Faculty Rights Tip of the Week: What is my “PAF”? What’s in it?

With the fall term well underway, we enter the season of personnel reviews for faculty in relation to retention, tenure, and promotion. As you prepare your materials for peer review, it is wise to take a look at your “PAF.” What is that?

Every faculty member, including instructional faculty, coaches, counselors, and librarians has a Personnel Action File (PAF). It is the only official personnel file for employment information and information that may be relevant to personnel recommendations or actions.

Article 11 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement covers the various rules about faculty Personnel Action Files. 

• There is a designated office that holds the PAF for each faculty member. The actual location can vary depending upon your faculty classification.
• The custodian of the PAF must keep a log of all who access the file.
• If an administrator places materials in your PAF, you should be notified five days in advance of the placement.
• You have the right to access all the materials in your file, and it is a good idea to check your PAF at least once a year to make sure everything that is in the PAF is properly there.
• You have the right to submit material to your file, including the right to issue a rebuttal to any material others may put in your file.

It is important for all faculty members to know where our PAF is located, what is included in the file, and our rights regarding the PAF (covered in Article 11).

If you have questions about your PAF, you should contact your local CFA Faculty Rights Representative.

Want to learn more? Become active with your local CFA chapter Faculty Rights team. Find your representative here.

• Browse the faculty contract here.
• See an archive of Faculty Rights Tips.
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