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Personnel Policies and Procedures

English Proficiency Policy

No candidate shall be appointed to a teaching position and no candidate shall be recommended for tenure without verification of the candidate’s ability to speak proficient English, comprehend spoken English, and communicate effectively in an academic environment. The Vice President of Academic Affairs shall certify to the president the candidate’s ability.

Any currently employed instructor identified as needing improvement in spoken English competency may be required to take appropriate courses and/or show competency before being recommended for tenure.

English proficiency is to be used to measure an instructor’s ability to communicate effectively and shall not be used to arbitrarily disqualify candidates of certain nationalities. (Reference TBR Policy No. 5:02:01:03)

Faculty Appointments in Community Colleges

The following faculty appointments may be made in Tennessee Board of Regents community colleges: temporary, term, tenure-track, and tenure appointments.

Temporary Appointments

Temporary Appointments are non-tenurable appointments for a specific purpose for a time appropriate to that purpose or for an unspecified period. Temporary appointments may be terminated according to the terms of the contract of employment or appointment. Temporary appointments should ordinarily only be used to replace regular faculty on leave of absence, to employ faculty pursuant to grants, or for projects funded in whole or in part by non-appropriated funds. In addition, temporary appointments may be used for faculty employed on the basis of state-appropriated funds in departments, divisions, or other academic units where a permanent and continued need for the position has not been established, provided that such appointments normally should not exceed three academic years. Faculty in temporary appointments are appointed in rank but are not eligible for promotion in rank. Temporary appointments may not be converted to term, tenure-track, or tenure appointments.

Appointments of faculty members supported more than fifty percent (50%) by grant funds or other soft money sources may be approved by the community college presidents for periods in excess of three academic years. Other extensions of temporary appointments for periods in excess of three academic years require the approval of the chancellor.

Term Appointments

Term Appointments are non-tenurable appointments in a traditional rank (e.g., instructor, assistant professor) for a fixed period of no more than one year that may be renewed with no presumed maximum number of reappointments.

Faculty should be placed on term appointments only when one or more of the following employment conditions is present: (a) as a means for addressing staffing needs when a projected need is more than temporary but less than long term, (b) to staff programs projected to phase out in a fixed period, or (c) when the size of a staffing cohort is projected to extend beyond the normal period for a temporary appointment but is not of sufficient length to warrant a tenure-track or tenured appointment.

Since it is not intended that term appointments be used to meet long-term staffing needs, a faculty member should not remain in a term appointment for more than six years. If it is determined that a position is warranted beyond the maximum six-year period, a new tenure-track position should be sought to replace it. The holder of the term appointment may apply and be considered for the tenure-track appointment, and the institution may award up to three years’ credit for prior service. Other term appointment holders may also apply for the new position and receive service credit. The amount of credit awarded is left to the discretion of the president and is determined based upon the recommendation of the chief academic officer.

Exceptions to the six-year maximum may be granted annually if it is 1) requested by the affected faculty member and his/her supervisor, 2) recommended by the appropriate dean and chief academic officer, and 3) approved by the college president.

Faculty in term appointments are eligible for promotion.

Tenure-track Appointments

Tenure-track Appointments are appointments for full-time faculty with academic rank and may be for the academic or fiscal year. Tenure-track appointments are for faculty who are employed in a probationary period of employment preliminary to consideration for tenure. Tenure-track appointments shall not include any right to permanent or continuous employment; shall not create any manner of legal right, interest, or expectancy or renewal or any other type of appointment; and shall be subject to annual renewal by the institution.

A tenure-track appointment may not be converted to a term appointment as a means for continuing employment of tenure-track faculty when a negative tenure decision has been made.

Tenure Appointments are appointments of full-time faculty who have been awarded tenure by the board pursuant to the provisions of this policy. Tenure appointments include the assurance of continued employment for the academic or fiscal year for an indefinite period, subject to expiration, relinquishment, or termination of tenure as provided in TBR policy. Such appointments do not include assurance of continued employment at any specified salary or position or employment during summer sessions or inter-sessions.

Conversion of Appointments

A temporary appointment may not be converted to a tenure-track appointment. The conversion of a term appointment to a tenure-track appointment is allowed, and each college should define the process in its institutional policy in keeping with TBR guideline P-010. The holder of the term appointment converted to a tenure-track appointment may be awarded up to three years credit for prior service in residence. It is a procedure specific to JSCC that the holder of the term appointment converted to a tenure-track appointment may be awarded up to three-years credit for prior service in residence.

The following process will be followed to convert faculty from term to tenure track appointment at Jackson State Community College.

  1. Requests for conversion from term to tenure-track will begin no later than the 5th year of employment. The request will be initiated by the appropriate division dean.
  2. The division dean must demonstrate an on-going need based upon enrollment in the discipline. A three-term enrollment trend line must be prepared with appropriate narrative to support the conversion.
  3. The faculty member being considered for conversion must have consistently demonstrated the highest instructional standards and supported the institution in a similar fashion to tenure-track appointees. These standards must be clearly identified through annual evaluation documents.
  4. The division dean will submit his or her recommendations to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for review and possible approval. The vice president will consider the fiscal impact of the conversion.
  5. The Vice President of Academic Affairs will submit his or her recommendation to the president for consideration no later than the beginning of the sixth year of term appointment.
  6. Upon the review and approval of the president, the position classification will be converted from term to tenure-track.

Renewal of Contracts

Temporary Appointments: Temporary appointments are for a specified time as indicated by contract and are not subject to any continuance of employment beyond the contract period, nor is a temporary appointment subject to notice of retention or non-retention.

Term Appointment: Term appointments are for a fixed period as indicated by the contract and are not subject to any continuance of employment beyond the contract period except through renewal of the contract for another specified term.

Tenure-Track Appointments: When tenure-track appointments of faculty are not to be renewed for further service, the faculty member shall receive notice of his or her non-retention for the ensuing academic year consistent with the “Policy on Academic Tenure for the Tennessee Board of Regents Community Colleges.”  (TBR Policy 5:02:03:70)

Tenure Appointments: Tenure appointments by their nature assure continued employment of an indefinite period, and notice of renewal of contracts is not necessary. Tenure appointments, however, are subject to expiration, relinquishment, or termination of tenure for financial or curricular reasons or for adequate cause.

Resignation

Faculty are issued academic or fiscal year contracts for a specified period of time. Should a faculty member decide not to renew his or her appointment, a letter of resignation shall be sent to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and copied to the program director and/or dean. This letter must specify the effective date of the resignation. Since the college has an affirmative action program of recruitment to fill vacant positions, faculty members are asked to notify the Vice President of Academic Affairs as soon as possible if they do not plan to return to Jackson State for the following academic year. A request to resign from a faculty appointment during the academic or fiscal year and prior to the end of the contract term will not ordinarily be accepted unless the president deems it in the best interest of the college.

Outside Employment

Approval for outside employment must be requested from the president using the “Request for Outside Employment” form and must have the approval of the dean and the Vice President of Academic Affairs. A new form must be completed before entering into a new business or activity. Forms must be updated annually.

Outside employment guidelines for full-time faculty, administrators, and professional staff are as follows:

Prior to engaging in outside professional employment or continuing business activity, the individual shall notify the dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs of the nature of the employment and the expected commitment of time. The dean shall determine whether the proposed employment is consistent with the policies listed in the paragraph below and shall notify the individual of that decision. The faculty member may appeal a negative decision through normal institutional channels for handling grievances. All requests are subject to approval by the appropriate vice president and the president.

The proposed outside professional employment or continued business activity:

  1. Must not interfere with assigned duties and responsibilities.
  2. Must not constitute a conflict of interest or compete with the education, research, or public service program of the institution. o Employment with other agencies, departments, or institutions of state government, including state institutions of higher education, must be subject to the prior approval of the president and the appropriate representative of the other agency, department, or institution.
  3. Must not be undertaken with the claim that the individual is an official representative of the institution in connection with the employment. The use of institutional equipment, facilities, or services, must have institutional approval and provide for compensating the institution at the rates established by the institution.

This policy does not apply to normal, short-term professional activities such as speaking engagements, exhibitions, recitals, accreditation visits, and participation in symposia, even though honoraria may be received, or when the faculty member is not within the term of his/her contract period or is on leave. (Reference TBR Policy No. 5:01:05:00)

Teaching at Other Institutions

Requests for teaching employment at another institution are governed by the guidelines for “Outside Employment” (TBR Policy No. 5:01:05:00). The request must be (1) submitted to the president on the “Request for Outside Employment” form with accompanying recommendations of the immediate supervisor, dean, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs prior to accepting assignment; (2) limited to two courses per term; and (3) considered as part of faculty load that is governed by TBR Policies No. 5:01:05:00, “Extra Compensation” and No. 5:02:04:10, “Faculty Compensation During Summer Sessions and Intersessions.”

Faculty teaching at another public college are compensated via a “Dual Services Contract.” Faculty should contact the Office of Financial and Administrative Affairs for more information.