1. General Information

Code of Professional Ethics for Faculty

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has a code of professional Ethics for faculty. The code is contained in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Faculty Guide and applies to all faculty at the University. It is suggested that faculty read this code carefully.

I. Professors recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility to their subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end they devote their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty. Although they may follow subsidiary interests, these interests must never seriously hamper or compromise their freedom of inquiry.

II. As teachers, professors encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students. They hold before them the best scholarly standards of the discipline. They demonstrate respect for the student as an individual, and adhere to their proper role as intellectual guide and counselor. They also avoid any personal exploitation of students, staff, colleagues and others and will not abuse their position as members of the academic profession. They make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to ensure that the evaluation of students reflects their true merit. They respect the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student. They avoid any exploitation of students, staff, colleagues and others for their private professional advantage and acknowledge significant assistance from them. They protect their academic freedom.

III. As colleagues, professors have obligations that derive from common membership in the community of scholars. They respect and defend the free inquiry of their associates. In the exchange of criticism and ideas they show due respect for the opinions of others. They acknowledge academic debts and strive to be objective in their professional judgment of colleagues. They accept a share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of their institution.

IV. As a member of their institution, professors seek above all to be effective teachers and scholars. Although they observe the stated regulations of their institution, provided they do not contravene academic freedom, they maintain their right to criticize and seek revision. They determine the amount and character of the work done outside the institution with due regard to their paramount responsibilities within it. When considering the interruption or termination of service, they recognize the effect of the decision upon the program of the institution and give due notice of their intentions.

V. As a member of the community, professors have the rights and obligations of any citizen. They measure the urgency of these obligations in the light of responsibilities to their subject, to their students, to their profession, and to their institution. When they speak or act as a private person they avoid creating the impression that they speak or act for their college or university. As citizens engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, professors have a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.

VI. As members of the faculty, professors respect the rights of others, regardless of gender; race; age; physical and language handicap; prior civil disability; sexual and religious preference; marital and socio-economic status; or national origin, citizenship and allegiance. Professors avoid such extraneous considerations in the evaluation of peers, students, or in the assignment of duties and responsibilities in the University. Professors promote the ideals of a learning environment that fosters individual right and encourages mutual respect.

Faculty Workload

The workload of each faculty and staff person is constructed according to the nature and specifics of the individual appointment. The department workload outline is set up to distinguish faculty on the tenure track from other appointments. The annual evaluation system is constructed according to departmental workload expectations and University promotion and tenure criteria.

Within the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, the standard class teaching load for tenure track faculty appointed 100% in the department is the equivalent of 3 courses per 9 month academic year. This load is seen as a 40% teaching assignment for the year. This load is based on the assumption that the courses taught are either 3 or 4 credits per class. Partial teaching credit is awarded for instructors of 1 and 2 credit courses. Exceptions to this load distribution may be made for administrative or special department assignments, grant buyouts, dispensation for new or junior faculty, and for other reasons determined by the Department Chair, subject to review by the Dean. The maximum course buyout for faculty on 100% appointments in the department is two courses per year given that all faculty are expected to teach at least 1 course (3 or 4 credits) per year.

Thus, the balance of the workload for tenure track faculty in SPHHS is typically viewed as 40% class teaching, 50% research and 10% service, where in effect the research time includes supervising student research (e.g., honors research, master’s thesis, and dissertation work). Faculty with joint appointments in other units will have their class teaching responsibility reduced in relation to their percentage appointment in the department. Course releases are typically not provided for committee responsibilities or for coordinating lecture series. Faculty not engaged in research or scholarship may have their class teaching load increased beyond that specified by the standard workload.

The primary responsibility of non-tenure track faculty is teaching. Many non-tenure track faculty teach in the undergraduate programs but they can also teach at the graduate level and online. The maximum full-time teaching load for an instructor with 100% teaching responsibilities including service is 3-4 courses per semester. Many lecturers on a 100%-time appointment have additional service responsibilities and should have a commensurate reduction in teaching load. Exceptions to this workload arrangement may be negotiated with the department, subject to review by the Dean.

STRIDE Training for Faculty Recruitment

STRIDE (Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence) workshops are intended for faculty members with an important role in faculty recruitment efforts (e.g., search committee chairs and members and other key faculty). These two-hour workshops review research driven best practices to recruit for diversity and excellence across every stage in the search process and are designed to help faculty produce diverse candidate pools and run effective searches. These trainings are facilitated by the Office of Equity and Inclusion. More information can be found here: https://www.umass.edu/diversity/stride-faculty-recruitment-workshops.

The SPHHS encourages all faculty members to become STRIDE certified by completing a workshop, regardless of whether or not they are a member of a search committee, and to maintain their certification which should be renewed every three years. This practice will ensure a timely and efficient recruitment process without delay.

Graduate School Mentor Training

The Graduate School offers training for mentors of graduate, postdoctoral, and undergraduate researchers. They use the curriculum developed by the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). The efficacy of this program for mentors and their mentees is supported by both qualitative and quantitative data (learn more from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, or CIMER). For more information please visit their website. The SPHHS encourages faculty members to enroll in this training.

Adjunct Teaching Appointments

Adjunct appointments are made at the department level and require the approval of the dean. Appointments are created for explicit teaching, mentoring, service and research needs of the department. The length of appointments ranges from one to three years. Adjunct’s will need to be set-up with a NENS account maintained by the department in order to access UMass resources, platforms for teaching, and a UMass email. For assistance, please contact the dean’s office to be referred to the right department to set up a NENS account or if you have an inactive account and need it reactivated.

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