Amherst College Faculty Handbook 2021-2022

Amherst College

Faculty Handbook

2021-2022

Table of Contents

Mission Statement .......................................................................................................................... v

The Handbook: Purposes and Provisions ....................................................................................... v

Pre-Introduction ............................................................................................................................ iv

Electronics Policy ......................................................................................................................... ix

I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 1

II. Organization of the College…………………………………………………………..3

A. The Board of Trustees ....................................................................................................... 3

B. Administration of the College ........................................................................................... 3

C. The Faculty ....................................................................................................................... 6

D. Other Instructional Personnel ............................................................................................ 9

E. The Students ..................................................................................................................... 9

F. The Alumni ....................................................................................................................... 9

G. Five Colleges, Incorporated .............................................................................................. 9

III. Faculty Appointments, Tenure, Promotions, Leaves and Terminations………..10

A. Procedures for Academic Appointments to Tenured or Tenure-Track (Regular)

Positions .......................................................................................................................... 10

B. Visiting Appointments .................................................................................................... 11

C. Diversity and Inclusion in Search and Appointment Procedures ..................................... 11

D. Duration of Appointments and Procedures For Reappointments To Tenure-Track

Positions .......................................................................................................................... 11

E. Tenure For Regular Full-time Members of the Faculty ................................................... 14

F. Tenure For Regular Part-time Members of the Faculty ................................................... 19

G. Promotion........................................................................................................................ 20

H. Leave Policy, Fellowships, and Research And Professional Support .............................. 21

I. Termination, Dismissal for Cause, and Grievance Procedures ........................................ 28

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IV. Faculty Responsibilities, Academic Regulations, Meetings and Committees…..39

A. Academic Regulations ..................................................................................................... 39

B. Teaching and Advising ..................................................................................................... 43

C. Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree ............................................................... 44

D. Classroom Attendance .................................................................................................... 44

E. The Scheduling of Courses .............................................................................................. 44

F. Final Examinations .......................................................................................................... 45

G. Completion of Work; Policy on Extensions ..................................................................... 46

H. Grade Deadlines .............................................................................................................. 47

I. Special Exceptions for Reasons of Conscience ................................................................ 47

J. Religious Observance ...................................................................................................... 47

K. The Honors Thesis ........................................................................................................... 48

L. Foreign Study and Exchange Programs ........................................................................... 48

M. The Cooperative Doctor of Philosophy Degree ............................................................... 49

N. Classified Research .......................................................................................................... 49

O. Faculty Attendance and Grade Reports .......................................................................... 49

P. Informing the Administration of Address Changes ......................................................... 50

Q. Outside Employment ...................................................................................................... 50

R. Faculty Meetings ............................................................................................................. 50

S. Committees ..................................................................................................................... 54

T. Department and Program Reviews ................................................................................. 66

V. Salaries and Fringe Benefits………………………………………………………...67

A. Salaries and Payroll ......................................................................................................... 67

B. Grants and Allowances .................................................................................................... 68

C. Fringe Benefit Programs for Full-time Faculty ................................................................. 69

D. Fringe Benefit Programs for Part-time Regular Faculty ................................................... 87

VI. College Facilities and Services……………………………………………………..88

A. Libraries .......................................................................................................................... 88

B. Department of Information Technology ......................................................................... 89

C. Office of Administrative Services/Mailing Center ........................................................... 90

D. Athletic Facilities ............................................................................................................. 90

E. Reserving Campus Facilities ............................................................................................ 91

F. Campus Services ............................................................................................................. 91

G. Telephone Service ........................................................................................................... 93

VII. Student Life and Welfare .............................................................................................. 93

VIII. General Information..................................................................................................... 93

IX. The Folger Shakespeare Library .................................................................................. 94

X. The Doshisha University ................................................................................................... 95

XI. Appendix ............................................................................................................................ 96

A. Copyright Law ................................................................................................................ 96

B. Science Misconduct ........................................................................................................ 96

C. The Family and Medical Leave Act ................................................................................ 99

D. Drug Free Schools and Communities Act ..................................................................... 100

E. Smoking ........................................................................................................................ 101

F. Sexual Harassment Policy ............................................................................................. 102

G. Patent Policy ................................................................................................................. 104

H. Interim Title IX Policy and Interim Title IX Grievance Process

Mission Statement | Amherst College

The Mission of Amherst College

Terras irradient

“Let them give light to the world.”

1821

Amherst College educates students of exceptional potential from all backgrounds so that they may

seek, value, and advance knowledge, engage the world around them, and lead principled lives of

consequence.

Amherst brings together the most promising students, whatever their financial need, in order to

promote diversity of experience and ideas within a purposefully small residential community. Working

with faculty, staff, and administrators dedicated to intellectual freedom and the highest standards of

instruction in the liberal arts, Amherst undergraduates assume substantial responsibility for

undertaking inquiry and for shaping their education within and beyond the curriculum.

The Handbook: Purpose and Provisions

The purpose of the Faculty Handbook is to provide all members of the faculty, particularly those who

are new to Amherst, with knowledge of the policies, regulations, practices, and expectations that

prevail at Amherst College. The various provisions of this handbook are subject to revision from time

to time by the trustees, administration, and faculty on their own initiative or in response to changes in

state and federal legislation.

The provisions of this handbook derive their authority from various sources; they are primarily

statements by the administration of customary practice, administrative organization, or explicit policy

established at the college, often after consultation with the faculty. The committees of the faculty and

the academic requirements of the college are voted by the faculty. Fringe benefit provisions and the

conditions of employment are derived from actions taken by the Board of Trustees. The description of

college facilities and other general information are provided as helpful addenda. Provisions of the

handbook, whether derived from trustee vote, faculty vote, or administrative or trustee action are

subject to modification or revocation by the appropriate authority following proper procedure. No such

change will be retroactive.

Any questions concerning information given in this handbook should be addressed to:

Dean of the Faculty

Amherst College

P.O. Box 5000

Amherst, MA 01002-5000

Pre-Introduction:

A. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Nondiscrimination Policy

Amherst College does not discriminate in its admission or employment policies and practices on the

basis of factors such as race, genetics, gender identity or gender expression, sex, sexual orientation,

age, color, religion, national origin, disability, or status as a veteran of the Vietnam War era or as a

disabled veteran. The college complies with applicable federal and state legislation and regulations

regarding nondiscrimination.

Inquiries should be directed to:

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Amherst College

P.O. Box 5000

Amherst, MA 01002-5000.

Americans with Disabilities Act

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Amherst College will provide

reasonable accommodations to an otherwise qualified applicant or employee with a disability to enable

such person to perform essential job functions and/or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment,

so long as such accommodation does not imposed an undue burden on the College.

To be eligible for reasonable accommodations under the ADA, an employee must have a "disability,"

as defined below, and must be qualified to perform the essential functions of the position with or

without reasonable accommodation. A disability is defined under the ADA as a physical or mental

impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. A disability also includes having

a record of such impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. Major life activities

include functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing,

speaking, breathing and standing.

If you think you need a reasonable accommodation for a permanent or temporary disability, please

contact the Office of Human Resources. A representative from Human Resources will provide you an

overview of the required documentation. This documentation should be completed by the employee

and the employee’s medical provider. Once the completed documentation has been received, the Office

of Human Resources will conduct an assessment of the documentation and the ability of the College to

provide reasonable accommodations, and will guide the employee on next steps.

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If you are a prospective employee or candidate and would like to learn about accessibility on Campus,

please contact the Office of Human Resources at 413-542-2372, or the Department of Public Safety at

413-542-2291.

B. ACADEMIC FREEDOM

Amherst College Statement of Academic and Expressive Freedom

Institutions of higher learning dedicate themselves to a range of goals: the pursuit of truth and

knowledge, the refinement and transmission of intellectual skills, the articulation of values, the

creation of works of artistic merit, and the critical examination of received wisdom. The promotion of

these goals requires unstinting dedication to academic and expressive freedom. Such freedom protects

the right of members of the academic community to speak, write, curate, and create without

obstruction, disruption, or the fear of institutional censure, censorship, or retaliation.

This strong commitment to the freedom of inquiry lies at the heart of Amherst College’s mission to

create a home in which the liberal arts may flourish. As a small residential liberal arts college that

prides itself on the ability, curiosity, and diversity of its students, Amherst seeks to create a respectful

environment in which members of its community feel emboldened to pursue their intellectual and

creative passions. At times, the desire to foster a climate of mutual respect may test the college’s duty

to protect and promote the unfettered exchange of ideas. On such occasions, the college’s obligations

remain clear. The liberal arts cannot thrive absent the freedom to espouse and debate ideas that are

unpopular, controversial, discomfiting—and even seemingly wrongheaded or offensive. Members of

an academic community may and, indeed, should challenge and oppose ideas they find offensive and

loathsome. Yet the response to disagreeable and even insulting ideas must not contravene the

commitment to expressive freedom that enables the college to thrive as a space of liberal inquiry.

Even the most vigorous defense of intellectual and creative freedom knows limits. The college may

properly restrict speech that, for example, is defamatory, harassing, invades a protected right to privacy

or confidentiality, constitutes incitement to imminent violence, or otherwise violates the law. It may

also restrict disparaging or abusive speech (e.g., racial epithets) directed at an individual or group

based on their actual or perceived affiliation with a protected class, and for which there is no

reasonable academic, educational, or artistic justification (voted by the faculty, December 15,

2020). The college may place reasonable limitations on the time, place, and manner of expression, and

may restrict speech that directly interferes with core instructional and administrative functions of the

college. But these restrictions and limitations must be understood as narrow exceptions to the

college’s overriding commitment to robust open inquiry (voted by the faculty, May 3, 2016).

Amherst College subscribes fully to the AAUP statements of principles on academic freedom published

in 1940, and assumes that faculty members know their rights and their responsibilities as members of

the academic profession.

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C. ACCREDITATION

Amherst College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., through

its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Accreditation of an institution of higher education

by the New England Association indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of

institutional quality periodically applied through a peer review process. An accredited college or

university is one that has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through

appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will

continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through

accreditation. Accreditation by the New England Association is not partial but applies to the institution

as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of

individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities

available to students who attend the institution. Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the New

England Association should be directed to the dean of the faculty. Individuals may also contact the

association at:

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.

Commission on Institutions of Higher Education

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100

Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

(781) 425-7714

Electronics Policy | Amherst College

Amherst College supports an extensive information-technology environment for faculty, staff,

students, and other members of the college community. The college's general policies and codes of

conduct apply to the electronic environment just as they apply in all other college settings. This

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) supplements these existing standards by describing the special rights

and responsibilities that attach to use of the college's “E-Resources” (as defined below). The policy

also explains the roles of those charged with maintaining, operating, and overseeing college E-

Resources.

The entire community's cooperation helps to ensure that high-quality E-Resources remain available for

the many endeavors of the college and its constituents.

Scope

This Policy applies to all information-technology and other electronic resources of the college (“E-

Resources”), including without limitation:

 All computers, systems, equipment, software, networks, and computer facilities owned,

managed, or maintained by the college for the handling of data, voice, television, telephone, or

related signals or information

 Any access or use of the college's electronic resources from a computer or other system not

controlled or maintained by the college; and,

 The creation, processing, communication, distribution, storage, and disposal of information

under the college’s control

Restrictions on Use

The college’s Eligibility for Accounts Policy defines the conditions under which individuals are given

the privilege of using this environment. In general, users are expected to conform to the same standards

of conduct when using this environment as are applicable to the use of other college facilities. The

examples given below are illustrative, and are not intended to cover all possibilities. There will be a

need for exceptions in some circumstances. Consult the chief information officer with questions about

specific activities or exceptions. Each account is provided for the use of a specific individual, and may

not be shared with or lent to others. Individuals are expected to take reasonable precautions to prevent

others from using their accounts.

Examples of violations include the following:

 Giving an account password to another person

 Logging in to one’s account at a public computer, then leaving without logging out

 Providing access to the campus network to others

The college may send official correspondence to members of its community via electronic mail.

Students, faculty, and staff, are expected to check their @amherst.edu email account regularly and are

responsible for college information sent there. college employees are expected to use their Amherst

College email account for all college-related communications. If a student elects to forward his/her

@amherst.edu email to another email account, the student remains responsible for any material not

received because of any defect in the forwarding mechanism or the destination account.

Accounts and Access Restrictions

User IDs and passwords are the primary method used to authenticate users of the college’s E-

Resources. They help prevent unauthorized access to E-Resources or any restricted information found

within them. Users may not share their passwords with any other person and must protect them from

disclosure by, for example, changing them regularly, monitoring access to their accounts, and

contacting the college’s IT Staff if they suspect their passwords have been compromised. Users may be

held responsible for all activity conducted using their IDs. Users must select strong passwords

(meaning passwords composed of a mix of at least eight numbers, letters, and symbols and not

including a word commonly found in a dictionary, or as required by the system at the time of creation).

No person, including any member of the IT Staff, is authorized to request any user's password.

All users must protect the college’s E-Resources from unauthorized access. Specifically, all users

must:

 Take responsibility for the security and integrity of information stored on any personal or

assigned desktop, laptop, or handheld system

 Cooperate with system administrators during investigations of improper use

 Take care to access E-Resources only from secure environments and to log out of sessions

before leaving any computer unattended

 Take all appropriate precautions when accessing confidential or restricted college data to

protect the data from unauthorized disclosures and from threats to its accuracy or integrity

 Comply with requests from the IT Staff and other authorized personnel to cease use of E-

Resources that compromises the E-Resources or the college

And, without authorization, no user may:

 Extend the network by introducing a hub, switch, router, wireless access point, or any other

service or device that permits more than one device to connect to any college network

 Provide any other person with E-Resources or access to them

 Send e-mail chain letters or mass mailings for purposes other than authorized college business

 Alter, remove, or forge email headers, addresses, or messages, or otherwise impersonate or

attempt to pass oneself off as another

 Obtain E-Resources beyond those allocated to the user, seek or gain access to data or user

accounts for which the user is not authorized, or eavesdrop or intercept transmissions not

intended for the user

 Use the college’s Internet or other network access in a malicious manner or to alter or destroy

any material which the user is not authorized to alter or destroy

 Tamper with, modify, damage, alter, or attempt to defeat restrictions or protection placed on

accounts or any E-Resources; or

 Damage computer or network systems; create or intentionally introduce or propagate computer

viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, or other malicious code to any E-Resource; attempt to degrade

the performance of the system or to deprive authorized users of E-Resources or access to E-

Resources.

Users must respect intellectual-property rights, including copyrights, in all use of college E-Resources.

All use of content, including text, images, music, and video, retrieved from E-Resources or stored,

transmitted or maintained using E-Resources, must comply with copyright and other applicable laws.

Copied material, used legally, must be given attribution in conformance with applicable legal and

professional standards.

Software may be copied, installed, or used on college E-Resources only as permitted by the software’s

owner or authorized licensor and by law. Proprietary software must be properly licensed, and users

must strictly adhere to all applicable license provisions (including those concerning installation, use,

copying, and the number of simultaneous users).

Respect for Others

The Statement of Intellectual Responsibility and the Statement of Respect for Persons apply to the use

of the electronic environment. Users must honor the rights of others to privacy, academic freedom, and

freedom from harassment. Users may not use E-Resources to threaten or harass any person or to create

a hostile place to work or study. In particular, users must honor others' requests for the user to stop

sending unwanted communications of any kind. Users may not do anything to interfere inappropriately

with others' use of E-Resources, including by consuming E-Resources in excess.

Examples of violations of those standards include the following:

 Sending harassing or threatening messages,

 Using the network to participate in plagiarism,

 Interfering with another person’s files, accounts or coursework

 Sending “junk email”—email sent to large lists of people without a reasonable expectation that

they wish to receive it.

Use of the college’s electronic environment for commercial purposes not relevant to the mission of the

college is prohibited, unless specifically authorized in writing by the chief information officer.

Examples include the following:

 Operating a business from a dormitory or office that uses the college’s electronic environment

 Fundraising and advertising using the college’s electronic environment by groups or

individuals other than officially recognized campus organizations

 Creating a website on the college server that sells items for personal profit.

Account owners may not engage in any activity that may reasonably be expected to be harmful to the

systems operated by the college or a third party, or to information stored upon them. Examples include

the following:

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 Participating in the breaking of security on a computer system regardless of whether it is owned

by the college or by some third party

 Disrupting service on a computer system by sending automated messages that tie up the

computer.

Common resources, such as network bandwidth, are to be shared by all members of the college

community. Individuals may not engage in activities that might reasonably be expected to cause

congestion of the network, or prevent others from making reasonable use of the college’s electronic

resources, or incapacitate, compromise, or damage the college’s electronic resources. Examples

include the following:

 Operating network servers that consume more than a fair share of bandwidth

 Running programs that cause network congestion

 Sending “junk” email.

Enforcement Provisions

Violations of these conditions for the use of this environment are subject to the investigative and

disciplinary procedures of the college, with the chief information officer acting in an advisory role.

The Office of Student Affairs usually handles complaints against students. The Office of the Dean of

the Faculty usually handles complaints against faculty. Complaints against staff and administrators are

usually handled through supervisors and Human Resources. The Eligibility for Accounts Policy does

provide for a small number of accounts for individuals who are neither students nor employees of the

college; the chief information officer will handle these cases, with consultation with the college

administration as appropriate.

Limitation of Privileges Pending Judicial Process

In addition, in some cases, the college must act more immediately to protect its interests and resources

(including the electronic environment and the data stored in it) or the rights and safety of others. The

chief information officer, or in his or her absence a delegate within Information Technology staff, has

the authority to suspend or limit account privileges and access in those situations. When an account is

suspended in this way, the chief information officer or the delegate shall notify the appropriate office

who will handle the complaint, and will attempt to notify the account owner. Account suspension

under these conditions is temporary while the complaint is handled through the normal investigative

and disciplinary procedures of the college.

Users’ Expectation of Privacy

The college recognizes the importance of privacy in an academic setting and does not routinely

monitor a current user's email, data, software, or other online activity. There are limited circumstances,

however, in which the college may access, monitor, limit and/or disclose a user’s communications or

other data on eResources without the user’s permission. These circumstances include the following:

 To maintain the integrity of its systems, network or data

 When required by federal, state or local law, administrative rules, court order or other

legal authority;

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 To preserve the health and safety of individuals or the Amherst College community;

 When there are reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of law or a significant breach of

college policy may have taken place and access, inspection or monitoring may produce

evidence related to the possible misconduct; or

 To address a legitimate business need

Such college access to a user’s communications or other data on eResources without the user’s

permission will occur only with the approval of the president and the dean of the faculty (for faculty),

director of human resources (for administrators and staff) or chief student affairs officer (for students).

In cases of emergency where necessary to preserve the integrity of the system, comply with laws or

other legal authority, or preserve health and safety, the college may access, monitor, limit and/or

disclose a user’s communications or other data on eResources without seeking the above-described

permission. In that instance, the chief information officer or designee will log any emergency access

for review by the president and dean of the faculty, director of human resources or chief student affairs

officer, as the case may be.

Finally, the college cannot guarantee the security of those eResources against unauthorized access or

disclosure.

Disclaimers

The E-Resources and anything accessible on or through them are made available “as is" and "as

available.” The college makes no guarantee that any E-Resource will be free of objectionable matter,

errors, defects, bugs, viruses, worms, "Trojan horses," or other destructive features. The college is not

responsible for any harm arising from E-Resources or users’ reliance on them, nor is it responsible for

any third-party content accessed using college E-Resources, including content made available by

another college user or any third party.

This policy is not a complete statement of the college’s rights or remedies, and nothing in this policy

waives any of those rights or remedies, including any rights in or to the E-Resources.

Statement of Shared Responsibility in Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic

Community safety during a pandemic is a collective responsibility. The ability of the Amherst College

community to thrive during the current COVID-19 pandemic is contingent upon a shared understanding that

we each have a role in taking steps that promote not only our own health but the health of the other

individuals with whom we share our campus.

In furtherance of this important community goal, and in accordance with public health guidance, Amherst

College requires that all students, faculty and staff abide by:

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1. All applicable laws, regulations, and guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, as well as

state and local public health authorities; and

2. All other safety precautions promulgated by Amherst College. The college will maintain a publicly-

available listing of these safety precautions online at:

a. On Campus Community Expectations (for students)

b. Faculty & Staff Guide to Returning to Campus (for faculty and staff)

These listings may be updated over time.

The college encourages everyone to do their best to honor not only the letter, but also the spirit of any safety

precautions. Students, faculty and staff who do not adhere to applicable safety precautions may be subject to

disciplinary action under applicable processes. Such disciplinary action may range from a verbal warning to

separation from the college.



I. Introduction | Amherst College

Amherst College was founded in 1821 as an outgrowth of Amherst Academy, which had been

established in 1814. The founders of the college were residents of Amherst and nearby towns. More

than 1,300 of them contributed money, materials, and labor to the enterprise, and the college was

named for the town (which itself was named in honor of Jeffery Amherst, Commander of British

forces in the French and Indian War). The first president of the Board of Trustees was Noah Webster,

the lexicographer. The first president of the college was Zephaniah Swift Moore, who came from the

presidency of Williams and brought fifteen Williams undergraduates with him to comprise about one-

third of the original student body of forty-seven. Although the college was founded primarily to

prepare young men for the Congregational ministry, from the start it has been an independent, non-

sectarian institution; its charter, granted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1825, bans tests of

religion in choosing students and teachers.

Today a distinguished liberal arts college of approximately 1,800 undergraduates, Amherst has been

educating both women and men since the introduction of full coeducation in 1976.

The college has enjoyed a long and close association with the town and its residents, particularly with

such poets and other writers as Emily Dickinson, Helen Hunt Jackson, David Grayson (Ray Stannard

Baker) and Robert Frost. Its relation to the surrounding communities continues to be of great

importance to the college, symbolized by the cooperative sponsorship of Hampshire College and by

participation in Five Colleges, Inc.

Amherst has been well served by historians. The third president of the college, Edward Hitchcock,

wrote Reminiscences of Amherst College (Northampton, 1863). The work combines personal anecdote,

geological speculation, and political reflection. The first full-scale history of the College is William S.

Tyler's A History of Amherst College During the Administration of its First Five Presidents (New

York, 1895). Tyler's book is now itself a historic document that gives at firsthand flavor of the college

during the final quarter of the nineteenth century. The most sustained general history of the college is

Claude Moore Fuess's Amherst: The Story of a New England College (Boston, 1935). The eleventh

president of the college, Stanley King, wrote of two aspects of Amherst in a way that gives them

general interest and significance: A History of the Endowment of Amherst College (Amherst, 1950);

The Consecrated Eminence: The Story of the Campus and Buildings of Amherst College (Amherst,

1951).

In 1972, as part of its sesquicentennial observance, the college published two volumes: The

Development of the Art Collection of Amherst College, by Professor Charles H. Morgan, and Poetry

Amherst, an anthology of verse written by students and alumni over one hundred and fifty years, edited

by Richard Aldridge.

While there are many special studies that analyze the ideals and the broils in Amherst's past, three

might be of particular interest to new members of the faculty. William Gardiner Hammond's

Remembrance of Amherst, An Undergraduate's Diary 1846-1912 (New York, 1946), edited by George

Whicher, offers delightful insight into the character of undergraduate life in the mid-nineteenth

century. Thomas Le Duc's Piety and Intellect at Amherst College 1865-1912 (New York, 1946) is a

study of the controversies that waxed and waned at Amherst between the Civil War and the First

World War. A book that is an outgrowth of a senior honors essay surveys a wider canvas and

introduces the comparative approach. George E. Peterson's The New England College in the Age of the

University (Amherst, 1964) deals with Wesleyan, Dartmouth, Williams, Union, and Bowdoin, as well

as Amherst, arguing that the crises within the New England colleges during the last two decades of the

nineteenth century mirrored a general collapse of the traditional conservatism of higher education.

Those interested in the innovative curricula initiated at Amherst in 1947 and 1978 will find an

excellent treatment in Education at Amherst: The New Program (New York, 1955), edited by Gail

Kennedy, and Education at Amherst Reconsidered: The Liberal Studies Program (Amherst, 1978),

edited by Hugh Hawkins, Professor of History and American Studies Emeritus. Essays by members of

Amherst's faculty, commissioned and edited by President Peter R. Pouncey, were published in 1991 in

a volume titled Teaching What We Do.

Black Men of Amherst (Amherst. 1976), by Harold Wade, traces the experience and contributions of

Amherst's African-American students from the earliest graduate in 1826 to the mid-1970s.

Two histories of the town are The History of the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts (Amherst, 1896), by

Edward W. Carpenter, and Essays on Amherst's History (Amherst, 1978), edited by Theodore P.

Greene, Professor of History Emeritus.

Black Women of Amherst College (Amherst, 1999), by Mavis C. Campbell, Professor of History

Emerita, and Race and Class Matters at an Elite College (Temple University Press, 2008), by

Elizabeth J. Aries, Clarence Francis 1910 Professor in Social Sciences (Psychology) are two more

recent books by members of Amherst's faculty that also shed light on the college's history.

These books, and others, reveal what reflection confirms, that in the seemingly tranquil life of a New

England town many live out their lives with unusual intensity.

To learn more about the history of Amherst College, please visit A History of Amherst College.

II. Organization of the College

A. The Board of Trustees

In accordance with provisions of the charter, as amended most recently in 2014, the Board of Trustees

of Amherst College consists of twenty-five members: the president of the college is an ex officio

member so long as he or she shall continue in office; eighteen members elected by the board as term

trustees, for six-year terms, and limited to two such successive terms; and six members chosen by the

alumni of Amherst College for terms of six years each, in accordance with the regulations for the

election of trustees by the alumni as adopted by the Society of the Alumni and the Board of Trustees in

July 1874 and subsequently modified by amendment.

There are two advisory committees to the Board of Trustees on which faculty members serve: the

Advisory Committee on Term Trusteeship and the Advisory Committee on Honorary Degrees.

There are four regular meetings of the board, known as the Fall, the Winter, the Spring, and the

Commencement meetings. Meetings of the board take place in Amherst or at a place as may be

designated by the chair and secretary of the board, but special meetings may be held at the call of the

chairman at any time or place that he or she designates. A majority of trustees then in office constitute

a quorum for the transaction of business.

Full details concerning the officers, the duties, the standing committees, and the appointees of the

board are to be found in the charter and bylaws of the Trustees of Amherst College as adopted May 13,

1922, and as amended since. The bylaws can be obtained from the secretary of the board of trustees.

B. Administration of the College

1. The President

The president, who serves at the pleasure of the trustees, has charge of the internal administration of

the college, is presiding officer of the faculty, has general responsibility for the property and grounds

of the college, presides at all commencements, and confers all degrees voted by the trustees and signs

the diplomas. The president reports to the trustees at least annually on the condition and needs of the

college.

The president has power to call special meetings of the faculty and has a duty to call such meetings at

the written request of no fewer than eight of the members of the faculty.

The concurrence of the president is necessary to all acts and resolutions of the faculty, unless, after

non-concurrence, the act or resolution shall again be passed by a two-thirds vote of the faculty, a

quorum being present, at the same or at the next succeeding meeting thereof. In all cases where there

shall be a non-concurrence between the president and a majority of the faculty present at the time, the

names of those voting on each side of the question shall be entered in the minutes, and each member

shall be entitled to have entered in the minutes the reason for his or her vote.

The president communicates to the faculty the resolutions and actions of the trustees insofar as the

trustees themselves authorize.

The president, in consultation with the dean of the faculty, has the power to grant leaves of absence to

members of the faculty for reasonable cause and shall report the details of every such arrangement to

the trustees.

In keeping with procedures articulated in the Faculty Handbook, the president receives

recommendations from the Committee of Six regarding faculty reappointment, tenure, and promotion

to full professor and, in consultation with the dean of the faculty, makes his or her own

recommendations on these matters to the Board of Trustees.

The president has general charge of the administration of student discipline and the power to suspend

or remit penalties imposed by the faculty.

The collections of the college shall not be sold or loaned, in whole or in part, except by permission of

the president.

In the absence or disability of the president, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees,

pending action by the trustees, shall appoint an acting president who shall exercise the powers and

discharge the duties of the president. (amended by the Amherst College Board of Trustees, October 18,

2014).

2. President's Administrative Team

The positions that represent the leadership of the major areas of college life report directly to the

president and, as a collective, support and advise the president in his or her work. The make-up of the

administrative team may change, based on the goals and needs of the president.

The Provost and Dean of the Faculty

The provost and dean of the faculty is the chief academic officer of Amherst College and has primary

responsibility for matters of academic policy and for the academic budget. The provost and dean of

the faculty oversees faculty hiring and advances and supports faculty development in the areas of

research and teaching, as well as the college’s liberal arts mission. The provost and dean of the faculty

and his or her staff ensure that procedures governing faculty reappointment, tenure, and promotion are

implemented, as voted by the faculty and articulated in the Faculty Handbook. The president consults

with the provost and dean of the faculty on all recommendations to the board regarding faculty

reappointment, tenure, and promotion. The provost and dean of the faculty serves as secretary to the

Committee of Six and secretary to the faculty and oversees the Robert Frost Library, the Mead Art

Museum, the Beneski Museum of Natural History, the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Center for

Community Engagement, the Center for Humanistic Inquiry, the Amherst Center for Russian Culture,

the Office of Institutional Research and Registrar Services, the Office of Global Education, and the

Office of Fellowships. The provost and dean of the faculty has joint responsibility, with the president,

for the Department of Physical Education and Athletics. The provost and dean of the faculty serves as

the college’s Five College deputy.

The position of dean of the faculty was renamed provost and dean of the faculty on July 1, 2019. The

Faculty Handbook was then revised to reflect this change.

The Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

The chief financial and administrative officer has primary responsibility for the administration of the

financial and business affairs of the college. The chief financial and administrative officer is assisted

by the controller, who disperses and accounts for college funds; the director of budget and analysis,

who is responsible for the compilation and oversight of the college’s annual operating budget; the

director of financial planning and analysis, who is responsible for financial reporting and forecasting;

and the director of treasury operations and analysis, who is responsible for the college’s debt portfolio,

capital structure, and cash management. In addition, the chief financial and administrative officer,

under the direction of the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees and in conjunction with the

chief investments officer, is responsible for the management of the college’s endowment. At the

direction of the president, the chief financial and administrative officer provides additional support to,

and oversight of, non-academic administrative areas of the college, particularly during times when the

president is conducting college business off-campus.

The Chief Advancement Officer

The chief advancement officer has primary responsibility for the following areas: Alumni and Parent

Programs, Development (including the Annual Fund, Leadership and Planned Giving, and Foundation

and Corporate Relations), the Career Center, Advancement Communications, and Advancement

Operations. Working together, these departments engage alumni, parents, friends, foundations, and

corporations in meaningful interactions that foster advocacy, philanthropic support, and engagement

with one another as well as with faculty, students, and staff to support the college’s mission and

financial well-being.

The Chief of Campus Operations

The chief of campus operations has primary responsibility for areas that steward the preservation and

enhancement of the college’s physical assets and provide operational services to faculty, students, and

staff in support of the college’s mission. These departments include facilities; campus police; dining

services; environmental health and safety; sustainability; and the office of administrative services, mail

services, rental housing management, summer programs and sustainability. Core to the charge for

each of these departments is ensuring the safety and well-being of the campus community. The chief

of campus operations also serves as town/gown liaison with Town Hall and the business

community.

The Chief Communications Officer

The chief communications officer is responsible for the college’s communications, marketing, and

public affairs; communicating Amherst’s distinctive attributes across broad and varied platforms;

bringing clarity and focus to the college’s communications strategy and institutional position; and for

building a comprehensive communications program across the college—including the areas of

advancement, admission, and student life—that will reach all constituencies. This work encompasses

the website, media relations, publications, photography, videography, sports information, crisis

communications, the alumni magazine, internal communications, major campus events, and other

means of institutional communication.

The Chief Information Officer

The chief information officer has responsibility for strategic direction and management of the

technology and systems that are used in teaching, research, and the administrative operations of the

college. Departments reporting to the role include Academic Technology Services, which is focused on

supporting teaching, learning, and research; IT Support Services, which maintains and supports the

desktop and mobile computing environment; Administrative Information Services, which supports the

business processes of the college; and other groups in IT that have responsibility for the college’s

wired and wireless networks, data systems, cable TV, and telecommunications.

The Chief Policy Officer and General Counsel

The chief policy officer and general counsel has primary responsibility for ensuring effective policy

development and oversight as well as serving as the chief attorney for the college. The chief policy

officer and general counsel is assisted by the associate general counsel, who provides legal advice and

counsel on behalf of the college. The chief policy officer and general counsel oversees the Title IX

coordinator, who is responsible for coordination and implementation of Title IX compliance and

education, and the Office of Human Resources, which is responsible for the recruitment, hiring and

retention of a diverse, qualified workforce.

The Chief Student Affairs Officer

The chief student affairs officer has primary responsibility for fostering a social and residential

experience at the college that will help all students achieve their full personal and academic potential.

To this end, the Office of Student Affairs seeks to help students build and advance a vibrant,

supportive, and respectful campus community. Offices, departments, and selected services under the

purview of the Office of Student Affairs include the class deans, the Counseling Center, the Health

Center, Health Education, Residential Life, Student Activities, Religious Life, Case Management,

Accessibility Services, Conduct and Community Standards, and orientation programs for new students.

The Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

The dean of admission and financial aid coordinates the work of the Offices of Admission and

Financial Aid and is responsible for development of policy, strategic planning, and policy analysis

related to admission and financial aid operations. The dean and the associate and assistant deans of

admission have responsibility for the selection of each entering class. The dean of financial aid and

associate and assistant deans of financial aid have primary responsibility for administration of all

scholarships and loan funds, both those of Amherst College and federal and state funds administered

by the college.

C. The Faculty | Amherst College

The faculty of Amherst College consists of (1) the president, the provost and dean of the faculty,

professors, associate professors, and assistant professors appointed to regular full-time or part-time

tenured or tenure-track positions; (2) all individuals on non-tenure track, renewable contracts, who

teach regularly in the college curriculum and whose primary affiliation is with Amherst College; and

(3) all persons with visiting teaching appointments, for the duration of their appointment at Amherst

College, provided that appointment is their primary professional responsibility at the time (voted by

the faculty, May 1990).

Subject to the reserve power of control by the trustees, the faculty (a) shall have the power and the duty

to fix the requirements of admission, the course of study and the conditions of graduation, to establish

rules for ascertaining the proficiency of students and for the assignments of honors, to determine the

academic calendar, and to fix the times of general examinations; and, (b) may establish rules of

conduct to be observed by the students and penalties for the violation thereof.

The exercise of any of the powers conferred on the faculty, that involves a change in the educational

policy of the college, shall take effect only after the resolution of the Faculty shall have been submitted

to and approved by the Trustees. It is always understood that the trustees reserve to themselves the

power of developing the educational opportunities of the college by uniting or dividing and by

increasing or decreasing departments.

The executive committee of the faculty is known as the Committee of Six. The composition of the

committee, its powers, procedures and responsibilities, are more fully described in Sections III and IV

of the Faculty Handbook.

Academic Departments.

The faculty of Amherst College is organized into departments and programs. The departments,

however, are less formal and more flexible than in many other institutions. Departments are expected

to reach decisions in a collegial fashion. Each department, by election, will recommend to the president

of the college one of its members as chair.

a. Department Chairs

The responsibility of being chair will be shared by the members of the department, generally by the

tenured members, although an untenured member may serve as chair. Members of the department

should also share where appropriate the regular administrative work of the department so that it does

not fall upon the chair alone. The term of appointment may vary, but usually a chair serves no more

than three consecutive years. The president reserves authority, under special circumstances, to appoint

or to remove a chair of a department.

Each department operates under a budget approved by the provost and dean of the faculty and the chief

financial and administrative officer and voted by the Board of Trustees. This budget is under the

control of the chair or other designated member of the department. No commitments should be made

for any departmental expenses without prior approval of that person and any bills or vouchers

submitted to the controller must have that person's written approval.

The provost and dean of the faculty will annually inform each department chair of the current policies

and procedures pertaining to the chair's responsibilities in such matters as hiring, reappointment, tenure

and promotion of faculty; budget projections; and the submission of course proposals for approval.

The duties of department chairs specifically include, but are not limited to:

Transmitting program changes and new course proposals to the Committee on Educational Policy,

sending course and class information to the registrar;

Coordinating and/or conducting searches, in consultation with the provost and dean of the faculty and

with the chief diversity and inclusion officer;

Making annual arrangements with the provost and dean of the faculty for the department’s budgets and

projected faculty leaves and sabbaticals;

Holding annual conversations with the department’s untenured faculty member(s). The chair, with at

least one other tenured member of the department also present and participating, shall have at least one

formal conversation per year with each of the department’s untenured faculty member(s) to discuss in

detail performance and progress in teaching, research or creative work, and other contributions to the

life of the college. As to teaching, evidence should include all semester-end evaluations by students

with signatures removed, the testimony of colleagues who have observed the untenured faculty

member’s teaching, and such course materials as the untenured faculty member sees fit to submit for

discussion (voted by the faculty, November 1998; amended, April 2014). Prior to the annual

conversation, the chair shall provide materials documenting the untenured faculty member’s progress

to the tenured members of the department and consult with them to reach a shared understanding of

what should be conveyed in the annual conversation. Annual conversations are held each year until

the time of the faculty member’s tenure review (voted by the faculty, April 2014). A sum and

substance letter about the conversation should be given to the untenured faculty member and be placed

in the records of the department (voted by the faculty, May 1995). On an annual basis, the chair must

notify the provost and dean of the faculty that the annual conversation has taken place with each of the

department’s untenured faculty members and that the sum and substance letter has been given to each

candidate (voted by the faculty, April 2014).

Discussing procedures for reappointment and tenure with non-tenured department members, and for

tenure with newly reappointed members;

Adhering to the schedule and procedure for tenure and promotion reviews;

Discussing with tenure candidates the sum and substance of the department’s tenure recommendation;

Discussing with reappointment candidates a redacted version of the department’s reappointment

recommendation and the minutes of the Committee of Six’s deliberations about the candidate’s

reappointment case. The provost and dean of the faculty also discusses with reappointment candidates the

minutes of the Committee of Six’s deliberations about their cases.

Discussing with reappointment candidates their proposals for the college's tenure-track sabbatical

fellowships;

Managing departmental reviews, in consultation and coordination with the provost and dean of the

faculty’s office; preparing the departmental self-study, and consulting with the visiting review committee;

Discussing faculty and student grievances with the aggrieved parties and handling conflicts among peers by

building a departmental culture of trust;

Representing the department to the administration--attending the provost and dean of the faculty's regular

meetings for chairs during the semester, providing feedback to the provost and dean of the faculty on

college-wide policies and practices, communicating departmental and other concerns to the provost and

dean of the faculty, submitting an annual report (on department’s progress toward goals articulated in

external review process, on assessment of learning outcomes, and/or on reaccreditation matters);

In most departments, representing the department in discussions of the department’s library budget with the

director of the library;

Coordinating and/or delegating student advising/engagement in major, coordinating advising of majors,

approving major declarations for students, approving requests for transfer credit (off-campus student and

transfer credit, in collaboration with the Office of the Registrar, organizing student placement, sponsoring

and advising student groups, ensuring student representation in departmental life;

Submitting annual evaluations of the department's staff, directing hiring of new staff, coordinating and

supervising staff members' work schedule;

b. Department Staff

Departments are assisted by a full-time or part-time academic department coordinator. Additional

clerical support is available through the Office of Administrative Services.

D. Other Instructional Personnel

Visiting assistant, associate and (full) professor; visiting artist and writer (for non-tenure-track

individuals on contracts for up to three years).

Adjunct assistant, associate, and (full) professor; adjunct lecturer (a non-tenure track designation for

those individuals with appropriate academic credentials, who have an ongoing relationship with one or

more academic departments or programs of the college, and who may, as occasion demands, teach;

these arrangements will be regularly reviewed by the provost and dean of the faculty).

Lecturer, senior lecturer, resident artist, writer-in-residence (for individuals on renewable contracts

who teach regularly for the college).

Teaching associate (for those who assist in classes under the direction of a faculty member).

Research assistant, associate (for individuals who collaborate with faculty on research projects, with no

specific teaching duties).

E. The Students

There are approximately 1,800 full-time students at Amherst College. The rules and regulations

governing students, the committees that have jurisdiction over student life, and other pertinent

information are summarized annually in the Student Handbook.

F. The Alumni

Any person who matriculated at Amherst College and whose class has graduated is eligible to become

a member of the Society of the Alumni. The alumni maintain their own organization with elected

officers and a governing council. The alumni are represented at the college by the alumni secretary and

the staff of that office. A wide variety of publications designed to inform the alumni is published

regularly by the college.

G. Five Colleges, Incorporated | Amherst

College

Together with Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts

Amherst, Amherst College is a constituent member of Five Colleges, Inc. The five presidents and

chancellor of the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts and the executive director of the

Five Colleges serve on the Governing Board of Five Colleges, Inc. The executive director of the Five

Colleges and his or her staff are responsible for the cooperative management of activities undertaken

by the colleges jointly. The Five College Center is located at 97 Spring Street in Amherst. The

president is represented in many Five- College discussions by a deputy, who is currently the provost

and dean of the faculty. Questions concerning matters of Five-College interaction or policy should be

addressed initially to the provost and dean of the faculty. There are many Five College Committees

and seminars involving faculty with shared academic and curricular interests, and administrative

officers with comparable responsibilities. For further information on Five College cooperation, please

consult the Student Handbook and the Five College website http://www.fivecolleges.edu/

III. Faculty Appointments, Tenure, Promotions,

Leaves, and Terminations

A. Regular Appointments | Amherst College

At all ranks, new appointments to tenured or tenure-track positions are made by a recommendation

from the president to the Board of Trustees, which has the final power of appointment.

For all such positions, the authorization to search requires the approval of the president or the dean of

the faculty, after consultation with the appropriate departments or committees and with the Committee

on Educational Policy on the nature and ranking of the position. The president and/or the dean of the

faculty normally interview all final candidates and formulate all offers.

A faculty member may be jointly appointed to two departments, either upon joining the Faculty after a

formal search or as a current member of the Faculty on the invitation of a second academic unit. The

faculty member with such an appointment will participate as a voting member in all personnel and

curricular decisions concerning his or her two home departments. As well, he or she will have the same

rank and will teach regularly in both departments. All requests for changes in joint affiliations,

including those for such appointments and for resignations, will be directed to the dean of the faculty

who will ask for the department's advice before making a change in appointment.

Recommendations for all appointments at the level of assistant professor, associate professor, and

professor originate with the department or the committee responsible and are discussed by the chair of

the department with the dean of the faculty or the president. An appointment at the Associate Professor

level may be made with or without tenure.

To the extent possible, the college’s regular tenure procedures are followed for appointments at the

level of professor or associate professor with tenure (voted by the faculty, April 26, 2022).

B. Visiting Appointments | Amherst College

The terms of a visiting appointment will be made explicit in writing at the time of appointment.

In cases where a visiting appointment has been made and a regular position has been created in

the same discipline or department, a new search will be conducted in all but exceptional

circumstances. The person who holds the temporary appointment may be a candidate for the

regular position, but only as one applicant in a regular applicant pool. The college is committed

to public notification of vacancies for appointments and to conducting searches for the best

available candidates (amended by the faculty, February 2017).

C. Diversity | Amherst College

For all appointments to the Faculty, the President will require evidence of steps taken to establish a

nondiscriminatory and fully representative applicant pool from which appointment will then be made

on the basis of individual merit. To this end, Chairs of departments and committees authorized to

search are asked to consult with the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity concerning the

language and placement of advertising for all faculty positions and to submit a brief summary of the

applicant pool to the Dean of the Faculty when they recommend a particular candidate for

appointment. All candidates for faculty positions are given an opportunity to meet with the Special

Assistant to the President for Diversity.

D. Reappointment to Tenure-Track Positions|

Amherst College

1. The Meaning of Reappointment

A decision to reappoint is an expression of satisfaction with a faculty member’s performance during the

prereappointment period of a tenure-track appointment, potential for continuing development, and progress

toward meeting the standards for tenure at Amherst College. Reappointment is a moment for the

department and the Tenure and Promotion Committee to offer candid feedback to candidates about their

strengths and weaknesses as scholars and/or creative artists and teachers; accomplishments at this early

stage of their careers; and plans for the future.

2. The Criteria for Reappointment

The college values faculty whose commitment to the life of the mind is demonstrated through

excellence in teaching, scholarship and/or the creation of works of art, and contributions to

professional service. Amherst reappoints faculty members whose records are consistent with a positive

trajectory toward meeting the tenure standards for growth, achievement, and continuing promise in the

following areas: scholarly and/or artistic accomplishment, the ability to teach undergraduates

effectively, and contributions to their home departments and programs, to the life and work of the

college, and to their professional fields.

3. The Reappointment Schedule and Notification of Procedures

Initial tenure-track appointments to the faculty are made for a term of three years unless some other

term is agreed upon by the provost and dean of the faculty, the department, and the appointee at the

time of hiring. The Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty notifies department chairs and

candidates for reappointment of the schedule and procedures for reappointment in the spring of the

penultimate year of tenure-track faculty members’ initial appointment. The chair of each department

makes clear to its tenure-track faculty the considerations governing reappointment. The reappointment

review of tenure-track faculty, at both the department and college levels, is normally conducted in the

spring term of the third year of a tenure-track appointment. If a department makes a negative

recommendation in the spring of the penultimate year of a faculty member's initial appointment, the

Tenure and Promotion Committee reviews the case in the spring of the penultimate year.

4. Annual Conversations with the Chair Prior to and after Reappointment until the Time of

Tenure

The chair, with at least one other tenured member of the department also present and participating,

shall have at least one formal conversation per year with each of the department’s untenured faculty

member(s) to discuss in detail performance and progress in teaching, research or creative work, and

other contributions to the life of the college. As to teaching, evidence should include all semester-end

evaluations by students with signatures removed, the testimony of colleagues who have observed the

untenured faculty member’s teaching, and such course materials as the untenured faculty member sees

fit to submit for discussion (voted by the faculty, November 1998; amended, April 2014). Prior to the

annual conversation, the chair shall provide materials documenting the untenured faculty member’s

progress to the tenured members of the department and consult with them to reach a shared

understanding of what should be conveyed in the annual conversation. Annual conversations are held

each year until the time of the faculty member’s tenure review (voted by the faculty, April 2014). A

sum and substance letter about the conversation should be given to the untenured faculty member and

be placed in the records of the department (voted by the faculty, May 1995). On an annual basis, the

chair must notify the provost and dean of the faculty that the annual conversation has taken place with

each of the department’s untenured faculty members and that the sum and substance letter has been

given to each candidate (voted by the faculty, April 2014). These documents do not become part of a

candidate’s reappointment or tenure dossier.

5. Reappointment Procedures and Schedule

The tenured members of the department(s) make a recommendation to the Tenure and Promotion

Committee for or against reappointment. In preparation for recommendations concerning

reappointment, the department(s) gathers evidence concerning teaching effectiveness, scholarly or

creative growth, and other contributions to the life of the college and the profession. In regard to

scholarship and/or creative work, the tenured members of the department(s) are expected to review the

scholarship and/or creative work submitted to the department by the candidate. The Tenure and

Promotion Committee does not review candidates’ scholarship and/or creative work at the time of

reappointment, but relies on the candidate’s letter to the department, the candidate’s CV, and the

departmental recommendation when evaluating the candidate’s scholarly trajectory. In cases where

there are fewer than two tenured faculty in the department of a candidate for reappointment, the

provost and dean of the faculty and the Tenure and Promotion Committee appoint an ad hoc committee

of tenured faculty in related departments to supplement or serve in lieu of the departmental committee

in making a recommendation to the Tenure and Promotion Committee. In cases where a faculty

member holding appointments in two departments is recommended for reappointment, a tenured

colleague holding appointments to the same two departments participates in the deliberation and voting

in both departments. The Tenure and Promotion Committee, however, in its own consideration of the

case, does not give double weight to the colleague's evaluation. Departments submit dossier materials

for reappointment to the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty for communication to the

Tenure and Promotion Committee by the first week in February of the year of the reappointment

decision.

Reappointment dossiers include the following:

1) The candidate’s current curriculum vitae, which will include a list of all courses, including special

topics courses, taught at Amherst College and the years in which they were taught and a list of senior

theses supervised;

2) A departmental letter of recommendation containing a judgment about teaching effectiveness;

scholarship and/or creative work, and growth; and contributions to the general life of the college

community and to the profession. The tenured members of the department(s) make a recommendation

to the Tenure and Promotion Committee for or against reappointment. Further details are provided

above.

3) Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness. For the reappointment review, departments are required to have

solicited end-of-semester evaluations of teaching from all students from every course, including every

special topics course, taught by a tenure-track faculty member, with the exception of honors students, since

the time of appointment through the semester before the faculty member stands for reappointment. These

end-of-semester evaluations are signed and normally solicited in essay format in all classes in the final

week of each semester on a common evaluation form approved by the faculty. After the submission of

grades, they are made available to the instructor without the names of the respondents. In addition, on an

annual basis, departments are required to solicit from all honors students advised by a tenure-track faculty

member that year, whether the students complete their honors work or not, confidential "annual" letters,

after students receive a final grade (after one semester, if students do not complete honors work, or after

two semesters, if they do). In addition, on an annual basis, departments are required to solicit from all

research students who were supervised by a tenure-track professor for 240 hours (the equivalent of six

weeks of full-time work) or more that year confidential “annual” letters. Departments solicit annual letters

from research students in the year in which the research experience took place—at the end of the academic

year for research students who worked during the academic year, and at the end of the summer for those

who worked during the summer. In all cases, annual letters from research students are solicited before the

start of the next academic year. Annual letters from honors and research students taught through the year

before the reappointment review become part of the candidate's dossier at the time of reappointment. In

addition, at the time of reappointment review, departments are also required to have solicited, after students

have received final grades, confidential "retrospective" letters of evaluation from all students from every

course, including every honors and special topics course, taught by a tenure-track faculty member from the

time of appointment through the semester immediately preceding the semester in which the reappointment

review takes place. In addition, at the time of reappointment review, departments are required to have

solicited retrospective letters of evaluation from all research students who were supervised by a tenure-

track professor for 240 hours (the equivalent of six weeks of full-time work) from the time of appointment

through the semester immediately preceding the semester in which the reappointment review takes

place. Annual letters from honors and research students and retrospective letters are summarized in the

departmental recommendation, a redacted version of which is shared with the candidate. Candidates are not

provided with the letters themselves. Students asked to write letters are informed that their responses will

be treated as confidential by the college. Reviews and ratings from informal and commercial websites, or

any other anonymous materials, are inadmissible as evidence (voted by the faculty, May 17, 2022 and May

26, 2022).

The departmental evaluation of teaching effectiveness should draw upon a representative range of teaching

activities in addition to evidence described above (3). Evaluation should derive from, but need not be

limited to, conversations about courses with some members of the department; attendance by some

members of the department at a number of class meetings at mutually agreed upon times; and assessment,

by the candidate with at least one tenured member of the department, of the accomplishments of at least

one of the candidate’s courses at the end of a semester. Evaluations of teaching effectiveness should also

be informed by the discussions of the tenured members of the department, the substance of which is

conveyed during annual conversations. All written evidence used to evaluate teaching effectiveness

assembled at the time of reappointment is also considered at the time of tenure review.

4) Candidate’s Letter(s). By December 1, candidates for reappointment submit a letter to their

department/s describing their teaching experience at the college, the present state of their scholarship

or creative work and their aims and plans for the future, and their engagement in college life and the

profession. Recognizing that Tenure and Promotion Committee members are usually not experts in

candidates’ fields, candidates for reappointment may choose to write a modified version of this letter

for the Tenure and Promotion Committee, in which they describe their work and its significance in a

less specialized idiom. If two letters are written, both are shared with the department. Both letters are

also included in the reappointment dossier and forwarded to the Tenure and Promotion Committee.

The letter/s serves as the basis for a conversation between the candidate and tenured members of the

department/s before the department meets to finalize the reappointment recommendation. This

conversation provides the candidate with a forum to share information with the tenured members and

to ask and answer questions. The letter/s do not become part of the tenure dossier.

Communication with the Candidate during the Reappointment Process

The chair of the department, by the due date for the reappointment dossier, provides the candidate with

the text of the department's letter, which has been edited to protect confidentiality. The chair discusses

the department's recommendation (whether positive or negative). Candidates who wish to comment on

the departmental recommendation may send written commentary, in confidence, to the Tenure and

Promotion Committee, within two weeks of receiving that recommendation. The departmental

recommendation done at the time of reappointment is provided to the Tenure and Promotion

Committee at the time of the candidate’s tenure review. If the candidate wrote a confidential response

at the time of reappointment, that document is also forwarded to the Tenure and Promotion Committee

at the time of the tenure review.

The Tenure and Promotion Committee’s Responsibilities in Reappointment Recommendations

The Tenure and Promotion Committee reviews each reappointment case individually, all members of

the committee reading the documents submitted in each case. Its role in reappointment cases is to make

recommendations to the president. When a candidate for reappointment is from the same department as

a member of the committee, that member shall not be present during the committee’s discussion of the

candidate’s case or vote on it. The member shall be present during any sessions in which the

committee meets with the department about the case and will participate as a department member in

that circumstance. Abstentions or absentations because of conflict of interest or other conscientious

reasons are always acceptable when the vote is taken.

At least four members of the Tenure and Promotion Committee must review and vote on each

reappointment case. In cases in which two or more members of the committee are required to abstain

from such voting and discussion because they are from the same department as the candidate, or for

any other reason, alternate Tenure and Promotion Committee members serve as replacements and are

seated with voice and vote together with regular members of the committee for the session in which

the candidate's case is discussed and a vote is taken. The alternates are drawn from the Tenure and

Promotion Committee ballot, with the first alternate being the first runner-up, etc., excluding faculty

members from the candidate's department.

After discussing each reappointment case, the Tenure and Promotion Committee notifies the

recommending department(s) in writing about such aspects of the case as the committee finds to be in

need of further clarification. If the Tenure and Promotion Committee, by straw vote, is tending toward

a recommendation at variance with that of the department, it meets with tenured members of the

department to hear arguments as to why it should support the department's recommendation.

The President's Responsibilities in Reappointment Recommendations

The president sits with the Tenure and Promotion Committee to review all reappointment cases, and

the Tenure and Promotion Committee makes its recommendations for or against reappointment to the

president. After receiving the committee’s recommendations, the president consults with the provost

and dean of the faculty and then formulates the president’s own recommendations to the board of

trustees. If both the department and the Tenure and Promotion Committee make negative

recommendations, the president will recommend a negative decision to the board of trustees. If both

the department and the Tenure and Promotion Committee make positive recommendations, the

president will convey these recommendations to the trustees, together with the president’s own. If the

president intends to make a negative recommendation to the board, the president will inform the

Tenure and Promotion Committee, the department chair, and the candidate for reappointment of the

fact. If the president makes a recommendation contrary to that of a department or of the Tenure and

Promotion Committee, or of both, the president will present to the board the written recommendations

of the department and the minutes of the Tenure and Promotion Committee and will, prior to the board

meeting, give the reason(s) for that recommendation to the Tenure and Promotion Committee,

department chair, and the candidate for reappointment. These procedures do not preclude presidential

intervention in the reappointment process of a department if, after consultation with the Tenure and

Promotion Committee, the president believes such intervention is warranted.

Notification of the Reappointment Decision

As noted above, the final decision concerning reappointment, whether affirmative or negative, is

communicated by the president to the faculty member concerned and to the department chair. If the

decision is affirmative, the faculty member will receive explicit notification in writing that the

individual has been reappointed, and the term of the reappointment. If the decision is negative, the

faculty member will receive explicit notification in writing of this decision. If the decision is made to

reappoint for a second term, the chair and the provost and dean of the faculty will discuss with the

candidate considerations that may enter into a subsequent tenure decision. When notification is given

in the last year of the current appointment that a reappointment will not be made, an additional,

terminal year will be granted. When, however, notification is given during the penultimate year of

appointment that a reappointment will not be made, the contract ends at its original term. A faculty

member failing to receive a positive reappointment decision will not normally be considered again for

reappointment or for tenure. A faculty member who has been notified of a decision not to grant

reappointment may request from the provost and dean of the faculty an explanation of the reasons

which led to that decision. If the faculty member believes that improper procedures were followed, or

that the negative decision constitutes a violation of academic freedom, the faculty member has the right

to request a hearing by the Committee on Adjudication (see Grievance Procedure). The provost and

dean of the faculty, as secretary to the Tenure and Promotion Committee, in each case maintains

minutes of the committee's deliberations, including the number of positive and negative votes and

abstentions. The provost provides the minutes of individual cases to the candidate and the department

chair(s) after the committee has approved the minutes, the president has formulated a recommendation

to the trustees and shared that recommendation with the board, the board has ratified the

recommendation, and the final reappointment decision has been communicated to the candidate and

the department(s). (The votes of the Tenure and Promotion Committee are redacted before minutes are

provided to departments and reappointment candidates.)

6. The Reappointment Schedule in Relation to the Tenure Decision

Faculty members whose first regular full-time appointment is at Amherst College are normally

considered for tenure in their seventh year at the college. Faculty members who come to Amherst

College after not more than three years of regular full-time teaching at another college or university are

normally given appointments at Amherst College of such duration that the total possible period of

untenured service, allowing for a terminal extension, is eight years, including any comparable prior

teaching. (For part-time faculty, see Section F.) Any agreement about counting prior service is made

explicit in writing at the time of the person's initial appointment at Amherst College, and the most

appropriate way of computing previous experience may be discussed at this time. The decision on

tenure for such persons may be made in the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh year of full-

time service at Amherst College, depending on the circumstances at the time of appointment. In some

cases, it may be agreed that faculty who arrive at Amherst with advanced standing may not stand for

reappointment. All letters of appointment or reappointment specify the anticipated time of the decision.

(Many revisions to the language describing reappointment procedures were voted by the faculty on

May 17, 2022, with some additions on May 26, 2022.)

E. Full-time Tenure | Amherst College

An appointment without term is authorized by the Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the

president.

1. The Meaning of Tenure

An appointment with tenure means an appointment without limit of time that can be terminated only

for adequate cause or under extraordinary circumstances because of financial exigencies. Academic

tenure and academic freedom are distinguishable but linked in the life of a college or university.

Without freedom to explore new ideas, or to criticize existing beliefs and institutions, higher learning

would become a sterile exercise and society would suffer accordingly. Academic freedom must be

sustained for all faculty without regard to rank or tenure, recognizing the fact that the use of such

freedom may anger powerful vested interests in the larger society or arouse the ire of administrators,

faculty colleagues, or students within the academy. Tenure is an institutional safeguard for the

conditions of academic freedom.

The protection of academic freedom by a guarantee of permanent tenure, therefore, represents an

important part of the continuous effort that must be made to preserve the freedom of thought and

speech that is the breath of life for a democratic society. This being so, then, tenure imposes upon all

who receive it the reciprocal obligation to make the fullest use of such freedom and to carry the results

of honest and imaginative inquiry to the larger society even though this act may challenge cherished

beliefs and established institutions. Tenure requires also that faculty members foster freedom of

inquiry for their colleagues and their students and respect the virtues of intellectual integrity and the

claims of reason and evidence.

2. The Timing of the Tenure Decision

As already indicated, an academic faculty member whose first regular full-time appointment is at

Amherst College will normally be considered for tenure in his or her seventh year at the college. In

exceptional circumstances, a department may, with the agreement of the faculty member, make a

recommendation for tenure before the seventh year. A faculty member failing to receive a positive

tenure decision will not normally be considered again for tenure. A faculty member who is denied

tenure in or before the seventh year will, if he or she wishes, have a terminal appointment for the

academic year after the year in which a tenure decision is made. If more than one year remains in such

a person's appointment following a negative tenure decision, then the faculty member may fulfill the

remaining time of appointment until the end of the eighth year with the understanding that upon

completion of this time employment by the college ends. (For exceptions to this schedule, see D, 5

above.)

3. The Criteria for Tenure

The college values faculty whose commitment to the life of the mind is demonstrated through

excellence in teaching, scholarship, and/or the creation of works of art, and contributions to

professional service. Amherst tenures faculty who demonstrate growth, achievement, and continuing

promise in both scholarship and teaching, evinced by a notable record of scholarly and/or artistic

accomplishment and a demonstrated ability to teach undergraduates effectively. These two aspects of

a candidate’s record are of primary consideration in the tenure decision. Strength in one will not

compensate for shortcoming in the other. A record of scholarly excellence must include evidence of

original research that is peer-reviewed or of comparable scholarly rigor and standing, and/or its

equivalent in the creative arts. A record of teaching excellence must include evidence of the ability to

convey knowledge and engage students in rigorous and stimulating ways and a commitment to their

intellectual growth. Additionally, faculty members are expected to contribute to their home

departments and programs, to the life and work of the college, and to their professional fields (voted by

the faculty, April 26, 2022).

4. Procedures Followed in Tenure Decisions

In the spring of the academic year preceding that in which a tenure decision will be made for an

individual candidate, the candidate and department chair will be informed in writing by the dean of the

faculty of the schedule and procedures to be followed.

a. Departmental Recommendation. A recommendation concerning tenure originates in the candidate's

department(s). The tenured members of the department(s) will make a recommendation to the

Committee of Six for or against an appointment with tenure. In cases where there are fewer than two

tenured faculty in the department of a candidate for tenure, the dean of the faculty and the Committee

of Six will appoint an ad hoc committee of tenured faculty in related departments to supplement or

serve in lieu of the departmental committee in making a recommendation to the Committee of Six. In

cases where a Faculty member holding appointments in two departments is recommended for tenure, a

tenured colleague holding appointments to the same two departments will participate in the

deliberation and voting in both departments. The Committee of Six, however, in its own consideration

of the case, will not give double weight to the colleague's evaluation. The tenured colleague is

expected to submit one letter summarizing his or her evaluation of the candidate for tenure.

Departmental recommendations will include the following (voted by the faculty, December 1991):

(1) A departmental letter of recommendation containing a judgment about:

(a) teaching effectiveness;

(b) scholarship, creative work and growth;

(d) any considerations of departmental structure.

(2) A separately submitted, confidential letter from each tenured member of the department(s),

including those on leave, assessing the candidate's qualifications. The substance of reservations

expressed in individual letters should be reflected in the department's letter (amended by the faculty,

March 1999).

(3) A current curriculum vitae, including a list of all courses taught at Amherst College and the years

in which they were taught, and a list of senior theses supervised.

(4) Copies of the candidate's scholarly and creative work with, when applicable, a characterization of

the journals in which or the press by which the work was published.

(5) For the tenure review, departments are required to have solicited end-of-semester evaluations of

teaching from all students from every course, including every special topics course, taught by a tenure-

track faculty member, with the exception of honors students, after the last semester considered as part

of the reappointment review through the semester before the faculty member stands for tenure. These

end-of-semester evaluations are signed and normally solicited in essay format in all classes in the final

week of each semester on a common evaluation form approved by the faculty. After the submission of

grades, they are made available to the instructor without the names of the respondents. In addition, on

an annual basis, departments are required to solicit from all honors students advised by a tenure-track

faculty member that year, whether the students complete their honors work or not, confidential

“annual” letters, after students receive a final grade (after one semester, if students do not complete

honors work, or after two semesters, if they do). In addition, on an annual basis, departments are

required to solicit from all research students who were supervised by a tenure-track professor for 240

hours (the equivalent of six weeks of full-time work) or more that year confidential “annual” letters.

Departments solicit annual letters from research students in the year in which the research experience

took place—at the end of the academic year for research students who worked during the academic

year, and at the end of the summer for those who worked during the summer. In all cases, annual

letters from research students are solicited before the start of the next academic year. Annual letters

from honors and research students that were reviewed at the time of reappointment and those received

after the time of reappointment become part of the candidate’s tenure dossier. In addition, at the time

of tenure review, departments are also required to have solicited, after students have received final

grades, confidential “retrospective” letters of evaluation from all students from every course, including

every honors and special topics course, taught by a tenure-track faculty member after the last semester

considered as part of the reappointment review through the semester immediately preceding the

semester in which the tenure review takes place. In addition, at the time of tenure review, departments

are required to have solicited retrospective letters of evaluation from all research students who were

supervised by a tenure-track professor for 240 hours (the equivalent of six weeks of full-time work)

after the last semester considered as part of the reappointment review through the semester

immediately preceding the semester in which the tenure review takes place. The department letters

soliciting confidential annual and retrospective letters from students are included with their

responses. Annual letters from honors students and retrospective letters are summarized in the

departmental recommendation, a redacted version of which is shared with the candidate. Candidates

are not provided with the letters themselves. Students asked to write letters are informed that their

response will be treated as confidential by the college. Reviews and ratings from informal and

commercial websites, or any other anonymous materials, are inadmissible as evidence. All written

evidence used to evaluate teaching effectiveness assembled at the time of reappointment is also

considered at the time of tenure review (voted by the faculty, May 17, 2022, and May 26, 2022).

(6) Letters from no fewer than six (6) and normally no more than eight (8), or in the case of joint

appointments ten (10), external reviewers who are leading scholars or practitioners in the candidate's

field, to be chosen equally from lists compiled by the candidate and the department(s) (voted by the

faculty, May 1999); the department's letter of solicitation to them; and, a description of the process by

which these persons were chosen as external reviewers, their qualifications, and their relationship, if

any, to the candidate.

(7) Letters from colleagues in other departments, including those who have served on committees or

taught with the candidate.

(8) The departmental evaluation of teaching effectiveness should draw upon a representative range of

teaching activities in addition to evidence described in (5). Evaluation should derive from, but need not

be limited to, conversations about courses with some members of the department; attendance by some

members of the department at a number of class meetings at mutually agreed upon times; assessment,

by the candidate with at least one senior member of the department, of the accomplishments of at least

one of the candidate’s courses at the end of a semester. Evaluations of teaching effectiveness may also

be included in the letters described in (2) and (7) (voted by the faculty, March 1999). Evaluations of

teaching effectiveness should also be informed by the discussions of the tenured members of the

department, the substance of which is conveyed during annual conversations (voted by the faculty,

April 2014). Annual conversations with the chair are held each year until the time of the faculty

member’s tenure review. Procedures for annual conversations can be found in section III., D., 2.

(voted by the faculty, April 2014).

b. Schedule for Submission of Departmental Recommendations. These materials will be submitted to

the Dean of the Faculty for communication to the Committee of Six by October 1st of the year of the

tenure decision.

c. Communication with Candidate. The department chair will by October 1st provide the candidate

with a copy of the department's letter. That letter shall be edited to protect confidentiality, but must

include the number of positive and negative votes and abstentions. The chair will discuss that letter

with the candidate (Amended by the Faculty, April 2000).

d. Rights of Candidates for Tenure. Candidates for tenure will submit letters on their own behalf to the

Committee of Six by October 1st. If they wish to comment on the departmental recommendation, they

may send written commentary, in confidence, to the Committee of Six by October 15 (amended by the

faculty, May 2012).

e. Tenure and Promotion Committee Responsibilities in Tenure Recommendations. The Tenure and

Promotion Committee reviews each tenure case individually, all members of the committee reading the

documents submitted in each case. Its role in tenure cases is to make recommendations to the

president. When a candidate for tenure is from the same department as a member of the committee,

that member shall not be present during the committee's discussion of the candidate's case, including

when straw votes are taken, or vote on the case. The member shall be present during any sessions in

which the committee meets with the department and shall participate as a department member in that

circumstance. The member shall also be present during sessions in which the committee discusses all

cases together, including when final votes are taken, but shall not participate in the discussion of the

candidate's case, or vote on it. Abstentions or absentations because of conflict of interest or other

conscientious reasons are always acceptable when the vote is taken (voted by the faculty, May 17,

2022).

At least four members of the Tenure and Promotion Committee must review and vote on each tenure

case. In cases in which two or more members of the committee are required to abstain from such

voting and discussion because they are from the same department as the candidate, or for any other

reason, alternate Tenure and Promotion Committee members serve as replacements and are seated with

voice and vote together with regular members of the committee for the session in which the candidate's

case is discussed and the session in which the candidates' cases are compared and a final vote taken.

The alternates are drawn from the Tenure and Promotion Committee ballot, with the first alternate

being the first runner-up, etc., excluding faculty members from the candidate's department (voted by

the faculty, May 17, 2022).

After preliminary discussion of each tenure case, the Committee of Six will notify the recommending

department(s) in writing about such aspects of the case as the committee finds to be in need of further

clarification. The department(s) may then respond by letter or may request a meeting with Committee

of Six (voted by the faculty, May 1999). In addition, if the Committee of Six, by straw vote, is tending

toward a recommendation at variance with that of the department, it will meet with tenured members

of the department to hear arguments as to why it should support the department's recommendation.

The Committee of Six will then make its recommendations to the President. The dean of the faculty, as

secretary to the Committee of Six, will in each case maintain a record of the sum and substance of the

committee's deliberations in arriving at its recommendations, including the number of positive and

negative votes and abstentions, and will communicate that summary to candidates, upon their request,

once the President has formulated his or her own recommendation to the trustees and has

communicated it to the department chair and the candidate, and once the Committee has drafted and

approved the sum-and-substance record (amended by the faculty, September 1999).

f. The President's Responsibilities in Tenure Recommendations. The president sits with the Committee

of Six to review all tenure cases. The president, after receiving the Committee of Six's

recommendation, consults with the dean of the faculty, and then formulates his or her own

recommendation to the Board of Trustees. If both the department and the Committee of Six make

negative recommendations, the president will recommend a negative decision to the Board of Trustees.

If both the department and the Committee of Six make positive recommendations, the president will

convey these recommendations to the Trustees, together with his or her own.

If the president intends to make a negative recommendation to the board, he or she will inform the

Committee of Six, the department chair and the candidate for tenure of the fact. If the president makes

a recommendation contrary to that of a department or of the Committee of Six, or of both, he or she

will present to the board the written recommendations of the department and the minutes of the

Committee of Six and will, prior to the board meeting, give the reason(s) for that recommendation to

the Committee of Six, the department chair and the candidate for tenure.

These procedures do not preclude presidential intervention in the tenure process of a department if,

after consultation with the Committee of Six, the President believes such intervention is warranted.

g. Notification of the Tenure Decision. The final decision concerning tenure, whether affirmative or

negative, will be communicated by the president to the faculty member concerned. If the decision is

affirmative, the faculty member will receive explicit notification in writing that he or she is now a

tenured member of the faculty. If the decision is negative, the college will endeavor to give the faculty

member eighteen months' notice before final termination. This will entail an additional one-year

terminal appointment.

A faculty member who has been notified of a decision not to grant tenure may request from the dean of

the faculty an explanation of the reasons which led to that decision. If he or she believes that improper

procedures were followed, or that the negative decision constitutes a violation of academic freedom, he

or she has the right to request a hearing by the Committee on Adjudication (see Grievance Procedure).

F. Part-time Tenure | Amherst College

Members of the Faculty who teach part-time, but not less than half-time, on a regular basis at Amherst

College, are eligible for tenure under the same qualitative standards as full-time members of the

Faculty. It is intended that a person holding a regular part-time appointment from Amherst College

regard that appointment as his or her primary professional obligation.

The appointment procedure for a regular part-time member of the Faculty usually requires three three-

year appointments, with a review during the third and sixth years, and with the tenure decision

occurring no later than the eighth year of part-time teaching. This schedule applies irrespective of the

actual number of courses taught during the aggregate period. In the case of a faculty member who

begins part-time teaching at Amherst after a number of years of full-time teaching at Amherst or at

another college or university or after regular part-time teaching at another college or university,

appropriate adjustments in the timing of appointments may be made at the time of the initial

appointment.

The termination of a regular part-time teaching appointment is subject to the usual understandings

concerning notice at Amherst College.

Once a favorable decision with regard to tenure for a regular part-time member of the Faculty is made,

any subsequent alteration in teaching load will be negotiated by the individual with his or her

department and with the Dean of the Faculty and the President. An arrangement to increase from part-

to full-time teaching does not involve a qualitative judgment analogous to the tenure decision, but

rather depends upon an initiative taken either by the individual or by the department or departments

directly concerned, confirmed by the consent of the Dean of the Faculty and the President. A change to

full-time teaching on a temporary basis does not presume any permanent adjustment in status from

part- to full-time unless this arrangement continues for more than three years.

Should a full-time tenured member of the Faculty wish to negotiate a part-time arrangement on a

temporary basis without change to permanent part-time status, he or she may proceed with these

negotiations with the department or departments concerned. Final determination of the matter requires

the consent of the Dean of the Faculty and the President.

Where one of the considerations in securing part-time teaching is the desire to combine it with regular

concurrent activity outside the College, the substantive nature of the activity is appropriate to a regular

part-time teaching arrangement. This decision is made by the President.

The presumption is that a regular part-time member of the Faculty will teach part-time throughout the

year, rather than alternating full-time one semester with no teaching duties in the next.

Regular part-time members of the Faculty qualify for most benefits and perquisites of full-time faculty

members on a prorated basis. These include eligibility for housing, and, on a prorated basis, disability

and life insurance, pension plans, health insurance, and death benefit. Regular part-time members of

the Faculty qualify for leaves according to the same schedule a full-time Faculty, although their

compensation during leaves is on a prorated basis.

G. Promotion | Amherst College

A member of the faculty appointed initially as an assistant professor and subsequently granted tenure

will be promoted to the rank of associate professor, effective the start of the academic year following

the tenure decision.

A member of the faculty appointed initially as an associate professor without tenure and subsequently

granted tenure will continue as an associate professor with tenure until promoted to the rank of

professor (voted by the faculty, May 2007).

Promotion to the rank of professor may originate with the department or with the candidate and usually

occurs between six and eight years after the tenure decision. A candidate's promotion committee

consists of all tenured full professors in his or her department(s) and, at the request of the candidate,

may include up to two other tenured full professors from the college faculty, chosen by the candidate

in consultation with the dean of the faculty. The chair of the promotion committee is selected by the

dean. A letter from the chair of the promotion committee, and signed by all members of the committee,

discussing the candidate's scholarly or artistic growth and achievement, teaching performance, and

college and professional service, should accompany all recommendations for promotion to the rank of

professor. The candidate may also submit a letter on his or her behalf (voted by the faculty, May

2007).

In cases where there are fewer than two tenured full professors in the candidate's department, the dean

of the faculty and the Committee of Six will appoint an ad hoc committee of tenured full Professors

from related departments to serve as the promotion committee. Should the department have one

member at the rank of tenured full professor, he or she will also serve. At the request of the candidate,

the promotion committee may include up to two other tenured full professors from the college faculty,

chosen by the candidate in consultation with the dean of the faculty. The Committee of Six reviews all

candidates for promotion. The president formulates the various recommendations and presents them to

the Board of Trustees, together with his or her own views. All promotions must be voted by the Board

of Trustees (voted by the faculty, May 2007).

H. Leaves, Fellowships, and Research

1. Sabbatic Leaves and Leaves of Absence

Amherst College gives great weight to the continuing scholarly growth of faculty members in support

of its mission to expand the realm of knowledge and to maintain the highest standards of instruction in

the liberal arts. Research, publication, and creative work are considered important indications of such

growth. The college's sabbatic leave program is designed to provide time for research, study, writing,

or other creative work contributing to the professional growth and effectiveness of the faculty member

as a scholar and teacher. The college recognizes that the continued scholarly growth of our faculty

plays a vital part in the educational offerings of the college and the ultimate success of its students.

Faculty with regular appointments will normally be eligible for sabbatic leaves or unpaid leaves of

absence after having completed three continuous years (i.e., six continuous semesters) of teaching.

After six semesters, a tenured faculty member is eligible for one of the following during the same

academic or calendar year: (1) one semester of unpaid leave of absence; or (2) two semesters of unpaid

leave; or (3) one semester of leave at 80 percent of a semester's salary in combination or not, as

wished, with one semester's unpaid leave of absence. Alternatively, regular faculty are eligible for one

year of sabbatic leave at 80 percent of salary or one semester of sabbatic leave at full salary after six

years of teaching uninterrupted by a sabbatic leave. They are also eligible if the six years of teaching

are interrupted by a leave of absence without pay providing the last three years have been continuous.

Amherst College will award Senior Sabbatical Fellowships to tenured members of the Faculty upon

approval by the provost and dean of the faculty in consultation with the Committee of Six of a proposal

for a program of research, study, writing, or other creative work to advance his or her professional

growth and effectiveness as a scholar and teacher. (Guidelines for Senior Sabbatical

Fellowships.) Following reappointment, untenured faculty members are eligible for two semesters of

sabbatic leave at 100 percent of salary, upon approval by the provost and dean of the faculty in

consultation with the Committee of Six of a proposal of research, study, writing, or other creative work

to advance his or her professional growth and effectiveness as a scholar and teacher. (Guidelines for

Tenure-Track Sabbatical Fellowships.) Visiting faculty and faculty on non-tenure track contract

appointments will not normally be eligible for sabbatic leaves or unpaid leaves of absence.

By November 1 of the year preceding the academic year during which leave is to be taken, a faculty

member should give notice to the provost and dean of the faculty and the department chair of the

intention to apply for either a sabbatic leave or a leave of absence. All leave requests require approval

of the Board of Trustees. A faculty member is expected to return to the college for at least one year's

teaching after a sabbatic leave or leave of absence.

A leave may be delayed, but only those delayed for institutional reasons will allow for subsequent

adjustment of the three-year teaching requirement. The provost and dean of the faculty will consider

cases of postponement deemed necessary for the maintenance of the department's offering of courses

necessary for the major, or for the performance of pressing extra-departmental teaching or other duties,

as eligible for such scheduling compensation, provided that the rescheduling fits with the department's

longer range schedule of leave rotation, and that it does not entail a replacement appointment.

Sabbatic leaves and one- or two-semester leaves of absence without pay will be counted as years in

rank toward promotion. (However, a leave of absence without pay will not be counted toward

eligibility for future sabbaticals.)

Leave policy is generally the same for tenure-track as for tenured faculty. However, an untenured

faculty member who takes a one or two semester leave (at 100 percent salary) after three years of

teaching will still be eligible for a full year sabbatical (at 80 percent salary) after three more years of

continuous teaching and after a positive tenure decision, i.e., in his or her eighth year. Leaves (sabbatic

and leaves of absence) taken by untenured faculty in their fourth, fifth, or sixth year will count as

service toward tenure. Untenured faculty are eligible for only one sabbatic leave.

During sabbatic leaves, a department may seek a replacement for the teaching of one or more courses

on a Five-College borrowing basis, and during a leave of absence without pay of a year or more, a

department may request a replacement on a terminal contract, but such replacements will not be

automatic.

Extended leaves of absence for not more than three years may be granted at the discretion of the

president after consultation with the department concerned and the Committee of Six. The purpose of

granting such extended leaves of absence without pay is to allow for research or public service and

also to give faculty the opportunity to explore a new career or change in their professional field while

keeping open the possibility of a return to a position at Amherst College. faculty who return after

extended leaves of absence must teach for three continuous years before being eligible for sabbatic

leave or additional leave of absence. Extended leaves of absence do not count as years in rank toward

promotion.

Changes and cancellations in all leaves require formal approval and may not be possible where the

college is already committed to alternative arrangements.

2. Fringe Benefits during Sabbatic Leave and Leaves of Absence without Pay

Providing the faculty member agrees to contribute the share of benefit costs normally met by a faculty

member, the college will, during a sabbatic leave, continue payment of all fringe benefits ordinarily

payable. If requested to do so, the college will also pay such benefits during a leave of absence without

pay of one or two semesters with discretion left to the president, in consultation with the faculty

member, to arrange otherwise. During extended leaves without pay, if the temporary employer does

not provide fringe benefits similar to the Amherst College program, all, or a portion, of the benefits

may, at the discretion of the president, be continued by the college, provided the faculty member

agrees to contribute the share of benefits normally met by a faculty member. The faculty member, if he

or she rents a college house or apartment, may be required to relinquish it at the beginning of an

extended leave. Upon return to Amherst, the faculty member will be eligible to make application for

housing under the regular point system. Similarly, office and library space may be reassigned in the

case of extended leaves of absence.

For purposes of seniority and housing eligibility, sabbatic leaves or leaves of absence without pay will

be counted as years of service.

3. Leaves of Absence

Full-time or part-time members of the faculty are eligible for the following paid leaves of absence.

(Medical and parenting leaves may also be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, ("FMLA")

and the Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act ("MMLA"). Paid leaves under this section will run

concurrently with leave to which the faculty member may be entitled under the FMLA or MMLA. See

V.C.II.)

a. Medical. A full-or part-time member of the faculty with an appointment to the faculty of at least a

one-year term will be eligible for up to six months of paid leave to recuperate from illness or recover

from short-term disability. Paid leaves for illness or short-term disability generally are occasioned by

absences of eight weeks or more; loss of time due to illness for shorter periods is usually worked out

without formal leave by the department and the administration. The college will require a physician's

letter to support a request for medical leave and may require a physician's certification of fitness to

return to work. The terms of the leave will be confirmed in writing by the dean of the faculty's office,

as are all other leaves of absence. Insofar as the relevant details are known, a stated intention about

returning to work and the timing of the return should be given when a leave is requested.

The college recognizes that extended medical leave can interfere substantially with a faculty member's

research, scholarship, and/or administrative responsibilities. To address this concern, the college offers

faculty members on medical leave of a least eight weeks but less than a full semester the option of

taking a one semester leave from their teaching responsibilities, with full compensation, so that they

may use the additional time to accomplish their research, scholarship, and/or administrative goals,

assuming they are medically able to do so. A request for a semester teaching leave should be made to

the provost and dean of the faculty as early as possible. The provost will consult with the department to

arrange appropriate coverage for the faculty member's teaching and/or administrative responsibilities

during the semester affected by the leave, and the faculty member will work with the dean to identify

the research, scholarship, and/or administrative goals to be accomplished during the leave. If the

medical leave begins during an academic semester, then the teaching leave may be taken during that

same semester. If the medical leave begins during the periods between semesters, then the teaching

leave may be taken during the immediately following semester. This semester teaching leave will not

affect calculations for sabbaticals or other leave of absence. Tenure-track faculty members may also

choose, at the time this leave is requested, to have the year in which the leave is taken not count toward

service for tenure.

To illustrate, if an eligible faculty member is disabled for eight weeks because of pregnancy or

childbirth, then the faculty member may request a one semester leave from teaching in accordance with

this policy. If the disability begins during a regular academic semester, then the leave is available

during that same semester. If the disability begins between semesters, then the leave is available during

the following semester. During the semester leave from teaching, the faculty member is expected to

perform, as medically permissible, the research, scholarly, and/or administrative duties agreed upon

with the dean of faculty. The leave will not affect the faculty member's compensation or eligibility for

sabbaticals or other leaves of absence. Tenure-track faculty members may also choose, at the time this

leave is requested, to have the year in which the leave is taken not count toward service for tenure.

Long-term disability benefits, as defined by the college's insurance coverage begin for full-time and

part-time faculty after six months of disability, as determined by the insurance carrier. If the disability

may exceed six months, an application for long-term disability benefits should be made after three

months of disability leave. A person receiving long-term disability benefits goes off the college payroll

when disability benefits begin; reinstatement to active status depends upon individual circumstances.

b. Parenting. A request for a leave due to birth or adoption should be made to the provost and dean of

the faculty as early as possible. The provost will work with the department to arrange appropriate

coverage for the faculty member's teaching and/or administrative responsibilities during the semester

affected by the leave. Parenting leaves are available only for faculty members who hold a tenure-track

appointment, a tenured appointment, or a continuing appointment of at least two years. Parenting

leaves are available only for the child's primary care giver and must be completed within twelve

months of birth or arrival of the child for adoption. If both parents are employed at Amherst College,

only one is eligible for a parenting leave. Given the natures and purposes of the leaves, a faculty

member who takes a paid medical leave for pregnancy or the birth of a child may not also take a paid

parenting leave for that same child. The terms of the leave will be confirmed in writing by the provost

and dean of the faculty's office, as are all other leaves of absence. A stated intention about returning to

work and the timing of the return should be given when a leave is requested.

Several options are available for parenting leave:

1. The faculty member may elect to continue working according to the terms of his or her

appointment and receive his or her regular compensation. In return for this arrangement, it is

expected that, under normal circumstances, he or she will return to his or her full-time teaching

duties within a reasonable period of time. No special leave is necessary in this case and no

adjustments are made to compensation.

2. The faculty member may elect to teach one less course for the semester of leave and receive his

or her full compensation.

3. The faculty member may elect to take a leave from teaching for a whole semester during or

immediately following birth or adoption, in which case the college will pay 72 percent of that

semester's salary. The college will pay its share of the fringe benefits, as it does for a leave of

absence, provided the faculty member pays his or her share.

Any semester in which a faculty member teaches at least one course will count as regular teaching time

for purposes of sabbatical or leaves of absence eligibility. Parenting leaves under option (3) above will

not affect calculations of eligibility for sabbatical or leaves of absence. Tenure-track faculty members

may also choose, at the time a parenting leave is requested, to have the year in which the leave is taken

not count toward service for tenure.

Summary of the Basic Provisions of the Faculty Medical Leave and Parenting Leave Policies

4. Leaves of Absence for Family or Pressing Personal Reasons

A leave of absence granted for extraordinary family or pressing personal reasons, not otherwise

provided for in paragraph 3, is at the discretion of the President. Such leaves are usually for one

semester and are without pay. Arrangements to cover teaching responsibilities should be discussed

with the dean. Benefit coverage during such leaves is similar to that of sabbatical leaves. Leaves for

longer periods, if granted, are similar to those for a faculty member exploring a new career or a change

in a professional field. To the extent applicable, a leave under this paragraph will run concurrently with

leave to which the faculty member may be entitled under the FMLA. (See V.C.II.)

5. Trustee Faculty Fellowship

Each year the college awards up to two Trustee Faculty Fellowships (full salary for one year) to

untenured members of the Faculty on the basis of a proposal for a Tenure-Track Sabbatical Fellowship.

All applicants for Tenure-Track Sabbatical Fellowships will be considered automatically for the

Trustee Faculty Fellowship. The competition is open to all tenure-track members of the faculty who

are eligible for leave, although preference is given to those who have completed their Ph.D. or

equivalent and who have taught for at least two full years at the time of application. The college

particularly encourages those who seek to develop a research project different in nature or significantly

broader in scope than the dissertation, but Fellowships may be obtained for any project recommended

as meritorious by the Committee of Six. See Tenure-Track Sabbatical Fellowship Guidelines.

6. Miner D. Crary Summer Fellowship

Through the generosity of the family of Miner D. Crary 1897, the College offers a Crary Fellowship

every summer. The Crary Fellowship is designed "for a promising young faculty member who, having

completed his or her doctoral dissertation, is in need of an opportunity to undertake a new writing or

research project." Applicants should email by February 13 a brief proposal, including budget, and a

current curriculum vitae to Marie Fowler in the dean of the faculty's office.

7. Miner D. Crary Sabbatical Fellowship

Crary Sabbatical Fellowships are available to a limited number of untenured faculty members eligible

for sabbatic leave and are awarded on the basis of a proposal for a Tenure-Track Sabbatical

Fellowship. Fellowships provide support for a second semester’s sabbatic leave and bring the level of

support up to 100 percent salary for the year. All applicants for Tenure-Track Sabbatical Fellowships

will be considered automatically for the Crary Fellowship. See Tenure-Track Sabbatical Fellowship

Guidelines.

8. Class of 1952 Dean Eugene S. Wilson Faculty Development Fellowships for Untenured Faculty

Eligible for Sabbatic Leave

These awards provide support for a second semester’s sabbatic leave for untenured faculty members

eligible for sabbatic leave and bring the level of support up to 100 percent salary for the year.

Nomination is made by a department chair, on the basis of a proposal for a Tenure-Track Sabbatical

Fellowship. Only one nomination may be made by each department in a given year. A chief criterion

for selection will be pedagogical: the extent to which the nominee's proposal will contribute to

improved teaching at Amherst. Other criteria are originality, creativity, and scholarship. All applicants

for Tenure-Track Sabbatical Fellowships will be considered automatically for the Wilson

Fellowship. See Tenure-Track Fellowship Guidelines.

9. Senior Sabbatical Fellowships for Tenured Faculty

Amherst College will award Senior Sabbatical Fellowships to tenured members of the Faculty upon

approval by the dean of the faculty in consultation with the Committee of Six of a proposal for a

program of research, study, writing, or other creative work to advance his or her professional growth

and effectiveness as a scholar and teacher. The fellowship consists of the sum necessary to raise

sabbatical salary support from 80 percent to 100 percent for one semester of leave after six semesters

of service or two semesters of leave after twelve semesters of service. Guidelines Previous Senior

Sabbatical Fellowship Awards

10. External Fellowships and Grants

Information about externally funded fellowship and grant opportunities for faculty members are

regularly received by the Dean of the Faculty's Office, the Office of Alumni Relations and

Development and the Amherst College Library. Every effort is made to keep a complete, current set of

these materials in those locations. Faculty are encouraged to consult these materials regularly and to

review the "home page" of the Foundation and Corporate Support Office. Faculty who may be eligible

for NIH support are particularly encouraged to apply for it as the total of such grants to an institution

affects eligibility for other programs.

11. Institutional Support for Faculty Research

Full details of application procedures for the programs described below will be provided to the faculty

at the beginning of each academic year.

a. Amherst College Faculty Research Award Program (FRAP). The Board of Trustees and the

administration of Amherst College recognize the importance of encouraging research activities of all

regular full- and part-time, tenured and tenure-track Amherst College faculty members. A college

committee on research awards has been established and assigned responsibility for the development

and administration of the award program. Funds for research are available to all full- and part-time

members of the faculty, either tenured or tenure-track, not on visiting appointments. Faculty members

on sabbatical leave or leaves of absence for research reasons may apply for and receive awards.

Members of the research awards committee may not apply for awards during their term of service, but

do retain their entitlement to funds previously awarded.

Applications from faculty members in the performing and creative arts are encouraged and will be

treated commensurable with applications from other disciplines. Research on curriculum development

and the improvement of teaching is not eligible for funding by this program. An individual may not

submit more than one application at a time.

To be eligible, the proposal must involve original research or creative activities by the principal

investigator rather than solely providing support for the creation or maintenance of institutional

facilities or research materials. Grants will not be awarded to support research to be performed in

connection with fulfillment of degree requirements. There will usually be two rounds of competition

each year. Applications for a research award must be received by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty

no later than October 1 for the first round and January 15 for the second. It is the responsibility of the

applicant to see that the dean of the faculty's office receives the application and all supporting material

by the deadline. For those projects receiving awards, the actual size of the award may differ from the

amount requested in light of other demands on available funds and the project's requirements as

evaluated in the review process. Awards will be announced for the first round on or about January 15

and for the second on or about April 15, pending availability of funds. The sums awarded are subject to

modification in light of other funding received for the project. The grant period will be eighteen

months. A six-month extension period may be granted upon application if more time is needed to

complete the project. All decisions on awards will be final.

Research applications will be judged on the scholarly merit of the proposed research and on the ability

of the applicant to perform the proposed research successfully. Some of the factors which will be

considered are: significance of the proposed work in relation to its contribution to the field; the extent

to which the proposal reflects a well-conceived research design with reasonable promise of successful

execution; evidence of scholarly promise and productivity; demonstrated familiarity with the literature

in the field; and, sufficiency of other funding received by the applicant. When considering previous

research accomplishments, the committee will take into account the fact that untenured faculty are

often unable to present an extensive record of publication.

Applications in the creative and performing arts will be judged on the basis of merit and in accordance

with the criteria appropriate for those areas. Faculty Research Award Program Guidelines

b. Small Grants for Faculty Research. Small grants in support of faculty research may be obtained on

an annual basis (when funds are sufficient) from the dean of the faculty, to whom application should be

made.

c. Library Support for Faculty Research. The director of the library is always happy to discuss faculty

members' needs for library and research support. New faculty are especially encouraged to meet with

the director of the library to discuss their needs.

d. Support for Professional Travel. The college provides funds to aid Faculty with professional travel.

The college will reimburse faculty members (or, if requested, provide an advance) up to a maximum

total announced each year for reasonable and documented professional expenses for registration,

accommodations, meals, and transportation by the least expensive practical means. Requests for

reimbursement should be sent to the Office of the Controller, which makes forms available for this

purpose

Part-time members of the faculty are eligible for grants.

I. Termination, Dismissal, and Grievance

1. Termination

The connection with the College of faculty members appointed for specified terms shall automatically

cease at the end of the term specified, unless they are reappointed. A member of the Faculty holding a

term appointment or an appointment without term may be relieved of his or her appointment at any

time by the Board of Trustees only for adequate cause or under extraordinary circumstances because of

financial exigencies, the appointment of a faculty member with tenure can be terminated only for those

reasons consistent with the definition of tenure.

2. Dismissal, suspension, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay for cause (Voted by the Faculty

May 1995).

a. Adequate Cause. Since the fundamental purpose of academic tenure is to preserve academic

freedom, only the most serious violations of a faculty member's responsibilities as teacher, scholar, and

colleague, especially the flagrant interference with the efforts of colleagues and students to exercise

their rights of free inquiry and expression, can be considered adequate cause for dismissal, suspension,

demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay.

A crime against the larger society is punishable according to the laws of the state and should not be

cause for these severe sanctions unless such incrimination prevents the fulfillment of teaching

obligations or otherwise seriously impairs the possibility of establishing classroom relations that are

free of extraordinary constraint.

Any charge that might, for cause, lead to dismissal, suspension, demotion in rank, or deprivation of

pay is a matter of utmost gravity, not only for the complainant and the faculty member being charged,

but also the the College, and the decision to press charges must be weighed with a careful regard for

the academic freedom of all parties directly concerned. The Amherst College Chapter of the American

Association of University Professors may intervene in favor of the withdrawal of charges if it deems it

likely that such proceedings might lead to an even greater impairment of academic freedom than the

actions which led to the pressing of charges.

b. Procedure. Proceedings seeking, for cause, the dismissal, suspension from service for a stated

period, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay of a faculty member who has tenure or whose term

appointment has not expired shall be initiated and prosecuted by the Dean of the Faculty (or the

President who shall assume the responsibilities of the Dean as hereafter described if the Dean is

directly involved or incapacitated for any reason).

(1) Such procedure must be preceded by discussions between the faculty member and the Dean

looking toward a mutual settlement, and by an informal inquiry by the Committee on Adjudication

which may, failing to effect an informal resolution, recommend whether in its opinion such a

proceeding should go forward, without its opinion being binding upon the Dean.

(2) The faculty member charged will be provided with a formal communication prepared by the Dean

setting forth the charges with reasonable particularity, and advising him or her of the rights enumerated

below.

(3) Within fifteen days after the charges have been communicated to the faculty member charged, a

Hearing Board shall be formed consisting of three faculty selected by the Committee of Six from

among the Faculty elected to the Committee on Adjudication; the Hearing Board will select its own

chair.

(4) A member of the Hearing Board may be disqualified for bias or a conflict of interest in response to

a challenge brought by one of the parties (or may deem himself or herself disqualified for either of the

same reasons); in addition, the faculty member charged and the Dean will each have one challenge

without stated cause. The Chair of the Committee on Adjudication shall decide any such challenge,

and the Committee of Six will appoint replacements for each member so excused from among the

faculty members of the Committee on Adjudication. Prior acquaintance or knowledge of the facts of

the matter does not, necessarily, constitute a conflict in interest absent a showing of an actual conflict

of interest.

(5) Service of notice of the commencement of the hearing shall be made at least twenty days prior

thereto, or a reasonable period in which to prepare a defense, whichever is greater. The faculty member

charged may waive a hearing, with or without making a written response to the charges, in which case

the Hearing Board will base its decision upon the record available to it.

(6) The Hearing Board may, with the consent of the parties concerned, hold joint pre-hearing meetings

with them in order to (i) simplify the issues, (ii) effect stipulations of facts, (iii) provide for the

exchange of documentary or other information, and (iv) achieve such other objectives as will make the

hearing more fair, effective and expeditious.

(7) The Hearing Board, after consultation with the Dean of the Faculty and with the faculty member

charged, will determine whether the hearing should be private or public.

(8) During the proceedings, the faculty member and the Dean will have the right to be represented by

legal counsel of their choosing, and the faculty member will have the right to have an academic advisor

of his or her choice; the right of the faculty member to legal counsel and an academic advisor does not

obligate the College to bear the expense of either. Legal counsel, but not academic advisors, shall have

the right to address the Hearing Board and to examine witnesses.

(9) A verbatim record of the hearing or hearings will be taken and a typewritten copy will be made

available to the faculty member, without cost, at the faculty member's request.

(10) The burden of proof that adequate cause exists for the imposition of the penalties imposed rests

with the Dean and will be satisfied only by a clear and convincing evidence in the record as a whole.

(11) The Hearing Board will grant reasonable adjournments to enable either party to investigate

evidence as to which a valid claim of surprise is made.

(12) The faculty member will be afforded an opportunity to present witnesses and other evidence

relevant to his or her defense.

(13) The faculty member and the Dean will have the right to confront and cross-examine all witnesses.

(14) In considering charges of incompetence, the testimony will include that of qualified faculty

members from the College or other institutions of higher education.

(15) The Hearing Board will not be bound by strict rules of legal evidence, and, in determining the

issues involved, may admit any evidence which is of a probative value not outweighed by unfair

prejudice. The Hearing Board will also have final responsibility for establishing the procedures for

obtaining witnesses and evidence which will protect the personal rights and dignity of all those who

might be asked to provide the same as well as of the parties to the most reliable evidence available.

(16) The findings of fact and its recommendations will be based solely on the hearing record.

Except for such simple announcements as may be required covering the time of the hearing and similar

matters, public statements and publicity about the case by either the faculty member or the Dean will

be avoided so far as possible until the proceedings have been completed, including consideration by

the Trustees.

After all parties have been heard and all of the relevant evidence has been gathered, the Hearing Board

will make explicit findings with respect to the charges and its recommendation, if any, for an

appropriate sanction, including but not limited to dismissal, suspension from service for a stated

period, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay. Unanimous agreement of all members of the Hearing

Board is required for the recommendation of dismissal, suspension from service for a stated period,

demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay; the concurrence of a majority of the members is required for

all other findings and recommendations. Any member of the Hearing Board who disagrees with the

majority must make his or her own explicit findings and recommendations. The Dean and the faculty

member will be notified in writing of the Hearing Board's findings and recommendations (and those of

any minority member), and each will be given a copy of the transcript of the proceedings on which the

Hearing Board's recommendation for a penalty is based.

The President shall transmit to the Board of Trustees the full report of the Hearing Board (and any

minority report), stating its recommendations. Normally the Board of Trustees will decide the case on

the basis of the Hearing Board's recommendation. If the Board of Trustees chooses to review the case,

its review shall be based on the record of the previous hearing, accompanied by opportunity for

argument, oral or written or both, by the principals at the hearing or their representatives. The

recommendation of the Hearing Board shall either be sustained or returned to the Hearing Board with

objections specified. In the latter case the Hearing Board shall reconsider its recommendation, taking

account of the stated objections and receiving new evidence if necessary. The Hearing Board shall

form its decision and communicate it in the manner as before. Only after study of the Hearing Board's

reconsideration may the Trustees make a final decision over-ruling the Hearing Board.

A faculty member facing charges that might lead to dismissal, suspension, demotion in rank, or

deprivation of pay should not be suspended by the President of the College during the proceedings

involving him or her unless immediate harm to the rights of others is threatened by continued exercise

of his or her teaching duties. Furthermore, a faculty member facing charges should have the right to

request a leave from teaching duties, which ordinarily will be granted, in order to prepare his or her

defense. However it originates, a suspension during the hearing proceedings shall be with pay.

3. Grievance Procedures for Members of the Faculty (Voted by the Faculty, October 1986)

Committed to the ideal of resolving grievances collegially, Amherst College makes no attempt to

codify a distinction between grievances that might require a formal hearing and lesser disputes or

disappointments that should be resolved informally. In every case, it is expected that an informal

resolution will be attempted, typically beginning with a frank and open discussion with the appropriate

person or persons, whether that be a faculty colleague or a member of the Administration.

a. Petition of Grievance. At Amherst there are numerous persons who may be expected to play a role

in settling controversies or resolving disputes before they become grievances, among them, the

President, the Dean of the Faculty, the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity; and the Chairs

of the several departments. Moreover, any member may consult the ombudsperson on any matter of

concern or complaint.

A member of the faculty who has been unable to achieve by informal means what he or she regards as

a fair and reasonable resolution of a complaint may file a petition of grievance with the Chair of the

Committee on Adjudication.

The filing of a petition of grievance does not automatically entail that the full case or any particular

part will be submitted to a Hearing Board for formal hearing. In every case, the Committee on

Adjudication shall, by reference to the petition alone, determine whether any of the allegations, if

substantiated, would warrant or require any remedial action or relief and, if so, whether the petitioner

has cited credible evidence in support of his or her allegations or complaint. The complainant's petition

should be sufficiently specific and extensive to inform the Committee on Adjudication adequately on

these points. A petition deemed by the Committee on Adjudication not to warrant a formal hearing

shall not be heard. The committee may also decide not to hear a petition that is premature or unduly

late. The decision not to hear a case shall be communicated in writing to the President of the College

and to the immediate parties to the case. The Committee on Adjudication may request clarification or

additional information or evidence before ruling on the sufficiency of a petition, but this decision,

whether affirmative or negative shall be final and unreviewable.

b. The Committee on Adjudication and Hearing Boards.

(1) The Committee on Adjudication (Selection, term of office, and function). The Committee on

Adjudication consists of eight members of the faculty, serving three year terms, staggered to ensure

continuity. Nominations are made by the Committee of Six, but additional nominations may be made

from the floor during the faculty meeting at which the members of this Committee are elected by a

majority of those present and voting. The Committee on Adjudication annually chooses its own chair.

Upon receipt of a petition of grievance, the entire Committee of Adjudication shall determine whether

the petition merits a formal hearing, though Committee members who have a substantial or conflicting

interest in the case shall neither vote on this question nor serve on the Hearing Board should one be

named. Where it is determined that a petition should be heard, the Committee on Adjudication shall

name three of its members to a Hearing Board to hear the case. In special circumstances, particularly

where considerations of caseload or conflict of interest are involved, the Committee on Adjudication

may make substitute appointments to a Hearing Board from the Faculty at large. Each Hearing Board

shall choose its own chair.

(2) General Procedures of the Hearing Boards. Every effort shall be made to conclude hearings in a

timely manner. Proceedings shall not be governed by strict rules of evidence. Parties shall be allowed a

reasonable period to prepare and state their case and to present evidence and testimony, subject to the

authority of the Chair to bar testimony that is dilatory or not germane to the case. Parties named in a

complaint shall have a reasonable opportunity to respond to all charges brought against them. Any

party to a grievance hearing may be accompanied by a colleague from the Amherst Faculty or

administration as an advisor, but participation in such proceedings is restricted to the parties,

witnesses, and members of the Hearing Board, subject to exceptions explicitly authorized by the Chair.

To protect confidentiality and to promote free and open discussion, hearings shall be closed unless the

parties agree in writing to some other arrangement, subject to approval by the Chair. The Board is

authorized to request the appearance and testimony of any member of the Amherst community.

Though the Board has no power to compel compliance, it is expected that any such request will be

honored.

Where the subject of a complaint is some official or institutional (including departmental or

committee) finding, decision, recommendation or action, the Hearing Board's review is limited to

determining whether that body was authorized to act on the matter in question, whether it acted in

accordance with procedures of the College and only after due consideration, and whether the decisions,

recommendation or action was consonant with the acknowledged requirements of academic freedom or

other substantial rights of the complainant. In no such case shall a Hearing Board enter into an

assessment of the substantive merits of the finding, decision, recommendation or action complained of,

and a finding of error shall result only in a recommendation to retract or reconsider the offending

outcome. Where the Board discovers only harmless error it need not recommend any remedial action.

At the conclusion of a case, the Hearing Board shall prepare a written summary of what it judges to be

the central issues involved and a statement of its recommendations. This document shall be sent to the

President of the College and to all of the principal parties to the case, modified as necessary to protect

confidentiality or to reflect the varying ways in which parties may have been involved in the case. The

President shall receive a complete statement of the Board's summary and recommendations.

The President shall respond in a timely manner to the Hearing Board's recommendations, informing

the Board and all of the principal parties to the case of his or her intended actions, if any.

Where the President is named as a party to a case that has been heard by a Hearing Board, that Board

shall transmit its summary and recommendations to the Board of Trustees, whose actions shall be final.

(3) Access to Information. Almost every grievance whether addressed informally or formally, presents

a tension between a complainant's right to know and the institution's need to protect the confidentiality

of certain information and deliberations. Blanket provisions flatly favoring one side or the other appear

to be both unnecessary and ill-advised. Rather, questions of access should be resolved by attending to

the conflicting interests in specific cases. As a general rule, however, a complainant has no right to the

confidential communications of colleagues whether as individuals or as members of a department or a

College committee. On the other hand, if a Hearing Board is to make an informed decision and

recommendation in a disputed matter, it must have access to all pertinent information including, for

example, a department's minutes or other records in connection with a disputed reappointment or

tenure recommendation, and where germane, the confidential minutes of the Committee of Six. Where

the Hearing Board, as a result of its greater access to confidential information, discovers grounds for

remedial action that may not appear in the complainant's petition, the Board shall make findings and

recommendations that appropriately take into account those discoveries.

4. Resolution of Student Grievances with Members of the Faculty (Voted by the Faculty, May

1995)

a. Informal Resolution. Student grievances against members of the faculty can be resolved through

informal or formal procedures. Students are encouraged to seek informal means of resolving

grievances and are urged to consult with other persons who would be able to provide competent advice

or referral concerning the issues involved. Such persons might include one of the Deans of Students,

the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, a member of the faculty (sometime, especially, the

student's faculty advisor or the chairperson of the student's major department), or a resident counselor.

If a student decides that there are no grounds for submitting formal charges, or if he or she is

encouraged to resolve the matter through informal means, with the consultation and assistance of such

persons as those listed above. The pursuit of such informal resolution does not prevent the aggrieved

student from submitting formal charges at a later date if informal resolution fails.

b. Submitting Formal Charges. If informal procedures fail to resolve the grievance and if, after

consultation with the Dean of the Faculty, the student wants to proceed with the grievance, he or she

may submit formal charges against a member of the faculty. The complaint should be directed to the

Dean of the Faculty and should contain a full written description of the nature and grounds of the

grievance.

Throughout the informal procedures for the resolution of grievances, both the student and the faculty

member may each be accompanied and represented by an advisor of his or her choosing from among

the Amherst College Faculty, Administration, Staff or student body, and the student may be

accompanied and represented by such an advisor in the presentation of formal charges to the Dean.

Upon receipt of such charges, the Dean of the Faculty will provide written copies to all of the parties

against whom the complaint is directed. Within one week of receiving a formal charge, the Dean of the

Faculty will proceed as follows:

If the Dean deems the charges insufficiently serious or insufficiently supported by evidence to warrant

a formal hearing, he or she decides the matter himself or herself. This decision can be appealed to the

President.

If the Dean determines that the charges, if proven, are sufficiently serious that, for cause, the

imposition of either dismissal, suspension from service for a stated period, demotion in rank, or

deprivation of pay would be warranted, he or she shall immediately initiate the procedure for the

imposition of such sanctions as provided in Section III.I.2.

If the Dean deems the charges insufficiently serious to raise the possibility of such severe sanctions,

but sufficiently supported by evidence to warrant a formal hearing, he or she shall explore with the

aggrieved student and the accused member of the faculty the possibility of resolving their dispute

through an alternative dispute resolution procedure, including arbitration by the Dean, which

procedure, however, must include an explicit time schedule, may not result in the dismissal, suspension

from service, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay of the faculty member charged, and may not

provide for further review thereafter. The parties shall have one week in which to agree on such a

procedure. If they do not, the Dean will notify the Chairs of the Committee on Adjudication and the

Committee on Discipline of the necessity of forming a Hearing Board within five days thereafter.

Immediately upon the formation of the Hearing Board, the Dean will forward the grievance to it.

In order to protect the integrity of a potential appeal, one formal charges are submitted to the Dean of

the Faculty, he or she must not discuss the case with the President.

In the case of a complaint against the Dean of the Faculty, his or her role in all phases of the grievance

procedure will be assumed by the President. Similarly, the President's role as the officer to whom

appeals are directed will be assumed by the Board of Trustees.

c. The Hearing Board and Hearing. The Hearing Board shall be composed of three faculty members

chosen by the Chair of the Committee on Adjudication from among its members, and two students

selected by the Committee on Discipline from among its members. The Chair of the Committee on

Adjudication will normally not sit on a Hearing Board in order to be available to serve on appeals

should they arise.

Each Hearing Board will elect its own Chair. The Chair of the Hearing Board will preside over the

hearing, maintaining good order and recognizing who is to speak. He or she will be responsible for

keeping a summary record of the proceeding. A verbatim transcript may be taken at the discretion of

the Chair, and will be taken if requested by a member of the Hearing Board or by either party to the

dispute.

A faculty or student member of the Hearing Board may be disqualified for bias or a conflict of interest

in response to a challenge brought by one of the parties (or may deem himself or herself disqualified

for either of the same reasons). The Chair of the Committee on Adjudication shall decide any such

challenge to a faculty member and shall appoint a replacement from among the members of that

Committee or, in exceptional cases where no alternative member is available, the Committee of Six

will appoint a substitute from the Faculty at large. The Chair of the Committee on Discipline shall

decide any such challenge to a student member and shall appoint a replacement from among the

student members of that Committee, or, in exceptional circumstances, where no alternative member of

the Committee is available, the College Council will appoint a substitute from the student body at

large.

The Hearing Board shall have the right to request information concerning allegations, to question

witnesses and to ask for written accounts of alleged violations. It is expected that both the complainant

and the accused will be present at the hearing, but if the accused chooses not to attend, the hearing may

continue in his or her absence. The Board may consider any testimony or other evidence it believes has

a probative value not outweighed by unfair prejudice, except 1) any written or oral statement made by

any member of the College community in confidence to an official of the College, with the mutual

understanding that it was made in confidence, shall remain confidential if the original maker of the

statement so chooses, and the Board shall not consider it, and 2) the Board shall not have access to the

confidential personnel file of the faculty member against whom charges have been made. The Board

has the right to call witnesses and to oblige any member of the College community to appear. The

burden of proof rests with the complainant and will be satisfied only by clear and convincing evidence

in the record as a whole.

The Dean of the Faculty will present the formal charges to the Hearing Board, thereby initiating formal

proceedings which will normally begin within three weeks of the formation of the Hearing Board.

All hearings of the Board will be confidential except when both parties to the dispute request open

hearings and the Chair of the Hearing Board concurs. All members of the College community are

reminded that, except in the case of an open hearing, any breach of confidentiality may threaten the

fairness of the process. All parties are expected to refrain from any action, intentional or inadvertent,

which might threaten the confidentiality of the proceedings. The Chair may close an open hearing at

any time if he or she determines that the presence of spectators interferes with the conduct of the

hearing or might undermine the integrity of the process.

Prior to the hearing, the Chair will inform both parties of the following rights:

(1) to receive a copy of the formal charges, a copy of the Hearing Board's procedures and notice of the

time and location of the hearing. This information must be delivered at least fifteen days prior to the

date of the hearing.

(2) to present their case to the Hearing Board at the earliest possible date consonant with the right to

advance notice. Although the Chair will insure expeditious progress of the proceedings, either party

may petition the Chair for more time to prepare his or her case.

(3) to select a member of the Amherst College Faculty, Administration, Staff or student body as an

advisor and to have that advisor present during the hearing. Advisors may assist the parties in

preparing the case. Advisors are present at the hearing not to serve as legal council, but to support and

advise the parties. Advisors have the right, however, to address the Hearing Board and to address

questions to witnesses.

(4) to challenge any member of the Hearing Board with bias or a conflict of interest in the case. (prior

acquaintance or knowledge of the facts of the matter does not, necessarily, constitute conflict of

interest absent a showing of an actual conflict of interest.) The Chair of the Committee of Adjudication

will rule on the challenge of any faculty member of the Hearing Board, and the Chair of the Committee

on Discipline will rule on the challenge of any student member.

(5) to have any decision based solely upon evidence introduced at the formal hearing.

(6) to present evidence; to call, hear and question witnesses; and to review and question all written

testimony or documents. The Board will not consider anonymous statements made on either side of the

case. All parties must be aware of the specific source and content of all testimony.

(7) to appeal the decision of the Hearing Board under procedures described in section vi below.

Normally, hearings will be concluded within two weeks.

d. The Finding. The Hearing Board will reach a determination as to guilt or innocence, and, if the

former, a recommendation for an appropriate course of action to remedy the harm done to the

complainant and to protect other members of the College community, including a recommendation, if

necessary, of any disciplinary action to be taken against the faculty member, within on week of the

close of the formal hearing. The Hearing Board may not itself, however, recommend the imposition of

dismissal, suspension from service, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay, but may recommend that

the Dean of the Faculty initiate the procedure established for that purpose. A determination of guilt

requires a majority vote of the Hearing Board. The Hearing Board will prepare a written report

summarizing the evidence, its determination of guilt or innocence, and its recommendation for a

disposition. Any member of the Hearing Board who disagrees with the majority opinion must file an

accompanying written minority report. The report and minority report(s) must be signed.

The report(s) will be directed to the Dean of the Faculty who will forward copies directly to the parties.

The finding may be appealed by either party in accordance with procedures specified below.

e. The Disposition. If the Hearing Board recommends that the Dean of the Faculty initiate the

procedure for dismissal, suspension from service, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay for cause

provided in section III.I. of the Faculty Handbook, the Dean of the Faculty shall do so as soon as

practicable, and there shall be not other review of this disposition other than the initiation of such

proceedings and the review provided therefrom. Such subsequent proceedings shall be conducted de

novo without regard to the procedure of the Hearing Board described above.

In all other cases, the Dean shall review the Hearing Board's finding(s), report, and recommendations

(if any), and whatever relevant information may be contained in the faculty member's confidential

personnel file, normally within one week of receipt of such finding(s), report, and recommendations.

The Dean may implement a disposition of the case different from that recommended by the Hearing

Board (but not dismissal, suspension, demotion in rank, or deprivation of salary) only after notifying it

of his or her intention to do so, providing written reasons for the same, and providing the Hearing

Board an opportunity to reply. Both parties will be informed in writing of the Dean's determination.

f. Appeals. Either party to the original grievance can appeal the determination of the Hearing Board or

of the Dean to an Appeal Board. Such an appeal may be made only on the grounds that one or more of

the findings are not supported by the evidence, that substantial new evidence has been uncovered

subsequent to the hearing, or that the Hearing Board or the Dean has committed specified procedural

errors.

The notice of appeal must specify in writing the grounds on which the appeal is being made and must

be presented within fifteen days of receipt of the Dean's determination.

Notice of appeal will be directed to the Chair of the Committee of Adjudication who will convene and

chair the Appeal Board. The remainder of the Board will be composed of one faculty member selected

by the Chair of the Committee on Adjudication from among its members, and one student member

chosen by the Chair of the Committee on Discipline from among its members. None of the members of

the Appeal Board shall have served on the Hearing Board for the case under consideration. Any

member (including the Chair) of the Appeal Board may disqualify himself or herself, or be disqualified

upon a challenge by any party for any of the reasons for which a member of the Hearing Board may be

disqualified. Such a challenge to a member of the Appeal Board shall be decided and he or she will be

replaced by the procedures outlined above for Hearing Board members, except that, if the chair of the

Appeal Board is challenged, the Committee of Six will rule on the challenge and appoint a substitute if

necessary.

All three members of the Appeal Board vote and a majority decides all questions. If a member of the

Appeal Board disagrees with the majority choice of one of the actions listed below, he or she must file

an accompanying written minority recommendation. All reports must be signed. These reports will be

directed to the Dean of the Faculty.

The Appeal Board considers an appeal on the basis of the notice of appeal and the summary record or

verbatim transcript of the hearing. After reviewing these materials, it may determine that it needs to

hold additional hearings, question and otherwise take testimony from the parties and the Dean, and

solicit such additional information as it deems necessary for a thorough review. After such review, the

Appeal Board will take one of the following actions:

(1) Inform the Dean that the Appeal Board upholds the decisions of the Hearing Board and the Dean.

(2) Inform the Dean that one or more of the findings are not supported by the evidence and the Dean

and/or the Hearing Board is to reconsider the recommended disposition, or the charge is to be dropped.

(3) Inform the Dean that the Hearing Board has made one or more specified procedural errors or that

new evidence has been uncovered, which requires that the Hearing Board undertake a new hearing.

(4) Inform the Dean that he or she has made one or more specified procedural errors, which require(s)

reconsideration by the Dean.

Whatever its action, the Appeal Board shall prepare a written report which will be sent to the parties.

g. Records. When the final disposition of a case results in a finding that a member of the faculty is

guilty of a violation, that finding together with the determination of penalty shall be placed in the

member's employment file.

When the final disposition of the case results in a finding that the accused is not guilty of a violation,

all references to the case will be removed from the accused's employment file.

A permanent file, with the names of all parties and witnesses removed, will be maintained for each

case which reaches the formal stage, regardless of its outcome. This file will be kept in the Office of

the Dean of the Faculty and will include all summary records, Board findings and penalties imposed.

This file will be available to any future Hearing Board for the purpose of researching precedents and to

any committee of the College charged with revising the policies concerning the resolution of student

grievances with members of the faculty.

The verbatim transcript, if taken, will remain in the confidential files of the Dean of the Faculty until

such time as all appeals and civil or criminal cases which may result from the original complaint are

settled. It shall then be destroyed.

h. Miscellaneous. None of the foregoing in any way limits rights, responsibilities and procedures

described in other College documents, nor does it in any way alter the power and responsibilities of the

Dean of the Faculty and the President to enforce the extant rules and regulations of the College.

5. Resolution of Faculty Grievances with Students

a. Bringing a Complaint/Being Complained of. Anyone at Amherst College, or at one of the

constituent institutions of the Five Colleges, may bring a complaint against a student for allegedly

violating the Code of Conduct. All complaints should be made to the Dean who administers the Code

of Conduct. He or she will write out a brief form of complaint which must be initialed by the

complainant to signify his or her assent to the validity of the written account. The Dean who

administers the Code is then responsible for investigating the complaint and for deciding, within ten

days, its appropriate disposition. The Dean who administers the Code will interview both the

complainant and the accused student, as well as any other witness whose testimony might be useful in

deciding the case. After this investigation is complete, the Dean who administers the Code may reach

any of the following conclusions:

(1) There is no basis for the complaint, and accordingly it should be dismissed.

(2) There is no substantial dispute on the facts of the case, but the act or acts the student committed do

not constitute an offense under the Code of Conduct.

(3) There is not substantial dispute on the facts of the case; and, it is agreed that the facts of the case

warrant a finding that the accused student has committed an infraction of the Code of Conduct; and,

the potential penalty if the accused student is found guilty is one term's suspension or less. In this

instance, the Dean who administers the Code will decide the penalty, make record of it, and see to its

enforcement.

(4) There is substantial dispute between the two parties on the facts of the case, so the case must be

brought to the Committee on Discipline for adjudication.

(5) Whether or not there is substantial dispute on the facts of the case, the offense is of sufficient

seriousness so that it might warrant a penalty greater than one term's suspension. In this instance, the

case must also be brought to the Committee on Discipline for adjudication.

(6) For any complaint, the Dean who administers the Code may decide that there are special

circumstances which require that the case will be heard by the Committee on Discipline.

Normally cases that must go before the committee should do so within ten days of the initial

complaint.

The Dean administering the Code of Conduct may also bring complaints on his or her own in response

to information received from individuals or from the reports of the College Security Office, but never

based on anonymous complaints or evidence.

b. The Committee on Discipline. The Dean who administers the Code of Conduct is responsible for

gathering all evidence to be presented to the committee. He or she may interview witnesses, ask for

written accounts of events that allegedly occurred, and otherwise take appropriate steps to gather

reliable and truthful accounts of the situation. Complete details of the composition and functions of the

Committee on Discipline are published annually in the Student Handbook. Faculty wishing to bring a

complaint against a student should consult the current Student Handbook.

IV. Faculty Responsibilities, Regulations,

Meetings, and Committees

Introduction

The College values faculty members who demonstrate a commitment to the life of the mind and

concerned involvement in the general life of the College. Over the years, the Faculty has adopted

several statements that are deemed to govern different areas of college life. Together, these statements,

which appear below and are published annually in the Catalog and Student Handbook, also form the

College Honor Code.

A. Academic Regulations | Amherst College

1. Statement of Intellectual Responsibility (Voted by the Faculty 1966; amended April 1987)

Every person's education is the product of his or her intellectual effort and participation in a process of

critical exchange. Amherst cannot educate those who are unwilling to submit their own work and ideas

to critical assessment. Nor can it tolerate those who interfere with the participation of others in the

critical process. Therefore, the College considers it a violation of the requirements of intellectual

responsibility to submit work that is not one's own or otherwise to subvert the conditions under which

academic work is performed by oneself or by others.

Article 1. Student Responsibility

Section 1. In undertaking studies at Amherst College, every student agrees to abide by the above

statement. Section 2. Students shall receive a copy of the Statement of Intellectual Responsibility with

their initial course schedule at the beginning of each semester. It is the responsibility of each student to

read and understand this statement and to inquire as to its implications in his or her specific course.

Section 3. Orderly and honorable conduct of examinations is the individual and collective

responsibility of the students concerned in accordance with the above Statement and Article 2, Section

3, below.

Article 2. Faculty Responsibility

Section 1. Promotion of the aims of the Statement of Intellectual Responsibility is a general

responsibility of the Faculty. Section 2. Every member of the Faculty has a specific responsibility to

explain the implications of the statement for each of his or her courses, including a specification of the

conditions under which academic work in those courses is to be performed. At the beginning of each

semester members of the Faculty will receive with their initial class lists a copy of the Statement of

Intellectual Responsibility and a reminder of the duty to explain its implications in each course. Section

3. Examinations shall not be proctored unless an instructor judges that the integrity of the assessment

process is clearly threatened. An instructor may be present at examinations at appropriate times to

answer questions.

2. Statement on Freedom of Expression and Dissent (Voted by the Faculty 1968)

Amherst College prizes and defends freedom of speech and dissent. It affirms the right of teachers and

students to teach and learn, free from coercive force and intimidation and subject only to the

constraints of reasoned discourse and peaceful conduct. It also recognizes that such freedom and rights

entail responsibility for one's actions. Thus, the College assures and protects the rights of its members

to express their views so long as there is neither use nor threat of force nor interference with the rights

of others to express their views. The College considers disruption of classes (whether, for example, by

the abridgment of free expression in a class or by obstructing access to the place in which the class

normally meets) or of other academic activities to be a serious offense that damages the integrity of an

academic institution.

3. Statement on Respect for Persons (Voted by the Faculty, 1969)

Respect for the rights, dignity and integrity of others is essential for the well-being of a community.

Actions by any person which do not reflect such respect for others are damaging to each member of the

community and hence damaging to Amherst College. Each member of the community should be free

from interference, intimidation or disparagement in the work place, the classroom and the social,

recreational and residential environment.

Harassment. Amherst College does not condone harassment of any kind, against any group or

individual, because of race, religion, ethnic identification, age, handicap, gender or sexual orientation.

Such harassment is clearly in conflict with the interests of the College as an educational community

and in many cases with provisions of law.

Sexual Harassment. Amherst College is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment

free of all forms of harassment. Sexual harassment breaches the trust that is expected and required in

order for members of an educational community to be free to learn and work. It is a form of

discrimination because it unjustly deprives a person of equal treatment. Sexual harassment can injure

anyone who is subjected to it, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

The College's policy on sexual harassment is directed towards behavior, and does not purport to

regulate beliefs, attitudes, or feelings. It is based on federal and state law, which prohibit certain

specific forms of sexual harassment; on the College's statement on respect for persons, which requires

that a person's sex and sexual orientation be treated with respect; and on the following statement on

sexual harassment passed by the Faculty on May 23, 1985:

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other unwelcome verbal or physical

conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: (1) submission to such conduct is made

either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, academic work, or

participation in social or extracurricular activities; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an

individual is used as the basis for decisions affecting the individual; or (3) such conduct has the

purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance, or creating an

intimidating, hostile or demeaning working, academic or social environment.

The College believes that sexual harassment, besides being intrinsically harmful and illegal, also

corrupts the integrity of the educational process.

Because it is possible for one person to act unintentionally in a manner that sexually harasses another,

it is imperative that all members of the College community understand what kinds of behavior

constitute sexual harassment. Hence, we provide here a general description of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment occurs when one person attempts to coerce another into a sexual relationship, or to

punish a refusal to respond to or comply with sexual advances. Attempts to subject a person to

unwanted attention of a sexual character, sexual slurs or derogatory language directed at another

person's sexuality or gender also can be forms of sexual harassment. Thus, sexual harassment can

include a wide range of behavior, from the actual coercing of sexual relations to the forcing of sexual

attentions, verbal or physical, on a non-consenting individual. It is also possible that sexual harassment

can occur unintentionally when behavior of a sexual nature has the effect of creating a hostile

environment. In some cases, sexual harassment is obvious and may involve an overt action, a threat, or

reprisal. In other instances, sexual harassment is subtle and indirect, with a coercive aspect that is

unstated.

Sexual harassment also occurs when a position of authority is used to threaten the imposition of

penalty or the withholding of benefit unless sexual favors are granted, whether or not the threat is

carried out. Sexual harassment, when it exploits the authority the institution gives its employees, or

otherwise compromises the boundary between personal and professional roles, is an abuse of the

power the College entrusts to them. The potential for sexual harassment exists in any sexual

relationship between a student and a member of the faculty, administration or staff. Anyone in a

position of authority should thoroughly understand the potential for coercion in sexual relationships

between persons who are professionally affiliated. These relationships may involve persons in a

position of authority over their colleagues (e.g., Tenured faculty and non-tenured faculty;

administrators and staff); or they may involve those who teach, advise or supervise students.

Sexual harassment also takes the form of unwanted attention among peers. Sexual harassment by

peers may have the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning environment.

Sexual harassment by peers can occur between strangers, casual acquaintances, hall-mates, and even

friends.

Because sexual harassment is a direct violation of the college's "Statement on Respect for Persons,"

Amherst College will seriously and thoroughly investigate any complaints of sexual harassment and

will discipline those found guilty. Any student who believes she or he may be the victim of sexual

harassment by a member of the faculty should consult the section on "The Resolution of Student

Grievances with Members of the Faculty." Any student who believes she or he may be the victim of

sexual harassment by a peer should consult the student grievance procedures in the Student Handbook.

Consensual Sexual Relations between Faculty Members and Students

The integrity of the faculty-student relationship is at the core of Amherst College’s educational

mission. This relationship vests considerable trust in the faculty member, who in turn bears authority

and accountability as a mentor, educator, and evaluator. The college prohibits consensual sexual

relations between faculty members and students who are enrolled at Amherst College and/or in

Amherst College courses. Such relations compromise the integrity of the educational process and may

place the student and sometimes the faculty member in a vulnerable position, reduce the instructor’s

impartiality, and create a disruptive learning environment for all students. Simply having faculty

members recuse themselves from supervising, evaluating, advising, or teaching students with whom

they had or have consensual sexual relations is not sufficient; doing so deprives those students of

educational, advising, and career opportunities and does not address the impacts on other students or

other members of the educational community.

Faculty members who have general questions about this policy or concerns about an alleged violation

of it may contact the provost and dean of the faculty. Alleged violations of this policy are resolved

using the formal or informal procedures outlined in Faculty Handbook (III., I.). For purposes of this

policy, the definition of faculty in the Faculty Handbook (II., C.) applies.

Students who have general questions about this policy or concerns about a past or ongoing relationship

may contact the dean of students.4. Statement of Student Rights (Voted by the Faculty April 1987;

amended March 1998)

Subject to respect for the rights of others, every student enjoys the assurance of the full exercise of

those rights expressed in the Honor Code and the preceding three statements, including but not limited

to the following specific rights:

The right to engage in the free exchange of ideas.

The right to protest and to dissent in a peaceable manner and to join with others in other nonviolent

forms of common action.

The right to complain of injustice and to bring grievances to the appropriate offices of the College

without fear of retaliation.

The right to attend functions and to utilize College facilities subject to prescribed rules.

The right to reasonable peace and quiet in residential and academic facilities and to an atmosphere

conducive to work and study.

The right to privacy in one's assigned room, subject to compliance with the College's regulations and to

the security of one's own property and property furnishing the common and public spaces at the

College.

The right, when participating in any aspect of life of the College or traveling among the Five Colleges,

to be free from harassment for reasons of one's race, religion, national origin, ethnic identification, age,

political affiliation and/or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or physical disability.

B. Teaching and Advising | Amherst College

1. Teaching Load. Amherst tries to keep the teaching load at a level that permits the Faculty to devote

considerable time outside of class to students and to scholarly or creative work. Generally, Faculty

teach two courses each semester. Departments have historically adapted this norm to their individual

circumstances. Faculty are encouraged to teach outside their own departments through participation in

interdisciplinary and interdepartmental courses and seminars.

2. Teaching Evaluations of Tenured Faculty Members. On behalf of the faculty, written

evaluations will be solicited from students in each course taught by a tenured faculty member. These

responses will remain anonymous. Students will not be able to submit a response after they have seen

their final grades for the course; faculty members will not be able to see the responses until after final

grades have been submitted. An automated system of response solicitation will direct students to an

online evaluation form that offers a default template of questions (periodically reviewed by the

Committee on Educational Policy) that will be customizable by each member of the faculty. All

student comments will remain confidential, will be at the complete disposal of, and will be accessible

only by the faculty member for whom the evaluations have been solicited (voted by the faculty, May

2007; amended, November 2014, effective 2015-2016).

3. Avoidance of Conflict of Interest. Instructors should not teach their own children or other close

relatives (such as a spouse or partner, grandchild, parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, or a spouse,

partner, or child of any of the foregoing) in a course for credit at Amherst College. The potential

conflict of interest could have negative effects on the student who is a relative of the instructor, as well

as on the instructor’s relation to the other students in the same course. In the rare instances in which

such enrollment is unavoidable, the instructor should discuss the situation with the chair of the

department and the dean of the faculty in advance of the course. In no event should parents, guardians,

or other relatives be grading their own child’s or other relative’s work; another instructor should

evaluate the work and decide upon the grade (voted by the faculty, December 4, 2018).

4. Advising. All members of the regular Faculty, except first-year faculty, participate in College

advising for underclassmen and in advising students majoring in their departments.

5. College Advising. The Dean of New Students assigns all entering students to a member of the

Faculty who serves as that student's College advisor for his or her freshman and sophomore years

whenever practicable. College advisors are responsible for discussing their advisees' programs of study

with them, paying attention to the advising guidelines published annually in the Catalog. They are also

asked to consult with their advisees' class deans, especially, but not only, if one of their advisees

appears to be experiencing academic difficulty. A number of academic support services are available

through the Dean of Students Office.

6. Major Advising. All faculty members, except first-year faculty, have the responsibility for advising

students majoring in their departments about general curricular matters, matters related to the major

and senior honors work.

C. Degree Requirements

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

The requirements for an Amherst College degree are set forth annually in the College Catalog. Course

requirements and special degree programs are also included in detail.

D. Classroom Attendance | Amherst College

Each member of the Faculty is free to state his or her policy with regard to absences. It is assumed that

students will make the most of the educational opportunities available by regularly attending classes

and laboratory periods. A faculty member may take such action as deemed appropriate in the event that

a student disregards the announced regulations. Continued or unexplained absences should be reported

to the Dean of Students. If students are absent because of illness or family emergencies, they are asked

to notify the office of the Dean of Students.

E. Course Scheduling | Amherst College

By faculty vote on April 23, 1968 (amended on December 15, 1987; May 3, 2011; November 18,

2014), courses may be scheduled according to the following pattern:

1. Monday-Wednesday-Friday: Fifty-minute classes may be scheduled on the hour: 9:00, 10:00,

11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00. A 9:00 class may start anytime between 8:30 and 9:00. Eighty-

minute classes may be scheduled at 8:30,12:30, and 2:00 on Monday-Wednesday, Wednesday-Friday,

and Monday-Friday. A 2:00 class may start anytime between 2:00 and 3:00 (amended by the faculty,

November 18, 2014).

Longer classes of up to 110 minutes may be scheduled at 8:00 or at 2:00 or 2:30. Classes of two hours

may be scheduled at 2:00 or 2:30. Laboratories, studios, and class meetings of longer than two hours

may be scheduled at 2:00. On Fridays, any class longer than eighty minutes may begin as early as noon

(amended by the faculty, May 3, 2011).

2. Tuesday-Thursday: Fifty-minute classes may be scheduled as follows: 9:00, 10:00, 11:30, 1:30,

2:30, and 3:30. The following alternative start times are acceptable: a 9:00 course may start at any time

between 8:30 and 9:00; an 11:30 course may start between 11:30 and 12:00; and a 1:30 course may

start between 1:00 and 1:30. Eighty-minute classes may be scheduled as follows: 8:30, 10:00, 11:30,

1:00, 2:30.

Classes and laboratories of more than eighty minutes may be scheduled as follows: starting at 8:00 or

later, and finishing by 11:20. Two-hour meetings may start at 2:30. Meetings longer than two hours

may start at 1:00 or 2:30 (amended by the faculty, May 3, 2011).

3. Classes may be scheduled at times other than those provided above by permission of the dean of the

faculty. The dean should consider whether the course time creates new scheduling conflicts for

students and whether alternatives to that course are available. (Classes that meet at least two times a

week create new conflicts if the requested meeting times are split across distinct time slots, for

example a class that meets Monday and Thursday morning or a class that splits between standard and

nonstandard times.) Requests that create significant scheduling problems, and for which no alternative

sections exist, should be turned down. As much as possible, classes should avoid unnecessary conflicts

with courses in regular blocks. Classes scheduled to start after 4:30 should, in general, be second (or

higher) sections of multi-section courses, so that students have alternatives within the standard

schedule (amended by the Faculty, May 3, 2011).

4. If the registrar discovers that there are too many classes and not enough classrooms for a given time

slot, he or she should consider the best way to match room capacities, configurations (lecture versus

seminar), and technologies to class requirements. Priority may be given to classes scheduled within the

standard schedule over classes scheduled at nonstandard times. If necessary, the registrar may contact

departments to suggest alternative times, and/or alternative rooms, for individual courses. The registrar

should report to the faculty annually about course scheduling, assessing the college’s efforts to balance

its schedule and providing information about peak and non-peak times (voted by the faculty, May 3,

2011).

5. Departments have the authority to schedule classes into any regular slots, subject to the availability

of classrooms. They should strive to use the possible course times as fully as possible. In general, they

should avoid reusing slots until they have used all the available slots for classes of that particular

length. When possible, they should schedule large-enrollment courses (more than eighty students) at

non-peak times. Departments that use fourth hours should avoid scheduling them at peak times.

Classes that meet five days a week should avoid using two blocks of peak times. Instructors should

give advance notice when a course has required events and meetings outside scheduled times, such as

evening exams, film screenings, and field trips. If possible, notice should appear in the course

description (e.g., “this course requires occasional attendance on Wednesday evenings.”), but in any

event should be announced on the first day of class (voted by the faculty, May 3, 2011)

F. End-of-Semester Work | Amherst College

1. At the end of the semester there will be scheduled a five day examination period (including Sunday).

An instructor may choose to:

a. hold no final examination;

b. provide the student with a copy of the final examination before the beginning of the examination

period, to be taken at any time during the examination period according to the procedure outlined by

the instructor ("take-home examination");

c. provide in the envelope supplied, an examination of two or three hours in length which will be made

available at a designated examination center, the selection of the particular time period being left to the

discretion of the individual student ("student self-scheduled examination");

d. hold an examination during a specific, scheduled session. Examinations to be given in this manner

will be scheduled by the Registrar as to room and time (single-session examination).

2. Examinations in all courses must be completed by 5 p.m. on the last day of the examination period.

Each student shall be responsible for completing his or her examinations and returning them in the

manner prescribed within the designated time periods.

3. Members of the faculty will inform the Registrar, upon her/his request, of the manner in which they

intend to conduct their final examinations. The Registrar will then designate examination centers for

each course holding examinations under option 1 (c) and schedule those being held under option 1 (d).

The Registrar will provide students and instructors with a list showing for each course the manner in

which the examination is to be conducted, the date by which examinations must be completed, the days

and times for examination sessions, and when pertinent, the examination center in which the

examination will be conducted.

4. With the exception of previously scheduled performances and exhibitions, no final course work may

be assigned or due during the reading period, which extends between 5:00 p.m. on the last day of

classes through 9:00 a.m. of the first day of the examination period (voted by the faculty, May 19,

2016).

5. Faculty members will submit their grades to the Registrar by the agreed date. (Any extensions are to

follow the procedures designated by Faculty vote.)

6. Prior to each examination period the student members of the Committee on Educational Policy and

of the Judicial Board will arrange to remind each student that examinations are covered by the

Statement of Intellectual Responsibility and will explain the manner in which it applies to these

examination procedures.

7. All other regulations with respect to examinations and final work are specified in the examinations

and extensions section of the Amherst College catalog. Those regulations are binding and may be

modified only by vote of the faculty.

G. Completion of Work/Extension Policy

All regular course work in a given semester must be submitted by the last day of classes at 5:00 p.m.

All final course projects, papers, and examinations in a given semester must be submitted by the end of

the final examination period (voted by the faculty, May 19, 2016).

All other regulations with respect to the completion of work and extensions are specified in the

examinations and extensions section of the Amherst College catalog. Those regulations are binding

and may be modified only by vote of the faculty (voted by the faculty May 18, 2017.)

H. Grade Deadlines

Deadlines for receipt of grades in the Registrar's Office have been established as follows:

1. First semester: By noon of the first Monday of January.

2. Second semester: By 9:00 a.m. of the Monday after the last day of examinations for senior grades;

by noon of the Wednesday after the last day of examinations for all other grades.

I. Special Exception for Reasons of Conscience

It is never easy to resolve conflicts between the conscience of an individual and the principles of a

group. Colleges are, as they should be, especially sensitive to such difficulties and will always strive to

avoid solutions that maximize administrative simplicity or tidiness at the expense of the individual

whose actions, expressive of deep personal commitment, do not fit the general pattern. The general

rules of the College have been adopted to deal humanely and expeditiously with the normal patterns of

Amherst students and faculty. They must not be abrogated easily. On the other hand, there is reason to

believe that some students may become involved in actions of conscience that put them into conflict

with those rules. In an attempt to resolve such conflicts and without intending to weaken our belief in

the general validity of the rules themselves,

"When in the view of a professor and the Dean of Students a student is unable to complete assigned

work within the deadlines set by College rule as a result of activities outside of the College, and when

these activities are clearly ones that the student cannot put aside for reasons of conscience, extensions

may be granted for the completion of that work by the Dean of Students with the consent of the teacher

involved. (In such cases, a grade of "N" will be entered for the course.) The Dean of Students will

consult with the faculty member involved when assigning deadlines."

J. Religious Observance | Amherst College

In accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Amherst College subscribes to

the following statement:

Any student in an educational or vocational training institution, other than a religious or

denominational educational or vocational training institution, who is unable, because of religious

beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a

particular day shall be excused from any such examination or study or work requirement, and shall be

provided with an opportunity to make-up the examination, study, or work requirement missed because

of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall

not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the

institution for making available to the said student such opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects

shall result to students because of availing themselves of the provisions of this section. (See Student

Handbook for Amherst College's particular statement on religious observances.)

The Religious Life website provides dates and information about religious holidays.

Religious advisors are happy to answer questions.

K. The Honors Thesis | Amherst College

When required as a condition of candidacy for honors, a student must submit the original copy of a

typewritten or laser-printed thesis to the Registrar. To ensure archival preservation, the thesis copy to

be deposited in the Archives should be on acid-free bond paper of 20 pound weight. Details of the

format and materials are available from the Office of the Registrar. Theses are available to members of

the Faculty for perusal until the degree meeting of the Faculty, and thereafter placed in the College

Archives. The copy deposited in the Archives becomes the physical property of the College.

The literary rights, including those of publication, copying extracts, or closely paraphrasing from the

manuscript, shall remain the property of the author, except that the College shall have the right to

permit access by the public to any unpublished thesis at any time. The author may dispose of other

manuscript copies as he or she sees fit, and may publish and copyright the thesis at any time. No

photocopy or audio duplicate of the thesis in the College Archives will be permitted, except for

Interlibrary Loan proposes, without the author's written consent to each request.

The purpose of these regulations is to ensure access by interested readers to all theses presented in

partial fulfillment of degree requirements at Amherst College. In exceptional circumstances, access to

a thesis may be restricted for a specific period of time. Restrictions will be considered only where it is

thought that access could cause injury to others. A request for restriction must be endorsed by the

department for which the thesis was written and by the Dean of the Faculty and submitted in writing to

the Archivist of the College.

L. Study Abroad | Amherst College

With the approval of the departments concerned and of the Dean of Students, a student may arrange to

take an academic leave from Amherst College to spend a semester or a year at another institution and

to receive transfer credit for work satisfactorily completed there. Amherst College does not as an

institution have any sustained commitments to particular exchange or overseas programs beyond the

Associated Kyoto Program, which makes possible an undergraduate year in Kyoto, Japan. A student

interested in the available opportunities should be encouraged to consult the information and files

available in the Office of the Dean of Students or the Office of Career Counseling. A wide variety of

exchange programs and foreign study programs is available. Arrangements must, however, be made on

an individual basis.

M. Cooperative Doctor of Philosophy Degree

When a student has been awarded a degree under this program, the fact that it is a cooperative doctoral

degree involving Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and the University of

Massachusetts will be indicated on the diploma, the permanent record, and all transcripts, as well as on

the commencement program.

The requirements for the degree are identical to those for the Ph.D. degree at the University of

Massachusetts except for the statement relating to "residence." For the cooperative Ph.D. degree,

"residence" is defined as the institution where the dissertation is being done.

Students interested in this program should write to the Dean of the Graduate School at the University

of Massachusetts. However, students who wish to work under the direction of a member of the

Amherst Faculty must have their proposal approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Amherst College.

N. Classified Research | Amherst College

Following a long study and a subsequent report by a faculty committee in 1977-78, the Faculty

adopted the following guidelines related to sponsored research at Amherst College:

The Administration of Amherst College

1. will accept and administer only grants or contracts, the sponsorship and purpose of which are openly

disclosed. (Should a benefactor wish to remain anonymous, the purpose of the grant must be openly

disclosed.) Grants and contracts for research administered by the College will be accepted only if the

faculty member involved is free to publish the results of his or her research.

2. will not cooperate with security investigations pertaining to the recruitment of any present or former

member of the Faculty, student body or staff without the consent of the individual to such action in

advance (Voted by the Faculty, October 1978).

O. Faculty Attendance and Grade Reports

Members of the Faculty not on leave are required to attend the opening convocation, all faculty

meetings, and the commencement exercises. Any member of the Faculty unable to meet one of these

obligations should inform the Dean of the Faculty or the President of the reason.

Members of the Faculty are expected, barring emergencies, to meet all scheduled classes.

Members of the Faculty are expected to report their grades to the Registrar within the period of time at

the end of each semester voted by the Faculty (See Section H).

P. Informing the Administration of Address

Changes

Faculty are expected to inform the Dean of the Faculty's Office of their addresses (and, if possible,

telephone numbers) when they are away from Amherst on leave, over the summer or during January

Interterm for an extended period of time.

Q. Outside Employment | Amherst College

Unless excused by the trustees or by the president, all faculty members shall be required to be in

attendance at the college during the academic year. No faculty member shall be employed in any

occupation which interferes with the thorough and efficient performance of the responsibilities of his

or her office, and no engagement shall be made by any faculty member for teaching in another

institution during the academic year without the permission of the president.

The arrangements for overtime faculty borrowing between the Five Colleges are governed by joint

agreement among the colleges. Any arrangement for additional teaching at one of the Five Colleges

must be discussed with the departments concerned and with the dean of the faculty.

R. Faculty Meetings | Amherst College

1. Attendance and Voting

The following members of the college have the right and responsibility to attend faculty meetings, with

voice and vote: (1) the president, the dean of the faculty, professors, associate professors, and assistant

professors appointed to regular full-time or part-time tenured or tenure-track positions; (2) all

individuals on non-tenure-track, renewable contracts, who teach regularly in the college curriculum

and whose primary affiliation is with Amherst College; (3) all persons with visiting teaching

appointments, for the duration of their appointment at Amherst College, provided that appointment is

their primary professional responsibility at the time; and, (4) the following members of the

administration: the dean of students, the class deans of students, the dean of admission and financial

aid, the director of financial aid, the director of the library, the chief information officer, the director of

the academic computer center, the director of health services, the director of the counseling center, the

director of athletics, the registrar, and the director of the Mead Art Museum.

Questions before the faculty may be decided by unanimous consent, voice vote, or electronic ballot if

requested by the chair or a faculty member. Should an electronic ballot not be possible, a paper ballot

may be used in its place (voted by the faculty, May 1990, amended April 16, 2019).

Faculty members on phased retirement retain the right to attend and vote in faculty meetings, though in

their individual agreements with the Dean of the Faculty they may determine not to do so.

2. Attendance Without Vote

a. Administration and Temporary Faculty. Interchange faculty members from other colleges in the

valley or part-time appointees teaching on a per-course basis and retaining primary concurrent

affiliation with another academic institution (including adjunct appointees and teaching assistants and

associates) are welcome to attend meetings of the faculty with voice but without vote, as are contract

coaches of the Department of Physical Education, and the associates and assistants of administrative

officers named above, unless individually otherwise designated.

Other members of the administration are statutorily designated as guests at faculty meetings. They

include: the chief financial and administrative officer; the chief advancement officer; the alumni

secretary; the secretary and assistant or associate secretary for public affairs; the assistant or associate

registrar; assistants to the president; the assistants to the deans, specifically the Wilson and Mayo-

Smith interns in the Admission Office; and the Five College Coordinator. Other guests may be invited

to specific meetings of the faculty by the president with the concurrence of the Committee of Six.

These persons, as guests, are not normally expected to participate in debate, although they may speak

if questions are addressed to them.

b. Students. By vote of the faculty in October 1970, in order to provide improved communication of

student sentiment concerning proposals originating in College committees whose membership includes

students, student members of some faculty-student-Administration committees and officers of the

Association of Amherst Students (AAS) are invited to be present with the Faculty during regular

meetings of the faculty as participating, non-voting members of the meeting. Participation includes the

right to speak and to make and second motions.

Student members of these committees and those officers of the Association of Amherst Students

include: student members of the Committee on Educational Policy, the College Council, the

Committee on Priorities and Resources, the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid, the

Committee on Discipline, and the Library Committee, and the four executive officers of the student

governing body. The editor-in-chief and the publisher of The Amherst Student are invited guests at

Faculty meetings for purposes of information.

3. Regular Faculty Meetings

During the academic year the faculty holds at least three stated meetings which take place in the

Converse Auditorium: one at the opening of college, one before spring vacation for the approval of

new courses or changes in courses for the coming college year, and a meeting immediately before

commencement.

The meetings at the opening of college and before commencement are normally held in the morning.

Other faculty meetings are normally held on Tuesday evenings at 7:30. The first and third Tuesday

evenings of months when the college is in session are reserved for meetings of the faculty. faculty

meetings schedule.

4. Special Faculty Meetings

A special meeting of the Faculty is held when in the opinion of the president or of the Committee of

Six there is necessary business to be transacted. A special meeting may also be held at the request of

eight or more members of the faculty.

5. Presiding Officers

The president of the college presides at meetings of the faculty. In the president's absence, the dean of

the faculty presides. The dean of the faculty serves as secretary and may designate a recorder to keep

the minutes of the meetings of the faculty. In the event that the dean of the faculty is presiding at a

faculty meeting, a member of the faculty will be asked to serve as secretary pro tem.

6.Quorum

The quorum for the transaction of business at a faculty meeting is met when the number of those required to

attend, eligible to vote, and present at the meeting is greater than one-half of the number of tenure-line faculty,

lecturers, and resident artists not on leave in a given semester. Faculty on leave are not required to attend,

but retain the privilege of attendance and vote; if faculty members attend a meeting of the faculty while they

are on leave, they will be counted when constituting the quorum.

7. Agenda

An advance notice of the agenda of each meeting is normally sent to members of the faculty. Items not

on the agenda may be discussed at any meeting and voted upon at any meeting of the Faculty.

Whenever possible, the minutes of the meetings of the Committee of Six held since the last faculty

meeting and copies of all recommendations to be considered by the faculty will be sent to each

member of the faculty with the agenda.

In October 1980, the Faculty voted that:

Except in a grave emergency, the Committee of Six, in setting the agenda for a Faculty meeting, shall

not include any motion on a constitutional matter or a matter of policy unless it has assured that the

motion, and the reasoning considered by the committee for and against it, will reach faculty members

in time to allow reflection and informal discussion (normally by the Wednesday before the Tuesday of

the meeting). This is known in local parlance as the Romer-Hawkins rule.

On the agenda and at meetings of the faculty, the usual order of business is:

a. Call to order

b. Reading or review of the minutes of the preceding meeting of the Faculty if they have not already

been made available; approval of these minutes

c. Reading or review of the minutes of the meetings of the Committee of Six held since the last faculty

meeting if they have not already been made available

d. Remarks by the President of the College

e. Remarks by the Dean of the Faculty

f. Election of committee members

g. Consideration of recommendations made by the Committee of Six and/or the Committee on

Educational Policy to the Faculty

h. Consideration of recommendations from other committees

i. Questions to the Administration

j. Unfinished business

k. New business

l. Adjournment.

8. Rules of Order

The rules of parliamentary procedure as found in Robert's Rules of Order govern the meetings of the

faculty in all cases to which they are applicable and when they are not inconsistent with the customs or

regulations of Amherst College. A member of the faculty is designated as the faculty parliamentarian.

9. Voting

Those eligible to vote are defined in the section on Faculty Meetings above. Questions before the

Faculty may be decided by voice vote, by a show of hands, or by written ballot if so requested.

Abstentions are in order.

10. Concurrence of President

The concurrence of the president is necessary to all acts and resolutions of the faculty, unless, after

non-concurrence, the act or resolution shall again be passed by a two-thirds vote of the faculty, a

quorum being present, at the same or at the next succeeding meeting thereof. In all cases where there

shall be a non-concurrence between the president and a majority of the faculty present at the time, the

names of those voting on each side of the question shall be entered on the minutes, and each member

shall be entitled to have entered on the minutes the reason for his or her vote.

11. Binding Nature of Decisions

All decisions of the faculty arrived at by vote in the meetings of the faculty shall be binding, and all

members are expected to adhere to the spirit and intent of such decisions.

12. Confidential Nature of Meetings

Discussions at faculty meetings are confidential, and public announcements of decisions taken at

faculty meetings should be made only by the president or the dean of the faculty. Students wishing to

report on matters discussed by the faculty will consult with the dean of the faculty to ensure the degree

of confidentiality deemed necessary by the faculty.

13. Minutes of Faculty Meetings

The minutes of faculty meetings are circulated to the faculty and staff of the college. As noted above,

there is a general expectation of confidentiality regarding faculty meetings, which extends to the

minutes. The minutes should not be shared with anyone who is not officially entitled to receive them

(voted by the faculty, May 2018).

S. Committees | Amherst College

Faculty participate in the governance of Amherst College through their actions in meetings of the

faculty and through service on committees of the faculty, committees of the college, committees of the

Amherst College Board of Trustees, ad hoc committees, and Five-College committees. For purposes of

committee membership, candidates will normally be selected from the ranks of full-time and part-time

tenure-line faculty. Committee service is expected of all tenure-line faculty, except for those in their

first year. At Amherst, retiring members of committees are normally not reappointed or re-elected to

that committee for at least one year (voted by the faculty, May 19, 2016). Committees and appointed

faculty members.

1. Committees of the Faculty

Faculty Committee Membership The right to serve on the Faculty Executive Committee and the right

to vote for members of that committee are limited to professors, associate professors, and assistant

professors appointed to full-time or part-time tenure-line positions. The committee chooses its chair

from among its tenured members. The president of the college and the provost and dean of the faculty

serve on the committee ex officio and without vote. The right to serve on the Tenure and Promotion

Committee is limited to tenured members of the faculty. The right to vote for members of that

committee is limited to is limited to professors, associate professors, and assistant professors appointed

to full-time or part-time tenure-line positions. The president serves as chair of the committee, and the

provost and dean of the faculty serves as secretary. The faculty members of the Committee of

Educational Policy, Community Standards Review Board, the College Council, the Committee on

Priorities and Resources and the Committee on Adjudication are elected by the faculty after

nomination by the Faculty Executive Committee or after nomination from the floor. Faculty members

of other regular committees of the faculty are appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee, usually

for two- or three-year terms. Faculty members of college committees and/or of ad hoc committees may

be appointed by the president of the college, with the advice of the Faculty Executive Committee, or

may be elected by the faculty following the balloting system used for the Faculty Executive

Committee.

The faculty members of the Committee of Educational Policy, Community Standards Review Board,

the College Council, the Committee on Priorities and Resources and the Committee on Adjudication

are elected by the faculty after nomination by the Faculty Executive Committee or after nomination

from the floor. Faculty members of other regular committees of the faculty are appointed by the

Faculty Executive Committee, usually for two- or three-year terms. Faculty members of college

committees and/or of ad hoc committees may be appointed by the president of the college, with the

advice of the Faculty Executive Committee, or may be elected by the faculty following the balloting

system used for the Faculty Executive Committee.

a. The Committee on Academic Standing and Special Majors This committee is co-chaired by the

chief student affairs officer and a member of the faculty appointed by the Faculty Executive

Committee. Two additional members of the faculty are appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee

for two-year terms. The three members of the faculty shall preferably include one each from the

humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. The committee acts on cases involving the

dismissal and readmission of students who have failed to perform academically according to the

standards of the college. It also administers the programs of Interdisciplinary Study, Independent

Study, and Field Study. When the committee meets to consider matters of academic standing, the chief

student affairs officer serves as chair; when the committee meets to consider student proposals for

special majors, the designated faculty member serves as chair.

Proposals for special majors are considered by a subcommittee consisting of the three faculty members

and the chief student affairs officer, ex officio. On matters of academic standing, the committee

consists of three faculty members, the chief student affairs officer, the dean of students, the class

deans, and the dean of financial aid, with the registrar serving as secretary of the committee, ex officio.

For matters of academic standing, the charge to the committee is as follows:

(1) The committee shall consider the standing of students in serious academic difficulty at the middle

and end of each semester, and shall decide which students will be placed on or removed from academic

probation.

(2) The committee shall decide which students shall be dismissed for reasons of unsatisfactory

academic performance and what conditions need be met by such students to be readmitted to the

college.

(3) The committee shall pass on all cases of readmission of students who were dismissed for

unsatisfactory academic performance.

Students in good academic standing who take educational leave from the college temporarily to pursue

a course of study at another institution need not apply for readmission. Their cases will be reviewed

only if exceptional or unusual circumstances have led to academic failure during the period of

educational leave.

Students in good academic standing who voluntarily take a leave of absence will normally not need to

apply for readmission.

Students who have been dismissed or who have withdrawn for solely disciplinary reasons will be

considered for readmission by members of the Office of Student Affairs.

b. The Committee on Adjudication The Committee of Adjudication consists of eight members of the

faculty, serving three year terms, staggered to ensure continuity. Nominations are made by the Faculty

Executive Committee, but additional nominations may be made from the floor during the faculty

meeting at which the members of this committee are elected by a majority of those present and voting.

The Committee on Adjudication annually chooses its own chair.

The Committee on Adjudication has several duties.

1. It provides the Hearing Board in cases involving dismissal, suspension from service for a stated

period, demotion in rank, or deprivation of pay, for cause.

2. It serves as the Faculty Grievance Committee.

3. It provides faculty members of the Hearing Board and the Appeal Board in cases of student

grievance against members of the faculty.

(1) The Faculty Executive Committee will select from the membership of the Committee on

Adjudication a three member Hearing Board in cases of dismissal, suspension, demotion in rank, or

deprivation of pay for cause brought by the provost and dean of the faculty.

(2) Where a member of the faculty has failed to resolve a grievance informally, the faculty member

may then file a complaint with the chair of the Committee on Adjudication. The committee's procedure

for determining whether to hear the complaint and for establishing a Hearing Board are described in

the Faculty Handbook section on Grievance Procedures for Members of the Faculty.

(3) In cases of student grievance against a faculty member, the chair of the committee shall appoint

three faculty from among its members to a Hearing Board. Should it be necessary, the chair of the

committee shall, with one other member appointed by him or her, serve as the faculty members of an

Appeal Board. The procedures therefore are described in the Faculty Handbook section on Resolution

of Student Grievances with Members of the Faculty.

If a member of the committee is disqualified for any reason from such service, he or she will be

replaced by another member of the Committee on Adjudication. In exceptional cases where no

alternative member of the committee is available, the Faculty Executive Committee will appoint a

substitute from the faculty at large.

c. The Committee on Admission and Financial Aid The Committee on Admission and Financial Aid

consists of four members of the faculty appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee for three-year

terms, four students serving two-year terms to be chosen as described below and, as members, ex

officio, the dean of admission and financial aid (secretary of the committee), the dean of admission, the

dean of financial aid, and the chief student affairs officer. One of the faculty members is appointed by

the Faculty Executive Committee as chair, normally after a year of service. It is hoped that different

areas of the curriculum will be represented by the faculty members on the committee. The president

will meet with the committee either at its invitation or on his or her initiative.

A College Committee on Admission and Financial Aid will convene under the chairmanship of the

dean of admission and financial aid at least four times in each academic year. It will consist of the

provost and dean of the faculty, ex officio, and eight voting members: the dean of admission and

financial aid, the dean of admission, the dean of financial aid, the chief student affairs officer, and the

four faculty members on the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid. At a meeting early in the fall

of each year, the College Committee on Admission and Financial Aid will review the composition and

diversity of the first-year class, paying attention to such issues as the distribution of students by

curricular and extracurricular strengths. The committee will re-convene in advance of the release of

notifications of admission to early decision candidates (normally in December) and prior to the release

of notifications of admission to regular round candidates (normally in March) to consider such

information as it deems necessary to insure that the college's stated policies are being implemented. At

the end of each of these meetings the committee will vote on the admission actions recommended by

the dean of admission and financial aid. The committee will hold a final meeting at the end of the

academic year to review the outcome of the completed admission process (voted by the faculty,

December, 1999).

Two students shall be elected by the student body for a two-year term to the Committee on Admission

and Financial Aid. Following the election, the dean of admission and financial aid in consultation with

the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid will appoint two additional student members for two-

year terms. The four student positions are to be filled in staggered order, with one appointed and one

elected position to be filled annually.

Because of Amherst College's commitment to equal opportunity and the role of the admission process

in meeting an important part of this commitment, the presence on the committee of students from

different minority and racial groups is especially valuable. In general, student members of the

committee can provide particular advice on policy discussions about recruitment.

The primary function of the committee is to enhance communication between the faculty and

appropriate administrative offices and in so doing to aid the faculty in carrying out its responsibility to

formulate standards and policy for admission and financial aid. To these ends, the committee should

review on a regular basis, through observation and quantitative studies, how adequately policy and

practice are meeting stated goals, should develop and maintain mechanisms for communicating faculty

opinion on the quality of our students to the staff, and should report annually to the faculty on the

committee's work. Members of the committee should be sufficiently engaged in the admission process

to enable them to carry out their responsibilities effectively (voted by the faculty, September 1984).

d. The College Council The College Council is composed of three members of the faculty, two or

three members of the administration, and five students. The faculty members of the College Council

are nominated by the Faculty Executive Committee and elected at large by the faculty. They serve for

two-year terms. Two members of the College Council will normally be elected each year, so that the

terms will overlap. The chief student affairs officer and the dean of students serve on the Council ex

officio without vote. One or two other members of the Office of Student Affairs are appointed annually

by the president. Of the five students, three are members-at-large from the freshman, sophomore and

junior class elected each spring to serve throughout the following academic year. The president of the

Student Government serves ex officio without vote during the academic year. At the end of the first

semester, the freshman class elects a representative to serve during the following two semesters.

The chair of the College Council is one of the three faculty members nominated for that post by the

Faculty Executive Committee and elected specifically as chair by the Faculty for a one-year term.

Subject to the reserved powers of the president and the Amherst College Board of Trustees, the

College Council is the body to approve and determine policy in three areas: extracurricular faculty-

student relations, the review of recommendations involving the Statement of Intellectual

Responsibility, and social regulations for student residential and social life.

In addition, the College Council possesses power to make recommendations concerning a wide range

of subjects that touch the joint interests of students, faculty and administration.

The College Council will not act as a review board to make decisions or recommendations in

individual cases involving academic requirements and standards for granting degrees or involving the

implementation of such academic requirements and standards. The College Council will not discuss

and will not make recommendations to any group on particular personnel decisions in the faculty or

administration.

e. College Housing Committee The College Housing Committee advises the administration on the

general principles and rules of equity governing the housing program of the college. The committee

consists of four members of the faculty serving two-year terms, the chief financial and administrative

officer, ex officio, without vote; the director of Human Resources, ex officio, without vote; and the

director of Rental Property, ex officio, without vote. In making appointments to the Housing

Committee, the Faculty Executive Committee tries to ensure that various faculty interests are

represented: married-single; younger-older; home owners and those in college housing.

f. Community Standards Review Board The board will consist of four elected student members;

fifteen or more selected student members, representing a pluralism of identities and class years; four

members of the faculty; and the dean of students, or that person’s designee, who serves as the chair, ex

officio, without vote. The faculty members of the Community Standards Review Board (CSRB) will

be elected during a meeting of the faculty after nomination by the Faculty Executive Committee or

after nomination from the floor. They will normally serve three-year terms, and their terms, when

possible, will be staggered so as to maintain continuity from year to year. Incidents regarding

violations of the Student Code of Conduct may be adjudicated by a hearing panel. Members will serve

on CSRB panels.

Membership on the Board

The pool from which a CSRB panel is drawn will consist of approximately nineteen students and four

members of the faculty. The dean of students, or that person’s designee, will ordinarily serve as non-

voting chair. The director of community standards, or that person’s designee, will serve as record

keeper.

The dean is joined by five voting panel members, three students, and two faculty members. Under

certain circumstances, the dean of students, or that person’s designee, is authorized to convene ad hoc

panels, as described here, if necessary.

Student members of the CSRB will be chosen either by an election conducted by the middle of the

second semester of each academic year by the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) or by a

selection process administered by the Office of Student Affairs. The AAS will oversee the following

procedures:

1. The election will be conducted according to the procedures outlined in the code of elections. The

four candidates, with no more than two of the four candidates representing the same gender identity,

who receive the highest number of votes will be elected. If this procedure cannot be followed because

of an insufficient number of candidates, then the College Council will appoint a student to any position

unfilled by election.

2. If one of the elected students resigns, the AAS will appoint an alternate, and the alternate will be of

the same gender identity as the student who resigned when possible. In the event elected students are

not available, and substitutes are required to maintain the quorum for a case, a substitute will normally

be appointed by the chair of the College Council.

3. Additional students are appointed via a selection process administered by the Office of Student

Affairs.

Student members will begin their two-year term on July 1 of the year of their election.

At the beginning of each academic year, the dean of students, or that person's designee, will schedule

training for all members of the CSRB. In consultation with the board, the dean of students, or that

person's designee, may, from time to time, schedule other such training to assist the board.

Ad hoc Panels

The CSRB is active only when classes are in session; there are no regularly scheduled hearings during

final examinations or recesses. Occasionally, however, circumstances may prompt a complainant or

respondent to request an expedited resolution during a period when the CSRB is inactive. In these

circumstances, the dean of students, or that person’s designee, is authorized to provide voluntary,

alternative mechanisms for conflict resolution, including constituting ad hoc panels, provided both

parties to the conflict consent to the voluntary alternative. Ad hoc panels may comprise Amherst

college students or faculty, who need not be members of the CSRB. Panel compositions may be

adjusted at the discretion of the dean of students, or that person’s designee. Relevant policies and

procedures will be reviewed with ad hoc panel members prior to their service.

Appeal

Either the respondent or the complainant may appeal a decision by the CSRB, the dean of students, or

the director of community standards. All intellectual responsibility appeals and appeals of a decision

of a CSRB panel are directed to the dean of the faculty. Appeals of non-intellectual responsibility-

related decisions made by the director of community standards, or that person's designee

(administrative adjudicator), are directed to the chief student affairs officer. An appeal may come

forward based on the following grounds: bias shown during any part of the student conduct process;

material procedural error; the inappropriateness of the sanction (respondent only); or the discovery of

substantive new evidence that was not available at the time the decision was made.

The respondent or the complainant must submit a written statement of appeal to the provost and dean

of the faculty or chief student affairs officer, as appropriate, which must state the grounds and reason

for the appeal, within ten business days of the date of the written finding. Upon receipt of the

statement of appeal, the dean of the faculty or chief student affairs officer will review the official

records of the dean of students, director of community standards or the board’s proceeding, and other

materials bearing on the case as necessary. The provost and dean of the faculty or chief student affairs

officer may interview the parties to the dispute or anyone else involved in the hearing process,

including the panel members.

For an appeal of an intellectual responsibility decision by the dean of students or the director of

community standards, the provost and dean of the faculty may refer the case to a panel of the CSRB,

consisting of two faculty members, one of whom will act as chair, and one student. For an appeal of a

decision by the CSRB, the provost and dean of the faculty may refer the case back to the original panel

with instructions or may direct that the case be reviewed or reheard by a different panel of the

CSRB. In the case of any such referral, the panel of the CSRB will report its findings and

recommendations to the provost and dean of the faculty, who will resolve the appeal.

For any appeal, the provost and dean of the faculty or chief student affairs officer will render a

decision with such terms as the provost and dean of the faculty or chief student affairs officer

determines to be appropriate. The provost and dean of the faculty’s or chief student affairs officer’s

decision is final, and no further appeal will be permitted (voted by the faculty November 2017).

g. The Committee on Educational Policy (voted by the faculty, December 2006). The Committee on

Educational Policy (CEP) is composed of five faculty members, each serving a three-year term; the

provost and dean of the faculty, ex officio, without vote; and three student members, each serving a

two-year term. The humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences must be represented on the

committee, by both faculty members and student members. Each year the committee chooses its own

chair and secretary from among its five faculty members. A researcher appointed by the provost and

dean of the faculty informs and supports the work of the CEP. The chair sets the committee's agenda.

The minutes of the CEP’s meetings are circulated to the faculty and staff of the college. There is a

general expectation of confidentiality in regard to the minutes. The minutes should not be shared with

anyone who is not officially entitled to receive them (voted by the faculty May 1, 2018). Nominations

of the faculty members for the Committee on Educational Policy are made by the Faculty Executive

Committee and reported to the faculty in advance of the faculty meeting at which they are to be

elected.

Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the meeting. Candidates must receive the

approval of a majority of the eligible voting members of the faculty present at the meeting in order to

be elected. Ideally, two members of the Committee on Educational Policy should be elected in two out

of three years, and one member elected in the third. In this way, overlapping terms will create a

continuity of membership. The student members of the committee are elected for two-year terms, two

members being elected in one year, and a third in the other, alternately.

All members of the faculty are eligible to serve on the Committee on Educational Policy, with the

same exceptions as govern eligibility for theFaculty Executive Committee.

The Committee on Educational policy is expected to review and evaluate, and to report to the faculty

on, the general educational policy of the college; to consider suggestions from departments or from

individual faculty members or students relating to changes in educational policy, including proposals

for new courses, new programs, and altered major programs or honors requirements; and to make

recommendations to the Faculty Executive Committee and the faculty. The Committee on Educational

Policy advises the president and the provost and dean of the faculty about the allocation of faculty

positions to departments. In making recommendations for such allocations, the committee considers,

inter alia, the curricular needs of individual departments and the commitment of departments to offer

courses that meet identified college-wide priorities and curricular needs. The CEP also maintains the

college calendar, in consultation with the registrar and subject to the ultimate approval of the faculty

(voted by the faculty, March 21, 2017).

h. The Faculty Computer Committee The Faculty Computer Committee consists of three faculty members

appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee for two-year terms and one student member elected by the

student government. In addition, the chief information officer of Information Technology (IT), the director of

Academic Technology Services (ATS), and the director of the library are ex officio members without vote. One

of the faculty members serves as chair. The committee advises the director of IT and the director of ATS on

topics related to the use of computer technology in support of research and instruction and on other IT issues

affecting the academic life of the college. One member of the committee serves as a faculty representative to

the College's Internet Strategy Group (voted by the faculty, November 2007).

i. The Faculty Executive Committee The Faculty Executive Committee consists of five members of the faculty.

Three of the members are tenured and two are tenure track. Tenured members serve for a term of two

years. The tenure-track members serve for a term of one year. The terms of the tenured members are

staggered to ensure membership continuity. The president and the provost and dean of the faculty serve on

the committee ex officio and without vote. One of the tenured members serves as chair of the committee for a

term of one year, setting the committee’s agenda in consultation with other members and chairing committee

meetings.

The Faculty Executive Committee’s responsibilities include the following:

 advising the administration, and the faculty as a whole, on matters of college policy

 consulting with the faculty in order to represent its interests and those of the college as a whole

 consulting periodically with various members of the administration to gather, assess, and disseminate

information on significant college activities, particularly those that touch on the academic mission

(e.g., admissions, budget, faculty housing, student life, etc.)

 preparing the agenda for faculty meetings

 reviewing and recommending to the faculty any additions, deletions, or changes to faculty committees

and their charges, both standing and ad hoc, and reviewing proposals developed by such committees

 following up on and communicating about policies and committee recommendations approved by the

faculty

 nominating or appointing members of other faculty committees

 appointing the Faculty Executive Committee’s chair

Normally, the Faculty Executive Committee meets biweekly during each semester of the academic

year.

Election Process

Members of the Faculty Executive Committee are elected to represent the interests of the entire

faculty, not those of special groups. They are elected without restrictions of divisional or departmental

affiliation. In the discharge of their duties, the various members participate equally in all parts of the

deliberations of the committee and in all votes taken by it.

The election procedure of the Faculty Executive Committee is designed to select members who will

exercise their individual judgments as impartially as possible in the general interests of the faculty and

of the college. It is important that members of the committee not feel any particular indebtedness to

individuals or groups for support in the election process. The faculty has therefore declared that

campaigning, caucusing and slating are inappropriate in Faculty Executive Committee elections.

Faculty, and in particular new faculty, seeking information about names appearing on the ballot may,

however, discuss them informally with other faculty.

At least two of the members of the Faculty Executive Committee are elected in the spring of each year

by faculty ballot. Two seats on the Faculty Executive Committee shall be reserved for tenure-track

faculty, who will each be elected for a one-year term from a ballot containing the names of all eligible

tenure-track faculty. Separately, all tenured members of the committee are elected for two-year terms

from a ballot containing the names of all eligible tenured faculty. All tenure-line faculty vote for

candidates on both ballots. Each faculty member must vote for the exact number of vacancies to be

filled from each ballot. On the second round of balloting, the number of names presented on the ballots

is four times the number of positions remaining to be filled on that ballot. On each succeeding ballot,

the number of names presented is twice the number of positions remaining to be filled. To be elected, a

faculty member must receive a majority of the votes cast on a particular ballot. Balloting continues

until all the positions to be filled have been filled by faculty members who have received a majority of

the votes cast.

During any given election, all professors, associate professors, and assistant professors appointed to

full-time tenure-line positions are included on the Faculty Executive Committee, except: 1) the

president and the provost and dean of the faculty; 2) other faculty who are serving at least part-time in

an administrative role outside their department(s); 3) those who will be in their first year at Amherst in

the year following the election; 4) those who will not be at Amherst for one or both semesters of the

year following the election; 5) retiring members of the Faculty Executive Committee and the Tenure

and Promotion Committee, and those who retired from them (or, formerly, the Committee of Six) in

the previous three years (i.e., retiring members cannot be reelected for four years); 6) those who have

served three or more terms on the Faculty Executive Committee (or, formerly, the Committee of Six )

and have exercised the option of taking their names off the ballot each year by contacting the Office of

the Provost and Dean of the Faculty before the election begins; and 7) tenure-track faculty members

who have exercised the option of taking their names off the ballot each year by contacting the Office of

the Provost and Dean of the Faculty before the election begins;

Part-time faculty members in tenure-line positions and those on phased retirement have the option not

to be included on the ballot.

After the election process is complete, the Faculty Executive Committee will also appoint the

following year’s committee chair, for a term of one year.

j. The First-Year Seminar Committee The First-Year Seminar (FYS) Committee consists of three faculty

members, among whom the committee selects its chair, and a faculty representative from the Writing Center

(ex officio without vote). The committee is responsible for assisting faculty to develop and teach courses that

advance the goals of the FYS Program as voted by the faculty. To that end, the committee solicits such course

proposals and forwards them to the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP) for approval by the faculty,

participates in the planning of pedagogical workshops for the FYS Program, and encourages faculty

collaboration and curricular innovation in the seminar offerings. In addition, the committee is responsible for

assessing the program and reporting its findings to the faculty (voted by the faculty, May 2009).

k. The Committee on Global Education The Committee on Global Education is composed of three members of

the faculty (each from a different department), one of whom will serve as chair, and the director of the Office

of Global Education and the registrar, ex officio, with vote. The Faculty Executive Committee appoints the

faculty members of the committee for three-year terms and appoints the chair. The Committee on Global

Education shapes policies and procedures for evaluating and approving study-away programs and initiatives

for Amherst students. The members maintain and review a list of college-approved study-away programs,

review student petitions for study-away programs that are not already on the college-approved list, review

student evaluations of all programs, facilitate outreach to departments, and consult with the director to

identify new opportunities for experiences off-campus and to facilitate student participation in them. The

faculty members of the committee review applications for the faculty exchange with Doshisha University (the

Amherst-Doshisha Professorship) and make recommendations to Amherst’s provost and dean of the

faculty. The committee also reviews other potential partner institutions and makes recommendations to the

provost and dean of the faculty (voted by the faculty, April 4, 2017). (Significant revisions were made to this

charge by vote of the faculty on February 6, 2018.)

l. Committee on Health Professions The Committee on Health Professions is composed of four

faculty members appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee, including at least one each from the

Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, and the health professions adviser. Faculty members

normally serve for three years, and one serves as chair.

The Health Professions Committee recommends policies affecting students planning for careers in

medicine and other health professions, provides academic advising and support for those students, and

prepares recommendation materials for students and graduates applying to health professions schools.

m. The Faculty Lecture Committee The Faculty Lecture Committee is composed of three members,

each serving initially for two years. The chair is typically chosen from among the returning members

of the committee and serves for a third year. This committee arranges the program of college lectures,

including those provided by specially endowed lecture funds.

n. The Library Committee The Library Committee is composed of three members of the faculty, one

chosen annually by the Faculty Executive Committee, serving for three-year terms, two students, and

the librarian of the college, ex officio. The committee chooses its chair and secretary each year. Its

membership should include one representative each from the humanities, the social sciences and the

natural sciences. The purpose of the committee is to discuss and to recommend policies concerning the

library's collections and services.

o. The Orientation Committee The Orientation Committee consists of four members of the Office of

Student Affairs, including the dean of new students, ex officio, who serves as the committee’s chair;

two other members of the faculty, appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee; the chief policy

officer/general counsel (or his or her representative), ex officio; and four students (two students

selected by the student government and two selected by the Office of Student Affairs). The faculty and

student members of the committee normally serve two-year terms. The Orientation Committee acts in

an advisory capacity to the Office of Student Affairs, which is charged with planning and

administering orientation for new students and ongoing orientation programs. The committee

approaches its work through broad consultation, drawing on the expertise of members of the Amherst

College community. The role of the committee is to help develop and review the vision, policies, and

programming of orientation, giving special attention to academic, social, and regulatory expectations

for this experience (amended by vote of the faculty, May 2014).

p. The Committee on Education and Athletics This committee is composed of the chair of the

Department of Physical Education, two representatives selected by the Department of Physical

Education, three members of the faculty chosen by the Faculty Executive Committee, two students

(one man and one woman) elected by their peers from a slate consisting of the Student-Athlete

Advisory Committee, and a third appointed by the Association of Amherst Students (voted by the

faculty, May 2007); and the chief student affairs officer or his or her designee, ex officio. A member of

the faculty chairs the committee. The president and the provost and dean of the faculty may meet with

the committee. The purpose of this committee is to advise the college on the role and place of athletics

in the educational enterprise of the college (voted by the faculty, 2004).

q. Committee on Priorities and Resources (voted by the faculty, May 2010). The Committee on

Priorities and Resources (CPR) is a committee of faculty, students, and staff (with a faculty member as

chair), with officers of the administration (the president, the provost and dean of the faculty, the chief

financial and administrative officer and the director of budget and analysis, and the chief human

resources officer) present ex officio (amended by vote of the faculty, May 2014). The four faculty

members, at least one each from the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences, normally

serve for a term of three years, and their terms of office are generally staggered so that each year no

more than two new members of the committee and the chair are nominated by the Faculty Executive

Committee and elected by the faculty. To assure continuity of membership on the CPR, the Faculty

Executive Committee will endeavor to nominate members of the faculty whose service on the

committee will not be interrupted for two or three years. The minutes of the CPR’s meetings are

circulated to the faculty and staff of the college. There is a general expectation of confidentiality in

regard to the minutes. The minutes should not be shared with anyone who is not officially entitled to

receive them (voted by the faculty May 1, 2018).

Two of the three student members are elected from the student senate by that body and serve for terms

of two years. One of these members is elected in one year, and a second in the other, alternately. A

special election conducted from within the senate is used to select replacements for students unable to

complete their terms of office. The third student member is selected by the senate from the executive

branch of the student government for a one-year term, and serves without vote.

The two staff members of the committee are elected by the staff and normally serve staggered two-year

terms.

The voting members of the CPR are its four faculty members, its two staff members, and two of its

three student members (as described above).

The purpose of the CPR is to bring a range of faculty, student, and staff opinion to bear upon (1) the

process of annually budgeting the resources of the college, and (2) the long-term allocation of

resources. To ensure the CPR's involvement in the annual budget process, the administration will bring

the budget currently being formulated before the CPR while there is still ample time to affect it. The

administration will also present its sense of the priorities among competing claims on the college's

resources. The CPR will present to the Amherst College Board of Trustees the committee's views on

the annual budget as it is being prepared and on long-term financial concerns. In the spring term, the

CPR will also receive and respond to new large capital requests and review the ongoing list of capital

priorities and deferred maintenance projects. To discharge its responsibility to assess the continuing

ability of the college's financial resources to support its educational mission, the CPR will periodically

review the long-term financial impact of such things as the relationship between resources and

programs, the level of compensation and benefits, the level and rate of change of the comprehensive

fee, and other pertinent matters. To that end, the committee will query other offices and committees

about proposals that have financial implications.

Particular responsibilities of the faculty members of the CPR are to represent to the administration the

views of the faculty concerning the budget and to report to the faculty each year concerning the status

of faculty salaries and compensation.

The committee may request that the Faculty Executive Committee include CPR reports or

recommendations on the agenda of meetings of the faculty.

r. The Faculty Committee on Student Fellowships The Faculty Committee on Student Fellowships is

composed of seven members: the director of fellowship advising, ex officio, and six members of the

faculty, one of whom is chair (amended by vote of the faculty, October 21, 2014). The faculty

members of this committee are recommended to the Amherst College Board of Trustees by the Faculty

Executive Committee and serve for two-year terms. The purpose of the committee is to review

applications of students and/or recent graduates who wish to receive graduate and undergraduate

fellowships and scholarships and to make recommendations on behalf of the college to the groups or

foundations that award the fellowships and scholarships. Two categories of fellowships and

scholarships are principally involved: a) national or international fellowships and scholarships to which

the college can nominate a limited or selected number of applicants (Fulbright, Marshall, Mitchell,

Rhodes, Truman, and Watson are examples). For national fellowships and scholarships, the committee

reviews applications, interviews applicants, and writes the letters of recommendation for nominated

candidates. b) Amherst College Fellowships, for which the committee reviews applications for

fellowships for graduate study, which are awarded by the trustees or faculty of Amherst College as

described in detail in the Amherst College Catalog.

s. The Tenure and Promotion Committee The Tenure and Promotion Committee considers matters

relating to the advancement of faculty through the tenure-line ranks, making recommendations to the

president after reviewing cases concerning the reappointment of assistant professors, the promotion of

assistant professors to the rank of associate professor with tenure, the promotion of associate

professors to the rank of full professor, and named professorships. The committee also makes

recommendations to the Faculty Executive Committee concerning proposed changes to tenure and

promotion policies and procedures.

The Tenure and Promotion Committee is composed of five tenured faculty members, each serving

two-year terms that are staggered to ensure membership continuity. The president and the provost and

dean of the faculty serve on the committee ex officio and without vote. The president serves as chair of

the committee, and the provost and dean of the faculty serves as secretary.

The Tenure and Promotion Committee meets with a frequency dictated by the number of cases it must

consider, normally weekly from October through December and, as needed, every other week during

the spring semester.

Election Process

Members of the committee are elected from among the tenured faculty of the college. In the discharge

of their duties, the various members participate equally in all parts of the deliberations of the

committee and in all votes taken by it, except that, when a candidate for reappointment or tenure is

from the same department as a member of the committee. In this circumstance, that member shall not

be present during the committee's discussion of the candidate's case, including when straw votes are

taken, or vote on the case. The member shall be present during any sessions in which the committee

meets with the department about the case and will participate as a department member in that

circumstance. In regard to tenure, the member shall also be present when the committee discusses all

cases together, including when final votes are taken, but shall not participate in the discussion of the

candidate’s case, or vote on it. Abstentions because of conflict of interest or other conscientious

reasons are always acceptable.

The election procedure of the Tenure and Promotion Committee is designed to select members who

will exercise their individual judgments as impartially as possible in the general interests of both

candidates for tenure and promotion and of the college. It is important that members of the committee

not feel any particular indebtedness to individuals or groups for support in the election process. The

faculty has therefore declared that campaigning, caucusing and slating are inappropriate in Tenure and

Promotion Committee elections. Faculty, and in particular new faculty, seeking information about

names appearing on the ballot may, however, discuss them informally with other faculty.

At least two members of the Tenure and Promotion Committee are elected in the spring of each year

by faculty ballot. The first ballot circulated to the faculty consists of all those members of the faculty

eligible for election to the committee. All tenure-line faculty vote, and each faculty member must vote

for the exact number of vacancies to be filled. On the second ballot, the number of names presented on

the ballot is four times the number of positions remaining to be filled. On each succeeding ballot, the

number of names presented on the ballot is twice the number of positions remaining to be filled. To be

elected, a faculty member must receive a majority of the votes cast on a particular ballot. Balloting

continues until all the positions to be filled have been filled by faculty members who have received a

majority of the votes cast.

During any given election, all tenured professors are included on the Tenure and Promotion Committee

ballot, except: 1) the president and the provost and dean of the faculty; 2) other faculty who are serving

at least part-time in an administrative role outside their department(s); 3) those in their first year at

Amherst; 4) those who will not be at Amherst for one or both semesters of the year following the

election; 5) retiring members of the Faculty Executive Committee and the Tenure and Promotion

Committee, and those who retired from them (or, formerly, the Committee of Six) in the previous three

years (i.e., retiring members cannot be reelected for four years); and 6) those who have served three or

more terms on the Faculty Executive Committee (or, formerly, the Committee of Six) and have

exercised the option of taking their names off the ballot each year by contacting the Office of the

Provost and Dean of the Faculty before the election begins.

Part-time faculty members in tenured positions (no tenure-track faculty are eligible to serve on the

Tenure and Promotion Committee) and those on phased retirement have the option not to be included

on the ballot.

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees are generally appointed by the president of the college, with the advice of the

Faculty Executive Committee, to study and make reports on special problems or to serve as search

committees for certain faculty or administrative appointments. Usually faculty are appointed to such

committees by the president after consultation with the Faculty Executive Committee. In unusual

circumstances, the faculty members serving on ad hoc committees may be elected by the faculty,

following the method of balloting used for elections to the Faculty Executive Committee.

Departmental Committees The faculty voted in May, 1969 to establish within each department clearly

understood procedures whereby both faculty and student views can be mutually and seriously weighed

in determination of departmental policy, including: departmental requirements for majors; the range of

course offerings; the growth and development of the department within the college; possibilities for

academically valuable cooperation with parallel departments at the neighboring four colleges.

Individual departments may deem it appropriate to include also the nature of new teaching

appointments within the department and the assessment of the teaching effectiveness of those teachers

within the department who are being considered for tenure.

The nature of different subjects, the composition of the faculty and of the majors within different

departments, and the conditions necessary to ensure both freedom of teaching and freedom of learning

within different departments may call for somewhat diverse procedures to accomplish these goals.

2. Committees of the Amherst College Board of Trustees

There are two committees, advisory to the Amherst College Board of Trustees, on which faculty serve.

a. The Advisory Committee to the Committee on Trusteeship The Amherst College Board of Trustees

has declared its intent to elect as term trustees only those who have been considered by an advisory

committee consisting of two members of the faculty and two students. At its meeting of October 10,

1972, the faculty established a procedure to elect its representatives to the advisory committee.

Two faculty members are elected for two-year terms. The election procedure follows that of the

Committee of Six, requiring that a person to be elected must receive a majority of the votes cast. All

regular tenured and tenure-track members of the faculty except those on leave during the spring

semester of the academic year, in which the election takes place and/or those on leave during one or

both semesters of the academic year following the election, and those newly appointed during their

first year at Amherst, are eligible to serve on the advisory committee. Although part-time faculty may

choose not to be included on the ballot, faculty whose terms expire are again eligible in the following

year.

b. The Advisory Committee on Honorary Degrees The two faculty members elected to the Advisory

Committee to the Committee on Trusteeship serve also as the faculty members on the Advisory

Committee on Honorary Degrees. This committee, which also includes three students elected by the

senior class, meets with the Honorary Degrees Committee of the Amherst College Board of Trustees to

discuss candidates for honorary degrees and to make recommendations to the board. The board has

indicated that no candidate will be voted an honorary degree whose candidacy has not been discussed

with the Advisory Committee on Honorary Degrees.

3. Committees of the College

There are several advisory committees composed of members of the faculty, administration, staff and

student body, appointed by the president or other members of the administration to communicate with

different constituencies of the college and to formulate recommendations about policies and

procedures to the president and other members of the administration.

Diversity and Inclusion The Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee performs advisory

functions for the college administration. Its purpose is to bring to the attention of the college a range of

opinions and suggestions regarding the provisions of the college's Diversity and Inclusion Program,

which provisions reflect the laws and guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health,

Education and Welfare, and subsequent federal and state regulations. In carrying out its purpose it has

authority to issue reports to the college community.

The committee is composed of five faculty members, seven trustee appointees, seven staff appointees,

six students, and such other persons as the president chooses to include in order to provide diversity of

perspective and to meet the needs of those groups covered by Affirmative Action legislation. The chief

human resources officer or his or her representative and the special assistant to the president for

diversity shall serve ex officio. All members are regular employees of the college. The president, to

whom the committee reports at least once a year, appoints all members to the committee.

Appointments are for two years. The committee elects its chair and secretary.

4. Five-College Committees

From time to time Amherst faculty members may be appointed by the president or the dean of the

faculty, with the advice of the Committee of Six, to serve as representatives on Five College faculty

committees to consider questions of academic policy of joint interest to two or more of the colleges.

T. Department and Program Reviews

The faculty endorsed in 1993 a regular schedule of departmental and program reviews. Each review

includes an internal self-study and an evaluation by a visiting committee, the appropriate form of

which will be determined jointly by the dean of the faculty and the department. The evaluation will be

sent to the president, dean of the faculty, and department.

All departments and programs at the college should undergo external reviews on a ten-year cycle or as

warranted by special circumstances. External reviews are intended to allow departments and programs

to review and assess their work periodically and systematically, and to help departments and the

college plan for the near- and long-term future within the context of staffing and budgetary realities.

These reviews, which are structured to be independent and comprehensive, have proven to be very

informative. They aid departments and programs in identifying and assessing curricular needs and

directions. Requests for FTEs that have been informed by external reviews are often strengthened as a

result.

See external review guidelines for details.

V. Salaries and Fringe Benefits

Introduction | Amherst College

All salary, fringe benefits and college service policies are determined by the Amherst College Board of

Trustees on the recommendations of the president, the dean of the faculty and the chief financial and

administrative officer. In making their recommendations, which are always subject to budgetary

constraints and changes in state and federal legislation, these officers of the college regularly consult

relevant national survey data, to ensure competitiveness, and consider matters of internal equity. They

also draw on the advice of the Committee on Priorities and Resources and the director of human

resources, who administers the fringe benefit program.

The Comptroller's Office deals directly with payroll processing, arrangements for any salary, grant and

travel advances and reimbursements and accounting for them. The Human Resources Office deals

directly with all fringe-benefit matters.

A. Salaries and Payroll | Amherst College

All salaries and any annual increments to them are established and voted by the Board of Trustees,

usually at their April meeting, upon the recommendation of the President, in consultation with the

Provost and Dean of the Faculty and the Treasurer.

1. Payroll. The fiscal year of Amherst College runs from July 1 to June 30th. Annual faculty salaries

are for nine months' work but are paid in twelve equal installments on the last day of each month, July

31st through June 30th, inclusive.

On request, checks will be deposited in the account of a faculty member at most banking institutions,

available on the last bank day of the month. Otherwise, they will be mail to a campus or home address.

Salary checks will be subject to the following deductions: Federal withholding tax, Social Security tax,

Massachusetts withholding tax, TIAA-CREF, insurance premiums (if participating), rent (if occupying

College housing), and any other amounts (College mortgages, luncheon charges, etc.) due the College

for any reason.

2. Withholding. Federal withholding taxes are computed in accordance with the Federal percentage

method which considers the number of exemptions claimed on Form W-4 filed in the Human

Resources Office upon receipt of letter of acceptance.

Social Security tax will be computed at the prescribed rate.

Massachusetts income withholding taxes are computed in accordance with the state percentage

method, which considers the number of exemptions claimed on Form M-4 filed in the Controller’s

Office. A faculty member may request a larger withholding if he or she wishes in order to approximate

the actual tax more closely.

3. Summer Salaries. Members of the Faculty are permitted to receive up to two-ninths of their annual

salary for additional work done during the summer as contract research or under research or foundation

grants. Such grants are administered by the College and are subject to the normal allowances for

overhead. Further details should be checked with the Controller’s Office.

B. Grants and Allowances

1. Requests for travel advances or reimbursements for purposes approved by the College through the

Provost and Dean of the Faculty's Office should be made to the Comptroller's Office. Receipts for all

expenses for which reimbursement is sought must be submitted to the office.

2. Faculty requesting advances for grants received in the Amherst College Faculty Research Award

Program (FRAP) may receive no more than one half of the total funds awarded in advance of

undertaking their research project. Once that amount is accounted for, the Controller’s Office will

advance the balance of the amount awarded. In exceptional circumstances, the Provost and Dean of the

Faculty may waive this requirement.

3. Faculty Entertainment Allowance. An allowance not to exceed $200 per faculty member per year is

available for entertaining students. The Campus Center and Lewis Sebring Commons provide space

especially for this purpose. In addition to being able to sign in students at the Lewis Sebring

Commons, members of the faculty are entitled to six free meals each semester at Valentine (thirteen

for faculty teaching First-Year Seminars) simply by presenting their Amherst College I.D. Card to the

meal checker. Vouchers requesting advances and/or reimbursements for entertainment of students

should be submitted in a timely fashion to the Controller’s Office, and must be submitted within the

fiscal year in which the expense was incurred.

NOTE: Requests for cash advances for any of these purposes must be made to the Controller’s Office

at least five working days prior to planned use of funds. Receipts for all expenditures must be

submitted within two weeks of their disbursement to the Controller’s Office. Similarly, Faculty

seeking reimbursement for authorized expenditures must submit receipts for all items for which

reimbursement is sought.

C. Fringe Benefit Programs for Full-time

Faculty

The Director of Human Resources and the Staff of the Human Resources Office are responsible for

administering the fringe benefits program for all College employees. The actual provisions of each formal

benefits plan, policy or contract will determine entitlement of benefits, benefit levels and other matters.

Fringe benefit programs for which Faculty are eligible include:

1. Housing Program | Amherst College

The college assists employees by renting houses and apartments at subsidized rates to faculty, visiting

faculty, lecturers who have not received senior lecturer status, and coaches who have not received

senior-contract status. For eligible tenured faculty, senior lecturers, senior-contract coaches, and certain

administrators, the college offers a plan for the purchase of college houses, along with a Matching

Grant Plan. A House Purchase Subsidy Program is also offered to eligible employees. These plans are

more fully described below.

The Housing Program is administered by the rental properties department, with the advice of the

Faculty Housing Committee. This committee is composed of the chief financial officer, the director of

Human Resources, the director of Rental Properties, the chief of Campus Operations and four faculty

members appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Committee of Six. The House

Purchase Subsidy Plan is administered by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. The college

administers the Housing Program for eligible personnel on an equal opportunity basis regardless of

race, color, sex, gender or sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, ethnic identification, or

mental or physical disability.

After consultation with the Faculty Housing Committee, a house or unit is designated as either: (1) a

rental unit reserved for tenure-track faculty members, visiting faculty, lecturers, and coaches who have

not received senior contract status, or (2) available for purchase through the Department of Rental

Properties and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Once a house or unit has been designated as

available for rent or purchase, eligible individuals will have the opportunity to rent or buy such house

or unit under the Rental Plan or the House Purchase Plan, as determined by the point systems described

below.

A. The Rental Housing Program

The housing assignment period for rental units is from mid-April through the last day of August.

Eligible employees are advised of housing units that are expected to be available during the next

academic year. Employees who want to be considered for rental vacancies during the housing

assignment period must submit a Housing Request Form to the Department of Rental Properties by a

date specified in the annual mailing. Failure to submit a timely Housing Request may result in removal

from consideration.

Rental units are assigned on the basis of a point system based on (1) number of years of service, (2)

number of children, and (3) rank when appointed to Amherst. The points associated with each of these

categories are described below.

(1) Points for Each Year of Service. One point is given for each year's continuous service effective

with the date of original appointment. For example, if the date of appointment is July 1, the appointee

would be given one point for the spring housing assignment period of that academic year.

(2) Points for Each Child. One point is given for each dependent child as defined by Internal Revenue

Service regulations. An exception is made for a child in utero. If at the start of the housing assignment

period, a pregnancy is known to exist, an additional one point is given.

(3) Points for Rank at time of Appointment to Amherst. This category reflects credit for rank at the time

of original appointment to Amherst College. These points assist faculty who may have been in

academia prior to appointment to Amherst. The points associated with rank are given in the table

below. They partially offset the greater credits for years of service accrued by faculty members who

have spent their entire careers at Amherst. For example, a faculty member who is appointed (without

tenure) to Amherst at the rank of associate professor would be entitled to six points under this

category. A professor who was originally appointed as an assistant professor would receive two points.

Rank

Points for Rank when

Appointed to Amherst

Assistant

Professor

Associate

Professor

Information of how a particular title correlates to the point system ranking is available from the Office

of Human Resources.

The president can make special housing assignments that serve the interest of the college at his/her

discretion.

Rental housing is generally intended for use by tenure-track faculty members, coaches, and visiting

faculty. Upon receiving tenure or senior contract status, a renter may only remain in rental housing for

two years. Any occupant who was a tenured member of the faculty, a senior-contract coach, a tenure-

track faculty member who later received tenure, or an administrator eligible for rental housing, as of

March 2, 1998, and who did not wish to or was not qualified to purchase his/her home at that time,

may remain in his/her assigned unit only.

The following categories of employees are eligible for college rental housing.

Current Employees (assistant professors, coaches, and lecturers) These individuals are eligible either

to move within the housing system or move from off campus into rental housing.

New Employees to the College (assistant professors, coaches, lecturers, full-time visiting professors

of all ranks, and eligible visiting lecturers)

The procedure for the assignment of rental housing units is as follows.

Current Employees – Points will be assigned as described above and employees with the highest

number of points will be offered housing first. In the case of a tie in points, assistant professors and

lecturers will be assigned units first, followed by coaches. A game of chance (such as a coin toss) will

be used to break ties within the two groupings.

Once all eligible current employees have been given the opportunity to select housing, eligible new

employees will be offered housing as delineated below.

New Employees to the College – The assignments to new employees will proceed in a two-step

process. Rental housing will be assigned first to new assistant professors, new coaches, and new

lecturers. Points will be assigned according the system described above. In the case of a tie in points,

assistant professors and lecturers will be assigned units first, followed by coaches. A game of chance

(such as a coin toss) will be used to break ties within the two groupings.

Once all eligible new assistant professors, new coaches, and new lecturers have been given the

opportunity to select housing, the assignment of rental housing units to all other qualifying new

employees will be made in accordance with the point system.

Assignment to housing typically follows the fiscal year pattern of appointments, July 1 through June

30. Assignments for rentals are automatically renewed except when the terms of the assignment period

are limited or a transfer to another housing unit occurs as a result of the spring assignment procedure.

Letters of assignment will be sent to the new occupants by the director of the Department of Rental

Properties. Occupants of college rental housing are required to sign a lease defining the terms and

conditions of the rental. Conditions of maintenance and terms of payment are detailed in the letter of

assignment and lease. Annual rent increases are determined by the Department of Rental Properties. It

is recommended that renter's insurance covering personal belongings and liability be secured by all

renters of college housing.

In the case of vacancies occurring after the end of the housing assignment period and through the

following June, the director of the Department of Rental Properties, in consultation with the Housing

Committee, may make temporary assignments to eligible employees until the end of that fiscal year,

normally June 30, as circumstances dictate.

Separating faculty must be prepared to vacate rental college housing at the time of separation. Retiring

faculty must vacate rental college housing within two years after retirement. The family of a faculty

member who dies during the year may reside in college housing through the end of the fiscal year that

follows the faculty member’s death.

Maintenance Residents of college rental housing must take reasonable care of the premises and advise

the Department of Rental Properties of conditions needing attention. It is expected that if a tenant is

moving, the premises will be left in good order, within reasonable standards of cleanliness and

repair. All alterations or improvements must be done by or approved by the college. Details about

maintenance practices, interior decorating requests, alterations and improvements, and procedures for

service and repair calls are available from the Department of Rental Properties.

Subletting The college requires that a rental unit be occupied as a primary residence by the individual

to whom it is assigned. Subletting of a college housing unit is limited to periods of sabbatical leaves or

other authorized leaves of absence. Written notification to the Department of Rental Properties of a

subletting arrangement is required and must include the name(s) of the sublessee(s) and the dates the

house or unit is to be sublet. A one month security deposit is required of all residents subletting their

college housing units. Subletting is subject to the approval of the director of the Department of Rental

Properties.

B. The House Purchase Plan

Some single-family houses are available for sale to tenured members of the faculty, senior lecturers,

senior-contract coaches and eligible administrators. Priority in purchasing a home is determined by a

point system identical to one that governs the rental housing program, except that a faculty member’s

rank on July 1 of that year’s purchase solicitation determines the following additional points.

Rank

Points for Rank at time

of Offering

Associate

Professor

Details regarding terms of sale under the House Purchase Plan, including purchase price, financing,

and the college's repurchase rights, are outlined below.

(1) Purchase Price The purchase price is 80 percent of the independently appraised value established

by a college appointed firm. If a potential eligible buyer, or eventually, a potential eligible seller,

wishes to contest this appraisal, he or she may hire an appraiser for another estimate of value. If the

two estimates are within 5 percent of each other, the mean between the two will be taken as the final

appraisal. If the two estimates are more than 5 percent apart, then a third appraiser, to be mutually

agreed upon and paid by the college and the eligible buyer/seller, will make a third estimate which will

be the agreed upon value. The current condition of the home, its deficiencies and necessities, will be

reflected in the independent appraised value. Any reasonable environmental abatement (including lead

paint or asbestos removal) requested by the purchaser will be performed, at the college’s expense, prior

to any purchase.

(2) Financing A House Purchase Subsidy Program is available for down payment assistance to buyers

who meet the terms of the program outlined in section C below.

(3) Additional Terms The home must be the purchaser’s primary residence and must be occupied by

the individual to whom it is sold. The home must be resold to Amherst College if the buyer ceases to

be an eligible employee, or ceases to maintain it as a primary residence, or the home ceases to be

owner occupied.

(4) Terms of Resale Upon resale to the college, the price will be 80 percent of the appraised value at

the time of resale. (Value to be established by the same appraisal guidelines found under Purchase

Price.) The following events will initiate the resale to the college: retirement, if the buyer ceases to be

an eligible employee, divorce of eligible employee when the former spouse retains possession of

house, death of eligible employee, and if the property is not the primary residence of the eligible

employee.

The following timelines are applicable:

Separating Faculty

At time of separation

Retired Faculty

May retain ownership for two years

Widow(ers) of eligible employees

May retain ownership for five years

Divorced spouses of eligible employees

May stay in unit for two years after divorce

Matching Grant Plan For each house sold by the college, 10 percent of the purchase price will be

made available to the purchaser to help pay for the cost of capital home improvements that will

upgrade or maintain the structure and/or the systems of the house or the property. The matching grant

fund will pay for up to one-third of the cost of the approved project. These improvements must be in

the nature of capital improvements such as roof repairs, or upgrades or repairs to the utility systems,

driveway paving or insulation. Routine painting, wallpapering, renovations of kitchens or bathrooms,

and replacement of carpets are examples of non-qualifying repairs or maintenance. All requests must

be made to the chief of Campus Operations before any work is performed on the project. The chief of

Campus Operations, in consultation with other members of the administration, will determine whether

a project qualifies for a matching grant. These grants will be taxable income to the homeowners.

Architectural Review Plans for exterior alterations to houses purchased from the college under the

Housing Program are subject to review and approval under the architectural guidelines.

C. House Purchase Subsidy Program

The purchase subsidy options are available to tenure-track and tenured members of the faculty,

coaches and senior-contract coaches, and certain administrators who are first-time purchasers of a

house while employed by Amherst College. Purchasers may take advantage of this program only

once. A maximum of $30,000 is available for this one-time only benefit. If more than one eligible

individual is applying for a subsidy to purchase a property, the combined subsidy payments cannot

exceed the limits noted below.

The subsidy options are available for use as a deposit to acquire the property. These options are not

available for refinancing or renovating a home. The house must be located within a thirty-mile radius

of the center of Amherst and must be occupied at all times as the borrower’s principal residence.

Terms and conditions are effective February 1, 2014.

There are three different subsidy options. Only one may be selected.

Option One

Seven-year loan, interest free, up to $30,000

This is an unsecured loan and is intended to be down payment assistance. This loan may not be

assumed by another person or entity. Payments required under the terms of this loan will be made

monthly by payroll deduction. Should the borrower retire and payroll deductions are insufficient to

meet the obligation, then arrangements satisfactory to the college will be made.

In the event of the borrower’s retirement with the approval of the college, or death, the loan shall

become payable ninety days after demand by the college. Such demand may be made at any time prior

to maturity. Unless and until such demand is made: (a) if the borrower has at least ten years of service

at the time of retirement or death, the loan shall be payable in accordance with its original terms; or (b)

if the borrower has less than ten years of service at the time of retirement or death, the loan shall

become payable two years after the date of the applicable event.

The loan shall also become due and payable: (a) upon demand at such time as the borrower ceases to

occupy the house as a principal residence; or (b) within ninety days after the date the borrower’s

employment at the college is terminated for reasons other than retirement.

The loan may be paid off before maturity without penalty.

Imputed income will be calculated based on the mid-term AFR in the month of the loan.

Option Two

Fifteen-year loan, below market interest, up to $30,000

The interest rate on the loan will be set at 1.5 percent below the federal rate for long-term loans at the

date of the loan. This is an unsecured loan and is intended to be down payment assistance. This loan

may not be assumed by another person or entity. Payments required under the terms of this loan will

be made monthly by payroll deduction. Should the borrower retire and payroll deductions are

insufficient to meet the obligation, then arrangements satisfactory to the college will be made.