Section 4.9.7D | Academic Unit Procedures for T & P Review

Academic Unit Procedure Order:

1. Review by Academic Unit Tenure and Promotion Committee
2. Vote of Academic Unit Tenure and Promotion Committee
3. Review and Recommendation by the Dean

1. Review by Academic Unit Tenure and Promotion Committee

The dean will send the dossier, the departmental committee summary, and the department chair’s letter directly to the academic unit tenure and promotion committee. The academic unit tenure and promotion committee composition shall be determined in accordance with Section 4.9.5A(2)(b). A faculty member serving on the academic unit tenure and promotion committee shall recuse themself from the discussion of a colleague from his or her department in the academic unit committee and shall not participate in the academic unit committee vote on that faculty member.

For promotion to professor, the subcommittee of tenured professors will make the recommendations. The academic unit committee has responsibility for ensuring that the dossier is consistent with department, academic unit, and university guidelines as well as for making recommendations concerning the applicant's qualifications for tenure and/or promotion. Its perspective will of necessity be broader than that of the department committee: it will consider such things as the academic unit wide staffing plans, the department's enrollment trends, and the guidelines of the academic unit.

The academic unit tenure and promotion committee shall ensure adherence to institutional procedures and criteria, to prevent departmental inbreeding and doctrinal conformity, to review the completeness of the information presented, and to question any omissions in criteria or variations in procedure. The academic unit committee should consider the substance of a faculty member's qualifications to the extent necessary for the performance of its function. The academic unit committee should evaluate the performance of a candidate for tenure and promotion with consideration of the candidate’s department guidelines.

2. Vote of Academic Unit Tenure and Promotion Committee

The academic unit tenure and promotion committee will take a formal anonymous vote on recommendation of the candidate. The academic unit tenure and promotion committee shall prepare a written summary of its recommendation. The recommendation should reflect the full scope of discussions that took place and should contain the rationale that is consistent with the vote of the committee.

If the recommendation of the Academic Unit Tenure and Promotion Committee is not unanimous, the committee may also submit to the dean a minority report with rationale for dissenting opinions. This written recommendation, the vote, and any dissenting statements become part of the dossier. After completing its evaluation, the committee will transmit the dossier to the dean. The recommendation of the academic unit tenure and promotion committee shall be advisory to the dean.

3. Review and Recommendation by the Dean

The dean of the academic unit shall prepare a letter providing an independent recommendation and summary explanation for the recommendation regarding award of tenure and/or promotion regarding his or her review and evaluation of the materials in the dossier, which will include the written summary and vote of the department tenure and promotion committee, the department chair, and the academic unit tenure and promotion committee.

If the dean’s recommendation differs from any of the recommendations of the department tenure and promotion committee, the department chair, and/or the academic unit tenure and promotion committee, the dean’s summary must explain the reasons for the differing judgment.

The dean will notify the candidate in writing that he or she is recommending or is not recommending the candidate for tenure and/or promotion and that the academic unit tenure and promotion committee is recommending or is not recommending the candidate for tenure and/or promotion. The vote of the academic unit tenure and promotion committee should also be included. The notification should not include any rationale for the vote or recommendations.

In cases involving promotion only, the dean will meet with the candidate to transmit the recommendations which the academic unit tenure and promotion committee and the dean have made and reasons for those recommendations. At this point the candidate has one last opportunity to withdraw the application for promotion. The dean’s letter becomes part of the dossier which is transmitted to the provost. The recommendation of the dean shall be advisory to the provost.