November 2, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
President Folt, the leadership of the Academic Senate, and I are pleased to announce that the 2022 edition of the Faculty Handbook has now been posted at policy.usc.edu.
This edition includes important updates and amendments, which are summarized in Chapter 1 and include:
- We continue to deeply respect the academic freedom of our faculty, irrespective of track, rank, or part-time status.
- Faculty have the same rights and responsibilities to free speech as all citizens. Individuals and groups can freely speak for themselves, though they should be clear they do not speak for the University or an academic unit.
- Our culture and faculty governance reflect our understanding that we are one faculty, including full and part time, of every track.
- There are new policies concerning equity, equal opportunity, and Title IX.
- There is a duty to disclose conflicts of interest, including by committee members.
- Advance approval is required for academic roles elsewhere, including honorary professor or principal investigator.
Each edition of the Faculty Handbook reaffirms that the faculty are partners in the shared management of the academic enterprise. The constitution of the Academic Senate states that the primary responsibility of the faculty is to “to contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University,” and this new edition of the Handbook continues to reflect our joint values and efforts.
I appreciate all that you do for the university.
Sincerely,
Charles F. Zukoski
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
cc: Office of the President
Academic Deans
President’s Senior Leadership Team
Provost’s Leadership Team
Academic Senate
Staff Assembly
GSG President
USG President