PREFACE
The Texas A&M International University Faculty Handbook (hereafter Faculty Handbook) is the document wherein all parties may find the policies, procedures, rules and regulations that govern the role of the faculty within the University community, and the relationships of the faculty with other members of the University community and its stakeholders.
The Faculty Handbook serves as a basis for faculty employment contracts, and as such provides each faculty member with the basic rules of employment for Texas A&M International University faculty.
A copy of the Faculty Handbook will be provided to each faculty member. Copies are available on the University's website, in the Library, as well as in the offices of the Provost / Vice-President of Academic Affairs, of the Deans of each college, and of each department chair's office. The Secretary of the Faculty Senate, under the supervision of the President of the Faculty Senate, will be responsible for the maintenance of the Faculty Handbook and distribution of revisions.
Archival copies of the Faculty Handbook, reflecting previous versions and changes, are kept in Killam Library. Appendix A to this document lists the substantive changes made from the previous (2010-2017) editions.
Faculty Handbook Revision Process
Any member of the University community may propose to the Faculty Senate additions, deletions, or revisions to the Faculty Handbook. The Faculty Senate will review the Faculty Handbook and by a majority vote of the Senate recommend to the faculty changes to the document.
Each separate addition, deletion, or revision to the Faculty Handbook must be approved by a vote of the faculty within 60 calendar days of having been endorsed by the Faculty Senate. With the exception of issues related directly to changes in faculty self-governance (specifically, Articles II, III, and IV of the Faculty Constitution; see Appendix B), all changes to the Faculty Handbook that have been approved by a vote of the faculty also require the endorsement of the President of the University before they can be implemented. Additions, deletions, or revisions as required by legislation or system policy, may be expedited and implemented when necessary.
The Secretary of the Faculty Senate will maintain an official copy of the most recent, approved revision of the Faculty Handbook and will make it available in print and electronic form to the University community.
ABOUT TAMIU
Texas A&M International University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The teacher education programs are accredited by the Texas Education Agency. The University is affiliated with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The A. R. Sanchez School of Business is a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and has been awarded accreditation. The Canseco School of Nursing is accredited by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners and the National League for Nursing Accrediting.
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), a member of The Texas A&M University System, prepares students for leadership roles in an increasingly complex, culturally diverse state, national, and global society. TAMIU provides a learning environment built on a solid academic foundation in the arts and sciences. The University offers a range of baccalaureate and master's programs and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in International Business Administration. In addition, the University pursues a progressive agenda for global study and understanding across all disciplines.
Through instruction, faculty and student research, and public service, TAMIU improves the quality of life for citizens of the border region, the state of Texas, and national and international communities.
Texas A&M University at Laredo opened its doors as the first upper-level institution in the state of Texas in September 1970. Created primarily to serve regional needs, the school represented a new philosophy of higher education in Texas. Degrees offered included the Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and the Bachelor of Business Administration. By the following year, a program of studies for students interested in bilingual education had been added to the curriculum. This program was designed specifically for incoming juniors majoring in elementary education. By September 1971, the number of students enrolled in the University had increased to 459.
A survey conducted in the Fall of 1972 indicated a substantial demand for graduate work. In response to this demand, authorization was requested and received from the 63rd Legislature to initiate a graduate program at Texas A&M University at Laredo.
Other changes came when the University's Board of Directors undertook a study to consider changing the name of the University. The committee, consisting of faculty and students, found that 69 percent of the University students favored a new name that would permit the development of a separate identity, character and reputation of the institution. In January 1977, the Texas A&M Board of Directors voted to recommend to the legislature that the name of the school be changed to Laredo State University. On September 1, 1977, Texas A&M University at Laredo officially became Laredo State University.
Also during the 1970s, the Institute for International Trade came into existence as a result of talks between the University and the Laredo business community. With such assistance, the Institute quickly became recognized as one of the nation's leading information exchanges in the field.
The Institute was structured to complement the new Master of Business Administration degree in International Trade. The new degree, besides providing the traditional classroom instruction and library research, was designed to provide first-hand knowledge of many of the international operations associated with international trade such as warehousing, transportation, freight forwarding and customs clearance. The pragmatic curriculum included special courses in customs brokerage, international distribution, foreign freight forwarding, and international trade simulations. Furthermore, the prestige that came with the new Master of Business Administration in International Trade allowed the University to lure students from countries around the world such as Malaysia, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Iran, Nigeria, Liberia, Canada, Ghana, Venezuela, Sierra Leone, and Mexico.
Another dimension of the University, which received considerable attention, was the University's Reading Clinic. The clinic trained University students to diagnose and correct reading problems of area school children. With a large percentage of the students in the clinic functionally bilingual in both Spanish and English, the clinical studies allowed students to become professionally qualified for careers which required bilingual skills.
With increased curriculum and degree offerings, students were able to obtain Master's degrees in education, business administration, and international trade for the first time, and the number of students at LSU reached 637 by September 1972; 756 by September 1974; and 852 by January 1975.
One result of the addition of graduate degrees to the University was the expansion of the holdings of the Harold R. Yeary Library, which the University shared with Laredo Community College. By 1978, the University had accumulated one million dollars worth of books and periodicals. Designated an official regional depository of materials by the United States Superintendent of Documents, the Library also boasted 47,335 government documents. In the decade that followed, Harold R. Yeary Library would continue to expand, and by 1990 it had 164,664 books, 309,432 microforms, 5,477 audiovisuals, and was receiving 1,134 periodicals.
At the February 1976 meeting of the University System of South Texas Board of Directors, funds were appropriated for a building site feasibility study on the Laredo State University campus. The action was spurred by the announcement that the University had again reached a record enrollment and was quickly running out of space.
In 1988 talks were initiated with the Texas A&M University System that would eventually lead to a merger of the University System of South Texas with the Texas A&M University System. After more than sixty meetings over a period of eighteen months, the University System of South Texas Board of Directors voted to dissolve the system and clear the way for a merger. Within two weeks the Texas A&M System Board of Regents also voted unanimously for a merger. The Texas Legislature hastily approved a merger of the two systems, and on September 1, 1989, Laredo State University became a part of the Texas A&M University System.
State Senate Bill 6, adopted by the 73 rd Legislature, changed the name of the University from Laredo State University to Texas A&M International University in Fall of 1993. It also authorized the University to expand from upper-level to four-year status beginning in the Fall of 1995, and established an initiative to expand the scope of degrees offered to include doctoral degrees. It also uniquely authorized the awarding of joint degrees with colleges and universities in Mexico and Canada.
After several abortive attempts to establish a mechanism by which the faculty might have an active voice in the governance of the institution, the Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs reconstituted the Texas A&M International University Faculty Senate in the Fall of 1994 for the purpose of allowing faculty to share in the responsibilities of governance of the University. This new group institutionalized the concept of a Faculty Senate with the creation, approval and adoption of the Faculty Constitution ( Appendix B). The University adopted a collegiate structure and now consists of the following Colleges: Arts and Sciences, Education, Nursing and Health Sciences, and the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business.
In the Fall of 1995, the Texas A&M International University moved to its new home at 5201 University Boulevard, located on 300 acres of land donated by the Radcliffe Killam family, and occupied the first phase of the first university campus of the 21 st Century. This $42 million phase included the Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library, Bob Bullock Hall and a second academic building, and a physical plant facility. The $30 million second phase of the campus includes buildings for the Sanchez School of Business and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, a kinesiology/convocation center, and another physical plant building. Phase II became available in the Fall of 1996.
For the Spring 1996 semester there were 2,464 students enrolled in the University's graduate and undergraduate programs. The number of full-time faculty reached 98.
Governance and Administration
The TAMUS Board of Regents (hereafter the Board)
The Board shall provide the policy direction for the System and its component universities and agencies. The Board shall formulate, update, and publish official policies for the System.
The Board shall exercise the traditional and time-honored role for such boards as their role has evolved in the United States and shall constitution the keystone of the governance structure. ( TAMUS Policy 2.011). 1
The President of the University is appointed by the Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the Chancellor, and serves under the direction of the Chancellor.
The duties of the President shall include, but are not limited to, the administration of the total program of the institution under the President's jurisdiction ( TAMUS Policy 2.05). 1
Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs (hereafter the Provost)
The Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs of the University is the Chief Academic Officer and serves under the direction of the President. The duties of the Provost include, but are not limited to, the administration and supervision of all academic programs within the institution.
In the event that the President of the University is unable to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the office of the President, those duties and responsibilities will pass to the Provost until such time as the President is ready to resume those duties.
Vice-President for Finance and Administration
The Vice-President for Finance and Administration (VPFA) is the Chief Financial Officer of the University and serves under the direction of the President. The duties of the VPFA will be defined by the President.
Vice-President for Institutional Advancement
The Vice-President for Institutional Advancement (VPIA) is the primary liaison between the University community and various external entities. The duties of the VPIA will be defined by the President.
Vice-President for Student Success
The Vice-President for Student Success (VPSS) is responsible for TAMIU's recruitment, enrollment and graduation programs. The duties of the VPSS will be defined by the President.
The University is comprised of several colleges and schools, including; the College of Arts and Sciences, the A. R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business, the College of Education, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library. An Academic Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of each college and school, and serves under the direction of the Provost.
Colleges may be divided into academic departments 2 and/or schools or divisions under the administrative direction of a faculty member designated as a department or division chair or school director (hereafter equivalent to department chair).
Department Chairs serve under the direction of the Academic Dean of the college to which their department is assigned. Faculty teaching load may be reduced for a faculty member serving as department chair. ( TAMUS Policy 12.03 Section 3.3). Normally, department chairs will be given annual, twelve-month contracts.
Other Academic Affairs Administrators
In most matters, the Director of the Library will hold status equivalent to a department chair, except in budgetary matters, wherein the Director's status would be the equivalent of an academic Dean.
General University Governance
The University Executive Council is composed of the President, the Provost, the Vice-Presidents and other members of the University Community as designated by the President.
The Provost's Council is chaired by the Provost, and consists off direct administrative reports to the Provost, and those administrators of offices that have a significant impact on academic issues.
The Deans' Council is chaired by the Provost, and consists of all Academic Deans and any other members of the University Community designated by the Provost or the President.
Student Government Association
The Student Government Association is empowered to act as the representative authority of the Student Body.
The Staff Senate is empowered to act as the representative authority of the University's administrators and staff.
The University President, or the Provost, or the President of the Faculty Senate may call the faculty of Texas A&M International University into a general meeting; if a general meeting is called, the meeting shall be known as a Faculty Assembly. The faculty shall have authority over all matters pertaining to educational and academic policy.
As specified in Article II, Section 1-3 of the Faculty Constitution (Appendix B), the Faculty Senate is empowered to act as the representative and resolving authority of the faculty. The Faculty Senate President will receive release time during the Fall Semester, and the Faculty Senate Secretary will receive release time during the Spring Semester to carry out additional duties as required by their respective positions.
At-large Senators may be deemed to represent their colleges for the purpose of committee assignments. Senators from the Canseco School of Nursing, University College, and Killam Library may be assigned committees in the same way as any other Senator, but they are not required to be on any particular committee. Faculty Senate Committees, whose meetings are open to the public, include these nine standing committees. At the beginning of the fall semester, the President of the Senate will ask each senator if they have an interest in serving on a particular committee(s). The President of the Senate will do their best to assign committees based on the responses from this inquiry.
At the University level, there will be various standing committees as deemed necessary by the administration and faculty to ensure the accomplishment of the mission of the University. Additionally, ad hoc committees may, from time to time, be appointed as needed and as approved by the Faculty Senate. The exact number of these committees will change over time. The control and administration of these committees is the responsibility of the Faculty Senate; by concurrence it is meant that the Senate shall ensure that committee assignments are apportioned equally and that no individual is assigned to an inordinate number of committees. In the interest of clarity and flexibility, the phrase "free-standing academic unit" applies to any academic unit (e.g. the Killam Library) not aligned with one of the colleges and whose head, therefore, reports directly to the Provost. In cases where the appointments are made by department chairs, it is understood that chairs will do this in consultation with their Deans. Standing committees include the following:
Committee Assignment Procedure
While both the composition and general standards will be set by the Senate with regard to University committees, only standards will be promulgated to the colleges pertaining to committees at the college and department level. The intent is to provide equality in the area of committee assignments for members of the faculty. In that regard, the following guidelines are established pertaining to committee service by faculty and the functioning of committees at all levels within the University.
Graduate Council
It is the responsibility of the Graduate Council to establish and review the criteria for membership on the Graduate Faculty. Furthermore, the council is to establish the minimum admission standards, the standards for continuation of graduate students, and the residency requirements; to act upon petitions and appeals from the decision of the Dean of the Graduate School; and to consider any other matters relevant to the Office of the Graduate School.
The Graduate Council shall be composed of the following members:
With the exception of the graduate student representative, the representative from the Library, the University Registrar, and the Faculty Senate President, all members of the Graduate Council shall be full members of the Graduate Faculty. Elected or appointed members shall serve a term of two years from the beginning of the Fall Semester following their election or appointment, which shall occur in the spring. Terms for elected or appointed members shall be staggered.
All tenured and tenure-track faculty with a terminal degree are eligible to vote in council elections. College representatives to the council shall be elected by April 21 of the appropriate year of selection. Such representatives may be nominated by all tenured and tenure-track faculty; the election will be conducted at the time and in the manner of the Faculty Senate elections conducted by the Faculty Senate Parliamentarian and Elections Officer. The Deans' and Provost's appointments shall be made by May 1.
Library and Instructional Support
The Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library offers reserve service to faculty members so that students may have access to printed materials for class assignments. Circulation Desk staff can answer questions about reserve policies and assist faculty in putting items on reserve.
Reference librarians are available for pre-scheduled tours and class instruction sessions. Instruction may cover general information about the Library or may cover sources available in a particular discipline or for a specific research project, according to the preferences of the faculty member requesting the session. Any one of the reference librarians can provide further information and assist in scheduling a tour or class. Requests should be made at least one week in advance to allow for schedule changes made necessary by the sessions and to permit the librarians to prepare instructional materials.
Also available is the TexShare card, which gives TAMIU faculty the ability to check out books at approximately 50 other public universities in Texas. Applications for the TexShare card can be filled out at the Circulation Desk.
1 Copies of TAMUS Policy Manual are available in the Offices of the President, Provost, Deans, Human Resources, President of the Faculty Senate, and the Library, and on the World Wide Web at https://law.tamu.edu/faculty-staff/policies-hr/tamu-system-policies-and-regulations.
2 For the purposes of this document the Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library (hereafter the Library) is considered an academic department; where references are made, herein, to departmental requirements those references will apply equally to the Library and its faculty. Likewise, since the Library supports all Colleges but is not an administrative part of any individual College, in cases where a reference is made, herein, to College requirements those references will apply equally to the Library and its faculty.
3 The description of the process of the University Curriculum Committee was adopted from the Associate Vice President for Academic Affair's University Curriculum Committee website at https://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/avpaa/ucc/.