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Faculty Senate Administrative Office
Lindley 346
Athens, OH 45701
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Sections D - K

[Sections IV D-K of Handbook]

D. Participation in Outside Work

Members of the faculty are free to assist in research or scientific studies conducted by state, regional, and national educational and professional organizations, and in outside work of a professional nature. When such participation necessitates a reduction of teaching load and/or administrative responsibility, or when the expenditure of University funds is involved, it is necessary to secure official approval from the appropriate dean.

  1. All outside work of a professional nature by members of the faculty that is not a part of the official duties shall be reported to the Provost and the President by the dean concerned. Members of the faculty shall, as soon as an agreement has been made or work has started, submit to their department chair, dean, and the Provost reports on the nature and extent of outside work. If the outside employer requires the faculty member to sign a patent agreement, such an agreement must have prior approval and must be worked out in accordance with the University policy on patents.
  2. In no case shall outside employment interfere with specified regular University duties and the effective service of the faculty member. To avoid a conflict of interest, an Ohio University faculty member who is providing instructional services for another institution offering graduate study may in no way provide such services to another Ohio University faculty member or administrator who is enrolled in graduate study at the same institution. In the event that a question arises about the conflict of outside work with effective service to the University, consultation with the faculty member shall be held by his/her/their department chair and the academic dean. Decision by the dean, subject to review by the Provost and by the President, shall be final on this point.
  3. If a faculty or staff member serving as a consultant to an outside agency or company requires the use of University facilities and/or equipment for purposes of the consultantship, such usage shall be only on an occasional and brief basis, and only with permission of the department chair or campus dean. Such permission shall include agreement upon any appropriate provisions for liability and/or fees. Should more extensive or frequent usage be needed, the development of a grant or contract between the agency/company and the University would be appropriate.
  4. A student engaged in a project related to or part of a consultant's work should be paid by the consultant of the agency/company at a rate appropriate to the task and equivalent to the rate normally paid students for University-sponsored work.

E. Course Auditing Privileges

Any member of the faculty may audit courses without fee, provided he/she/they have the approval of the dean of their college and the instructors of the courses.

F. Faculty and Administrator Registration for Graduate Degrees

All employees (within Section IV.F defined as faculty above the rank of Instructor, administrators, and bargaining unit employees) except senior administrators (vice presidents, vice provosts, associate provosts, and deans) are eligible to apply for admission to a graduate program or to non-degree status. In these cases, employees are subject to a conflict of interest review. The Dean of the Graduate College the Graduate Council will review all applications for potential conflict of interest. If the Graduate Council determines that a conflict exists, and cannot be satisfactorily mitigated, then the employee shall not be admitted to a graduate program. It is the responsibility of the Dean of the Graduate College to see that this review takes place at the earliest possible meeting of Graduate Council.

No faculty member at or above the rank of Instructor may receive from the University a Master's Degree or a Doctor's Degree in any graduate program where the faculty member has membership, teaches courses, serves on Master's or Doctoral Committees, has, or is expected to have, other supervisory responsibilities which might give rise to conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest. Further, employees at Ohio University may not enroll in a terminal degree program where the employee has, or is expected to have, supervisory responsibilities over program faculty or decision-making authority over financial resources of the program or the unit housing the program which might give rise to conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest. For faculty, an appeal for exemption from the terminal degree receipt prohibition and/or enrollment prohibition shall first follow the guidelines established in accordance with the "Faculty Grievance Committee" procedures (see Section V.C.). Any employee’s enrollment must be cleared for conflict of interest by the Dean of the Graduate College and Graduate Council before the employee is eligible to be admitted into the program or enroll in any classes; faculty Grievance Committee procedures are a prelude to review by the Dean of the Graduate College and Graduate Council, not a substitute.

An employee at Ohio University who is admitted to a degree program or to non-degree status may normally register for no more than 8 hours per semester. If the employee wishes to register for 9 to 10 hours, then they must have written approval from the graduate chair of their academic program and from their administrative supervisor. Full-time faculty and full-time administrators who obtain approval to register for 9 or 10 hours per semester may not receive a graduate stipend. Course loads taken during breaks in regular employment, however, such as summers for 9-month faculty, will be limited only by Graduate Catalog regulations. (Attention is also directed to the stipulations regarding residency requirements as stated in the Graduate Catalog and the Policy and Procedure Manual, No. 40.016.)

If a student who is currently in a graduate degree program is offered full-time appointment or changes the appointments at the university, then the situation shall be reviewed by the Dean of the Graduate College and the Graduate Council at the earliest possible date. The Graduate Council shall determine whether conflict of interest or unfair competition that might affect academic performance and evaluation would result from dual status as a student and an employee. If the Graduate Council determines that such a conflict would exist, then the Graduate Council shall inform the student that they may not continue in their graduate program if the student accepts the position.

G. Travel and Entertainment Expense

It is the policy of Ohio University to reimburse its personnel for reasonable and necessary travel and entertainment expenses incurred in the conduct of official University business. Detailed regulations governing reporting and reimbursement of travel and entertainment expenses are published in the Policy and Procedure Manual, No. 41.121.

H. Ohio University Patent Policy

Patentable discoveries sometimes result from research performed at Ohio University. It is the desire of the University to be as helpful as possible in protecting the patent rights of the faculty, researchers, students, and employees to the fullest extent compatible with the public interest and the rights of the University. To this end, the University has authorized the hiring of patent attorneys to file patent applications. Detailed description of University patent policies can be found in the Policy and Procedure Manual, No. 17.001. 

The Faculty Senate endorses the essential principles of the "Statement on Copyright" adopted by the American Association of University Professors in 1999. 

I. Course Credit and Grading in Emergencies

  1. In the event that an academic semester is terminated prematurely and Rule Two is invoked by the Board of Regents, an entry will be made on each student's record indicating that the semester has been terminated and that no credit or grades could be given.
  2. In the event that an academic semester is terminated prematurely and Rule Two is not invoked by the Board of Regents, the following policies will be in effect:
    1. Students with a record of non-attendance or who are delinquent in their work (missed quizzes, examinations, reports, etc.) may receive no credit or a failing grade for the term at the discretion of their instructor. Instructors shall notify such students of the reasons for receiving no credit or a failing grade.
    2. The number of credit hours and the mode of completing the course shall be recommended by the instructor and approved by his/her/their department or a committee thereof. The specific grade will be assigned by the instructor.
    3. Policies developed in [b] above shall be placed in writing and a copy filed in the department office and in the office of the college dean, and a copy sent to each student involved. The Faculty Senate shall recommend a date by which course work should be completed and grades submitted.
  3. In the event that an academic semester is temporarily interrupted and the full fourteen weeks of instruction are subsequently completed, normal grading policies will apply.

J. Guidelines for Sponsored Research

Ohio University recognizes its responsibility to serve community (local, state, national, and international) interests as it fulfills its basic educational objectives of undergraduate, graduate, and professional teaching, advanced research, and public service. It also recognizes its obligation as a center of higher learning to extend and understand knowledge in order that human life and liberty be preserved and enriched, not degraded and destroyed. The rights to engage in scholarly activity, to pursue individual intellectual inquiry, and to publish and communicate are basic to these objectives and obligations of the University and its scholars. It is in this context that the University appraises its sponsored research programs and encourages and assists its faculty through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. 

Policies

The policies of the University with respect to sponsored research are based on the following principles:

  1. Any sponsored research that is to be undertaken must be demonstrably supportive of the instructional and research objectives of the departments, centers, and institutes in which the research is to be conducted.  Proposals for research will be reviewed, weighing needs and benefits against costs and restrictions, to determine their acceptability.
  2. The University does not accept sponsored research that includes restrictions preventing disclosure of the sponsor, the existence of the contract, or adequate review of the appropriateness of the program to academic pursuits of the University.
  3. The University, through the Vice President for Research, in concert with the principal investigator, his/her/their department and college, will seek to minimize restrictions on publication and scholarly communication imposed by those research contracts that are accepted.
  4. The University does not accept theses or dissertations containing material developed as part of a research project if the theses or dissertations are restricted from publication. Publication, for this purpose, includes depositing the manuscript with the student's department and college, cataloging by Alden Library, and microfilming and distribution by University Microfilms.
  5. The University will accept research contracts at the request of the federal government that go beyond the immediate research interests of faculty members and their departments only under the most pressing demands of national interest and welfare.
  6. The University does not accept sponsored programs requiring the University to be involved directly in the development of weapons or weapons systems.
  7. In accordance with federal regulations, the University requires approval for certain research projects, sponsored or unsponsored, dealing with human subjects. The object, of course, is to protect those participating in the project from psychological or physiological abuse. Such projects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board for Review of Research Involving Human Subjects. For the complete policy on research involving human subjects, see the Policy and Procedure Manual, No. 19.052.

K. Policy for Faculty Participation in Production of Educational Materials

It is the policy of Ohio University to encourage educational innovation and experimentation in the use of techniques that improve instructional effectiveness and efficiency. Policies governing University-sponsored educational materials have been developed. Detailed descriptions of these policies can be found in the Policy and Procedure Manual (Nos. 15.006 and 15.007).