EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
2005-2006 FACULTY SENATE
The eighth regular meeting of the 2005/2006
To avoid another called
meeting, the time of this meeting has been moved up to 12:30 p.m. Please make sure that if you, as Senator, are
unable to accommodate this earlier meeting time, your Alternate is present
until you can arrive. Chancellor Ballard has graciously agreed to provide boxed
lunches for the group.
We have been alerted that a
motion will be made at the start of the meeting to address unfinished business
first, Special Order of the Day at 2:00 and Report of Committees at 4:30.
FULL AGENDA
This is the last meeting of the year for the
2005/2006
Newly elected Faculty Senators and Alternates will
begin their service on Tuesday, April 25, 2006.
I. Call
to Order
II. Approval
of Minutes
March 21,
2006 and March
28, 2006
III. Special
Order of the Day
A. Roll Call
B. Announcements
C. Steve Ballard, Chancellor
D. Kevin
Seitz, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Report on University’s Master Plan
E. Catherine Rigsby, Chair of the Faculty
F. Brief Moment in History, Henry Ferrell
G. Written
Report on the Faculty Assembly Meeting of April 7, 2006.
H. Question Period
IV. Unfinished
Business
Faculty Governance Committee, Puri Martinez
Proposed
Revisions to the ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix
D. Tenure and Promotion Policies and Procedures (attachment 1).
Discussion
on proposed revisions to Appendix D will begin with the proposed amendment
(proposed by Professor Wilson, Sociology) as follows:
“Amend
Section IV.E.1. (2nd paragraph) to read: “A quorum is defined as
three quarters of the membership for a committee that has twenty or fewer
members; and a quorum is defined as two third of the membership for a committee
that has more than twenty members. A
list of all committee members who were absent during a vote on a personnel
action will be forwarded with the recommendation. The committee may develop
policies to designate certain absences as excused absences. Absences should be considered in annual
evaluations.”
(To aid in the discussion on this document,
please refer to line numbers when addressing issues during the Faculty Senate
meeting.)
A. Admission and Retention Policies Committee,
Larry Seese
Proposed
addition to the ECU Undergraduate Catalog, Section 4: Academic Advisement,
Progression, and Support (attachment 2).
B. Faculty Welfare Committee, Dawn Clark
Report from the 10th Street Safety Committee (attachment
3).
C. Libraries Committee, Marianna Walker
Review of both Joyner Library and
Laupus Library Operating
Budgets.
D. University
Curriculum Committee, Cheryl Estes
Curriculum matters contained in the minutes of the March
9, 2006,
and April
13, 2006, Committee Meetings.
Attachment 1.
FACULTY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
Proposed Revisions to the ECU Faculty Manual,
Appendix D. Tenure and Promotion Policies and
Procedures
The Faculty Governance
Committee proposes the following revisions to the Faculty Senate and have noted
them by additions in underlined print and deletions in strikethrough.
Proposed revisions pending final
approval from the UNC General Administration are noted by additions in bold
print and deletions in strikethrough.
TENURE AND PROMOTION POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES
OF
CONTENTS
I. Tenure
II. Faculty Appointments
A. General
Provisions
B. Fixed-Term
Appointments
C. Probationary
Appointments
III. Promotion
IV. Procedures for
Initiation, Review, and Approval of Appointments, Reappointments, Promotions,
and the Conferral of Permanent Tenure (A
description of "voting faculty" may be found here.)
A. Unit
Committees
B. Role of
Unit Administrator
C. External
Peer Review for Promotion and the Conferral of Permanent Tenure
D. Documentation
for Personnel Actions
E. Initiation
of Recommendations
F. Notification
of Recommendations
G. Procedure
for Concurring Recommendations
H. Procedure for Non-Concurring
Recommendations
H. Notification
of Recommendations
V. Procedure
for Appeal of Notice of Non-Reappointment or Non-Conferral of Permanent Tenure
A. Deadlines
for Appeals
B. Request
for Hearing with the Faculty Hearing Committee
C. Validation
of the Request for Hearing
D. Procedures
for the Hearing
E. Procedures
After the Hearing
VI. Due Process Before Discharge or Imposition of Serious
Sanction
A. Penalties
B. Notice
C. Penalty
Without Recourse
D. Specification
of Reasons and Hearing Request
E. Due
Process Committee
F. Procedures
for the Hearing
G. Procedures
After the Hearing
H. Appeal
I. Suspension
During a Period of Intent to Discharge
VII. Termination of Faculty Employment
A. Reasons
Justifying Termination and Consultation Required
B. Termination
Procedures
VIII. Effective Date
Tenure and Promotion
Policies and Procedures of
Prologue: Academic
Freedom
Academic freedom, the set of
norms and values that protects a faculty member's freedom of intellectual
expression and inquiry, is essential to the achievement of knowledge and
understanding.
With respect to personnel matters relating to
Appendix D of the East Carolina
University Faculty Manual, academic units are defined as departments
described in the codes of operation of professional colleges and schools, the
departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, professional colleges and
schools without departments, Academic Library Services, Health Sciences
Library, and any other units in which faculty appointments are made. In the
I. Tenure
Academic tenure serves to insure academic freedom by guarding faculty
members against negative consequences of expressing unpopular points of view.
Academic tenure refers to the conditions and guarantees that apply to a faculty
member's professional employment. Tenure
protects a faculty member against involuntary suspension or discharge from
employment or reduction in rank except upon specified grounds and in accordance
with the procedures provided in Section VI.; or against termination of
employment except as provided for in Section VII. During the term of such guarantees, the
faculty member may be discharged or suspended from employment or diminished in
rank only for reasons of incompetence, neglect of duty, misconduct of such a
nature as to indicate that the individual is unfit to continue as a member of
the faculty, or demonstrable, bona fide institutional financial exigency
or major curtailment or elimination of a teaching, research, or public service
program as detailed in Sections VII.A.1 and VII.A.2. (Faculty Senate Resolution #03-44, March
2004)
A. Tenure While Under Contract to
A
faculty member who does not have permanent tenure has the protection of tenure
until the expiration of the faculty member's employment contract.
B. Permanent Tenure
1. Permanent
tenure may be conferred only by action of the President and the Board of
Governors of the Board of Trustees of East
Carolina University, and is always held with reference to employment by
2. Conferral
of permanent tenure shall be based on the faculty member's demonstrated
professional competence in teaching, research and creative activity, and
service; a potential for future contributions; and the institution's needs and
resources. While teaching is the first consideration, neither teaching
nor research and creative activity nor patient care nor service is the sole
measure of a faculty member's competence and contribution, teaching is the
first consideration. Permanent tenure is independent of promotion but sound
academic practice supports the concept that an assistant professor eligible for
tenure should qualify for promotion to associate professor.
II. Faculty Appointments
A. General
Provisions
1. Categories
of Appointments
There
are three kinds of faculty appointments:
(a) Fixed‑Term
Appointments [cf. Special Faculty
Appointments, the UNC Code, 604C and ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix C.]. Fixed-term appointees do not hold
professorial ranks, but are appointed with titles such as lecturer
but are appointed with the following titles: visiting instructor, visiting
assistant professor, visiting associate professor, visiting professor, teaching
instructor, teaching assistant professor, teaching associate professor,
teaching professor, research instructor, research assistant professor, research
associate professor, research professor, clinical instructor, clinical
assistant professor, clinical associate professor, clinical professor, artist
in residence, writer in residence, adjunct instructor, adjunct assistant
professor, adjunct associate professor, and adjunct professor. visiting assistant professor,
visiting associate professor, or clinical professor. Fixed-term appointments are without permanent
tenure and do not entitle the faculty member to consideration for reappointment
or conferral of permanent tenure. No
obligation exists on the part of East Carolina University to give any notice
before a current fixed‑term appointment expires as to whether re-employment
will be offered for a succeeding term the contract will be renewed (except as specified in Section
II.B.1).
(b) Probationary
Appointments and Reappointments.
Probationary appointments are made at the professorial ranks of
instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. Probationary appointees are entitled to reappointment
reviews and, if reappointed throughout the probationary period, are entitled to
a tenure review. The timing of these
reviews is explained below.
(c) Appointments
with Permanent Tenure. Appointments with
permanent tenure are continuous until retirement, resignation, or removal
according to the provisions of Section VI or VII of this document. Appointments with permanent tenure may be
made at the professorial ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, or
professor.
2. Criteria for Initial Appointment and
Reappointment
All
appointments, including fixed-term appointments, and all reappointments of
candidates to probationary term positions
shall be based on assessments of candidates' demonstrated professional
competence, potential for future contributions, and the institution's needs and
resources.
3. Terms
and Conditions for Appointment and Reappointment
The
chancellor or the chancellor's designee[1] shall set out
in writing, with a copy to the faculty member, the terms and the conditions of
each appointment, including fixed-term appointments, and each reappointment.
The terms shall incorporate by reference appropriate sections of the Faculty Manual and shall state any
conditions placed on the appointment or reappointment.[2] The
responsibility for initiating the inclusion of special terms and conditions in
documents of appointment is with the unit administrator. Prior to initial
appointment the unit administrator shall provide a copy of the unit’s criteria
for evaluating faculty performance to persons offered a faculty appointment in
the unit. Criteria for evaluating faculty performance shall be discussed by
the unit administrator in a meeting with each probationary-term faculty member
at the beginning of academic year in which a reappointment or tenure decision
is made. A record of the discussion
Criteria for evaluating faculty performance shall be discussed by the
unit administrator in a meeting with each fixed-term and probationary-term
faculty member at the beginning of the first term of employment and at the
beginning of each academic year thereafter. A summary of this discussion
shall be placed in the faculty member’s personnel file. The
responsibility for calling this meeting is with the unit administrator.
Notice
of reappointment or non-reappointment to probationary-term persons shall be
written. The decision not to reappoint
probationary term faculty shall not be based upon (1) the faculty member's
exercise of rights guaranteed by either the First Amendment to the United
States Constitution or Article I of the North Carolina Constitution; (2)
discrimination based upon the faculty member's race, color, national origin,
religion, veteran’s status, gender, age, sexual orientation, political
affiliation, or disability; or (3) personal malice. (Faculty Senate Resolution
#03-37, March 2004)
4. Continued Availability of Special
Funding
The
appointment or reappointment of a faculty member to a position funded in whole
or in substantial part from sources other than continuing state budget funds or
permanent trust funds shall specify in writing that continuance of the faculty
member's services, whether for a specified term or for permanent tenure, shall
be contingent upon continuing availability of such funds. This contingency shall not be included in a
faculty member's contract if the faculty member held permanent tenure in the
institution on July 1, 1975, and the contract was not then contingent upon the
continuing availability of sources other than continuing state budget or
permanent trust funds.
5. Notice of Resignation
A
fixed-term or probationary-term faculty member should provide the unit
administrator with 90 days advance notice, in writing, of resignation from
employment. A permanently tenured
faculty member should provide the unit administrator with 120 days advance
notice in writing of resignation from employment. In no case should a
resignation occur in mid-semester.
B. Fixed‑Term Appointments [cf. Special
Faculty Appointments, The UNC Code, 604C]
These
special Fixed-term faculty
appointments are without permanent tenure and do not entitle the faculty member
to consideration for reappointment or conferral of permanent
tenure. No obligation exists on the part
of an appointment will be offered the contract will be renewed
for a succeeding term, except as specified below.
1. Contract and Notice
A
contract for a fixed‑term appointment shall set forth in writing the
beginning and ending dates of the term.
This specification of the length of the appointment constitutes full and
timely notice of non-reappointment when the term expires. Whenever possible multi-year contracts, of
up to five years, with eligibility for renewal, will be offered to fixed-term
faculty members who have demonstrated their effectiveness and contributions
and/or who have outstanding credentials.
The provisions of 604 A and 602(4) of The Code of The University of
North Carolina do not apply to these special faculty appointments. No obligation exists on the part of an
appointment will be offered a contract will be renewed for a
succeeding term. A second or subsequent appointment of a fixed-term faculty
member does not constitute a reappointment of the faculty member. Only
probationary-term faculty members are entitled to consideration for reappointment.
However, If the fixed-term faculty
member, not earlier than 180 calendar days nor later than 90 calendar days
before the current term expires, provides the unit administrator with a written
request for an appointment for the following academic year contract
renewal, the unit administrator shall so notify the chair of the unit
Personnel Committee. Within 30 calendar days of receiving the request the
Personnel Committee and the unit administrator shall notify the faculty member
in writing of their respective recommendations and that any recommendation is
subject to the availability of position, funding, administrative approval, and
continued effective performance. The unit administrator may but is not
required to respond to a written request for an appointment for the following
academic year that is received later than 90 calendar days before the current
term expires.
2. Fixed‑Term
Employment Evaluation Policy [cf.
Special Faculty Appointments, The UNC Code, 604C]
Any
faculty member employed in a fixed term position shall be evaluated annually in
accordance with the provisions of the employment contract. A fixed-term faculty member should submit
a portfolio to the Personnel Committee and the unit administrator prior to the
unit administrator and the Personnel Committee recommending contract renewal.
The portfolio should contain information that demonstrates the effectiveness of
the fixed-term faculty member in carrying out the duties specified in the
contract. The specific contents of the portfolio shall be determined by the
unit. However, a fixed-term
faculty member does not have to submit a Personnel Action fr to the Personnel
Committee and unit administrator prior to the Personnel Committee and unit
administrator recommending a second or subsequent fixed-term appointment.
3. Initial
recommendations for advancement in title for faculty holding fixed term
appointments is the responsibility of the unit Personnel Committee (see Section
IV, A.1.).
C. Probationary
Appointments
[Please refer to interpretations #I96-5
and #I96-4.]
Probationary
appointments are made at the professorial ranks of instructor, assistant
professor, associate professor, and professor. Persons appointed as instructors
shall not be considered for reappointment with permanent tenure until promoted
to a higher rank. Persons appointed as assistant professors, associate
professors, and professors are eligible for permanent tenure. In accordance with the UNC Code, 604A1, the
faculty member shall be notified not later than twelve months before the end of
the probationary period whether he or she will be recommended for permanent
tenure. A faculty member appointed to an
administrative position is eligible for permanent tenure only as a faculty
member in one of the professorial ranks.
There is no permanent tenure in an administrative position.
During
the second year of continuous service at
1. Probationary Terms
Although
the chancellor may recommend that a faculty member be granted permanent tenure
at any time, the normal probationary term for the professorial ranks, as
established at the time of initial appointment, shall be as follows:
(a) Instructor.
The rank of instructor is reserved for persons who lack the qualifications
for appointment as assistant professor.
Faculty members appointed as instructors are eligible for an initial
three-year appointment and one successive reappointment of two years. Instructors promoted to the rank of assistant
professor no later than the beginning of the fourth year of employment are
eligible for a final two-year probationary appointment in the higher rank. The maximum probationary term is seven years.
(b) Assistant
Professor. The maximum probationary
term is seven years, consisting of an initial three-year appointment and two
successive two-year appointments.
(c) Associate
Professor. The maximum probationary term
is five years, consisting of an initial three-year appointment followed by a
two-year appointment.
(d) Professor.
The probationary term is three years, consisting of one three-year
appointment.
All
time served in a probationary appointment at East Carolina University must be
continuous, excluding any leaves of absence as noted in Section II.C.3.
When
a faculty member in probationary appointment requests and is awarded promotion
in rank before the end of the probationary term, the original contractual
probabtionary term shall not be altered.
In
order to afford the maximum opportunity for tenure, the probationary term for
personnel hired at the professorial ranks, whose contract date occurs earlier
than the beginning of the Fall semester (or July 1 for faculty in the Health
Sciences and Academic Library Services), will be measured from the beginning of
the subsequent Fall semester (or July 1 for faculty in the Health Sciences and
Academic Library Services).
2. Reduction of the
Reduction
of the normal probationary term may be granted for previous full-time faculty
employment at the time of initial appointment as assistant professor, or
associate professor. The granting of
such reduction shall require the agreement of the appointee, a simple majority
of the unit Personnel Committee, the unit administrator, the dean, and the
appropriate vice chancellor. The maximum
reduction at each professorial rank shall be as follows:
(a) For a
candidate appointed at the rank of instructor, no reduction is allowed.
(b) For a
candidate appointed at the rank of assistant professor, a maximum reduction of
three years is allowed.
(c) For a
candidate appointed at the rank of associate professor , a maximum reduction of
two years is allowed.
(d) For a candidate appointed at the rank of
professor, no reduction is allowed.
3. Extensions of the Probationary Term
Leaves
from all employment obligations which are granted to probationary-term faculty
may include extension of the length of the probationary term. (Leaves of
absence normally should be for not more than two academic years or occur more
often than once in three years). Extensions of the probationary term should
be requested by the faculty member and shall be granted only in cases of
severe personal exigency, such as illness, childbirth, child care, or other
compelling personal circumstances, and shall be limited to a total of no more
than two years. Probationary term faculty who have received paid leave of at
least 15 weeks under the ECU Serious Illness and Disability Leave Policy shall
receive an extension of the probationary term if requested. Extensions of the probationary term must be
expressly stated in appointment or reappointment documents or added by a
written memorandum of amendment by the unit administrator during the term of an
appointment. The probationary term may be extended in increments of one or more
academic years: one year for leaves of one or two semesters, two years for
leaves of three or four semesters. All such extensions must be approved in
writing by the faculty member, the unit Personnel Committee, the unit
administrator, the dean, the appropriate vice chancellor, and the chancellor or
the chancellor's designee. A probationary-term faculty member who assumes a
full-time administrative position for one or more semesters may be granted
extensions of the length of the probationary term in the same way.
4. Progress Toward Tenure Letters
Each
Spring semester, the unit Tenure Committee and unit administrator will
review the annual report of each probationary term faculty member. On the basis
of this review, the unit
administrator, in consultation with the unit Personnel Tenure
Committee, will write a progress toward tenure letter to each probationary
term faculty member having a probationary appointment. In the event the unit Personnel Tenure
Committee and the unit administrator cannot agree on the contents of the
letter, the next higher administrator shall confer jointly with the Personnel
unit Tenure Committee and unit administrator, determine at his or her
discretion the content of the letter, and prepare the progress toward tenure
letter. Copies of the progress toward
tenure letter will be placed in the faculty member's personnel file, and a copy
will be sent to the unit Personnel Tenure Committee and to the
next higher administrative level. The unit administrator and a
representative of the unit Tenure Committee will discuss the progress
toward tenure letter with the faculty member.
In the event that the faculty member disagrees with the contents of the
progress toward tenure letter, it is the responsibility of the faculty member
to make this disagreement known in writing addressed to the unit
administrator for inclusion in the personnel file and the PAD. Copies of
this letter will be placed in the faculty member's personnel file, and a copy
will be sent to the unit Personnel Tenure Committee and to the
next higher administrative level. (See
Section IV.C.3.)
5. Request for Permanent Tenure Prior to the End
of the Probationary Term
During
the Spring semester of the academic year, a faculty member who has not completed the probationary term
(see Section II.C.1-3) and who requests in writing that consideration be given
to conferral of permanent tenure will
be
considered for permanent tenure during the Fall semester of the next academic
year.[3]
D. Initial Appointment with Permanent Tenure
A
faculty member whose initial appointment is to a professorial rank with
permanent tenure shall be regarded as having permanent tenure until retirement,
resignation, or removal according to the provisions of Sections VI or VII of
this document.
Joint
appointments are made when faculty members are appointed with responsibilities
in more than one unit. The source of
funds for joint appointments may come solely from one unit, or it may come separately
from two or more units to which the faculty member has a joint
appointment.
Faculty
members who hold joint appointments in more than one unit or center within East
Carolina University shall be assigned to a primary academic unit with a greater
than half-time appointment in the primary academic unit. The letter of appointment will specify the
terms of the appointment, will identify the primary academic unit and will
reference all units in which the faculty member holds joint appointments. A single appointment letter signed by all
supervising administrators is preferable, but in instances where a jointly
appointed faculty member has disparate duties in the various units, a separate
joint appointment letter may be issued by the administrators of the units in
which the faculty member holds joint appointments, provided that a copy of each
joint appointment letter is forwarded to the unit administrator(s) of the other
supervising unit(s).
Each
appointment letter issued by the primary and joint appointment units will
specify the faculty member’s responsibilities, performance expectations, and
compensation, if any, for that department and/or program. Annual, written evaluations of the faculty
member will be prepared by the unit administrator of the faculty member’s
primary academic unit, in consultation with the administrator(s) of the unit(s)
to which the faculty member is jointly appointed. If the administrators of the units to which
the faculty member is jointly appointed disagree on the annual evaluation, the
next higher administrator to the primary academic unit will arbitrate the
disagreement and will write the final annual faculty evaluation, if agreement
cannot be reached among all joint appointment units.
For
probationary faculty appointments and permanently tenured faculty appointments,
the policies and procedures of the primary academic unit shall be used for
reappointment, tenure, and promotion of the faculty member, as appropriate to
the appointment type. Annual progress
toward tenure letters for probationary faculty will be prepared by the unit
administrator of the primary academic unit, in consultation with the
administrator(s) of the unit(s) to which the faculty member is jointly
appointed, and in consultation with the Personnel Tenure
Committee of the primary academic unit.
If there is disagreement on the progress toward tenure letter, the next
higher administrator of the primary academic unit will confer with the Personnel
Tenure Committee of the primary academic unit and with the
administrators of the units to which the faculty member is jointly appointed,
determine at his or her discretion the content of the letter, and prepare the
progress toward tenure letter.
For
all faculty on joint appointments, annual salary increase recommendations will
be made on each funding source of the appointment according to the guidelines
of the units, the Office of the President General Administration, and
those of the University. If there is one source of funding, the administrators
of the separate portions of the appointment will consult and recommend
together. If there is disagreement, it will be appealed to the next higher
administrator of the primary academic unit.
All
faculty members who hold joint appointments are governed by the ECU Faculty
Manual, and all provisions of each faculty appointment must be consistent
with relevant sections of the ECU Faculty Manual.
(Faculty
Senate Resolution #02-05, October 2002)
Persons
holding the professorial rank of instructor, assistant professor, or associate
professor may be promoted to the next
professorial rank. Promotion shall be
based primarily on the faculty member's demonstrated professional competence
and achievement. See Appendix C, Personnel Policies and
Procedures for the Faculty of ECU. Promotion is governed by the policies
and procedures set forth in Section IV, below.
By the first week of March of every During the Spring semester
of the academic year, a faculty member who wishes to be considered who
requests in writing consideration for promotion to the next professorial
rank shall write a letter requesting a personnel action of promotion in rank
to her or his unit administrator. The
request for promotion shall be considered for promotion by the
appropriate unit committee during the Fall semester of the next academic
year.[4]
IV. Procedures for Initiation, Review, and Approval
of Appointments, Reappointments, Promotions, and the Conferral of Permanent
Tenure
Recommendations
for appointments, reappointments, promotion, and the conferral of permanent
tenure to faculty are the responsibility of unit committees and the unit
administrator. Evaluation of faculty for
appointment, reappointment, promotion, and the conferral of permanent tenure
shall be initiated by the appropriate unit committee on notice from the unit
administrator and higher administrative authority. The appropriate unit committee shall also
evaluate faculty for promotion and the early conferral of permanent tenure at
the request of the faculty member. Once
the evaluation has been completed, the committee's recommendation and the
recommendation of the unit administrator shall be forwarded to the next higher
administrator above the unit level for initiation of administrative review of
the recommendations. The pertinent
structures and processes are set forth in this section. The timeline for these processes is set
forth in Part XIII. of the ECU Faculty
Manual.
Confidentiality
must be maintained when conducting any substantive business pertaining to
initiation, review, conferral of permanent tenure, and approval of
appointments, reappointments, and promotions.
Email should be used with discretion because it does not guarantee
confidentiality. Formal correspondences
relating to any substantive business pertaining to initiation, review,
conferral of permanent tenure, and approval of appointments, reappointments,
and promotions should be maintained in paper form.
Description
of "voting faculty"
For the purposes of Section IV,
voting faculty members are determined by the permanently tenured faculty of the
unit using the following criteria; [Please refer to interpretations #I00-14.]
A voting
faculty member of a unit is someone who:
·
holds a
full-time faculty position with
·
holds regular
professorial rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or
professor), and
·
is either a probationary term (tenure track) faculty
member or a permanently tenured faculty member.
·
has at least one-half of the teaching/research duties normally assigned
in the unit, as determined by the permanently tenured faculty of
the unit using standards appropriate to their discipline.
·
is in at least the twelfth consecutive calendar month of appointment to
the faculty of the unit as either a probationary term (tenure track) faculty
member or a permanently tenured faculty member.
·
is not a unit administrator or an individual with one
half or more of his/her load assigned to administrative duties as determined by
the permanently tenured faculty in consultation with the unit administrator.
·
or normally meets
the above conditions and is on leave of absence from all university duties but
is in attendance at the meeting of the appropriate committee at the time of the
committee’s vote on a personnel action (reappointment, promotion, or tenure
recommendation). (Faculty Senate
Resolution #03-30 April 2003)
Related faculty within the same academic
department (or other comparable institutional subdivision of employment) shall
not participate, either individually or as a member of a committee, in the
evaluation of related persons for appointment, reappointment, promotion, the
conferral of permanent tenure, cumulative review, salary recommendations, or
any other personnel action. A faculty
member made ineligible for participation in the evaluation of a related person
does not count for quorum purposes and his/her ineligibility does not
constitute a recommendation against the proposed personnel action.
A. Unit
Committees[5]
1. Personnel
Committee [Please refer to interpretations
#I97-7,
#I01-16
and #I03-18.]
a. Function
The
Personnel Committee shall be responsible for making recommendations regarding
initial probationary appointments and initial and additional special fixed-term
appointments (for other functions of the Personnel Committee, see Section
IV.B.).
b. Composition
The
composition of each unit’s Personnel Committee shall be determined by the unit
but shall consist of at least three members. The membership of the committee
shall be composed of some or all of the permanently tenured and
probationary-term voting faculty members of the unit, including those who are
on leave but in attendance at the meeting at the time of the committee's vote,
but excluding the unit administrator. At least two thirds of the unit Personnel
Committee membership shall be permanently tenured voting faculty. When there
are not enough permanently tenured voting faculty members in the unit to
satisfy this requirement, additional permanently tenured faculty shall be
appointed according to the procedures in Section IV.A.1.b. above. All other
members of the unit Personnel Committee shall be elected by the permanently
tenured and probationary-term voting faculty of the unit. The chair of the
unit Personnel Committee shall be permanently tenured and shall be elected
annually by and from the committee's membership.
c. Additional
Roles of Unit Personnel Committee
In
addition to making recommendations to the unit administrator on initial and
additional fixed-term appointments and initial probationary-term appointments,
the unit Personnel Committee has the following responsibilities:
1. Notifying fixed-term faculty members that the
Personnel Committee will or will not recommend an additional fixed-term
appointment when the fixed-term faculty member requests notification not
earlier than 180 calendar days nor later than 90 calendar days before the
current term expires.
2. Reviewing requests for reduction in the normal
probationary term at the time of initial appointment (see Section II.C.2).
3. Reviewing requests for the extension of the normal
probationary term (see Section II.C.3).
4. Consulting with the unit administrator in the
preparation of the progress toward tenure letter (see Section II.C.4).
5. Consulting with faculty members who are considering requesting conferral of permanent tenure prior to the end of the probationary term (see Section II.C.5).
6. Consulting with faculty members who are
considering requesting promotion (see Section III.).
7. Producing a list of possible external
reviewers and selecting external peer reviewers from lists produced by the
Committee and by the candidate (see Section IV.E).
8. Selecting, with the unit administrator, the
research and creative activity materials to be sent to external peer reviewers
(see Section IV.E).
9. Reviewing additional materials
submitted by faculty members for inclusion in their personnel action dossier;
consulting with the unit administrator regarding responses to such materials
(see Section IV.f.2.).
10. The personnel committee may elect a search
committee of voting faculty to fulfill the responsibilities of soliciting and
screening applicants and recommending to the unit’s Personnel Committee
candidates for initial appointments.
11. Making
recommendations for advancement in title for fixed term faculty.
d. Role of the
Chair of the Unit Personnel Committee
The
chair of the unit Personnel Committee shall be permanently tenured and shall be
elected annually by and from the committee's membership. The chair shall preside over all
committees making personnel recommendations for the faculty, and may
participate in the decisions of any committee of which the chair is a member, except
as noted below. If the chair of the unit
Personnel Committee holds a professional rank lower than that to which a
faculty member requests promotion, the unit Personnel Committee chair shall not
be eligible to participate and shall only be responsible for calling the
meetings of such committees and facilitating the election of a chair of the
committee from among its membership. In such cases where the Chair of the unit
Personnel Committee is ineligible to participate, he/she shall not attend any
meetings of the committee except to facilitate the election of the chair as noted
above. The elected chair of the
committee shall obtain and distribute materials to be used during the
deliberation of such bodies, insure that a valid vote has been taken,
communicate the results of such votes to the appropriate faculty and to the
unit administrator, and perform other duties as designated by the unit. chair the Promotion Committee but
shall not have a vote on that committee. The chair shall be responsible for
calling the meetings of such committees, obtaining and distributing materials to
be used during deliberation of such bodies, insuring that a valid vote has been
taken, communicating the results of such votes to the appropriate faculty and
to the unit administrator, and performing other duties as designated by the
unit.
2. Promotion
Committee [Please refer to
interpretation #I97-8.]
a. Function
The
Promotion Committee shall be responsible for making recommendations for
promotions in rank and for recommending the ranks of initial appointments at
the associate professor or professor level.
b. Composition
The
membership of the Promotion Committee shall be composed of those permanently
tenured and probationary-term voting faculty members who hold rank at least
equal to the rank for which the candidate is being considered, including those
on leave but in attendance at the committee's meeting at the time of the
committee's vote, but excluding the unit administrator. The composition of the
committee shall thus vary with the rank to which a faculty member is being
considered for promotion. When a unit has fewer than three permanently tenured or probationary-term voting
faculty members of sufficient rank and not holding administrative status, the
next higher administrator above the unit shall appoint additional permanently
tenured and probationary-term faculty to increase the membership of the
committee to three, with at least two-thirds of the members being permanently
tenured faculty. These appointments to the
committee shall be from a list of candidates selected by a vote of the
permanent tenured and probationary-term faculty having rank at least equal to
the candidate(s) being considered for promotion. When a unit has fewer than three
permanently tenured voting faculty members of sufficient rank and not holding
administrative status, the next higher administrator above the unit level shall
appoint permanently tenured faculty at the required rank from other units
across the university to increase the committee's membership to three, with at
least two-thirds of the members being permanently tenured faculty. These
appointments to the committee must be from one list of candidates selected by a
vote of the permanently tenured and probationary-term faculty having rank at
least equal to the candidate(s) being considered for promotion. The list
forwarded to the next higher administrator by the faculty will contain at least
twice the number of faculty members required to complete the membership of the
committee. Before voting on the list to be forwarded to the next higher
administrator, the chair of the committee will ascertain that faculty members
nominated to have their names placed on the list are willing and able to serve
in this important capacity. The list of faculty names recommended to the next
higher administrator may not be returned for revision.
Meetings
of the promotion committee shall be convened by the Chair of the unit’s
Personnel Committee. The first order of
business for a newly convened Promotion Committee shall be to elect a Chair
from among its membership.
3. Tenure Committee
[Please refer to
interpretation #I97-7.]
a. Function
The
Tenure Committee shall be responsible for making recommendations for
reappointments of probationary-term faculty members, the granting of permanent tenure, and
conferral of tenure for initial appointments with permanent tenure. The unit administrator, in consultation
with the unit Tenure Committee (or properly constituted subcommittee), will
write a progress toward tenure letter to each probationary term faculty member
as described in Section II.C.4.
b. Composition
The
membership of the Tenure Committee shall be composed of the permanently tenured
voting faculty of the unit, including
those who are on leave but in attendance at the meeting at the time of the committee's vote, but
excluding the unit administrator. When a unit has fewer than three
permanently tenured voting faculty members not holding administrative status,
the next higher administrator above the unit level shall appoint permanently
tenured faculty from other units to increase the committee's membership to
three. These appointments to the
committee shall be from a list of candidates selected by a vote of the
permanently tenured and probationary-term faculty of the unit. When a unit has fewer than three
permanently tenured voting faculty members not holding administrative status,
the next higher administrator above the unit level shall appoint permanently
tenured faculty from other units to increase the committee's membership to
three. These appointments to the committee must be from one list of candidates
selected by a vote of the permanently tenured and probationary-term faculty of
the unit. The list forwarded to the next higher administrator by the
appropriate faculty will contain at least twice the number of faculty members
required to complete the membership of the committee. Before voting on the list to be forwarded to
the next higher administrator, the voting faculty will ascertain that faculty
members nominated to have their names placed on the list are willing and able
to serve in this important capacity. The
list of faculty names recommended to the next higher administrator may not be
returned for revision.
c. Additional roles of the unit Tenure Committee.
A
Code Unit may establish, in its Code of Operation, procedures for fulfilling
their additional roles; however, if the Code of a unit is silent in this
regard, it is hereby established that the entire membership of the unit Tenure
Committee will participate in these additional roles. In accordance with the unit code, if the
unit’s Tenure Committee has more than five members, the unit Tenure Committee
may elect a subcommittee of at least five members to participate in these
additional roles. The unit Tenure
Committee (or properly constituted subcommittee):
1.
Consults with
the unit administrator who writes a progress toward tenure letter to each probationary
term faculty member as described in Section II.C.4.
2.
Produces a
list of possible external reviewers and selects external peer reviewers from
lists produced by the Committee and by the candidate (see Section IV.E).
3.
Selects, with
the unit administrator, the research and creative activity materials to be sent
to external peer reviewers (see Section IV.E).
4.
Prepares a
cumulative evaluation of the candidate’s teaching, research, service, and any
other relevant duties at least two weeks prior to their vote.
B. Additional Roles of Unit Personnel Committee
In
addition to making recommendations to the unit administrator on initial and
additional fixed-term appointments and initial probationary-term appointments,
the unit Personnel Committee has the following responsibilities:
1. Notifying fixed-term faculty members that the
Personnel Committee will or will not recommend an additional fixed-term
appointment when the fixed-term faculty member requests notification not
earlier than 180 calendar days nor later than 90 calendar days before the
current term expires.
2. Reviewing requests for reduction in the normal
probationary term at the time of initial appointment (see Section II.C.2).
3. Reviewing requests for the extension of the normal
probationary term (see Section II.C.3).
4. Consulting with the unit administrator in the
preparation of the progress toward tenure letter (see Section II.C.4).