Academic affairs are governed by the faculty, and the administration of academic units is a faculty responsibility, thus the functioning of the university depends on faculty participation in academic governance and administration. All members of the faculty are expected to attend regular faculty meetings in the departments and programs with which they are affiliated as well as CAS faculty meetings; to participate in undergraduate recruitment and graduate admissions activities and in the recruitment of faculty; to serve on other department, CAS and university committees on a regular basis; to attend their unitÕs commencement ceremonies; and otherwise to lend a hand in the operation and collegial life of their department and programs, college, and university. Tenured faculty are expected to play major service and governance roles on a regular basis throughout their careers, such as serving on or chairing major committees or undertaking administrative assignments such as chair or director, associate chair, director of graduate or undergraduate studies, or other such positions as asked. Although tenure-track faculty are expected to undertake service and citizenship roles in the department, CAS, and university it is College policy to ensure that their obligations are appropriate for a period of their careers in which their primary professional challenge is to develop their skills and accomplishments as scholars and educators to a level that serves as a strong platform for the remainder of their careers as tenured faculty. Chairs, directors, and mentors are expected to assure that the service undertakings of untenured faculty members are properly balanced with their need to satisfy expectations in research and teaching.
Appointments to formal administrative positions such as (associate) chair or director, director of undergraduate studies, and director of graduate studies are made by the Dean and may include overbase compensation and/or teaching release or other support as appropriate. It is CAS policy to offer such support packages on the basis of equity and comparability for positions of similar scope and complexity across the College rather than to treat support for faculty citizenship, service, and administration as a matter of individual compensation and negotiation.
CAS faculty are also expected to undertake service of a professional nature outside the university, to their professional societies and communities. CAS faculty are also expected, from time to time, to undertake service that employs their professional knowledge and skills beyond the university, higher education, and their professional communities. This might include service to primary or secondary schools, to the general public through personal appearances or the media, or through pro bono consultancies with nonprofit organizations, government, or NGOs.
Faculty members may undertake external professional activity, whether or not compensated, up to a limit of (average) one day per week during the academic year. Such activity should contribute to the faculty member’s continuing professional development and as such is considered to be research or service as appropriate.
Effective FY2011, CAS faculty members will no longer be granted releases from teaching duties paid by university funds to support their work as journal editors or officials of professional societies unless the release is already part of the terms of an existing contract. Exceptions may be granted under extraordinary circumstances by approval of the department chair and dean. CAS faculty members may be granted releases from teaching duties to undertake journal editorship or other major professional service if the journal or professional society provides support for replacement teaching according to CAS buyout policy, but such releases require approval by the department chair and dean. Faculty members may accept overbase compensation provided by journal revenues or professional societies for their work as journal editors or officials of those societies with the approval of the department chair and dean if such payment is otherwise consistent with Boston University policies.