Health Policies & Procedures

Faculty Benefits

USF Policies & Procedures

USF Health Procedures & Guidelines

Faculty Benefits

The University of South Florida offers a competitive faculty benefits package. Benefits available are: health, life, dental, and supplemental insurance; reimbursement accounts for medical and dependent care; retirement pensions and a tax deferral program for retirement; course registration fee waivers, paid holidays, paid sick leave, and paid vacation.

Contact the USF Human Resources office at (813) 974-2970 for specific information regarding insurance and retirement programs and additional information on benefits referenced below:

Delayed Holiday

When faculty, except for those who are practicing clinicians in the Morsani College of Medicine, are required to work on a holiday they are eligible to receive a delayed holiday, that is, the opportunity to take the holiday off in the future. Such delayed holiday will be requested in the same manner as other leave, must be approved in advance, and will be taken off within a reasonable amount of time following the actual holiday.

USF Policies & Procedures

All clinical faculty new to USF are required to take the USF HEALS online OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Education module before billing through USFPG.

All Morsani College of Medicine personnel who are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens are required by law to have one hour annually of mandatory education about risk reduction. For further information, contact the Division of Environmental Health and Safety at (813) 974-4036.

Biohazardous wastes include all waste generated in human or animal research, or academic or healthcare activities that involve any of the following: (1) blood and body fluids, irrespective of source, (2) tissue specimens and body parts, irrespective of source, (3) syringes with needles or needles separated from syringes, regardless of source, (4) pipettes, culture dishes, tubing and culture media potentially contaminated with pathogens, blood or body fluids, and (5) any other potentially contaminated items, such as gauze pads, cloths, clothing or bandages saturated with blood or body fluids. All biohazardous waste must be disposed of in accordance with procedures developed by USF Environmental Health and Safety at (813) 974-4036.
Faculty members are required at all times to perform their duties in an open and ethical manner in conformity with the Florida Code of Ethics for Public Employees. Faculty members receive compensation for duties assigned by the University, and must avoid conflicts of interest that may affect their University duties. Faculty may not accept compensation from sources outside the University without prior approval, may not solicit or accept gifts of material value, must comply with the Florida Open Records law, and may not use University property or facilities for non-university purposes. At all times, Faculty are expected to maintain the public trust that is essential to the operation of the University. Faculty are advised to seek an opinion from the University before entering into any arrangement that may raise potential ethical concerns.

Further information or assistance may be obtained from the Office of Faculty Affairs.
The University is a drug-free workplace, and faculty and staff may be disciplined for a violation of the University's Drug-Free Workplace Policy. Additionally, any faculty member or employee who, as part of their duties, is required to maintain a Commercial Drivers License may be subject to testing in accordance with Federal Law, under the University's Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy.

Faculty with alcohol or drug problems are urged to obtain prompt professional help, either from their own health provider or by contacting:
- MCOM Faculty Assistance Program (813) 871-1293
- USF Employee Assistance Program (813) 974-5469
- Alcoholics Anonymous (813) 933-9123
- Narcotics Anonymous 24 Hour Helpline (813) 879-4357
- Physician's Recovery Network 1-800-888-8776
Faculty who intend to seek election to public office must notify the Vice President for USF Health in advance to determine whether their candidacy will interfere with the full discharge of their USF duties.

Refer to Faculty Ethical Obligations: Conflicts of Interest and Outside Employment; Employment of Relatives; Seeking or Holding Public Office.
The University adheres to Florida Law and the University Regulation regarding the hiring and employment of related person (as defined in USF Regulation 10.107 Ethical Obligation: Conflicts of Interest & Outside Employmentl Employment of Relatives; Seeking or Holding Public Office) in a single organizational unit or in a work related organizational unit. Such employment may be permitted if an employee related to another has no authority over recommendations or decisions that affect the related person's terms and conditions of employment. The employment of related individuals in the same organizational unit must be approved in advance in writing by the Vice-President for USF Health.

For assistance with the approval process or additional information, contact the Faculty Affairs Office at (813) 974-1676.
Faculty who are leaving USF Health are invited to provide feedback through an on-line Exit Survey coordinated by the Office of Faculty Affairs. Comments through the on-line survey may be made anonymously, if you like.

To request a link to the Exit Survey, please contact:

Olga Joanow
(813) 974-1676
Faculty are required to seek advance approval for any compensated employment from another State agency or from USF if they are appointed at 1.00 FTE or are employed by another department/school or college as Temporary/Adjunct (previously OPS). For information concerning such extra state compensation, contact the Office of Faculty Affairs.
If a faculty member in the Morsani College of Medicine or an out-of-unit faculty member in the College of Nursing or College of Public Health believes one of the conditions outlined in USF Regulation 10.113 has occurred, he or she is entitled to file a grievance using the procedures outlined in the Regulation. Faculty members covered by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (primarily College of Nursing or Public Health faculty at USF Health) who have grievances should refer to the terms of the Agreement.

Contact the Office of Faculty Affairs.
As a State agency, USF operates under Florida's Public Records Law. All communications or documents of any form made or received in connection with the transaction of any University business, other than those specifically exempted, are considered to be Public Records open for inspection by anyone who requests them and are available for copying upon payment of the cost of duplication. University documents that are specifically exempt from these requirements include student records, medical records, academic evaluations of faculty members, certain personnel records, and certain sponsored research records. For additional information and advice about the University's Public Records Policy contact the Office of the General Counsel.

USF Health Procedures & Guidelines

Faculty appointments within USF Health are generally continuous for 12-month periods and are governed by USF Regulation 10.102, Faculty Recruitment, Selection, Appointment. Appointments may be tenured, tenure-earning, or non-tenure earning and may consist of partial tenure/tenure-earning and non-tenure earning components in accordance with the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure guidelines of each College.

Appointments of non-tenured faculty may be non-renewed in accordance with USF Regulation 10.110 Faculty Non Reappointment. Aditionally, appointments of non-tenured faculty may be ended for the same reasons as tenured faculty, or as a result of loss of grant funding in accordance with USF Regulations 10.111 Faculty Separations From Employment and Layoff or 10.112, Faculty Misconduct and Incompetence.

Note: Faculty within the Colleges of Nursing and Public Health are covered by a collective bargaining agreement and provisions of that agreement may control the terms and conditions of their employment.
If there is reason to believe that a faculty member is unable to perform assigned duties due to illness, disability or injury, the Chair or Supervisor of the faculty member should contact the Office of Faculty Affairs (813) 974-1676 for assistance.
Faculty members must not engage in any outside activity that interferes with the full performance of their institutional responsibilities and obligations.

"Conflict of Interest" means any conflict between private interests of the faculty member and public interests of the University or State of Florida.

"Outside activity" means any employment, private practice, private consulting, service on boards or commissions, or any other activity, which is not part of the employee's University duties and for which the University does not provide compensation.

A faculty member who intends to engage in any outside activity that the employee should reasonably conclude may create a conflict of interest, or in any outside compensated professional activity, shall report such activity and any information requested by the University about the outside activity to his/her supervisor prior to engaging in the outside activity. The supervisor will accept or reject the report and deliver it to the Vice President for USF Health. USF is currently preparing to transition to a new reporting platform for USF Health Faculty Outside Activity. Health is no longer taking reports in ROAD while we conclude final reviews of any remaining reports and secure legacy data. The new Health platform is expected to be open in April. In the meantime hold any new reports until the new system is available.

All such outside activity must be reported in sufficient detail to enable review prior to the faculty member engaging in it. An Outside Activity Report must be completed at the beginning of each new fiscal year and a supplemental Report filed thereafter for any activity that has not been previously reported.

Faculty members may not use University or College personnel, facilities, equipment, supplies or services in connection with any outside activity without prior approval of the Vice President of USF Health.

Faculty members must take reasonable precautions to assure that the outside employer or recipient of services understands that they are engaging in such outside activity as a private citizen and not as an employee, agent or spokesperson of the University.

Refer to the USF Health policy on Conflict of Commitment and Conflict of Interest and USF Rule 10.107 Faculty Ethical Obligations: Conflicts of Interest and Outside Employment; Employment of Relatives; Seeking or Holding Public Office for the complete policy and process.
The Vice-President of USF Health has the delegated authority to non-reappoint non-tenured faculty and issue notices of non-renewal in accordance with USF Regulation 10.110, Faculty Non-Reappointment.

For regular faculty, Deans, Departmental Chairs, School Directors, and Divisional Heads considering the non-renewal of USF Health Faculty expected to consult with the Associate Vice-President for Faculty and Staff Affairs in the Office of Faculty Affairs to secure the Vice President's written notice prior to taking action. In consultation with Faculty Affairs, voluntary faculty in the MCOM may be terminated or non-reappointed, without recourse, at the sole discretion of the Dean, Colleges, Departments, and other units. They may use the Recommendation for Non-reappointment form to initiate the process.