Faculty Handbook
Tufts University
School of Arts and Sciences
School of Engineering
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Message from the Deans

The information in this Faculty Handbook is provided by the Tufts University administration for the convenience of the faculties of the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The Handbook cannot and is not intended to address all circumstances related to a faculty member's role in the university, nor is the information contained in the Handbook intended to constitute an express or implied contract of employment, a promise of employment for any specified time, or a guarantee of benefits or working conditions.

The specific policies, procedures, and other statements found here cover a variety of subjects. However, readers should be aware that there are other important policies and procedures specific to the university's colleges, schools, departments, and other academic units that may apply to a particular employment situation, but are not referenced in this Handbook. Exclusion of a particular policy or procedure does not mean that it will not be enforced. It is the faculty member's responsibility to review university policies and procedures in detail and to request any clarification needed from his or her department chair, program director, or relevant dean.

Policies and procedures at an institution as complex as Tufts University are regularly under review and subject to revision. Thus, to keep this Faculty Handbook as up-to-date as possible, Tufts expressly reserves the right to amend, delete, suspend, or discontinue any part or parts of this Handbook, at any time and without prior notice. Every attempt will be made to keep faculty members informed of any changes as they occur. Changes to the Faculty Handbook will be posted online on the website of the Secretary of the Faculty. It is the faculty member's responsibility to remain current on the university policies and procedures that may apply to his or her employment.

Message from the Secretary of the Faculty

Dear Faculty Member,

It is my distinct pleasure to present this revised faculty handbook for the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The policies and procedures outlined in this handbook apply to all faculty members in Arts and Sciences and Engineering, regardless of rank or term of employment. Since I became Secretary of the Faculty in 2008, I have served as steward of the Handbook and will continue to serve in this role going forward.

Historically, the Handbook was printed every five years. In 2005, the former Secretary of the Faculty put the first version of the Handbook online. Since then, the administration within each school has given thoughtful consideration to the policies that govern and protect faculty members. This Handbook is a result of those efforts.

With this in mind, we realize that faculty members should not have to wait for years to update the Handbook. Therefore, we will continue to consider changes going forward on a more regular schedule. Each time the Handbook is updated, a summary of changes will be available to the faculty to promote transparency relative to the evolution of policy and to ensure that the Handbook accurately reflects the policies and procedures of the administration at any given time. The current version of the Handbook will always be found on the website of the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty.

Thank you for your patience over the last few years as this process has evolved. And I personally thank all of the individuals who contributed to bringing this Handbook to fruition. Faculty members should be assured that this Handbook reflects years' worth of thoughtful consideration, and I am proud to have been a part of the process.

Sincerely,

Jillian Dubman
Secretary of the Faculty for Arts, Sciences and Engineering

Please note that because of the differences between the way text is handled on websites, in the case of the Handbook provided to you in both html and PDF formats, there may be some slight formatting inconsistencies between the two formats. For our purposes, the PDF is the version of record.