Promotion and Tenure for Chairs, Heads, & Administrators:Twin Cities

Arlene CarneyVice Provost for Faculty & Academic Affairs

General Topics

Introduction Tenure Code 7.12 Statement Stopping the Tenure Clock Hiring Orientation Annual Reviews

General Topics

Promotion from Associate to Full Professor

Gathering Materials for P & T Initial Dossier Preparation Voting Final Dossier Preparation

Introduction

Life course of P & T Best practices Things to avoid Discussion

Guiding Documents

Faculty Tenure Code Procedures for Reviewing the

Performance of Tenure-Track Faculty

Faculty Tenure Code

Describes criteria for tenure at the university level

Describes mandatory annual review of probationary faculty

Describes the overall process for tenure and promotion to associate professor

Faculty Tenure Code

Describes the procedures for due process for denial of tenure and/or promotion

Describes post-tenure review process

Tenure Code

Section 1. Academic Freedom Section 2. Applicability of Regulations

and Continuity of Appointments Section 3. Faculty Ranks & Types of

Appointments Section 4. Terms of Faculty

Employment

Tenure Code

Section 5. Maximum Period of Probationary Service

Section 6. Tenure of Faculty on Regular Probationary Appointments

Section 7. Personnel Decisions Concerning Probationary Faculty- Section 11- Section 12

Tenure Code

Section 7a. Review of Faculty Performance

Section 8. Improper Refusal of a New Appointment to a Term Faculty Member

Section 9. Appointment of Associate Professors with Indefinite Tenure

Tenure Code

Section 10. Unrequested Leave of Absence for Disability and Disciplinary Action

Section 11. Fiscal Emergency Section 12. Programmatic Change Section 13. Judicial Committee Section 14. Procedures in Cases of

Unrequested Leaves of Absence

Tenure Code

Section 15. Appeals to the Judicial Committee

Section 16. Tenure Committee Section 17. Written Notice Section 18. Publication Section 19. Amendment

Section 7.11 of the Tenure Code

Basis for granting indefinite tenure:

- “achievements of an individual have demonstrated the individual’s potential to continue to contribute significantly to the mission of the University and to its programs of teaching, research, and service”

Section 7.11 of the Tenure Code

Primary criteria for demonstrating this potential are:- effectiveness in teaching and - professional distinction in research

Service to the profession may be considered.

Section 7.12 of the Tenure Code

Department statement of criteria for promotion and tenure

Must be shown to new faculty according to the tenure code

Should reflect the values of the faculty for promotions and conferral of indefinite tenure

Section 5.5 of the Tenure Code

Extension of probationary service is allowed for one year at the request of the probationary faculty:

- on the occasion of the birth of that faculty member’s child or adoptive/foster placement of a child with that faculty member

Section 5.5 of the Tenure Code

Extension of probationary service is allowed for one year at the request of the probationary faculty:

- when the faculty member is a major caregiver for a family member who has an extended serious illness, injury, or debilitating condition (can use this no more than 2 times)

Stopping the Tenure Clock

Form provided and available on line Goes from the department to the

chancellor to the Senior Vice President for System Academic Administration to the Provost’s office

Available for both female and male faculty

Hiring

First P & T decision Can the new faculty member meet

the criteria that are in place for both promotion and tenure?

Can the department provide adequate support to allow the faculty member to succeed?

Hiring

Best practice – the faculty considers the criteria in the 7.12 document as background for making a hiring decision.

Orientation

Tenure code requires that the chair or head show the 7.12 statement to all new faculty.

Probationary faculty and new faculty who may be promoted later to the rank of full professor should be familiar with this document and understand its requirements.

Orientation

Best practice – the new faculty have their own copies of the 7.12 statement and understand what it means.

Procedures for Reviewing the Performance of Tenure-Track Faculty

Provides specific guidelines for carrying out the provisions of the Faculty Tenure Code, such as:- voting procedures- department & collegiate review- promotion to full professor

Procedures Best Practice

Dept. chairs should review these each year with faculty prior to voting for promotion and tenure or for annual reviews.

Review should take place well before the actual day of voting.

Annual Reviews

Mandated by the tenure code (Section 7.2)

Best practices:- annual review focuses on progress relative to the 7.12 statement- the feedback is in writing and clearly addresses progress or lack of it

Annual Reviews

Best practices:

- The faculty members meet with the chair annually to receive feedback.- Form 12s go to the chancellor and the Senior Vice President.- Each year’s report should address progress relative to the last year.

Annual Reviews

Best practices:

- The final decision should follow from the pattern of the annual reviews.

Promotion from Associate to Full Professor

Usually the shortest part of the 7.12 statement.

Most frequent criterion – a national or international reputation.

Since we have no system of reviews for associate professors, the path to promotion is not clear.

Initial Dossier Preparation

Each campus and dept. should develop a standard for the contents and their display.

Best practice - Probationary faculty should be assisted in the preparation of dossier materials.- “case worker”- mentoring committee

Initial Dossier Preparation External reviewers Best practices:

- reviewers from peer institutions- reviewers without relationships to the candidate- sufficient number to make a judgment- give reviewers sufficient time for the review

Initial Dossier Preparation

Clear synopsis of reviewers’ credentials rather than just a CV.

Clear synopsis of teaching ability(student evaluations, syllabi, class visits, etc. fitting with dept. culture)

Can a non-specialist academic read and appreciate the record?

Initial Dossier Evaluation

Faculty at department level should have all key material available for evaluation – research, teaching, and service.

Voting

Follow procedures in the 7.12. Follow Procedures for Reviewing

Tenure-Track Faculty document. Absentee ballots must be sealed

ballots in writing.

Final Dossier Preparation

Must have a clear statement of the department vote.

Must have a clear statement from the department chair.

Collegiate Level

College-wide P & T committee reviews next(exception law School, HHH, CSOM)

Advisory to the dean Dean’s recommendation

Central Level All files logged in by Human

Resources – Karen Linquist Additions can be made until the

Provost’s final decision Files processed by Vice Provost for

Faculty & Academic Affairs Read by one other Vice Provost as

well Final decision made by the Provost

Central Level

Decision letters sent to candidates by the Provost

Termination letters sent by certified mail

Special letter sent to departments if the Provost’s decision is different from the department’s decision

Outcomes Promotion & Tenure decisions made

in late April P & T decisions presented to the

Board of Regents in May Faculty who are terminated can

appeal to the Senate Judiciary Committee

Only basis is procedural error or discrimination, not merits of the case

Post-Tenure Review

Phase One Annual review of all tenured faculty,

usually at the time of the merit decision Phase Two

Review phase when a faculty member has been judged to fall below minimal standards

Post-Tenure Review

Faculty must be evaluated by a committee of tenured faculty and by the chair/head.

If both agree that a faculty member is below minimal standards Personal improvement plan One-year timeline

Post-Tenure Review

At end of PIP if progress had been made, process

ends. If no progress made, then may ask dean

to call a special collegiate review committee. One member chosen by the faculty

member, four others elected.