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• Orientation for New PPFs

Welcome to William & Mary! You've joined the ranks of approximately 820 Professionals and Professional Faculty members. The following information, developed by the Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly (PPFA), provides a very brief introduction to what it means to be a W&M Professional or Professional Faculty member and to the PPFA.

Definition

At W&M, there are four broad categories of employees:  Instructional Faculty, Executive Employees, Professionals and Professional Faculty and Operational/Classified/Hourly Employees. Unique personnel policies exist for each of these categories. There are also grant-funded positions and other temporary positions that usually have policies tied to the funding institutions or companies.

Employees designated as "Professionals and Professional Faculty" are defined by W&M's Classification Policy for University Employees (pdf) as "certain full- and part-time positions with primary responsibilities for implementing and managing the strategic direction of the university." The Professionals and Professional Faculty category "includes employees in recognized professional areas requiring advanced formal study and/or specialized experience."

The Classification Policy and additional information can be found in the Professionals and Professional Faculty Handbook.

Professionals and Professional Faculty Positions

Professionals and Professional Faculty work on the main (Williamsburg), Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) and Washington, D.C., campuses in almost every department as:  assistant/associate deans in student affairs, admission and registrar; academic and career services advisors; coaches; counselors; development officers; librarians; researchers; and many more. You can view the full list of professionals and professional faculty.

Policies

Policies related to Professionals and Professional Faculty are covered in the Professionals and Professional Faculty Handbook.

Reporting Structure and Hiring/Contracts/Evaluations

• Professionals and Professional Faculty report through their own departments for day-to-day work assignments and supervision. 
• For hiring, appointments, contracts, grievances, evaluations and related personnel matters, all Professionals and Professional Faculty report through the Provost's Office.

Human Resources, Equal Opportunity & University Ombuds

• Human Resources manages the pay period timesheets, leave balances, paychecks, benefits and other personnel procedures for all William & Mary employees.
• Diversity and Equal Opportunity and the University Ombuds also provide Professionals and Professional Faculty with answers to employment questions.

Staff Training and Development

• W&M encourages all employees to obtain the training they need for their jobs and for career advancement. Human Resources, professional organizations and employees' departments offer many training opportunities. 
• If you have suggestions for training that would benefit all Professionals and Professional Faculty, please contact the Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly.

Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly (PPFA)

In September 2008, W&M's Board of Visitors approved the establishment of a Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly (PPFA). The assembly was organized to serve as an advisory body to the university for issues related to Professionals and Professional Faculty and to provide opportunities for Professionals and Professional Faculty to contribute more effectively to the general welfare of the university.

The PPFA is an elected body of 21 members, representative of all Professionals and Professional Faculty, which meets regularly to:

• Work with colleagues in university administration, instructional faculty and operational employees to develop knowledge of university-wide issues, policies, and priorities and to make recommendations.
• Identify, review and research issues and policies affecting Professionals and Professional Faculty; make recommendations to university administration.
• Make recommendations to university administration regarding appointments of Professionals and Professional Faculty to university-wide committees.
• Work with Human Resources and other trainers to identify and implement training to improve work-life issues for Professionals and Professional Faculty.

The PPFA has:

• Monthly meetings open to the public.
• General meetings of all Professionals and Professional Faculty approximately twice a year or as needed.
• This website where its Constitution and Bylaws, members and officers, meeting minutes, committees, goals, history, etc., can be found.
• A listserv to communicate with all Professionals and Professional Faculty. All current Professionals and Professional Faculty are automatically subscribed to [[proffaculty-l]].

Become Involved!

W&M's Professionals and Professional Faculty bring tremendous expertise and enthusiasm to their jobs and to the university. Sharing that expertise and enthusiasm across departments strengthens individuals, departments and W&M.

There are many ways to become involved:  committees, special projects and the Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly. Please contact any of the Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly's officers.