Faculty Gateway

New Faculty Onboarding at Lipscomb University is a robust experience provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) in partnership with the Office of the Provost. To ensure new faculty are well-supported in their teaching efforts in the Lipscomb community, there are five primary components to the New Faculty Onboarding process extending throughout a faculty member’s first year:

• Asynchronous, Online Modules
• New Faculty Orientation
• First Year Here: New Faculty Academy Monthly Lunch & Learns 
• Faculty Mentoring
• Faith & Learning Initiative

It is our sincere hope that the comprehensive nature of the onboarding process for new full-time faculty supports faculty as they succeed in teaching, research, and service. If you have questions about this process, please email CTL [at] lipscomb.edu (subject: New%20Faculty%20Onboarding) with the subject line - New Faculty Onboarding. 

Faculty Hiring

The faculty hiring process involves various constituencies on campus beginning with the approval of the hiring request all the way through search committee and on campus interviews. All new hires on campus are processed through "Ultipro Recruiting and Onboarding," an online HR applicant tracking system.

Adjunct Hiring Process

Before initiating a new adjunct in the hiring process, please discuss with the adjunct their faith journey and academic credentials for the subject matter being taught. Every adjunct must have a degree higher than they are teaching and if they do not, additional justification will be requested. 

Please review SACSCOC requirements here.

New Adjunct Faculty Approval Form

• Academic Integrity Policy
• Accepting Students in Class
• Advance Standing and Placement Credit
• Assignment of Load
• Audits and Noncredit Repeats
• Behavioral Problems
• Campus Surveys and Questionnaires
• Class Absences of Faculty
• Class Absences of Students
• Correspondence Courses
• Course Syllabus
• Developmental Non-Credit Courses
• FERPA
• Final Examinations
• Incomplete Grades
• Instructions for Entering Final Grades via the Web
• Letter Grading System
• Mid-Term "D" and "F" Grades
• Non-credit Continuing Education Courses
• Priority Selection, Registration and Academic Advising
• Procedure for Protecting the Privacy of Students Enrolled in Distance Learning Program
• Special Examinations
• Students Academic Appeals Procedure
• Student Load Credit Hours
• Study Day and Last Week of Classes
• Syllabus
• Tests and Examinations

• New Program Startup
• New Program Checklist
• Proposed Curriculum Change

All Lipscomb faculty and staff must abide by this policy when inviting guests to speak at organizations, events or gatherings that Lipscomb is hosting. This is not meant for those who talk or present to a single academic classroom or people who do either of those things for a group of people who are using one of Lipscomb's facilities.

Guest Speaker Policy Speaker Invitation Request Form

All Lipscomb faculty, staff, students and representatives who use purchasing cards or handle P-Card transactions on the institution's behalf are subject to the terms of this policy. Any actions taken at sites where Lipscomb conducts business are covered by this policy.

Purchasing Card Policy

Travel Policy

All faculty, staff, students, alumni and "friends" at Lipscomb University and Lipscomb Academy are subject to this policy. It applies to any multi-day foreign or domestic trips that Lipscomb has approved, including mission trips, study abroad programs, academic travel seminars "Friends of Lipscomb" excursions, academy outings and overseas internships.

Travel Policy

Travel, Entertainment and Expense Reporting

Employees, undergraduate and graduate students, and authorized non-employees are covered by this policy if they travel, entertain clients or spend non-travel business expenses on Lipscomb's behalf.

Travel, Entertainment and Expense Reporting

Except in the rarest of instances, Lipscomb University does not cancel classes or close offices.

In the event of inclement weather when the university remains open and activates the Class Schedule Disruption Policy, faculty and students are advised to avoid undue risks in traveling. It may be possible to move a class to a remote format when inclement weather conditions exist to avoid having to schedule make-up classes or develop extra assignments. Faculty should provide students who miss a class because of severe weather conditions with a reasonable opportunity to make up assignments or exams, and the missed class should not impact the student’s attendance grade.

Faculty Member’s Responsibility for Canceled or Missed Class Sessions

Because the academic calendar does not allow for missed classes, faculty members are expected to hold classes as scheduled unless the university officially cancels classes. Since many of our courses are being delivered using Lipscomb Flex this semester, it may be possible to move a class to a remote format when inclement weather conditions exist. If a situation arises where a faculty member cancels a specific class session and the university otherwise remains open, the faculty member must notify students via email at the earliest possible time. If a faculty member decides to notify students by a method other than email, the method should be specified in the class syllabus.

Faculty members are responsible to see that the learning goals of the class are not compromised by any missed class days. Before canceling any class sessions, faculty should consult with the appropriate person as designated by their college policy (e.g., chair, program director, associate dean, dean, etc.). Missed classes may be rescheduled and/or may result in alternative assignments to achieve the learning goals of the class. Due to the concentrated class schedule of evening and weekend classes, instructors are expected to make up any missed class sessions in a manner that achieves the learning goals of the class. Additional resources and faculty expectations and options for alternative class meetings are available in myLipscomb under Resources/Office of the Provost/Class Disruption.

Student’s Responsibility When Absent

Students are responsible for any academic work they miss as a result of any absence. In the case of individual absences, students should contact their faculty members directly. Students who find themselves in circumstances that would cause them to miss classes for an extended period of time (e.g., missing a week or more of classes due to illness) should contact Steve Prewitt at academicsupport [at] lipscomb.edurel="noopener" target="_blank". The associate provost for student academic support will communicate the student’s situation to the appropriate faculty members. Students are expected to provide timely notification to the associate provost for student academic support regarding any extended absence and may be required to provide supporting documentation for their absences.