SSU FACULTY HANDBOOK
initiated May 2022
This first iteration of the SSU Faculty Handbook takes the form of an online directory. In place of a comprehensive text of policies and information, FSAC decided to make good use of available on-line resources, without the necessity of "starting from scratch." This Faculty Handbook is therefore a living document - it will need to be maintained throughout the semester to catch broken links and reflect policy changes or newly implemented processes.
Should you encounter broken links or other technical issues, please contact the Senate office - senate@sonoma.edu. If you would like to add content links or make suggestions regarding the format, please contact the chair of FSAC.
Table of Contents
I. General Information
- The California State University System
- History of Sonoma State
- Campus Location | Map | Directions
- Additional Operations (satellite programs)
- University Mission
- Strategic Plan
- Accreditation
- Brand Messaging
II. Organization and Governance
- University Organization
- Administration Overview
- Divisions and Departments
- Division of Academic Affairs
- Administration and Finance
- Faculty Success
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Office of the President
- Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Office of the Provost
- Schools and Departments
- Student Affairs
- University Advancement
- Academic Programs
- The Academic Senate - SSU
- Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU)
- Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
- California Faculty Association (CFA) and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
- Campus Auxiliaries
- Center for Teaching and Educational Technology (CTET)
- Facilities Management
- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)
- School of Extended and International Education (SEIE)
III. Employment as a Member of the Faculty
- Appointment to the Faculty
- Campus Sign In
- Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion (RTP)
- Salary and Working Conditions
- Payroll Procedures
- Leaves of Absence
- Leaves of Absence with Pay - pdf
- Leaves of Absence without Pay - pdf
- Benefits
- Benefits Annual Open Enrollment
- Heath and Dental Plans
- Life Insurance and Survivor Benefits
- Dependent Re-Verification
- California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS)
- Part-time, Seasonal, and Temporary Employees Retirement Program (PST) - pdf
- Supplemental Retirement Plans - pdf
- Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (NDI)
- Vacations and Holidays - pdf
- Sick Leave - pdf
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Discounts
- Optional Benefits
- Workplace Accommodations
- Employment Services
- Child Care
- Outside Employment - Word form
- Additional Employment
- Teaching through Extension
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Research Support
- Visas and Immigration Status - pdf
- Separation and Retirement
- Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) - pdf
- Pre-Retirement Reduction in Time Base (PRTB) - pdf
- FERP and PRTB Policies
- Tenure/Tenure-Track Resignation, Retirement or End of Appointment
- Temporary Faculty Resignation, Retirement or End of Appointment
- Emeritus Faculty Policy
- Emeritus and Retired Faculty and Staff Association (ERFSA)
- Post-Retirement Involvement
IV. Policies Concerning Faculty and Expectations of Faculty
- Absence Management
- Parameters regarding leaves are outlined in the CBA
- Article 22, Leave of Absence Without Pay
- Article 23, Leave of Absence With Pay
- Article 24, Sick Leave
- Forms for reporting:
- HR - Absence Report - pdf
- HR - Report Absence Without Pay - pdf
- FA - Professional Leave of Absence Request - pdf
- Academic Freedom and Responsibility
- Academic Integrity (see Professional Responsibility)
- Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI)
- Book Orders/Instructional Materials
- Classroom Emergency Information (under SSU Emergency Procedures)
- Commitment to Civility - Collegiality in the California State University System
- Copyright and Intellectual Property
- CSU's Affordable Learning Solutions
- Degree Requirements (SSU Catalog)
- Disaster Service Worker
- Driving on University Business
- Drug Free Workplace/Campus
- Emergency and Disaster Information - homepage
- Environmental Health and Safety - homepage
- Field Trips
- Graduate Studies
- Grants and Contracts
- Injuries/Hazardous Condition Reporting
- Incident/Accident Report Form - pdf
- Hazardous Materials Incident (under SSU Emergency Procedures)
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- International Teaching/Teaching Opportunities
- Internship and Community Engagement
- Community Engagement (Teaching/Scholarship/Service)
- Internship Policy
- Jeanne Clery Act
- Library Resources - for Faculty
- Nepotism - pdf
- Non-Discrimination
- Office Hours
- Online Education and Training
- Parking
- Regulations
- Parking for Faculty (more under Regulations)
- Preference for Available Temporary Work/Order of Assignment (see CBA 12.29)
- Professional Development
- Proposing a New Course
- Proposing a New Program
- Security/Student Disruption/SSU Police Department
- Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Sexual Misconduct, Dating and Domestic Violence, and Stalking
- Smoking
- Summer/Winter Session Teaching
- Syllabi/Course Outlines
- Title IX and Gender Equity (same as above - Sex Discrimination)
- Travel
- Whistleblower Complaints
V. Information Technology Services and Online Tools
- IT Help Desk
- Mobile Device Help
- Faculty/Staff IT Help Desk
- Email Accounts
- Campus Phone Services
- Canvas - SSU's Learning Management System
- Curriculog
- Wireless Services
- DUO Two-Factor Authentication
- Information Security
- Emergency Notification System
VI. Policies Concerning Students and Expectations of Students
- Academic Appeals
- Academic Safety
- Adds/Drops
- Adding Classes
- Administrative Drop
- Change of Program
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
- COVID (Faculty FAQs)
- Disability Support Services (DSS)
- Disputes/Problems with Students
- Dropping classes
- Field Trips
- Grading (Use of +/- grading)
- Grading Symbols - all the following are found in this link, except Audit
- Audit (AU)
- Incomplete (I)
- Incomplete Charged (IC)
- Report Delayed (RD)
- Report in Progress (RP)
- Unauthorized Withdrawal (WU)
- Withdrawal (W)
- Credit/No Credit Option (CR/NC)
- Inappropriate Consensual Relationships - this appears in the catalog under Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedures - Sexual Misconduct
- Late Add
- Open University
- Petitioning to Add a Class
- Plagiarism
- Recording and Transcription of Class Content by Students
- Retention and Use of Student Work
- Risk Activities and Student Right of Non-Participation
- Student Privacy
- Vaccines - Faculty FAQs