Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The University of Wisconsin Centers (n/k/a University of Wisconsin Colleges) is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, religion, creed, color, ancestry, national origin, age, maritax status, relationship to other employees, sexual orientation, disability, veteran's status, arrest or conviction record, political affiliation, membership in the National Guard, state defense force, or any other reserve component of the military forces of the United States or Wisconsin, or other protected status.

Ensuring equal employment opportunity is a legal, social, and economic responsibility of the U.W. Colleges and is provided in accordance with applicable federal and state laws and University of Wisconsin System policy. The UWC policy and practice at all levels assure the active and positive implementation of federal and state equal employment opportunity/affirmative action laws, executive orders, rules and regulations and University of Wisconsin System equal employment opportunity/affirmative action policies and guidelines.

The U.W. Colleges is committed to a policy of affirmative action to overcome the present effects of past discrimination and to achieve equal employment opportunity for members of groups that are or have been under-represented. Affirmative action will be taken for women, minorities, and persons with disabilities [See the Americans with Disabilities Act/U.S. Dept. of Justice] in all positions in all employment policies , practices and procedures, including, but not limited to, recruiting, interviewing, testing, screening, selection, placement, classification, certification, evaluation, compensation, promotion, training, transfer, fringe benefits, layoff, nonrenewal, discharge, termination, retention, and committee appointments. Retaliation against any employee or applicant because that employee made a complaint, assisted with an investigation or instituted proceedings, is also a form of discrimination and is prohibited.

The U.W.C. Affirmative Action Plan and annual reports are filed in campus libraries or can be obtained upon request from the Affirmative Action Office. The affirmative action and equal opportunity efforts are the joint responsibility of administrators, faculty and staff. University administrators, managers, and other supervisory personnel will be evaluated on the basis of their performance in these areas. Violations of the equal opportunity and affirmative action policies will result in disciplinary action.

Accessibility:

The U.W. Colleges strives to achieve physical accessibility to work environments for persons with disabilities [See the U.W. System Reasonable Accommodations Policy]. Modifications to physical facilities must be approved and financed by county boards and/or municipalities. Upon request, the university will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities to ensure equal access to employment.

Religious Accommodation:

Upon request, the U.W. Colleges will provide reasonable accommodations for religious observances and practices.

Employment Periods

Contract Year: The contract year for faculty employed on an academic year basis (2 semesters) covers nine months (39 contiguous weeks) and includes not fewer than 34 weeks of organized services for students, including classroom instruction, registration, advising, examing and grading. The academic year ordinarily begins after mid-August and ends in mid-to late-May [See UWC Senate Policy #11--Calendar Policies]. Faculty members are expected to be available during periods prescribed for registration and examination, even though classes may not be meeting. The time not on the organized calendar should be used by faculty members for scholarly pursuits and instructional development.

Summer Session: Summer staffing is determined annually. An additional two-ninths of the academic year salary is paid for a full-time summer appointment (typically six credits during an eight-week session) or one-ninth for a half-time summer appointment. Because summer appointments are contingent upon curricular needs, enrollment, budget, and individual preparation for available assignments, summer employment cannot be guaranteed. A number of summer grants for professional development activities are available. Information is in UWC Professional Development Opportunities.

Vacation Policy: Faculty members employed on an academic-year basis do no accrue paid vacation days, but are entitled to the paid holidays designated by the Wisconsin Statutes: January 1 (New Year's Day); the third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day); the afternoon of Good Friday, the last Monday of May (Memorial Day); July 4 (Independence Day); the first Monday in September (Labor Day); the fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day); December 24, December 25 (Christmas); and December 31. State policy further provides that when January 1, July 4, December 25, or December 31 fall on a Saturday or Sunday, all state employees are granted an alternate work day off; if the days fall on Sunday, the following Monday is a day off, except for December 24 and December 31.

Professional Conduct

Code of Conduct: Board of Regents Policy and UWC Senate Policy #20 [currently a mapping error] prohibit intentional conduct, either verbal or physical, that explicitly demeans the race, sex, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or age of an individual or individuals, and (1) has the purpose or effect of interfering with the education, university-related work, or other university-authorized activity of a university student, employee, official, or guest; or (2) creates an intimidating, hostile or demeaning environment for education, university-related work, or other university-authorized activity.

Sexual Harassment Policy: Board of Regents Policy and UWC administrative policy define sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical conduct or expressive behavior of a sexual nature where: (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or education; or (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting that individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's professional or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning employment or educational environment.

Code of Ethics: The Wisconsin Administrative Code (UWS 8) states that faculty members, at the time of appointment, make a personal commitment to professional honest and integrity that meets the demanding standards of the state and national academic communities. Faculty members may not disregard the interests of the University of Wisconsin System in order, through use of their positions or through official conduct, to seek financial gain for themselves, their immediate families, or businesses with which they are associated.

Faculty members have various skills and professional knowledge than enable them to serve the community outside of their official university duties and such service may enhance the image of the University and provide opportunities for faculty to develop professional skills and experience to add to the effectiveness of teaching, research, and professional community service. However, the university expects a basic devotion to the recognized university responsibilities of teaching, research and scholarly activity, and university and community service.

The most common concern of the legislature, and thus the Board of Regents, is the extent to which outside activities infringe upon the ability of the faculty to perform their university-assigned duties. The Board of Regents recently adopted a new policy which requires an annual report on outside activities from each faculty member [See UWC Senate #21--Outside Activity Policy].

Generally, if the department chair or dean believes the outside activity interferes with the ability of the faculty member to perform university assigned activities, an attempt is made to reconcile the matter with the faculty member. If resolution is not possible, the dispute is then forwarded to the Chancellor and then to the UWC Ethics Committee which advises the chancellor as to the appropriateness of the activity. Appeals of any decision may be made by the faculty member in the normal process.

Political Activities: The Board of Regents limits political activity by faculty members and other employees of the University. They are contained in Regent Resolution #800 and include:

1. No political campaigning activities shall occur during hours when an employee is expected to be performing regularly scheduled University duties. No officer or employee may solicit or receive or be involved in soliciting or receiving any contribution or service for any political purpose from any officer or employee of this state while on state time or engaged in his official duties as an officer or employee.
2. If a staff member chooses to enter a primary campaign, that staff member should, in consultation with the department chair and dean, determine whether or not this activity will impair or encroach on performance of University duties. If it is determined that it will, a reduced time appointment should be arranged for the period of the primary campaign.
3. If a staff member is a candidate in a regular election, the same steps as above should be followed with the exception that a reduced time appointment would be in order.
4. If a staff member is elected, a leave of absence may be granted for the initial term of office when the time demands would not allow continuance of full-time or part-time performance of university duties. If the individual is elected to a second term, it would be the normal expectation that the individual would sever her or his relationship with the university. If a campus wishes to extend a leave of absence in this instance, justification would have to be advanced to the president of the system and this extension must receive the specific approval of the Board of Regents.
5. If a staff member accepts appointive local, state, or national office (political or educational in nature), the staff member may be granted a leave of absence for the initial appointment term when the time demands of the office would not allow continuance of full or part-time performance of university duties. Extension of the leave beyond the initial term shall require justification and approval as #4 above.
6. Service as an elected or appointed official on off-hour demand activities (e.g., school boards, city councils, county boards or on local, state or national commissions) would not normally require a reduced appointment or leave of absence. However, each case should be reviewed.
7. Lobbying the legislature for funds for the university in excess of the Board of Regents' request is prohibited.

Open Meeting Law

The Wisconsin Statutes note that for the citizens to be informed, meetings of governmental bodies must be as accessible as possible. Some statutory provisions are summarized below.

All meetings must be convened as open meetings. "Open session" (Subchapter 19.82) is a meeting held in a place reasonably accessible to members of the public and open to all citizens at all times. Subchapter 19.84 states that "public notice" must be given as to the time, date, place, and subject matter of the meeting, including matters intended for consideration at any closed session. Public notice must be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Public notice applies to faculty and academic staff committees and subcommittees and to administrative boards, councils, and committees. Departments and their subunits are exempt (by 19.84(5)) from these strict public notice requirements, but should provide timely meeting notice which is reasonably likely to inform those interested citizens and news media representatives who have filed written requests to receive such notice.

Bodies considering the granting or denial of tenure, dismissal, demotion, or disciplining of a University faculty member are permitted (by section 19.85(1)(b)) to meet in closed session, but are required to notify the person concerned of any evidentiary hearings and of meetings at which final action may be taken, and to give the person concerned the right to demand that such hearings and meetings be held in open session. If the person requests an open meeting, the body will meet in open session to (1) receive information relating the the tenure consideration; (2) to deliberate concerning the granting or denial of tenure; and (3) decide whether tenure will be granted or denied. In other words, when a government body meets to consider a faculty member for any of the above actions, the faculty member is entitled to demand that the meeting be open for all purposes: receiving information, deliberating, and voting.

Bodies considering employment, renewal, promotion, merit salary increases, compensation, or performance data are permitted by Section 19.85(1)(c) to meet in closed sessions, without giving the person concerned specific notification or the right to demand an open session. (However, the open meeting law does not require that such meetings be closed).

Section 19.85(1) specifies the procedures for a closed session: motion by a member of the body, passage by majority roll-call vote, and announcement by the presiding officer of the nature of the business to be considered and the specific exemption(s) under subsection 19.85 by which the closed session is authorized. Such an announcement becomes part of the meeting record. No business may be taken up during closed session except that which was announced. Minutes of the closed session should include the motions and votes that occurred during the session.

In general, only election of officers may be by secret ballot. Without specific statutory authorization, no other election or decison may be made by secret ballot in any meeting. For example, in voting on personnel recommendations, department executive committees may vote either by show of hands or by signed paper ballots. Any member of a government body may ask for a roll call vote which must be taken and recorded in the minutes. Motions and roll call votes are recorded, preserved, and open to public inspection to the extent provided in the state open records law.

Personnel Files

Personnel files are maintained in the vice chancellor's office, at the U.W. College where the faculty member is located, and by the department. The faculty member must furnish up-to-date transcripts and notice of degrees earned for the personnel file. These records and documents relation to periodic evaluations conducted by the campus or department or maintained in the file and may be used for retention, promotion, tenure and other personnel decisions. Necessary changes and additions should be made promptly.

A faculty member may see the contents of the faculty member's own personnel file. Faculty members who wish to review files should make arrangements with the campus dean, department chair, or the the vice chancellor's office.

Classroom Instruction

Copyright and Ownership of Instructional Materials: UW System Guidelines (GAPP #27) provide that certain materials may be copyrighted in the name of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. These guidelines do not assert a UW System property interest in materials which result from the activities of the author(s) engaged in traditional teaching, research and scholarly activities. Production of these materials, including theses, scholarly and journal articles, research bulletins, monographs and books, may be implicit in an author's role as a university employee and should be contrasted with instructional materials produced pursuant to an explicit agreement where an author acts under contractual agreement to produce copyrightable materials.

The following types of instructional materials are among those which may be copyrighted: books, texts, glossaries, bibliographies, study guides, labor manuals, syllabi, tests, etc.; lectures, musical or dramatic compositions, and unpublished scripts; films, filmstrips, slides, charts, transparencies, and other visual materials; video and audio recordings of presentations, programs or performances; programmed instructional materials and computer programs.

These materials may be produced or developed by the author(s) under at least the following five conditions:

1. No university support or involvement;
2. Minimal university support or involvement (such as the use of university labs or equipment), but with no release time from assigned duties;
3. Substantial university support and involvement and/or release time provided with the expectation that copyrightable instructional materials will result;
4. an assigned duty and/or work-for-hire arrangement;
5. support from an extramural sponsor.

Copyrightable materials produced as stated 1) and 2) above belong solely to the author, artist, or other creator. Materials produced with substantial institutional support and/or release time, as stated in 3) above, are the subject of a written understanding or agreement between the author, artist, or other creator and the chancellor (or designee). The agreement will equitably determine copyright and ownership rights. If the institution chooses not to copyright materials to which it has a right, the author may do so personally.

When the production of copyrightable materials is a primary purpose of employment, as in 4) above, a written "work-for-hire" agreement shall be made to the author, for which the UW Colleges will receive all rights to the material and receive all royalties and fees. When such materials are produced as an assigned duty, the UW Colleges owns all rights and receive all royalties and fees, except where a contrary agreement has been reached between the author and the chancellor (or designee). Whenever copyrightable materials are produced with extramural support, as in 5) above, the agreement with the extramural sponsor shall be considered in determining the copyright and ownership rights of the parties.

Since conditions of production, use and final disposition will vary from time to time, the author and the producing agency must develop a written agreement to be signed by the author and the chancellor (or designee) before the beginning production to clearly define the rights and responsibilities of all principal parties.

Interested faculty members should read the General Administrative Policy Paper #27 and direct specific questions to the chancellor's office. As stated in the policy, resolution of the interests of the university and of the author(s) must be on a case-by-case basis, applying the principles and considerations in the guideline.

Teaching Load Expectations: The recommended teaching load is generally 12 contact hours per week with no more than six separate course preparations during the academic year. There are variations in the contact hour load because of differences in class size and the nature of the courses. For example, faculty members teaching basically lecture courses, such as history or philosophy, will normally not exceed 12 contact hours per week, whereas those teaching studio courses, such as art or music, may teach from 12 to 18 contact hours. Faculty members teaching lab/lecture courses, such as biology or physics, often teach more than 12 contact hours per week. Other variations from the norm may occur for a variety of reasons such as assignment to non-teaching duties, a higher load during one semester followed by a lighter load the next semester, or an emergency situation on the campus.

Questions about teaching assignments should be directed to the campus dean the department chair. Further guidelines for determining workload and reconciling differences are included in Senate Policy #42 (Recommended Teaching Expectations).

Textbooks: Each faculty member may select the texts for courses. Each faculty member is responsible for timely notification to the bookstore or appropriate administrator of the texts selected. In selecting textbooks, new faculty members are encouraged to consult with department chairs and to comply with local policies and procedures for requisition or rental of textbooks. Examination or desk copies usually can be obtained directly from publishers by using a complimentary form available at each campus.

Grading Policy: Academic regulations and procedures, including grade reporting procedures and grades used, are determined by the UW Colleges Senate. A complete explanation of the grading system is included in the UWC Catalog and in Senate Policy #1 (Academic Procedures and Regulations). Faculty members should note that the grading system includes plus and minus grades, but does not include a grade of A+, F+ or F-.

The procedure for handling incompletes is somewhat different from the usual in that the instructor is asked to provide an alternate grade and the Incomplete. If the student does not remove the Incomplete within the time limit, the alternate grade is recorded as the permanent grade for the course.

Grade sheets for assigning mid-term and final grades are distributed to faculty members by the campus student services office. Specific instructions and deadlines are provided. Faculty members are expected to have mid-term grades available when the sheets are distributed and to comply with the deadline for final grades to avoid delay in student grades processing.

Course Approval Policy: All courses taught in the UW Colleges must be listed in the UW Colleges Catalog, which also includes course descriptions and prerequisities. New courses and revised descriptions or prerequisities of an existing course are approved by the department, the Senate Curriculum Committee, and the vice chancellor before the catalog change is made. Specific procedures to follow are contained in Senate Policy #25 (Curriculum Guidelines).

To include a catalog course in the campus curriculum, a faculty member contacts the campus curriculum committee which recommends to the dean the courses to include in the curriculum for the next academic year. The protocol for the development of campus curricula includes consultation with the departments, but faculty members should be aware that this consultation process occurs more than one year before the course is offered. Early planning and a prompt response to campus curriculum requests for course submissions are necessary.

A faculty member must receive department approval to teach a particular course. Normally this is indicated in the appointment letter or other documents in the personnel file. Some courses, such as current topics courses, are more open-ended than others and require department approval of both instructor and content before being offered on a campus each time the course is included in the curriculum.

There are several atypical courses or formats that are available to faculty. Special topics courses are available for faculty members who want to develop a course on a specific topic to be taught for only one semester. Independent reading courses are available to accomodate students interested in exploring a topic in a depth unavailable in the regular department courses. Interdisciplinary courses may be developed to explore how disciplines relate to each other. Courses may be split so that portions are offered in consecutive semesters. For more information on these options, consult Senate Policy #31 (Atypical Course Policy).

Final Exam Policy: Senate Policy #4 (Final Exam Policy) requires that final exam schedules for courses of two or more credits be published in each UW College timetable and that those final exams be given as scheduled during finals week except when special permission is given by the campus dean. The final may not exceed two hours unless a take-home final is given. Special arrangements may be made for students with schedule conflicts, more than two finals in one day, special needs (such as a handicap), or other concerns. Students have the right to review the final exam up to one semester after the final is given if the instructor does not return the exam to the student.

In addition to the senate policy, each department is required to have a department final exam policy. This indicates the courses for which final exams are mandatory, permissable methods of testing, coverage, and any other guidelines which will assist faculty in conforming to department expectations about final exam practices. The policy indicates the procedures by which a faculty member can request an exemption.

Student Academic Misconduct/Disciplinary Procedures: The University of Wisconsin Colleges, as part of the University of Wisconsin System, maintains that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental to its mission. Students responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others' academic endeavors. Those who violate these standards must be confronted, informed of the consequences of their actions, and, if necessary, sanctioned.

Chapter 14 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code prescribes procedures for bringing forward, investigating, and resolving such allegations. It also describes the role of the instructor, students and other university personnel as well as the rights and obligations of all parties, including the right to a hearing and to appeal. Section 14.03 defines the types of misconduct subject to disciplinary action and includes examples of offenses. Section 14.04 provides a list of possible sanctions from least severe to most severe. Those which are least severe may be imposed by the instructor while the most severe can only be imposed by the investigating officer. The procedures for investigations, hearings, and imposition of sanctions are outlined in Sections 14.05 to 14.07. UW Colleges Senate Policy #19 prescribes the institutional procedures necessary to implement UWS 14 in the U.W. Colleges.

As a general approach, an instructor should first promptly offer to discuss academic misconduct with the student. The instructor should review the basis for the allegation and allow the student a chance to respond. If the instructor continues to believe that academic misconduct has occurred, the instructors has discretion to use the following sanctions: 1) oral reprimand; 2) a written reprimand presented only to the student; 3) an assignment to repeat the work, to be graded on its merits. The student may request a hearing before the academic misconduct hearing committee to contest the determination that academic misconduct occurred or the sanction imposed.

If the instructor believes that the above sanctions are inadequate or inappropriate, the instructor should, after a conference with the student, prepare a written report of the incident which shall inform the student of the sanction and of the student's right to request a hearing. A copy of the institutional procedures implementing UWS 14 should be included with the report when it is delivered to the student either personally or through the U.S. mail. Copies of the report should also be delivered to the institution's student affairs officer and others authorized by institutional procedures. Instructors following this procedure may use the following sanctions: 1) a lower or failing grade on the assignment or test; 2) a lower grade in the course; 3) a failing grade in the course; 4) removal of the student from the course in progress; 5) a written reprimand to be included in the student's disciplinary file.

If, after a conference with the student, the instructor believes that severe academic misconduct occurred and that disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion from the university may be warranted, the instructor prepares a written report for the institutional investigating officer a description of the misconduct and specification of the sanction. The investigating officer may impose the sanction or a lesser sanction subject to hearing and appeal rights of the student.

Faculty members should become familiar with the procedures for dealing with academic misconduct before they encounter it. The requirement of a prompt meeting with the student as the first step in the process means that faculty members would frequently have little time to acquaint themselves with the directives of UWS 14 before confronting a student. Understanding the procedures will increase confidence in confronting academic misconduct.

Student Nonacademic Misconduct Procedures: Student nonacademic misconduct can lead to a variety of sanctions; expulsion is the most severe. Faculty members who believe that nonacademic misconduct has occurred should contact the investigating officer, the campus student services director (Senate Policy #12--UW Colleges Implementation of UWS 17: Student Nonacademic Misconduct Procedures).

Offenses are defined in UW System and UW Colleges policies. The include:

1. Intentional conduct which constitutes a serious danger to the personal safety of other members of the university community or guests (includes criminal sexual contact and sexual intercourse without that person's consent). Samples of behavior included under this provision include: physical attacks or threats of attack, inciting others to attack, sale or delivery of a controlled substance, and tampering with safety equipment (e.g., fire extinguishers) or elevators.
2. Intentional conduct which physically damages or destroys university property or attempts to damage such property.
3. Intentional conduct which seriously impairs or attempts to obstruct university activities on campus. Examples of such behaviors include blocking entrance to or exit from a building or room, shouting at a speech or other campus program with the intent to interrupt the procedings, verbal or other behavior which prevents or seriously interferes with the carrying on of the teaching and learning process, obstructing a university official engaged in the lawful performances of duties, and removing pages of books, complete books, or other reference materials from a library so as to make them unavailable for use by others.
4. Unauthorized possession of university property or property of another member of the university community; Acts which violate provisions regarding traffic, I.D. cards, university keys, drugs, smoking in unauthorized places, carrying firearms, or unauthorized peddling or use of sound-amplifying equipment.
5. Making a knowingly false statement, either orally or in writing, to any university employe or agent on a university-related matter.

This excerpt of Chapter V of the U.W. Colleges Faculty Handbook (1993-94) is intended to be a preliminary on-line source of general policy information for U.W. Colleges faculty. The only change made to the text of the Handbook reflects the 1997 name change of the institution from the 'U.W. Centers' to the 'U.W. Colleges.' You should refer specific questions or concerns about personel or administrative policies and procedures to your departmental chair, campus dean, student services director, or the U.W. Colleges Office of Academic Affairs. Posted on 04-05-98 by Janice Pierce. Last updated on 09-17-98.