Categories of Handbook Content and Procedures for Modification
There are four categories of content in the Faculty Handbook each with a different procedure for modification. All of the content in the Handbook is to be clearly identified by category number.
Category #1 Handbook Content
Category #1 content is general descriptive information and/or externally established rules and regulations that the college and/or its faculty are required to follow either because of law or contractual obligations of the college. Category #1 content is included in the Handbook because the President considers it to be important and/or it is required that the faculty be informed about it. The responsibility for making timely changes to Category #1 content lies with the President or the President’s designee(s) and advance notice of changes is not expected.
Category #2 Handbook Content
Category #2 content is rules, policies, regulations and guidelines related to academic matters about which the President is to seek a recommendation from the faculty before the content is added, modified, or eliminated from the Handbook. A recommendation for an action regarding Category #2 content may be initiated by the faculty or by the President following procedures prescribed in the Faculty Manual that lead to a vote by the faculty. While the President has the authority to create, modify, or eliminate Category #2 content opposed by the faculty, as indicated by a majority vote of the faculty, such an action would be extraordinary and the President is to advise the Board of Regents when taking such an extraordinary action.
Category #3 Handbook Content
Category #3 content is rules, policies, regulations, and guidelines over which the President may delegate responsibility to various officers of the college. Category #3 content can be added, modified, or eliminated from the Handbook with the approval of the President, normally following a recommendation to the President from those responsible. While a change can be made without advance notice to the faculty, it is expected that the President will normally provide the faculty a 30-day notice.
Category #4 Handbook Content
Category #4 content provides information about benefits. The content provided in the Faculty Handbook provides an overview of the benefits associated with employment at the college. The detailed explanations of the binding terms of the benefits are found in the official plan documents and contracts with insurance and other companies. The terms of such benefits are governed by the specific plan documents, which shall govern any inconsistencies between them and the descriptions contained in the Faculty Handbook. The overview of the benefits must be regularly updated to reflect changes in rates, insurance coverage, and changes in tax laws and other government regulations. Normally, additions, deletions, and other changes to the Category #4 content will be recommended to the President by the college’s Benefits Committee and the faculty will receive at least a thirty-day notice. Depending on the situation, some content changes may also require action by the Board of Regents. Given extraordinary circumstances the President may authorize and direct that changes are made without advance notice to the faculty, but this would be extraordinary. The President is to immediately advise the Board of Regents when taking such an extraordinary action.