Visiting Faculty

(Paid)

Background

A visiting faculty member must be a person who holds a position at the rank of Instructor, Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in a recognized university, or who holds an equivalent position in another appropriate organization. Visiting Faculty appointments fall under Policy A12.04

Authorities

• Employment Standards Act (RSBC 1996, c. 113) 28(2)(c)
• SFU Academic Policy - Academic Appointments Procedure (A 10.02)
• SFU Academic Policy - Visiting Faculty (A 12.04)
• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165)
  • s.31 requires that personal information used to make a decision that directly affects an individual must be kept for at least one year.
• BC Human Rights Code (RSBC 1996, c. 210)
  • s.12(5)(a) requires that a grievance related to wage discrimination be brought within 12 months of the employees termination. 
  • s.22 establishes that time limit for filing grievance as (1) within one year of the alleged contravention or (2) if a continuing contravention is alleged in a complaint, the complaint must be filed within one year of the last alleged instance of the contravention. 
• Employment Standards Act (RSBC 1996, c. 113)
  • s. 28(2)(c) stipulates that "payroll records must be retained for 7 years following termination of employment. While this requirement is generally covered by the retention of Financial Services Payroll Files it is prudent to apply this retention period to all employment files. 
• Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266)
  • s.3(5) stipulates that any action not specifically provided for in the act shall not be brought after the expiration of six years after the incident.

RRSDA's

Personnel Files

1994-002 - Personnel Files: Academic Employees (Non-Continuing)   

Description, purpose and use of records

• • Records made or received and used by university academic departments, Deans' offices, and the Vice-President Academic to document a non-continuing employee's academic employment history, from appointment to retirement or termination.
  • Records are organized as individual case files and may include correspondence, memoranda and email; letters of application, job advertisements, CVs, letters of reference, recommendations, appointment forms, letters of appointment and acceptance; correspondence and forms about administrative appointments, leaves (sick leaves, leaves of absence), immigration status, position number, contract and salary changes, release or relief time, payroll, APS screen printouts, and awards.
  • Academic employees include faculty members (instructors, lecturers, senior lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors and professors), limited-term faculty, librarians and archivists, laboratory instructors, sessional lecturers, and retired SFU academic employees who hold post-retirement appointments. For bargaining purposes, these employees are represented by the Simon Fraser University Faculty Association (SFUFA).
  • A continuing employee is one whose contract has no fixed end-date.

Total retention period

• • Under Review

Documents for Review

Electronic Folders & File Naming Conventions

The electronic folder can be labelled as the sample below:

Visiting Faculty Appointment (Paid) (Policy A12.04)

2021 Appointments

File Naming Convention

Lastname_Firstname_ApptType_DocType_Dept/Faculty_YYYYMMDD

e.g. Doe_John_ASP_CV_Beedie_20210714

Document Questions

• Are there any difference in the required documents between paid and unpaid visiting faculties? These types of appointments falling under A12.04 are always paid at FAS as they are here doing both independent research and teaching.  Unpaid appointments are typically Visiting Researchers/Scholars/Scientists who are on sabbatical from their home institutions and are just here to collaborate on research. 
• Are any of the documents above mandatory for Visiting Faculties appointments such that we can ensure the personnel file's completeness? How long should CV's be kept?
• Who in the department or Dean's office will be responsible for ensuring the files completeness? depends on the department, in FAS, the Academic Relations Advisor 

Access Control Questions

• If a Visiting Faculty is a former employee in another department, should all documents from previous employment be visible to the new department? Almost no real case for reference.
• Who can see these documents? Can outside faculties see these documents too? - aside from those listed in above table, no one should have access to these documents. Not shared across faculties. No conversion or business need. No collective agreement. No influence. No inheritance or transfer of file access if they get appointed as a continuing faculty across depts/faculties.
• Who should have access to these documents - either during the process or after it is concluded and someone is hired? Would they have different roles during the process? - indicated in table, and answered by above questions?

Retention Questions

• If someone (e.g. Visiting Faculty) has been inactive at SFU for a period long enough for their documents to have exceeded the RRSDA for that category, and then comes back to SFU in the same or a different capacity, will those documents be accessible/reactivated?

• What are the requirements to keep these? e.g. legal requirement? base on experience? request from Dean or any other people? - unsure of legal requirement. In FAS accredited engineering schools, need to keep on file who taught which courses and their credentials, required for 6+ years (accredited for ~6 years at a time).  
• Any other business cases to justify the retention period of the documents e.g. how long it has to be kept? 

Office of Primary Responsibility

• Dean (or Dean's Office) - decision
• FR notified for audit and payroll processing

File Manager/Responsibility for Records

• Dean's Office (uploading files in process, digitalization of historical process files, ensuring completeness of the process file)

Reference link of Visiting Faculty Appointments Procedures and Checklists

http://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/faculty-relations/appointments/visiting-faculty/Checklist%20for%20Visiting%20Faculty.pdf

https://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/faculty-relations/appointments/visiting-faculty/Visiting%20Faculty%20-%20Procedures.pdf