Expectations and Responsibilities for Faculty Members

University of Maryland College Park

As Maryland’s Flagship university, the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) is committed to “develop and disseminate knowledge in an environment that fosters intellectual discourse, free speech, diversity, inclusion, freedom from violence, and mutual respect.”^[1] Further, as the Flagship campus with a Land Grant mission, “UMD strives to provide exceptional and affordable instruction for Maryland's most promising students. As a pre-eminent locus of scholarship, the University builds and maintains a world-class capacity in the sciences, arts and humanities, and extension activity to support ground-breaking discoveries that address the most pressing global challenges and inspire the human imagination. As one of the country's first land-grant institutions, UMD uses its research, educational, cultural, and technological strengths in partnership with state, federal, private, and non-profit sectors to promote economic development and improve quality of life in the State of Maryland.”^[2]

UMD faculty, staff, and students contribute to and benefit from UMD’s pursuit of excellence, land grant mission, innovation, and ingenuity. The diversity of scholarship, community, and experiences enrich our campus community, and it is the responsibility of UMD faculty, students, and staff to promote and model a respectful, inclusive, and positive environment and climate. Employees of UMD bear particular responsibility to maintain and model the highest standards of ethics and conduct, as articulated in the UMD Principles of Ethical and Responsible Conduct.^[3]

All members of the faculty^[4] have the rights and responsibilities of academic freedom and freedom of speech. They have the right to due process, and retain civil and other rights afforded to them by the U.S. Constitution, federal and state laws and regulations, and University System of Maryland (USM) and UMD policies. In addition to these rights, faculty members have particular responsibilities and expectations as representatives of and leaders within the UMD community and the USM, as well as employees of the state of Maryland. These expectations and responsibilities are documented in a range of federal and state laws and regulations, USM policies, UMD policies adopted through its shared governance process executed with the University Senate,^[5] and through UMD aspirational statements such as those included in the UMD's Fearlessly Forward strategic plan. The following UMD Faculty Expectations and Responsibilities aggregation provides a concise guide for faculty members in fulfilling their research, scholarship, and/or creative activities; instructional activities; service activities; and state employee roles. These expectations fall broadly in the areas of engagement, professionalism, integrity, and compliance.