Full-Time Faculty Handbook - 14. Separation
A faculty appointment may end as a result of a decision by the university not to renew a renewable term appointment, a visiting contract or fixed contract; to deny continuation on an extended-employment track or a tenure-track appointment at the end of a probationary contract; or to deny promotion to extended employment or tenure based on a promotion review. Employment of all faculty members (including those with tenure or extended employment) may end because of discontinuation of a program for financial considerations, termination for cause, resignation, or retirement.
Nonrenewal of Contract/Denial of Tenure and Extended Employment
Full-time faculty members with all types of contracts/appointments are subject to the processes outlined under the appropriate sections of this Handbook. In the event of a negative review, and when the decision has been made not to renew the faculty member’s employment, the faculty member is entitled to clear and unambiguous notice of nonrenewal in writing as soon as possible during the review year. When tenure or extended employment is denied, or after seven years of continuous employment, it is the practice of The New School to offer the faculty member a grace period of one year before the end of their employment.
Full-time faculty members who wish to appeal the results of their nonrenewal may do so through the university faculty grievance procedure. Such an appeal shall be limited exclusively to the question of whether the procedures set forth in the relevant sections of this Handbook have been followed.
Discontinuation of a Department/Program or College/School
Serious financial considerations or curricular change(s) may require the university to discontinue an academic department/program or college/school. In the event that the board of trustees determines that it must discontinue a department/program, faculty members in that department/program or college/school will receive formal notice of not less than six months. The determination by the board that such financial considerations exist shall be based on generally accepted accounting principles and practices. In cases where there is no longer an institutional need for a program, department, areas of study, or college, every effort will be made to place EE and tenured faculty in alternative positions elsewhere in the university.
Resignation
Faculty members who wish to resign should give notice in writing as early as possible, but not later than three months before the resignation will be effective. In addition, faculty members are encouraged to make such resignation effective at appropriate times during the academic year, e.g., the end of a semester. In cases of hardship, situations in which a faculty member would otherwise lose an opportunity for professional advancement, or other special circumstances, the provost may waive the requirement of notice on recommendation of the dean.
Retirement
The New School is committed to sustaining an academic environment in which a full range of ages and generations is represented in the faculty and staff. Consistent with current law, there is no specific retirement age for faculty. Therefore, the decision as to when a faculty member retires rests with the individual, subject to the following limitations. Faculty members are ordinarily expected to retire at the end of a semester in order to avoid disrupting the curricular programs of their departments and schools, unless illness prevents them from performing their normal teaching duties. Retirement during a term of instruction requires the special permission of the provost.
The university offers retirement benefits to any full-time or proportional full-time faculty member who is at least age 65 and has completed at least ten years of service. These benefits are an ID badge that allows access to the library and other facilities, a New School email address, and up to $1,500 per year toward reimbursement of the retiree’s cost for Medigap insurance (insurance that supplements Medicare). In addition, from time to time the university may offer eligible faculty a Faculty Retirement Incentive plan.
For more information on retirement, please schedule an appointment with the Director of Benefits in Human Resources.
Termination for Cause
Circumstances warranting termination may include one or more of the following: incompetent or inefficient service; neglect of duty; repeated and willful disregard or violation of university policy; physical or mental incapacity; lack of professional integrity; other serious breaches of academic conduct such as plagiarism; or serious personal misconduct, or any other conduct of a character seriously prejudicial to the faculty member’s teaching or research or to the welfare of the university. The procedures for such a termination are contained in the University Faculty Discipline Policy.