9.1 Requirement to Participate

Governing Policies

Section 6.1.3, Faculty Handbook – Specific Faculty Responsibilities

Requirements and Process

As defined in paragraph C of section 6.1.3 of the Faculty Handbook, faculty are required to attend the annual Faculty Conference in August and either the President’s Convocation in August, or the December or May Commencement exercises.

Definition of Faculty

In the context of participation in Faculty Conference, Commencement and Convocation, Faculty include Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty, Teaching Faculty and Library Faculty. Faculty holding other titles (e.g. Transitional, Research, etc.) are not required to participate in these activities. Space permitting, these faculty may request permission to participate. Requests should be sent to Academic Affairs through the faculty member’s respective Department Head.

Faculty Conference

Faculty Conference is a beginning of the year welcoming and informational event organized by the Office of Academic Affairs and held on the afternoon of the first Monday immediately prior to the start of each Fall semester. Faculty Conference attendance is required of all faculty. In early August, the Office of Academic Affairs will distribute specifics regarding the current year’s Conference.

Convocation

Convocation is a ceremony that welcomes new undergraduate students to Mines and takes place on the Saturday immediately prior to the start of classes each Fall semester. Convocation ceremony is held in Bunker Auditorium (Green Center) and lasts about an hour. In early August, the Office of Academic Affairs will contact Departments and request the names of 2 to 3 faculty to participate in Convocation. Information specific to the current year’s Convocation Ceremony will be provided to participating faculty by the Office of Academic Affairs.

Commencement Exercises

Mines holds formal Commencement ceremonies at the close of each regular (Fall and Spring) academic semester. Sometime near the middle of the Fall semester, the Office of Academic Affairs will contact Departments and request the names of 4 to 6 faculty to participate in the Fall Commencement Ceremony. All faculty who have not participated in Convocation of Fall Commencement are required to participate in the Spring Commencement Ceremony.

Faculty members who have advised PhD candidates participating in Commencement are expected to participate in the PhD Hooding Ceremony that occurs immediately prior to the Commencement Ceremony. If at all possible, Academic Affairs will schedule joint participation in the Commencement Ceremony and the PhD Hooding Ceremony. If this is not possible, faculty advisors participating in the Hooding Ceremony are not required to participate in an additional Commencement Ceremony.

In addition, Heads of Departments from which PhD candidates are participating in Commencement are invited to participate in the PhD Hooding Ceremony.

Last Revision:

June 24, 2014