Faculty Transfer: Difference between revisions

Faculty members at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) are hired into a designated academic unit as defined by the University of Nebraska [https://nebraska.edu/-/media/unca/docs/offices-and-policies/policies/board-governing-documents/board-of-regents-policies.pdf?la=en Board of Regents Policies] to include college, program, department, center, institute or school (see RP 2.6.1A). This organizational “home” serves as the unit of record for the primary faculty appointment, and provides the resources, opportunities, and infrastructure for career development and advancement. Administratively, it serves to initiate and manage all employment related activities (e.g., personnel actions, leave and sabbatical requests, promotion and tenure requests/reviews, salary recommendations, etc.).  

==Policy==   

Any UNMC faculty member in good standing is eligible for transfer. A request for transfer does not guarantee the reallocation of salary support from one academic unit to another and does not guarantee the transfer of rank or continuous appointment. A faculty member undergoing formal corrective action or adjudication of a formal grievance is not eligible to request a transfer until the personnel action or grievance has been concluded unless transfer is recommended as resolution to that personnel action or grievance.  

1. A faculty transfer may be initiated by either a faculty member or a department chair/academic unit head. To proceed with the process of investigating feasibility of transfer, the faculty member should provide the home department chair/academic unit head preliminary information to include, information about rank, hire date, current role(s), credential(s), apportionment of duties, specific reason(s) for the transfer request, any relevant information about resource availability or need, and the timing of the proposed transfer.   

:1.2. Upon initiation of the negotiation process, the dean/director of the home college/institute may choose to establish an alternative, interim reporting structure for the faculty member requesting transfer.   

:2.1. Plan to address teaching, research, clinical, or other workload implications for the home department/academic unit

:2.3. Management of office, clinical, laboratory and/or other assigned space, use/location/maintenance of equipment, discretionary accounts, start-up funds (if applicable), and other material resources impacted by the transfer.  

::2.4.1. Where a faculty member is serving in a formal role in a graduate training program, it is expected the faculty member will retain/complete all associated responsibilities, or that equitable and approved arrangements are made to transfer the responsibilities to another faculty member.   

:2.6. Plan for the receiving department/academic unit to provide support (monetary, equipment or infrastructure as identified above) to ensure the success of the faculty member upon transfer, including identified source(s) of salary support (new hire, open position, transfer of FTE).

:::2.8.1.2. Where transfer is between colleges/institutes, the receiving college/institute may initiate review by the college/institute Promotion and Tenure committee. If continuous appointment is denied, and all other conditions of transfer have been agreed upon, the faculty member may choose to remain in the home department/academic unit, or voluntarily relinquish tenure to complete the transfer.  

   

3. The results of the negotiation process will be documented in a Faculty Transfer Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by the faculty member requesting transfer, both department chairs/academic unit heads, and the dean(s)/institute director(s).

6. If the department chairs/unit heads are unable to reach mutual agreement within the specified time, they will refer the faculty transfer request to the dean(s)/director(s) for a final determination. The decision by the dean(s)/director(s) will be final and not subject to review or appeal.   

:7.1. The Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs will impanel a working group of no fewer than three UNMC academic leaders not directly involved in the negotiation, not appointed in either of the departments or academic units under consideration, of which at least two will be deans/directors, to review the request for transfer and the accompanying materials, investigate the impact of the requested faculty transfer, and make a recommendation to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. In certain instances, the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs may find it necessary to engage others (i.e., Nebraska Medicine Practice Committee, expert faculty or academic leaders outside of UNMC, ombudsperson, etc.), for additional consultation and mediation. Where this is the case, the Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs will inform the faculty member of this decision, identify the consultant(s), and the reason(s) for seeking consultation/mediation, and obtain the written consent of the faculty member to provide the consultant(s) with pertinent information pertaining to the negotiation.