Faculty and SPS Personnel Advisor
(Bylaws Article 9)

The Faculty and SPS Personnel Advisor is Sarah McHone-Chase, Head of User Services
University Libraries
FO 136
815-753-9860
mchonechase@niu.edu 

Article 9

The Faculty and SPS Personnel Advisor is a resource person whose services are available to any faculty member (ranked or no-rank faculty), administrator, Supportive Professional Staff member, or personnel body in the university. The advisor's role includes such activities as the following:

• To advise faculty and SPS members about the personnel policies and procedures within the university and the courses of action open to faculty and SPS members; 
• To advise and assist faculty and SPS members who are experiencing difficulties with the personnel process; 
• To advise and assist faculty and SPS members dissatisfied with personnel decisions; 
• To observe the workings of the personnel process and to recommend needed changes or clarification; 
• And to serve as grievance officer in cases of faculty pursuing the grievance procedure set forth in Section 9.2 of these bylaws. 

9.1 Qualifications

The advisor shall be a full-time, tenured faculty member. The advisor shall have had experience with the personnel process at various levels, and be familiar with the administrative structure and operations of the university.

9.2 Conditions of Employment

9.2.1 The advisor shall receive compensation equal to one month of the median salary of all tenured professors each semester and summer session funded through the budget of the University Council.

9.2.2 Secretarial assistance shall be provided. 

9.2.3 The advisor may not hold membership on any personnel committee within the university dealing with matters relating to merit evaluations of faculty not holding administrative positions, salary increments, tenure, promotion in rank, or leaves of absence. 

9.2.4 The advisor shall receive an initial two-year appointment consisting of eleven months each year, renewable for an additional 11 months. The advisor shall be ineligible for a successive term. 

9.2.5 Files generated by the Faculty and SPS Personnel Advisor are the property of the office of the Faculty and SPS Advisor and shall be kept for eight years. Only the Faculty and SPS Advisor shall have access to the files. After eight years, the files shall be destroyed, except that non-identifying, aggregate data may be kept indefinitely. 

9.2.6 The Faculty and SPS Personnel Advisor shall make an annual report which will summarize the activities of the advisor (in such a way as to keep clients' identities anonymous), identify the strengths and weaknesses of the personnel process, and make recommendations for changes in the personnel process. The Faculty and SPS Personnel Advisor Annual Report shall be submitted to the University Council and the Faculty Senate. The FSPA Annual Report will be submitted by July 31 of each year. 

9.3 Method of Selection

The Faculty and SPS Personnel Advisor shall be elected by the Faculty Senate in the spring for a two-year term to begin at the start of the fall semester.