Policies and Guidelines

 The Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs maintains policies pertaining to faculty and the academic program. University-wide policies, including those governing faculty and academic programs, are available in the Academic Affairs section of the University Policies and Procedures, please reference it for specific details of a given policy.

The policies and procedures described in the pages below are not exhaustive, but are included here for easy reference and added information; when applicable, a reference to the University policy is included. Please note some webpages and documents may have restricted access requiring a Stetson University username and password.

The role of the department chair is a year-round appointment in addition to faculty members' regular 9-month faculty appointment. The Academic Program Leadership Compensation Policy serves to provide appropriate and consistent support to faculty appointed to the important role of department chair.

Please see the Policy on Adjunct Teaching by Exempt Staff (3.3.3.2, Policies and Procedures,Section 3 – Academic Affairs) for the full text of the policy, including eligibility and compensation. University staff who will be teaching in addition to their regular assigned duties should complete the Adjunct Status Request for Staff Member form, which must be completed and submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs prior to contracting.

As stated in the Curriculum Policies (3.4.15, Policies and Procedures, Section 3 – Academic Affairs), university-wide undergraduate curriculum policies are voted on by the University Faculty. Additionally, each college and school has specific curriculum policies and its own structure for curricular matters.The University Council on Curriculum and Academic Policy and its contributing committees are representative governance structures. The various curricular proposals follow different workflows through UCCAP and its contributing committees to facilitate thoughtful and efficient review, recommendation, and action on the advancement of Stetson University's academic mission.

Faculty Annual Review

The Faculty Annual Review is the opportunity for all full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty to reflect on their teaching and librarianship, scholarship and creative activity, and service and leadership to the University. All tenured and tenure-track faculty are expected to participate in the Faculty Annual Review process and to complete the FAR each year.

Course Evaluations

As stated in the Student Academic Policies, students are asked to complete course evaluations, typically during the last two weeks of each semester. For courses with course dates outside the regular semester, course evaluations are completed at the end of the course.

Tenure and Promotion

Please see the Tenure and Promotion Policy for full details on pre-tenure reviews and tenure and promotion reviews. Typically, pre-tenure reviews for tenure-track faculty are conducted in the second and fourth years of pre-tenure service, then the review for tenure and promotion is conducted in the faculty member's sixth year of pre-tenure service.

Recruitment of full-time faculty is coordinated through the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs upon recommendation from the appropriate Dean and approval of the Provost. Recruitment of adjunct faculty is similarly recommended by the appropriate Dean and approved by the Provost, with academic departments coordinating the search process.

Prospective faculty are invited to explore our current faculty opportunities and encouraged to discover the potential of joining our diverse community of teacher-scholars.

Stetson University Faculty Teaching Qualifications Guidelines

This Financial Conflict of Interest Policy is designed to protect the integrity and credibility of faculty and staff in the University’s research, teaching, education and public service activities. In accordance with Federal regulations, the University has a responsibility to manage, reduce, or eliminate any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may be presented by the financial interest of an investigator.

Upon receiving a grant, if the recipient feels a financial conflict of interest may exist, they must submit a Financial Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form to the Grants, Sponsored Research and Strategic Initiatives Office.

At Stetson University, we teach, learn, and conduct research together in the classroom and in the many spaces, physical and virtual, that we share. The University's mission is “to provide an excellent education in a creative community where learning and values meet, and to foster in students the qualities of mind and heart that will prepare them to reach their full potential as informed citizens of local communities and the world.” To achieve this mission, our University protects and supports free expression, including the freedom of inquiry and speech, academic freedom, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom to publish.

Read more of the Statement of Principles of Free Expression.

The Incentive Program for Academic Programs and Grants governs net revenue sharing for academic-related programs as well as indirect cost rate allocations and direct salary savings for extramurally and sponsor-funded grants and contracts. The program serves to encourage and incentivize faculty, staff and leaders at Stetson University to develop new programs, expand existing programs, and seek extramural funding that will enhance the University's regional, national and global reputation and presence, continually expanding our capabilities and expertise, and diversifying Stetson's revenues.

Stetson University is proud to have student-athletes competing in Division I sports in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The university is committed to full compliance with NCAA and Atlantic Sun Conference rules, and students, faculty and staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the rules relevant to each constituent group.

Professional activities outside of the University are valued insofar as they enhance the professional growth of faculty and thereby the learning experiences of students. Please see the Outside Employment Policy (3.3.14, Policies and Procedures, Section 3 – Academic Affairs) for full details, as well as the Conflict of Interest Policy (4.4.20, Policies and Procedures, Section 4 – Personnel Policies) . Faculty seeking approval of outside employment opportunities should complete the Outside Employment Request Form; complete forms should be submitted to the appropriate dean each year by September 1.

Stetson University has developed guidelines and policies to support its academic program and to foster a campus culture that will be open to a lively exchange of diverse opinion according to accepted standards for civil discussion. While encouraging passionate citizenship in its students, faculty, and staff individually, the University follows these policies on Political Candidates and Election-Year Campaigns to assure that its educational mission will be fulfilled in a neutral and non-partisan manner.

Research Guidelines for Human Participants and Animal Use

As a part of its educational and professional development practices, Stetson University encourages a variety of types of research by faculty, staff and students. Moreover, Stetson University is committed to certain ethical principles for the protection of human participants and animals in research. Faculty are encouraged to be familiar with the research guidelines provided for each area

» Institutional Review Board for Human Participants

»IRB Policy

» Research Guidelines for Animal Use

Research Misconduct Policy

Stetson University is committed to the integrity required of academic discovery and the dissemination of knowledge. All members of the Stetson University community are expected to adhere to the highest scholarly and ethical standards as they relate to research, instruction and evaluation. Stetson University takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and actively works to address such reports. The impact of research misconduct can be harmful to the greater community, the University, those involved with the research, and the integrity of research as a whole. Therefore, the following procedures shall be followed in responding to all allegations of research misconduct in order to foster an environment that discourages misconduct in all research endeavors.

» Stetson University Research Misconduct Policy

Stetson University supports sabbatical leaves for its tenured faculty. The purpose of a sabbatical is to promote teacher-scholar professional development of faculty within the applicant's discipline. Please see the policy on Sabbatical Leave (3.3.9.1, Policies and Procedures, Section 3 – Academic Affairs) for full details on eligibility, purpose, and scope.

In accordance with the Substantive Change policies of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Stetson University is required to submit a letter of notification or a Substantive Change Prospectus to SACSCOC for approval for all substantive changes once a substantive change has been reviewed and approved by the Executive Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs academic programs, and by the President or Executive Vice President and CFO and/or the Executive Vice President and Provost on behalf of the President for institution-wide changes. The Substantive Change Policy describes the policy and procedures, the definition of a substantive change, roles and responsibilities and other SACSCOC reporting and review requirements.

Student award is a term that includes many types of recognition and support given from the University to students, many of which are presented at, or at least included in the printed program for, the Undergraduate Awards and Recognition ceremony. Awards with a cash or gift component may have tax implications for the student recipient and require specific processing.

The Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs is pleased to support a competitive summer grants program for Stetson's tenured and tenure-track faculty.

Please see the Tenure and Promotion Policy (3.3.4, Policies and Procedures, Section 3 - Academic Affairs) for full details on pre-tenure reviews and tenure and promotion reviews. Typically, pre-tenure reviews for tenure-track faculty are conducted in the second and fourth years of pre-tenure service, then the review for tenure and promotion is conducted in the faculty member's sixth year of pre-tenure service.

Faculty are governed by University Travel Policies and Procedures (5.3, Policies and Procedures, Section 5 – Finance Policies), as well as faculty-specific travel policies. Full-time faculty traveling between campuses to teach may be eligible for travel stipends; please see the Faculty Travel to Stetson Locations supplement to the University Travel Policies and Procedures.

For travel related specifically to faculty recruitment, please see faculty recruitment. Faculty seeking support for professional development travel should consult the faculty resources on travel.

Undergraduate teaching apprentices (TAs) assist in an undergraduate course under the supervision of a faculty member. Faculty who may be interested in mentoring a TA should become familiar with the Undergraduate Teaching Apprentices Guidelines and Policies.

Individuals who wish to participate at Stetson as a volunteer in contribution to the university's goal of providing educational opportunities and services to the students must complete the appropriate Volunteer Acknowledgement, Agreement and Liability Waiver and background screening. To download the appropriate form, please visit the Waiver and Travel Forms webpage.