Effective Date 12/08/2021

Revisions to the Faculty Handbook must be approved by both the Faculty Senate and university president. Any member of the Florida Tech faculty, staff or administration may present a suggestion for revising the Faculty Handbook. A proposal with written explanation and justification of the proposed change must be submitted to the Faculty Senate president at least one week before the meeting at which he/she would like the Faculty Senate to consider the suggestion.

Suggested revisions will be first referred to the Faculty Senate’s Administrative Policies Committee or, if the senate president chooses, to an ad hoc senate committee for consideration. Proposed revisions specific to FH 2.8.1 Tenure Policies and Procedures will be referred to the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee (AFTC). The committee will review the suggested revision and consult with the chief academic officer (CAO) and senate president. The CAO may also designate one or more administrators who will discuss the proposed revision with the senate committee. The committee will make its recommendation to the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate shall discuss the proposed revision during at least one meeting prior to voting on the revision. The Faculty Senate shall approve the proposed revisions by a simple majority vote. The revision must then be approved by the university president in order to be incorporated into the Faculty Handbook. The revision will take effect at the beginning of the academic year following its approval. The CAO will announce these revisions to the general faculty via email in a timely manner.

In special circumstances, a proposed change to the Faculty Handbook may warrant expedited implementation. In these cases, in addition to the written explanation and justification of the proposed change, a request and justification for expedited implementation must be provided in the submitted proposal. The suggested revision and the expedited-implementation status request will be deliberated in the initial consultation between the CAO (and designated administrators), the Faculty Senate committee (Administrative Policies Committee, ad hoc senate committee, or AFTC), and the senate president. The outcome will be communicated to the originator of the proposal prior to the committee’s recommendation to the Faculty Senate.

Faculty Handbook revisions that consist of simple updates to factual information or changes required in order to conform to applicable laws and accreditation agency policies are exempt from this policy. Such revisions require only the university president’s approval and become effective immediately. In cases when such revisions are necessary, the CAO will consult with the Faculty Senate prior to the president’s final approval. The CAO will announce these revisions to the senate president and to the general faculty via email in a timely manner. The second exception to this policy applies to revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Academic Faculty and Faculty Senate (FH 1.4), which is amended according to the procedure described in that section.