III. Conditions of Employment
The faculty of Rochester University carries the challenging responsibility of guiding students toward fuller personal maturity, deeper commitment to Christ, and greater intellectual achievement. Faculty members must realize the influence which they wield as teachers and must, therefore, approach all aspects of their work at Rochester University with diligence and commitment to the Christian ideals for which the university stands.
The principal occupation of full-time faculty members is their work at Rochester University. Faculty members should consider no arrangement, including outside employment, that limits their schedules to specific hours on campus, makes impossible the keeping of regular office hours, hinders participation in normal campus activities, or is detrimental to the reputation and influence of the university. Faculty and qualified staff members can teach up to 15 credits of overload per academic year. Additional independent studies, team teaching stipends, internships, and similar duties may be added on a case-by-case basis.
As a condition of employment, all faculty members and adjuncts employed by the university shall be aware of and in agreement with the stated purposes of the university, including the Rochester University ethos statement and commitment to diversity. The general purpose of Rochester University is to maintain and operate an institution of higher learning in which students may obtain a rigorous education in a Christian environment.
Rochester University values the principle of academic freedom; however, any faculty member must accept as a condition of employment that academic freedom exists within the context of the community that provides it. Academic freedom must be exercised within the framework of the institution’s mission. Faculty members are also expected to abide by the policies outlined in the Policy Manual.
Personnel records are maintained by the Human Resources Department. Personnel files are permanent records belonging to the university. Records contain information on the employee to meet state and federal legal requirements and to assure efficient personnel administration. For more information, see the Personnel Records section of the RU Policy Manual.