Faculty members carry a wide range of specific responsibilities—to students, to professional colleagues, and to UTC. The statement of responsibilities below represents UTC’s view of those specific responsibilities of its faculty members:

2.9.1. Responsibilities to Students

Faculty members have the responsibility to deal seriously and conscientiously with the instructional assignment, including careful planning of courses, preparation of class meetings, regularity in meeting scheduled classes, clear communication to students of course requirements through presentation of course syllabi (further description of appropriate syllabus material appears in the appendices), and fair and impartial grading according to standards established by the institution.

Faculty members should recognize that students deserve respect as individuals and have certain rights that must be protected. This encompasses an active interest in individual academic and personal problems of students, the giving of mature professional advice, courteous treatment of students in class, and keeping in confidence personal information about students that may come to the attention of faculty members in their role as counselors, subject to university, system, and state policies for reporting.

Faculty members should recognize that faculty members serve as models and exercise a great influence in shaping young minds. This being true, faculty members must try to set a high standard in:

• Academic and scholarly excellence
• Personal integrity
• Professional ethics

Faculty members should recognize that in their influential classroom roles, they are morally bound not to take advantage of their positions by repeatedly introducing into classes discussions of subject matter outside the scope of the course and not within their field of professional competence.^[1]

2.9.2. Professional Responsibilities

Faculty members have the following general professional responsibilities:

1. Special responsibility to keep up to date with developing knowledge in their academic disciplines through familiarity with recent publications and journals and participation in local or national professional societies and meetings where appropriate.
2. Responsibility to seek ways of improving their effectiveness as teachers, exploring new ways of presenting academic subject matter, motivating students, and improving methods of evaluating student performance.
3. Responsibility to advance knowledge in their respective academic disciplines through individual research, creative writing and analysis, and presenting papers at colloquiums or professional meetings.
4. Responsibility to assist faculty colleagues in academic department and college activities including:
   1. Contributing to curriculum studies at both the departmental and college levels
   2. Participating in department, college and University faculty meetings for the better operation and strengthening of the educational program of the institution
   3. Carrying a fair share of the burden of special faculty committee assignments, including participation in such bodies as curriculum committees and honors program committees, as well as sharing in joint faculty responsibilities such as registration, counseling, and academic proctoring
   4. Responsibility to exercise an active role in protecting and enhancing the academic and professional standing of the faculty by:
      • Assisting with recruitment of competent new faculty members
      • Giving appropriate recommendations regarding promotion or tenure appointments for faculty colleagues
      • Recommending the removal of colleagues who, after fair hearing, have been proved to warrant removal for adequate cause
   5. Responsibility to demonstrate respect for the right of others in the UTC community to hold divergent opinions, including other faculty members, students and administrators.^[2]