Policies

Boston College has committed itself to protect the privacy rights of its students and to maintain the confidentiality of its records. In addition, the University endorses and complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, a federal statute that affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. Agora, the University's web-based access system, provides faculty with personalized menus of student and course information including capabilities to:

• Manage courses—class lists, photos of enrolled students
• Communicate with students in classes—e-mail and voicemail
• Advise students—retrieve a list of all advisees, advisee course history, degree audit, simulated degree audit, and BC directory information
• Access the BC Personnel Directory—local/home addresses, telephone numbers, voicemail, e-mail, and photos.

Student records obtained for academic purposes are considered privileged communications to be used for educational purposes only and may not be disclosed to other individuals within or outside the University. Advisors should be sensitive to the confidential nature of student records, both in their storage while in use and in their disposal when no longer in use. View Student Services' Confidentiality of Student Records. Faculty, other than the student's advisor, seeking access to a student's transcript should request the transcript from the student. Student Services maintains official student college transcripts and permanent academic records. The academic dean in each school/college maintains student academic files. Information about a student should be released only to the student. All other questions should be referred to Student Services or to the student's academic dean.

The University Statutes II.2 define The Adjunct Faculty as "those persons holding instructional and/or research positions without contract of appointment to the faculty.” Adjunct faculty may be full-time, or part-time, and may be appointed on a short- or longer-term basis. For purposes of clarifying the application of the University Statutes, the term non-tenure-track faculty shall be used to refer to all full-time adjunct faculty. Part-time adjunct faculty will continue to be referred to as "adjunct.” Non-tenure-track faculty are appointed by the Provost on the recommendation of the Dean and/or Department Chairperson, and their contracts may be renewed. The Dean and/or Department Chairperson may recommend reappointment of a non-tenure-track faculty member only after a review of the non-tenure-track faculty member’s performance by the tenured faculty of the Department (University Statutes II.2). The Dean and/or Department Chairperson may also solicit and consider input from the other non-tenure-track faculty of the Department.

“Adjunct faculty appointments may be made with the titles of adjunct professor, adjunct associate professor, adjunct assistant professor, adjunct instructor, lecturer, special lecturer, research professor, associate research professor, assistant research professor, and research instructor.” (University Statutes II.2). Particular titles that are appropriate to the individual’s role and/or discipline may be used as an alternative for the title “adjunct”, but the individual remains a member of the adjunct faculty as described in the University Statutes. Each dean must receive written approval from the Provost for the titles to be used in his or her school.

Non-tenure-track faculty possess rights and privileges relating to academic freedom. They are not eligible for tenure, nor are they eligible to vote on matters concerning the promotion of tenure-track faculty. However, each non-tenure-track faculty member shall have the rights and privileges described below. Individual schools may establish additional policies regarding their non-tenure-track faculty members, provided these policies have the written approval of the Provost and do not conflict with the University Statutes or other university policies.

Promotion of Non-tenure-track Faculty

Each school will establish a committee to review the promotion of non-tenure-track faculty, and a procedure for this review, according to the following guidelines:

• Promotion to clinical associate professor, associate professor of the practice, senior lecturer, research associate professor, etc. requires a significant record of excellence in the capacity for which the faculty member was hired, and excellent departmental, school, and/or university service. Excellence will be defined according to the standards of the discipline.
• Promotion to clinical professor, professor of the practice, distinguished senior lecturer, research professor, etc. should be reserved for faculty members who demonstrate distinction in the capacity for which they were hired, and distinctive departmental and school service. Distinction will be defined according to the standards of the discipline.
• At the Dean's discretion, the committee may include non-tenure-track faculty who m ay vote on the recommmendation for promotion.

The dean will send his or her recommendation to the Provost who will make the final decision on each such promotion.

Voting and Other Rights of Non-tenure-track Faculty

Non-tenure-track faculty members are not eligible to serve on university-wide statutory committees established by provision of the University Statutes. These statutory committees include the Faculty Hearing Committee, the Faculty Review Panel, and the Faculty Grievance Committee. In all other cases the Provost will determine the eligibility of non-tenure-track faculty to vote in university-wide elections and to serve on university-wide committees. Voting rights of non-tenure-track faculty in department or school elections or on departmental or school issues, unless restricted to The Faculty or otherwise limited by the University Statutes, may be decided within schools. Service on school or departmental committees, unless restricted to The Faculty or otherwise limited by the University Statutes, may be decided within departments and schools. Non-tenure-track faculty may be permitted to serve as voting members on department and school committees, including those related to the hiring and promotion of other non-tenure track faculty in that department or school. 

All provisions of the Faculty Handbook apply to non-tenure-track faculty, with the exception of those policies expressly reserved for tenured or tenure-track faculty. While non-tenure-track faculty are not excluded from various other programs, it is the expectation that the particular focus of their appointments will make application for certain programs appropriate and for other programs less appropriate, e.g., research faculty might apply for research development proposal funds, while faculty whose responsibilities are focused on teaching might appropriately seek teaching/advising grants.

Individual schools or departments will determine the school or departmental support activities or opportunities that will be available to non-tenure-track faculty in their divisions to assist them in fulfilling their specific responsibilities.

Due-process for non-tenure track faculty

Because non-tenure-track faculty cannot bring cases to the University’s statutory committees (Hearing, Review, and Grievance), the Provost appoints a Grievance Committee for the Non-tenure-track Faculty, consisting of three non-tenure-track and two tenured faculty serving three year terms, which considers cases according to the procedures prescribed in the University Statutes II.11.C, with the grievance committee assuming the tasks assigned to the Faculty Grievance Committee and the Provost assuming the tasks assigned to the President under this section of the Statutes.

Joint and Courtesy Appointments acknowledge the importance of interdisciplinary and interdepartmental collaborations within Boston College. Full-time faculty and full-time adjunct faculty are eligible for courtesy appointments. These appointments expand the number of faculty supporting a program and give students access to the expertise of a broader group of faculty. Such appointments often assist in the recruitment of new faculty to BC.

Joint Appointments are made by two departments or schools, or a department or school and a center or institute, and may be tenured, probationary, or full-time adjunct. One of the two hiring units will be designated as primary, the other secondary; if one of the hiring units is a center or institute it must be the secondary unit. The hiring procedures for a new joint appointment will be determined by the two hiring units, in consultation with The Provost and Dean of Faculties. The offer letter to the jointly-appointed faculty member must be approved by the Provost, and signed by the chairs/deans/directors of both hiring units. At the time the offer is extended, the chairs/deans/directors of the hiring units will draw up a memorandum of understanding that will describe the jointly-appointed faculty member's division of privileges, duties, and responsibilities regarding the following items, if appropriate.

Faculty Privileges and Support

• Voting rights
• Space
• Research support
• Equipment support
• Administrative support

Faculty Responsibilities

• Courses taught
• Setting of teaching schedules
• Committee participation
• Undergraduate advising
• Graduate advising and mentoring

Faculty Evaluation

• Annual evaluation and salary recommendation to the dean
• Reappointment and promotion reviews

Department/School Privileges

• Grant attribution and F&A return
• Salary buyout return
• Faculty fellowships and 80% sabbaticals

The memorandum of understanding must be approved by the Provost, and signed by the chairs/deans/directors of the hiring units and the jointly-appointed faculty member. The Provost's Office will then issue the contract or letter of appointment. Subsequent changes in the faculty member’s division of privileges, duties, and responsibilities can be made by agreement among the faculty member, the chairs/deans/directors, and the Provost.

Courtesy Appointments
The criteria for courtesy appointments are established by the program or department and by the school. A department interested in adding a BC faculty member as an affiliated professor, extends an invitation to the faculty member. The appointment is then negotiated by the deans in the respective schools, in consultation with department chairs. The Provost makes the formal appointment on the recommendation of the deans. Appointments are for three years and are reviewed at the end of that period by the appropriate deans.

A faculty member holding a courtesy appointment retains the same faculty title as in their home department, and may list this affiliation on their curriculum vitae and on grant applications, and may make note of the affiliation in other appropriate professional contexts or activities.

Departments may report courtesy appointments in reports or applications to external agencies. Courtesy appointments have no financial implications; grants, salaries, etc. remain within the home department and school. Similarly, decisions on promotion to rank or tenure and other such matters remain within the home department or school.

Affiliated Professor appointments are distinct from other faculty appointments such as visiting scholar or adjunct faculty.

Purpose:

This guidance outlines the University’s expectations regarding the recording (whether audio, video, streaming or digital) and availability of class lectures, discussions, and other course-related activities. The guidance aims to balance the legitimate uses of classroom recording, the intellectual property of the faculty and the University, and the privacy interests of individual students and faculty.  This guidance is not intended to address the recording of classes by students who have been approved to do so as a disability accommodation, as overseen by the Disability Services Office.

Guidance:

Boston College values the open exchange of ideas and the privacy interests of community members. To increase the accessibility of the learning experience for all students, particularly in situations where students miss class because of illness or may be taking the class remotely from other locations and time zones for legitimate reasons, Boston College encourages faculty to record their classes when feasible and appropriate.

Faculty who record their class sessions must notify students in advance of such action via email, on their syllabus, and/or verbally in class. The faculty member may share the recording only with students in the same class as the subject of the recording.  If the faculty member wishes to share the recording with other parties and it includes the voice, image, or other identifying characteristic of any students, the faculty member must obtain the written consent of those students prior to any dissemination. The faculty member is responsible for ensuring that any use or sharing of any recording that includes student information is consistent with the written consents and not used or shared for any other purpose, in accordance with the University’s Student Education Records policy. The faculty member should retain the written consents so long as the recording is retained.

Consistent with the University’s Intellectual Property policy, the University does not claim copyright or other intellectual property rights in a faculty member’s lecture or course materials that appear in course recordings. However, the University retains an interest in how class recordings are disseminated.  In addition to securing consents from students, faculty must secure permission from the Provost before making any course recordings available to the general public or to a third party.

Recordings should be kept until the end of the semester, after which faculty may elect to delete the recordings or retain them for other pedagogical reasons.   If the recordings are stored in a third party application, they may be retained by such third party under the terms of its agreement with the University.

Administrators will not view the class recordings without the permission of the faculty member unless there is a misconduct investigation that warrants access to the recordings or as otherwise described in the University’s Responsible Use of Video Surveillance/Security Systems on Campus with respect to the bases for access to recorded security video footage. In such cases, the Provost and the General Counsel would need to approve any such access and the faculty member would be notified of its use. Class recordings will not be viewed as part of merit review or the promotion and tenure process, unless a faculty member decides to submit such recordings as part of the process.

Faculty are also encouraged to remind students not to take photos, record or stream video or audio, of the class, nor copy, reproduce, share or distribute these materials in whole or in part except with the written permission of the faculty member and such other permissions as may be required by law or University policies.

Conflict of Commitment

As resources for the outside world, Boston College faculty are sought after nationally and internationally to share their scholarly expertise. While these external activities disseminate knowledge and often benefit the University as well as the public, conflict of commitment occurs when a faculty member’s commitment to external activities adversely affects his/her capacity to meet University responsibilities.

It is the policy of the University that all faculty members will devote their primary professional time and energy to their teaching, research and other scholarly works, service on University committees and to professional associations, assistance for students, performance of necessary school and departmental administrative duties, and where applicable, patient care. Although a specific work-week is not defined for faculty members, it is expected that such membership constitutes a full-time obligation during the academic year.

Professional external activities conducted by a faculty member should improve effectiveness as a teacher or contributor to scholarly attainments, or should in some manner serve the interests of the University or of the University community. External activities must not distract significantly from a faculty member’s primary responsibilities and must not require such extensive absence as to cause the faculty member to neglect course obligations or to become unavailable to students and colleagues. External activities must not compromise any intellectual property owned by the University.

Teaching for another institution requires prior written approval of the Provost. In accordance with the University Statutes, professional service outside the University shall not exceed the equivalent of one day per week, and any work of a continuing or regular nature, whether compensated or not, must be approved annually by the Provost.

Conflict of Interest

A research university promotes the public good by fostering the transfer of knowledge gained through university research and scholarship to the private sector. A conflict of interest exists in any situation in which a faculty member has an outside interest that might affect, or appear to affect, his or her judgment in carrying out University responsibilities. Examples are:

1. A faculty member, or a member of his or her family, having an interest in, or serving as an officer, director, or consultant to, or being otherwise employed by, any organization or company having or seeking to have financial dealings with the University, or having an interest in any organization that is in direct competition with a service provided by the University.

2. A faculty member, a member of his or her family, or an organization in which that faculty or family member that has a significant ownership interest (i.e., five percent or more of the stock in a corporation, five percent or more interest in the profits of a partnership, or a beneficial interest of five percent or more in any other enterprise); management function (e.g., trustee, director, general manager, partner, principal officer, employee, or agent); or other material interest, receiving a financial or other benefit from knowledge or information confidential or proprietary to the University.

3. Influencing or participating in negotiations, or entering into a contract, to purchase goods and/or services for the University from an organization in which the faculty member, or a member of his or her family, has a financial interest or a consulting or other relationship.

4. The use for personal financial gain of privileged information emanating from University research or other confidential University information, or assisting an outside organization in obtaining a preferred position with respect to such information.

5. Acceptance of gratuities, gifts, or travel of more than nominal value (in excess of $100.00) to an individual or a group from suppliers of goods and/or services to the University, or from others seeking information from, or association with, the University.

Most conflicts of interest do not necessarily imply wrongdoing, but must be recognized and managed. However, the use of University resources (equipment, space, staff or student time) or the University name for personal gain is always prohibited.

Certain activities are generally not to be construed as conflicts of interest, and need not be reported unless received from a foreign entity:

1. Receiving royalties for published scholarly works and other writings (over the amount of any University-provided subvention);

2. Accepting honoraria for papers and lectures;

3. Accepting prizes and awards for professional achievement.

Reporting Conflicts of Commitment and Interest

All faculty members are required to disclose to the University, as they arise or at least annually, all potential conflicts of interest or commitment. Those faculty engaged in sponsored projects must disclose potential conflicts at the time of the grant proposal or issuance of the subcontract; see the Policy on Conflicts of Interest Pertaining to Sponsored Projects at https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/research/sites/vice-provost-for-research/integrity-and-compliance/conflict-of-interest.html.

Department chairs and/or deans should review and discuss reported conflicts of commitment and interest with faculty each year; reported conflicts and their resolution should then be reviewed by the dean when the initial review was conducted by a department chair, and by the Vice Provost for Faculties when the initial review was conducted by a dean. Conflicts of commitment must be eliminated; conflicts of interest must be managed or avoided. If agreement between the faculty member, department chair, dean and/or Vice Provost on the resolution of a reported conflict cannot be reached, the faculty member may seek review and decision by the Provost.

Boston College recognizes that its employees sometimes face conflicts in meeting family obligations and work requirements. Therefore, in accordance with the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (MPFMLL) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the University has established policies governing parental, family, medical and military leaves. The complete MPFMLL Policy and FMLA Policy are available online and from the Benefits Office in Room 140, 129 Lake Street.

Boston College faculty, as employees of the University, are eligible for job-protected, paid family and medical leave under the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law. In compliance with this law, Boston College's Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy sets forth all definitions of terms, eligibility requirements, conditions for using leave, the process for requiring leave, protections to employees who apply for and/or use leave, and other related provisions.

Family Leave
Employees are eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks of leave during a twelve-month period to care for a family member with a "serious health condition." (Refer to BC FMLA and MPFMLL Policies for definitions and provisions.)

Foster Care Leave
Employees are eligible for up to twelve (12) consecutive weeks of FMLA and PFMLL leave during the twelve-month period following placement of a child into their foster care. (Refer to BC FMLA and MPFMLL Policies for definitions and provisions.)

Medical or Sick Leave
Full-time faculty do not accrue sick time.  It is the policy of Boston College to pay faculty their regular pay for a reasonable number of days missed due to short-term illnesses.  Furthermore, full-time faculty who experience a period of extended illness or disability are eligible for full salary continuation in accordance with the following schedule:

Medical documentation may be required for frequent or extended absences.

By the third month of a medical absence, if it is apparent that an illness or disability might extend beyond six months, the faculty member should contact the Benefits Office to discuss procedures for applying for benefits under the University’s Long-Term Disability Insurance Plan, which provides for income payments after six months of disability.  (See the Benefits section of the Employee Handbook for information about the Disability plan.)

Military Leaves
In 2008, the National Defense Authorization Act established two kinds of Military Family Leave. "Military Caregiver Leave" provides up to 26 weeks of leave to an employee who is the spouse, child, parent, or next-of-kin of a service member who is recovering from a serious illness or injury sustained on active duty. "Qualifying Exigency Leave" provides that an employee with a spouse, child, or parent in the National Guard or Reserves may use up to twelve weeks (12) of leave for a "qualifying exigency" arising out of the fact that the military member is on active duty or is called to active duty in support of a contingency operation. (Refer to BC FMLA and MPFMLL Policies for definitions and provisions.)

Procedures for Requesting Leave
Faculty requesting Family, Foster Care, Medical/Sick or Military leave should submit a written or electronic request to the Vice Provost for Faculties with a copy to the Department chair and/or Dean as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made for replacement of class coverage, if necessary. In the case of a medical emergency, the faculty or a family member should contact the department chair or dean as soon as practicable.

For leaves involving serious health conditions, the University requires appropriate verification from a health care provider of the necessity for the family or medical leave. The information should include:

• The date on which the serious health condition commenced and the probable duration of the condition;
• Appropriate medical facts within the knowledge of the healthcare provider that would necessitate the faculty member to take family or medical leave; and
• An estimate of the amount of time that the faculty member is needed to care for a family member, or statement explaining the extent to which the faculty member is unable to perform normal work duties.

Part-time Faculty Eligibility
Part-time faculty members may be entitled to partial pay for medical, maternity/paternity, family and other leaves in accordance with provisions of the MA Paid Family & Medical Leave Law (MPFMLL).  Please refer to Boston College’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy. Any such payments are administered through the insurance company that Boston College has engaged for this purpose.  Please contact the Benefits Office for more details.

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/student-services/about/notices-disclosures.html

As a Jesuit and Catholic University, Boston College is committed to academic excellence and the open exchange of ideas. Mutual respect among all members of the University community is vital to the pursuit of excellence and to the intellectual, social, and spiritual formation of each individual. Fr. William P. Leahy, S.J., President of Boston College, has made clear the University’s goal of an environment free of discrimination and all forms of harassment and intimidation:

“As a University and an institution committed to Jesuit, Catholic beliefs and values, Boston College expects members of its community to treat one another with respect, dignity, and compassion. Acts of prejudice, hatred, and discrimination especially conflict with Boston College’s institutional standards and ethos, and such behavior cannot and will not be tolerated here.

It is important that offensive conduct be reported, and that due process be followed, so that we can maintain the rights and integrity of our campus community.

I ask that all of us re-dedicate ourselves to helping Boston College live up to its heritage and ideals.”

Hate Crimes
Under state and federal law, hate crimes are criminal offenses that are motivated in whole or in part by the offender’s bias toward the victim’s race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, or disability. Any member of the University community who observes or is a victim of a hate crime should report this immediately to the Boston College Police Department for investigation and action.

Bias-Motivated Offensive Conduct
Bias-motivated offensive conduct is behavior that violates standards stated in Boston College’s Student Guide, its Professional Standards and Business Conduct Policy, or its Policy Against Discriminatory Harassment and is motivated in whole or in part by the offender’s bias toward the victim’s race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, or disability.

Any student who observes or is a victim of bias-motivated offensive conduct by another student should report this immediately to the Office of Student Conduct for investigation and action, or to the Dean of the appropriate School or the University’s Harassment Counselor, if the offensive conduct is by a faculty or staff member.

Any faculty member who observes or is a victim of bias-motivated offensive conduct by a faculty or staff member should report this immediately to the Dean of the appropriate School or to the University’s Harassment Counselor, or the Office of Student Conduct, if the offensive conduct is by a student.

Any staff member who observes or is a victim of bias-motivated offensive conduct by a student should report this immediately to the Office of Student Conduct, or to the University’s Harassment Counselor, if the offensive conduct is by a faculty or staff member.

Revised April 22, 2020

Birth Recovery Medical Leave
Upon giving birth to her child, a full-time member of the faculty is eligible for six (6) consecutive weeks of paid leave with full salary and benefits.

Parental/Child Bonding Leave
Within one year following the birth of their child, full-time members of the faculty who are the birthing or non-birthing parent are eligible for twelve (12) consecutive weeks of paid child bonding leave with full salary and benefits.

Adoption Leave
During the 12-month period immediately following placement of an adopted child under the age of 13 in a full-time faculty member’s home, the faculty member is eligible for twelve (12) consecutive weeks of paid leave with full salary and benefits. Also, please refer to Boston College’s “Adoption Assistance Plan” in the Adoption Benefits section of the HR Benefits site.

Teaching Relief
Full-time faculty members availing of the parental or adoption leave are also eligible for a semester free of teaching responsibilities.

A full semester of teaching relief will not count as a semester of service towards a sabbatical.

Procedures for Requesting Leave
Full-time faculty members who wish to apply for parental or adoption leave should inform their Department chair, Dean and Vice Provost for Faculties as soon as practicable to allow enough time to arrange for replacement of course coverage. Following the birth or adoption placement of the child, the faculty member must notify the Vice Provost for Faculties who will issue the appropriate letter granting the leave.

Part-time Faculty Eligibility
Part-time faculty members may be eligible for partial pay for medical and maternity/paternity leaves in accordance with the provisions of the MA Paid Family & Medical Leave Law (MPFMLL).  Please refer to Boston College’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy. Any such payments are administered through the insurance company that Boston College has engaged for this purpose.  Please contact the Benefits Office for more details. 

A personal leave of absence may be granted to any full-time faculty member for a reasonable cause and length of time. Generally a personal leave of absence will be granted only to tenured faculty members. If a leave of absence is granted to a non-tenured faculty member the leave will normally be counted as part of the probationary period prior to a tenure decision. Faculty members should be in residence for at least two academic years of full-time service prior to a personal leave of absence.

Except in unusual cases or for periods of extended urgent national service, the maximum period of time allowed for a leave of absence will be four consecutive academic semesters. The period for the leave should be planned, in consultation with the faculty member’s chairperson and/or dean, to assure that the leave will not adversely affect the instructional work of the department, including the supervision of dissertations. A personal leave must be recommended by the chairperson and dean and be approved by The Provost and Dean of Faculties. Leaves of absence do not count as service in determining eligibility for sabbaticals.

Leaves of absence will not be granted to faculty who accept tenured positions at other institutions.

A personal leave of absence will be without pay or benefits, although the faculty member may continue his or her group medical insurance coverage by assuming the full cost of this insurance during the leave of absence. Prior to any leave of absence the faculty member should consult with the Benefits Manager to determine the effect the planned leave will have on their benefits.

Purpose and Intent
The University strives to foster an environment that is respectful, fair, and free of harassment and
discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, and to avoid potential conflicts of interest, favoritism,
coercion, abuse, and breaches of professional standards, the University prohibits romantic or sexual
relationships between members of the community who are otherwise associated through supervisory,
teaching, advisory, or evaluative roles. Examples of prohibited relationships and conduct include, but
are not limited to, those specifically described below.

Prohibited Conduct
The University prohibits any faculty member, employee, graduate assistant, or undergraduate teaching
assistant from engaging in a romantic or sexual relationship or in any romantic or sexual conduct with
any individual whom he or she supervises, teaches, advises, evaluates, counsels, or coaches.

Furthermore, the University prohibits any faculty member or other employee from engaging in a
romantic or sexual relationship or in any romantic or sexual conduct with any student currently enrolled
as an undergraduate at Boston College.

The University also prohibits any faculty member from engaging in a romantic or sexual relationship or
in any romantic or sexual conduct with a graduate student who is enrolled in any academic program
(e.g., JD or MSW) or department in which the faculty member participates.

Reporting and Response
Any member of the University community who becomes aware of any conduct prohibited by this policy
should report the conduct to the Vice President of Human Resources or his or her designee (if the
involved individual is a staff member) or the Provost or his or her designee (if the involved individual is a
faculty member, graduate assistant, or other student). The responsible office, working with other
University administrators, will investigate the report and determine the appropriate response.

Members of the University community who violate this policy (meaning, in each case, the individual with
greater authority who engages in a relationship or conduct prohibited above with a student or employee
with less authority) will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

Relationship to Other Policies
This policy is intended to be an addition to existing University policies and does not alter or modify any
existing policies, including, without limitation, the University Statutes, the Discriminatory Harassment
Policy, and the Professional Standards and Business Conduct Policy.

If any complaint of harassment or discrimination is made, the existence of a consensual relationship in
violation of this policy shall not be a defense in any University process or response.

Exclusions and Exceptions
This policy is not intended to apply to: (a) relationships between spouses in cases in which the spouse of
faculty member or employee enrolls as a student in a University course or program; or (b) relationships
between undergraduate students, provided in each case that the relationship described in (a) or (b)
does not involve individuals who are otherwise associated through supervisory, teaching, advisory, or
evaluative roles.

Requests for exceptions to this policy may be considered on a limited, case-by-case basis by the Vice
Provost for Faculties (in cases involving faculty or students) or the Vice President of Human Resources
(for all non-faculty employees). Questions about the application or effect of this policy to an existing or
potential relationship should also be directed to the Vice Provost for Faculties or the Vice President of
Human Resources.

PDF can be found here

Faculty considering retirement should first contact their dean to discuss retirement options and financial benefits for tenured faculty.

Periodically, Human Resources invites faculty members to Retirement Planning Seminars which provide information on retirement issues and options, as well as encourage faculty to plan for retirement. See the Retirement Planning handbook for more information.

Several months prior to actual retirement, a faculty member should contact the Benefits Manager to coordinate arrangements for retirement income, Social Security payments, medical insurance, and other benefits.

At the time of their retirement, certain faculty may be granted emeritus status by the University President because of their extraordinary contributions to their disciplines and to the University. Deans should make this request of The Provost and Dean of Faculties and provide a rationale for it. The names of emeriti faculty remain in University publications such as the University Catalog.

Retired faculty remain members of the BC community and retain faculty privileges.

• Bookstore
• Cultural and athletic events
• Eligible to park in the BC parking garages at a nominal daily rate
• Email accounts--contact Shaylonda Martin at 617-552-2260 or shaylonda.barton@bc.edu 
• Faculty Convocations
• Faculty Dining Room
• Libraries
• Receive University publications
• Recreational facilities
• Special use of shared office and lounge space in a facility on the Brighton Campus reserved for their use

Boston College Association of Retired Faculty (BCARF)

Tenured faculty members are eligible to apply for a sabbatical leave of absence of one academic year (i.e., the sabbatical year) at half-salary, or one academic semester at full-salary, after 12 semesters of full-time service at Boston College. Faculty fellowships, awards or fellowships that pay salary, leaves of absence, and semesters at reduced pay, including 80 percent sabbaticals and full academic year sabbaticals at half-pay, normally do not qualify as full-time service. Exceptions are partial or full externally-funded buyouts of salary that entail the faculty member remaining in daily residence at the university.

Sabbaticals may or may not be approved based on the faculty member’s research accomplishments and contributions to teaching, service, and student mentoring/advising since the last sabbatical. Timing of sabbaticals may be adjusted to meet department or school curricular needs. If a sabbatical is delayed, accumulated semesters of service in excess of 12 will ordinarily be counted toward a subsequent sabbatical.

Faculty members applying for sabbaticals subsequent to their first BC sabbatical must append an updated report* of their previous sabbatical accomplishment to the application. Evaluations and recommendations of applications are made at the departmental level by the chairperson in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Carroll School of Management, the Connell School of Nursing, the Lynch School of Education, and the School of Theology and Ministry, subject to review and further evaluation by the dean of the respective school. In other schools the evaluations and recommendations are made by the dean. Evaluations and recommendations are forwarded to The Provost and Dean of Faculties for a final decision.

Although sabbatical leaves are restricted to tenured faculty members, an assistant professor who has completed ten semesters of full-time service at the University, and who applies for promotion to the rank of associate professor with tenure, may also apply for sabbatical leave. In such cases the award of sabbatical leave will be contingent on the faculty member’s promotion. The University reserves the right to enter into a special agreement concerning the time of the first sabbatical leave for a faculty member who comes to BC from another institution or organization. Any special agreement should be made in writing at the time of the faculty member’s appointment.

Applications of tenured faculty members for sabbaticals are to be submitted by the fall semester prior to the academic year for which the sabbatical is requested.

Faculty members on sabbatical leave may not accept gainful employment without the express written permission of the Provost. Since a sabbatical leave is considered part of the faculty member’s regular employment, all benefits are continued by the University during the leave. However, during a full-year sabbatical, retirement plan contributions, which are a percentage of salary received, will be reduced to an amount proportional to the actual salary paid.

Any person granted sabbatical leave is expected to return for at least one year’s service following the leave.

*Within six weeks of the start of the next semester, faculty members should submit electronically to their deans and the Provost's Office a report on the work they accomplished during the sabbatical leave.

80 Percent Sabbatical
A limited number of full-year sabbatical leaves at eighty-percent of salary are currently available. Those wishing to apply for these grants should follow the same procedure as described in Sabbatical Leave and check their preference for an eighty-percent sabbatical on the application form. Information on the application procedure in each school is available from the dean. Like the Faculty Fellowship Program, these grants are intended to promote faculty research and scholarly publication.

Those applying for the grants will be expected to apply for external grants for which they are eligible.

During an eighty-percent full-year sabbatical, retirement plan contributions, which are a percentage of salary received, will be reduced by twenty-percent.

Faculty Fellowship Program
The Faculty Fellowship Program is intended to promote faculty research and scholarly publication by providing full salary and benefits to faculty members who wish to be released from normal duties to pursue research during a given semester.

Tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply for a Fellowship. Also eligible are other full-time faculty who have been at Boston College for at least five years. Applicants must not have had or be anticipating a Sabbatical Leave within two semesters of the proposed Fellowship. Criteria for awarding Fellowships include:

• Demonstrated competence in the area of projected research
• Value of the research as a contribution to knowledge
• Benefit of the research to the professional development of the applicant
• Effect on the academic vitality of Boston College
• Likelihood of scholarly publication

Faculty members who become aware of actual or suspected academic dishonesty by a student should refer to the policies and procedures in their schools for dealing with such matters. Specific information is available in the dean's office in each school.

Office of Student Services Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures

The Boston College student course evaluation process has a twofold purpose, to provide a common, university-wide gauge of teaching performance for the purpose of faculty promotion and salary increments, and to aid faculty members in the improvement of their teaching.

The teaching performance of candidates for promotion must be carefully appraised and faculty members should be prepared to offer evidence that their teaching is excellent. The University on-line course evaluation provides a comparative measure. Faculty may also wish to provide, or departments wish to seek, other measures of teaching effectiveness.

Office of Student Services Online Course Evaluations

A faculty member, prior to the year before his or her terminal year, may petition the Provost and Dean of Faculties for a one year extension of the probationary period preceding the tenure decision, based on the existence of special circumstances warranting an extension. These circumstances include leave required by persistent ill health, childbearing, adoption, or unusual requirements for the care of a family member. Such an extension is not automatic and requires explicit written approval of the Provost upon his or her determination that special circumstances warrant an extension.

The faculty member must request an extension within four months after the onset of the event or circumstances warranting the request.

In the case of maternity, however, an extension of the probationary period will be granted without request.