The responsibilities listed on this page are intended for UW faculty covered by the Faculty Code. Local hiring units often have additional position specific responsibilities. Contact your local administrator with any questions.

Chair/Director Conferences

Faculty members are required to meet with their chair/director individually and regularly (UW Faculty Code Section 24-57 C). Chair/directors should meet with faculty on the following schedule:

  • All lecturers and assistant professors: Annually
  • Associate professors: At least every 2 years
  • Professors: At least every 3 years

Each chair is required to share a written summary of each conference with the faculty member involved.

Faculty Effort Certification

Faculty members, with assistance from departmental Faculty Effort Certification (FEC) coordinators, are responsible for completing Faculty Effort Certification reports. These reports outline time spent on instruction, research, administration, service, and clinical activity. Visit the Post Award Fiscal Compliance webpage for more information.

Yearly Activity Report

Faculty members must submit a yearly activity report to their departmental chair/director. These reports, which cover teaching, research, and service accomplishments, are used to consider tenure, promotion, reappointment, renewal, and merit increases. Check with your local administrator to learn more. More information about faculty responsibilities related to teaching, research, and service can be found in the UW Faculty Code Section 24-32.

Ethics

The UW has comprehensive ethical conduct policies emphasizing the responsibilities that accompany working at a public institution.

Public Record Responsibility

The UW is subject to the state of Washington’s Public Records Act. As a member of the University’s faculty, you are required to promptly respond to requests for public records including all requests from the Office of Public Records and Open Public Meetings.

When the University receives a public records request, all records maintained in any format, hard copy, electronic or otherwise, that are potentially related to a public records request must be maintained. Do not destroy or alter records until the University has fully complied with the request.

Record Retention

As a state agency, everything the University community creates – both hard copy and electronic – is a record, and no record may be legally destroyed before its UW state-approved retention period. Records pertaining to ongoing or pending audits, litigation holds, or judicial or public disclosure proceedings must not be destroyed until the issue is resolved. Information about records retention is available through Records Management Services.

Instructional Responsibility

Schools, colleges, and campuses should ensure that faculty members are available to students and advisees, and that courses are scheduled to maximize student access. Read more details on the Instructional Responsibility page.