USD Faculty Affairs Officers are neutral members of the faculty appointed by the Provost. Each Faculty Affairs Officer works independently, and assists other faculty members in resolving problems, concerns and complaints through informal means including counseling and mediation. While Faculty Affairs Officers do not have formal decision-making authority or disciplinary responsibilities, they are authorized by the institution to operate independently in the following capacities:
An Impartial Resource
At USD, we strive to support faculty through all academic unit offices and officers. Regardless of affiliation at USD, Faculty Affairs Officers do not advocate for any party in a dispute. Fair and equitable outcomes in disputes are pursued through mediation, mutual understanding, and transparency regarding USD policy and procedure. Faculty may utilize a Faculty Affairs Officer:
- When there is a need for an impartial and private sounding board to raise concerns, questions, and issues
- To help define their concerns and desired outcome and explore options for resolution
- When one would like to learn about possible outcomes before pursuing an action through official channels
- To clarify a university policy or practice, or determine its relevance to a situation
- To raise questions or concerns about a university policy or practice, office, service, or decision
- When one is unsure about where else to turn for help or guidance
Clarifying Issues, Exploring Options
The Faculty Affairs Office is not the resource to change university decisions or policies. Nor does it function as a substitute for legal advice, counseling, or formal investigations. Instead, Faculty Affairs can:
- Allow for an opportunity for faculty to be heard and to discuss issues
- Provide answers to questions or find someone who can provide those answers
- Explain how university policies and procedures work
- Help identify options or obtain information to move forward
- Make appropriate referrals when informal options do not, or have not, worked
- Help mediate disputes to find a "win-win" resolution
- Facilitate communication between people, and can accompany faculty as they address issues and explore options through institutional channels
Advancing Faculty Success
The Faculty Affairs role is intended to help the university to support the changing needs of all faculty to help ensure strong teaching, productive scholarship, and professional success. While maintaining privacy, visits with a Faculty Affairs Officer can help to:
- Advocate for fairness and equitable application of university policies and procedures
- Identify areas where there are recurring problems or complaints and bring them to the attention of the administration while protecting the privacy of individual complainants
- Support recommendations for changes of university policy or procedure that may be outdated or no longer relevant
- Maintain dialogue with Human Resources as to the evolving professional opportunities and challenges unique to faculty
Independent
Faculty Affairs Officers operate independently from any department or office and work to earn and maintain the trust of all members of the USD community. They also work independently from each other: interested parties may contact either or both officers, but are not required to contact both.
Private
Faculty Affairs discussions are private. Actions related to the concerns of a faculty member are pursued only with the consent of that faculty member. Faculty Affairs Officers are, however, required to report concerns that deal with the following matters:
- threats of harm to self or others
- issues related to Title IX.
Informal
Faculty Affairs Officers seek to help individuals determine how best to address their concerns by identifying and explaining formal processes available at USD and hold no formal authority to alter decisions, policies, procedures, or the outcomes of proceedings under existing policies. Although some similarities exist, a Faculty Affairs Officer is not an Ombudsperson.
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