Policy on Adoption and Revision of Faculty Handbooks

Purpose:

The Willamette University Board of Trustees has the governing authority for the university. All authority to adopt policies for the university rests with, or derives from, the Board. Through the Bylaws, the Board has delegated to each faculty the authority to formulate and adopt policies for the faculty’s internal governance structures, consultative functions, and certain personnel matters, such as the process and standards for recommending faculty for promotion and tenure. Each faculty body adopts and maintains a Faculty Handbook to carry out this delegation of authority as set forth in the Bylaws. As required by the Bylaws, all faculty policies are subject to the general policies of the university and must be approved by the President. The purpose of this policy is to set forth the requirements and process for adoption or revision of a Faculty Handbook.  

Faculty Handbooks do not include academic or curricular policies. Academic and curricular policies are formalized in separate Academic Handbooks. Academic Handbooks may be at the level of the university, or a school or college, as appropriate.

Definitions Related to this Policy:

Faculty Handbook means the set of policies adopted by each faculty and approved by the President for the faculty’s internal governance structures, consultative functions, and certain personnel matters as delegated by the Board of Trustees and outlined in the university’s bylaws.  

Handbook Changes means the drafting, updating, revising, or altering (through additions or deletions) of the text of a Faculty Handbook.

University Policy means a policy of general applicability across the university that has been approved by the President.

Policy:

1. The Board of Trustees has the authority to alter Faculty Handbooks or the policies therein.
2. Faculty Handbooks are subject to and must be consistent with University Policy. If there is a conflict or inconsistency between a Faculty Handbook and a University Policy, the University Policy supersedes the Faculty Handbook and the Faculty Handbook shall be amended as directed by the President. 
3. Faculty Handbooks must be consistent with legal requirements. If there is a conflict or inconsistency between a Faculty Handbook and a legal requirement, which is determined in the judgment of the university’s legal counsel, the Faculty Handbook shall be amended as directed by the President.    
4. Handbook Changes must be approved by the President in writing. Handbook Changes that are not so approved in writing by the President will not be considered policy and will not confer any rights or obligations on the university.
5. It is in the best interests of the University to have regular and organized review of requested Handbook Changes each Academic Year. To that end, Handbook Changes shall follow this schedule:
   1. Fall: Handbook Changes for the following year are discussed with the Provost.  
   2. January: Deans email proposals for Handbook Changes to the President and Provost, with a copy to the Vice President of Human Resources. The email should clearly indicate that the Dean is submitting a Proposal for Handbook Changes. Attached to the email should be: (1) the current Handbook text, (2) the proposed Handbook text, and (3) a redline showing the changes.
   3. February: The President or Provost will provide a response to the proposed Handbook Changes.  The response may be approval in writing by the President (as described below), denial of the policy change, or feedback/questions on the Handbook Changes warranting further discussion.
   4. May: All discussion of the Handbook Changes should be completed through written presidential approval by the last day of the Spring semester, denial of the changes, or tabling the issue for resubmission in a future Academic Year.

Ministerial or organizational changes that are deemed by the Dean and President not to impact the substance of the Faculty Handbook may be made without following the above process and with written approval of the Dean and President as discussed in the paragraph below.

The President will approve Handbook Changes using a form created and maintained by the Office of Human Resources to ensure clarity in the approval process. Written approval of Handbook Changes shall be kept by Human Resources and the Provost’s Office.

Effective Date: July 01, 2024
Responsible Person/Primary Contact:  Provost
Responsible University Office: Provost’s Office