SECTION CONTENTS
8.01 Appointment Of Tenurable Faculty
8.01.01 Tenurable Appointments
8.01.02 Probationary Appointments
8.01.03 Reappointment And Non-Reappointment Of Probationary Faculty
8.02 Letter Of Hire/faculty Role Statement
8.01 APPOINTMENT OF TENURABLE FACULTY
8.01.01 TENURABLE APPOINTMENTS
A tenurable appointment is an appointment to a faculty position that may lead to an award of tenure as provided in Section 9.05. Tenurable appointments shall be made at the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. The tenurable appointment is that of probationary status. The appointee remains in probationary status until the appointment is terminated or tenured status is awarded. Unless an individual contract expressly provides to the contrary, the contract term for all tenurable appointees shall be the academic year. Regardless of the term of any individual contract, no such person has, or shall acquire, a right to reappointment for more than an academic year.
8.01.02 PROBATIONARY APPOINTMENTS
The total time period of full-time service prior to the acquisition of continuous tenure shall normally not exceed seven academic years, which may include up to three years of full-time service in tenurable ranks at accredited, United States four-year institutions of higher education (or equivalent international institutions of higher education) if specified in the letter of hire.
Probationary faculty shall normally serve four academic years of full-time service at the campus before the award of continuous tenure. Exceptionally meritorious cases may be brought earlier to the Board of Regents if reviewed as specified in Section 9.05.06 and recommended by the Provost and President. Time spent on authorized leave of absence from the campus will not count as probationary period service, unless the faculty member and the President or his or her designee agree to the contrary, in writing, at the time leave is granted.
8.01.03 REAPPOINTMENT AND NON-REAPPOINTMENT OF PROBATIONARY FACULTY
- A tenurable appointee with probationary status (hereinafter referred to as a probationary appointee) has the right to serve the specified term of the appointment and may not be discharged without cause during that term.
- Reappointment of probationary appointees shall be at the discretion of the Employer. Written notice of non-renewal of a probationary appointee shall be mailed or given by the President or his or her designee by March 1 of the first year of service, by December 15 of the second year of service, and by June 30 prior to the final year of appointment in the third or later years of service.
- Failure to provide a probationary appointee with the required notice period shall not result in automatic reappointment or create any right for an additional term. The Employer shall have the option of providing employment or severance pay in lieu of any portion or all of the notice to which the employee is entitled, so long as the extension of employment or severance pay is commensurate with the notice to which the employee is otherwise entitled.
8.02 LETTER OF HIRE/FACULTY ROLE STATEMENT
The letter of hire identifies the instructional or professional practice expectations of the faculty member's appointment and sets the initial Role Statement for the faculty member. A faculty member's role statement identifies the broad responsibilities he or she performs in furtherance of the mission of the department.
The University expects that a faculty member's role will evolve over time as the needs and goals of the department and the faculty member change. Role statements are based on the faculty member's initial letter of hire and may be revised with the written agreement of the department head, dean, and Provost, after negotiation with the faculty member. If the faculty member is dissatisfied with the change in role statement, he or she may appeal to the workload appeals committee.
The faculty member receives specific assignments for each contract term and is expected to perform the duties and responsibilities of the assignment. Annual reviews evaluate the faculty member's success in meeting duties and assignments identified in the letter of hire or role statement.
