Department and School Procedures

The Office of the Provost provides resources and guidance to support departments and schools throughout the development, review, approval and maintenance of their procedures by promoting transparency, consistency, and shared governance.

Department and school procedures are written locally, requiring development and approval by the unit’s faculty. Procedures must address voting rights and certain procedures relating to personnel actions. (LSPA 2.2). In colleges and schools without departments, the Associate Director for Faculty (ADF) performs certain duties designated to that role per the ADF agreement (AFT MOA on ADFS, 07.18.25), in addition to the roles and responsibilities assigned to ADFs by the School Director and/or College Dean. Procedures must undergo review to ensure consistency with state and local negotiated agreements (including the Adjunct Faculty Union), the Department Chair Responsibilities, and all other university policies. 

Procedures must be submitted to the VPAA designee (Senior Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs) (LSPA 1.3.4.2). The VPAA designee forwards these procedures to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and the Union designee for review. If the CHRO and the Union designee determine that there is an inconsistency with other governing agreements or policies, they must identify the specific inconsistency in writing. The department or school is then required to correct the inconsistency and return the revised document to the VPAA designee.

Once these procedures have been reviewed, they remain in full force and effect. Should a department or school wish to change its procedures in subsequent years, these changes must be submitted to the VPAA designee and subsequently reviewed using the same process outlined above.

New or revised procedures should be emailed to facultyaffairs@montclair.edu.

Montclair Department and School Approved Procedures.

Office for Faculty Excellence

The office can assist departments and schools with the creation, review, and refinement of departmental procedures by providing  guidance, resources and consultation to help ensure procedures are clear, inclusive and aligned with faculty needs. 
 

Empowering Faculty to Achieve Excellence

Procedure Process Summary

  1. Writing Procedures 

    Departmental and school procedures establish consistent practices and expectations for faculty and should be developed collaboratively within the academic unit. Procedures are written locally and require development and approval by the unit’s faculty. In accordance with LSPA 2.2, procedures must address voting rights and certain procedures related to personnel actions.

    Departments and schools are encouraged to review existing practices and identify areas where a written procedure would improve clarity, consistency, or transparency. When developing or revising a procedure, departments should:

    • Clearly define the purpose and scope of the procedure.
    • Identify the faculty, committees, or other individuals responsible for carrying out the procedure.
    • Describe the process and responsibilities in clear, accessible language.
    • Identify voting rights and any required faculty participation.
    • Ensure the procedure is consistent with applicable University policies, the LSPA, and collective bargaining agreements.
    • Review existing departmental or school procedures to avoid conflicts or duplication.

  2. Departmental Review and Approval

    Once a procedure has been drafted, it should be reviewed and approved through the appropriate faculty governance process within the department or school. Departments should document the date of faculty approval and retain the approved version for their records.
    Procedures that involve personnel actions or other matters governed by University policy or collective bargaining agreements may require additional review or approval. Departments should consult with the appropriate University offices when necessary to ensure that procedures comply with applicable and current requirements.


    In colleges and schools without departments, the Associate Director for Faculty (ADF) performs certain duties designated to that role under the ADF Agreement (AFT MOA on ADFs, 07.18.25), in addition to the roles and responsibilities assigned by the School Director and/or College Dean.
     

  3. Mandatory Joint Review

    Procedures must undergo review to ensure consistency with state and local negotiated agreements (including the Adjunct Faculty Union), the Department Chair Responsibilities, and all other university policies.

    1. Submission: Procedures must be submitted to the VPAA designee (Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs) (LSPA 1.3.4.2 ) by email to facultyaffairs@montclair.edu .
    2. Reviewers: The VPAA designee forwards these procedures to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and the Union designee for review.
    3. Approved: Once fully signed off on, the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs ensures that the signed Procedures are returned to the chair/ADF with copies to the Office of the Dean/School, updates the tracking sheet, and posts on an internally available site.

  4. Revision Process

    If a department or school revises its procedures, they must be disseminated to all department members before they take effect.

    If the CHRO and the Union designee determine that there is an inconsistency with other governing agreements or policies, they must identify the specific inconsistency in writing. The department or school is then required to correct the inconsistency and return the revised document to the VPAA designee.

    Once these procedures have been reviewed, they remain in full force and effect. Should a department or school wish to change its procedures in subsequent years, these changes must be submitted to the VPAA designee and subsequently reviewed using the same process outlined above.

Classroom Observation Procedures

The classroom observation procedures for different faculty tracks are defined by a combination of the Statewide Agreement, the Local Selected Procedures Agreement (LSPA), and specific Memoranda of Agreement (MOA).

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Tenure-Track Faculty

The procedures for tenure-track (non-tenured) faculty focus on annual assessment and developmental feedback:

  • Frequency: Contractual rules require at least two observations during each academic year (LSPA 3.14.1.5)
  • Observers: At least one observation must be conducted by a professional peer other than the department chairperson, and one must be conducted by the chairperson or a designee (LSPA 3.14.1.5)
  • The "Protection Clause": Faculty must receive at least one week's notice of their assigned observer and have the right to request a different observer for "valid and relevant reasons" (LSPA 2.3)
  • Procedure: Observations must include a pre-observation conference, a post-observation conference to identify strengths and deficiencies, and a written evaluation signed by both parties (LSPA 3.14.1.5 and 3.14.1.6)
  • Rebuttal Rights: The faculty member has two working days to provide written comments on any evaluation before it is finalized in the personnel file (LSPA 3.14.1.6)
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Teaching Faculty (NTTPs)

Observations for the Teaching Faculty track are oriented toward their multi-year reappointment cycles:

  • Frequency: New hires are observed twice during their first full academic term. Subsequently, they must be observed at least twice during the twenty-four months prior to submitting a reappointment application (NTT 4.3.B)
  • Observer Selection: One observation is conducted by the Chairperson or Associate Director for Faculty (ADF); the second is conducted by a full-time University peer with at least five years of experience, selected by the applicant in consultation with the Chair/ADF (NTT 4.3.B).
  • Timeline: A written report is due within ten business days of the observation. The faculty member has two business days to request a follow-up meeting, and the final signed report must be delivered within five business days of that meeting (NTT 4.3.B)
  • Lead Time: To ensure the reports can be used in the candidate's portfolio, the final version must be provided at least thirty business days before the application deadline (NTT 4.3.B).
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Adjunct Faculty

Classroom observations for adjunct faculty are governed primarily at the local unit level:

  • Determined locally: Academic departments and schools are contractually obligated to include specific procedures for adjunct faculty observations within their democratically adopted unit bylaws.
  • Consistency: While units define these protocols locally, the procedures must adhere to general University standards regarding notice periods, post-observation conferences, and student input.

Tips:

  • Aim for brevity (typically just a few pages)
  • Be consistent with negotiated agreements and university policies and procedures.
  • Review other units’ procedures and consult with the dean and the provost’s office as needed.
  • Ensure that teaching faculty (NTTPs) are granted voting rights similar to tenure-track faculty where pertinent, specifically including the right to vote in the election of chair/ADF.
  • Ensure that, where appropriate, limitations on participation in committees are made clear (for example, teaching faculty cannot serve on DPAC committees)
  • Avoid resource allocations, inclusion of job descriptions, or proposing procedural changes that are either articulated in contractual language (for example, ADF reassigned time) or are under the purview of the Dean or Provost.
  • Avoid referencing specific people, specific but transient roles, or specific tools or systems that may change over time.

Resources

Questions?

If you have questions about developing, reviewing, or approving departmental or school procedures, please contact.