Title: #IV-8. Policies and Procedures for Annual Faculty Evaluation, Promotion
and Tenure
Date: May 7, 2007 [Replaces
version dated December 5, 2005]
I.
INTRODUCTION
The ability of a university to function, progress, develop
excellence, and serve society depends on both the individual performance of
each faculty member and the collective performance of the faculty as a whole.
Thus, the success and reputation of a university are highly dependent upon the
talents that exist among its faculty and how effectively those talents are
marshaled to accomplish the institutional mission. To achieve and maintain high
quality, a comprehensive faculty evaluation system is essential. Properly
administered, this system will encourage professional growth of individual
faculty members, assure retention of those faculty members who demonstrate a
high level of scholarship and academic performance, and permit appropriate
recognition of achievement.
The work of faculty members as independent professionals is
not easily categorized or measured. The evaluation of faculty must be guided by
principles and procedures designed to protect academic freedom and to ensure
accuracy, fairness, and equity. This document outlines these broad principles
and establishes the rigorous and common procedures necessary to maintain these
qualities in the faculty evaluation process.
In accordance with
II. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FACULTY
EVALUATION: PROCESS, CRITERIA AND
STANDARDS
A. The Faculty Evaluation Process
The faculty evaluation process at
1. Annual
Evaluation
Annual evaluation provides an opportunity
to review a faculty member's past performance and to develop future goals and
objectives; it forms the basis for any annual performance based salary raises
and other rewards. Cumulatively, annual evaluations establish a continuous
written record of expectations and performance that will encourage professional
growth and provide support for retention, promotion, tenure and other
recognition.
2. Evaluation for
Promotion in Rank
Promotion in rank recognizes
exemplary performance of a faculty member. The evaluation for promotion in rank
provides the opportunity to assess a faculty member's growth and performance
since the initial appointment or since the last promotion.
3. Evaluation of
Tenure-Track Faculty for Tenure
For an award of tenure, tenure-track
faculty undergo a particularly rigorous evaluation
involving an assessment of accumulated accomplishments and the likelihood that
the faculty member's level of performance will be maintained.
4. Evaluation for
Performance Based Salary Increases
A performance based salary increase
recognizes exemplary performance of a faculty member and is based upon the
annual evaluation.
Responsibility for faculty evaluation is shared by members
of the university community. Primary responsibility for the quality and
presentation of an individual's work lies with the particular faculty member.
Faculty colleagues participate in annual evaluation and review for promotion
and/or tenure through membership on division and campus committees and on the
University Promotion and Tenure Advisory Panel. Independent reviews at the
campus and university levels assure fairness and integrity in the application
of appropriate standards and procedures. The legal authority and responsibility
of division chairpersons, the Dean
of Academic Affairs and the Campus
President also enter into the determination of academic personnel decisions as
do the needs and circumstances of the division and WVUP.
B. Criteria
Faculty members are expected to contribute to the mission of
Collectively, the faculty teach, advise,
engage in research and creative activity, and provide public, professional, and
institutional service. The extent to which a faculty member's responsibilities
emphasize WVU at
In the approved letter of appointment the Campus President
shall define the general terms of the faculty member's major responsibilities,
and identify the year by which tenure must be awarded, if applicable. The terms
of this appointment are to be reviewed periodically and may be changed by
mutual consent consistent with this document.
Within the terms of this general apportionment of responsibilities, the
details of a faculty member's specific assignments should be subject to joint
consultation but are to be determined by the Campus President.
The criteria described in Section III shall be applied to all faculty members in ways which equitably
reflect the particular responsibilities and assignments of each. How these criteria apply to a faculty member's
own set of duties should be clear at the time of appointment and reviewed in
the annual evaluation.
Adjustments in the expectations for faculty members may
occur in keeping with changing institutional and unit priorities and personal
interests. All tenure-track or tenured faculty members must do scholarly,
creative, or professional work that informs their teaching and service.
III. PROFESSIONAL
EXPECTATIONS OF FACULTY MEMBERS
At WVU Parkersburg, teaching/service to students,
professional development and growth, and service to the institution and
community constitute the heart of
its mission and of its criteria for faculty evaluation. Faculty
responsibilities are defined in terms of activities undertaken in each of the
three areas; therefore, faculty evaluation is based primarily upon a review of
performance in these areas. Because
teaching is recognized as the faculty member’s primary responsibility, the area
of teaching/service to students is given the greatest weight when considering
candidates for tenure or promotion. While faculty members are expected to keep
current in their fields, the extent to which scholarship is recognized depends
upon one's areas of expected significant contribution.
A. Teaching/Service to Students
Teaching involves the dissemination of knowledge, the
stimulation of critical thinking, and the development of artistic expression.
Teaching includes not only traditional modes of instruction such as the
classroom lecture, but also modes such as clinical, laboratory, and practicum
instruction; evaluation and critique of student performance; and various forms of continuing education
and non-traditional instruction. Service to students includes responsiveness to
student needs, innovations and improvements in instruction, and availability to students for academic advising and career counseling, which
are special dimensions of the educational process and essential to student
success.
The following elements will serve as the evaluative criteria
for the area of teaching/service to students:
(1) Effectiveness of Instruction - The
prime requisites of any effective teacher are intellectual competence,
integrity, independence, a spirit of scholarly inquiry, a dedication to
improving methods of presenting material, the ability to transfer knowledge,
respect for differences and diversity, and, above all, the ability to stimulate
and cultivate the intellectual interest and enthusiasm of students. Supporting
documentation for the evaluation of performance in teaching might include
evidence drawn from such sources as the collective judgment of students, of
student advisors, and of colleagues who have visited the faculty member's
classes. It might also include analyses of course content, evaluation of
products related to teaching such as textbooks or videotapes, the development
or use of instructional technology and computer-assisted instruction,
pedagogical scholarship in refereed publications and media of high quality,
studies of success rates of students taught, or other evidence deemed appropriate
and proper by each division.
(2) Instructional load - Consideration
will be given to the number and nature of preparations, type of instructional
modes utilized; number of teaching contact hours, involvement in off-campus instruction
and/or continuing education programs, as well as supervision of students in
independent or special topics courses or clinical and practicum experiences.
(3) Innovations and improvements in
instruction - Consideration will be given to such items as development of new
courses, development of primary or supplementary instructional materials,
development of new teaching strategies,
and/or contributions to improved curriculum and/or course design.
(4) Responsiveness to student needs -
Consideration will be given to such items as availability to students, program
academic advising, and/or career counseling.
B. Professional Growth and Development
While research is a critical component of the mission of the
university, teaching and professional growth and development assume a greater
focus for faculty at WVUP. Research,
particularly scholarship in teaching and learning and curriculum development,
by faculty members is encouraged; however, it is not necessarily considered a
primary part of one’s academic activity.
Faculty members are expected to undertake a continuing program of
studies, investigations, or creative works that are germane to their
assignments. Professional growth and development activities include such items
as acquiring additional credit in courses which broaden or strengthen the
faculty member’s area of expertise, participation in non-credit workshops,
seminars or special lectures, attendance at professional meetings or
conferences, membership in professional organizations, publication or original
work, independent study, and/or other areas as determined by each division.
C. Service to
the Institution and Community
Service to the university includes contributions to the
efficiency and effectiveness of the faculty member's division and college.
The evaluation of service should include assessments of the
degree to which the service yields important benefits to the university,
society, or the profession. Especially relevant is the extent
to which the service meets the needs of clients, induces positive change,
improves performance, or has significant impact on societal problems or issues.
One important benefit of service to the university is faculty participation in
the governance system. Service contributions considered for evaluation are those
which are within a person's professional expertise as a faculty member, and
performed with one's university affiliation identified. The definition of the
nature and extent of acceptable service for purposes of promotion and tenure
should be directly related to the faculty member’s contractual obligations and
may include:
- Contributions
through divisional, faculty, college- wide, or
state level committees;
professional organizations; and/or community service related to
discipline.
- Contributions
to extra-curricular college activities, such as advisor to student
organizations, cultural and/or entertainment activities, and/or community
service projects.
- Contributions
to institutional functions such as course scheduling, faculty recruitment
and/or staffing, budget proposals and/or implementation, construction of
grant proposals for funding by outside agencies (foundations, industry,
federal government), student recruitment and/or placement, program
articulation (within college and/or with other educational institutions),
development of descriptive material for college catalog, divisional or
college brochures, public relations activities, and/or coordination of
special programs or activities.
- Contributions
to professional development of others such as conducting workshops,
seminars, special lectures or presentations to college staff, community
groups, professional meetings, and/or conferences.
- Additional
contributions determined by each division.
IV. CONTEXTS
OF APPOINTMENT FOR TENURED OR TENURE-TRACK FACULTY
A faculty member is usually appointed without tenure.*
Appointments can be made with or without credit for previous experience.
With Credit
Depending upon the amount of successful experience at the
intended rank or the equivalent, up to three years credit toward tenure could
be allowed, unless the candidate did not wish such credit. The maximum amount
of credit that could be allowed, and a tentative critical year, would be identified
in the letter of appointment. In such a circumstance, during the first year the
faculty member could accept the identified critical year, or all or part of the
possible allowable credit to be applied in his or her instance, at which point
the critical year would be confirmed by the Dean of Academic Affairs. Action
earlier than the established critical year would not be considered. If, during
the first year, the faculty member does not request modification of the
tentative critical year identified in the letter of appointment, that year will
become the recognized critical year.
Exceptions to recognize unique situations are possible.
______________
*Occasionally, appointment with tenure is possible. To be
appointed with tenure, or to the rank of Professor, the individual must have
been interviewed by the Campus President during the interview process; the
individual's curriculum vitae must be reviewed by the Campus President; and a
written request for tenure must be submitted by the division to the Campus
President.
V. REQUIRED PERSONNEL
ACTIONS/TIMELY NOTICE
A personnel action is required each year for each faculty
member. Such personnel actions include reappointment, promotion, tenure, or
non-renewal.
In the case of a tenure-track full-time faculty member
holding the rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or
professor, the Campus President shall give written notice concerning retention
or non-retention as follows:
·
By
letter post-marked and mailed no later than March 1 of the first academic year
of service.
·
By
letter post-marked and mailed no later than December 15 of the second academic
year of service.
·
By
letter post-marked and mailed at least one year before the expiration of an
appointment after two or more years of service in the institution.
·
Notice
of non-retention shall be mailed “Certified Mail-Return Receipt Requested.”
A tenure-track faculty member in the sixth year, or in the
year determined to be the "critical" year, must be reviewed for
tenure and must either be awarded tenure or given notice of termination of
appointment and a one-year terminal contract. If a faculty member petitions
successfully to bring the critical year forward and tenure is not awarded in
that year, a one-year terminal contract will be issued. Under certain circumstances the critical year
may be extended.*
At
Time spent on a leave of absence normally shall not count
when calculating years of service for a tenure-track faculty member. The
faculty member may request that such time spent on scholarly activities apply
toward years of service. The chief academic officer shall determine in advance
of the leave whether such time will apply, and will make a recommendation to
the Campus President. Written notification of the decision to modify the
critical year will be forwarded both to the faculty member and to the
chairperson and will be added to the faculty member's personnel file.
_______________
*See “Family Friendly Practices
for Faculty Members,” available from the Human Resources Office.
VI.
DISCRETIONARY PERSONNEL ACTIONS
Discretionary personnel actions are those which are not
required to be taken at specific times, and may include the following (See also
Section IV):
·
Promotion
in rank when the critical year does not apply;
·
Renewal
or non-renewal of contract for a non-tenure-track faculty member;
·
Termination
of the appointment of a tenured faculty member for cause (as defined in HEPC Series 9 and WVU Board of Governors Policy #2).
·
Award
of performance based salary increase.
A faculty member will be reviewed automatically in the
critical year, unless the faculty member requests no review, in which case a
one-year terminal contract will be issued. Otherwise, consideration of a
faculty member for promotion is initiated by the faculty member. A faculty
member whose application for promotion is unsuccessful must wait at least one
full year after the decision is rendered before submitting another application,
unless a critical-year decision is required.
Evaluations and recommendations for one's first promotion
and/or tenure will be based primarily on one's contributions since appointment
at
A faculty member holding the rank of Instructor may not
apply for promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor until the third year of
employment. Ordinarily, the interval
between subsequent promotions will be at least five years. Promotions after the
first promotion will be based on achievement since the previous promotion.
While tenure and promotion are separate actions, only in the
most extraordinary circumstances may a person be granted tenure without already
being at or above the rank of Assistant Professor. The granting of promotion
does not guarantee the award of tenure in a subsequent year. Neither promotion
nor tenure shall be granted automatically or merely for years of service.
VII. FACULTY
EVALUATION FILE
Evaluations and recommendations are to be based on both
quantitative and qualitative evidence. The primary evidence to be weighed must
be contained in the faculty member's evaluation file. To it are added
professional judgments as to the quality of the faculty member's
teaching/service to students, professional growth and development, and service
to the institution and community, as applicable.
An official faculty file shall be established and maintained
for each faculty member to be housed in
the respective division office. Files for division chairs will be housed in the
Dean of Academic Affairs' office. In principle, the record in the file
should be sufficient to document and to support all personnel decisions.
The faculty member's file should contain, at the minimum,
the following items:
1.
The
letter of appointment and other documents which describe,
elaborate upon or modify one's assignment, including position description, work
plans, memoranda of understanding and subsequent letters of agreement.
2.
An
up-to-date curriculum vitae and bibliography containing a) critical dates
relative to education, employment, change in status, promotion, leave of
absence, etc.; b) documented evidence
of scholarship and professional
development or growth; c) a list of service activities.
3.
For
each semester or term since appointment or last promotion, a record of classes
taught and enrollments in each, clinical assignments, significant committee
assignments, and other aspects of the faculty member's plan of work. Each unit
may design a simple annual reporting form ("productivity report")
appropriate to the work assignments in that unit for use by all members of the
unit, including the chairperson. The Productivity Report without supporting
documentation is not in itself sufficient for evaluation purposes.
4.
For
faculty with multiple reporting lines, each supervisor will provide an
evaluation of the individual's performance.
5.
A
copy of past annual evaluations and any written responses.
6.
Other
information and records that the chairperson or Dean of Academic Affairs may
wish to include. Faculty members must be informed of such additions and may
include written responses to such material.
7.
All
other information that bears upon the quality of the faculty member's
performance in all pertinent areas. This information may include, but need not
be limited to, teaching evaluations, professional presentations, published
materials, grant applications and awards, other creative scholarship, and
service to the university. A self-evaluative statement by the faculty member is
strongly encouraged.
8.
A
continuing chronological inventory of entries to assure the integrity of the
file.
The faculty member is responsible for assuring completion of
Items 2, 3, 4 and 7. The chairperson* shares responsibility for Items 3 and 4
and has responsibility for Items 1,
5, 6, and 8. The Provost's Office will periodically issue more detailed
instructions for the development and maintenance of faculty personnel files.
Those requirements may be supplemented or elaborated by college or division
procedures.
_______________
*In the case of the chairperson’s file, the Dean of Academic
Affairs would share responsibility for Items 3 and 4 and have responsibility
for Items 1, 5, 6, and 8.
VIII. COMPLETION OF
AND ACCESS TO THE FILE
The faculty personnel file shall be updated in a timely
manner according to the calendar accompanying this document. On the appropriate
deadline date, the file shall be closed for the review period. Only such materials
generated as a consequence of the faculty evaluation shall be added to the file
after the deadline date.
Faculty members have the right of access to their evaluation files
at any time during regular office hours, without giving reasons. All others
shall have access to the file only on the basis of a need to know. Members of a
faculty evaluation committee, hearing panel, or administrative officers
responsible for personnel recommendations are assumed to have a need to know.
The appropriate administrative officer shall determine what material is
necessary to fulfill the need to know. All persons will treat the material from
the file as confidential. The security of all personnel files is to be assured.
The confidentiality of each file is to be respected,except under legal subpoena.
IX. ANNUAL EVALUATIONS
A. General
Description
The performance of individual faculty members is evaluated
annually throughout their career at
The evaluation procedures may be found in Section XI. Annual
evaluation for all faculty, whether tenure-track, tenured, or temporary
(including adjunct faculty), will be
conducted at the division level by the chair and the faculty evaluation
committee based on documentation in the personnel file (see Section VIII).
Written evaluations will be forwarded to each faculty member and to the Dean of
Academic Affairs, who may provide an evaluative statement.
The annual evaluation should be related to one's assignment
and performance, and should be both formative and summative. The review is not
limited to events of the immediately-previous one-year period; it is also to be
a review of annual evaluation statements from previous years, in order to
assess whether suggestions for improvement have been addressed. The resultant
annual assessment will be used to guide the faculty member in areas in which
improvement may be needed, and, if positive, as a basis for performance based
salary adjustment contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose.
The annual evaluation also provides the opportunity to develop changes in
responsibilities that reflect the strengths of the individual and the needs of
the university.
B. Specific
Applications
1. Tenure-Track
Faculty
Tenure-track faculty
are those who are in a tenure-track appointment but are not yet tenured.
For these persons, the annual evaluation provides an assessment of performance
and develops information concerning the faculty member's progress toward
promotion and tenure. It communicates areas of strength and alerts the faculty
member to performance deficiencies at the earliest possible time. Any concerns
held by the evaluators regarding the faculty member's performance should be
stated in the written evaluation, which is intended to enhance the faculty
member's chances of achieving promotion and tenure.
In one's first review, limited
evidence of the faculty member's progress will be available. For that review,
material in the file such as reports by colleagues on one's teaching/service to
students and information on one's activities in professional growth and
development and service to the institution and community are useful in order to assess progress. As one moves through the
tenure-track period, annual evaluations will focus increasingly on the
successful outcomes of one's activities rather than simply on the activities
themselves.
While the absence of negative annual
evaluations does not guarantee the granting of tenure, these evaluations should
apprise tenure-track faculty members of performance deficiencies. Occasionally,
the evaluations will result in termination of the individual's appointment,
sometimes prior to the critical year, and, where appropriate, terminal
contracts; in these cases, notice shall be given in accord with HEPC Series 9 and WVU Board of Governors Policy #2.
2. Tenured Faculty,
Not Fully Promoted
The annual evaluation of faculty who are tenured, but not fully promoted, will
generally emphasize both quantitative and qualitative progress toward the next
appropriate rank. While not all faculty will attain
the highest possible rank, annual evaluations should guide faculty toward that
achievement.
3. Tenured
Faculty, Fully Promoted
Promotion to the highest rank
requires a consistent record of achievement at a level that indicates many strengths and few weaknesses. Consequently, the primary
purpose of evaluating faculty at these ranks is to describe their performance
in the context of appropriate expectations, an important factor in
performance-based salary adjustments and reappointment. The annual evaluation
process is also used to encourage faculty members to continue to perform at
exemplary levels.
4. Full-Time
Temporary Faculty
Evaluation of faculty who are not
eligible for tenure may emphasize different criteria from those applied to
other faculty. Annual evaluations will be based on assignments as described in
the letter of appointment and subsequent documents, and will focus primarily on
strengths and weaknesses, on the best use of one's talents to meet the unit's
needs, and on specific recommendations for improvement and professional
development. Non-renewal of grants or other external funds may result in
non-renewal of contracts, in spite of positive evaluations. Temporary faculty hold appointments which are not subject to
consideration for tenure, regardless of the number, nature, or time accumulated
in such appointments. Temporary faculty appointments are only for the periods
and for the purposes specified, with no other interest or right obtained by the
person appointed by virtue of such appointment.
7. Part-Time
Faculty
Evaluation of continuing part-time
(less than 1.00 FTE) faculty will be based on assignments as described in the
letter of appointment and subsequent documents, and will focus primarily on
strengths and weaknesses, on the best use of one's talents to meet the unit's
needs, and on specific recommendations for improvement and professional
development. Occasional part-time faculty should receive periodic reviews that
are appropriate to their assignment.
Descriptors for Annual Review
The annual review of one's performance in each of the
mission areas to which one is assigned shall be assessed as:
·
Excellent
[characterizing performance of high merit],
·
Good
[characterizing performance of merit],
·
Satisfactory
[characterizing performance sufficient to justify continuation but not
sufficient to justify promotion or tenure], or
·
Unsatisfactory.
Based on these descriptors, a faculty member with a
preponderance of "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory"
ratings, particularly in an area in which a significant contribution is
required, would not qualify for promotion or tenure.
The assessments provided by annual reviews should be a basis
for those periodic recommendations forwarded to the Campus President which
relate to promotion, tenure, or negative action. Positive recommendations for
promotion and/or tenure should be supported both (a) by a series of annual
reviews above the "satisfactory" level and,(b)
beyond those reviews, by performance which is judged to meet the more rigorous standard
of significant contributions.
X. CRITERIA FOR
PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE BASED SALARY INCREASE, OR
TENURE
At
In order to be recommended for tenure, performance based salary increase or promotion, a
faculty member normally will be expected to demonstrate significant
contributions (a preponderance of evaluations at the good or excellent level)
in teaching in the classroom or other settings, important contributions
(combination of meritorious and satisfactory ratings with at least 50% good or
above) in either professional development or service and reasonable
contributions (continuously satisfactory work over time) in the third area of
expectation. The areas of contribution
in which each faculty member is expected to perform and the levels at which
expectations are established will be identified in the letter of appointment,
or modified in a subsequent document.
The criteria for tenure, performance based salary increase,
or promotion are as follows:
1.
Teaching/Service
to Students
2.
Professional
Growth and Development
3.
Service
to the Institution and Community
Promotion shall mean an advancement in rank according to the
following sequence: (1) Instructor; (2) Assistant Professor; (3)Associate Professor; and (4) Professor. Such advancement shall carry all the rights
and privileges accorded to that rank by the institution. It is recognized that a first promotion (from
Instructor to Assistant Professor) is a necessary step to the acquisition of
tenure and that such promotion normally may be based upon somewhat less
stringent evidence of merit than is the case for an award of tenure or further
promotions to the ranks of Associate Professor or Professor. The criteria for tenure or promotion to the
ranks of Associate Professor and Professor will be applied with equal
stringency.
The decision to accept a recommendation for or against
retention or the awarding of tenure shall rest on both the current and
projected program needs and circumstances of the division, college, and the
university, and on the strengths and limitations of the faculty member as
established in the annual evaluation process.
A full-time or part-time assignment to an administrative
position or to a unit other than the one in which the faculty member holds or
seeks tenure does not carry with it an automatic modification of criteria for
promotion or tenure. A faculty member who accepts such an assignment, and who
seeks
promotion or tenure, should have a written
agreement concerning both status and expectations within the division in which
the locus of tenure resides. Such an agreement must be approved by the Dean of
Academic Affairs and by the Campus President.
XI. EVALUATION PROCESS
Evaluations of the credentials of faculty can be carried out
at three levels of university organization: department or division, college or
school, and vice president or regional campus president. When appropriate, a
judgment is made at each of these levels by a faculty committee and by the
administrative officer of the respective unit. The goals of the university's
affirmative action program are to be taken into account at each stage of the
review process. Faculty members should neither initiate nor participate in
institutional decisions involving a direct benefit (initial appointment,
retention, annual evaluation, promotion, performance based salary increase,
salary, leave of absence, etc.) to members of their immediate family or
household.
All recommendations for faculty in their critical year will
be forwarded through the complete review process. Recommendations for
non-retention or a terminal appointment automatically receive review at all
levels.
A.
Division Level
1. Each division shall have a
faculty evaluation committee, normally consisting of a minimum of three
members. If there are not three eligible persons in a division, or if a
candidate serves in two or more divisions, the candidate may nominate
additional faculty members from other divisions to complete the division
committee. Such nominations would be provided to the faculty member’s division
chair. Neither the chairperson of the
division nor any member of the college faculty evaluation committee shall be a
member of the division faculty evaluation committee. A person who is under consideration
for promotion and/or tenure should not serve on the division committee
reviewing his/her personnel file. A majority of those voting on tenure
recommendations must be tenured faculty. The division committee will prepare a
written evaluation for each faculty member, together with an unequivocal
recommendation for or against retention, the award of tenure and/or promotion.
The written evaluation must be signed by all members of the committee, dated,
and forwarded to the division chairperson. The total number of positive and
negative votes must be recorded. Committee members may include minority
statements in the recommendation.
2. The chairperson will review the
evaluation files of each faculty member in the division and shall review the committee's
evaluations and recommendations. The chair shall then make an assessment, in writing,
with unequivocal recommendations for or against retention, the award of tenure
and/or promotion for each faculty member. In a recommendation for
tenure, the chairperson shall take into account the long-range staffing pattern
of the division, including the division’s affirmative action goals. The faculty
member shall be informed in writing by the chairperson of the evaluations and
recommendations of both the division committee and the chairperson. Copies of
all written statements shall be placed in the faculty member's file.
3. If the faculty member receives a
positive recommendation for promotion or tenure from either the division
committee or chairperson, the file is submitted for review at the college
level. If both such recommendations are negative, the file is submitted to the
Dean of Academic Affairs for information. Recommendations for performance based
salary increase awards will also be forwarded to the Dean of Academic Affairs.
4. A faculty member may include a
rebuttal to the divisional evaluations for review at the next level. The
rebuttal must be forwarded to the Dean of Academic Affairs within five (5)
working days of receipt of the evaluations.
5. A faculty member may petition the
Dean of Academic Affairs for a review of negative divisional recommendations
(i.e., when both the division committee and the division chairperson render
negative recommendations). The petition should reach the Dean of Academic
Affairs within five (5) working days following receipt of notification of the
negative recommendations. The Dean of Academic Affairs shall forward the
petition to the college evaluation committee as a matter of course for its
recommendation.
B. College Level
1. The college faculty evaluation
committee shall not include any person who is under consideration for promotion
and/or the award of tenure. A majority of those voting on tenure recommendations
must be tenured faculty. The method of selection of members is at the
discretion of the Dean of Academic Affairs. No faculty member should serve on
both a division and college committee and no chairperson should serve on the
college committee.
2. The college faculty evaluation
committee will review divisional evaluations forwarded by the Dean of Academic
Affairs. The committee will prepare a written evaluation in each case, together
with an unequivocal recommendation for or against tenure and/or promotion, as
applicable. The written evaluation must be signed by all members of the
committee, dated, and forwarded to the Dean of Academic Affairs. The total
number of positive and negative votes must be recorded. Committee members may
include a minority statement in the recommendation.
3. The Dean of Academic Affairs will
review evaluations and recommendations from the division and the college
faculty evaluation committees, and make an assessment, in writing, with
unequivocal recommendations for each faculty member. The faculty member shall
be informed, in writing, by the Dean of Academic Affairs of the evaluations and
recommendations of both the college committee and the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Copies of all written statements shall be placed in the faculty member's file.
4. If either the college faculty
evaluation committee or the Dean of Academic Affairs supports a positive
recommendation for a faculty member, the faculty file, including both division
and college recommendations is forwarded to the Campus President.
5. A faculty member may include a
rebuttal to the college-level recommendations for review at the next level. A
rebuttal must be forwarded to the Campus President within five (5) working days
of receipt of the recommendations.
6. A faculty member may petition the
Campus President for a review of negative recommendations from the college
level (i.e., when both the college committee and the Dean of Academic Affairs
render negative decisions). The petition should reach the Campus President within
five (5) working days of receipt of notification by the Dean of Academic
Affairs of negative recommendations at the college level.
7. The Dean of Academic Affairs has
the responsibility for determining whether all committee evaluations have been
conducted fairly within the college and for assuring that comparable norms are
applied in like units.
8. Recommendations by the Dean of
Academic Affairs for tenure must be accompanied by a statement indicating how
the proposed tenuring of a probationary faculty
member will affect the long-range staffing pattern of the division and/or college, taking into account expected attrition,
accreditation, affirmative action goals, budgetary limitations, and the need
for flexibility.
9. The Dean of Academic Affairs will
review the decisions of the division evaluation committees and division chairs
relative to performance based salary increase awards to ensure that the annual
review criteria have been applied fairly and consistently.
C.
University Promotion and Tenure Advisory Panel
1. The Campus President will consult
with the University Promotion and Tenure Advisory Panel, consisting of at least
five faculty members selected by the University Faculty Senate Executive
Committee. No person who has reviewed faculty at the division or college level
during the current cycle, or who is being considered for promotion or tenure
may serve on the University Promotion and Tenure Advisory Panel.
2. The recommendations and faculty
appeals will be reviewed by the Advisory Panel. Primary attention will be given
to four questions:
(a) Has each recommendation been
supported by objective evidence in the personnel file to ensure that no faculty
member is being treated capriciously or arbitrarily?
(b) Have the review procedures at
all levels been followed?
(c) Is each recommendation
consistent with university and unit policies and objectives?
(d) Are the recommendations
consistent with the division, college, regional campus, and university criteria
for promotion and tenure?
3. The Advisory Panel will prepare
written statements addressing these issues. The statement must be signed by all
members of the panel, dated, and added to the faculty member's file. Panel
members may include minority statements with the general statement.
D. Campus President
Level
1. For the purposes described in
these guidelines, the decision-making authority of the University President has
been delegated to the Campus President.
2. Decisions on promotion and tenure
recommendations will be made by the Campus President after review of the
recommendations by the divisions, the college, and their administrators.
3. The University President or
designee will report the decisions to the Board of Governors. Such report will indicate the number of
decisions as well as the individuals receiving positive action, and will verify
that the appropriate standards and guidelines have been met.
3. The faculty member and the Dean
of Academic Affairs will be notified in writing of the decision rendered by the
Campus President.
E. Negative Decisions
1. Tenure Denied; Non-retention; or
Termination During Tenure-Track Period
A faculty member may request from the Campus
President within ten (10) working days of receipt of the notice from the Campus
President of non-retention or termination during the tenure-track period, the
reasons for the decision (Section 10.7 of HEPC
Series 9). Within ten (10) working days of the receipt of the
reasons, the faculty member may appeal the decision by filing a grievance with
the Campus President as the immediate supervisor for these purposes by using WV
Code §29-6A, in accordance with Section 15 of HEPC
Series 9.
2. Promotion Denied; Other
Personnel Decisions
A faculty member desiring to appeal
a decision on promotion or other personnel decisions not included above may
appeal by using WV Code §29-6A, as described in HEPC
Series 9. The appeal should
reach the office of the Campus President within ten (10) working days after
receipt of the written decision.
DEADLINES FOR ANNUAL REVIEW
I. EVALUATION OF FIRST YEAR FACULTY MEMBERS:
First working day in
January Deadline for updating personnel file.
January
15 Deadline for division
committee reviews to be forwarded to the
respective division chairperson.
February
1 Deadline chairpersons
to forward division reviews to the Dean of Academic Affairs.
February
14 Deadline for review by
the Dean of Academic Affairs to be forwarded to the Campus President.
March 1 Deadline for the Campus President to give
written notice of
termination to faculty members in their first
year of academic
service at WVUP.
II. EVALUATION
OF SECOND YEAR FACULTY MEMBERS:
According to HEPC Series 9
and WVU Board of Governors Policy #2, second
year faculty are entitled to notice of non-retention on or before December 15
of the second year of employment. In order to meet this deadline, Option 1
should be followed.
A division chairperson may choose,
with written consent of the faculty member, to evaluate that faculty member
according to Option 2. Under Option 2, it is to be understood that the faculty
member would be entitled to a one-year terminal contract for the third year, if
the University decides on non-retention.