Preface

Last updated: March 29, 2010

The Stanford University Faculty Handbook, published by the Provost’s Office, provides policies governing Faculty, Academic Staff (Teaching) and Other Teaching Staff.  New faculty are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the handbook, but it is well worth review by faculty with long-standing University experience as well. 

As in the previous edition, this book (in Chapters One through Five) pertains to those holding the following categories of professorial appointments: tenure line, non-tenure line, Medical Center Line, and Senior Fellows and Center Fellows in designated policy centers and institutes. Chapters One through Four have been revised this year.

The handbook (in Chapters Six, Seven, and Eight) additionally incorporates policies and procedures that apply to Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Artists-in-Residence (the Academic Staff-Teaching ranks) and (in Chapter Nine) to those holding other teaching titles, such as Visiting Professor. For additional information on policy statements and guidelines that support research at Stanford (including those relating to the Academic Staff- Research ranks), please consult the Research Policy Handbook, which may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Research or on-line at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/DoR/rph/.

In its Appendices, this handbook contains various forms, including additional University policies and procedures (in Appendix B) for use in the appointment, reappointment and promotion of faculty.  These forms include guidelines stating the University-wide criteria for such appointments, reappointments and promotions, and therefore deserve study by every faculty member.

There are additional policies and procedures applicable to specific schools and departments (including school-specific supplementary criteria for appointments, reappointments and promotions) that have been approved by the Provost’s Office as consistent with overall University policy. It is not possible to present each of these policies in this handbook, but they may be obtained by inquiring of one’s department chair or school dean, or by checking a School’s website. Similarly, all employees are subject to additional applicable University policies, such as those set forth in the University’s Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu/ and the Stanford Bulletin  http://www.stanford.edu/dept/registrar/bulletin/.

In an institution as complex and dynamic as Stanford, change in organization and in the policies and procedures to which the faculty and academic staff are subject is an ongoing process, and the University reserves the right to make such changes. Although the policies contained in this handbook are up-to-date at the time of its publication, as time goes on one should check with the Provost’s Faculty Affairs Office to verify the currently applicable policies or on-line at http://facultyhandbook.stanford.edu/.

      
John Etchemendy
Provost