2-1 Faculty Appointments
2.1a Core Faculty Appointments
A Core Faculty member is appointed in a College by the Provost at a rank listed and described in this Faculty Handbook with all the responsibilities and rights of University Faculty. Core Faculty status requires faculty members to participate in United States University's academic life and be available for sufficient hours to fulfill their academic responsibilities to their students, programs, colleges, and United States University.
Core Faculty Appointments - Full-Time/Part-Time
Full-Time Core Faculty refers to salaried faculty responsible for exercising 100% of academic and shared governance responsibilities at USU as described in faculty workload.
Part-time Core Faculty refers to salaried faculty responsible for exercising 50% of academic and shared governance responsibilities at USU as described in faculty workload.
A Full-time Faculty member who holds a joint appointment (an appointment in more than one College or one Program simultaneously) will be considered a full-time, Core Faculty member.
Initial Core Faculty Appointments and Hiring
An initial appointment occurs when an individual is employed in one of the approved academic ranks listed in this Faculty Handbook if the individual's previous status was either:
● not in the employ of United States University; or
● in the employ of United States University without Core Faculty rank
Guidelines for Core Faculty Initial Appointments
No Core Faculty Member will be deemed appointed in the absence of an official university-sanctioned letter of appointment signed by the Provost or President.
Initial Faculty rank will be determined based on previous university ranks held and the scholarly contributions within the past 10 years.
Official notification to a faculty member of their appointment will be contained in a signed letter of appointment, including the term of appointment, the assigned rank, the assigned College(s), and other employment conditions per the Faculty Handbook.
Core Faculty Recruitment: Policies and Procedures
Once a position has been authorized and funded, United States University's recruiting program is directed toward obtaining the most qualified person for the position authorized.
● The period and specific procedures for recruiting a new Faculty Core appointee will be determined by the College Dean or the Provost in collaboration with faculty and administration. All recruiting is subject to the limitation that appointments must conform to established University policies and the Handbook.
● Production of advertising copy and placement of ads will be coordinated through the College Dean and the Office of Human Resources.
● A thorough and determined search for candidates both inside and outside United States University will be conducted. It is United States University’s policy to provide equal opportunity for all applicants and employees.
United States University does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, medical condition, physical or mental disability, or veteran status. This policy applies to all employment areas, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, and other benefits. The equal employment opportunity policy adopted by United States University requires the institution to follow a set of procedures ensuring the fair consideration of women and designated minority group candidates.
With additional justification as appropriate, the Dean will forward recommendations to the Provost, who will make the final appointment decision. Upon receipt of the College Dean's recommendation, the Provost may either recommend or return it to the College Dean for reconsideration.
2.1 b Adjunct Faculty Appointments
Adjunct Faculty are employed as part-time employees under an annual Adjunct Pool Contract. No Adjunct Faculty member will be deemed employed in the absence of an Adjunct Faculty contract. An appointment to an Adjunct Faculty position is an appointment for a non-continuous, non-tenure assignment and does not imply further or continued employment. An Adjunct Faculty member is an at-will employee and may be terminated at any time, with or without cause, advance notice, or stated justification.