Administrative Policies

Date Created/Revised: 8/29/2018
Executive Responsibility: Steering Committee

College Administrative Policies and Procedures are under the authority of the Dean and jointly curated by the Dean and the Steering Committee. No policy shall supersede or contradict university policies established by the Faculty Senate or by the University administration or by the CBA.

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Archival Documentation

The Office of the Dean shall act as conservator of all documents, records, meetings, decisions, letters, recommendations, personnel dossiers and supporting materials produced by any individual or group acting on behalf of or at the behest of the College or a College official, and shall make these readily accessible on a need-to-know basis.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Administrative Timetables

The Office of the Dean shall maintain timetables of all processes related to personnel and program procedures and deadlines and shall provide timely and instructive notifications for adequate preparation to satisfy forthcoming events or requirements.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Space Guidelines

The Office of the Dean is the primary steward of space in the Russ Engineering Center and the Joshi Research Center.  The Dean is also responsible for allotting collaborative assignments in the Neuroscience Engineering Collaboration (NEC) building.

Stewardship of space is guided by the following principles: 

• The primary utility of space is the productivity of people.
• The priorities of space are people, equipment, storage.
• The priorities of people space are: paid full-time, paid part-time, unpaid full-time, unpaid part-time.
• Academic and administrative rank are sub-priorities within the above.
• The default mode of any definable space is “shared.”
• Space utilization capacity is 12 hours/day, 5 days/week, or 60 hours/week.  Utilization at less-than-capacity may require justification and annual reevaluation.
• The allocation norms of space at utilization capacity are 120ft²/paid full-time, 50ft²/all other people categories.
• Prior occupation, legacy programs, and historical usage shall not be considerations in allotment.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Office Space

The allotment norm is 120ft²/paid full-time person with priority given to academic and administrative rank. The allotment norm is 50ft²/person for all other categories with priority given by paid part-time, unpaid full-time, and unpaid part-time, and then to academic and administrative rank.

Whenever an allotment results in significantly less-than-capacity utilization (60 hours/week), that office may be subject to appropriate sharing arrangements to achieve utilization capacity.

Occasionally, it is necessary for a particular individual to have access to multiple locations within the university or college. The above principles are to be followed, irrespective of this necessity. In such a case, full-utilization may be achieved by an appropriate sharing arrangement for lab and/or office space.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Research Space

The allotment norm is 120ft²/paid full-time person with priority given to academic and administrative rank. The allotment norm is 50ft²/person for all other categories with priority given by paid part-time, unpaid full-time, and unpaid part-time, and then to academic and administrative rank.

Whenever an allotment results in significantly less-than-capacity utilization (60 hours/week), that space may be subject to appropriate sharing arrangements to achieve utilization capacity.

Occasionally, it is necessary for a particular individual to have access to multiple locations within the university or college. The above principles are to be followed, irrespective of this necessity. In such a case, full-utilization may be achieved by an appropriate sharing arrangement for lab and/or office space.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Instructional Space

Instructional space is, by definition, categorized as “unpaid part-time.” The allotment norm is one person/50ft² at full utilization capacity.

For example, a 1 credit-hour, 2 contact-hour lab section nominally occupies a particular space (room) for 3 hours/week, including set-up, clean-up, and transition. An 800ft² room would nominally host 20 sections (= 60 hours/week ÷ 3 hours/week/section) of 16 students each to reach full utilization capacity.

Whenever an allotment results in less-than-capacity utilization (60 hours/week), it is expected that sharing arrangements may be made to achieve utilization capacity.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Space Database

The Office of the Dean will maintain a current database, including designation, floor plans, area, type of use, assignment, and utilization. This database will be employed by the Dean and the Colleges staff in analyzing space utilization within the CECS buildings.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Authorized Access

Individuals who use or are responsible for the teaching and research laboratories located in the Russ Engineering Center, the Joshi Research Center and the Neuroscience Engineering Collaboration Building must comply with the following rules which are applicable to all students, faculty, and staff.

1. Laboratories are restricted for use by those individuals who are teaching, enrolled in a class that requires use of a laboratory, or who are conducting approved research under the direction of a College of Engineering and Computer Science faculty member. Individuals who enter a laboratory for any other reason may be asked to leave and are expected to comply with such a request. Individuals who fail to leave a lab upon request may be subject to legal and/ or University disciplinary action.
    
2. Children (defined as people under 18 years of age who are not an employee or student of the university) are not permitted in any laboratory without the expressed permission of a representative from the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Exceptions are children of university employees who are under the specific and continuous supervision of the employee or children who are attending a supervised activity approved by the college.

Exposing children and infants to potentially dangerous situations is undesirable. Additionally, there is always the potential for a laboratory accident occurring during the time the children are in the laboratory. Aside from the exposure considerations, there is a liability issue facing the university should a child get ill or injured while in the laboratory.

In the interest of safety, it is the policy of the College of Engineering and Computer Science that children will not normally be allowed in any teaching or research laboratories belonging to the college. Faculty, staff, and students are expected to exercise common sense and good judgment in allowing children in any laboratory. Scheduled college, department, or student activities, that are intended to inform, teach, or recruit potential students are not prohibited as long as these are supervised activities for the express benefit of the students.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Signage

The purpose of signage is to provide useful guidance to facility guests and visitors, and to create visual representations of andragogical and technological innovations within the college. Faculty and Staff are encouraged to appropriately and dynamically display such representations with deference to the following policies.

1. The college will supply all office identification signage for new occupants to a space.
    
2. Renaming of space with no change of occupant is the department’s responsibility.
    
3. Signage in private offices and areas dedicated for use by particular individuals and/or units is governed accordingly.
    
4. Permanent or temporary installation of bulletin boards, signs, or other objects in hallways, stairways, doors, or windows located in general circulation areas and student body study lounges must have approval from the administrator responsible for those areas.
    
5. CECS student organizations may post announcements, flyers, etc., for a defined time window, with approval of the Deans office.
    
6. Variances must be approved particularly by the Office of the Dean.
    
7. Objects installed in violation of this policy will be removed.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Computer Accounts

Computer accounts are available on College machines for students on a need-to-access basis. Each term, accounts of students not enrolled in the university will be disabled.

Revised: 8/29/2018

Annual Department Reports

The purpose of a departmental report is to summarize department investment, productivity, and growth. These archival records are not intended for public release. An annual report will be prepared by each department and be submitted to the Dean’s office. The report will contain summaries of:

1. Department budget (FY-basis); including at least expenses, revenue, instructional, research, & facilities breakdowns.
2. Research expenditures (FY-basis); 
3. Enrollment trends (AY-basis); including at least undergrad enrollment trends, grad enrollment trends, and faculty utilization;
4. A summary of active and completed department initiatives and achievements (AY-basis). Initiatives may include recruitment actions, major instructional activities and new programs, outreach event, student and faculty development activities, significant student graduations and placements, major faculty research and academic awards, and other meritorious achievements.

The report will be distributed annually to the department faculty on or before the first department meeting in the fall semester. The report will cover the previous academic and fiscal year.

Faculty are able to request detailed information related to the above topics. This detailed information will be presented to the faculty member in a timely manner following a request for information to the Department Chair.

Revised: 4/26/2019

Annual College Report

The purpose of the college report is to summarize college investment, productivity, and growth. These archival records are not intended for public release. The annual report from the Dean, submitted to the Faculty, should contain:

1. College budget summary (FY-basis); including at least expenses, revenue, instructional, research, & facilities breakdowns.
2. Research expenditure (FY-basis);
3. Enrollment trends (AY-basis); including at least undergrad enrollment trends, grad enrollment trends, and faculty utilization;
4. College initiatives and achievements (AY-basis); including at least recruiting initiatives, instructional initiatives, and major activities and accomplishments produced by college departments and faculty.

The report will be distributed to the College faculty and staff on or before the first College meeting in the fall semester. The report will cover the previous academic and fiscal year.

Faculty are able to request detailed information related to the above topics. This detailed information will be presented to the faculty member in a timely manner following a request for information to the Dean’s Office.

Revised: 4/26/2019

Joint Appointments

The purpose of appointing a faculty member to more than one department is to increase synergy and collaboration. Each faculty member so appointed will retain a primary department where all tenure, promotion, and other usual administrative considerations will be conducted. Other departments or faculty with which the faculty member interacts may provide letters of assessment on the success of collaborative efforts in the usual manner if so requested. Joint appointments may be considered for faculty members of different departments in the same college, departments in different colleges, or even different universities.

Process

A faculty member seeking a joint appointment must initiate the process by addressing a letter or request, with an attached vita, to the Dean of the College where the secondary appointment is requested, with a copy to their own department chair. If the Dean receiving such a letter, and the department chair of the primary department, both concur with the desirability of the joint appointment, the letter will be passed on to the department receiving the request. The Dean may otherwise terminate the process.

The faculty of the department receiving the request will determine the extent, in time and privilege, of the joint appointment. For example, the department faculty may allow an appointment to span no more than 3 years, or to apply only for the advisement of a particular student. In any case, reevaluation of the joint appointment by the granting department should occur at least every 5 years. The granting department may terminate the appointment at any time.

Newly-hired faculty may be offered joint appointments only if the faculty member is acceptable to both departments and one of the departments is designated as the department of primary affiliation.

Rights and Privileges

Faculty holding joint appointments have no voting rights in the host department. Further, the rights granted to the joint-appointed faculty are determined solely by the host department.

Joint Compensation

Typically, faculty holding joint appointments are compensated only by the primary department. If a faculty member’s salary is apportioned between departments, one department is designated as the primary department for purposes of all administrative matters related to that faculty member. The department offering the secondary appointment may provide advisory and evaluative information on the portion of the faculty member’s activities relating to the joint appointment, but the administrative decisions will be made in the department holding the primary appointment.

Termination

A jointly appointed faculty member may terminate the appointment by so notifying the secondary department. Similarly, the Faculty of the secondary department may vote at any time to terminate the joint appointment.

Faculty Awards

The CECS Faculty Development Committee shall meet to consider college awards and other college recognitions that it deems appropriate and make appropriate decisions recognizing college faculty excellence and achievement.

• Excellence in Teaching (nominated by the Teaching Awards Committee and also include outstanding adjunct and teaching assistant/recitation instructor)
• Excellence in Research
• Excellence in Professional Service
• Outstanding Faculty Member
• Early Career Achievement
• Outstanding Instructor/Lecturer

Revised: 8/29/2018