The Cal State East Bay Faculty FAQ Page


  • What is the Academic Senate? The Academic Senate (sometimes, just called "Senate") is the faculty governance body. Elected faculty members, as well as administrators, staff members, and students determine policies, such as General Education requirements, grading policies, and the Academic Calendar. Committees of the Academic Senate include CIC, FAC, COBRA, CAPR and CR. There is a statewide Academic Senate that sets rules for the CSU System and gives the faculty a systemwide voice. CSUEB sends 2 senators to that body.

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  • How do I advise a student within my department's program? First and foremost, be familiar with your department's programs! The detailed rules for every major, minor, and certificate program are in the University Catalog. The Catalog changes yearly and students must meet the requirements of either the year they were last admitted to University (if they've come and gone and come back, this can be complicated) or the year they graduate (the student can usually choose). You should have a printed version of the Catalog. Some rules within some programs are flexible (that is, you might be allowed to tell students that they can take one class instead of another); some are not (for example, General Education rules cannot be altered). Speak with your department chair or program advisor before granting the student any changes. If you don't know the answer, tell the student you don't know, but will find out. Then, find out the answer and let the student know! You should probably give the student a "plan to graduate" (a list of courses and the quarters when they should be taken). You can find out which courses a student has taken through MyCSUEB (after logging in, go to "Faculty Center" and then choose "Advisement" and then "new drop-in advisees"; the "unofficial transcript" has the courses and grades, but the "degree progress" section still has problems for most majors and is therefore not recommended). Most departments still have a written "grad check" form. Along with the "unofficial transcript", filling out this form will help you write a "plan" with the student. Sitting in on a few advising sessions with a more senior faculty member is probably a good idea.

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  • What do I do when a student is in need of emotional support? Be as helpful as you can, but, if the problems are not academic, you ultimately want to guide them to Counseling and Psychological Services (885-3690). You might walk over to CaPS with the student. If you believe that the student is a threat to him/herself or others, call 911 from a campus phone, 510-885-3333 from a cell phone on the Hayward campus or 925-602-6737 from a cell phone on the Concord campus. You should probably document non-academic discussions with your department chair, who might be able to provide more specific guidance for future occurrences.

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  • What are the Code Requirements? According to http://www.testing.csueastbay.edu/code/codehome.php, for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree at California State University, East Bay, you must satisfy the U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals requirement. Information about the courses or tests to satisfy these requirements are on the cited web page.

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  • What should I know about teaching at the Concord Campus? The Concord Campus has a wealth of information for faculty members through its Faculty Service Office, which has a FAQ page and a "faculty survival guide". A short list of phone numbers for assistance at Concord is here.

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  • How do I get contact information for someone on campus? Try the online directory, which has email addresses and phone numbers for individuals (the Hayward campus telephone operator is 510-885-3000 and the Concord campus operator is 925-602-6700) or, if you don't know the name of the person, try the Campus Contacts page.

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  • What is a difference-in-pay leave and how do I get one? The salary provided by a difference-in-pay leave for a teaching faculty employee is the difference between the employee's salary and the minimum salary of the Lecturer A rank. The salary for a difference-in¬pay leave for a library faculty employee is the difference between the employee's salary and the minimum salary of the lowest comparable time-base librarian rank. A difference-in-pay leave can be taken for one or more quarters. Eligibility and related requirements are the same as for a sabbatical leave. More information is in Article 28 of the CBA.

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  • How do I access my e-mail from off-campus? If you do not have your email forwarded to a non-csueastbay.edu site, there are two ways to access your email. First, via the web, go to email.csueastbay.edu. The second way is to use an email program, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. Computing Services has an information sheet on how to access email via Outlook. In Thunderbird (or if the previous Outlook instructions don't quite work), use the server name "imap.csueastbay.edu" and port number "993". You must use an SSL connection from off-campus. Keep in mind that, whenever you change your NetID password, you must change your password within the email program, too.

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  • Will somebody walk with me to my car? If you need an escort at night on campus, in Hayward, call 885-3791; in Concord, 602-6737.

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  • Who do I call in case of emergencies? From a campus phone, "911" will go to the University Police Department. From your cell phone, "911" goes to the California Highway Patrol in Vallejo. It is a good idea to program 510-885-3333 (the University Police Department Emergency Number for Hayward) or 925-602-6737 (the UPD Emergency Number for Concord) in your cell phone for emergencies on campus!

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  • When is my class' Final Exam? Check the "Important Dates" section, then "Schedule" (on the left-hand side), then "Final Exams" (on the left-hand side) in the Schedule of Classes for the quarter of interest.

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  • What is a 5-year review and why does my department have to do it? CAPR reviews academic programs every five years, as mandated by the CSU. The process is outlined here. This process helps to ensure that a program is maintaining its academic standards and is getting the resources it needs to succeed.

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  • Who can I talk to about getting funding or grants? The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (LI 2300- located across from the Library) is your best bet. They assist faculty with finding sources of funding, the writing of proposals, and obtaining University approval for the proposals.

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  • What is General Education (GE)? General Education (GE) is the set of specific area requirements for all baccalaureate students (regardless of major). According to the CSUEB GE webpage: "The goal of General Education (GE) coursework is to give [students] a broad sampling of different academic areas. This sampling exposes [students] to varied disciplines, increasing the value and breadth of your total undergraduate education. G.E. coursework allows [students] to discover new interests that may open a whole new range of opportunities for further study or career choice." The GE subcommittee of CIC recommends new courses to satisfy GE requirements and periodically evaluates existing courses to ensure that they meet the GE standards of the University. Students might ask for advice regarding GE courses and unless the advisor is sure of the answer, it is best to direct the student to the GE Office.

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  • What is faculty governance? Faculty governance is the process of the faculty determining academic rules, whether for faculty conduct or student regulations. There are mechanisms within every department and college, but the main body for faculty governance is the Academic Senate. University-wide elections are typically held in the Fall and Winter Quarters. College-wide and group (e.g., lecturers and emeriti) elections are typically held in the Spring Quarter.

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  • What grades can I give? Why can't I give an A+ or a D-? The Catalog has information on grades (information about incomplete, W, and WU are available by clicking on the corresponding link). State law does not permit "A+" or "D-" grades at the CSU.

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  • What is an incomplete? (From the 2007-08 CSUEB Catalog, except for the bracketed notes:) The symbol "I", Incomplete (Authorized), indicates that a portion of required coursework has not been completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons and that there is still a possibility of earning credit. [This means the student must be passing the course when an Incomplete is assigned. See WU below.] It is [the student's] responsibility to bring pertinent information to the attention of the instructor and to determine from the instructor the remaining course requirements that must be satisfied to remove the Incomplete. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and evaluated. [The] instructor will specify the work needed for completion and will communicate the requirements to [the student] in writing with a copy to the department or program chair. An "I" must normally be made up within one calendar year immediately following the end of the term during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails whether or not [the student] maintain[s] continuous enrollment. When [the student completes] the required work and it has been evaluated, [the] instructor will submit a change of grade form and the academic grade will be recorded. If [the student does] not complete [the] work within the allowed time limit, the grade will be recorded as an "IC" (Incomplete Charged). [Note that a form must be filed along with the "I" grade. That form will be linked from the online grades when filed.]

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  • What is a W? A "W" is the grade recorded on a student's transcript when the student withdraws from a course between the drop deadline and the 8th week of the course. This notation is controlled by the University and instructors cannot change it. It does not affect a student's GPA.

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  • What is a WU (and how does it differ from an F)? A "WU" is a grade assigned to a student when the student fails to complete coursework and does not qualify for an incomplete. For the student's GPA calculations, "WU" and "F" are equivalent.

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  • What do I do if a student is claiming sexual harassment from another faculty member? Faculty members are required to take a training course about this type of situation. In general, the student should be referred to the chair or dean. CSUEB publishes a policy on sexual harassment quarterly in the Schedule of Classes. The Fall, 2008 version is here.

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  • What is a Personal Holiday and how do I use mine? Each faculty employee is allowed one personal holiday (a calendar day) during each academic year (it is forfeited if not used). It is presumed that, in the interest of the instructional program, teaching faculty and department chairs will exercise judgment in scheduling the personal holiday, and, except under unusual circumstances, a member of the faculty will not request scheduling of the personal holiday on a day when he/she has teaching responsibilities or will assist the department in finding a substitute. Information about personal holidays is in Article 33 of the CBA.

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  • Where can I find information about internships for students? The Career Development Center has some internship search engines. Those looking to create internship or fieldwork opportunities in exchange for academic credit should see the Service Learning Program on campus.

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  • What do I do if I cannot make it to my class or office hours for personal reasons? If you need to miss a class or office hour for any reason, notify your department chair. Whenever possible, arrange to have your classes covered during your absence. You must use your Personal Holiday or sick leave if you miss a course for non-University reasons.

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  • How can I develop a new course? First and foremost, your department must agree to offer the course. A "new course request" form (instructions and associated information is in the Curricular Procedures Manual, under "new courses") must be submitted via your department chair to your college Committee on Instruction and Curriculum. Additional review may be needed, depending on whether your course is intended to meet general education requirements or might be viewed as impinging on another discipline's courses.

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  • What do course numbers represent? The most common course numbers begin with "1" (freshman), "2" (sophomore), "3" (junior), "4" (senior), and "6" (Master's). A more thorough description is in the Catalog.

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  • What are office hours and how many do I have to have? Office hours are times outside of scheduled class when you make yourself available to students to answer their questions. The policy on office hours is available from the Office of Academic Affairs' Policies and Procedures page, but the main points are: office hours must be held at least two days a week (full-time faculty only); office hours must be held in at-minimum half-hour blocks (some departments strongly encourage at least one hour); and there must be at least 3 hours per week (lecturers must have 1 hour per class per week) minimum. Office hours are part of the CBA and may be strictly enforced by administration. Some faculty members hold separate office hours for each class; some advertise all of their hours to all of their classes.

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  • What should I know about teaching a one night per week class? Many departments on campus offer one night per week classes to accommodate working students. You should try to schedule classes with particularly difficult content on days that will have at least 10 meetings during the quarter. In order to see how many days per week for each quarter, including schedule adjustments for quarters with multiple holidays, go to http://www.csueastbay.edu/OAA/ and select "Syllabus Planning". Note that courses must meet at least 9 times during the quarter; you must find substitutes for personal holiday or other days you miss class. For advice on how to teach under 1-night-per-week circumstances, speak to colleagues or see an artile such as Oscar Wambuguh's.

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  • How do I learn to pronounce my students' names? Colleagues or students themselves are a great resource for name pronunciation help. The Office of Faculty Development has a Guide to the Pronunciation of Asian Pacific Names.

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  • What do I do if a student says he/she cannot make it to my test for a religious observance? According to the "Policy on Religious Observance" (linked from the Office of Academic Affairs' Policies and Procedures page), "California Education Code Section 89320 requires faculty to reschedule a test or examination, without penalty to the student, when the regularly scheduled test or examination conflicts with the student’s religious observances. Students with other scheduling conflicts related to religious observance should bring these to the attention of the instructor in a timely manner, so that the student will be accommodated, if at all possible." If you wish to define "timely matter" as, for example, 2 weeks, you should do so on your syllabus.

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  • How do I get a Sabbatical? Full-time instructional faculty and librarians are eligible to receive a leave with pay (sabbatical) after completing six consecutive years of full-time service following any previous sabbatical leave. Credit towards the completion of the probationary period for service elsewhere also applies towards fulfilling the eligibility requirements for a sabbatical. Compensation for sabbatical leaves is as follows: one quarter at full pay; two quarters at 3/4 pay; three quarters at 1/2 pay. Sabbaticals are not automatic; they are competitive and depend upon state funding. If you receive a sabbatical leave, you must work an equivalent amount of time after the leave is over. Also, you may not accept additional employment during your sabbatical without the approval of the President. Details are in the Article 27 of the CBA.

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  • What is service? It is a faculty member being on committees or workgroups within a department, a college, or the University. Service is documented in your dossier and is an element considered for promotion, tenure, and retention.

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  • What is service (or community-based) learning? Service learning is having students or a class learn lessons on the subject while serving the community. This might be through outreach to the community events, internships for individuals or small groups, or certain kinds of course fieldwork. Much more information is available at CSUEB's service learning web site.

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  • How can I meet faculty members outside of my department? The Office of Faculty Development hosts numerous events during the year, including "Brown Bag Lunch" discussions, and has a "mentor" program in which senior faculty members (usually from a different college) mentor new faculty. Another way to meet your colleagues is through committee service. Some campus-wide social events, such as the annual faculty/staff picnic in the Spring, are announced via MassMail.

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  • Where can I get software? The University holds licenses for numerous useful software packages and may be able to purchase other programs that are needed by faculty across departments. Information about this is available starting with computing services. If the University licenses a program (the previous link should have a link to a list of licensed programs; information about software licenses, in general, is available here), but the department does not seem to have it and a faculty member wants it, go to the help desk or visit MATS (though some discipline-specific software is made available through the college). Programs that are licensed for student use may be obtained by faculty through MATS, as well.

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  • How can I use this software? Computing services has information about how to use many common programs.

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  • What do I do when a student is ... (Read the Student Code of Conduct.)

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  • How much study time should I expect from students outside of class? A basic assumption at CSUEB is that each student should spend two hours of outside preparation for every hour spent in class; therefore, a student enrolled in a four-unit class should expect to spend eight hours a week doing work for that class.

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  • What is a course syllabus or outline and what are the requirements for these documents? (The Office of Academic Affairs has a "Policy on Course Requirement Information" on its documents page.) A syllabus gives the basic requirements of the course (books, tests, grading policy, etc.) and the contact information for the instructor (including office hours, email address, phone number). A course outline has all the information in a syllabus, plus more details such as the dates for all the readings and homework assignments (including the problems covered). The Student Disability Resources Center suggests adding a couple of sentences about accommodations in their Top 5 Best Practices for Faculty document. Many faculty members put a comment about cheating and plagarism, such as "Students are required to read and understand the CSUEB statement on Academic Dishonesty. The Catalog's statement is on the WWW at http://www.csueastbay.edu/ecat/current/i-120grading.html#section12 . Violation of any of the standards will result in an F in this course and will be documented in the Academic Affairs Office."

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  • Where can I find help teaching or about my classroom? On the web, The Faculty Teaching page has numerous useful links, as does the Concord Campus Faculty Services Office. In person, the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching (see FaCET in the glossary) has numerous references in its library and people to offer advice.

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  • What is the University Writing Skills Requirement (UWSR)? The UWSR is a requirement for all degree programs (including graduate degrees) in the CSU. Students may satisfy this requirement by taking courses, taking the Writing Skills Test (WST), or by getting a high enough score on a standardized college exam. Information about the UWSR and how it may be completed is at http://www.testing.csueastbay.edu/uwsr/uwsr.php.

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  • How do I set up or access voice mail? Voice mail is maintained by telephone services. They have instructions for voice mail setup on the linked page. About halfway down that same page are instructions on how to access voice mail. At the bottom of that page are instructions for how to access voice mail remotely.

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  • Who is Kim Huggett and why do I keep getting emails from him? Kim Huggett is the University Spokesperson. He is in charge of answering media inquiries about CSUEB and directing press releases, as well as internal University announcements. He sends information deemed important to the University community to the relevent members of the affected community. This includes the monthly "The View" e-newsletter. The Press Office can also help faculty members become "experts" that reporters might interview for articles on topics of their expertise; that is, if you ever want to be interviewed by NPR or CNN or the San Francisco Chronicle, University Communications (Kim Huggett's office) is a good place to start.

  • Who is Barry Zepel and why do I keep getting emails from him? Barry Zepel is the Media Relations Officer and, along with Kim Huggett, sends out many of the University Communications announcements on campus. He answers media inquiries about CSUEB and composes press releases, as well as internal University announcements.

  • Who are Ruthy Stephan and Gina Traversa and why do I keep getting emails from them? Ruthy Stephan and Gina Traversa are members of the Office of Academic Affairs staff. They maintain the mailing list for tenured and tenure-track faculty and lecturers and are often asked to send out emails to faculty for the Provost's Office.

  • Who are Susan Correia and Jackie Alnor and why do I keep getting emails from them? Susan Correia and Jackie Alnor are the Academic Senate Office Staff members. They are often asked by the Senate Chairperson or Executive Committee to send out emails with important announcements to faculty. They also send out communiques from the Senate Office about committee matters, faculty elections, and Statewide Senate issues.

  • Who is Sue Opp and why do I keep getting emails from her? Sue Opp is the Chairwoman of the Academic Senate for 2008-09. As part of her duties, she sends out periodic reports on events in the Senate or system-wide announcements to faculty.

  • Who is Tom McCoy and why do I keep getting emails from him? Tom McCoy is the Chapter President of the CFA. He sends out information about labor negotiations and other Union matters to faculty.

  • Who is Sandra Anderson and why do I keep getting emails from her? Sandra Anderson is a staff member in the CBE Dean's Office. She sends out email announcements, including a quarterly newsletter, on behalf of the Dean.

  • Who is Andy Dobbin and why do I keep getting emails from him? Andy Dobbin is a staff member in the College of Science Dean's Office. He sends out email announcements on behalf of the Dean.

  • Who is Jennifer Cabrejas and why do I keep getting emails from her? Jennifer Cabrejas is the Information Coordinator for the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. She often sends out announcements regarding calls for proposals on behalf of the ORSP.

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  • How can I post a web page? The web servers for faculty are run through the colleges and do not share the NetID and Passwords for your email. In CBE, contact Leo Divinagracia; CEAS, Jesse Norman; CLASS, Steve Main; and CoS, Thu Thu Tonnu. MATS and the Office of Faculty Development occasionally have workshops for faculty on HTML or use of FrontPage or DreamWeaver for web development.

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  • Who are the campus leaders?
    Mohammad "Mo" Qayoumi is the President of the University. He has a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He also has M.S. degrees in ECE and Nuclear Engineering and an M.B.A. He is the fourth president of CSUEB. His home page is here. Michael "Mike" Mahoney is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University. He has a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His home page is here.
    Sonjia Parker Redmond is the Vice President for Student Affairs. She has a DrPH from the University of Texas and is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Services and in the Department of Social Work. Linda Dalton is the Vice President for Planning and Enrollment Management. She has a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of Washington.
    Shawn Bibb is the Vice President for Administration and Finance. He has a B.S. in Accounting from Texas A&M. His home page is here. Robert "Bob" Burt is the Vice President for Advancement. He is a CPA and has a B.S. in Business Administration from USC.
    Arthurlene Towner is the Associate Provost. Prior to holding this position, she was Dean of the College of Education and Allied Studies (many still refer to her as "Dean Towner"). She has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University. Information about her is here. Carl Bellone is the Associate Vice President of Academic Programs and Graduate Studies. He is also a Professor in the Department of Public Affairs and Administration. He has a Ph.D. in Public Administration from USC.
    Don Sawyer is the Chief of Staff for the President. Prior to serving in this role, he was Chair of the Academic Senate and Chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. He has an Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco. John Charles is the Chief Information Officer for the University. He has an M.S. in Engineering Science, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from the University of Florida. Information about him is here.
    Diedre Badejo is the Dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences. She has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UCLA. Michael Leung is the Dean of the College of Science. He is the longest standing Dean on campus. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from USC.
    Jodi Servatius is the Interim Dean of the College of Education and Allied Studies. She has an Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco. Information about her is here. Terri Swartz is the Dean of the College of Business and Economics. She has a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Marketing) from The Ohio State University.
    Emily Brizendine is the Interim Executive Director of the Concord Campus. She previously served as Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and was a Professor in the Department. She has an Ed.D. from UCLA. Linda Dobb is the University Librarian. She has a J.D. from the University of California, San Francisco Hastings College of Law.
    Janeith Glenn-Davis is the Chief of the University Police Department (formerly, "Department of Public Safety"). She has a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from CSU East Bay. Susan "Sue" Opp is the Chair of the Academic Senate and Professor of Enviromental Science and Biology. She has a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Information about her is here.

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    About the OFD Faculty Guides: These pages serve as a guide for full- and part-time faculty and provide an introduction to their basic professional responsibilities. They are not designed as an official statement of either policies or procedures. These guides also are not meant to supersede the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Board of Trustees and the California Faculty Association or established rules and regulations that govern the system, the University, or the faculty. In case of any conflict between the contents of these guides and the provisions of the primary sources, the primary sources prevail.