SECTION CONTENTS
10.01 Department Role, Scope, Criteria, Standards and Procedures for Faculty Review
10.01.01 Development of Department and College Role, Scope, Criteria, Standards and Procedures Documents
10.01.02 Contents of Department and College Documents
10.02 University Role, Scope, Criteria, Standards and Procedures Douments Committee
Any review of faculty members for purposes of promotion, tenure, retention, or salary determination shall involve consideration of appropriate University Standards as well as the standards of the respective academic departments as set forth in each academic department's approved Role, Scope, Criteria, Standards and Procedures [RSCSP] Document.
The department head shall be responsible for distributing the approved RSCSP document to appropriate faculty prior to initiating the review process. Subsequent to the effective date of this agreement, if University Standards as contained herein and Department RSCSP document conflict with each other or are otherwise inconsistent with each other, the University Standards shall control all interpretations and applications.
University Standards shall be the minimum standards. Departments may impose more stringent standards. Departments must define, in the context of their discipline and work environment, the general terms included in the University Standards (e.g., terminal degree, effectiveness, accomplishment, excellence). Those definitions in turn must meet University consistency criteria established by the University Retention, Promotion and Tenure Committee [URPTC].
10.01 DEPARTMENT ROLE, SCOPE, CRITERIA, STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES FOR FACULTY REVIEW
For the purposes of this agreement, the current academic departments of the University for which department RSCSP documents for faculty review are required are as follows:
- College of Agriculture
- Departments of: Agricultural Economics & Economics, Animal & Range Sciences, Land Resources & Environmental Sciences, Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases and Division of Agricultural Education
- College of Arts & Architecture
- Schools of: Architecture, Art, Film & Photography and Music
- College of Education, Human & Human Development
- Departments of: Education, Health & Human Development
- College of Business
- College of Engineering
- Departments of: Chemical & Biological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
- College of Letters & Science
- Departments of: Agricultural Economics & Economics, Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Earth Sciences, Ecology, English, History & Philosophy, Mathematical Sciences, Microbiology, Modern Languages & Literatures, Native American Studies, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology
- College of Nursing
- Libraries
- College of Technology in Bozeman [Gallatin College - pending]
The above academic departments are subject to addition, deletion, or change by the Employer in accordance with provisions of ARTICLE 5 of this agreement.
10.01.01 DEVELOPMENT OF DEPARTMENT AND COLLEGE ROLE, SCOPE, CRITERIA, STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENTS
Each department and college shall develop and annually review a document describing its role and scope, defining its responsibilities and obligations in furtherance of the mission of the University, and setting forth the criteria, standards and procedures for review of faculty members. If the document is not updated annually, the last updated and approved document shall be effective.
The RSCSP document of the department and college defines the responsibilities of the department and guides the department in developing the criteria, standards and procedures for the review of faculty members. The role and scope statement of each college identifies how each department contributes to meeting the responsibilities of the college and forms the basis for the approval of departmental role and scope statements and for the review and approval of department criteria, standards and procedures.
Department and college criteria for retention, tenure and promotion may recognize differential staffing and allow for individual uniqueness in faculty assignments. Standards should not make all faculty perform alike, but commensurate quality must be expected for all equivalent reviews.
The criteria and standards defined in this document are the minimum acceptable standards for the University; departments and colleges are expected to develop criteria and standards based on, and no less rigorous than, those described herein.
Role, scope, criteria, standards and procedures documents shall be approved by the department faculty, the department head serving as the primary administrator of the academic department, the college review committee, the college dean, the URPTC, and the Provost. If two of these entities cannot agree on a document, the URPTC will determine the appropriate resolution of the conflict.
10.01.02 CONTENTS OF DEPARTMENT AND COLLEGE DOCUMENTS
The criteria, standards and procedures documents of the department and college shall, at a minimum, contain the following information, as appropriate:
- The criteria and standards used to assess a faculty member's contributions to the department and evaluate their performance (effectiveness, excellence, accomplishment) in their assigned responsibilities and in teaching, research/creative activity, and service, according to the type and level of review.
- Any quantitative and qualitative expectations in terms of job performance, teaching, research/creative activity, and/or service.
- The procedures used to select the membership of review committees.
- The department's designation as to which courses and presentations are to be evaluated using student evaluation forms and the evaluation instruments to be used.
- A description of the methods, in addition to student evaluations, to be used to obtain formal, in-depth assessment of a faculty member's teaching performance. University guidelines do not require an in-depth assessment of teaching for third-year (retention) reviews. However, college or department guidelines may require such an assessment.
- The type of materials accepted or required in the documentation of research and creative activities and of outreach and public service.
- The dates and times of review.
- The procedures for obtaining outside peer reviews and soliciting internal letters of support/evaluation. The University guidelines do not require external peer reviews for third-year (retention) reviews. However, college or department guidelines may require external reviews.
- The methods for designating and handling confidential materials.
10.02 UNIVERSITY ROLE, SCOPE, CRITERIA, STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENTS COMMITTEE
Members of the URPTC who have served their term will be asked to serve an additional year on the RSCSP Documents Committee. The committee will be responsible for reviewing the RSCSP Documents from each department and college to assure that the documents are consistent with Sections 10.01.01 and 10.01.02 of this agreement. Any documents that require revisions shall be sent to the department or college with recommendations for revisions and a deadline for submission of the revised documents for approval. The RSCSP Documents Committee shall approve all documents on behalf of the URPTC and forward to the Provost for final approval.
Any department that proposes a change to the RSCSP document must submit the proposed change to the faculty, department head, dean, RSCSP Committee and Provost for approval before the document can be used in a review of a faculty member.
