Faculty By-Laws

A. Voting Membership

Voting members of the faculty include Cornell faculty whose main appointment is in the School, who have been appointed to academic rank and whose contractual title includes the designation of Professor. Persons with dual appointments in the School (see Chapter One, Section I(C)(2])) also are voting members. Except for promotion and tenure votes (see Chapter Three), all voting members vote on all issues.

B. Nonvoting Members

Senior Lecturers in the School are nonvoting members of the faculty, except in matters of appointment and promotion as described in Chapter Three, Section III and in other matters deemed appropriate by the Dean or the Dean's designee. Other nonvoting memberships are described in Chapter One, Section I(C).

C. Faculty Members Elected to the Faculty

There are two (2) ways that other Cornell faculty members can be elected to the faculty:

1. Nonvoting membership may be offered to an individual who has shown a significant interest in participating in the teaching and research activities of the School. Membership is for a three (3) year term, renewable by faculty vote.

2. Full faculty status (a dual appointment) with full voting rights may be offered. The procedures for dual appointments are parallel to the normal promotion and appointment procedures of the School, except that when the professor already has a tenured appointment at Cornell, no Ad Hoc External Review Committee will be required. Dual appointments imply a continuing financial obligation until the end of the term of appointment or for a career, in the case of tenured appointments.

D. Membership in the Graduate Field

Membership in the Graduate Field of "Management" is determined by policies of the Graduate School of Cornell University.

top of page

A. Meetings

Meetings of the faculty are convened under the guidelines of the 1981 edition of Robert's Rules of Order. The only exception is that faculty legislation is approved by a simple majority of votes.

B. Items Controlled by Faculty Votes

Consistent with University policy, the faculty exercises control over curricula and academic standards. In personnel matters, votes are advisory to the Dean.

C. Meetings, Who May Attend

1. Promotion and Tenure Meetings

Meetings for making promotion and tenure decisions will be attended only by the faculty of appropriate rank (see Chapter Three) or by other Cornell faculty members by specific invitation.

2. Other Meetings

Professional staff, doctoral students and an MBA student representative, selected by the Student Council, are invited to attend Faculty Meetings, except that they may be excluded when the Dean determines that the material being discussed warrants that action. For example, students will be excluded from personnel discussions, such as hiring.

top of page

A. Academic appointments are given in accordance with University policy, requiring a vote of the faculty.

1. The Dean of the School has the authority to make an initial one (1) year faculty appointment if the candidate has normal academic credentials. If the candidate for a faculty appointment does not have normal academic credentials, then faculty approval (by vote) will be required if it is intended that the individual will teach a course for credit.

2. It is the general policy of the School not to hire permanent, part-time faculty members. However, exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis under the following guidelines:

a. Tenured members may be granted permanent, part-time appointments at the discretion of the Dean.

b. The tenured members of the faculty shall not change a faculty member's appointment back to full-time tenure status without a review and vote. The procedure for returning to full-time tenure status will not necessarily be the same as the normal procedure for granting tenure.

c. The Dean of the School can allow a part-time faculty member to teach full-time for one (1) year. After that one (1) year any additional full-time assignment for that faculty member requires a review and favorable vote by the entire voting faculty.

d. Temporary, part-time status may be granted by the Dean for one (1) year. Renewals of temporary, part-time appointments must be voted upon by the faculty.

e. This legislation does not affect the School's leave policies.

top of page

A. Buyout Policy

Each faculty member has a responsibility to teach, do research and fulfill advising and administrative functions. On occasion, faculty members may wish to reduce their teaching time to undertake special projects and opportunities that will enhance the reputation of the School. Provided this does not impose unreasonable hardships on other group members or the School, buyouts of teaching time are permissible. Except for research-related cases, it is expected that such buyouts will be of a short and nonrecurring nature. In all cases, the ability to buy out teaching time is not guaranteed and must be registered with and approved by the Dean or the Dean's designee.

B. Faculty Leaves

Leaves of Absence (including Family and Medical Leave, Maternity, Academic Parental and Disability Leaves) and Sabbatical and Study Leaves are granted in accordance with University policies. It is the School's intent to facilitate and expand on the University's Leave Policies to ensure that both fathers and mothers who are primary care providers will be in a position to take time as needed. The School strives to apply the policies to accommodate the needs of the family and will take the initiative to recommend deferral of the tenure clock, as appropriate. To access the official University Leave Policy, go to http://policy.cornell.edu/Vol6_2_1.cfm.

The purpose of Study Leaves is to benefit the School's research and teaching effort and to provide an opportunity that can be used to attract the best faculty to Cornell. The Dean must determine that the School will benefit from a faculty member's leave before the leave is granted. As stated in the University's Leave Policy, the faculty member must submit a specific plan of study and/or research to the Dean before a leave will be granted.

The following policies will be used to guide the granting of Study Leaves in the School:

1. Nothing in the School's or Cornell Trustee policies restricts the scheduling of a faculty member's normal teaching load within any two (2) year period (having more teaching in year one [1] than in year two [2], for example) when it is deemed by the Dean to be in the School's best interest. Faculty are normally expected to be on campus during a period of reduced teaching to perform their other duties.

2. Faculty members are encouraged to obtain research grants and these may be used, at the discretion of the Dean, to purchase reduced teaching, including semesters with no teaching. The Dean will give such permission only when the School's teaching program will not suffer as a result. The Dean may use School funds to finance research leaves when it is considered to be in the best interest of the School. Except in unusual circumstances, the faculty member is expected to be on campus, performing his or her non-teaching duties.

3. When it is in the School's best interest, a faculty member may, at the discretion of the Dean, accept a heavy teaching load that allows the faculty member to build credit toward a semester's leave that can be joined with a Sabbatical Leave to provide a year's leave with full pay. Except in unusual circumstances, faculty members will not be away from their Cornell duties for more than one (1) year. The School requires that more than one (1) year (two [2] semesters) of consecutive leave must be approved by the School's faculty.

C. Pre-Sabbatical Review (aka: Post-Tenure Review), School's Policy Regarding

The processes and procedures outlined by the Dean as of June 1, 2000, for conducting a Pre-Sabbatical Review can be found in Appendix A. The fact that these processes and procedures appear in the Faculty By-laws should not be taken to imply that either the faculty or the Dean is giving up any of the rights and prerogatives granted to the faculty or the Dean by the University.

top of page

A. The Dean appoints Standing Committees in the School, except the Faculty Policy Committee, which is elected. The Committee Charges are available in the Dean's Office. The MBA Course Approval Committee, the Admissions and Career Services Committee and the Academic Standards Committee also have the obligation to act for the faculty, as described in Chapters Four, Five and Six. In addition to Standing Committees, the Dean can appoint Ad Hoc Committees as needed.

The Standing Committees are:

• Academic Integrity Board
• Academic Standards Committee
• Admissions and Career Services Committee
• Faculty Affirmative Action Committee
• MBA Course Approval Committee
• Faculty Policy Committee
• Ph.D. Committee
• Student Council

B. The Dean can appoint nonvoting student members to any committee, except students will not be involved in discussions related to individual students as part of the Academic Standards Committee.

C. The Dean is empowered by the Graduate Field of Management faculty to appoint a Director of Graduate Studies in accordance with Cornell University's Graduate School Policies. This individual normally is the Chairperson of the School's Ph.D. Committee. The Graduate School specifies the duties of the Director of Graduate Studies.

top of page

A. The Dean will appoint one (1) faculty member to the Student Council (SC). The student body determines student membership.

B. The faculty authorizes the SC to develop and administer a course and instructor evaluation questionnaire. The administrative procedures shall be subject to final faculty review and approval. The faculty membership of the SC will review the questionnaire and the procedures at appropriate intervals.

C. The administration of the School will summarize the numerical evaluations. Such summaries will be made available to all faculty and students of the School. Individual comments ("The Yellow Sheets") will be given only to the faculty members.

D. Signatures on the evaluation forms shall not be required. Appropriate validation methods shall be implemented.

top of page

A. Purposes

1. The Faculty Policy Committee will advise the administrative officials of the School on policy matters as described below. In performing this function, the Faculty Policy Committee will consult with members of the faculty and with the administrative officials of the School.

2. The Faculty Policy Committee members will represent the faculty as a whole, and the Faculty Policy Committee will report recommendations and substantiating considerations, in writing, to the Dean and to the entire faculty.

3. The Faculty Policy Committee normally will consider and make recommendations on policy matters referred to it by the Dean or the faculty, but it is also free to undertake studies on its own initiative. It will keep the administration informed of subjects to which it proposes to give formal consideration, and it will consult with the Dean prior to the formulation of any formal recommendations.

4. The Faculty Policy Committee will not act as a buffer between the faculty and the administration of the School but will instead strive to improve and facilitate communication.

5. The Faculty Policy Committee will restrict its recommendations to matters of general policy and to proposals of long-range significance to the School, and to other matters which are determined by the Faculty Policy Committee in consultation with the Dean to be within its jurisdiction as broadly defined above or as may be assigned to it by the faculty.

6. The faculty may delegate specific issues to the Faculty Policy Committee together with authority to make the corresponding decisions.

7. The Faculty Policy Committee will work with the Dean to develop recruiting priorities each year.

B. Election Procedures for the Policy Committee

1. The Faculty Policy Committee will consist of five (5) faculty members. All full-time, tenure-track faculty are eligible for election, except for:

a. Faculty whose main function is administrative;

b. Faculty who are on temporary, one (1) year appointments;

c. Faculty who choose not to be a candidate; and

d. Faculty who are excused due to term limitation. Membership on the Faculty Policy Committee is limited to a single, two (2) year term, or to a one (1) year term followed by either a second one (1) year term or a two (2) year term. If an individual is elected to a two (2) year term immediately following having served a one (1) year term, the individual will not serve the last year of the two (2) year term, but rather there will be an election to fill the last year of the term. Re-election to the Faculty Policy Committee is allowed after a two (2) year absence.

The Faculty Policy Committee selects its own Chairperson.

2. Four (4) of the Faculty Policy Committee members will be elected by the faculty-at-large and senior lecturers. These members will have staggered, two (2)-year terms.

3. The fifth member will be elected by the non-tenured faculty to a one (1)-year term.

4. The voting for the member selected by the non-tenured faculty will be conducted after the other positions have been filled.

5. The election system for the Faculty Policy Committee is as follows:

a. At-Large Members (Two [2] Year Term)

1. Using the list of those eligible, each voter selects ten (10) or fewer individuals. The ten (10) with the most votes are selected for eligibility in the following rounds. If a tie for tenth place occurs, all those so tied will be included.

2. There will be a second ballot involving the faculty selected. Each voter will rank the candidates from most preferred to least preferred (any candidate not ranked by a voter will be assigned a ranking consistent with the lowest ranking). The Hare procedure will then be used to choose the first PC member.

3. There will be a third ballot involving the remaining faculty selected. Each voter will rank the remaining candidates from most preferred to least preferred (any candidate not ranked by a voter will be assigned a ranking consistent with the lowest ranking). The Hare procedure will then be used to choose the second PC member.

4. If needed to fill the second year of a two-year term, there will be a fourth ballot involving the remaining faculty selected. Each voter will rank the remaining candidates from most preferred to least preferred (any candidate not ranked by a voter will be assigned a ranking consistent with the lowest ranking). The Hare procedure will then be used to choose the third PC member.

5. If needed to fill the second year of a two-year term, there will be a fifth ballot involving the remaining faculty selected. Each voter will rank the remaining candidates from most preferred to least preferred (any candidate not ranked by a voter will be assigned a ranking consistent with the lowest ranking). The Hare procedure will then be used to choose the fourth PC member.

b. Election and Voting Procedures - The Fifth Member

This member is elected by the non-tenured faculty for a one (1) year term. The procedures are the same as those for electing the first at-large member above except eligibility to vote is restricted as described.

c. Substitute Members

If an elected member is unable to serve, a special election will be held following the rules for electing either the first at-large member or the fifth member (depending on who cannot serve). If an elected member becomes Dean or Associate Dean during his/her tenure on the Faculty Policy Committee, that member would cease to become a voting member and a special election will be held as just described.

6. The Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs are ex-officio, nonvoting members.

top of page

VIII. Research Grants and Administration

All grant applications or proposals for funding from either the public or private sector must be coordinated with the School's Human Resources Office. Prior to forwarding materials to the sponsor, the faculty member must consult with this Office for assistance with budget preparation and guidance in computing University overhead, fringe benefits, etc. In addition, all applications must be forwarded to the University's Office of Sponsored Programs. That Office is available to assist faculty as well.

Any faculty member receiving external funding will receive a fraction, to be determined by the Dean of overhead recovered, for unrestricted research support.

Any hiring done using external funds must be coordinated with the School's Administrative Service Center.

top of page

IX. Establishment of Institutes and/or Centers

Institutes or Centers can be formed to facilitate research in one (1) or more of the basic teaching areas of the School, the publication of papers dealing with conferences or meetings conducted by the Institute or Center and the conducting of conferences (including research seminars). The basic philosophy is to assist an individual or group of individuals in a particular area, such as Marketing, Finance, Accounting, etc., to organize and attempt to obtain financing for appropriate research, travel and the support of doctoral students, etc. To prevent any such Institute or Center from interfering with or diverging from the educational and philosophical thrust of the School, the following limitations are in place:

A. Institutes will employ no personnel;

B. The administration of an Institute or Center will be considered when Committee assignments are made, although such administration does not automatically reduce Committee assignments;

C. Institutes or Centers will not engage in MBA or Ph.D. educational activities (e.g. courses, diplomas and degrees). Lectures, conferences and seminars can be sponsored by an Institute;

D. All Institutes or Centers are to be approved by a faculty vote before they are implemented. The formal establishment of such a sub-unit is to be reported to or approved by the Board of Trustees. The University Administration requires a one (1) or two (2) page statement outlining the objectives of the Institute or Center (as proposed), including the expected participation by the faculty, types of research to be undertaken and the estimated cost of the Institute or Center;

E. All Institutes or Centers are to be physically housed within the School's facilities;

F. All fund-raising endeavors on behalf of an Institute or Center are to be coordinated with the Dean's Office and the School's Development Office; and

G. Finally, both the administration and funding will be administered by the Dean.

Note: Units with the title of "Center" (e.g. Center for International Studies, Materials Science Center, etc.) are inter-college units. The title "Institute" is used for units established within a single school or college.

top of page

X. Grievances

The grievance procedure, not to be confused with the Procedures for Appealing a Negative Tenure Decision, in Chapter Three, Section XII, provides a means whereby any member of the faculty or academic professional staff who believes himself or herself to be aggrieved can obtain consideration of redress of the grievance.

These procedures have been developed to conform to the Guidelines for College-Level Academic Grievance Procedures adopted by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees on March 13, 1975. These Guidelines are available from the Office of the Dean of the University Faculty. The School's complete Grievance Procedures are available online and also from the Dean's Office or the Chairperson of the Faculty Policy Committee. The outline of the procedure is as follows:

A. These procedures cover all issues having to do with an alleged unfairness that affects an academic's ability to perform his or her designated responsibilities, except that issues related to appointment, reappointment, promotion or tenure are covered by separate procedures.

B. Pre-grievance procedures require that the grieved try to resolve the dispute in discussion with the Dean. If this is not successful in resolving the dispute, a grievance can be filed.

C. A written grievance can be filed with the Chairperson of the Faculty Policy Committee within ten (10) days of the discussion with the Dean. The Chairperson will form a Grievance Committee, following rules outlined in the complete Grievance Procedures. Conduct of hearings, reports and decision mechanisms are described in that document.

For information on Academic Grievance Procedures, go to the University Faculty's web site at http://web.cornell.edu/UniversityFaculty/. In the red box on the left, click on "Academic Policies" and click on the relevant "Faculty Appeals Procedures" for:

• Negative Tenure Decision (revised 2002, PDF)
• Not to Conduct a Tenure Review (revised 2002, PDF)
• Not to Renew Non-Tenure Appointment (revised 2002, PDF)
• Promotion to Full Professor (PDF)
• University Appeals Panel Membership, 2003-2004 (PDF)

top of page

(printer-friendly version)