Instructional Resources

2.   GOVERNANCE

2.1  Authority

Faculty and administration of Instructional Resources are charged with the responsibility and have the accompanying authority to establish and supervise the procedures of their respective departments based on established written policy and written position descriptions.

2.2  Policy Formation

Policy formation is the specific responsibility of the Director of Instructional Resources in consultation with the faculty and subject to the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, consistent with the mission of the University, Minnesota Rules and Regulations, and the union contract currently in force.

Procedures:

  1. The Library and AV faculties both meet on a regularly scheduled basis to consider the needs of the areas including, but not confined to, policy, procedure, personnel, schedule, and budget. The mode of decision making is normally by consensus. Minutes of these meetings shall be kept.
  2. Meetings of the Library and AV faculties shall both be chaired by a tenure-track member of the respective faculty who is selected annually on a rotating basis, rotation to be established by the faculty. It shall be the duty of the individual appointed to convene regular and special meetings, establish the agenda, preside at all meetings, represent the faculty in matters of conditions of employment and union contract recommendations as authorized by the faculty; and convene meetings of the faculty for purposes of evaluating recommendations for retention, tenure, and promotion and reports the results to the Director of Instructional Resources after the faculty has been polled.
  3. One member from each faculty shall be selected annually as secretary on a rotating basis, rotation to be established by the faculty. The secretary shall be responsible for recording minutes for all regularly called faculty meetings.
  4. The Director of Instructional Resources participates as a member of the faculty in called meetings. The faculties may meet independently of the Director of Instructional Resources.
  5. New or revised policies are submitted to the Library or AV faculties for their consideration. In the absence of consensus, it is the responsibility of the Director of Instructional Resources to make and report in writing policy decisions. The report will include appropriate rationale and dissenting opinion.
  6. Procedural changes that affect one or more additional departments or services of the Library or AV Center shall be discussed with department heads of the departments involved and changes reported to the faculty prior to implementation. Such changes should be reflected in the procedural handbook of the department.
  7. In the event of procedural disagreements affecting two or more departments, the department heads shall jointly consult with the Director of Instructional Resources prior to presentation to the faculty.
  8. The classified library staff shall meet bi-monthly (or more often if needed) to discuss problems and share ideas and information with the Director of Instructional Resources. There will be a convenor and secretary who will rotate alphabetically by last name. Rotation will begin in July of each year.
  9. The AV faculty and staff shall meet as a whole regularly to serve as a forum to discuss problems of mutual concern and share ideas and information with the Director of Instructional Resources. The chairman of the AV faculty shall convene and preside at the meeting, and the AV secretary shall be responsible for recording, distributing, and maintaining a file of the minutes.

2.3     Table of Organization

See Appendix C

2.4     Position Descriptions

Position descriptions which define the scope, the responsibility, and the authority for each position in Instructional Resources shall be maintained. The job description shall be reviewed and agreed upon by each incumbent with his/her immediate supervisor.

2.5     Procedural Guidelines and Handbooks

An outline of major procedures or a more detailed procedural handbook that is appropriate to maintain continuity, efficiency, and staff training shall be available in each operating department of Instructional Resources.

2.6     Annual Objectives

To assist in the management process, the faculties of the Library, Audiovisual Services, and Television Services, will formulate and adopt annual objectives. The adopted objectives will be reviewed by the Director of Instructional Resources in consultation with the faculties. Responsibility for carrying out the objectives will be agreed upon by the faculties in consultation with the Director of Instructional Resources.

2.7     Contract Administration

  1. Normally Library and Audiovisual faculty are issued extended contracts subject to annual negotiation and the union contract currently in force. The contractual period shall begin on July 1 and end June 30.
  2. Duty days will be scheduled by the Director of Instructional Resources in consultation with the Library-AV faculties during the contractual period.
  3. Non-duty days and professional absences shall be requested and agreed upon by the faculty member and the Director of Instructional Resources prior to the absence of the employee.
  4. Assignments which include supervisory or administrative duties normally require daily attendance Monday-Friday.
  5. Absences from campus for professional duties, sick leave, emergency/personal leaves will be administered through the use of institutionally adopted forms and reporting processes.

2.8  Renewal/Tenure/Promotion Recommendations

  1. The Convenor of the Library Faculty shall call and conduct a meeting of the eligible faculty (IFO Agreement, Article 20, Sect. A, Subd. 5) for the purpose of making a retention/tenure/promotion recommendation. If the Convenor should be the member under consideration, the faculty member with the most seniority shall conduct the meeting.
  2. The meeting shall be called at least seven business days before the recommendation is scheduled to be submitted to the Director of Instructional Resources.
  3. The faculty member under consideration shall be asked not to be present for the meeting or portion of the meeting at which his/her retention/tenure/promotion is considered. Any member of the department may choose to excuse himself/herself from the meeting upon written notification of his/her desire to the Director of Instructional Resources without prejudice to the decision or to the member. If an eligible faculty member is unable to attend the scheduled meeting, it should be rescheduled. In case of extenuating circumstances, which make it impossible for a member to attend, the remaining faculty will meet and make a recommendation.
  4. Members of the faculty, after examining any documentation, shall discuss the renewal/tenure/promotion as it relates to the IFO Agreement, Article 22, Sec. B. Members of the faculty, after discussion, shall vote by means of a secret ballot. A letter signed by members participating which contains the results of the ballot and a statement in relation to the execution of the faculty member?s professional responsibilities (possibly including recommendations for improvement) shall be submitted to the Director of Instructional Resources with a copy to the faculty member involved. If one or more members of the faculty cannot support the recommendation, they may submit their own letter to the Director of Instructional Resources with a copy to the faculty member involved.

2.9  Professional Improvement Funds

Each faculty member may use all or a portion of their annual allotment without prior consultation with the department. Any portion not used shall be credited to the member?s allotment and will be carried over the biennium.

However, if a faculty member would like to expend more than their allotment, consultation with the department will be required.

At the beginning of Spring Semester, unexpended monies will be reported by the Director and reviewed by the Faculty.