SECTION CONTENTS
9.01 Definitions
9.02 Types of Review
9.03 Annual Review
9.03.01 Procedures for Conducting Annual Reviews
9.04 Retention
9.05 Tenure
9.05.01 Tenure Review Timelines
9.05.02 Credit for Prior Service
9.05.03 Extending the Tenure Review Period
9.05.04 Extending the Tenure Review Period by Taking an Authorized Leave of Absence
9.05.05 Requesting Extension of the Tenure Review Period
9.05.06 Tenure Recommendation at Hire
9.05.07 Post Tenure Review
9.06 Promotion
9.06.01 Faculty Ranks
9.07 University Standards
9.01 DEFINITIONS
"Department Head" means the head/director of the academic unit in which a faculty member's locus of tenure resides. If a faculty member's locus of tenure resides in a college rather than a department, the academic department head is the academic administrator of the college who conducts annual reviews of the faculty. "Letter of Hire" means the initial letter offering a tenurable position to an employee. The letter of hire is intended as a temporary contract for the period from the date of hire until the issuance of the MUS contract. The letter of hire specifies the initial terms, conditions, and expectations of the position.
"Teaching" is a form of scholarship that fosters critical and ethical thinking and problem solving. It develops creativity, improves communication skills and promotes citizenship and professional competency. It requires a command of one's subject matter, continuous growth in the subject field, and an ability to create and maintain instructional environments to promote student learning. It includes, but is not limited to, the following activities: class preparation; curriculum preparation; scheduled and unscheduled instruction in classes, seminars, and workshops, both on and off campus, informal meetings, help sessions, individual instruction and office hours; designing and or teaching distance delivered courses; laboratory and studio or clinical-based teaching and training; pedagogical innovation - including the incorporation of new technologies and approaches to learning and assessment, course and curriculum design and development; development of teaching materials, documented study of curricular and pedagogical issues - and incorporation of this information into the classrooms, pedagogically-oriented research, contributions to professional societies and organizations that seek to improve teaching, thesis and professional project assistance and participation in the presentation and defense of theses and projects; grading and assessment of student work; academic and career advising of undergraduate and graduate students; supervision of student teachers, teaching and research assistants, professional interns, and volunteer instructors; and, for library and Extension faculty, any tasks that contribute to the overall academic enterprise.
"Creative Activity" is a form of scholarship that generates new aesthetic experiences through composition, design, production, direction, performance, exhibition, synthesis, or discovery and involves the presentation of that experience. This work includes creating new works of art, film, theater, music, and architecture; public performance and exhibiting creative works.
"Research" is a form of scholarship that involves discovery, application and/or integration of new knowledge and the dissemination of that knowledge. This work includes conducting specific research projects; supervising research staff and postdoctoral associates; securing and administering grants and contracts; writing/editing books, articles, and other research-based materials representing one's original or collaborative research; developing new clinical practice models, presentations at scholarly conferences.
"Service" assists individuals or organizations in solving problems through consultation and information transfer. Service activities fall into three categories: professional service such as holding office in a professional society, serving as an editor on an editorial board, and reviewing manuscripts for professional journals; public service which means providing service within one's professional discipline to the general public rather than students, the institution or the profession; and University service which facilitates the effective operation of the institution.
"Department" means recognized departments/schools within a college or, in colleges without departments, the appropriate equivalent.
"Faculty with Instructional Expectations" means tenurable faculty who have responsibilities in each area of teaching, research/creative activity, and service. "Faculty with Professional Practice Expectations" means tenurable faculty who have responsibilities in any sub-set of the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, or outreach service.
"Role Statement" means the general percentage of teaching, research and service assigned to a faculty member. Administrative duties that do not clearly fall within teaching, research and service will be separately denominated.
"RSCSP" means Role, Scope, Criteria, Standards and Procedures.
9.02 TYPES OF REVIEW
Evaluation of faculty members at is a continuing process. Several types of review take place at specific times in the career of a faculty member:
- Annual Review, which is conducted in the Spring semester and based upon the previous calendar year's activities.
- Third Year (Retention) Review, which is conducted in the Fall semester of the faculty member's third year of appointment in a tenurable position and must be based upon no fewer than three (3) preceding semesters' activities.
- Tenure Review, which commences in the Fall semester of the faculty member's sixth year of full-time service in a tenurable position. The award of tenure automatically advances the candidate to the rank of Associate Professor, unless that rank has been previously awarded.
- Promotion Review, which is conducted simultaneously with tenure review if promotion to Associate Professor has not previously been awarded or is conducted at the request of the faculty member, the department head, or department review committee. Promotion is normally awarded after the completion of no fewer than five (5) years in academic rank.
- Post Tenure Review, which is conducted when a faculty member has two consecutive annual reviews that are rated as below expectations or unacceptable.
9.03 ANNUAL REVIEW
Annual review assesses the faculty member's performance over the preceding calendar year with the major aim of improvement ("formative") and is based upon the faculty member's letter of hire, role statements, annual assignments, self-assessment, and review of the individual's performance. Reviews must be completed by April 10 or the date specified by the Provost. The annual review with ratings and any written appeals to the review shall be included in the candidate's personnel file.
Third year, tenure and promotion reviews are summative reviews based upon cumulative performance in each area (teaching, research/creative activity, and service) over the total period preceding review. In contrast, annual reviews are a formative process intended to assess the faculty member's performance towards goals, negotiated with the department head within a year. Thus, a record of having met performance expectations as indicated by Annual Reviews does not necessarily guarantee the candidate has assembled and demonstrated a cumulative record that meets the standards for retention, tenure or promotion.
9.03.01 PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING ANNUAL REVIEWS
The following procedures should be used in conducting annual reviews:
- The faculty member and the department head and/or department assessment committee annually review the faculty member's performance relative to the faculty member's role and responsibilities. Reviews are expected to recognize the requirements and expectations of the position and the proportionate time and resources officially allocated to particular activities. Student assessment data are appropriate for use in annual reviews.
- The department head and/or department assessment committee rates the performance of each faculty member and submits the rating to the college dean.
- The faculty member must be provided written notice of the rating that is communicated to the dean.
- A faculty member who disagrees with an annual review or rating may appeal by submitting a rationale for his or her disagreement and forwarding it to the college dean. The rationale must be filed with the dean within ten (10) days of the receipt of the rating. The dean shall consider the appeal and assign a performance rating. The dean shall notify the faculty member, in writing, of the decision regarding the appeal within ten (10) days of receipt of the request.
- Copies of all annual reviews and the performance ratings of each faculty member shall be maintained in the faculty member's personnel file in the department. These files shall be kept confidential and maintained in conformity with Section 6.06 of this agreement.
9.04 RETENTION
The University-wide criteria for retention of probationary faculty members are:
- demonstrated and sustained effectiveness in the performance of their responsibilities,
- demonstrated potential for continuing effectiveness, and
- demonstrated ability to attain the standards for tenure and promotion by the time of the tenure review, as demonstrated by a clear progression of accomplishment.
A candidate for retention is subject to the RSCSP document in effect at the date of hire.
9.05 TENURE
The University-wide criteria for the award of tenure to faculty with instructional expectations are:
- a terminal degree appropriate to the field or department,
- a record of demonstrated and sustained effectiveness in each of the three areas of teaching, research/creative activity and service, appropriate to the assignment as set forth in the letter of hire and role statements, and
- demonstrated accomplishment in teaching and/or research/creative activity or, for faculty with professional practice expectations, demonstrated accomplishment in at least one of the areas of teaching , research/creative activity or service, appropriate to responsibilities of the assignment.
A candidate for tenure will be subject to the RSCSP document in effect when retention was conferred or the document in effect at the time of tenure review. The candidate shall indicate in writing the document by which he or she will be reviewed when the dossier is submitted.
9.05.01 TENURE REVIEW TIMELINES
Normally, faculty members will be reviewed for tenure in their sixth year (or equivalent year if credited for prior service) of full-time service in a tenurable position. In exceptionally meritorious cases, a faculty member may seek tenure earlier by providing written notification to his or her department head and submission of his or her materials for tenure. If supported by the University's promotion and tenure process and recommended by the Provost, the faculty member will be forwarded for approval to the Board of Regents.
9.05.02 CREDIT FOR PRIOR SERVICE
Normally, no more than three (3) years of full-time service at another institution may be credited toward determining the sixth year of service. The amount of creditable prior service is determined at the time of initial appointment and must be confirmed in writing by the Provost.
9.05.03 EXTENDING THE TENURE REVIEW PERIOD
The tenure review period established at the time of hire may be extended for good cause, provided that no combination of extensions shall be granted for more than three (3) years total.
For purposes of this agreement, good cause includes authorized leave of absence from campus, birth or adoption of a child, serious illness of the candidate, administrative or special assignment given by the University or similar unanticipated circumstances that may limit the faculty member's available time to devote to teaching, research and service.
9.05.04 EXTENDING THE TENURE REVIEW PERIOD BY TAKING AN AUTHORIZED LEAVE OF ABSENCE
A (tenurable) faculty member's time spent on an authorized leave of absence from campus will not count as probationary period service, unless the faculty member and the President agree to the contrary in writing at the time the leave is granted.
For purposes of this agreement, authorized leaves of absence include any combinations of annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, parental leave, military leave, family and medical leave and leave without pay that result in the faculty member's absence from campus for one semester or more.
9.05.05 REQUESTING EXTENSION OF THE TENURE REVIEW PERIOD
Any faculty member may request an extension of his or her tenure review date by submitting a written request to the Department Head as soon as possible after the need for extension arises. Since external letters are required for tenure, written requests for extension should be made by April 30 of the year of before the tenure review. In cases of extreme and unforeseen emergency, written requests for extension may be made no later than one week before the date the candidate's dossier must be submitted to the primary review committee.
The extension of the tenure review date must be approved in writing by the Provost. The tenure review will be extended upon request for one year at a time, consistent with this agreement.
- Extension of the tenure review date for birth or adoption of a child is available to either or both parents/domestic partners and may be granted for up to a total of one year per child not to exceed a total of two years.
- Extension of the tenure review date for other purposes may not exceed two years.
- Extension of the tenure review date for all reasons may not exceed three years per faculty member.
Actions that result in extending the original date of a faculty member's tenure review shall not otherwise affect or alter the criteria and standards for the tenure and promotion review.
9.05.06 TENURE RECOMMENDATION AT HIRE
In extraordinarily meritorious cases, finalists for tenurable faculty positions or administrative positions who have received tenure at a comparable university will be eligible for an Expedited Tenure Review. If the department head and dean agree that an Expedited Tenure Review is appropriate, the department head will forward the candidate's job application materials to the Primary Review Parties to determine if, in both parties' judgment, the candidate would be recommended for tenure. If the Primary Review Parties determine the candidate will be recommended for tenure, the decision will be one of record upon hire. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Provost, who will make a recommendation to the President to hire the employee with tenure, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents.
The President's recommendation will be forwarded to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education for consideration by the Board of Regents as soon as possible for inclusion on a Board agenda.
A faculty member who receives an overall annual performance rating of "Below Expectations (including BE+) or Unsatisfactory" during the annual review process [Section 9.03] will be given a remediation plan, developed by the department head in consultation with the faculty member. This plan will document the actions required to obtain at least a "meets expectations" performance rating on the following annual review.
The plan should be completed within thirty (30) days after the faculty member has received the "Below Expectations or Unsatisfactory" evaluation or denial of the faculty member's appeal, whichever is later. In cases where the parties cannot agree to the terms of the plan, the dean will resolve the disagreement.
Failure to receive at least a Meets Expectation {ME-} performance rating for two (2) consecutive years will require a post - tenure review for the purpose of determining whether the faculty member should be retained as a tenured faculty member of the University. The review will be conducted during the Fall semester following the second 'below expectations' or 'unsatisfactory' performance evaluation using the criteria and standards relevant to tenured faculty at the same rank in the department. If the faculty member does not meet the standards for a tenured faculty member of the same rank in the department, the faculty member will not be retained and the University will proceed with discharge proceedings under ARTICLE 18 of this agreement for failure to carry out the responsibilities of a faculty member. If the faculty member is discharged, he or she may grieve the discharge under ARTICLE 19.
9.06 PROMOTION
Normally, promotion is awarded after the completion of no fewer than five (5) years of service, which is generally considered the minimum time needed to meet the standards for promotion. The standards for promotion to each rank are set forth in Section 9.06.01.
Faculty who wish to be considered for promotion should submit a formal request for consideration to the department head. Since promotion, except in cases of automatic review with tenure, is optional, a faculty member may withdraw his or her materials from further consideration at any time during the review process.
Rank of Assistant Professor.
- Appointments with Instructional Expectations: To be appointed as Assistant Professor, a faculty member with instructional expectations shall, at a minimum, have:
- a terminal degree appropriate to the field or department,
- demonstrated potential to teach at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, and
- qualifications to conduct research/creative activity in a specialized field.
- Appointments with Professional Practice Expectations: To be appointed as an Assistant Professor, a faculty member with professional practice expectations shall, at a minimum, have:
- a terminal degree appropriate to the field or department, and
- demonstrated potential to carry out the primary duties of his or her assignments.
Rank of Associate Professor:
A candidate of Assistant Professor rank shall be expected to be approved for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor simultaneously, unless Associate Professor rank has been previously awarded.
- Appointments with Instructional Expectations: To be appointed as, or promoted to Associate Professor, a faculty member with instructional expectations shall, at a minimum, have:
- a terminal degree appropriate to the field or department,
- a record of demonstrated and sustained effectiveness in each of the three areas of teaching, research/creative activity and service, appropriate to the assignment as set forth in the letter of hire and role statements, and
- demonstrated accomplishment in teaching and/or research/creative activity.
- Appointments with Professional Practice Expectations: To be appointed as an Associate Professor, a faculty member with professional practice expectations shall, at a minimum, have:
- a terminal degree appropriate to the field or department,
- a record of demonstrated and sustained effectiveness in the primary responsibilities of the assignment as set forth in the letter of hire and role statements, and
- demonstrated accomplishment in at least one of the three areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.
Rank of Professor
- Appointments with Instructional Expectations: To be appointed as, or promoted to Professor, a faculty member with instructional expectations shall, at a minimum, have:
- a terminal degree appropriate to the field or department,
- a record of demonstrated and sustained effectiveness in each of the three areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service, appropriate to the assignment, and
- a record of excellence in teaching and/or research/creative activity.
- Appointments with Professional Practice Expectations: To be appointed as a Professor, a faculty member with professional practice expectations shall, at a minimum, have:
- a terminal degree appropriate to the field or department,
- a record of demonstrated and sustained effectiveness in the primary duties of their assignment,
- a record of excellence in at least one of the three areas of teaching, research/creative activity, or service as demonstrated by recognition of the outstanding nature of the candidate's contributions to the public, the discipline and/or profession from peers outside the University.
9.07 UNIVERSITY STANDARDS
As defined below, demonstrated and sustained effectiveness in all areas of a faculty member's assignment is a University-wide requirement for retention, tenure and promotion. In addition, a record of accomplishment is required for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor rank; a record of excellence is required for promotion to Professor rank.
Effectiveness
Faculty performance in teaching, research/creative activity, and service will be judged effective if it demonstrates competent execution of scholarly activities and products, in both quantity and quality.
Accomplishment:
- Accomplishment in Teaching: Faculty performance in the scholarship of teaching will be judged accomplished if it:
- demonstrates meritorious execution of scholarly activities and products related to teaching, in both quantity and quality,
- receives recognition from peers and colleagues as having made positive contributions to the candidate's discipline or profession, and
- receives recognition from former students/clientele as having made positive contributions to their education.
- Accomplishment in Research/Creative Activity: Faculty performance in research/creative activity will be judged accomplished if it:
- demonstrates meritorious execution of scholarly activities and products, in both quantity and quality, and
- receives recognition from peers and colleagues as having made positive contributions to the candidate's discipline or profession.
Excellence:
- Excellence in Teaching: Faculty performance in the scholarship of teaching will be judged excellent if it:
- demonstrates sustained superior execution of scholarly activities and products related to teaching, in both quantity and quality,
- receives national recognition from peers and colleagues as having made significant, positive contributions to the candidate's discipline or profession, and
- receives recognition from former students/clientele as having made significant, positive contributions to their education.
- Excellence in Research/Creative Activity: Faculty performance in research/creative activity will be judged excellent if it:
- demonstrates sustained superior execution of scholarly activities and products, in both quantity and quality, and
- receives national recognition from peers and colleagues as having made significant, positive contributions to the candidate's discipline or profession.
