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 II  1.05 POLICY ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF FULL-TIME, NON-TENURE
             TRACK INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY IN THE
                UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND
                              
   (Approved by the Board of Regents on October 11, 2002; Technical Amendment 
   August 26, 2004; Amendment to Section V.C.7. proposed for consideration by 
   Committee of the Whole, April 13, 2007Effective July 1, 2007)

                              
  I.   PURPOSE

       This policy is designed to govern practices at institutions of the University 
       System of Maryland (USM) related to search processes, appointments, contracts,
       and conditions of employment for full-time non-tenure-track (FTNTT) instructional 
       faculty to assure high quality of instruction by individuals with appropriate 
       credentials and experience and to provide a set of baseline policies for FTNTT 
       faculty in all USM institutions.
       
  II.  APPLICABILITY

       This policy applies only to those faculty members of the USM institutions (i) 
       who are employed full-time, (ii) who are neither tenured nor eligible for tenure, 
       and (iii) whose responsibilities are primarily or exclusively in the instructional 
       program.
       
  III. DEFINITION OF "FULL-TIME"

       The institutional president or designee shall assure that each department or unit 
       that has instructional faculty adopts a definition of "full-time."  The workload 
       expectation for FTNTT instructional faculty shall be specified on an academic-year 
       basis, not on a semester basis.
       
  IV.  RANKS

       Current BOR policy (II-1.00) lists the following approved ranks that may be used 
       for FTNTT instructional faculty.  Institutions shall confer on each FTNTT 
       instructional faculty member one of the following ranks, as appropriate and 
       commensurate with credentials and professional experience. (Institutions are not 
       required to use all available ranks.)
       
       Assistant Instructor
       Lecturer
       Senior Lecturer
       
       The University of Maryland University College may also assign ranks in the 
       Collegiate series (See USM Policy II-1.00, Section II.C.6.a.-d.).
       
  V.   POLICY

       A.   Search

             1.   Credentials:  Each institution shall develop written standards for 
                  the academic degrees or professional certifications and professional 
                  experience required for appointment to FTNTT instructional faculty 
                  ranks.  These standards may vary depending on the level of 
                  courses to be taught.

             2.   Search Procedures:  The institutional president or designee shall assure 
                  that each department or unit has in place written procedures for selecting 
                  faculty.  These procedures shall include verification of credentials. 
                  Search procedures shall reflect the commitment of the institutions and 
                  the University System of Maryland to equal opportunity and affirmative 
                  action.
             
       B.   Hiring

             1.   Contracts/Letters of Appointments:  Each FTNTT faculty member shall be 
                  provided with a written contract or letter of appointment prior to the 
                  beginning of the assignment. The contract or letter shall state that 
                  the appointment is full-time and state the academic rank, length of 
                  appointment, time of service (9 months, 9.5 months, one year), 
                  salary, whether or not the appointment is renewable, nature of 
                  the assignment, benefits (see below, Section C.7.), and 
                  performance-evaluation policies and procedures.

             2.   Information for Faculty:  Upon signing the contract, the FTNTT faculty 
                  member shall have access to the institution's Faculty Handbook, in a 
                  written or electronic version.
                  
             3.   Term of Employment:  Normally, initial contracts shall be for one 
                  academic year.  Subsequent contracts may be for longer terms, not 
                  to exceed three years (five years in the case of UMUC Collegiate 
                  faculty).  Notice of non-renewal shall be provided in accordance 
                  with Board of Regents Policy II-1.00 University System Policy on 
                  Appointment, Rank, and Tenure of Faculty (Section 1.C.12).

       C.   Working Conditions

             1.   Support for Teaching:  The appointing department or unit shall 
                  provide each FTNTT instructional faculty member with the support 
                  it determines to be necessary for the execution of the appointee's 
                  duties.  Provision should be made for new appointees to attend 
                  departmntal and institutional orientation sessions.  Support shall 
                  also include the following:

                 a. information on the department's policies, requirements, and goals 
                    for each course, along with access to examples of past course 
                    syllabi (if available);

                 b. official schedule of classes, including academic calendar and 
                    time frames of class meetings;

                 c. assistance in ordering textbook(s) for the course(s), ancillaries 
                    for the text(s), and office supplies;

                 d. copying services for course materials;

                 e. an appropriate place for meeting with students during scheduled 
                    office hours, except if instruction is completely technology-mediated;

                 f. an institutional email account along with computer access; and

                 g. telephone access.

             2.   Professional Development:  Professional development opportunities 
                  for FTNTT instructional faculty members should be supported to the 
                  extent possible.  Examples include extending invitations to 
                  departmental and institutional faculty development events, arranging 
                  mentoring by senior faculty, and providing financial 
                  support for attending professional conferences when funds permit.

             3.   Teaching Assignment:  The appointing department or unit shall provide 
                  FTNTT faculty with reasonable and adequate notice of projected teaching 
                  assignments prior to the start of classes.  Notice of 45 days is 
                  suggested.

             4.   Performance Evaluation:  The institutional president or designee 
                  shall assure that each department or unit has in place written 
                  procedures for evaluating faculty performance on a regular 
                  schedule, as required by Board of Regent's Policy II-1.20.
                  Departments shall evaluate the teaching of FTNTT faculty 
                  members on the same basis used to evaluate the teaching of 
                  tenure-track faculty members. Evaluations shall be kept on record 
                  in a personnel file and shall be consulted when decisions about
                  promotion, salary, and any subsequent contract are made.
                  
             5.   Faculty Participation:  FTNTT faculty members shall be integrated 
                  into the scholarly, intellectual, academic, and social life of the 
                  department or unit, and institution. Institutional shared-governance 
                  procedures shall include FTNTT faculty.

             6.   Salaries:  Every effort should be made to make salaries professionally 
                  appropriate and competitive to the extent allowed by available fiscal 
                  resources.

             7.  Benefits:  FTNTT instructional faculty contracts and letters of 
                 appointment shall include a written statement of benefits available 
                 to the appointees.  Appointees shall be provided with access to 
                 relevant BOR policies governing the provision of benefits to USM faculty 
                 and staff. At a minimum, each institution shall provide each of the 
                 following benefits, or its equivalent, to FTNTT instructional faculty: 


                 a.  Health Benefits.  FTNTT instructional faculty who are not on 
                     regular faculty lines that provide a state subsidy for health 
                     benefits may enroll in the State health benefits program 
                     consistent with COMAR 17.04.13.04(B)(2).  The institution 
                     shall reimburse a faculty member who enrolls in the State 
                     health benefits plan for the cost of individual coverage, 
                     less the amount of the premiums that would be paid by a 
                     faculty member on a regular faculty line to receive comparable 
                     health benefits in the State health benefits program. 

                 b.  Retirement Benefits.
                     (i)  Fall 2008 Semester. FTNTT instructional faculty with ten or 
                     more consecutive years of full service before the Fall 2008 
                     semester, who are not on regular faculty lines that provide 
                     either an employer contribution to or service credit for 
                     participation in a  State-sponsored retirement or pension 
                     plan, shall be entitled to a payment of 7.25% of annual 
                     salary in lieu of an employer contribution to or service 
                     credit for a State-sponsored retirement or pension plan.

                     (ii) Fall 2009 Semester.  FTNTT instructional faculty with 
                     six or more consecutive years of service as of or after the 
                     Fall 2009 semester, who are not on regular faculty lines that 
                     provide either an employer contribution to or service credit 
                     for participation in a  State-sponsored retirement or pension 
                     plan, shall be entitled to a payment of 7.25% of annual salary 
                     in lieu of an employer contribution to or service credit for a 
                     State-sponsored retirement or pension plan.

                 c.  USM Benefits.  FTNTT instructional faculty shall be eligible for the 
                     benefits listed  below, subject to the terms of the policy cited.

                     (i)    Tuition remission for faculty member (See USM Policy VII-4.10);
                     (ii)   Tuition remission for dependents (see USM Policy VII-4.20);
                     (iii)  Family and medical leave (see USM Policy II-2.31);
                     (iv)   Annual leave (see USM Policy II-2.40);
                     (v)    Earned sick leave (see USM Policy II-2.30);
                     (vi)   Collegial sick leave (see USM Policy II-2.30);
                     (vii)  Personal leave (see USM Policy II-2.40);
                     (viii) Leave for jury service (see USM Policy II-2.50);
                     (ix)   Leave without pay (see USM Policy II-2.20).

                     Full-time non-tenure-track faculty shall be ineligible for sabbatical 
                     leave or for terminal leave, regardless of length of service.

                 d.  Institutional Benefits.  FTNTT instructional faculty shall be eligible 
                     for institution-controlled benefits provided to full-time tenured and 
                     tenure-track faculty and their spouses and dependent children.
                 
                 e.  Implementation Procedures.  Each institution shall develop procedures 
                     for the payment and other aspects of implementation of the above 
                     benefits, and each President shall send a letter to the Chancellor 
                     affirming that this has occurred before the beginning of the Fall, 
                     2008 semester.          .
                 
                 f.  Taxation of Benefits.  The taxability of all benefits, and withholding 
                     on the amount or value of, benefits provided under this policy shall 
                     be determined in accordance with federal and state law.

                 g.  Definition.  For the purposes of this policy:

                     1.	"Regular faculty status" means any position that is established as 
                         a line item and appears in the personnel detail of an institution's 
                         budget.

                     2.	"Consecutive Year of Full Service for "FTNTT instructional faculty"

                        (i)  Means teaching a full instructional load, as defined by the 
                        institution, for the fall and spring semesters of a given academic year.

                        (ii) A disruption in service due to certain family and serious health 
                        conditions as defined by the Policy on Family and Medical Leave for 
                        Faculty (Policy II-2.31) shall not be considered a break in the 
                        continuous nature of a faculty member's years of full service.
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