I. Introduction
This handbook contains information describing faculty roles and responsibilities, academic operations, personnel policies, and the shared governance model. It is the product of collaborative discussion among the faculty, academic leaders, and the administrative offices of the MGH Institute. All faculty members are expected to be familiar with the contents of this handbook, which is reviewed and updated annually for accuracy and relevance. Approved changes to the Faculty Handbook go into effect in August at the start of the next academic year, and all faculty members with ongoing appointments are subject to the provisions as amended.
Faculty members are those employees who have been awarded faculty rank and who are employed for a defined appointment period. Often the MGH Institute employs, on a term-by-term basis, credentialed professionals as lecturers. These colleagues may teach in the various programs and, in some instances, may have privileges of attendance or vote at program committees. They do not, however, have rank, and are not subject to the policies and procedures outlined in this handbook.
While the handbook focuses on policies and procedures that apply specifically to MGH Institute faculty, faculty members are also governed by Institute-wide policies and procedures. To view a complete list of applicable policies, please see Human Resources Policies and Procedures.
For 2022–2023, the Office of the Provost has updated the Faculty Handbook to reflect the addition of a third school and clarification of certain academic processes. These changes can be found across several sections:
II. Appointment and Promotion
- Faculty appointments occur in the School of Nursing or in one of the constituent departments of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences or School of Healthcare Leadership.
- We have replaced “dean or director” with “academic unit leader” to indicate the person who supervises and evaluates a faculty member.
- To align with the new annual evaluation cycle, reappointment now must occur by September 30 (not June 30). Notices of nonrenewal will be communicated at least nine months before a faculty appointment terminates.
- Terms of reappointment may be made for up to five years for a professor, up to three years for assistant and associate professors, and two years for an instructor.
III. Evaluation and Work Plan
- Recommendations for acknowledging the invisible labor of faculty of color have been added to the guidelines for assigning work plan credit.
IV. Promotion
- Deadlines that fall on a weekend or holiday are moved to the following business day.
- November 1 is the preferred deadline for academic unit leaders to submit applications for promotion to assistant professor.
V. Leaves
- Sabbatical applications will be considered for leaves starting between July 1 and June 30 of the following year.
- Key academic leaders applying for sabbatical leave must receive approval from the Provost or President (not the review committee) in addition to the Board of Trustees.
VI. Maintaining Integrity
- Updated policy for faculty members enrolling in doctoral programs at the Institute.
IX. New Academic Program Approval
- The Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees will review proposals at the concept phase.
XI. Curricular Review
- Process for seeking approval by Course and Curriculum Review Committee has been updated.
XII. Bylaws of the Faculty
- Amendments approved by the Faculty Senate and ratified by the Board of Trustees regarding faculty membership have been added.