Academic Policies

35: Guidelines Governing Course Release for Faculty Senate Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Senate Officers

Purpose

To establish a consistent policy regarding the teaching responsibilities during the terms of service for elected officials of the Penn State Harrisburg Faculty Senate.

Introduction

The College recognizes the importance of faculty governance for the advancement of Penn State’s academic mission and its activities as an undergraduate and graduate institution charged with fulfilling the University’s missions of teaching, research, and service. Such service is valued highly by the College’s administration because it supports the purposes and functions of the University Faculty Senate as defined in Senate and University policies.

Guidelines

Any courses releases permitted under these guidelines must be approved by the Chancellor in consultation with the School Director and the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate. A record of these guidelines and any related policies must be confirmed in writing and filed in the Senate Office.

1. The Senate president shall receive a one-course release for each semester of service as the elected leader of the College Faculty Senate.
2. Course release(s) cannot be accumulated or banked for the future. The release(s) must be taken during the semester(s) the President is serving.
3. In normal operations, both course releases should not be taken in one semester because of the potentially negative effects on the curricular offerings in the President’s academic unit.
4. Exceptions to this practice may occur occasionally and must be approved in advance by the Senate President’s School Director and the Chancellor.
5. The Vice President does not receive any course release.
6. No other Senate officers, committee chairs, members of joint administrative and Senate task forces are eligible for course release.
7. Penn State Harrisburg faculty elected to the University Faculty Senate, its committees or related organizations are not eligible for course release.
8. Should this policy conflict with provisions of the constitutions of the College or University Faculty Senate, a joint committee of Academic Council and the Senate leaders will convene to resolve those conflicts. Any recommendations resulting from the deliberations of the two organizations will be presented to the faculty for advice and consent.
9. These guidelines confirm the current practices for promoting faculty governance activities at the Penn State Harrisburg campus as it is constituted in the 2005-2006 academic year.

Approved: Academic Council

Office of the Penn State Harrisburg Chancellor