Faculty and Academic Specialist Remote Work Guidelines

Faculty and Academic Specialist Remote Work Guidelines  

Online instruction has transformed education and continues to open up exciting cutting edge pedagogical and curricular opportunities that support and enhance the essential relational teaching and learning activities and human social interactions that take place in person. Consequently, notions of faculty presence on campus have been transforming due to technological innovation (i.e. hybrid and on-line instruction) over at least the past twenty-odd years.  

As a result of experiences gained during the pandemic, programs are reviewing their student learning and assessment goals to find the right balance of face-to-face instruction and new flexible learning opportunities. Please refer to the College’s approach to sustaining student-centered online learning. CAL approach to sustaining online learning.docx Units are also reviewing other areas – service, advising, outreach, and administration – to see what work is done best in what modality. It is essential that the discursive process and the programmatic decisions themselves are based in the college values and priorities –  equity, openness, and community and practice inclusion as a matter of habit. https://cal.msu.edu/about/values-priorities/ 

Once departments/units have formulated community guidelines regarding modality in the “what” (instruction, unit service/meetings, and other activities), the “who” does the what should be assigned in an open, equitable, and inclusive manner.  The following overarching principles should be followed when deciding on the “who”. This work may also be informed by the College memo from June 10, 2021 “Planning for the Future of Work.”  

The principles below will be divided into in-state and out-of-state, and international given the MSU policy announced in April 2022 at the following link: https://worklife.msu.edu/workplace-assistance/flexible-work.  

Implementation 

Each Chair/Director should send out an e-mail to all unit faculty and academic specialists regarding faculty presence each August with special reference to any need for a flexible work agreement. The Chair/Director then will work with any responding employees to mutually draw up an agreement that will be signed by both parties. Please send a copy to Melissa Staub (staubmel@msu.edu) and copy Sarah Jackson (jacks835@msu.edu). 

It is important that the chair/director and faculty member or academic specialist touch base at regular intervals to assess the effectiveness of the arrangement, answer any questions or concerns, and adjust terms and conditions as needed. 

Annual Review: The fact that a remote work agreement exists should not influence the annual review evaluation of a committee or the chairperson/director. The work is the same regardless of modality.  

In-state 

  1. Temporary remote work such as sabbaticals, conferences, visiting professorship, leaves of absence, family leave, do not fall under the MSU flexible work policy. 
  1. It is important that all supervisors (department chairs, directors, etc.) maintain the same transparent standards for all unit faculty and academic specialists while also being equitable. This means that certain types of situations should be treated in a similar manner while also recognizing that there are different groups of faculty and academic specialists with the different challenges. For instance, caregivers have similar challenges and situations can be managed in similar and transparent ways for this group.  
  1. Consider rotating opportunities for flexible work among those who desire to work in this way.  
  1. Consideration should be given for temporary accommodations due to personal health, caregiving, and other familial responsibilities, particularly when complying with MSU parental or health leave policies or a statement of employee accommodation determination (SEAD).   
  1. The procedure should follow the MSU remote work policy for in-state: https://hr.msu.edu/policies-procedures/support-staff/support-staff-policies-procedures/remote_work_in_michigan.html 

Out-of-state, but in-country 

  1. Temporary remote work such as sabbaticals, conferences, visiting professorship, leaves of absence, family leave, do not fall under the MSU flexible work policy. 
  1. All agreements must be in place by July 1, 2022. 
  1. Given the MSU flexible work policy, the College reviews all requests for a flexible work agreement according to the following parameters:  
  1. Flexible work is not permanent. 
  1. All decisions regarding flexible work must be made in an equitable and inclusive manner. 
  1. Flexible work must have a proven business need. 
  1. The college will incur additional costs associated with the management of out-of-state in country appointments. All such requests must be approved by the Dean. The College will share responsibility with the University for all compliance and administrative requirements, and compliance monitoring with employment in another state. These items may include (but are not limited to): 
    • State leave laws and requirements 
    • Tax withholding 
    • Unemployment and workers compensation registration, payments, and claims processing 
    • Health insurance 

International 

  1. Temporary remote work such as sabbaticals, leaves of absence, family leave do not fall under the MSU flexible work policy. 
  1. Flexible work must have a proven business need. 
  1. All agreements must be in place by July 1, 2022. 
  1. The college will incur additional costs associated with the management of international appointments similar to those outlined above.  All such requests must be approved by the Dean and also are approved by a university-level committee as per the MSU remote work policy. 

Additional considerations: 

  1. Flexible work agreements result in planned and predictable work schedules recognizing that there are many aspects of academic work that have traditionally already been flexible and will remain as such. The latter category falls outside of the scope of this agreement unless specifically requested by an employee where the employee and employer to wish to outline transparent definitions of presence. 
  1. The remote work agreement should not include any personal medical and health information.  
  1. Flexible work agreements are not to be viewed as an entitlement or a reward or as a special arrangement, nor do they reduce the number of hours worked.  
  1. When making flexible work decisions, supervisors should consider the potential for implicit or explicit bias.  More information is available on the HR website: https://hr.msu.edu/remote_work/supervisors_promoting_equity.html 
  1. It is important to define and establish boundaries for the benefit of the supervisor and peers as well as the faculty member or academic specialist. 
  1. The best communication strategies (Teams, e-mail, phone, etc.) should be clarified. 
  1. The chair/director and employee should seek input from others that it will impact as needed and revise the proposal as necessary. 

Last edited 5/8/22, 5/25/22