5. Appointment

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5.1 Communication Policy

It is the policy of AdventHealth University to recruit and appoint faculty who are proficient in oral and written communication in the language in which they educate. This will be documented through the following process:

1. Review of university transcripts to ensure successful completion of English courses.
2. Formal interview with the appropriate University administrators.
3. Oral presentation to relevant communities on campus (e.g., faculty and students).

5.2 Minimum Employment Qualifications

It is the policy of AdventHealth University to require the following qualifications for faculty teaching at the degree levels indicated:

• For faculty teaching general education (health and biomedical sciences) at the Associate degree level, the following are required:
  • A Master’s Degree and a minimum of 18 graduate-level semester hours of credit in the discipline(s) being taught.
  • Meet the standards set by the professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching allied health courses at the Associate or Baccalaureate degree-level, the following are required:
  • A degree at or above the degree level of the course being taught.
  • Professional certification and expertise in the discipline(s) being taught.
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching general education (health and biomedical sciences) and/or nursing courses at the Baccalaureate degree level, the following are required:
  • A Master’s degree and a minimum of 18 graduate-level semester hours of credit in the discipline being taught, or
  • A Master’s degree, including a major, in the discipline(s) being taught.
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate courses at the Master’s level, the following are required:
  • A Doctoral degree in the discipline(s) being taught or in a related discipline, or
  • A Master’s degree, including a major, in the discipline(s) being taught when that degree is usually considered the terminal degree in that discipline, or
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching at the doctoral level, the following are required:
  • A Doctoral degree in the discipline(s) being taught or in a related discipline.
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.

5.3 Recruitment of Faculty

Prior clearance must be obtained from Finance and the Office of Academic Administration before the hiring process begins. The process for filling a position involves submitting a Position Request to Human Resources, announcing the position, gathering a pool of candidates, and interviewing selected candidates. Following are the general guidelines for this process:

1. The Department Chair determines an established timeline for recruiting that includes advertising appropriate to the job vacancy.
   1. The Department Chair, in conjunction with the Office of Academic Administration, determines advertising needs based upon the following criteria:

• Knowledge of qualified applicants within the AHU faculty
• Department request
• Length of time vacancy exists
• External market conditions
• Cost of specific advertisement

b. The position may be publicized, utilizing any/all of the following:

• AdventHealth Careers site
• Professional journals
• Newspapers
• Internet
• Professional contacts
• Direct mail

2. A Search Committee is organized, with the guidance of the Department Chair, to typically include three to seven members with at least one non-departmental member.

a. Notification must be provided to the Director of Human Resources that a Search Committee has been organized.

b. The Search Committee, in collaboration with the Department Chair, develops the standardized interview questions to utilize with all candidates.

c. The standardized interview questions are sent to the Director of Human Resources for review.

3. The following guidelines for the interview process should be followed:

1. The following materials must be provided to the Search Committee, but are not limited to:

Required

• The candidate’s Curriculum Vitae (CV) (See Appendix B ), a document that provides an overview of education, professional experience, teaching or educating experience, scholarship, and professional service.
• At least two letters of reference from supervisors or colleagues.

 b. Procedure for the interview process:

1. The Search Committee has the option of prescreening the candidate.
2. The Search Committee arranges for the formal interview of potential candidates which typically includes the following:

• Formal presentation
• Interview meeting with Academic Administration and other key leaders
• Meeting with departmental faculty and staff

    ***A consistent approach must be followed with all candidates to ensure equity***

3. After the formal interview process is complete, the Search Committee convenes to discuss the candidate’s strengths and opportunities utilizing a standardized rubric.

4. The Search Committee discusses the eligible candidates with relevant stakeholders including faculty and staff.

5. The Search Committee, in collaboration with the Department Chair, makes a recommendation to the Provost which includes the following:

• A formal written justification including the search process
• Initial rank
• The candidate’s CV
• Other supporting documents for the Faculty Rank and Promotion Committee

Required (if available)

• Unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary course work.
• Teaching evaluations and/or professional evaluations, as available, from students, colleagues, administrators, and self.
• Evidence of scholarly activity, e.g., published articles and posters accreditation documents, white papers, and presentations.
• Documents verifying participation and, if available, effectiveness in recent professional service, e.g., professional societies, community-based professional service, and organizational service.
• A 1-2 page summary of the faculty member’s educating philosophy, with particular attention to teaching/learning practices and what it means to teach in a Christian institution of higher learning (See Appendix E4   - Educating Statement).

6. After all interviews have been conducted, the President meets with the selected candidate.

7. The Provost provides all documentation to the Faculty Rank and Promotion Committee for review and recommendation of rank.

8. The Faculty Rank and Promotion Committee makes a recommendation of rank to the Provost.

9. The Provost and/or President makes final decision of rank and salary in collaboration with CFO, Department Chair, and Director of Human Resources.

10. The Provost informs the Department Chair of the final rank and salary and extends the formal written offer to the candidate.

11. Human Resources will conduct a background verification and other required HR procedures to complete the hiring process while keeping the Department Chair informed of the hiring status.

12. If the Provost and/or President does not approve the recommended candidate or if the candidate declines the offer, the process will repeat until a candidate is found.

AHU is an equal opportunity employer and complies with federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws, regulations and ordinances.  The above process shall be followed for each candidate to ensure a fair and equitable selection.

5.4 Exemption to Teaching Qualifications

Before a faculty member who does not meet the qualifications listed above can be assigned to teach a course as indicated above, the Exemption to Teaching Qualifications form (See Appendix A ) must be completed by the Department Chair and filed in the Office of the Provost.

5.5 Initial Appointment

The President appoints new faculty after conferring with the Provost, Department Chair/Supervisor, and the Faculty Rank and Promotion Committee.  New faculty candidates are appointed to a rank and level based in part on their education and experience (See 6.2 Ranks for a description of rank and competencies). Contracts are issued electronically by the President. 

For incoming faculty, the Faculty Rank and Promotion Committee requires the following information from the Department Chair:

• CV
• Two letters of Recommendation
• 1-2 page Teaching Philosophy Statement with educational references
• Teaching/Course evaluations and Peer evaluations
• Evidence of Scholarly Activity
• Evidence of Professional Service

5.6 Period of Appointment

Appointments for full-time and part-time faculty will be for the period specifically stated in their contract. The contract year is from August 16 through August 15. It is the goal of Administration to have contracts ready by the middle of June.

5.7 Academic Faculty

Academic faculty are those individuals hired on a full-time basis. These faculty receive full pay and benefits.

5.8 Professional Faculty

Professional faculty status is granted to those contract instructors who have taught at AHU over a period of time, have demonstrated a commitment to the institution, and have professional expertise. These faculty:

• Have earned a degree that meets or exceeds what is required for the course(s) taught
• Have demonstrated a commitment to AHU, its mission, and its values
• Have a proven track record as an instructor

Their responsibilities will entail:

• Being available to teach as needed
• Taking extracurricular responsibilities such as committee assignments
• Attending faculty meetings and University-sponsored professional development courses whenever possible
• Having office hours commensurate with the number of course(s) taught in a given trimester

The benefits of Professional faculty status include:

• A one-year contract committing faculty to teach each time their courses are offered
• Faculty privileges:
  • University faculty ID badge
  • Charging privileges at the University Bookstore
  • AdventHealth Orlando Cafeteria and Gift Shop discounts
• Professional memberships. Up to two will be paid for those memberships related to the course(s) taught (See Elective Membership Dues Policy ).
• Tuition benefit for immediate family members during the current academic year while teaching.

5.9 Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct Instructional Faculty

The title of Adjunct Instructional Faculty is assigned to persons who are employed by the University to teach didactic courses which are offered on campus. These instructors are responsible for developing the course they teach, testing and grading, and recording student attendance. They will report to their department chair. They will be awarded an employment contract for each course taught, and will be remunerated based on their qualifications and according to the policies of the given department.

Adjunct Faculty for Professional Practice

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Professional Practice is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified and maintain a relationship with the University for the purpose of supporting and teaching students in their professional practice at AdventHealth University.  These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their work.  They may hold faculty status within a department of the University, renewable on an annual basis. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership

Adjunct Faculty for Clinical Practice

The title of Adjunct Clinical Faculty is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified to supervise and instruct students in the clinical area. These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their specific clinical assignment. They may be responsible for the entire clinical course or may be required to perform specific duties within a clinical course. They may also be required to provide information through evaluations to the department chair, clinical coordinator, or the individual designated responsible for clinical supervision.

Adjunct Faculty for Research

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Research is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified and maintain a relationship with AdventHealth University for the purpose of supporting and advancing research activities.  These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their work.  They may hold faculty status within a department of the University. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership.  Their appointment can be renewed on a yearly basis.

Adjunct Faculty for Mission

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Mission is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified to engage in mission related activities in support of the mission of AdventHealth University.  These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their work.  They may hold faculty status within a department of the University. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership.  Their appointment can be renewed on a yearly basis.

Adjunct Faculty for Online Education

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Online Education is assigned to persons employed by the University to teach certain online courses (Internet, asynchronous, synchronous, and video-based). They will be awarded an employment contract for each course taught and will be remunerated wages as set forth in their contact agreement. These faculty are assigned lead or section adjunct instructor responsibilities as noted in the employment contract.  Responsibilities include, but are not limited to recording attendance, grading of academic work, and providing asynchronous, synchronous, and/or discussion forums as found in the respective course. They will report to their department chair. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership. 

5.10 Affiliate Faculty

Affiliated faculty members may be invited to serve by the Provost, if they are not currently employed by AHU. Department Chairs will send names and contact information to the Provost for individuals that they deem appropriate to invite. The Department Chair under whom the affiliated faculty member will be placed will be responsible for ensuring that all AHU policies and procedures are followed in relationship to their affiliated roles. Affiliate faculty have the opportunity to represent the university in a variety of ways, including consultation, advisement, program development, research and other innovation collaborations for optimal student and faculty academic experiences.

Title

Affiliate faculty are not ranked positions at AdventHealth University. Faculty members may use the title “Affiliate faculty of AdventHealth University” in communications and signatures, as appropriate.

Application Process

The Affiliate Faculty Application will then be sent by the Provost to the applicant and returned to the Provost’s office for review.  The offer letter will then be sent by the Provost to the potential affiliate faculty member. This letter will specify the terms and roles of the affiliate faculty. The applicant will return the signed letter to the Provost. Signed copies will be provided to Human Resources, as well as to the appropriate Department Chair.  Human Resources and the Chair of the designated Department will review the application, with a recommendation to the Provost. If additional input is needed, or the applicant will not have a direct departmental affiliation, the Provost will assist in making a determination of qualifications. Potential affiliate faculty members may also initiate the process by filling out an application without a formal invitation to do so, if they are aware of the opportunity through their contacts. Human Resources and the Provost will review those applications.

Applicant Submissions

The applicant will be required to submit the following:

• Affiliate Faculty Application (See Appendix O )
• A copy of unofficial or official transcripts from a regionally accredited university. In the case that the degree is international, a review may be required by an agency approved by AHU
• Two letter(s) of recommendation by professional colleagues
• Curriculum vitae

Renewal

An affiliate faculty member appointment will be reviewed on a bi-annual basis by HR, in collaboration with the Provost’s office and appropriate Chair’s consultation. Reappointment review will take place by May 1^st academic year. If an affiliate faculty member opts not to renew, the term will automatically terminate if the following is not received by HR by June 1^st. Bi-Annual renewal documentation to Human Resources will include:

• Updated CV
• Current updates for areas of work (e.g. scholarship, service, teaching)
• Brief narrative summary review from Department Chair or University designee regarding performance and activities

Compensation

Affiliate faculty members are not paid employees and will not receive compensation for their university service. However, if they incur expenses for an agreed-on task and there is a prior agreement with the Chair or Provost for reimbursement, this will be acceptable.

Termination

AHU has the right to terminate the affiliate agreement based on any egregious actions or failure to fulfill agreed on obligations.

5.11 Department Chair or Program Director

When a Department Chair or Program Director position becomes vacant, a Search Committee may be appointed by the President. The Search Committee will then search for, screen, and interview the most qualified candidates and make recommendations to the President. The President, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Search Committee as well as those of the Provost, makes the final decision.

5.12 All Vice Presidents

At the executive level, in consultation with the appropriate University officers, the President makes the final decisions on such appointments.

5.13 The President of the University

The President serves at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees and is appointed, reappointed, and/or dismissed at their discretion in a manner determined by them.