# Service Expectations
**Neil Griffin College of Business (NGCoB): Service Expectations**
**Mission Statement**
The mission of the A-State Neil Griffin College of Business is to provide high-quality management education to traditional and non-traditional students in the Mid-South and to provide support for businesses and communities through research, economic development activities, and consultative services. The College strives to build challenging programs of excellence with emphasis on leadership values, international business, technology, entrepreneurship, and economic development through an educational process that fosters analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills, and experiential learning. Emphasis is placed on undergraduate education, while meeting the needs of the business community through select graduate degrees and professional workforce development programs.
The College is committed to enhancing the professional development of faculty and staff by supporting applied research, instructional development, and professional growth activities in a collegial environment. Professional development is also provided to students through student organizations, honor societies, and action-based learning. The Mission is strengthened through ongoing review and continuous improvement of all programs and activities.
**Preamble and Mission Alignment**
This policy document establishes clear expectations for all faculty within the Neil Griffin College of Business (NGCoB) to ensure a consistent, high-quality, and engaging educational experience for our students, in alignment with our mission to foster effective teaching and learning, impactful research, and transformative community service.
As an AACSB-accredited institution, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence, which requires a shared commitment to professionalism, timely communication, and continuous improvement in all facets of our work.
**I. Transformative Community Service**
The NGCoB maintains a focus on the three pillars of the faculty mission (Research, Teaching, Service). Faculty are expected to contribute to all three areas to a degree consistent with their appointment, rank, and AACSB qualification status. The Neil Griffin College of Business recognizes service to the community under two major subcategories: (1) Professional Service and (2) Service to the A-State Community. Professional service is the
application of faculty professional expertise to needs, issues, and problems in service to
professional associations as well as to business, government, not-for-profit enterprises,
and the general citizenry. Service to the A-State Community is the application of faculty expertise to the operation and governance of the University, including academic programs,
departments/schools, colleges, and other components of the University.
**Evaluation Guidelines and Criteria for Service Activities
**
The evaluation of service requires consideration of a variety of factors, including both professional and University service. Both the amount and the quality of service contributions must be considered. Factors used to evaluate service include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Holding office or completing a major assignment with a regional, national, or international professional organization;
- Consultation and service to civic organizations, social agencies, government, business, or industry that is related to the faculty member's teaching, research, or administrative work at Arkansas State University (Typically, consulting service provided for extra salary is considered outside employment and therefore, not included in the evaluation of the faculty member’s performance). The following is a list of acceptable services. This list is not prescriptive nor exhaustive.
1. Responsibility for planning workshops, seminars, or conferences for department/school, college, University, or professional groups.
2. Chairing or leading department/school, college, or University committees.
3. Nomination for or receipt of an award that recognizes service to department/school, college, University, or to groups outside of the University.
4. Serving as program chair or another instrumental role for a professional state, regional, national, or international meeting or conference.
5. Serving as consultant, advisor, or board member to educational, civic, social, business, or other groups.
6. Reviewing, refereeing, or editing journal articles, grant proposals, and book manuscripts.
7. Serving on accreditation or evaluation teams externally, or conducting reviews, collecting data, and writing reports for internal program reviews or accreditation.
8. Chairing or moderating a session at a professional state, regional, national, or international meeting or conference.
9. Submitting competitive grant or contract proposals for activities related primarily to service.
10. Obtaining a competitive grant or contract for activities related primarily to service.
11. Service on a University, college, or department/school committee.
12. Administering areas or programs within the department/school, college, or University.
13. Using state-of-the-art disciplinary/interdisciplinary knowledge to facilitate change in community organizations or institutions.
Using disciplinary/interdisciplinary knowledge to make substantive contributions to public policy.**
A. Service to the A-State Communities**
- **Service Obligation:** Faculty have a contractual obligation to perform service activities that benefit Arkansas State University's internal and external communities.
- **Internal Service:** This includes active and sustained participation on departmental, college, and university committees, advising student organizations, engaging in policy decisions, and **providing mentorship to both students and colleagues**.
- **External Service:** This includes outreach to external stakeholders, community engagement, professional consultation in NGCoB-approved activities, and service on relevant boards of directors.
**II. Faculty Conflict of Interest and Contractual Expectations**
All faculty are responsible for fulfilling the terms of their contract, and their primary obligations to the University must take precedence over external commitments.
- **Primary Role Priority:** All faculty are to ensure that their primary role as an A-State employee, which encompasses teaching, research, and service, is not usurped by any other contractual agreements or outside obligations (Reference the A-State Faculty Handbook).
- **Contractual Availability:** Faculty are expected to be available to meet and communicate with students, colleagues, and administrators throughout their contract, including periods at the end of the semester, after teaching and grading are complete.
**Avoidance of Conflict:** Faculty should not take on obligations, consulting work, or secondary employment that would render them unavailable or inaccessible to perform their core job functions while under contract. Any outside activity that creates a conflict of interest, particularly regarding time commitments or professional availability, must be reported and addressed in accordance with University policy. [Link to A-State Conflict of Interest](https://asusystem.edu/policy/conflict-of-interest-and-or-conflict-of-commitment-2-63/)