Policy Statement
The Provost administers Drexel's contract policy, as described in the general rules stated below. No other administrative officer may authorize exceptions to the general rules. In a rare instance, where special circumstances need to be taken into account, the provost should be advised by memorandum of details of the case. After appropriate review and consultation, they will then authorize whatever action is consistent with the best interests of the University.
Drexel's full-time faculty are expected to devote full-time effort on Drexel's behalf. Therefore, faculty members will not simultaneously teach courses at other institutions during the regular academic year. Full-time academic personnel may, of course, serve as visiting professors at other institutions while on leave of absence from Drexel during a summer term in which they have no academic load at Drexel.
It is also assumed that persons under contract as full-time academic staff members at Drexel will not simultaneously engage in business or professional enterprises independently or in the service of others, except within the scope of professional consulting as it is stated herein (5a). Persons who elect to manage their own private enterprises, or serve in enterprises managed by others, may affiliate with Drexel on a part-time basis at the convenience of the University and without the normal academic priorities.
Drexel offers a single, comprehensive salary contract for each full-time teacher which covers their normal activities at Drexel during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. An illustrative, but not comprehensive, list of the activities covered by the contract include
- Instruction, undergraduate and graduate
- Supervision of undergraduate research proposals
- Research, including preparation of research proposals
- Supervision of graduate research and theses
- Advisory assignments to individual students and student groups
- Continuing education programs (with the exception of those covered under Special Educational Services, described in 5b).
- Service on Drexel committees and study groups
- Curriculum development
- Special lectures for courses at Drexel
- Attendance at faculty meetings, commencement and other official functions.
Supplementary income for any of the above noted or similar activities, unless specifically permitted below, will not be authorized.
The comprehensive salary will take cognizance of the versatility and competence of individual faculty members in teaching and research. Time spent on other duties, such as administrative assignments or other special assignments, will not be compensated by extra pay, but by adjusting to an appropriate total load of the individual teacher.
The special combinations of activities which will constitute the total load to be carried by the individual teacher will be at the administrative discretion of the deans of the several colleges in conformance with general University policy.
Attendance at Convocations
Currently, commencement and convocation are the only events at which academic regalia are worn. There may be other affairs on occasion and they will be announced. Commencement attendance is required of all professional ranks. Requests for an excuse from commencement must be made to the provost. Academic regalia may be rented or purchased through the University Store. The store requires at least one weeks' prior notice to fulfill orders.
Service as a Student Adviser
The student advisory system is intended to give each student personal contact with a faculty member in their own field of interest who will be concerned not only with their academic progress, but also with their life in college. Students generally meet their advisers at the time of registration. In follow-up meetings, the adviser has the opportunity to stimulate the good students, to located the source of difficulty with poor students, and to refer special problems to the appropriate office.
Office Hours – Faculty
An important part of teaching is consultation with students during office hours or by appointment. Faculty members should select and openly post adequate office hours at various times convenient for the students and encourage students to make use of them.
Supplementary Income
After having obtained approval in advance from the dean of their college, a full-time day faculty member may supplement their basic Drexel contract salary by income from the following sources:
Professional Consulting in their field of competence, on assignments commensurate with their abilities, and which will contribute to the improvement of their teaching or scholarship, providing that such consulting does not exceed, on the average, one day per week.
A full-time faculty appointment assumes a five-day week at Drexel. After having obtained approval in advance from the department head and/or dean of their college, a full-time day faculty member may supplement their basic Drexel contract salary by income from professional consulting in their field of competence and on assignments commensurate with their abilities and which will make them a better scholar or teacher, provided that such consulting does not exceed, on the average, the equivalent of one day per week. The foregoing has occasionally been misinterpreted to mean that all teaching loads must be arranged on a four-day week. There can be no guarantee that this will occur.
Special Educational Services provided for non-educational organizations and companies under contract with Drexel, in lieu of the one day allotment for consulting activities, with the following limitations:
- A member of the faculty spending less than half of their time in instruction, or having a reduced teaching load allocation, may not undertake contracted educational services on an overtime basis. For example, a member of the faculty committed to a full-time research program during the summer is not eligible to undertake additional activities.
- A dean or senior administrative officer may not participate in any Drexel sponsored service for extra compensation.
- A member of the faculty undertaking any contracted educational service (in lieu of consulting activity) must obtain written consent of their dean and the provost.
Instruction or Specified and Limited Administrative Assignments (e.g. counseling) in the College of Evening and Professional Studies with the provision that such activity will not involve more than two nights per week and that two nights shall be equated with, and elected by the teacher in lieu of, one full day of professional consultation.
Supplementary Income Prohibitions
A member of the Drexel faculty may not obtain supplementary income from a consultation fee for services rendered in connection with a Drexel administered research project unless this fee is paid through a Drexel account from project funds (i.e., the fee cannot be paid through a private arrangement between the contractor and the consultant.)
Members of the full-time administrative staff, in any part of the University, while encouraged to participate in academic activities commensurate with their abilities, may not receive supplementary income for work in a day-college classroom or in the conduct or supervision of research. However, such personnel may, with appropriate advance administrative approval, teach one evening per week in the College of Evening and Professional Studies for additional compensation.
The Provost is authorized: a) to conduct a periodic review of compliance with the above stated single contract policy; and b) to assemble annually, as a basis for future salary adjustments, appropriate date regarding the quality of performance of members of the faculty in the classroom, in the affairs of the University, in research, and in related professional and scholarly activities.