This seventh edition of the Faculty Handbook, like its predecessors, is issued by the Office of the University Faculty and is intended primarily "...to provide information for the general guidance of faculty members, particularly newcomers, concerning the university, its organization, and its policies." Change is continual at Cornell. Each year, new faculty and trustee legislation is enacted; policies, procedures, and fringe benefits are modified; new facilities, centers, institutes, and programs come into being; and the administrative organization is altered. The latest version of this handbook will reside on the University Faculty website (http://www.cornell.edu/UniversityFaculty/) and policies will be updated as necessary. When circumstances require assurance of completeness or validity of information, the university office that is the authority on the particular matter should be consulted. The Cornell University Policy Office website (http://www.univco.cornell.edu/policy/) should also be accessed for the current versions of all codified policies. In addition, the staff of the Office of the University Faculty will be pleased to assist faculty members. Judy Bower, who served in the Office of the University Faculty for twenty-seven years, brought her extensive knowledge of faculty governance and university policies to her role as editor of this new edition. I salute Judy for her years of distinguished service and thank her for preparing this new edition. While many persons reviewed sections of the handbook, the ultimate responsibility for accuracy rests with the Office of the University Faculty.