PREFACE

The Faculty Handbook provides the faculty of the University of New Mexico with a written record of faculty policies and procedures as they bear on the role of the faculty member. This Handbook is intended to help faculty members to acquire an overview of academic policies and resources.

This edition is a major revision of the format and contents of the edition of October 1990.  Previously the Handbook had maintained essentially the same structure through various revisions of the version of the Handbook originally adopted in December 1966. Over the past several years many individuals and committees, primarily consisting of faculty, and foremost among those the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee, have endeavored to revise this Handbook.  All participants in this process are to be commended for their dedication, diligence, and perseverance in producing such a singularly important document for our faculty.

The contents of the Faculty Handbook have been grouped into seven main sections:

• The University
• Policy on Academic Freedom and Tenure
• Faculty Rules and Benefits
• Teaching and Student Related Policies and Information
• Research
• Branch Campuses
• Additional Policies of Relevance

The various items within these groups are listed in the "Table of Contents" by section and alphabetically in the "Table of Policies" in the Handbook.

The Faculty Handbook is a source of information to be used along with the University’s University Catalog, Pathfinder, University Business Policies and Procedures Manual, and the Regents' Policy Manual. These Catalogs or Manuals contain further details of the University’s policies and procedures, programs and activities of the University for faculty, staff and students.  Policies and information already in those documents is generally not repeated in the Faculty Handbook but may be referenced in the appendix - "Additional Policies of Relevance".  The Regents’ Policy Manual shall be controlling in any matters in which there is an inconsistency between the Faculty Handbook and the Regents’ Policy Manual. 

You will notice that each item in the Faculty Handbook is assigned an individual number with an identifier beneath it indicating whether it is policy or information. It is important to note that those items designated as policy are only those policies under the purview of faculty. Some informational items may actually be university policy but are not under the purview of faculty so are provided as information for the purposes of this document. In such circumstances, the official university policy is referenced to the appropriate governing document.

It is not the purpose of the Faculty Handbook to serve as a manual of administrative or departmental procedures; several colleges, schools and departments have procedural directions of their own. No attempt has been made to include or reference such material in the Handbook.

The policies set forth in this Handbook are subject to revision at any time.  The information contained in the Faculty Handbook will be updated as necessary.  A publication such as this can never be fully current, since University policies, procedures, regulations, and benefits and services are constantly under review and continually changing and will require modifications or additions to the Handbook.  However, since the Faculty Handbook is now a web-based document, the most current information can be accessed on the web at http://handbook.unm.edu/. It is the responsibility of the user to determine that he/she is relying on the most current version of any particular information.  Questions about the material contained in the pages of the Faculty Handbook should be directed to the Office of the Secretary. 

Vivian L. Valencia
Secretary of the University