Guidelines
Internal guidelines for faculty and staff
We offer guidelines and resources for a range of situations to support employees.
If you need help finding a guideline or resource, please contact Erminia Piccinonno, the assistant dean for human resources and administration.
For faculty and academic staff
Mentoring and professional advancement
The Faculty Mentoring Handbook provides a helpful guide for mentees and mentors as well as an overview of the promotion process in SHASS.
The Institute provides guidelines regarding appointment, promotion, and tenure.
SHASS provides criteria on the process for faculty promotion and review (MIT login required).
SHASS also has guidelines for all other academic instructional staff. This contains information about job titles, roles and responsibilities, annual reviews, and more. (MIT login required)
Faculty and staff recruitment
SHASS has instituted a formal set of guidelines and procedures for faculty searches (MIT login required).
For serious staff searches, there are forms to be completed for a plan and report. Those forms can be found here. (MIT login required).
Flexible working arrangement
Those seeking a flexible working arrangement should complete this form and share with their manager/supervisor (MIT login required).
Leaves of absence for childcare, family, and personal reasons
Consult MIT’s policies on leaves and teaching relief for taking a leave of absence.
If you are having children or need childcare support, look into the SHASS Faculty Childcare Supplement as well as the Portable Childcare Benefit that is managed by the Provost’s office (accessible through the Faculty Concierge).
Research leaves
Faculty can consult Faculty Leaves of Absence and Faculty Teaching Relief for information on sabbaticals.
MIT offers a Junior faculty leave in their pre-tenure years by providing a concentrated period of time during which they can engage in research to advance their careers. See MIT’s policy on Faculty Leaves of Absence and Faculty Teaching Relief.
Old Dominion Leaves are available to non-tenured professors in humanities (anthropology, comparative media studies/writing, history, literature, music and theater arts, philosophy, and science, technology, and society). SHASS administers these leaves that provide one term of leave with full pay. This leave may be taken during years three through six, although it is normally awarded in the third or fourth year of appointment.
To take an Old Dominion Leave, seek approval from your department head. Applications are normally a one- or two-page description of the project to be undertaken. Typically, the approval process begins in the fall term preceding the academic year in which the leave is taken. This application is then forwarded to the Dean for final approval.
Like Junior Faculty Research Leaves, Old Dominion Leaves are considered professional leaves and thus do not affect the tenure clock, nor will they be counted in the accumulation of years of service with regard to subsequent sabbatical leaves.
For Student Advisors and UAAs
For student advisors and undergraduate academic administrators (UAAs)
The Minor Advising Guidelines help staff support undergraduates who are minoring in your field. Our Transfer Credit Examiner Guidelines detail processes and procedures to transfer students’ credit from other institutions.
