PREFACE (last revised May 5, 2023)

The Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional Manual (hereinafter referred to as “Manual“) contains policies and procedures that apply to faculty members and administrative professionals employed at Colorado State University.  It is the document that formally captures the shared understanding of the cooperative compact among the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System (hereinafter referred to as “the Board”)*, the University administration, the faculty, and the administrative professionals that is used to effectively manage our institution.

As an academic community, Colorado State University embraces certain foundational principles that guide our behaviors.  Foremost among these is academic freedom for the faculty, a longstanding cornerstone of public higher education in our country. Academic freedom is the freedom of the faculty to discuss all relevant matters in the classroom, to explore all avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression, to speak or write on matters of public concern as well as on matters related to professional duties and the functioning of the University.  These freedoms come with responsibilities; faculty are expected to follow professional standards for discourse and publication, to indicate when speaking on matters of public interest that they are not speaking on behalf of the institution, and to conduct themselves in a civil and professional manner consistent with the normal functioning of the University.

For these reasons, this Manual is an important component of our institutional structure.  Please become familiar with the policies of the University, and keep this Manual conveniently available for reference. The policies and procedures contained in this Manual may be amended at any time, consistent with the procedures within this Manual. Faculty members and administrative professionals are advised to consult the Faculty Council website (facultycouncil.colostate.edu) for the most current version of the Manual approved by the Board.  If you believe that the policies and procedures outlined in this Manual are not being followed, you should notify the Faculty Council Office. If you are an administrative professional, you should also notify the Chair of the Administrative Professional Council.

As part of the governance structure of the University, the Board has delegated certain personnel powers to the President, and the President has further delegated certain of these personnel powers to other officers of the University (see Section B.1.4). All references in this Manual to the authority of the Board and/or the President shall be deemed to include such delegations. However, the Board may, from time to time, elect to exercise any personnel power delegated to the President (and which may have been further delegated to other officers of the University.)

Any change or addition to this Manual must be approved by the Faculty Council prior to submission to the Board in accordance with the procedure in Section C.2.2.e and Section H of this Manual.  Because the Manual governs both Faculty and Administrative Professionals, any change or addition shall follow the process in Section H and reflect the equitable partnership between these two groups.

If a portion of this Manual conflicts with federal or state regulations or Board policy, then that portion shall be invalid and unenforceable. However, such a portion shall be fully severable, and the rest of this Manual shall remain in full force and effect.

All financial commitments and financial obligations of Colorado State University and the Board contained in this Manual are contingent upon the availability of State funds and are subject to Article XI, Sections 1 and 3 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. Thus, commitment of employment beyond the current fiscal year is contingent upon sufficient appropriations of funds from the State Legislature. Such commitment without that contingency would be an unconstitutional pledge against the credit of the State made without spending authorization of the Colorado General Assembly. See Section E.16 of this Manual for the policy regarding Financial Exigency.

Offices of the Provost and Faculty Council
Colorado State University – May 2023

*Effective August 8, 2002, the State Board of Agriculture name was changed to the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System. All references to the State Board of Agriculture found in this Manual shall be deemed to refer to the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System (referred to as “the Board”).