Promotion and Tenure:  Timeline and Procedures

 

Timeline and Procedures for Institutional Promotion and/or Tenure.

The procedures for applying for promotion and for tenure are the same, so they are presented together below, but this should not be interpreted to mean that the criteria for the awards are also the same. The criteria for the awards are different, and for that reason they are presented in separate sections above. The different criteria mean that it is possible that an applicant who is applying for promotion and tenure simultaneously will receive one award but not the other.

a. Faculty will be notified of eligibility to apply for promotion and/or tenure on or before May 1st of the academic year prior to the year of eligibility to apply for promotion. It is the faculty member's responsibility to file the required materials for promotion and/or tenure review by the applicable deadline.

The provost will publish at that time a decision calendar for each level of review that will conform with the parameters established below:

Level of Review	Perpetual Deadline (on or before):
Faculty member submits dossier to school	September 1
School submits recommendations to chair	September 15
Chair submits recommendations to college	September 30
College committee submits recommendations to dean	October 15
Dean submits recommendations to provost	October 31
Provost submits recommendations to president	January 10
President reports February/March Board Meeting	February/March Board Meeting

 

b. The dossier (prepared according to guidelines set forth in the Academic Policy and Procedure) becomes part of the recommendation packet. Once a recommendation packet (the vita and supporting evidence) has been submitted to the school, it will not be altered at any time throughout the review process.

NOTE: A recommendation packet consists of a dossier and other related documents, such as copies of administrative and student evaluations, letters of recommendation for promotion, copies of publications or evidence of the same, and documentation of professional activities. All materials for each candidate will be available for examination at all levels of review.

c. The dossier will be limited to 25 pages in a 12-pt font with 1" margins.

d. Each faculty member's application for promotion and/or tenure is to be based strictly on that individual's own merit. At no level of review should the process include the ranking of candidates.

e. If a faculty member is not recommended for promotion and/or tenure at a particular review level, the reviewers will compose a letter that states the rationale for the denial. This letter will be attached to the dossier and an exact copy of the letter will be forwarded promptly to the candidate, who will have the privilege of making an immediate response to be attached to the dossier. A dossier is not forwarded to the next level of review if the candidate has been denied at a particular level except when the candidate requests that it continue along the process. Such requests should be made in writing to the committee chair or administrator at the rejecting review level and must be submitted no later than 5 working days after receipt of the letter of notification. If promotion and/or tenure is not recommended at a review level, the faculty member may file an appeal on appropriate grounds to the FS Grievance Committee.

f. The school promotion and tenure committees submit each recommendation packet, including the recommendation letter that stipulates the rationale for the committee's decision, to the school chair by the published deadline. At that same time, the committees will forward to each candidate an exact copy of the recommendation letter the committee attached to the candidate's packet.

(1) Each school may elect to have a single Promotion and Tenure Committee or to have two separate committees: a Promotion Committee and a Tenure Committee. The composition of the school Promotion and Tenure Committees will be determined by the school and will consist of the school chair, who serves as an ex-officio member without vote, and tenured full-time faculty members of the school or a group of the tenured full-time faculty elected by all the tenured full-time faculty and full-time tenure-track faculty members of the school. Candidates for promotion may not serve on the Promotion Committee. Candidates for tenure may not serve on the Tenure Committee. Members of the Promotion and Tenure Committees will be made known to the school.

(2) In the case of a chair eligible for promotion and/or tenure, the same procedure will be followed as in "a" above, except the chair will not be present at the discussion of the chair's own case.

(3) In the case of a school with no tenured members, the school chair will make the recommendations. In the case of a non-tenured chair in a school with no tenured members, the dean will consult with members of the school.

(4) The written recommendations of the school Promotion and Tenure Committee consist of a single recommendation (for or against) for each candidate. That recommendation shall reflect the majority view of the committee members as determined by the ballot. In accordance with Robert's Rules, abstentions shall not be counted in determining the majority view. The vote count is not to be included with the written recommendations of the committees.

g. The school chair, after consideration of the recommendations of the school Promotion and Tenure Committees, will write a recommendation letter that stipulates the rationale for his/her decision and will forward the entire recommendation packet (including the dossier) for each candidate being recommended for promotion and/or tenure to the college Promotion and Tenure Committee by the published deadline. If the recommendations by the chair differs from that of a Committee, the letter must clearly so state. Supporting evidence must be given for the lack of agreement to that committee at a meeting called for that purpose prior to forwarding the materials. Such evidence should also be forwarded with the dossier. The cover page at the beginning of the dossier must reflect this disagreement. The chair will forward to the candidate on or before the published deadline for the chairs' recommendations to be submitted to the College Promotion and Tenure Committee an exact copy of the recommendation letter the chair attached to the recommendation packet. Promotion and/or Tenure packets of candidates who have been denied a positive recommendation at the school level will not be forwarded to the chair of the college Promotion and Tenure Committee unless requested by the candidate no later than 5 working days after receipt of the letter of notification.

h. The college Promotion and Tenure Committee will forward the recommendation packets, including its written recommendation letter that stipulates the rationale for the committee's decision, to the dean by the published deadline. At that same time, the committee chair will forward to each of the candidates an exact copy of the committee's letter recommending that the candidate's application be approved or denied. The recommendations will be based solely on the criteria set forth in this document and not on any other considerations which are not explicitly set forth in this document. Each college, through its internal governance system, will determine the composition of the Promotion and Tenure Committee who will be elected by the college faculty. The dean may appoint, if desired, one additional member, other than a school chair, to the committee. The term of office for all committee members is two years. Years will be staggered to provide continuity from year to year. All members, whether elected or appointed, may serve no more than two consecutive terms. Members of the college Promotion and Tenure Committee must be tenured faculty members who are not candidates for promotion.

i. The dean, after consideration of the recommendations of the college Promotion and Tenure Committee, will write a recommendation letter regarding each candidate stipulating the rationale for the recommendation, attach that letter to the candidate's recommendation packet, and forward the entire recommendation packet for each candidate being recommended for promotion and/or tenure to the provost by the published deadline. At the same time, the dean will forward to each candidate an exact copy of the letter to the provost recommending that the candidate's application be approved or a letter stipulating the rationale for why the dean recommends that the candidate's request be denied. If the recommendations of the dean differ from that of the committee, the reasons should be stated to the committee at a meeting called for that purpose. The summary page at the beginning of the dossier must reflect any disagreements. Promotion and/or tenure packets of candidates who have been denied a positive recommendation at the college level will not be forwarded to the provost unless requested by the candidate no later than 5 working days after receipt of the letter of notification.

j. The provost, after consideration of the recommendations of the dean and college Promotion and Tenure Committee, will write a recommendation letter for each candidate for whom materials have been forwarded stipulating the rationale for the recommendation and forward the recommendation packets and letters for those being recommended for promotion and/or tenure to the president by the published deadline. At the same time, the provost will forward to the candidate an exact copy of the letter to the president recommending that the candidate's application be approved or a letter stipulating the rationale for why the provost recommends that the candidate's request be denied. If the recommendation of the provost differs from that of the dean, the reasons should be stated to the dean at a meeting called for that purpose prior to forwarding the material. Promotion and/or tenure packets of candidates who have been denied a positive recommendation at this level will not be forwarded to the President unless requested by the candidate no later than 5 working days after receipt of the letter of notification.

k. The president, after consideration of the recommendations of the provost, will write a recommendation letter for each candidate for whom materials have been forwarded stipulating the rationale for the decision. An exact copy of this letter will be forwarded to the candidate. If the decision of the president differs from that of the provost's recommendation, the reasons should be stated to the provost at a meeting called for that purpose prior to forwarding the recommendation. The president's recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Governors for consideration at the February meeting. When promotion and/or tenure is granted or withheld by the Board of Governors, notice of such action will be sent in writing from the office of the president to the individual, the chair of the individual's school, the appropriate dean and the provost. Promotion and tenure will not be automatically granted.

l. Each reviewing level must provide written justification for its recommendation to the next reviewing level. Letters of justification will accompany the dossier through the remainder of the review process. Each review level must communicate its recommendation for or against promotion and/or tenure to each candidate in accordance with the deadlines described above.

Reviewers at a higher level may seek written clarification for decisions made by reviewers at a lower level. A copy of the written request with the clarification will be provided to the candidate.

m. All materials in the original dossier are to be considered confidential at every level of review and returned intact to the candidate within two weeks after the review process is completed.

n. No one involved in the process of review at any level may attempt to influence in any way the disposition of applications at any lower level, whether by recommending specific numbers to be approved, by suggesting specific interpretations of criteria for promotion and/or tenure or in any other manner whatsoever. 

Grievance Procedure and Arbitration - Every effort will be made to complete all administrative decisions for promotion and/or tenure early enough that faculty grievances can be handled through the regular Dispute Resolution and Grievance Committee by the end of spring semester. A faculty member may initiate an appeal to the FS Dispute Resolution and Grievance Committee by requesting a hearing no later than ten calendar days after receipt of the official letter indicating that promotion and/or tenure was not granted. Grounds for appeal may be alleged injustices such as discrimination, improper procedure, or the violation of academic freedom. The grounds for the appeal will be submitted in writing. The FS Dispute Resolution and Grievance Committee will grant a hearing if the request states facts showing probable cause that one or more of the grounds for appeal may exist. Upon being shown probable cause, the FS Dispute Resolution and Grievance Committee will hold its hearing in accordance with rules set by that committee.

For grievances specifically related to harassment, refer to UCM's Sexual Misconduct Grievance Process.

 

Revision History:

Established and archived prior to 1999

Edited per Faculty Senate Motion 2001-2002-12, President Patton approved March 6, 2002.

Edited to reflect Academic Freedom and Tenure Board of Governors Policy 2.2.030, 2005.

Edited by Academic Affairs (cover page forms) March 12, 2008.

Edited for due dates by Academic Affairs 2004.

Edited for web links, formatting and plain language. Approved December 2015.

Edited to add statement for authorized signature to individual contracts by Academic Affairs. Approved March 2016.

Edited to add statement regarding university policy and procedures to Section III.B.1 by Academic Affairs. Approved March 2016.

Edited for formatting. 4a. Addition of faculty responsibility to file for P&T. 4.k. Addition of promotion and tenure will not be automatically granted. Approved by Vice Provost of Academic Programs and Services April 2016.

Edited to remove the following language per the Dean of Library Services. “Directors of public and technical services will serve in the capacity of the department chair, ex-officio member without a vote, on promotion and tenure committee in those instances when a faculty member under consideration is from their respective units." JCKL no longer has directors of public and technical services. October 2016.

Previously annotated as III.B.4. Promotion and Tenure:  Timeline and Procedures. Renamed Promotion and Tenure:  Timeline and Procedures for alphabetical listing, grammar and spell check, and transitioned into policy library April 2017.

Revision to the perpetual timeline assigning a calendar date for deadlines approved by Academic Council, Faculty Senate and the provost May 2018.

Edited to replace "departments" with "schools" by Academic Affairs March 2019.