Policy Statement

The university encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration among faculty and researchers, including those at other institutions and i the external sector. The benefits to all are considerable, including advancements in research and medicine, science, technology, education, and public policy. One of the ways collaboration is achieved is through the use of “dry” appointments. When an individual outside the university is given a dry appointment, unlike visitors, these individuals are processed as employees of the university when they are entered into the human resource system.

These dry appointments are put in place to recognize an individual’s relationship to a particular unit, but do not have allocated appointment effort or funding lines, are not compensated with base salary, and may not be given the same privileges as regular or temporary employees in the same appointing unit.

Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to all Units, Faculty, Staff, and individuals defined in this SPG as DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES.¹

Faculty members who have an appointment with effort in a school or college and who also have a concurrent dry faculty appointment elsewhere in the University are not DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES, for purposes of this policy, and are excluded from this policy.

Definitions

DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES are faculty members appointed without effort in the HR system as an adjunct, adjunct clinical, adjunct research, visiting, research or other non-tenure-track faculty member and who hold no other appointment with effort at the University.

Policy and Regulations

Faculty, staff, and administrators in the schools, colleges, academic departments, programs, other administrative units, and central offices (e.g., Academic Human Resources, Information Technology Services, the International Center, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and University Human Resources) share the institution’s interests and commitment to implement all relevant university policies and procedures related to DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES.

Central offices and units may develop additional policies, procedures, and resources to implement this policy. Any such policies, procedures, and requirements are intended to be consistent with this and all other university policies, procedures, and applicable law (see, e.g., Hierarchy of Legal and Policy Requirements).

1. Appointment of Dry Faculty
   1. Dry faculty appointments require dean’s office/executive committee approval prior to the appointment
   2. Initial Appointment Letter: Each DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE will receive a written appointment letter that includes, at a minimum, the following:
      1. length of dry appointment and process for reappointment
      2. name of unit representative (dean, associate dean, chair, supervisor) responsible for oversight of dry appointments
      3. expectations for the duties and responsibilities of the DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE in the dry appointment
      4. explanation of process for promotion in the dry appointment (or link to existing procedures), if applicable
      5. background check responsibility
      6. other applicable vetting concerns (restricted party, compliance, anything related to foreign nationals/visas, e.g.)
      7. other conditions of appointment, such as completion of required training and unit-specific requirements, such as drug testing, professional licensure, sexual misconduct training, etc.
      8. Identify the dry appointment title;
      9. Rights and privileges that the faculty member will have within the unit and university
   3. Each unit will provide specific guidance in the offer letter as to the DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE’s role in instruction, including the supervision and instruction of learners², undergraduate and/or graduate students, as well as their role in research and/or service.
2. Dry Faculty Appointment Length and Reappointment
   1. DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES may be appointed for up to a three (3)-year length of appointment with a review prior to reappointment to determine whether they continue to meet the needs of the academic unit.
   2. The dry faculty reappointment process is separate from the dry faculty promotion process.
   3. Each school/college shall establish written guidelines for length of dry faculty appointments, as well as establish who will conduct the dry faculty reappointment review (dean’s office, departmental officer or executive committee review, supervisor, etc.). Unit policies must align with the minimal requirements of the SPG.
   4. The dry faculty reappointment letter will contain all the elements of an initial dry appointment letter described above, and set forth the length of the subsequent dry appointment.
   5. Dry faculty appointments may be terminated at any time at the school/college’s discretion, and the department will provide timely notice (typically no less than two weeks unless the department is ending the appointment for misconduct or performance reasons) to the DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE.
3. Appointing Unit Obligations of the dry faculty member - Onboarding
   1. DRY FACUTY APPOINTEES will undergo a background check, in cases where the faculty member has not already undergone a background check in an existing appointment.
   2. DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES will receive appropriate information (if they have not received training in relation to other appointments) on University and School/College policy, including:
      1.  responsible use of university resources 
      2. Sexual and Gender-based Misconduct Policy 
      3. Professional conduct 
      4. Individuals with Reporting Obligations 
      5. FERPA-related obligations 
      6. Faculty-Student relationship policy 
      7. Felony Disclosure 
      8. Alcohol and Other Drug Policy 
      9. (see Dry Faculty Resource Document for additional details)
   3. Each School/college shall set forth written guidelines for what additional type of training/ onboarding is required of their new DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES (e.g., HIPAA, drug testing, etc.).
   4. It is the responsibility of the designated manager of dry appointments at the unit level to ensure DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES receive all required training.

4. Rights and Responsibilities of and for DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES in the Appointing Unit

   Clarity and transparency of the DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE appointment, renewal, and review processes at the school or college level support the goals of this policy. Schools/colleges shall therefore establish and publish the rights and responsibilities DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES have within their unit. At a minimum, appointing units will address the following in the initial appointment letter:

   1. Data/information access 
   2. Physical resources (office, computer, etc.) 
   3. Voting and governance eligibility
5. Oversight
   1. The appointing unit shall assign an individual responsible (for purposes of this policy, a supervisor) for each DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE.
   2. Supervisor’s duties: The designated supervisor is responsible for overseeing whether the DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE is meeting the expectations set forth in the appointment letter. The designated supervisor will also oversee the reappointment and promotion process, as well as address any performance/misconduct concerns arising with respect to the DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE.
   3. The school/college will establish a practice for unit-wide oversight and support of DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE supervisors, and ensure that an appropriate supervisor is appointed in each case.
6. DRY FACULTY APOINTEE - Promotion
   1. DRY FACULTY APPOINTEES may be eligible for promotion in the dry faculty appointment, in accordance with appointing unit policies. The outcome of the promotion process will be determined by the dean’s office and/or the designated DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE supervisor in consultation with the unit’s faculty governing body. The promotion process shall include review and approval of promotion by a faculty governing body, as consistent with school/college policy.
   2. Each school/college will set forth the unit criteria/procedures for DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE promotion if applicable. The procedure will include who conducts the review, when and whether a DRY FACULTY APPOINTEE is eligible for promotion, and what is the outcome of a successful/unsuccessful promotion.