Set Faculty Member at Ease & Collect the Details

These experiences can be frightening and anxiety provoking for most faculty. It is important to let the faculty member know that they are not the only ones to whom this has happened and that there are options for how to handle it. 

Tips for how to talk to the faculty member can be found on this webpage.

Help the faculty member write up a narrative describing the issue using this fillable form. They may upload any supporting documents, screenshots, etc. upon submitting the form. This keeps the faculty member from needing to repeat their story at multiple reporting levels.

Inform the faculty member what is and is not covered by academic freedom protections and reassure them that their personal safety will be protected. 

• UMass respects the disciplinary expertise of our faculty, and will protect their right to carry out their scholarly research and their instruction in the classroom.
• Employment cannot be jeopardized on the basis of public reaction to a faculty member’s scholarly research or reasonable classroom instruction or research-related posts on social media. 
  • The only exception, as laid out by the AAUP, would be in rare instances in which faculty “(a) demonstrated incompetence or dishonesty in teaching or research, (b) substantial and manifest neglect of duty, and (c) personal conduct which sub­stantially impairs the individual’s fulfillment of his [or her] institutional responsibilities.” Note that this exception is a very high bar to meet, and cannot be met by singular comments made on social media or a single lecture. 
• See UMass Faculty Senate Resolution 22-082 Defending Academic Freedom to Teach.
• See Article 8: Academic Freedom in the contract. 
• See UMass’ Defense of Academic Freedom published in the Boston Globe.

From AAUP: Institutional regulations or collective bargaining agreements should recognize that academic freedom includes the freedom of faculty members to speak as citizens. Relying only on the First Amendment may not be sufficient. At private institutions, the First Amendment provides no protection. At public institutions, the First Amendment may protect faculty members from adverse action by the employer for off-duty speech on matters of public concern and for work-related or classroom speech that is germane to the academic subject matter, so long as such speech is not unduly disruptive. 

• Thus, UMass faculty’s personal opinions, whether expressed on social media or elsewhere, are protected under free speech law. However, the university is not obligated to defend the faculty member’s opinion or behavior and has the right to express disagreement if deemed outside of the university’s values and community standards. Faculty members should always make an effort in such cases to indicate that they do not speak for the institution.