The Faculty Handbook serves as both a functional manual and a symbol of our collective academic values. In its practical capacity, the Handbook offers a wealth of information to Pacific Lutheran University faculty across many dimensions of their roles. It is the definitive resource that shapes our syllabi and instructional methods, providing specific requirements for office hours, student attendance, and the management of academic integrity issues. Furthermore, it acts as a guide for our service on the senate and university and standing committees by defining their mandates, membership structures, and core duties. It also outlines the pathway for professional growth, detailing the standards for tenure and promotion, the availability of sabbatical leaves, and the specific schedules for formal evaluations.
While faculty should regularly consult essential university resources—including the Catalog, the Student Handbook, and the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual—the Faculty Handbook remains the most central document to our daily functions. It codifies our professional rights and responsibilities as instructors, scholars, and active members of the university community.
Beyond its utility, the Handbook represents a core pillar of our institutional identity: a robust and evolving system of shared governance. Our model of governance is rooted in collaboration, transparency, and active communication. Effective July 1, 2026, we will transition to a senate-assembly hybrid model, a structural evolution designed to further empower the faculty voice while maintaining our commitment to collective deliberation. This document defines the faculty’s role in advancing the university’s mission and explains how those roles intersect with the work of our partners in the campus community: the Board of Regents, administration, staff, and students. The Handbook stands as a testament to these shared institutional commitments.
The tenth edition of the Faculty Handbook is organized into six primary sections. It opens with the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws, which now reflect our hybrid governance structure and continue to outline the fundamental principles of the university, faculty rights, and the criteria for professional advancement. The subsequent sections provide comprehensive details on our organizational framework, guiding philosophies, and established policies.
Maintaining a handbook that accurately mirrors our current priorities is a vital aspect of our governance work. Consequently, the Faculty Handbook is a living document that remains open to continuous refinement and revision. Although specific language and procedures may evolve over time, the fundamental purpose of this Handbook is unchanging: it remains a hallmark of our shared identity as faculty and citizens of this university.
Joanna Gregson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
June 30, 2026
Tenth Edition – July 1, 2026
Ninth Edition – September 30, 2020
Eighth Edition – September 1, 2014
Seventh Edition – September 1, 2011
Sixth Edition—February 5, 2003
Fifth Edition—September 1, 1995
Fourth Edition—September 1, 1990
Third Edition—September 1, 1985
Second Edition—September 1, 1980
First Edition—September 1, 1977