Part–time faculty are vital and valued members of the department.
To assist part–time faculty in carrying out their teaching assignments, the department provides office space, book shelf space, and file space and also provides access to the following:
- departmental TV/VCR and video library
- computers
- telephone service (local, long-distance, and voice mail)
- office supplies
- mail service
- duplicating
- photocopying services.
Like full-time faculty, part–time faculty are expected to conserve and safeguard these facilities, supplies, and resources. Any out–of–the–ordinary use should be cleared with the department chairperson in advance.
Part–time faculty are considered faculty in full standing within the courses and programs in which they teach and on departmental committees to which they may be appointed. They may enter fully into the discussion of issues and policies that come before these committees and programs and may vote.
At the beginning of each academic year, part–time faculty will be invited on a voluntary basis to serve on certain departmental committees. Department meetings will be announced to part–time faculty so that they may attend if they wish to do so.
Part–time faculty, by University regulation, cannot earn credit toward promotion or tenure. They do, however, earn seniority within the department based on their length of continuous successful and effective service. Part–time faculty who have served the department longest receive preference in hiring, teaching assignments, scheduling, office assignments, etc.
Part–time faculty will use course evaluations in each of their classes and will submit the results of these evaluations each semester to the director of the program in which they teach. During their first semester of teaching at PSU, part–time faculty will also invite their program director to observe a typical class session in at least one of their sections. Part–time faculty who have taught at PSU more than one semester have the option of inviting their program director to observe a class session but are not required to do so.
