Faculty Handbook

This Faculty Handbook summarizes regulations, policies, and procedures for VinUni faculty. It emphasizes faculty involvement in university governance and outlines their authorities and responsibilities. The handbook is a living document, updated regularly to reflect the most current information and supersedes all previous versions.

Chapter 1: University Governance and Organization

1.1 Governance Structure

• Capital Contributor(s): Primarily Vingroup, providing funding for establishment and operations. They approve strategic plans and budget, appoint representatives to the University Council, and establish a Board of Supervision for periodic reviews.
• University Council: The highest governing body, representing interests of Capital Contributors and diverse stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, government agencies, and both Vietnamese and international communities.
• President: Serves as Chief Executive Officer and leader of the VinUniversity community. Has general authority and responsibility for University operations and keeping the University Council informed.
• Provost: Chief Academic Officer, providing leadership for all academic activities. Collaborates with the President on setting academic priorities and ensures compliance with MOET regulations.
• Deans: Lead individual colleges, responsible for strategic planning, budgeting, teaching and research excellence, and administration of college activities.
• University Academic Advisory Board: Established as per MOET requirements to provide feedback and guidance on academic matters.
• University Committees and Taskforces: Administer various aspects of university governance. May include standing committees and ad-hoc task forces for specific purposes.

1.2 Organizational Structure

VinUniversity’s structure is based on centralized administrative support and decentralized academic units.

Administrative Offices:

• VinUni Office (VINO): Oversees overall administration, strategic planning, governance, legal compliance, and risk management.
• Vice-Provost Academic Affairs (VPAA): Manages academic policies, student affairs, teaching excellence, and learning resources.
• Vice-Provost Research and Innovation (VPRI): Oversees research administration, innovation, and university-level research centers.
• Admissions Department (ADM): Manages student recruitment and selection for all degree programs.
• Registrar Department (REG): Handles academic planning, student enrollment, and academic records. Ensures compliance with MoET regulations.
• Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AQA): Facilitates international and national accreditation and ranking efforts.
• Student Affairs Management Department (SAM): Manages student life, extra-curricular activities, and wellness programs.
• Academic Engagement and Student Exchange Department (AE): Facilitates collaborations with domestic and global academic institutions.
• Alumni, Industry and Development Department (AID): Manages alumni relations, industry collaborations, and development efforts.
• Teaching and Learning Excellence Center (TLEC): Supports faculty development and teaching innovation.
• Center for Library and Learning Resources (LIB): Provides information resources and learning spaces.
• Research Management Department (RM): Administers research-related policies and procedures.
• Human Resources Department (HR): Manages all aspects of employee relations, recruitment, compensation, and development.
• Finance and Accounting Department (FIN): Oversees financial operations, budgeting, and student financial services.
• Operations and Facilities Department (OP): Manages physical facilities, infrastructure, and campus operations.
• Information Technology Department (IT): Provides IT support and implements digital transformation initiatives.
• Marketing and Communications Department (MAC): Manages university branding and communications.

Academic Units:
– College of Arts and Sciences
– College of Business and Management
– College of Engineering and Computer Science
– College of Health Sciences

Each college is led by a Dean and supported by Vice-Deans and Program Directors. Colleges may have their own Academic Advisory Boards and committees.

Chapter 2: Academic Appointments

2.1 Faculty Tracks and Levels

• Professorial track: Four levels from Assistant Professor to Distinguished Professor. Balanced teaching and research responsibilities.
• Teaching track: Seven levels from Associate Lecturer to Distinguished Teaching Professor. Primary focus on teaching.
• Research track: Primarily supports research mission with minimal teaching duties.
• Clinical track: Supports academic mission in clinical settings, particularly in Health Sciences.
• Practice track: Brings professional experience from non-academic sectors.
• Affiliated faculty: For employees of partner organizations with formal collaboration agreements.
• Adjunct faculty: Part-time appointments for specific teaching, research, or service roles.
• Visiting faculty: Fixed-term appointments for external academics, either full-time or part-time.
• Honorary appointments: Recognizes unique contributions, may include titles like Distinguished, Endowed Chair, Emeritus, etc

2.2 Academic Appointments, Reappointment and Promotion

Recruitment:

• Annual planning of faculty positions by colleges.
• Approval process involving Dean, Provost, and University Council.
• Formation of Search Committees for candidate selection.
• Rigorous interview process including job talks, teaching demonstrations, and campus visits.
• Final selection made by academic unit leadership, with approval from designated hiring authority.

Appointment and Reappointment:

• Initial appointments typically for fixed terms.
• Reappointment based on performance review, continuation of institutional needs, and resource availability.
• Reappointment process includes performance review and dialogue between Dean, Provost, and President.

Faculty Promotion:

• Promotion available to all faculty levels and tracks.
• Based on multi-year, multifaceted quantitative and qualitative measures of performance in teaching, research, and service.
• Includes internal and external peer review.
• Promotion to higher levels (equivalent to Associate Professor and above) includes external evaluators.

Long-term appointment:

• Typically considered after 6 years of service.
• Based on scholarly excellence in research and teaching, along with service contributions.
• Provides increased job security but is not equivalent to tenure.
• Early consideration possible for exceptional performance.

Chapter 3: Total Rewards and Faculty Development

3.1 Faculty Responsibilities

1. Teaching and Education: Includes course development, formal teaching, advising, mentoring, and supervision of trainees at all levels.
2. Research and Scholarly Activities: Encompasses various forms of scholarship including discovery, innovation, application of new technologies, and integration of knowledge.
3. Institutional Service: Participation in committees, administrative tasks, community engagement, and service to the academic community.
4. Administration: For academic leaders, includes strategic planning, program oversight, and external engagement.

Standard workload distributions are provided for different faculty positions, with percentages allocated to teaching, research, service, and clinical/practice duties as applicable.

Academic Freedom

VinUniversity supports the academic freedom of the faculty. Faculty have the autonomy to teach, research, and disseminate findings, as well as the liberty to participate in institutional governance and express opinions as both scholars and citizens.
At VinUniversity, the academic freedom of faculty members comprises four interconnected components:

• Teaching: VinUni faculty possess the authority to select the materials, determine instructional methods, assign tasks, and evaluate student performance within their individual teaching responsibilities. While faculty have the liberty to foster open discourse in the classroom, they are encouraged to refrain from introducing illegal, irrelevant or persistently controversial subjects.
  unrelated to the course material. Nonetheless, engaging with contentious topics that enrich learning and provoke meaningful discussion is within the purview of academic freedom.
• Research: As outlined in the Research Management Policy (Article 9), VinUni faculty have the freedom to engage in research of their choosing, as long as that research is within the guidelines of scholarly quality, is accessible to all interested parties and is in compliance with the laws of the land.
• Intramural speech: Faculty members are protected from institutional censorship or disciplinary action when expressing opinions or engaging in discourse related to the governance of the university.
• Extramural speech: Similarly, faculty members retain the right to express themselves freely without fear of censorship or reprisal from the institution when speaking or writing as private citizens.

3.2 Performance Evaluation

• Faculty specify individual development plans and performance metrics at the beginning of each academic year.
• Mid-year formal progress review and feedback session with supervisors/Deans.
• Annual performance evaluation based on approved metrics.
• Outcomes used for determining annual performance bonuses, salary reviews, and reappointments.

3.3 Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive 12-month salary structure.
• Performance-based salary increases.
• Vietnamese compulsory insurances and tax management.
• Various awards: Teaching Excellence, Research Excellence, Faculty of the Year.
• Benefits include health insurance, annual health examinations, meal allowances, and access to Vingroup ecosystem benefits.
• 20 days of annual leave in addition to public holidays.

3.4 Faculty Development

• Support for professional development activities related to VinUni employment.
• Individual development plans reviewed annually.
• Mentoring support and protected time for development activities.
• Annual research allowance (RPF fund) for professional development, equipment purchase, research expenses, etc.
• Opportunities for study leaves, conference attendance, workshops, and other professional advancement activities.
• Alignment with international standards and MOET requirements.

Appendix:

Lists key university regulations and policies related to faculty, including:

• Academic regulations for undergraduate and postgraduate studies
• Research activity management regulations (including Intellectual Property and Copyrights)
• Admissions and financial regulations
• Human resources policies (recruitment, performance management, promotion)
• Information security policy
• Contract templates
• Code of conduct and disciplinary procedures

This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the VinUniversity Faculty Handbook, covering key aspects of faculty life, responsibilities, and development opportunities at the university.