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Grade Records

Grade records should be retained for a minimum of five calendar years. Grade records are defined as grade books, computer and noncomputer-generated grade sheets, and other such materials that permit a reconstruction of a student’s graded performance in a course. Grade records are not limited to the final grades submitted at the end of a semester. The need to retain grade materials for at least five years is based on the statutory Records Retention Schedule maintained by the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library as referenced in OP 10.10.

Chairpersons and division directors must collect grade records, or copies of grade records, from instructors who retire or who otherwise leave the university. Each college will determine how materials are to be stored and, in general, how the process will be monitored.

Leaves of Absence, Travel Leave, Sick Leave, Modified Instructional Duties, and Primary Caregiver Resources

A leave of absence is a period of time during which faculty members are approved to take time off from their positions at Texas Tech University. Generally, faculty leaves of absence typically fall into two main categories: faculty development leave and all other faculty leaves of absence. Leaves of absence may be granted for one or two semesters but may not exceed one calendar year without special and explicit permission.

Faculty development leaves are described in detail in OP 32.29. All other faculty leaves of absence are described in detail in OP 32.15.

It is a policy of the university to grant short-term (generally less than two consecutive weeks) travel leaves to members of the faculty and staff to attend conferences and professional meetings when such attendance will enhance the prestige of the university and contribute to the professional development of the individual and to the advancement of knowledge within his or her professional field.

These types of leaves are not considered leaves of absence. Requests for such leaves should be initiated at the departmental level well in advance of the date of departure. If approved by the department chair, such requests are forwarded through normal channels for final approval. All requests for leaves should be filed as early as possible prior to the departure date.

Only in rare instances should applications be submitted for absence during critical periods of operation of the university. Critical periods are those during which the responsibilities of the position are particularly involved. The beginning or close of any semester or term or at any time when reports are customarily due are examples of critical periods.

Development Leave. Faculty Development Leaves, described in detail in OP 32.29, are provided by legislative action “designed to enable the faculty member to engage in study, research, writing, and similar projects for the purpose of adding to the knowledge available to himself, his students, his institution, and society generally” § 51.102, Education Code. The Provost annually makes notification of the date that applications for Faculty Development Leaves are due and procedures for selection of such leaves. The Faculty Development Leave Committee screens applications and makes recommendations to the Provost who then makes recommendations to the President and to the Board of Regents. The Board of Regents has final approval on Faculty Development Leaves and other extended leaves of absence.

Sick Leave. A regular faculty member shall, without deduction in salary, be entitled to sick leave subject to the conditions listed in OP 32.11.

Malingering and other abuses of sick leave shall constitute grounds for dismissal from university employment. A Sick Leave Pool is maintained to benefit regular employees who suffer catastrophic injuries or illnesses. Refer to OP 70.01 for details.

Exceptions to the amount of sick leave an employee may take may be authorized by the President on an individual basis after a review of the merits of each particular case. Requests must be made through administrative channels to the Provost and then to the President.

The proper reporting and accounting for sick leave is mandated by the legislature (OP 32.11).

Modified Instructional Duties. Although not a provision for leave, per se, the Modified Instructional Duties Policy (MIDP) is designed to offer eligible faculty a modified workload that supports work-life balance and provides flexibility in the teaching obligations of faculty who experience a significant life event. These significant life events include, but are not limited to, serious personal illness, caring for a newborn infant or a newly adopted infant or child, providing elder care, and/or illness or injury to one’s immediate family members (see OP 32.35 for details and procedures).

Primary Caregiver Resources. Although not a provision of leave, per se, the Primary Caregiver Resources program provides full-time faculty members with opportunities to request specific modifications to their responsibilities due to their classification as primary caregivers. More information about this program, along with the application, is available in this document.

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Misconduct in Research by Faculty

From time to time an allegation of fraudulent conduct in research or scholarly activity may be made against a member of an institution’s faculty. Such allegations normally accuse the individual of data falsification or fabrication, improper manipulation of data, plagiarism, or other misrepresentations of research findings, including falsifying the research record on any document submitted to the university for purposes of faculty evaluation or to represent the faculty member’s research record to outside agencies. Fraudulent conduct in research and scholarship is totally antithetical to accepted academic procedures.

If an allegation of misconduct in research or other scholarly activity is made against a member of the Texas Tech University faculty, staff, or student body, the allegation shall be dealt with through a two-step process. In the first step, the dean of the college or school in which the faculty or staff member is appointed or in which the student is enrolled shall initiate an inquiry. The inquiry shall consist of information gathering and initial fact finding to determine whether an allegation of misconduct warrants an investigation. The dean shall report the results of the inquiry to the Associate Vice President for Research. If the finding of the inquiry is that an investigation is warranted, the Associate Vice President for Research shall initiate the second step, which shall be an investigation. The investigation shall be conducted by an ad hoc committee of five persons. If the committee determines that disciplinary action is warranted, the committee shall recommend to the Associate Vice President what action should be taken (OP 74.08).

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Faculty Handbook Contents

Introduction

General Information

Role of the Faculty

Facilities and Services

Office of the Provost

Research

Faculty Affairs

Benefits and Services

Emergency Procedures

Financial Exigency Plan

Faculty Directory

Operating Policies