One thing you won't run out of as AUH is the need to consult a policy manual. Here is a list of those you're likely to use most often.
- Faculty Handbook
- Academic Affairs Policies and Reports
- University Policies
- Academic Policies and Procedures
- Academic Calendar and Academic Deadlines
Faculty Handbook
As described in the introductory message from the Faculty Speaker, the Faculty Handbook is a collaborative, dynamic document “that describes the obligations of faculty, but also guarantees certain [faculty] rights.” As a living document, the handbook is revised annually to ensure that the guidelines are clear and relevant and that the procedures are transparent. The Faculty Handbook Committee considers all suggestions; you are welcome to submit comments to them directly or send them through your academic unit faculty senator. Contact information for this committee, as well as information about the Faculty Senate and a full text of the handbook, are available at the following link: https://www.jmu.edu/facultyhandbook/.
In your role as AUH, you must be very familiar with the content of the Faculty Handbook, particularly Sections III.A-III.L, which cover such important topics as:
- Faculty Rights and Responsibilities [III.A]
- Academic Freedom [III.A.2]
- Academic Integrity [III.A.9]
- Search Procedures [III.C]
- Evaluation, Promotion and Tenure [III.E]
Academic Affairs Policies and Reports
A complete listing of all Academic Affairs Policies and Reports, which may be referred to (but not wholly contained) in the Faculty Handbook, can be found on the Academic Affairs website.
You should be familiar with the information that is available to you at this link, as it gives you access not only to the Academic Affairs policies (such as Academic Affairs Policy #2: Academic Unit Heads, noted on the previous page) but also to the Student Handbook, Promotion and Tenure Guidelines by college and academic unit, and University Task Force reports.
University Policies
Also available from the Academic Affairs website is the University Manual of Policies and Procedures, which covers more than 120 separate policies that involve all areas of the university. It is also available directly from this link: https://www.jmu.edu/JMUpolicy/index.shtm
This manual is searchable, and is indexed by alphabetical order, by policy number and by revision date. If you are wondering if there’s a policy about something, check here first!
What follows is a list of some of the more relevant policies (those which you are likely to need/use as an AUH), but do take a moment to review this manual just to get a sense of its scope and purpose.
Some relevant policies from the University Manual of Policies and Procedures (Alphabetical Order); please note that this list is not comprehensive.
- Conflict of Interest (1106)
- Disabilities & Reasonable Accommodations (1331)
- Discrimination and Harassment (1324)
- Equal Opportunity (1302)
- Extra Employment for Faculty & Exempt Staff Members Within the University (1306)
- Faculty Leave (1338)
- Faculty Selection and Hiring Procedures (2101)
- Family and Medical Leave (1308)
- Moving: Changing Department/Office/Lab/Classroom Space (4308)
- New Employee Orientation (1323)
- Ordering Textbooks (2110)
- Outside Employment of Faculty (1304)
- Part-Time and Adjunct Faculty (2104)
- Performance Evaluation for Classified Employees (1305)
- Procurement of Goods, Supplies and Services (4201)
- Program Review Plan and Compliance (5002)
- Recording Student Complaints (3110)
- Student Privacy (2112)
- The Institutional Review Board on the Use of Human Subjects in Research (1104)
- University Supported Travel (4401)
Academic Policies and Procedures
Academic policies are focused on the practical and procedural matters in course governance and evaluation and contain helpful information about the Grade Review and Grievance Procedures for students. These policies can be found in each iteration of the university catalogs.
Some relevant policies from the university catalog; please note that this list is not comprehensive.
- Grade change and grade review procedures (Updated 2020)
- Graduation requirements
- Grievance procedures
- Inclement weather policy
- Re-entry process
- Transfer Credit Policy
- Transfer Equivalent Policy (TEO)
- Withrawal Policy
Academic Calendar and Academic Deadlines
The Office of the Registrar’s webpage is an important resource for the current year’s Academic Calendar, Dates and Deadlines, Exam Schedule, and a host of forms that are used often (grade review, transfer credit, course directives/ waivers, etc.).
Bookmark the following link: https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/
You will use the “Faculty/Staff” tab on the left and will need to use your eID and password to access many of these materials. The “Faculty/Staff” tab has links to information you will use regularly such as:
- Course and Classroom Management
- Course Directives and Waivers
- Dates and Deadlines
- Enrollment Appointment Times
- Exam Schedules
- Forms (e.g., grade review, classroom requests, credit by exam, etc.)
- Grading
- Graduation
- Online Curriculum System
- Registrar Staff Directory
- Transfer Credit
A “Quick Links” section is also available on the Registrar’s Office website (further down under the “Faculty/Staff” link. This link does not require you to enter your credentials – (hence “Quick!”); this section contains links to the Academic Calendar as well as other important information, like FERPA and Privacy.
You are strongly encouraged to review the FERPA: Privacy of Academic Records information on the Registrar’s Office website. You and your faculty will typically encounter several situations each year in which FERPA laws come into play. Having a solid grasp of the laws ahead of time is immensely helpful when situations do arise.