College of Arts and Sciences: Economics Faculty Handbook

The faculty of the Department of Economics, as members of the University faculty, are subject to the same rules and regulations that govern all UNC faculty members. Department policies and procedures described here are subject to those set forth in these University publications, of which the most recent edition takes precedence.This Handbook builds upon those rules and regulations by stating the governance structure and policies agreed upon by the members of the faculty of the Dep

Unit Policy

Title

College of Arts and Sciences: Economics Faculty Handbook

Introduction

Purpose

The faculty of the Department of Economics, as members of the University faculty, are subject to the same rules and regulations that govern all UNC faculty members: these can be found in the UNC Policy Manual of the UNC University System, the Academic Personnel documents of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of UNC-Chapel Hill and the Code of Faculty Government of the Faculty Council of UNC-Chapel Hill. Further documents are specified in the Department’s “Policies on Faculty Personnel Actions.” Department policies and procedures described here are subject to those set forth in these University publications, of which the most recent edition takes precedence. Thus, this Handbook is supplemental to, and subject to, policies found in these publications and documents. Each faculty member has the responsibility to become familiar with their provisions.

Scope

• Who does this Policy apply to? (Keep in mind that a Unit Policy can only apply to the same Unit)
• Are there particular groups within the Unit who must know and follow this Policy?
• Are there groups within the Unit that this Policy does NOT apply to?
  • If it’s a succinct statement, you can exclude groups here.
  • If the exclusions will take more space to explain, use the “Exclusions” section below.

I. Economics Faculty Governance

The Economics Department offers compelling teaching, cutting-edge research, and diligent service to the University community and to the people of the state of North Carolina.

Faculty members in the Economics Department are responsible for fulfilling this mission.

• Our faculty members are renowned both nationally and internationally for their contributions to our understanding of how markets work: they publish regularly on areas as far apart, and as important, as the conduct of monetary policy and the provision of health services to those in need. We are constantly working to refine and disseminate what we have learned in our research efforts.
• This devotion to research translates directly to excellence in the undergraduate classroom. Our faculty members provide a robust and fascinating introduction to economics both for those wishing just to learn the principles and for those many students wishing to major in economics. From the introductory class to the senior honors thesis, faculty mentoring of undergraduates is central to our mission.
• Graduate instruction is also central to our mission. We mentor graduate students as those students take their first steps toward a profession of independent scholarship. Generations of productive scholars, professors and economics analysts have had their start in our graduate classrooms and seminars. These individuals are now teaching and innovating throughout the state, the nation and the world.
• As a key department of the College of Arts and Sciences and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, our faculty members recognize our responsibility to serve. We assist in the governance and operation of the University community, and we disseminate our teaching to all 100 counties of North Carolina. We recognize that we are the “university of the people” of North Carolina.

The Economics Department vigorously supports the University's core values encouraging diversity and equal educational and employment opportunities throughout the University community. These values are articulated in the University's non-discrimination policy and by the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

The department shall have the following administrators and committee structure with lines of authority, terms, and responsibilities as specified here or in other rules by which the Department is bound, such as the Faculty Code of University Government, UNC Chapel Hill, 3 April 2013 (or more recent version).

1. Officers

1.1 Chair

The mode of selection, term and duties of the Chair are defined in Article 6, Section 3 of the Faculty Code of University Government. Further specifications may be found in the College of Arts and Sciences Chairs Manual. In addition, the Chair appoints all other Departmental officers and committees (except as indicated). Several other duties of the Chair are included under topics of departmental committees and in Part III on procedures for personnel actions. The Chair also appoints ad hoc committees as needed. As determined by the College, the Chair generally receives a reduced teaching assignment and an administrative stipend.

1.2 Associate Chairs 

Associate Chairs assist the Chair in his/her administrative duties and act in the Chair’s place when the Chair is unable to perform his/her duties. The Associate Chairs will generally receive a reduced teaching assignment and an administrative stipend for their service.

1.2.1 Associate Chair And Director Of Graduate Studies 

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) is responsible for administering the graduate program in economics, including admission to the program. The DGS makes graduate awards, recruits, advises, and registers graduate students in economics, assigns research and teaching assistants for all terms (including summer sessions), and periodically reports to the Chair and the department on matters of importance to the graduate program. The DGS is the principal official liaison between the department and the graduate students and thus should encourage graduate students to take part in the life of the department, including participation in seminars. 'The DGS should monitor the operations and review the goals of the graduate program on a regular basis and should submit to the department policy statements or suggested changes in the graduate program as deemed necessary or appropriate to improve the quality and effectiveness of the program. In particular, the DGS should periodically review the functions and procedures of the Ph.D. Written Examination Committee. He/she is responsible for scheduling the written Ph.D. examinations.

The DGS is responsible for maintaining a list of faculty by field of concentration, a list of graduate students by major field, and a list of degree candidates with the corresponding principal adviser of thesis or dissertation and the committee members.

The DGS serves as the primary academic advisor of all graduate students until they have completed their comprehensive examinations and have selected a thesis or dissertation principal adviser. He/she must assure that all committees are formed subject to Graduate School and departmental regulations and must transmit the correct and current names of examination and dissertation committee members to the Graduate School when required. The DGS continues to serve all graduate students as their administrative liaison to the department and as faculty coordinator for the Economics Graduate Student Association. He/she serves the department as administrative liaison to the Graduate School and is responsible for making graduate awards and tuition remission recommendations within the budget allocations for these purposes.

The DGS answers to the Chair and serves at his/her request for a minimum period of two years. The DGS generally receives a reduced teaching assignment and should be involved regularly in graduate teaching. The DGS recommends faculty members to the Chair to serve as Placement Director, on the Ph.D. Written Examination Committee and on the Student Appeals Committee. The DGS receives an administrative stipend for his/her service.

1.2.2 Associate Chair And Director Of Undergraduate Studies

The Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), at the discretion of and in regular consultation with the Chair, administers the undergraduate program. His/her responsibilities include:

1. Representing the department in the activities of undergraduate orientation and recruiting.
2. Representing the department in briefings for faculty, staff, alumni and administrators on campus about the current status of the undergraduate program.
3. Responding to concerns voiced by students in undergraduate courses, including questions of transfer credit, equivalency of courses offered at other universities, joint degree programs, and academic credit for internship opportunities.
4. Serving as first contact for appeals by undergraduate students of course grades; ex officio member of the Appeals Committee.
5. Supervising the scheduling of undergraduate courses and coordinating with the director of graduate studies for the scheduling of graduate courses as well.
6. Supervising the teaching assessment of undergraduate courses, including direct observation as appropriate, the scheduling of peer teaching reviews, the administration of student course evaluations, and the departmental assessments of undergraduate program effectiveness.
7. Serving as ex officio member of the Curriculum Committee and Advisory Committee.
8. Participating when invited in undergraduate extracurricular events (such as Econ Club and ODE).
9. Representing the department with the Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and participating in other College initiatives related to the undergraduate program.

The DUS answers to the Chair and serves at his/her request for a minimum period of two years. The DUS generally receives a reduced teaching assignment and should be involved regularly in undergraduate instruction. The DUS receives an administrative stipend for his/her service.

1.3 Director Of Entrepreneurship Minor

The Director of the Entrepreneurship Minor (DEM) is appointed by the Dean of the College in consultation with the Department Chair and faculty associated with the Minor, typically for a term of five years. They are responsible for the organization and administration of the Entrepreneurship Minor.  Their responsibilities include:

1. Scheduling and staffing of the courses in the Entrepreneurship Minor in collaboration with the DUS.
2. Creation and administration of experiential-learning activities consistent with the mission of the Entrepreneurship Minor.
3. Collaboration with faculty across campus to ensure a true interdisciplinary structure for the Entrepreneurship Minor.
4. Contacting donors to the Entrepreneurship Minor.
5. Coordinating initiatives of the Minor with the Department Chair.

The DEM will work with the Dean’s Office, the Department Chair and the Department Manager to ensure that funds made available to the Entrepreneurship Minor by the state or private donors will be expended in a prudential and transparent manner. The DEM receives an administrative stipend for his/her service.

1.4 Placement Director 

Appointment of the Placement Director is made by the Chair for a one-year term upon the recommendation of the DGS. The Placement Director is responsible for the placement program for graduate students. He/she supervises the activities of the Department to place our graduate students. He/she prepares a report on the year’s activities at the end of each placement cycle and presents it to the Chair and to the DGS. The Placement Director will make periodic reports to the faculty on progress in placing graduate students during the current placement cycle. The Chair may appoint co-directors or may appoint other faculty members to assist the Placement Director.

1.5 Honors Program Director

The Honors Program Director recruits honors candidates each spring from among the rising seniors. He/she coordinates and conducts the two honors seminars courses for seniors. . He/she elicits the cooperation of other faculty for presenting seminars and supervising theses. Since it is important that the program be persistently infused with fresh ideas, the tenure of the Honors Program Director is a maximum of two consecutive years. The Honors Program Director is appointed by the Chair upon the recommendation of the DUS. He/she prepares a report on the year’s activities at the end of each academic year and presents it to the Chair and to the DUS. The Honors Program Director will make periodic reports to the faculty on honors-student progress during the academic year.

1.6 Equal Opportunity Officer

This individual serves a role as described in the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan and Report, UNC-CH, April 1, 2012, and as mutually agreed by the Chair and the University Equal Opportunity/ADA Officer. His/her primary responsibility is to monitor the search process for new faculty appointments and to help assure that a wide and thorough search is conducted utilizing appropriate advertising of the positions to be filled. This officer is appointed by the Chair after consultation with the Personnel Committee. The Officer should be a full professor, but not the Chair.

1.7 Departmental Diversity Liaison

This individual serves the role established by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuant to the Faculty Diversity Task Force report of 2012. He/she will act as contact with the Director of Diversity Initiatives on campus.

1.8 Special Assistant For Alumni Affairs

This assistant is responsible for promoting communication with and among former graduate students and reminding them of the opportunity to make gifts to the department. In addition, this person oversees the departmental cooperation with the College, the Carolina Fund, and the Alumni Association in matters related to former undergraduate majors.

1.9 Webmaster

This individual serves as the supervisor and coordinator of the Economic Department’s web site.

2. Committees

The department is served by several standing committees and most faculty members will be involved in one or more of these. Faculty members with probationary terms of' appointment are usually given lighter-than-average committee responsibilities and are not designated as chair of any of these committees.

2.1 Advisory And Planning Committee

This is the chief operating and planning committee of the department. It has the following duties:

1. It assists the Chair in planning and administering the departmental budget.
2. It develops long range plans regarding space, facilities, and equipment needs and acquisitions. It assists the Chair and/or Associate Chairs in providing information and documentation needed for policy decisions on such matters. In this regard, the Committee should make use of the expertise of other faculty members and may choose to learn about the processes or policies in other departments. It may recommend to the Chair that an ad hoc committee be appointed.
3. It assists the Chair (at the latter's request) in making decisions between departmental meetings and during the summer period.
4. It serves as the Agenda Committee. It receives in writing any proposed items of departmental business and decides which items should be placed on the agenda for departmental faculty meetings, which items should be assigned to other appropriate standing committees, and which items should be handled administratively. It advises the proposer about the disposition of the item.
5. It helps improve and maintain communication on any policy matters of interest in the department through individual members acting as liaison persons to the faculty.

The Committee consists of the Chair who calls and presides over meetings, the Associate Chairs who are generally responsible for coordinating such activities as the Committee decides to undertake, and four elected faculty members. Election of members occurs each April. Untenured faculty may not serve successive terms. Tenured members will serve a 3-year term and untenured faculty will serve 1 year. One tenured faculty member will rotate off each year. All voting members of the faculty may vote by secret ballot to elect one tenured faculty member from among a slate of two tenured faculty nominated by the Chair and to elect one untenured faculty member from among two untenured faculty nominated by the Chair in consultation with the untenured faculty.

2.2 Personnel Committee

This committee is composed of the Chair and two full professors appointed by the Chair for staggered two-year terms. It advises the Chair on personnel matters within the Department. These will include, but are not limited to: proposing hiring priorities, recommending allocations of any salary increases across Department members, application of promotion and tenure rules, and advising on faculty requests for differential or privileged treatment in assignment of responsibilities.

When its activities are relevant to the search for and the recruitment of new faculty, the Committee will open its meetings to the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer and the Departmental Diversity Liaison. Also, for each vacancy that is advertised, the Committee shall recommend to the Chair 2-4 faculty to serve as a Search Committee. Members of the Personnel Committee may serve on one or more Search Committees.

The Committee should also keep under review the personnel policies of the Department, and submit any suggestions for their change to the Department.

2.3 Ph.D. Written Examination Committees

There are three Ph.D. written examinations for which committees are appointed: the Microeconomics Qualifying Exam, the Macroeconomics Qualifying Exam, and the Field Examination.

After consulting with the DGS, the Chair appoints three members of the graduate faculty to the Macroeconomics Qualifying Exam Committee and three to the Microeconomics Qualifying Exam Committee. One member of each committee is designated the chair. The Committees are charged with the following duties:

1. Writing, grading, and preparing an answer key for the respective qualifying exams. The committee members may invite other faculty members to submit questions but are in the end responsible for preparation of the exam. The Committees will report the results to the DGS within three weeks of the second examination.
2. Reviewing periodically the functions and procedures of the committees and reporting to the department if changes are needed.

All graduate faculty are members of the Field Examination Committee associated with their field of specialization. The Chair appoints the chairs of the Field Examination Committees upon the recommendation of the DGS who has previously consulted with the faculty in each field. The field examinations are completed by the submission of a publication-quality field paper.

The chair of each Field Examination Committee assigns the submitted field papers to the committee members for evaluation. Each Field Examination Committee will make a timely and complete report of the examination results to the DGS and will provide direction to students on how to proceed with their research. The Chairs of the Field Examination Committees will represent their respective committees in cases of appeal.

2.4 Curriculum Committee

The committee keeps both the graduate and undergraduate programs under review and recommends needed changes to the Department. It reviews all proposed course changes and curriculum items submitted to the Department and requests that the items be placed on the Agenda for a faculty meeting. It then brings them before the Department with its recommendation.

The committee consists of three members appointed by the Chair for one-year renewable terms. If possible, one member who has served at least one prior year on the committee is designated as chair. The DGS and DUS are ex officio members of the Curriculum Committee.

2.5 Teacher Training Program Committee

This Committee oversees and sponsors the departmental teacher-training program (TTP). Members are appointed by the Chair for one-year renewable terms with the DUS as an ex officio member. It has no size limit. The Chair designates a TTP faculty coordinator who is responsible for the design and implementation of the program and for the training of the TTP graduate assistant who is also a member of the committee. The TTP faculty coordinator is giving credit for teaching one one-semester course for completing the responsibility of faculty coordinator for one year.

2.6 Student Appeals Committee

This Committee advises the Chair when students appeal grades assigned by instructors teaching courses for the Economics Department and advises both the Chair and the DGS on other administrative decisions made by the Department. The Student Appeals Committee has two standing members appointed by the Chair for one-year renewable terms. For each case, the Chair appoints one additional member depending upon the nature of the appeal and the expertise needed. In addition, the DUS and DGS will be ex officio members of the committee for undergraduate- and graduate-student appeals, respectively. Should the actions of any of these committee members be the subject of the student appeal, the Chair will appoint the needed replacement or replacements from the Departmental faculty.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School have defined policies for student appeal of grades; in both cases, the policies call first for an appeal to the instructor of the course and then, if desired, a formal and written appeal to the chair of the Economics Department. The Student Appeals Committee will advise the Chair in responding to these appeals. The sources cited in this paragraph outline the next steps in the appeal if the student is not satisfied with the Chair’s response.

The Committee will also advise the Chair regarding other student appeals. These include appeals of decisions to deny granting an undergraduate degree with Honors or Highest Honors in which case the Chair’s decision is final. The DGS will consult this committee for advice involving student requests for permission to retake one of the qualifying exams; in which case the DGS’s decision is final. The DGS will also consult the committee on petitions from students for reinstatement or readmission to the graduate program. The DGS will forward these petitions along with the Department’s recommendation to the Graduate School (see reinstatement or readmission). In these petitions the Graduate School’s decision is final.

2.7 Graduate Student Admissions

Enrolling the incoming graduate class is one of the department’s most important tasks each year. In organizing the process, the DGS will depend heavily on faculty input for evaluating applications and recruiting students. Since our applications come from throughout the world, faculty’s familiarity with other universities and educational structures is invaluable in assessing applicants’ backgrounds and their potential for graduate work. Faculty members also play a very important role in recruiting students admitted to our program. Students who visit campus appreciate being able to meet with faculty who share their interests. For those who do not visit, phone and/or e-mail contacts from faculty are very helpful in providing students with information about the department and in confirming faculty’s interest in the graduate program. The DGS retains the final responsibility and authority for admissions and financial offers.

2.8 Participation In University Ceremonies

Once each academic year, faculty members are urged to don academic regalia and participate in a formal procession and program. There are four such events: University Day in October, Winter Commencement in December, Graduate Hooding Ceremony in May and Commencement Day in May. We expect at least one-fourth of the faculty to participate at each occasion on a rotating basis. Thus, each faculty member shall participate once at each ceremony every four years. A list of faculty due to participate on a given date is distributed in advance. If faculty members have valid reasons for absence on an assigned date, they shall arrange by trade or other reasonable method for a substitute faculty member to attend.

The Department Manager has a limited store of academic regalia available for faculty use; the articles in the store will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis prior to each ceremony.

II. Relations Between Faculty Members and the Economics Department Staff

The Economics Department is an administrative unit of the College of Arts and Sciences, and as such has a staff of Subject to Personnel Act (SPA) employees responsible for the day-to-day non-instructional operations of the Department. As specified in the Faculty Code of University Government (Article 6, Section 3), one of the responsibilities of the Chair is “to supervise and evaluate the performance of support staff assigned to the department”. The Chair delegates the supervision and evaluation functions to the Department Manager for support staff other than the Department Manager, but is ultimately responsible for their actions. The Chair supervises and evaluates the Department Manager.

This Handbook does not address questions of rights and responsibilities of SPA employees within the University system. Those rights and responsibilities are summarized in the SPA Employees Handbook (1 May 2013, or most recent). We address specifically here the duties of the SPA Employees within the Economics Department. The responsibilities for each SPA position described in this document are the same as currently on file with the University’s central human resources office.

3. Staff Structure

3.1 Department Manager

This person is the chief SPA employee in the department and has the following responsibilities:

1. Manages the budgetary processes, the administrative systems, the personnel files of the department, and the administrative files of the Chair, and makes recommendations to the Chair for revisions in administrative policy or systems.
2. Supervises the staff personnel in the Department.
3. Acts on behalf of the Chair, at his/her request, on any matters of administration or student services within the department.
4. Serves as the manager of the physical facilities in Gardner Hall and Phillips Annex.
5. Serves as the principal liaison between the department and other administrative units of the university, especially the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of the Provost, Contracts and Grants, General Accounting, and Payroll.
6. Serves as the administrative office manager and performs other duties as delegated by the Chair.

Principal investigators of grants or contracts should work closely with the Department Manager on the budgetary aspects of the award from the submission of the initial proposal through to the final report.

3.2 Graduate Services Coordinator

The Graduate Services Coordinator serves as the administrative assistant to the DGS and as the office assistant to compile information or search graduate student records for documentation as needed and requested by the Chair, DGS, or Department Manager. The Graduate Services Coordinator also has the following duties:

1. Supervises the operations of graduate student recruitment and advises current and prospective graduate students.
2. Manages all graduate student records, current and former.
3. Maintains the tuition remission budget.
4. Handles the processing and distribution of materials regarding placement of Ph.D. candidates.
5. Serves as a liaison between the Department and the Graduate School.
6. Performs other tasks as delegated by the DGS

3.3 Undergraduate Services Coordinator

The Undergraduate Services Coordinator serves as the administrative assistant to the DUS and serves as Department registrar. The Undergraduate Services Coordinator also has the following duties:

1. Oversees much of the operation of student pre-registration, registration, drop-add, and finalization of course rolls and advises students on requirements and courses.
2. Manages all undergraduate student records, current and former, and helps in the process of undergraduate registration including the compiling, typing, duplicating, and distribution of expanded, updated course descriptions.
3. Manages course evaluations, grades, verification rolls, and textbook orders.
4. Manages the scheduling of ECON courses each semester, including updates in the Course Request Approval System, and manages all processes for Summer School, including registration, teaching assignments, and payroll distribution.
5. Coordinator for the Omicron Delta Epsilon Society, Commencement, and other departmental honors, awards, and events.
6. Performs other tasks as delegated by the DUS.

3.4 Departmental Accountant

This person is the primary contact in the department for financial transactions and account reconciliation. The Accountant has the following responsibilities:

1. Process all transactions related to payments, reimbursements, ITS orders, travel, and other financial forms as necessary.
2. Prepares financial reports and reconciles state, trust, and grant accounts.
3. Works with Placement Director and PhD job market candidates to create job market web page. Collects recommendation letters for each candidate (post, e-mail, and online submissions).
4. Provides administrative support to Departmental Manager and to faculty members.
5. Reviews and updates department web site and manages links for course materials, vitas, seminars, and schedules.

3.5 Administrative Assistant 

This person is the primary contact person in the departmental office for all communications, and has the following responsibilities:

1. Handles all inquiries to the departmental office, whether by phone or in person, and routes them to the appropriate person if they cannot be handled directly.
2. Provide administrative support for faculty and teaching assistants in the copying of exams and other classroom materials
3. Coordinates service requests to facilities, housekeeping, telecom, OASIS, and other campus organizations.
4. Manages departmental and building directories and maintains office hours and tutoring information for the faculty and teaching assistants.
5. Acts as liaison with Classroom Scheduling and schedules the usage of Gardner 110, 211, and other conference space in Gardner Hall.
6. Manages the departmental calendar and assists with updates and schedule coordination.
7. Monitors departmental inventories and orders supplies and other non-personnel items as needed.
8. Manages the distribution and security of keys for all space used by the department.
9. Serves as the mail clerk for the department.
10. Serves as back-up to other staff members.
11. Performs other duties as delegated by the Department Manager.

3.6 Program Director For The Minor In Entrepreneurship

The Minor in Entrepreneurship is housed within the Department of Economics. This person provides support for the various student initiatives within the Minor. These responsibilities include to:

1. Supervise TAs, temps, and work-study students for the Minor.
2. Manage the budget and donor stewardship for the Minor, in consultation with the Department Business Manager.
3. Manage programs initiated within the Minor, including the Women in Entrepreneurship group, Faculty Bootcamp, and the MOOC.
4. Curriculum support for all Minor classes.
5. Create and execute marketing and outreach strategy for the Minor.
6. Establish and maintain internal and external partnerships to foster the Minor's strategic goals for engagement, growth, and co-curricular support.

3.7 Director Of Student Programming For The Minor In Entrepreneurship

The Minor in Entrepreneurship is housed within the Department of Economics. This person provides support for the various student initiatives within the Minor. These responsibilities include to:

1. Provide advising for students in the Minor, including support during the internship experience.
2. Manage the Minor’s internship initiatives, including selecting NYC Innovation Fellows, Innovation Scholars, and JNO Award recipients, managing the Study Abroad program, and planning and executing the enrichment program for the eight week internship program
3. Act as ambassador for the program by conducting outreach to internship hosts, cultivating Alumni connections, cultivating cross-campus partnerships, and supporting development efforts.
4. Provide administrative and logistical support for events, scheduling, and programing, including Faculty Boot Camp, the Dean’s Working Group, and Women in Entrepreneurship.
5. Coordinate and administer funding for the Minor and assist with donor stewardship efforts.
6. Additional administrative duties as needed.

4. Working With The Staff

The staff of the Department of Economics has among its responsibilities the provision of administrative support to the faculty and graduate-student instructors of the Department. Given the small number of staff members and large number of faculty members, staff time is a scarce resource. The following policies have been set down to ensure that this staff time is used effectively and that faculty requests for assistance are fulfilled.

4.1 Deadlines

Materials to be prepared by the staff must be provided sufficiently in advance. Assignments of classroom secretaries will be made each semester by the Administrative Assistant.

1. Class work, exams, etc., should be given to the Administrative Assistant at least two days prior to the time of need.
2. Work requiring extensive duplicating, collating, etc., such as for large sections, should be provided one week in advance.
3. Final exams, course outlines, and reading lists should be provided even more than one week in advance, since these develop into a peak load problem.
4. Any unusual distributions for class, such as weekly problem sets, daily handouts, etc., should have their timing planned with the Administrative Assistant to avoid last minute rushes.
5. Teaching assistants with independent sections shall follow the same guidelines as other faculty. TAs working in other roles do not have direct administrative assistance.

4.2 Work Sharing

Usually, materials will not be split among different staff members. Faculty should always submit their work to the assigned staff, and should discuss the work, directions, and due date with the person assigned. The workload, flow, and assignments of the staff are supervised by the department manager.

4.3 Special Requests

Requests for administrative assistance, such as handling problems with equipment, scheduling, or classrooms, shall be brought to the attention of staff located in the department office.

4.4 Personal Chores

The Department does not have the capacity to have its staff perform some chores commonly done by personal secretaries. Staff members are neither expected nor required to place phone calls, collect and sort mail, run errands, make appointments, compose and edit memos, water plants, or other chores of this type for faculty members.

III. Faculty Policies

5. Faculty Personnel Policies

The faculty of the Department of Economics has established policies relating to the hiring, promotion and tenure of faculty members. They build upon, and are consistent with, the following documents defining University policy. The most recent edition of each document takes precedence.

1. The Code, Board of Governors, UNC (October 9, 2009 edition
2. Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (October 20, 2009 edition
3. The Faculty Code of University Government, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (April 3, 2013 edition
4. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1 April 2012)
5. Personnel Policies for Academic Personnel, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost
6. College of Arts & Sciences Chair’s Manual
7. Memorandum from the Dean on Peer Faculty Teaching Observations for Tenure, Promotion and Post-Tenure Review, August 21, 2012.

5.1 Personnel Policies For Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

The Department’s “Policies on Faculty Personnel Actions" was approved by the faculty on 14 November 2012. The document subsequently received approval by the Provost and the Office of University Counsel and it is effective as of July 1, 2013. The procedures specified in this document govern the hiring, promotion and conferral of tenure to faculty members in Economics, subject to those set forth in previously cited university publications.

5.2 Personnel Policies For Fixed-Term Faculty

Depending on departmental needs and available resources due to unexpected vacant positions, leaves and grants, some non-tenure-track appointments are made each year. These are positions with a fixed-term contract. Fixed-term faculty members are hired primarily for undergraduate teaching, and their compensation is tied to their teaching and service, but not to research outcomes.

The Chair petitions the Dean of the College to appoint fixed-term faculty as needed to meet the teaching obligations of the department. The Chair consults with the EEO officer and the Personnel Committee to establish a thorough search, and with the Personnel Committee, the full professors, and other faculty as needed, to determine the positions to be filled, to discuss alternate candidates, and to make recommendations for appointment. The Chair keeps faculty members informed of the needs and recommendations so they can provide suggestions. Faculty members with expertise in appropriate fields are involved heavily in this process. Any faculty member may make suggestions of particular persons to fill these positions.

As determined by university policy, different rules may apply for the hiring of fixed-term faculty based on the FTE and length of the contract offered to them. In the case of part-time, short-term (one year or less) appointments, candidates need not be invited to visit. Also, to provide flexibility in filling the positions needed, and due to the usual delays and changes in determining the allowable funds, the Chair or his or her designee may conduct interviews with candidates and references as needed in person or remotely (for example, through telephone or Skype communication). The Chair makes the final recommendations for appointments to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

6. Faculty Instructional Policies

6.1 Number Of Courses

Section 400.3.4 of the UNC Policy Manual defines the standard teaching load of research-active faculty members at UNC-Chapel Hill, as a Research-One University, as four courses per academic year. The actual teaching load for research-active and for fixed-term faculty members is established by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who may consult with the Chair of the Department.

6.2 Instructional Responsibility

In teaching assignments, instructors are expected to show intellectual integrity in the exercise of academic freedom in teaching the pre-announced subject matters of courses, and only rarely, and with good judgment, to depart from it or to inject irrelevant material into a course. The teacher is also expected to show judgment in making demands upon students, to show impartiality in evaluating their individual class performance, and to be reasonable and fair in the assigning of grades. These judgments may not be affected by any subjective prejudice based on personality, sex, race, religion, or opposing personal beliefs. You’ll find this principle elaborated upon in the Non-Discrimination Policy Statement.

6.3 Grading Responsibility

All faculty and TAs should retain examinations, tests, term papers and course work records for one year and then discard them through confidential recycling. If there is a student appeal or challenge, then these should be discarded confidentially after the resolution of the appeal or challenge. By reason of each instructors' accuracy, honesty, fairness, and good professional judgment, grade appeals should seldom occur. Any faculty member or TA leaving the department should give his/her grade books, electronic grade files and examinations for the previous year to the Department Manager.

In undergraduate courses, every attempt should be made to assign grades which accurately reflect the student's performance, including grades of D and F. The various grades possible, and the accepted interpretation for each grade, is determined at the University level. See  UPM #24: The Grading System. The UNC-Chapel Hill Undergraduate Bulletin also has a detailed discussion of this grading system.

In graduate courses, it is imperative that faculty teaching graduate courses design their courses so that the content and level of the course is consistent with departmental expectations. Course work requirements should be at a level consistent with the total demands placed on the student with a normal course load. Course requirements should not be imposed with the expectation that the student will take an Incomplete and finish the course at some later date. Incompletes should be the exception and should only be given after consultation with the student regarding the nature and completion schedule of remaining course requirements. A specific maximum time limit should be specified with the grade of Incomplete. This period is usually not less than 30 days and may not exceed one year. For continuation of financial aid, the department requires that Incompletes be removed within one year. Otherwise at least one term of aid will be forfeited.

Every attempt should be made to assign grades which accurately reflect the student's performance in the course, including grades of L and F. The Graduate School and the Registrar do not accept plus and minus grades for graduate courses, but instructors may report such grades to the DGS who will provide the information to the students. The research courses (Econ 992, Econ 994) have the same H/P/L/F grading scale as other graduate courses.

6.4 Graders

At the beginning of each semester, the DGS will ask faculty members about their needs for graders in their undergraduate courses. Graders are a scarce resource, and the assignment of a grader is based on class size, the nature of the course, and other relevant factors.

6.5 The UNC Honor Code

Since 1875, students at the University of North Carolina have had a tradition of self-governance in matters of student discipline. Our students have pledged themselves not to lie, cheat, or steal. This commitment to academic integrity, ethical behavior, personal responsibility and civil discourse exemplifies the “Carolina Way” and serve as the foundation for our student-led Honor System. This places restrictions on the way faculty members administer examinations and other graded assignments. For more information, consult the Office of Student Conduct.

6.6 Student Privacy Rules

There are strict limits on what information faculty members may disseminate about students in their courses. These are based on FERPA, a federal law, and the Registrar provides a detailed overview of those limits. One specific example: faculty members may not post grades or leave graded work for students to examine or retrieve if there is personally identifying information that links the grade to the individual student.

6.7 Accessibility Services

Students with disabilities that impede their ability to perform in examinations are provided accommodations by the University Compliance Office (UCO). Accommodations are designed to ensure that students have equal access to the materials and activities of the classroom setting. These accommodations do not give a student an advantage over other students and should not alter the manner in which you normally conduct your class.

Reasonable accommodations are provided to students who are identified with UCO and have provided documentation that supports the need for reasonable accommodations. Accommodations may include note-takers, assisted listening devices, or additional time on examinations proctored in the UCO office.

Accommodations should not be provided on an ad hoc basis by faculty or staff; students requesting accommodations should be referred to the UCO office.

6.8 Student Health Concerns

Should you have a concern for the physical or mental health of one of your students or a concern due to excessive unexcused absences from class, you should contact the Office of the Dean of Students. That office will have professionals on call to assist the student once identified.

Should the student in question be a graduate student, you can also contact the DGS in the Department with your concerns.

For concerns about academic performance of undergraduates, you can also contact the Academic Advising office (see section 8 below). For concerns about academic performance of graduate students, contact the DGS in Economics.

7. Faculty as Principal Investigators

Faculty or graduate students who are principal investigators (PI) of a grant or contract are responsible for following University regulations in carrying out their research. The most current regulations are available from the Office of Sponsored Programs on campus. This includes careful budget and personnel management. In all such matters, the PI should keep the Department Manager informed. The Department Manager and the Chair will assist the PI whenever possible and as needed to assure proper accounting.

7.1 Budgets

The Departmental Accountant must check all grant and contract expenditure reports budgeted through the Department. The Department Manager supervises this work and must be kept informed of any and all charges such as requests for payments or encumbrances, purchase orders or computer account allocations. Any overruns on a grant or contract are the responsibility of the PI. Frequent checking of your budget accounts with the Department Manager is advisable.

7.2 Personnel

According to University regulations, the Chair cannot delegate hiring authority to any PI. All personnel actions must be recommended by the Chair, including research associates and temporary personnel included in grants and contracts. Therefore, PIs should provide the Chair with information about any person they wish to hire, the person's role on the grant or contract, the method of advertising and search for the position, and some rationale for the level and time of payment. This must be approved by the Chair prior to putting any person on the payroll. In cases of graduate research assistants, a statement on the method of evaluation of their performance is also required.

8. Faculty and Students

Students are the Economics faculty’s primary responsibility: they are the reason we are here. The Economics Department offers three curricula of study as well as service courses for the University community as a whole.

8.1  Graduate Students

Graduate students fill three roles in the Department of Economics: they are students in the graduate program, they are teaching fellows or teaching assistants in the courses offered, and they serve as research assistants for the faculty members.

8.1.1 TA and RA Awards

Students admitted to the graduate program with departmental awards receive both tuition remission and an annual stipend. In most cases, this departmental award comes with the responsibility to serve as a teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA). Students provided partial or full stipend support from state funds must serve as TAs. Some students are also admitted without awards; these have no TA or RA responsibilities, and they pay their own tuition and fees.

The number and size of departmental awards and the continuation of financial support to graduate students is dependent upon the funds available, satisfactory progress of the student in the Ph.D. program, and the student's performance in previous TA/RA assignments.

8.1.2 Named Fellowships

The department gives a limited number of named “top-up” fellowships to attract highly qualified graduate applicants. These are allocated on the basis of merit; the DGS is responsible for awarding these during the graduate admissions process.

The department also nominates the recipient(s) of the Lurcy Fellowship in Economics.

The department may nominate one rising 4th year graduate student for the next academic year or two rising 4th year graduate students for one semester each. The intent of this fellowship is to provide support for outstanding students in order that they have time free from teaching obligations and are able to focus on their research projects . The department, therefore, expects that the recipients assume no work commitments during the fellowship period. Undertaking a work assignment is contrary to the spirit of this fellowship and may lead to the loss of the award.

Private donations provide the funding for these fellowships.

8.1.3 TA Responsibilities

TAs in the Economics Department work in classes taught by an instructor of record: this instructor of record is called the “supervisory faculty member” in this section. The TAs are expected to work at their TA duties approximately 13 hours per week (12 to 15 hours is the reasonable range). All TAs are expected to be actively involved in classroom teaching because a major objective of the TA program is to provide teaching experience for the graduate students involved. The supervisory faculty members in charge of classes with TAs are expected to assist the TAs in their teaching, and to both supervise and evaluate the TAs. The supervisory faculty member is expected to be familiar with each TA’s performance as a teacher and to provide the department with detailed evaluations of that performance. To the extent possible, TA activities should be designed with the goal of training graduate students in the art of college teaching.

The supervisory faculty member is responsible for defining how best to use the efforts of the TAs in the course. There are many possible models of effective use of TAs: in some instances the TAs will be responsible for recitations with fixed enrollment and meeting time while in others the TAs will meet with shifting populations of students and at different times during the week throughout the semester. It will be the responsibility of the supervisory faculty member to devise the most effective use of TAs in his/her class setting.

The supervisory faculty member retains the responsibility for conducting classroom hours, for calculating and reporting the final grades given in the course, and for hearing any appeals from students about class grading disputes. He/she may ask the TA to:

1. Attend all lectures in the course.
2. Conduct up to three recitation sessions during the week outside regular lecture time.
3. Assist the supervisory faculty member in the creation and grading of examinations.
4. Meet with students during at least two well-advertised office hours per week.
5. At the discretion of the supervisory faculty member, handle a maximum of one lecture period of the lecture during the semester. At the option of the faculty member, such TA lecture periods could be handled by teams of TAs, be set up as debates between TAs, or be lectures by individual TAs.

The supervisory faculty member should not ask more than this of TAs assigned to his/her course. He/she must keep in mind that the TAs primary responsibility is to complete the graduate program and earn a graduate degree.

8.1.4 RA Responsibilities

When available, first-year graduate students are assigned as research assistants (RAs) to the tenured and tenure-track faculty. At the beginning of each semester, the DGS will ask faculty members about their needs for and potential uses of research assistants. To the extent possible, the DGS will satisfy these requests from the group of first-year graduate students.

These students should be expected to average no more than 12 hours per week in this assistantship. The faculty member should keep in mind that the RA’s primary responsibility is to complete successfully his/her first-year graduate classes.

8.1.5 Summer Instructor Assignments

The DGS in consultation with the Chair and the DUS establishes the priority rules for summer school funding with the objective of providing all eligible students the opportunity to teach for at least one summer and to fulfill the course needs of the undergraduates.

8.1.6 Teaching Fellows

In some cases, graduate students with extensive experience as TAs will be offered the opportunity to serve as independent instructor for a course offered in the fall or spring semester. Such graduate students are Teaching Fellows (TFs), and have responsibilities equal to those of faculty members teaching their own courses.

8.1.7 Evaluation

TA, RA and TF performance is evaluated on a semester-by-semester basis.

• The evaluation of TA performance is based upon student evaluations, faculty visitations, and participation in the Teacher Training Program. TAs who do not perform the duties in a manner acceptable to the department or to the supervisory faculty member may be subject to a loss of award. Those demonstrating outstanding commitment and performance as TAs are selected to assist in the upper level courses and/or to teach their own independent sections as TFs.
• The evaluation of RA performance is the responsibility of the faculty member supervising the work. This evaluation should be provided to the DGS at the conclusion of the RA term.
• The evaluation of TF performance is based upon student evaluations and faculty visitations.

8.1.8 Office Assignments

Graduate students are assigned office space by the Department of Economics. Office assignments are done by the departmental staff in consultation with the DGS.

• Undergraduate teaching assistants are not located on the fourth floor of Gardner,
• Students in their first four years in the Ph.D. program have priority over those who have completed four years since first enrollment.
• Students on awards of financial assistance budgeted through the department have priority over other students.
• Every attempt is made to assign students using secure data with office space that satisfies the requirements of the agency providing the data.

8.1.9 Degree Requirements

The Graduate School requirements for a Ph.D. or Masters of Science degree can be found in the Graduate School Handbook, the Graduate School Policies and Procedures, and the Graduate Record. The Graduate School expects students to consult these documents. Also, graduate students at the University should also aware of the general University Campus Policies, the University policies for research, and the The Student Code of Conduct of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Specifics of requirements for degrees in Economics can be found at the Economics Graduate web page.

8.1.9.1 Examination Requirements for the Ph.D.

The Graduate School requires a doctoral written examination, a doctoral oral examination, and final oral examination. The faculty members of the PhD Written Examination Committee (section 2.3) are responsible for constructing and evaluating the doctoral written examination. The doctoral oral examination and final oral examination are conducted by the student’s dissertation committee.

8.1.9.2 Committees for the Doctoral Oral and Final Oral Examinations

The Graduate School requires a committee of at least five members for both the doctoral (proposal defense) and the final oral examinations. A majority of the committee members must be regular members of the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate Faculty in economics. A student needs a positive vote from a majority of the members of the committee and from a majority of the regular members of the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate Faculty in economics to pass the exam.

The Graduate School requires a faculty research advisor and a committee chair for each graduate student; in economics, one faculty member typically assumes both roles and is referred to as the dissertation advisor. The dissertation advisor may be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty in economics or, at the request of the program and approval of the Graduate School, a fixed-term graduate faculty member or a faculty member from another UNC-Chapel Hill program. The student and dissertation advisor select the members of the committee with the approval by the DGS.

8.2   Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate instruction is at the core of faculty responsibilities. The policies and procedures of section 6 apply to undergraduate instruction. In addition, the following specifics will be useful.

8.2.1 Advising

The Academic Advising system at UNC has been centralized in the office of the Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. If students have questions about their transcripts or about the requirements for graduation that you cannot answer, you should encourage them to make an appointment with their Academic Advisor in Steele Building.

It is the Senior Associate Dean’s policy to encourage each large department to have its own Academic Advisor. Stephen Lich-Tyler is currently the Academic Advisor from Economics. He will hold regular office hours in Gardner Hall and Steele Building to speak with current or prospective Economics majors. Faculty members with questions about curricular matters, or with concerns about specific Economics students, are encouraged to speak with him.

8.2.2 Concern for the academic performance of a student.

Should you have a concern for the academic success of one of your undergraduate students, you should contact an Academic Advisor in Steele Building. These advisors can also assist if you have concerns about the physical or mental health of a student in one of your courses. If the student’s problems are systemic, he/she will have difficulties in many classes. The Academic Advising system is well placed to coordinate the concerns of faculty across the University for a student in difficulty.

For concerns about a student’s health, or about excessive absences from class, you can also contact the Office of the Dean of Students, as suggested above in section 6.

Related Requirements

External Regulations (if applicable)

• Is this Policy connected to any Policies, Laws (federal, state, local, regulations), and/or Accreditation requirements?
• Are there any related UNC System-wide Policies?
• Is this Policy connected to any UNC-Chapel Hill Policies, Procedures, or Standards?
• Are there any other resources or materials readers of this Policy might likely refer to or need to follow or understand this Policy?

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures (if applicable)

• Is this Policy connected to any other Unit Policies, Procedures, or Standards?

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Office: Dean's Office

Telephone: 919-962-1165

Email: artsandsciences@unc.edu