standard 1: mission, governance and administration · as an ex-officio member of the board of...

ACEJMC Standard 1 1-1

STANDARD 1: MISSION, GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

L-r: Drs. Hall, Campbell, Devlin, McDermott, Tremblay



Highlights

The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication (NQSC) is one of seven

independent schools/colleges at High Point University headed by a dean and

administered by department chairs.

The NQSC has a clear mission and operates programs consistent with a

faculty developed strategic plan.

NQSC faculty are active in participating in the shared governance of the

university.



1. Describe the administrative structure of the unit, including to whom the unit administrator reports to within the university. The High Point University and the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication (NQSC/School) organizational charts are included below:

Nido R. Qubein School of Communication

Organizational Chart and Administrative Organization

Chair,MediaProductionand

Studies

Dean

AssociateDean

Chair,JournalismandStrategic

Communication

OperationsandMediaProduction

CareerServices

AssistanttotheDean

FacultyinElectronicMediaProduction;

GameandInteractiveMediaDesign;MediaandPopularCulture

Studies;andDocumentaryMedia

FacultyinJournalism;andStrategicCommunication;

Faculty Committees:

Assessment Diversity Personnel(T&P)

CurriculumGraduateTechnology

Dean’sAdvisoryCouncil

StudentAdvisoryBoard

GradCoordinator

Studentworkers

FacultyinSportandEventManagement;andSportCommunication


[A more easily readable version of this chart is in the work room.]


University-level Administrators High Point University is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the president and confirmed by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Board includes five ministers and 10 lay members of the United Methodist Church in North Carolina, the Presiding Bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, the President of the High Point University Alumni Association, and at least ten residents of the city of High Point or its environs. The Board’s current officers are Dr. Richard F. Vert (Chair), Mr. John Finch (Vice Chair and Treasurer), and Mrs. Elizabeth Aldridge (Secretary). The Board members serve four-year terms. The president is appointed by the Board of Trustees and serves as the chief executive and educational officer of the university. As an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees, the president is the liaison between the faculty and the Board. The president is a member of the faculty and serves as the presiding officer of every university-wide faculty meeting. High Point alumnus Dr. Nido R. Qubein has served as the University’s president since 2005. Prior to becoming HPU’s seventh president, Dr. Qubein was named chairman of the Great Harvest Bread Company. He is also a Corporate Director and Executive Committee member of the BB&T Corporation, and a speaker and writer covering change, leadership, and branding. Dr. Qubein holds a BS from High Point University, an MSBE from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an LLS from Mount Olive College, and LHDs from High Point University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The provost reports directly to the president and is responsible for the administration of the academic program of the university. The provost serves as the president's principal adviser on educational policy and on matters of faculty hiring, salary, tenure, promotion and supervision of summer school. High Point University alumnus Dr. Dennis G. Carroll has served as the vice president for academic affairs since 2005 and as provost since 2008. Dr. Carroll joined the University in 1988 as a professor in the School of Education, where he was named dean in 1998. Dr. Carroll also taught in the Guilford County School System for 14 years and served as the system’s Director of the Program for the Gifted. Dr. Carroll holds an EdD from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an MA from Wake Forest University, and a BA from High Point University.


Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Administrators The dean serves as the chief academic, financial, and administrative officer of the NQSC. The dean reports directly to the provost, and serves as the School’s contact with university administration. He also establishes the School’s strategic direction and long-term goals, supervises accreditation matters, and oversees academic advising. The dean currently serves as department chair for Sport Communication, Sport Management, and Event Management faculty until those programs will be spun off into their own departments. Dr. Wilfred Tremblay, the founding dean of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, was appointed by the President in 2007 in consultation with a faculty search committee comprised of members of the English Department, where the program in communication was formerly housed. Dean Tremblay came to High Point University from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he was on faculty from 1992 through 2007 and served as the Chair of the Department of Communication and the Director of Radio. He also served as faculty or as administrator at Butler University, the University of Indianapolis, the University of Pittsburgh, and Buena Vista College. Dean Tremblay holds an EdD from the University of Pittsburgh, an MS from Boston University, a BS from Arkansas State University, and a Certificate of Broadcast Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The associate dean reports directly to the dean and substitutes for the dean in his absence. The associate dean coordinates the School’s assessment protocols and policies, and promotes the School’s research and creative activities. She also supervises the graduate program’s strategic orientation. Dr. Virginia McDermott was appointed by the provost and dean as the School’s first associate dean in 2013. Dr. McDermott also served as the school’s first Director of the Strategic Communication Master’s Degree program. She was previously an Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico, and served as an independent consultant creating corporate training seminars on developing positive workplace environments, managing leadership paradoxes, and developing conflict strategies. Dr. McDermott holds a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MA from Texas State University, a BA from the College of New Jersey, and a Certificate in Core Concepts in Global Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The graduate coordinator reports to the associate dean and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the graduate program. These duties include supervising the admissions process, chairing the graduate school’s faculty


committee meetings, and securing adjunct faculty as necessary. Dr. Virginia McDermott is currently serving as the interim graduate coordinator in addition to serving as the associate dean. The NQSC is divided into two departments, each with its own chair: the Department of Journalism and Strategic Communication, which houses the Journalism and Strategic Communication sequences; and the Department of Media Production and Studies, which houses the Electronic Media Production, Game and Interactive Media Design, and Media and Popular Culture Studies sequences. Two new academic majors that began accepting students in fall 2015—Sport/Event Management and Sport Communication—are currently considered to be “programs of the School of Communication,” and their three faculty report directly to the dean until a new department is scheduled to be established during the 2015-2016 academic year. The department chairs report to the dean, and are responsible for the day-to-day administrative operations for their departments. These duties include coordinating class schedules, managing the department budget, securing adjunct faculty, and reviewing graduation audits. Dr. Shannon Campbell was appointed as the NQSC’s first Chair of

Journalism and Strategic Communication in 2014 by Dean Tremblay in consultation with the faculty search committee. Dr. Campbell was previously a faculty member and the Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Miami. She was also on the faculty at the University of Kansas, the University of Southern California, and the University of Florida. Dr. Campbell has worked as a PR practitioner and consultant since 1993 for several organizations, including Exxon, Sony Connect, PayerFusion, and the Max Borges Agency. Dr. Campbell holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, an MA from the University of Southern Illinois, and a BS from Missouri State University.

Dr. Stefan Hall joined the NQSC in 2012 as Associate Professor of

Communication and was appointed as the School’s first Chair of Media Production and Studies by Dr. Tremblay in 2013 after an internal selection process. Dr. Hall was previously a department chair and faculty member at Defiance College, and an instructor at Bowling Green State University. He has also served as a technical writer for Software Technologies Lab, and as an arts columnist for Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Dr. Hall holds a PhD from Bowling


Green State University, and an MA and BA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

In addition to the above administrators, the NQSC also employs the following support staff:

Dr. Michelle Devlin was hired in 2007 as the Assistant to the Dean. Before joining High Point University, she was a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She holds a DMA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Mr. Donald Moore was hired in 2008 as the NQSC Technical Operations Manager. He was previously Chief Engineer at WCWG-TV in Lexington/Greensboro, North Carolina. He holds a BA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mr. Martin Yount was hired in August 2009 as Video Producer for the NQSC. He was previously with the Entity-Y Inc. media company in Greensboro, North Carolina. He holds a BA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Reporting to the Office of Career and Professional Development is Mr. Doug Hall, the School’s representative from the Office of Career and Internship Services. Mr. Hall is assigned to the School of Communication and interacts with Dean Tremblay on a regular basis. Mr. Hall holds an MA from North Carolina A and T State University and is a doctoral candidate at Norfolk State University.

Reporting to the Office of Student Success is Michael Robinson, MA. Mr. Robinson has been assigned to the School and will interact with the dean and faculty on a regular basis.

A full description of duties for the NQSC administrators is covered in Appendix C of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Faculty Handbook and is also presented here: Dean of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication ReportstoProvost,HighPointUniversity Servesaschiefacademic,financialandadministrativeofficeroftheSchool FunctionsasbrandmanagerfortheSchool Establishesstrategicdirectionandlong‐termgoalsfortheSchool Supervisesaccreditationissuesandinteractionwithaccreditingagencies ServesasSchool’scontactwithuniversityadministration Overseesrecruitmentandretentionstrategiesforfacultyandstaff


Writesevaluationsoftenure‐trackfaculty Appointssearchandscreencommitteesforallfull‐timeteachingopeningsintheschool ChairsSchool’sPersonnelCommittee Supervisesalltechnicalandproductionqualityissuesandpersonnel MonitorsandsupervisesSchool’simplementationofitsdiversityplan SupervisesSchool’sMediaFellowsprogram ProvidesoversightandfinalauthorizationofallSchoolbudgets CoordinatesSchoolfundraisingwithappropriateuniversityoffices CoordinatesactivitieswithSchoolalumniwithappropriateuniversityoffices Establishesrelationshipswithotherexternalconstituencies SupervisestechnicaloperationsandfacilitiesintheSchool ConductsevaluationsofSchoolstaff CreatesandsolicitsinputfromStudentAdvisoryBoard CreatesandsolicitsinputfromProfessionalAdvisoryCommittee Overseesacademicadvisingandcoordinatesclassschedulingbetweendifferent

departments

Associate Dean of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication ReportstoDean,NidoR.QubeinSchoolofCommunication SubstitutesforDeaninhis/herabsence Promotesandcoordinatesfacultyresearchandcreativeactivities Promotesandcoordinatesundergraduateandgraduateresearchandcreativeactivities PromotesgrantactivitiesintheSchool Supervisesthestrategicorientationofthegraduateprogram CoordinatestheSchool’ssummativeandformativeassessmentprotocolsincludingthe

digitalportfolioprocess SupervisesandassessesSchool’sintroductorycourses Participatesinannualreviewsoftenureandtenure‐trackfacultyasrelatedtograduate

instruction Developsandcoordinatesnewfacultyorientationprograms

Graduate Coordinator of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication ReportstoAssociateDean Supervisesgraduateadmissionsprocess ChairsSchool’sgraduatefacultycommitteemeetings Coordinatesandmonitorsgraduatewebsite Securesgraduateadjunctfacultyasnecessary EncouragesgraduateschooladmissionatotherinstitutionsinadditiontoHPUand

maintainsrecordsofsuchplacements.


Assistant to the Dean/Administrative Assistant to the School of Communication ReportstoDean ServesasAdministrativeAssistanttotheDeanandtheSchool Day‐to‐daymanagementofbudget ProvidesresourceallocationsthroughouttheSchool,assuringadequatedisbursements

amongthevariousprograms Supervisesofficeproceduresandmaintenanceofdepartmentrecords SupervisesSchool’sclericalandstudentemployees

Department Chair in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication ReportstoDean Coordinatesclassschedulingforallclassesindepartment Securesadjunctfacultyfortheirunitswhennecessary Supervisesandwritesreviewsfornon‐tenuretrackfacultyandinstructorsintheir

unitsandparticipatesinevaluationsoftenure‐trackfaculty Managesbudgetsanddisbursefundsforindividualunits Coordinatesacademicadvisingintheunits Coordinatesclassschedulingandmanagement Approvesprofessionaldevelopmentfundsforfacultyintheirunits Managesundergraduatecurriculumissuesthroughuniversityapprovalprocess PerformsseniorgraduationauditsandassuresstudentshavemetACEJMCguidelines Coordinatesunit’sadmissionsactivitieswiththeAdmissionsoffice


2. Describe the unit's process for strategic or long-range planning. Attach a copy of the unit's written strategic or long-range plan. This plan should give the date of adoption/revision and any timeline for achieving stated goals. Discuss how the plan provides vision and direction for the unit's future. The NQSC faculty has crafted mission, vision and values statements, as well as a strategic plan for 2012-2017, to guide long-range planning. These statements and plan are posted below as is the August 2015 assessment of strategic goals.

Mission Statement The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication balances theory and application courses in a multidisciplinary environment, enabling students and faculty to think, speak, write and produce strategic messages about a broad range of ideas and issues. The School is committed to:

Collaboration between students and faculty in and out of the classroom Independent thought and critical thinking that produces ethically aware,

historically informed, and socially engaged citizens prepared for leadership in the global community

Culturally diverse team-based learning experiences A universal right to creative expression

Adopted May 2012

Vision Statement The vision of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication is to be a respected program within our peer group for encouraging and demonstrating intellectual curiosity, creativity, and professional competence. Adopted May 2012

Values Statement The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication values:

Expression—Appreciating the principles and constraints on the exercise of free expression in a democratic society

Integrity—Maintaining a commitment to honesty, accountability, and professional ethics


Excellence—Performing high-quality work in a capable, efficient, and appropriate manner

Accuracy—Communicating fairly, without distortions or conflicts of interest, and in recognition of subjectivities

Diversity—Encouraging creative and independent ways of thinking and mindfulness about cultural differences and multiple perspectives

Curiosity—Acquiring new skills and knowledge and continuously pursuing education and innovation

Awareness—Understanding the history, role, context and reality of the process of communication

We emphasize: Analytical thinking—Extracting from various areas the knowledge

required to formulate realistic responses to complex problems Communication skills—Developing the ability to present, listen to, and

exchange written, oral, aural, and visual information in forms appropriate for the audience, purpose, and context

Interpretation of converging information—Linking data, knowledge, and insight for strategic decision-making and presentation of information through media

Technological development—Using technology in ways that add value to the communication professions

Integration of theory and practice—Understanding how communication theory informs both research and best practices

Adopted May 2011

Strategic Plan for 2012-2017

Goal 1: Promote freedom of creative and academic expression o Measure A: Identify constraints on freedom of expression o Measure B: Identify models of freedom of expression at comparable

and aspirational institutions o Measure C: Sponsor symposia on freedom of expression o Measure D: Encourage faculty to seek more controversial issues for

class assignments o Measure E: Hire the Survey Research Center to study student

perception of constraints on freedom of expression o Measure F: Create a venue for display of creative student work o Measure G: Develop strategy to deal with interference over

academic freedom


Goal 2: Align faculty/student ratio and other metrics with university norms

o Measure A: Boost administrative support o Measure B: Stabilize professor/student ratio o Measure C: Develop equity in advising

Goal 3: Define and demand professional work ethics and standards o Measure A: Insist that grading rubrics recognize that a “B” grade

represents publishable or broadcast-ready work and that work that does not meet this standard does not earn higher than a “C”

o Measure B: Evaluate professional attitudes and work ethic as part of the student’s final grade, including through class participation and peer-evaluation

o Measure C: Create two professional seminars per semester in which students hear from professionals about the expectations and standards of their work

o Measure D: Re-evaluate the department-wide deadline policy to ensure we can all support it

o Measure E: Establish a zero-tolerance or honor court policy regarding plagiarism and copyright violations

o Measure F: Create formal systems for the department to interact with the professional community

Goal 4: Improve oral, written, aural and visual communication skills o Measure A: Ensure COM 1110—Human Communication and COM

1111—Mediated Communication Systems content is reinforced in higher level courses across all sequences

o Measure B: Ensure that there is at least one writing assignment in every course

o Measure C: Consider establishing the “Fatal Flaw Rule” as a department policy for all written assignments

o Measure D: Consider requiring at least one presentation in every course

o Measure E: Consider requiring a course in visual literacy or visual rhetoric

o Measure F: Require students to visit the writing center in intro courses

o Measure G: Develop argumentation course o Measure H: Hire an engineering/audio specialist to enhance

emphasis on aural literacy


Goal 5: Produce nationally recognized student and faculty creative and scholarly works

o Measure A: Include assignments that prepare students to submit research and creative projects

o Measure B: Provide support for dissemination of student and faculty activities

o Measure C: Support faculty who engage students in academic and professional extracurricular work

Adopted May 2012 Following on pages 1-15 through 1-19 is an update on the status of the strategic plan’s goals and objectives.


Measu

reRe

spon

sibilit

y Cen

terSta

tusDis

cussi

on (u

pdate

d Jun

e 15)

Next

●Iden

tify co

nstra

ints o

n free

dom o

f expre

ssion

Dean

and F

acult

yOn

going

●Disc

ussed

issue

s at d

epart

ment

meeti

ngs.

●Re

linqu

ished

Ca

mpus

Chron

icle pu

blishing

respon

sibilit

ies. ●

Ongoing

. Co

ntinu

e to d

iscuss a

t scho

ol and

dept.

meeti

ngs

●Iden

tify mo

dels o

f freedo

m of ex

pressi

on at

comp

arable

and a

spira

tional in

stitut

ions

Curriculum

Comm

ittee

Unde

r revie

w.

Not st

arted

Conside

r writing

repo

rt sum

mer 1

6 afte

r accr

edita

tion.

●Spo

nsor

sympo

sium o

n free

dom o

f expre

ssion

Dean

Ongo

ng●F

irst A

mend

ment

Symp

osium

in Co

mmun

icatio

n Week 2

014 a

nd 15

. ●A

mend

ment

Free F

ood f

estiva

l in CO

M we

eks 2

013 a

nd 20

14. Pl

anne

d sym

posiu

m for

15‐16

AY sp

onsored

by Ins

titute

of Hu

man S

tudies

.

Conti

nue in

upcomi

ng ye

ars

●Encou

rage fa

culty

to se

ek mo

re contr

overs

ial iss

ues fo

r class

assig

nmen

tsDe

an an

d Cha

irsOn

going

●Have d

iscussed

the is

sue in

departm

ent m

eetin

gs and h

ave e

ncou

raged

stu

dents

to ex

plore

contr

overs

ial iss

ues in

their

blogs.

Still c

oncern

by

stude

nts an

d vau

lty ov

er rep

recussio

ns.

Conti

nue t

o disc

uss a

t scho

ol and

dept.

meeti

ngs

●Hire

Surve

y Rese

arch C

enter

to stu

dy stu

dent

perce

ption

of co

nstra

ints o

n free

dom o

f expre

ssion

Dean

Not b

egun

●Not

yet b

egun

. Possible

Sprin

g 15 p

roject. H

ave n

ot be

gun s

umme

r 15.

Conta

ct SRC

summ

er for

fall pr

oject

Assig

n to f

acult

y or gr

ad stu

dent?

●Crea

te a v

enue

for d

isplay

of cre

ative

stude

nt wo

rkDe

an an

d Cha

irsOn

going

●Web

site li

nk to

stude

nt wo

rk.

●Also

prese

nted s

tuden

t work

durin

g Com

Week 2

013/14

and 1

5.

●Rese

arch p

oster

prese

ntatio

ns 20

13/ 2

014/1

6 at G

rad an

d U

dd

h

i

To be

comp

leted

by Oc

tober

15.

●Develo

p stra

tegy to

deal w

ith int

erfere

nce fr

om pa

rts ov

er academ

ic free

dom

Dean

Co

mplet

e●S

ecure

d a sig

ned le

tter fr

om th

e Pres

ident

promi

sing th

at the

Unive

rsity

will re

spect FA

rights

of stu

dents

and f

acult

y con

sisten

t with

conte

mpora

ry law

.

●Re

gular

di

i i

th t

d th

d

Did

Goal 1

. Prom

ote fre

edom

of cre

ative

and a

cade

mic e

xpres

sion


Measure

Respon

sibility

Center

Status

Descrip

tion

Next

Boost a

dministrativ

e sup

port

Dean

Completed

●Revise

d dep

artm

ent o

rganiza

tion w

ith Dean,

Associa

te De

an an

d chairs

of tw

o individ

ual departm

ents, M

edia Prod

uctio

n & St

udies

and J

ournalism

and S

trategic

Co

mmun

icatio

n.

●H

ired a

full‐tim

e administrative a

ssistant.

●Dean:

budget, personn

el, stra

tegic

direction

Completed

●Com

plete

●Assistant D

ean:

day‐to‐day

activities

Completed

●Full‐tim

e Adm

inistrative A

ssistant b

ut no

Assis

tant

Dean

●Chair:

scho

larly/

curricular

, com

prehen

sive e

xam

Completed

●Broke

Scho

ol into

two d

epartm

ents

with

two c

hairs

after two

unsuccessfu

l searches

for o

ne de

partm

ent/on

e chair

●Con

sider

a coordinator for

each

track

Completed

●Not

Necessary

due t

o other

changes

Stabiliz

e professor/stude

nt ra

tioDe

an●H

ired t

wo n

et faculty

positions

and b

rought

Faculty

/student

ratio

to 30

:1 Plan

to

hire

2 net faculty

for 1

6/17

AYCo

ntinue

to ad

vocate

for n

ew lin

es to

maintain S

T ratio.

●Hire

more p

rofessors a

nd lecturers

Ongoing

●Hire

d fou

r new

Commun

icatio

n position

s‐‐tw

o ten

ure t

rack

and o

ne m

ore t

enure

track

in Ev

ent M

anagem

ent.

●Set

up ad

missions

crite

ria fo

r incoming s

tude

nts

Not b

egun

●Not

begun a

s adm

issions

process is

still dictated

by un

iversity

admission

standards. All stude

nts a

dmitted

to HPU

are a

utom

atica

lly at

tmitted

to an

y program

Nothing t

angib

le to

do ot

her than t

o con

tinue

to ad

vocate

to se

nior

administratio

n.

Develop e

quity

in ad

vising

Dean

●University

establish

ed Fr

eshm

en Su

ccess C

enter, w

hich

hand

les a

ll freshmen

advis

ing,

thus

relievin

g faculty

of ov

er 1/

4 of advise

es.

●A

lso,

establish

ed "o

f Practice

" professors, who

now

have

advis

ing a

s part o

f their j

ob

functio

ns, re

lievin

g som

e of the

burden

of ad

visiing o

n ten

ure‐tra

ck ad

visers. Also,

Fall 1

5 will begin

grou

p sched

uling s

ystem

to se

parate

advis

ing from

sche

duling a

nd

allow

advis

ers to d

o more m

entorin

g than s

ched

uling

●Advising

center

Completed

●See

above.

●Stabilize n

umbe

r of advise

es fo

r each a

dvise

rCo

mpleted

●See

above.

No lon

ger respo

nsible

for freshmen

advis

ing.

Mean n

umber for

each

faculty

mem

ber is

now 20.3

vs. 41.

Also, to

ok ad

vising a

way

from

instructors in a

ll

Goal

2. A

lign f

aculty/stude

nt ra

tio an

d other

metric

s with

university n

orms


Measure

Respon

sibility Ce

nter

Status

Description

Next

●Insist

that

grading

rubrics recognize

that

a "B

" grade

represen

ts pub

lishable or

broadcast‐

ready w

ork and that

work t

hat d

oes n

ot m

eet this s

tand

ard do

es not

earn higher

than

a "C

."

Dean,

Cha

irs and

Faculty

Ong

oing

●Cu

rren

tly th

e NQSC

syllabu

s boilerplate

has

a bulleted ite

m, "Grade

expe

ctations" w

here

it ta

lks a

bout

grade

s in relatio

n to

"work [that] is o

f a

markedly s

uperior q

uality"

for "A" a

nd "n

ot notably

supe

rior,

is clearly

above average"

for "B". Th

is is

left

ope

n to

the discretio

n of

the

instructor

of record;

how

ever, the

lack

of n

ormalizing be

tween multip

le

sections

of the

same course

(involving

full‐tim

e faculty

as w

ell as

adjuncts) m

ight

mean there are variations

in what is c

haracterized

as

"pub

lishable"

or "broadcast‐ready."

●Add

ition

ally, the

re m

ight

be

furthe

r variatio

ns amon

g NQSC

faculty

and

/or tracks a

s a who

le based

on

individu

al interpretatio

ns of the

se qualifiers. While

it m

ight

be too

prescriptiv

e to

lock

dow

n these de

finition

s with

specific q

ualifiers, the

NQSC

likely

needs

to im

plem

ent com

mun

ity stan

dards s

choo

l‐wide for

guidelines

as to wha

t the

se te

rms m

ean.

A re

view

of N

QSC

syllabi

refle

cts

a wide latitud

e of

sentim

ent tow

ard this

standa

rd.

Continue

discussions

at faculty

meetin

gs and

mon

itor insturctor G

PA.

●Evaluate

professional attitu

des a

nd work ethic a

s part o

f the

stud

ent's

fina

l grade

, including

through class p

articipation an

d pe

er‐evaluation.

Dean,

Cha

irs and

Faculty

Ong

oing

●NQSC

faculty

do factor

in class p

articipation as

a co

mpo

nent

of the

overall cou

rse grade for stude

nts.

Peer‐evaluatio

n is

less

implem

ented,

althou

gh it

is used in

critiqu

e of

pub

licly

presented

stud

ent w

ork;

this

might

exten

d partly

from

the ne

cessity

(and

time)

to train stud

ents

how

to

effectiv

ely e

ngage in

peer‐review

as w

ell as the

negotiatio

n of

peer

criticism

if it

is integrated

into

teaching

(or o

ther

evaluative)

metho

dologies.

●Create

two profession

al se

minars p

er se

mester in which

stud

ents

hear from

professionals

ab

out the

expectatio

ns and

standards o

f the

ir work.

Dean,

Cha

irs and

Faculty

Complete an

d on

going

NQSC

Com

mun

ication Week effectively c

overs this m

easure

for the

Scho

ol. It

might

be prud

ent to investigate ways to distrib

ute more

seminars throu

ghou

t the

semester a

s well as o

nes w

hich

target

specific

tracks. H

aven

't de

velope

d a form

al lecture serie

s for

fall semester o

ther

than

Pulitzer

speakers

But

have incorporated

man

y gue

st sp

eakers

into

classes.

●Re

‐evaluate the de

partmen

t‐wide de

adline po

licy t

o en

sure

we can all sup

port

it.

Dean,

Cha

irs and

Faculty

Complete

●Deadlines

are

covered in

the NQSC

boilerplate. Th

ese are the minim

um

standards.

Faculty

are

permitted

to im

pose

more stringen

t regulations

if

they

wish.

One

impe

dimen

t to de

adlines, particularly

those that

involve

projects

utilizing NQSC

resources (techno

logical),

is th

e availability,

accessibility, and

amou

nt of the

se per

stud

ent,

which

is always a

conten

tious

issue.

Rem

ains

a ca

se‐by‐case

issue

●Establish a zero‐toleran

ce, o

r hon

or co

urt p

olicy regarding plagiarism

and

copyright v

iolatio

ns.D

ean,

Cha

irs and

Faculty

Complete an

d un

der review

●NQSC

passages o

n Plagiarism

and

the University

Hon

or Cod

e are pa

rt of

the syllabu

s boilerplate

and

present

in all syllabi. Add

ition

ally, nearly

all

classroo

ms h

ave pu

blicly

displayed

posters

regarding the profession

al

standards for

orig

inal

work.

●Create

form

al sy

stem

s for

the de

partmen

t to interact

with

the profession

al co

mmun

ity.

Dean,

Cha

irs and

Faculty

Complete an

d un

der review

●With

in th

e NQSC, the

estab

lishm

ent o

f the

Dean's A

dvisory B

oard

is an

impo

rtant step in

creatin

g the foun

datio

n for m

ore form

al interactions

to

be sy

stem

atized

with

the profession

al co

mmun

ities, both local, natio

nal,

and international.

Add

ition

ally, m

any faculty

utilize their o

wn contacts

an

d profession

al develop

men

t resou

rces

to fo

ster

more interactions,

man

y spe

cific

to th

eir tracks.

The

NQSC

realizes

that

these interactions

are be

neficial to bo

th stud

ents

and

faculty

and

shou

ld find

ways to

encourage this

sort

of collabo

ratio

n. ‐‐Presen

ting an

"Executiv

e in

Re

side

nce"

program

to adm

inistration in

fall 15

semester.

Implem

ent e

xecutiv

e in

reside

nce program

in 15/16

Acade

mic

Year.

Goa

l 3. Define an

d de

man

d profession

al work ethics

and

stan

dards


Measure

Respon

sibilit

y Cen

terSta

tusDe

script

ionNe

xt

●Ensure

1110

and 1

111 c

onten

t is re

inforc

ed in

highe

r level co

urses

acros

s all s

eque

nces.

Faculty

, Dean a

nd Ch

airs

Ongo

ing●U

nsure

if pres

entat

ions a

nd pr

oductio

n assignme

nts re

quire

d in all

cla

sses?

●adde

d year‐

end w

orkshop

in Ad

obe c

reativ

e suit

e for al

l faculty

but st

uden

t

●Ensure

that t

here

is at le

ast on

e writing

assig

nmen

t in ev

ery co

urse.

All fac

ulty

Ongo

ing●S

ome t

racks

have

this b

ut no

t all tr

acks.

Chair

s need t

o assu

re tha

t there

are

writin

g assignme

nts in

all sy

llabi.

●Con

sider

establish

ing th

e "Fatal

Flaw R

ule" a

s a de

partm

ent p

olicy

for all

written

assig

nmen

ts.De

an an

d Cha

irsOn

going

●COM

1110

has a

fatal f

law ru

le, bu

t it ha

s not

been

develop

ed fo

r all

classe

s. Imp

lemen

tation

by so

me fac

ulty h

as cau

sed pr

oblem

s with

excessively l

ow ev

aluati

ons so

policy

has to

be mo

dified

from c

ase to

●Con

sider

requir

ing at

least o

ne pr

esenta

tion in

every

cours

e.Faculty

Ongo

ing●n

eed d

iscussio

n and

develop

ment.

Hirin

g of 11

10/111

1 coo

rdinator

to

supervi

se thi

s integ

ration

is a fi

rst stp

●Con

sider

requir

ing a c

ourse

in vis

ual lit

eracy

or vis

ual rh

etoric

.Faculty

Ongo

ing●V

isual R

etoric

has b

een a

dded

as an

elective

cours

e

Need

to off

er vis

rhet i

n upcom

ing ye

ar but

may b

e diffi

cult a

s one

facult

y teachin

g this c

ourse

will b

e on s

abbatical

●Req

uire s

tuden

ts to v

isit th

e writing

cente

r in int

ro cours

es.Faculty

Ongo

ing●n

eed d

iscussio

n and

develop

ment.

Faculty

do th

is on a

n indiv

idual b

asis.

Change

in sco

pe an

d fun

ction

of th

e Writing

Cente

r has

changed t

he

●D

evelo

p argu

menta

tion c

ourse

.Cu

rriculum

Comm

ittee

Unde

r revie

wMe

ed dis

cussi

on an

d develo

pmen

t Have d

iscussed a

t faculty

meeti

ngs b

ut no

t start

ed. Co

ncern

for FT

E and

how t

o fit in

to 54

hour

curriculum

.

●Hire

an en

gineerin

g/aud

io spe

cialist

to en

hance e

mphasis

on au

ral lite

racy.

Dean

Comp

lete in

pa

rt; un

der

●Atte

mpted

but h

ave b

een u

nable

to; D

evelo

ped c

ollabora

tive p

rogram

with

Dark H

orse R

ecord

ing Ins

titute

. Fall 2

014 h

ired a

djunct w

ith 20

+

Goal 4

. Impro

ve or

al, wr

itten

, aural

and v

isual c

ommu

nicati

on sk

ills


Measure

Responsibility Center

Status

Description

Next

Include assignments

that prepare

students

to submit

research and

creative projects

All faculty

●Develop assignments

appropriate

for conference

and festival

submission

Faculty

ongoing

Implementing requirement in

all capstone courses FY

15/16

●Encourage students

to submit

work

to conferences and festivals

Faculty

ongoing

●In

AY 2013‐2014, at least

one undergraduate

and

seven graduate

students

submitted work

to

●Include students

in extracurricular research projects and creative

projects

Faculty

ongoing

●Students

from

COM

3385 work

as research assistants

to

multiple

faculty m

embers. Students

have worked on

●Develop a

"Communication W

eek" that features student and

faculty works

Dean

ongoing

●In

2013, the NQSC hosted the first

Communication

Week. Subsequent Communication W

eeks in

14 and 15

had increased attendance

and student interest. 15

Provide support

for dissemination of student and faculty activitiesDean

●Find sources of funding to support

undergraduate

and graduate

student membership

to and participation in

conferences and

festivals

Dean

completed

●(a) The URCW

supports undergraduates'

research and

creative works.(b) There

is now

a small fund to support

graduate

students

research and travel

●Provide additional funding for faculty who are

presenting at

conferences or showing in

festivals

Dean

completed

●In

AY 2013‐2014, p

rofessional development funds

were

increased to $1700. In 14/15 to $1900

●Provide prizes and recognition for publications and award‐

winning creative works

Dean

completed

●The display cases in

the lobby showcase

faculty work.

New

plaque to display winners

of faculty teaching and

research awards in

COM

office area.

Support

faculty who engage students

in academic

and

professional extracurricular work

Dean

●Course release

tim

eDean

ongoing

●Faculty m

embers

who serve on graduate

capstone

committees accrue points

toward

release

tim

e

●Extra

travel compensation

Dean

ongoing

●The URCW

provides funding to faculty to who take

undergrad students

to present work

●Establish

regular faculty research presentations and discussion

meetings

All faculty

to be started

●needs discussion and development

●Develop School of Communication colloquia

All faculty

to be started

●needs discussion and development

●Establish

periodic

teaching workshops and discussions

All faculty

ongoing

●Jose

Bowen teaching workshops in

fall 13 and spring

14; n

ew

university teaching center opened in

spring 15

●Clarify

the shared teaching rules and guidelines

All faculty

??

●Share

teaching tips and techniques

Faculty

ongoing

●there

have been some small group m

eetings about

teaching. The faculty seminars

have focused largely

on

●Establish

systems to

enhance

department im

age across

campus

Dean

ongoing/establi●Phil W

atson develops news releases and submits them

to

Communication office; also coordinates Facebook

●Develop framework

for connecting out of HPU

All faculty

ongoing/establi●Service learning, community‐based projects

●Encourage national level internships for undergraduates

Career services

ongoing

●We now

have a

dedicated internship

coordinator for

communication. H

ave urged students

apply

for national

●Provide opportunities for connecting with high profile

professionals

All faculty

ongoing/establi●Communication week and the advisory

board

both

create

professional connections

●Skype with industry

leaders

All faculty

ongoing/establi●Have Skyped with guest

speakers

for class. U

sed

regularly by a

number of faculty

●Faculty should

seek leadership

roles and responsibilities in

academic

and professional organizations

All faculty

ongoing

●multiple

faculty m

embers

have taken leadership

roles

in academic

and professional organizations

●Sponsor a communication conference

or festival

Dean

Completed

Communication W

eek is

now

regularly presented each

spring semester

Goal 5. P

roduce

nationally recognized student and faculty creative and scholarly works


3. Describe the unit's policies and procedures for faculty governance. Provide the Web link or make available in the site team workroom a print copy of faculty policy manuals, handbooks or other documents specifying policies, procedures and the roles of faculty and students in governance and in development of educational policy and curriculum. High Point University’s charter recognizes the general powers of the faculty

to confer by and with the consent of the Board of Trustees all degrees and marks of literary distinction as are usually conferred by colleges and universities and to make regulations regarding courses of instruction, student [academic] discipline, and such other matters as may be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees.

These powers are primarily organized through, and communicated by, the Faculty Senate. As noted in the Faculty Senate by-laws, the powers of the faculty include the following:

To recommend the academic standards for admission of students to High Point University and for retention therein

To determine the courses of study, including experiential learning, requirements for admission thereto, and standards of performance

To make recommendations to the administration concerning student academic advising

To determine and to maintain current requirements for granting academic degrees

To evaluate student performance and to recommend approval of student applications for graduation

To make rules for the implementation of the instructional program To evaluate (1) effectiveness of the instructional program, (2)

performance of faculty members in execution of the program, and (3) proposals for improvement of academic instruction

To make rules for conduct of faculty participation in governance and to organize such councils and committees as may be required


To directly communicate, through an established collective channel, with faculty on academically related matters

To review and approve faculty-related policy changes including those within the Faculty Handbook(s) and other like documents

To determine and recommend to the Board of Trustees standards for selection, promotion, and tenure of faculty members

To collaborate with Human Resources on policy creation and development in areas related to faculty concerns and general welfare

To collaborate with the Provost in the establishment of the academic calendar

To make rules of conduct for aspects of students' lives relating to the educational process and judge appeals of punishments assigned to students for academically related issues

To make recommendations to the Board of Trustees through the Provost on any matter pertaining to the educational program of the University

To define ethical and professional standards for members of the faculty To make recommendations concerning issues related to the welfare of

faculty as a whole To advise the Provost and President on long range and strategic planning,

as well as the academic budget

The faculty have the right to appeal to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees regarding any administrative action which is counter to, or which disregards, a decision that has been voted on and approved by a majority of the faculty. Failure to respond to a faculty-approved initiative is considered an administrative action that can be appealed to the Board of Trustees. The Faculty Senate is composed of one non-administrative representative from each school—including the NQSC—as well as six at-large members. The faculty handbooks for High Point University and the NQSC are available in the workroom for review.


4. How often did the faculty meet during the most recent academic year? The NQSC held four School-wide faculty meetings in the 2014-2015 academic year: August 19, September 19, January 16, and during the School’s annual faculty retreat on May 13. The Media and Production Studies Department met four times in the 2014-2015 academic year: August 20, September 5, February 6, and May 11. The Journalism and Strategic Communication Department met six times: August 20, September 5, October 3, November 7, December 5, and March 6. The full university faculty met six times during the 2014-2015 academic year: during the faculty seminars on August 19 & 20, October 17, November 21, February 20, and on April 7. Attendance and participation at faculty meetings are considered a requirement for employment. Minutes for the NQSC faculty and department meetings are available for review in the workroom.

5. List faculty membership on and responsibilities of the unit’s standing and ad hoc committees. (The list should include the names of faculty serving on each committee.)

Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Committee Appointments for 2014-2015

Personnel, Tenure and Promotion The Personnel, Tenure and Promotion Committee reviews the standards and applications of candidates for tenure and promotion. This committee is composed of the School’s tenured faculty members and one non-tenured tenure-track member selected by a majority vote of the department. Other than


the elected member, there is no term limitation imposed on members of this committee.

Dr. Wilfred Tremblay (Chair of Personnel; recused from T & P) Dr. Kate Fowkes Dr. Judy Isaksen Dr. Jenny Lukow Dr. Virginia McDermott Dr. Nahed Eltantawy Mr. Brad Lambert (non-tenured rep; recused from T & P)

Curriculum Committee This committee submits proposals for new courses or curriculum revisions for approval by the NQSC’s faculty and the University’s Educational Policies Committee (EPC). [EPC is being replaced by a new committee, AIPERC, fall 2016]

Chair: Dr. Nahed Eltantawy Dr. Yan Yang Dr. Shannon Campbell Dr. Linda Gretton

Diversity Committee This committee develops and oversees the NQSC’s plan to encourage the demographic and intellectual diversity, recognizing that learning is enhanced when students are exposed to diverse backgrounds, identities and ideologies.

Chair: Mr. Jim Goodman Dr. Stefan Hall Dr. Bobby Hayes Dr. Judy Isaksen

Graduate Committee This committee addresses admission, curriculum and other issues related solely to the graduate program.

Chair: Mr. Brad Lambert Dr. Sean Stewart Members: all members of the graduate faculty


Assessment Committee This committee evaluates the educational effectiveness of the undergraduate curriculum consistent with the NQSC’s master assessment plan and university assessment protocols.

Chair: Dr. Virginia McDermott Dr. Dean Smith Dr. Sojung Kim Mr. Jim Goodman Dr. Vern Biaett

Technology Committee This committee evaluates the effectiveness of the School’s instructional and production related technologies at the NQSC, and recommends short- and long-term replacement and enhancement strategies.

Chair: Dr. James Trammell Ms. Kristina Bell Mr. Brian Heagney Dr. Phil Watson

6. Describe the faculty’s contributions to the administration and governance of the university. As a stipulation of employment, all full-time faculty serve on university committees. The following are the 2014-2015 university committee appointments for NQSC faculty:

Admissions The committee recommends admission and financial aid policy statements to the president and the faculty, and advises the director of admissions and the director of financial planning on implementing the approved policies. The duties and responsibilities of this committee embrace all problems associated with admission and financial aid, as well as the review of the academic progress of High Point University students.

Mr. Phil Watson


Athletic The athletic committee evaluates athletic practices and policies to assure an educational atmosphere in the athletic program commensurate to that of other such programs at the University institution. The duties and responsibilities of the committee deal with all areas of the athletic operation in an advisory capacity.

Dr. Bobby Hayes

Cultural Programs The cultural programs committee plans educational and cultural programs to complement the academic program of the university, and stimulates and encourages an atmosphere of academic and cultural appreciation. The duties and responsibilities of this committee include program planning, financial planning, and delegating responsibility for cultural program presentations.

Mr. Jim Goodman Ms. Charisse McGhee-Lazarou

Diversity Committee The diversity committee explores, fosters, and recommends policies and programs in support of the university’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The duties and responsibilities of the diversity committee include research, planning, and advocacy for diversity, working in coordination with University leaders, faculty, and students.

Dr. Judy Isaksen, Chair

Educational Policies The educational policies committee reviews and recommends to the faculty new course proposals, major restructuring of existing courses and programs, the addition and deletion of majors and minors, and the implementation of changes in the academic requirements and standards recommended by the Academic Planning Committee and approved by the faculty. The scope of the committee covers the instructional areas including the content, methods, and objectives of all academic courses, programs, major fields of concentration and library services.

Dr. Nahed Eltantawy


First Year Seminar The first year seminar committee oversees the creation and implementation of First Year Seminars, in accordance with the goals, structure, and implementation requirements of the program.

Dr. Linda Gretton

Global Studies The global studies committee reviews and approves all courses for the Global Studies component of the general education requirements.

Dr. Stefan Hall

Graduate Council The graduate council is the policy-making committee for the Norcross Graduate School. This committee approves the development of new graduate programs, new graduate curricula, and polices covering graduate faculty and the culture of HPU’s graduate programs.

Dr. Virginia McDermott, Chair Dr. Sean Stewart Ex-Officio: Dean of the School of Communication (Dr. Wilfred

Tremblay)

Honors Program Committee The honors program committee plans and supervises the implementation of the High Point University Honors Program.

Dr. Yan Yang Dr. Dean Smith

Information Technology Advisory Committee The information technology committee coordinates the planning and evaluation relative to the educational use of computer and other information technology at the University, to recommend to the appropriate administrative officials’ action steps for the utilization of information technology on campus. The committee’s duties and responsibilities deal with all aspects of planning, assessing and making recommendations regarding the educational use of information technology at High Point University.

Mr. Jim Goodman Mr. Brad Lambert


QEP Steering Committee The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a required component of the University’s SACS accreditation. This five-year plan, which focuses on the development of a growth mindset, demonstrates HPU’s commitment to enhancing the educational experience of the students.

Dr. Virginia McDermott

Student Life Committee The student life committee sets the general policy for a program encouraging, yet regulating, student life. The committee’s duties and responsibilities include all areas related to student welfare and programs to assure improvement and maintenance of positive relationships between faculty, administration, and the student body.

Dr. Bobby Hayes

Study Abroad Committee The study abroad committee determines the educational objectives of the international study program (including study abroad), and supervises the accomplishment of those objectives. The duties and responsibilities of the committee pertain to all areas of international study abroad programs and international students who study at High Point University.

Dr. Linda Gretton Dr. Yan Yang

Survey Research Center Advisory Committee The Survey Research Center (SRC) advisory committee reviews the priorities and schedules for the SRC, provides feedback and original proposals, and otherwise supports the operation of the SRC.

Dr. Sojung Kim Ex-Officio: Dean of the School of Communication (Dr. Wilfred

Tremblay)

Tenure and Promotion This committee recommends to the president the faculty members who are eligible and qualify for promotion in rank or for tenure appointment.

Dr. Kate Fowkes

University Research and Planning Committee


The university research and planning committee is a new committee tasked to enhance the research profile of the university.

Dr. Virginia McDermott

Washington Center Advisory Committee The Washington Center Advisory Committee reviews High Point University’s affiliation with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and oversees the High Point Washington program.

Dr. Judy Isaksen

Women’s and Gender Studies Program Committee The Women’s and Gender Studies Program committee reviews and oversees the University’s Women’s and Gender Studies program, including its minor requirements, events and projects.

Dr. Nahed Eltantawy

Faculty Senate (Elected by the Faculty) The Faculty Senate is an elected body that represents the faculty in administrative issues and concerns, including creating policies regarding courses of instruction, academic discipline, and tenure and promotion expectations.

Senator: Dr. James Trammell

Professional Growth The professional growth committee oversees all aspects of the professional growth program for faculty, including program approval and evaluation. A Professional Growth Committee exists in each College/School of the University.

Dr. Wilfred Tremblay, Chair

Honorary Class Counselors Class of 2016 – Dr. Virginia McDermott


7. Describe the process for selecting, appointing and evaluating unit administrators. The dean is appointed and removed by the university president with the advice of the university’s academic administration and the NQSC’s tenured and tenure-track faculty or their representatives. The dean appoints the other School officers and coordinators with the approval of the university’s academic administration and the advice of the School’s tenured and tenure-track faculty or their representatives. The dean is evaluated each year by all faculty (see 1-30) who forward evaluations to the provost. The provost provides his summary of these evaluations within his annual review of the dean (1-31). The department chairs and the provost evaluate the dean each year. The department chairs submit their evaluations to the provost, who uses their feedback to guide his performance review. The provost also meets with the dean to review his progress and establish goals for the upcoming year. The dean also provides a goals update to the provost each quarter. The forms used for the dean’s evaluation are included below. The associate dean serves at the pleasure of the dean and provost for her administrative position. The dean factors her administrative duties under the service component of her annual evaluation. While faculty have no direct input into her performance, the dean welcomes comments from department faculty. Department chairs undergo an annual evaluation by their department’s full-time faculty. The evaluation occurs in January, and covers the preceding spring and fall semesters. The form for department chair evaluations is included below. The dean then provides an evaluation of the chair based on that and other input.


REQUIRED EVALUATION OF DEAN Name of College/School Dean ______________________________ Dates Covered __________________________________________ The goal of the evaluation is twofold: it will provide Department Chairs the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the Dean, and it will provide the Provost a basis for his own evaluation of that effectiveness. In a narrative, please evaluate your Dean. Evaluator’s Name Date


REQUIRED EVALUATION OF CHAIRPERSON

Name of Chairperson Dates Covered Department The goal of the evaluation is twofold: it will provide members of the department the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the department chair, and it will provide the Provost a basis for his own evaluation of that effectiveness. In a narrative, please evaluate your department chair. (You may wish to consult the “Department Chair Position” found in Appendix I of the High Point University Faculty Handbook.) Evaluator’s Name Date


8. Describe the unit’s process for timely and equitable resolution of complaints and concerns expressed by faculty, staff or students. The NQSC by-laws stipulate that grievances against the dean or faculty members are to be consistent to the process established in the High Point University Faculty Handbook. The handbook’s procedures for hearings and faculty complaints are posted below. Policies for student complaints against faculty are addressed in the University Bulletin, and are spelled out in every NQSC syllabus with the following statement:

If a student has a complaint about a faculty member regarding a grade they should first try to resolve it with the instructor in question. If the complaint is not resolved the student should then go to the department chair. The decision of the department chair is final. For non-grade matters please see “Procedure for Student Complaints” outlined in the University Bulletin or contact the Office of Student Life, 3rd Floor, Slane University Center, 336 841-9231. Bypassing any of these steps—going directly to the president, for example—will not resolve the issue and only delay resolution. Senior administration will not deal with grievance issues unless they have been discussed at the appropriate level.

Students who decide to pursue formal intervention by university officials after meeting with the dean may submit a written complaint to the Office of Student Life. All formal student complaints are overseen by the dean of students. The School keeps its records of student complaints in a folder in the administrative assistant’s office. Faculty who raise plagiarism accusations may discipline the student in several ways, from requiring the student to resubmit the project to assigning a failing grade for the course. Faculty may also call for a hearing by the Honor Court, which is administered by the Office of Student Life. Students may appeal a penalty of plagiarism through the Honor Court.


The NQSC tracks plagiarism accusations. A standardized form was created and is used to file plagiarism complaints and is posted below and after the listing of the university complaints procedures identified as 5.5 that follows. From the High Point University Faculty Handbook: 5.5 Procedures for Hearings/Complaints

The following procedures will be available in any instance where a faculty member believes that he or she has a grievance as defined above.

A potential grievance issue should be settled whenever possible through informal discussion at the appropriate level of administrative decision-making. Failing such settlement, the faculty member may begin a formal process for redress of grievance by submitting a written, dated statement to the Department Chair within seven (7) days. The word “days” as used hereinafter means working days, excluding normal interruptions of the academic term such as holidays and vacations. The day following receipt of the written statement will count as the first full day of the specified time period.

The statement should include a precise definition of the situation as perceived by the grievant, a description of the type of conciliation desired, and the listing of the grounds upon which the grievant believes conciliation to be possible. Upon receipt of this statement, the Department Chair will render a decision and response to the grievant within seven (7) days.

Filing of the Formal Grievance

Should the grievant fail to receive satisfaction from the Department Chair within seven days, both the decision and response may be forwarded to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs except:(1) where the grievant is a department chair or dean, or (2) in the case that the grievance is directed toward the Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs and names this individual as the respondent. In these cases the grievance will be filed directly with the President of the University.

The aggrieved faculty member must file the grievance using the Faculty


Grievance Form (see Appendix). All formal grievances must be filed within sixty (60) days of the time the faculty member knew or by reasonable diligence should have known of the acts which gave rise to the grievance.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (or President of the University) will render a written decision to the grievant within seven days of receipt of the Faculty Grievance Form.

Grievance Committee Review

Should the grievant fail to receive satisfaction from the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (or the president of the University), the grievant may request, within seven days, that the President send the case to the Grievance Committee for a full review.

Composition of the Grievance Committee

The membership of the Grievance Committee shall consist of five (5) full-time tenured faculty who will be appointed by the President. No one whose duties are primarily administrative may serve on the Grievance Committee.

The Grievance Committee will elect from its membership a Chair and Secretary whose terms of office will be effective on the day of their election.

The Grievance Committee will act in accordance with the written policies and procedures established in the Faculty Handbook for the resolution of faculty grievances, and in matters of suspension and dismissal of faculty members.

The Grievance Committee will report to the Faculty Council annually, concerning its activities. This report will include a statement of the number and general nature of complaints received and their disposition, but will not report the confidential records of the Preliminary Inquiries.

Pre-Hearing

The Grievance Committee may bring parties together, with their consent, at pre-hearing meetings in order to achieve such appropriate objectives as will render the hearing fair, effective, and expeditious.


Serving Notice

The Grievance Committee Chair will be responsible for serving notice to the necessary parties by hand delivery or Registered Mail when a hearing has been scheduled.

The notice will include a statement of the specific charges, the names of the members of the Grievance Committee, a copy of the Grievance Policies and Procedures, and the date, time and place of the hearing. At this time, both parties will be given the opportunity to strike one committee member for cause. In the unlikely event that two faculty members are stricken, the chair of Faculty Council will appoint up to two members from the Faculty Council at-large to serve on the hearing committee for that case.

Grievance Hearing

All parts of the hearing must be attended by all Grievance Committee members. The formal hearing will be tape-recorded. This recording and the transcript of the proceedings will be kept and made available to necessary parties in the event an appeal is filed. Final deliberations of the hearing committee will not be tape-recorded.

The faculty member (grievant) will be responsible for demonstrating the merits of his or her grievance. He or she must demonstrate by evidence that the action or inaction complained of occurred; that the action or inaction adversely affected him or her; and that a remedy is reasonable and proper. The faculty member will have the right to examine and use any legally available part of his or her personnel files.

The grievant and the respondent will be allowed to be present during all testimony. At the formal hearing, each party of the grievance may present its case, or may elect a representative (non-attorney) to speak for the party.


Volunteer Witnesses

Necessary parties will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to obtain necessary witnesses and documentary or other evidence. The grievant and respondent will identify all witnesses that may

be called upon by the committee to testify at the hearing and what relevant facts they may be able to contribute. A list of these witnesses must be submitted to the Chair of the Grievance Committee at least 48 hours prior to the start of the hearing. The Chair will be responsible for contacting these individuals to ascertain their willingness to participate in the hearing. No retaliatory action may be taken against any individual who chooses to appear or not to appear.

Right of Cross Examination

The parties to the grievance (and/or their representatives) may present statements and witnesses and interrogate each other, or may interrogate witnesses to the dispute. A reasonable period of time will be allotted for each party to question each witness’s testimony. Where a witness cannot or will not appear but the Committee determines that the interests of justice require the admission of his or her statement, the Chair of the Grievance Committee will identify the witness, disclose the statement and, if possible, provide for interrogatories.

The parties to the dispute will be afforded access (with sufficient time for response) to any document or other evidence reviewed or considered in any grievance procedure pertaining to the case. All parties are entitled access to any documents or other written statements which are submitted to the committee.

Admissible Evidence

As the hearing is an administrative rather than legal procedure, the Grievance Committee will not be bound by the rules of legal evidence, and may admit any evidence which is of probative value in determining the issues involved.


All questions relating to admissibility of evidence will be decided by the Chair of the Grievance Hearing Committee.

The Grievance Hearing Committee may grant adjournments as it deems appropriate to enable either party to investigate evidence concerning a valid claim of surprise if made.

The committee may consider only such evidence as is presented at the hearing, including the written statements from the grievant and the respondent. Evidence may include isolated events and trends of behavior with respect to the current grievance.

Record of Hearing

The only persons who will have access to the tapes are the committee members, the grievant, the respondent, and the President of the University. A complete report of all records of the hearing and committee recommendations will be kept to preserve the findings of fact, and the recommendations of the Committee. Following the end of the hearing, the grievance file will be retained in the President's office for three years following the completion of the grievance proceedings and then will be destroyed.

Committee Deliberations

The final recommendations of the Grievance Hearing Committee will be based solely on the hearing record. The committee will, within seven (7) days of the completion or termination of its

hearings, file a written report of its findings of fact and judgment concerning the resolution of the grievance with the President of High Point University. Copies of this report shall also be sent simultaneously to all necessary parties involved by Registered Mail.

If the President does not approve of the judgment reached by the committee, any alterations of the report filed by the Grievance Committee will be so noted in the grievant’s file.


Presidential Review

After the case has been reviewed by the Grievance Committee, the grievant may request, within seven days, a full review by the President of the University. The President, at his/her discretion, may render a decision in writing within 21 days of receipt of such a request. Copies of this decision will be sent to each member of the Grievance Committee. Ordinarily, further formal internal provisions for review will not be considered.

Should the President decide that the grievance is justified and a remedy is to be awarded, the grievant will, before receiving any such remedy, execute a written agreement recognizing the remedy to be satisfactory and waiving any claims to causes of action arising out of the grievance.

Appeal to the Board of Trustees

All appeals to the Board will be carried out according to the procedures outlined under Access to the Board of Trustees.


Sample Faculty Grievance Form

(Note: This form is to be used only by members of the full-time instructional faculty who hold faculty status and who are on continued appointment. Please see the Faculty Handbook for complete information on grievance procedures and grievable issues).

Name of Grievant: Date: Mailing Address: Home Telephone #: Department/School: Campus Telephone #: Rank:

Date(s) Grievance Occurred:

Nature of Grievance:

Respondent(s): Relief Sought:

Attach a List of Witnesses/Relevant Documents to be Submitted:

Signature of Grievant:


[School of Communication Document] Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Plagiarism and Cheating Incident Report

STUDENT NAME AND ID #: FACULTY NAME:

DATE OF INCIDENT:

COURSE NUMBER AND NAME:

ASSIGNMENT:

DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT:

DECISION:

OPTION #1 Student accepts responsibility and report is forwarded to dean. If this is a first offense, the dean and faculty member may opt to retain the report in the dean’s office. If this is a second offense, the dean forwards this to the honor court. Student Signature

Date:


Faculty Signature

Date:

Dean Signature Date: OPTION #2 Student does not accept responsibility and report is forwarded to student honor court. Student Signature

Date:

Faculty Signature

Date:

Dean Signature Date: