Honors Faculty Status

Faculty members are nominated for Honors Faculty status by the Chair of the faculty member’s contractual academic unit. The nominations then must be approved by the Honors Council, then by the Dean of the Honors College and the Dean of the faculty member’s home College. Honors Faculty status commences the semester during which the faculty member teaches one or more Honors courses and continues until the expiration of the third academic year following appointment (Article X: The Honors College)

X.E 1. Membership 

All Honors Faculty members are eligible for membership on the Honors Council. Such members shall be elected for three-year terms with approximately one-third being elected annually by vote of the Honors Faculty. Procedures for elections, including the date of elections, effective date of membership, and annual reapportionment review, shall be determined by the Honors Council. The Honors Council shall be composed of members as follows: 

a) the Dean of the Honors College, who shall serve as Chair; 

b) Honors Faculty representatives The total number of Honors Faculty representatives shall be eleven, as follows: Three elected from Arts & Sciences, one each from Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Arts & Humanities; Two elected from the College of Education and Human Development, one each from Education and Human Development; One from each of the other undergraduate Colleges (Business Administration; Firelands; Health & Human Services; Musical Arts; Technology, Architecture, & Applied Engineering); and One from University Libraries. 

c) one Chair/Director appointed by the University department Chairs and school Directors; and  

d) one undergraduate Honors student representative appointed by the UGC for a one-year term. The Honors Dean may invite other persons to attend meetings as deemed appropriate. Changes in the foregoing membership structure may be initiated by the Honors College, subject to the normal procedures for Charter amendment. 

X.E.2. Internal Functions 

The Honors Council shall: 

a) Advise the Dean with regard to the goals and directions of undergraduate Honors education; 

b) Establish standards and approve courses for Honors certification, and establish the review process for recertifying courses as needed; 

c) Establish standards for certification of the Honors designation of the degree;  

d) Establish standards for Honors Faculty status and approve credentials. 

e) Report regularly to Faculty Senate through CAA on the issues discussed and actions taken; 

f) May also consider any matter of concern to Honors students and members of the Honors Faculty. 

g) Establish and update College governance policy.

h) Approve subcommittees appointed by the Chair as required. 

The Collective Bargaining Agreement also states that (Article 14, Section 8.1), “[f]or faculty whose appointment has joint affiliation . . . there should be a written agreement stating such affiliation, signed by the Provost, regarding which academic unit criteria and standards shall be applied in making decisions regarding evaluations for reappointment, merit salary raises, tenure (if applicable) or promotion” Because the Honors College is not a unit that grants tenure or promotion, the evaluation criteria and standards used are determined by the policies of the academic unit that holds the rank and salary line of the faculty member.