Handbook Section J

SHARED POSITIONS

Earlham has offered shared teaching faculty positions for some time. The following policy relates to those positions. We are open to considering such positions for administrative positions as well, but currently have no policy guidelines for such positions. Appropriate guidelines will be developed on a case by case basis for such opportunities.

A single full time contract can be shared by two people who divide the duties of the full time position between them in any combination. Faculty members sharing a position may work in the same department or in different departments and have the same areas of expertise and be good substitutes for one another, or they may not be fully interchangeable. Faculty members sharing a full time position are expected to share a single full time teaching load as well as to carry the full time equivalent of advisees and college, department, and program committee work between them. We recognize that the College benefits by having two persons share a full time position as the community gains the perspectives and personal ties of two rather than one.

The salary for such positions is on a full time schedule rather than on an adjunct schedule. The College will provide full health insurance benefits to each person as if that person held the full time position alone. Long term disability insurance and retirement annuity contributions are also provided, based on the actual (fractional) salary of each person. For a description of tuition remission policies, refer to the Procedure and Policies document.

There are two categories of shared positions: 1) those in which there is enough overlap of areas of coverage and training so that each person has the presumptive right to the full time position should either faculty member leave the College (called Full Shared Position); 2) those positions without such overlap and thus that carry no expectation that either faculty member will be extended a full time contract should the other person leave the College (called Partial Shared Position). The category of shared position will be determined at the time of appointment by the Academic Dean, the faculty members themselves, and the relevant department or program. The process of contract renewal through tenure is the same for both categories. However, the information on what happens if one faculty member of a shared position leaves the College either before of after tenure, differs by category as explained in (b) and (c) below.

(a) Contract Renewal and Tenure
Each faculty member in a shared position will be evaluated for renewal tenure, promotion, and pay increments; each is evaluated separately and without reference to the performance of the other person. For example, both could receive renewal, neither could receive renewal, or only one could receive renewal. The same is true for tenure and promotion. Renewal, promotion, and tenure for each individual will be determined, as for all faculty members, according to the processes and criteria specified in this Handbook. Pay increases will likewise be determined in the same manner as for all other faculty members.

(b) Rights of Faculty in a Full Shared Position if One Faculty Member Leaves the College

If either faculty member who shares a full time tenure track position is denied renewal or leaves the College for any other reason prior to both members receiving tenure, the position will convert to a full time tenure track position for the remaining faculty member. It may remain a part-time tenure track position if the College and the faculty member mutually agree.

If either faculty member were to leave the College for any reason after both have received tenure, the remaining faculty member will assume the vacated portion of the position, protected by tenure, unless the College and the faculty member agree otherwise.

(c) Rights of Faculty in a Partial Shared Position if one Faculty Member Leaves the College

If either faculty member sharing a full time tenure track position is denied renewal or leaves the College for any other reason prior to both members receiving tenure there is no guarantee of continuation of the remaining faculty member beyond her or his portion of the position.

If either faculty member were to leave the College for any reason after both have received tenure the remaining faculty member has a claim to the position, protected by tenure, equivalent to his or her previous teaching load. Any change in the status of the position from part-time to full-time must go through the same process as any change at the College and will depend on the needs of the College at the time.

(d) Other Variations of Shared Positions
In other variations on shared positions (e.g. when two faculty members share more than one full time equivalent positions), the nature of the agreement including rights of each faculty member should the other leave, will be worked out between the faculty members, the Academic Dean, and the Department and Programs.

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This page last updated: June 29, 2003