been added.

  • Instructional/Research Faculty and Administrative/Professional Faculty Recruitment Funding Policy
  • Non-Instructional Part-Time Faculty Employment Policy
  • Gift Management
  • Policy on the Establishment and Operation of Annual and Endowed Scholarships, Fellowships, and Prizes
  • Whistleblower Retaliation Policy

The titles of two policies have changed; there are no changes to the contents of these policies.

  • Reappointment or Nonreappointment of Faculty - changed to Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Faculty
  • Evaluation of Faculty - changed to Evaluation of Tenured Faculty

The following policies and sections have been revised.

  • Code of Ethics
  • Fixed Asset Control
  • University Drug and Alcohol Policy

The following new policies have been added:

The following policies have been revised:

The policy on Civil and Administrative Leave has been removed from the Handbook because it does not apply to teaching and research faculty.

The January 2023 updates are as follows.

The following new policies have been added:

The following existing policy has been added:

The following policies have been revised:

The October 2022 updates are as follows.

The following sections and policies have been revised.

The July 2022 updates are as follows.

The following policies have been revised:

The following policies have been removed from the Handbook.

College and Department Curricular Recommendations - The content from this policy is covered in two other policies: Policies and Procedures for Academic Degree Program Approval and Approval of Curricular Changes, New Courses and Course Changes.

Reserving Space in Academic Buildings for Temporary Use - The content from this policy is covered in the policy on Use and Keying of Facilities and Grounds.

The following policies have transitioned from the Board of Visitors to University-level policies. The heading for each has been revised to remove the Board policy number, and the approval and revision dates have been revised to note when the policy transitioned to the University-level. No other changes were made except for editorial changes noted below for two policies.

The following policies also transitioned from the Board of Visitors to University-level policies. The link to those policies that appeared in the Handbook has been replaced by the text of each policy. The heading for each has been revised to remove the Board policy number, and the approval and revision dates have been revised to note when the policy transitioned to the University-level. No other changes were made.

The following policies were revised.

The COVID-19 (Interim Policy) has been removed from the Handbook.

One new policy has been added:

  • Undergraduate Program Director

The Faculty Code of Conduct was updated to indicate approval by the Board of Visitors.

The following policies/documents have been revised:

  • Old Dominion University Notice of Non-Discrimination
  • Title IX Non-Discrimination Statement
  • Recruitment and Selection Process for Instructional and Administrative Faculty
  • Tenure
  • Promotion in Rank
  • Evaluation of Tenured Faculty
  • Certification of Faculty for Graduate Instruction
  • Approval of Curricular Changes, New Courses and Course Changes
  • Faculty Senate Constitution

Several new Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been added and other Schedules have been revised as follows.

The current schedule for Tenure has been revised to indicate it is effective for the 2021-22 review period.

  • A second schedule has been added to be effective for the 2022-23 review period and beyond.

The current schedule for Promotion in Rank has been revised to indicate it is effective for the 2021-22 review period.

  • A second schedule has been added to be effective for the 2022-23 review period and beyond.

A new schedule for Research Faculty Seeking Promotion effective for the 2021-22 review period has been added.

  • A second new schedule has been added to be effective for the 2022-23 review period and beyond.

The current Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers and Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Not Undergoing an In-Depth Review has been updated to clarify that it applies to those undergoing a teaching portfolio review but not undergoing an in-depth review.

A new schedule has been added for Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers and Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Not Undergoing a Teaching Portfolio Review or an In-Depth Review.

The Teaching and Research Faculty Handbook is updated four times a year as needed. The January 2021 updates are as follows.

Three new policies have been added:

  1. Faculty Code of Conduct
  2. Parental Leave Policy (Interim Policy)
  3. University Risk Management Travel Policy (Interim Policy)

Board of Visitors policies 1001, Mission of the University, and 1002, Major Goals of the University, were reaffirmed by the Board of Visitors.

The following policies have been revised.

  1. Class Attendance by Guests
  2. Class Rosters
  3. Grades and Grade Sheets
  4. Disruptive Behavior Policy for Faculty and Faculty Administrators
  5. Honorary Degrees: Criteria and Procedures
  6. Research Conflict of Interests
  7. Export Control Policy
  8. Policy for the Use of Non-Research Related Volunteers (Interim Policy)
  9. University Demonstrations Policy (Interim Policy)

The following Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been updated to provide more time for department/school committees to conduct their review.

  1. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Lecturers and Clinical Assistant Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment)
  2. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers, Master Lecturers, Clinical Associate Professors, and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Undergoing an In-Depth Review
  3. Schedule for Lecturers Seeking Promotion to Senior Lecturer and Senior Lecturers Seeking Promotion to Master Lecturer

The new interim policy on Title IX - Sexual Harassment and Sex or Gender-Based Discrimination has been added.

The titles of the following Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been revised to specify which faculty members the schedule applies to.

  • Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Nontenured Faculty Members (Tenure-Track Faculty, Faculty of Practice, Clinical Assistant Professors, and Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers) in their First Year of Employment
  • Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Nontenured Faculty Members (Tenure-Track Faculty, Faculty of Practice, Clinical Assistant Professors, and Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers) Appointed at Mid-Year in their First Year of Employment

The new COVID-19 Interim Policy has been added.

The following policies have been revised:

  1. The Old Dominion University Notice of Non-Discrimination has been updated to include current names and contact information, and a Title IX Non-Discrimination Statement has been added.
  2. The policy on Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Faculty - Language has been added to explain the process for annual reviews and the reappointment process when the faculty member being evaluated is the department chair. In addition, a section has been added to state how the annual review for faculty of practice will be conducted.
  3. Conversion of a Non-Tenure Eligible Position to a Tenure-Eligible Position - The policy has been revised to state that conversions that are approved shall be effective with the beginning of the next academic year.
  4. Conversion from Lecturer Ranks to a Non-Tenure Eligible Clinical Track Position - The policy has been revised to state that conversions that are approved shall be effective with the beginning of the next academic year.
  5. Tenure - Sections of the policy pertaining to a second extension of the tenure clock, early consideration for tenure, guidelines on co-authorship and conflicts of interest, selection of the chair for department promotion and tenure committees and the chair's responsibility, attendance and voting at promotion and tenure committee meetings, and pre-tenure review have been updated.
  6. Promotion in Rank - Updates have been made so that the policy contains the same language as comparable sections in the policy on Tenure.
  7. University Policy on the Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness - The section on Peer Review of Portfolio has been updated to include clinical professors, clinical associate professors, and faculty of practice.
  8. Evaluation of Scholarly Activity and Research - Guidelines on co-authorship and conflicts of interest have been added.

The following Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions have been updated for clarification and to be consistent with policy changes. In addition, schedules for reappointment/annual review for nontenured faculty groups have been revised so there are separate schedules for different groups.

  1. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Nontenured Faculty Members and Faculty of Practice in the First Year of Service and Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers in their First Year of Employment
  2. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Lecturers and Clinical Assistant Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment)
  3. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers and Master Lecturers and Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Not Undergoing an In-Depth Review
  4. Schedule of Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Senior Lecturers, Master Lecturers, Clinical Associate Professors, and Clinical Professors (Beyond Their First Year of Employment) Undergoing an In-Depth Review
  5. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Conversion of a Non-Tenure Eligible Position to a Tenure-Eligible Position
  6. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Conversion from Lecturer Ranks to a Non-Tenure Eligible Clinical Track Position
  7. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Tenure
  8. Schedule for Faculty Seeking Tenure Mid-Year

  1. The policy on Graduate Program Director has been revised. Two new passages have been added under the section titled Duties and Responsibilities: Thesis and Dissertation Coordination and Certifying Students for Graduation.
  2. The policy on Use of Non-Research Related Volunteers has been added.

The following policies have been revised:

  1. The University Organizational Chart has been updated.
  2. The policy on Grades and Grade Sheets has been updated to accurately reflect the process for submission of grades and grade changes.
  3. The Research and Scholarly Digital Data Management Policy has been updated following the mandated five-year review of University policies.

The policy on Use of Bicycles, Skateboards and Personal Transport Devices on University Property has been added. The policy has been updated to include a definition of electric scooters, such as those offered by Lime in the City of Norfolk. The policy addresses permitted and prohibited parking areas and behaviors.

The following policies have been revised:

  • University Governance, Consultative and Deliberative Bodies: a description of the Deans Council has been added and the description of the Provost's Council has been updated.
  • Criminal Background Checks: the policy has been updated to reference the new Minors on Campus policy.
  • Safety and Security Policy: the policy has been updated following the mandated five-year review of University policies.

Two new policies have been added:

  • Course Materials Adoption - This policy replaces the Textbook Adoption and Sales Policy, which has been removed from the Handbook.
  • Minors on Campus - The policy on Children in the Workplace is included in the new policy and has been removed from the Handbook.

The following policies and sections have been revised:

  • Tenure - One of the changes concerns pre-tenure review. The section on pre-tenure review was included in the policy on Evaluation of Tenured Faculty. The section has been moved to the policy on Tenure, which is a more logical place to find the information. No changes were made to the contents.
  • Evaluation of Tenured Faculty - As noted above, the section of the policy on pre-tenure has been moved to the policy on Tenure.
  • Promotion in Rank
  • Reappointment/Annual Review or Non-reappointment of Faculty
  • Evaluation of Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Master Lecturers and Promotion of Lecturers and Senior Lecturers
  • Conversion from Lecturer Ranks to a Non-Tenure Eligible Clinical Track Position
  • Visiting Scholar/Volunteer Policy
  • Faculty Research and Development Assignments
  • Faculty Records Policy - The policy has been renamed Faculty Credentialing Records Policy and several revisions to the policy have been made.
  • All Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions in the Appendix have been updated except for the Schedule for Annual Evaluation of Tenured Faculty.
  • A new schedule has been added to the Appendix for Clinical Faculty Seeking Promotion.

The policy on Personal Use of University Materials or Funds has been rescinded and removed from the Handbook. The subject matter is covered in other University policies.

Five new policies have been added.

  • Instructional/Research Faculty and Administrative/Professional Faculty Recruitment Funding Policy
  • Non-Instructional Part-Time Faculty Employment Policy
  • Gift Management
  • Policy on the Establishment and Operation of Annual and Endowed Scholarships, Fellowships, and Prizes
  • Whistleblower Retaliation Policy

The titles of two policies have changed; there are no changes to the contents of these policies.

  • Reappointment or Nonreappointment of Faculty - changed to Reappointment/Annual Review or Nonreappointment of Faculty
  • Evaluation of Faculty - changed to Evaluation of Tenured Faculty

The following policies and sections have been revised.

  • Code of Ethics
  • Fixed Asset Control
  • University Drug and Alcohol Policy