‹ Back  |   Print

§18B-8-1. Definitions.
     As used in this article:

     (a) "Academic rank", "rank" or "faculty rank" means the position held by a faculty member as determined by the president, consistent with a rule promulgated and adopted by the governing board, and includes the positions of professor, associate professor, assistant professor and instructor. All other ranks are excluded from the provisions of this article.

     (b) "Salary" means the total nine-month or ten-month salary paid from state funds to a full-time faculty member, or if the employment period is other than nine or ten months, the total salary adjusted to a nine-month base salary;

     (c) "Full-time faculty" means a faculty member so designated by the president, consistent with the duly promulgated and adopted rule of the appropriate governing board, and those persons with faculty rank who have research or administrative responsibilities. §18B-8-2. Faculty salary rules; salary increase upon promotion in rank.
     (a) Each governing board shall promulgate and adopt a faculty salary rule in accordance with section six, article one of this chapter which furthers the goals of attracting, retaining and rewarding high quality faculty. Faculty salary increases shall be distributed within each organization in accordance with the faculty salary rule.

     (b) The salary of a full-time faculty member may not be reduced by the provisions of this article.

     (c) The faculty salary rule shall pursue the following goals:

     (1) The salary of each full-time faculty member within a discipline group is competitive with those in similar disciplines at peer institutions;

     (2) Faculty are recognized for outstanding performance;

     (3) Equity among salaries is maintained; and

     (4) The faculty at each institution are involved effectively in the administration of the faculty salary rule.

     (d) Each faculty member shall receive a salary increase of at least ten percent when he or she is promoted in rank. §18B-8-3. Authority to grant sabbatical leave.
     A governing board may grant sabbatical leave to a faculty member at the state institution of higher education under its jurisdiction for the purpose of permitting him or her to engage in graduate study, research or other activities calculated to improve teaching ability. A governing board may grant a request for sabbatical leave only in accordance with the uniform rule it has promulgated and adopted. A governing board may not adopt a rule which provides for granting sabbatical leave to a faculty member who has served fewer than six years at the institution where presently employed, nor which provides for leave for more than one half the contract period at full pay or for a full contract period at half pay. A faculty member receiving a sabbatical leave is required to return and serve the institution granting the leave for at least one year or to repay to the institution the compensation received during leave. A faculty member returning from leave shall be reinstated at the academic rank held immediately prior to taking sabbatical leave unless he or she is promoted to a higher rank and is entitled to the salary and any salary increases appropriate to his or her rank and years of experience. The compensation for a faculty member on sabbatical leave is paid by the institution where employed from its regular personal services appropriations. §18B-8-3a.
     Repealed.

Acts, 2011 Reg. Sess., Ch. 79. §18B-8-4. Effect of leave of absence on academic tenure, rank, etc.
     (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a tenured professional at a state institution of higher education who is absent from duties at the institution to accept employment in a nonelected governmental capacity is afforded the benefits of academic tenure, rank and position as if he or she had remained continuously in the position retained and held at the institution immediately preceding the absence if the following conditions are met:

     (1) The absence is approved by the president of the state institution of higher education by which the professional is employed;

     (2) The leave of absence does not exceed two years; or

     (3) If the leave of absence extends for more than two years, the president requests approval from the governing board for the absence in writing each year and the board approves each request up to eight full years.

     (b) An individual who remains in governmental employment with leave granted in accordance with this section forfeits all rights to academic tenure, rank and position formerly held at the employing institution at the end of the eighth year of government employment. §18B-8-5. Notice to probationary faculty members of retention or nonretention; hearing.
     (a) For the purposes of this section, "Probationary faculty member" means the definition adopted in a joint rule promulgated by the commission and council. The rights provided to probationary faculty members by this section are in addition to, and not in lieu of, other rights afforded to them by other rules and other provisions of law.

     (b) The president of each state institution of higher education shall give written notice concerning retention or nonretention for the ensuing academic year to a probationary faculty member not later than March 1.

     (c) If a probationary faculty member who is not retained so requests, the president or his or her designee shall inform the probationary faculty member by certified mail within ten days of the reasons for nonretention. A probationary faculty member who desires to appeal the decision may proceed to level three of the grievance procedure established in article two, chapter six-c of this code. If the administrative law judge decides that the reasons for nonretention are arbitrary, capricious or without a factual basis, the faculty member shall be retained for the ensuing academic year. §18B-8-6. Faculty employment practices; campus administrators required to teach or perform research.
     Each governing board, with the advice and assistance of the faculty senate, shall promulgate and adopt a rule in accordance with section six, article one of this chapter addressing the following issues:

     (a) Defining an appropriate balance between full-time and adjunct faculty members and the appropriate role of adjunct faculty; and

     (b) Requiring each administrator on each campus who holds faculty rank to teach at least one course during each eighteen- month employment period or to perform on-going research in lieu of teaching. Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session