Definitions
Policy: DEFINITIONS
Effective Date: July 1, 2017
Review Date: July 1, 2020
Revised:
Responsible Party: Office of the Provost
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT HEAD
The head of the academic unit in which a faculty member's locus of tenure resides. If a faculty member's locus of tenure resides in a college rather than a department, the academic department head is the academic administrator of the college who conducts annual reviews of the faculty.
ANNUAL REVIEW
The yearly review of a faculty member's performance conducted by the administrator or committee assigned with that responsibility in the faculty member's academic unit.
ASSIGNMENTS
The specific duties each faculty member is expected to perform during the contract term.
BOARD OF REGENTS (BOR)
The Board, consisting of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Montana Senate, vested with the full, power, responsibility, and authority to supervise, coordinate, manage and control the Montana University System.
MONTANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM CONTRACT
An employment contract issued by Montana State University, under BOR Policy 711.4. Unless otherwise specified, the duration of a MUS contract is from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next year.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
The contractual agreement between an employer and a labor union that governs wages, hours, and working conditions for employees and which can be enforced against both the employer and the union for failure to comply with its terms. In terms of this Handbook, the reference relates specifically to any Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Montana University System and the union representing employees of the university. E.g,Associated Faculty of MSU [Non Tenure Track Faculty] CBA.
COLLEGE
One of the administrative units, typically comprised of departments or schools, that represent the university’s principal academic programs.
DAYS
As used in university policies in the Faculty Handbook, any reference to days in connection with deadlines established herein refers to calendar days.
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT
A recognized administrative unit of a college.
LETTER OF HIRE
The initial letter offering a tenurable position to an employee. The letter of hire specifies the initial expectations of the faculty member’s appointment.
PERFORMANCE RATING
The result of the faculty member's annual review.
SERIOUS ILLNESS
An illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition that involves:
- inpatient care (i.e. overnight stay) in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, or
- continuing treatment by a health care provider - generally, such treatment includes treatment of, or recovery from, a serious health condition that caused a period of incapacity (i.e. inability to work or perform other regular daily activities) of at least three consecutive calendar days.
Conditions for which cosmetic treatments are administered, the common cold, the flu, upset stomach, minor ulcers are examples of conditions which do not meet the definition of serious health condition. Continuing treatment by a health care provider does not include routine physical, dental or eye examinations.
TENURABLE APPOINTMENT/TENURABLE FACULTY
An appointment to the faculty of Montana State University which may lead to tenured status or to which tenured status has been awarded. It includes both tenured and tenure track appointments.
TENURED APPOINTMENT/TENURED FACULTY
An appointment to the faculty of Montana State University which has led to continuous appointment with the right to reappointment from term to term as outlined in BOR Policy 706.1 Tenure.
TERMINAL DEGREE
The educational attainment designated by the department and approved by the provost as the minimal level of preparation in a discipline or profession required for appointment. A department may designate different degrees as "terminal" for different specialties within the discipline.