Senate Document Number   3602S

Date of Senate Approval   04/11/02

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

EC 3:   Tenure Task Force Revisions to Faculty Handbook

Effective Date: Fall, 2002 or upon approval of EC Document 2 by the Board of Governors

This document incorporates revisions to the UNCA Tenure Policies and Regulations (Senate Document 3502S) into appropriate sections of the UNCA Faculty Handbook. Unless specified within this document, rationales for changes and their various impacts are included in the previous document. Elaborations of changes are noted and explained with [ ].

Summary of Proposed Changes

1. The probationary term has been changed to four years for all tenure-track faculty ranks.

2. Assistant Professors are evaluated for promotion at the same time as for tenure.

3. The Associate VCAA/Dean of Faculty is designated to serve in the role of Chair when the candidate under evaluation is a department chair or program director.

4. The rank of Lecturer is separated from that of other Special Fixed Appointments. Appropriate use of the rank is outlined and possible term lengths are specified.

5. New guidelines are given for each level and type of personnel evaluation. (Portions are predicated on approval of changes in items 1, 2 and 4.)

6. Conditions and procedures for "stopping the clock" during probationary periods are specified.

7. A task force will be formed every seven years to review current reappointment, tenure and promotion policies and to revise them if necessary.

In Section 2.1.2.1, Full-time faculty

Assistant Professor:

In second sentence, replace "...a probationary term of three years."

with "...a probationary term of four years."

In second sentence, replace "...a probationary term of five years; at the end of this term the person may or may not be reappointed (See Section 14.2, III, C.5)." with "...a probationary term of four years; at the end of this term the person may or may not be reappointed with tenure (See Section 14.2, III, C.5)."

In second sentence, replace "...a probationary term of three years; at the end of this term the person may or may not be reappointed (See Section 14.2, III, C.5)." with: "...a probationary term of four years; at the end of this term the person may or may not be reappointed with tenure (See Section 14.2, III, C.5).

In Section 2.1.2.1, Full-time faculty, Assistant Professor.

In fourth (final) sentence, replace "Reappointed persons on tenure track will normally be evaluated for tenure in the fifth year of employment."

with "Reappointed persons on tenure track will normally be evaluated for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in the sixth year of employment."

3. Designating the Associate VCAA/Dean of Faculty for evaluation of department chairs/program directors

Delete: Contents of item 5-A in Section 3.5.4.1, Summary of Evaluation Procedure

Replace with:

When the faculty member under review is a department chair or program director, the Associate VCAA/Dean of Faculty executes the tasks normally assigned to the department chair. This includes consulting with the tenured department members, reviewing all materials in the evaluation file, and writing an evaluation of the Chair. The written evaluation must include the vote of the assembled tenured Department members, the date of that meeting, and his/her own recommendation regarding the Chair.

A. Separating Lecturer rank from other Special Faculty Appointments

Delete: Contents of Section 2.1.3.1, Lecturer; Artist, Poet Writer in Residence; Clinical, Research

Replace with:

Fixed-term appointments with the title designations of "lecturer," "artist in residence," or "writer in residence," or with any faculty rank designated in Section 2.1.2 above when accompanied by the qualifying prefix "Clinical," or "Research," may be made as provided herein.

[Introductory sentence to existing section retained.]

2.1.3.1.1 Lecturer

The rank of lecturer is appropriate for persons who are appointed to non-tenure track full-time faculty positions of specifically contracted length. This rank shall be used for persons who have special teaching ability but do not intend to obtain the terminal degree in the field. Lecturer contracts shall specify departmental expectations regarding teaching load, scholarship/creative/professional activity and service responsibilities. Contracts shall be developed by the department chair and approved by the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Initial appointment to the rank of lecturer shall be for a term of one year. After completion of at least three one-year appointments, terms may be extended to three or five years. Lecturer positions are not permanent positions; prior to the end of each contract term, the Chair of the department must request that the position be maintained for an additional contract term (see Section 2.3). No person holding the position of lecturer may be appointed to permanent tenure at this rank. The "notice" provisions of Section 14.2, III.B.4 do not apply to lecturer appointments; each lecturer shall be notified of reappointment for the following academic year before the end of the preceding spring semester in the final year of the contract.

[New subsection on Lecturer appointment including specification of contract provisions.]

2.1.3.1.2 Other special faculty appointments

Other special faculty appointments are appropriate for persons who have unusual qualifications for research, academic administration, or public service but for whom neither a professorial rank nor the instructor rank is appropriate because of the limited duration of the mission for which he or she is appointed, because of concern for continued availability of special funding for the position, or for other valid institutional reasons. An initial special appointment shall be for fixed terms of one to five years and may be made either in direct succession or at intervals. The "notice" provisions of Section 14.2,III.B.4., do not apply to special faculty appointments, and a faculty member holding such an appointment is not entitled to any notice concerning offer of any subsequent appointment at any rank or appropriate department.

[Edited version of remainder of existing section presented as new subsection.]

B. Outlining use of rank and possible terms

Add: As the second paragraph in Section 2.3, Allocation of faculty positions.

Lecturer positions also are allocated by the VCAA in consultation with the Council of Chairs and the Chancellor. Department chairs/program directors who wish to request a lecturer position, or to retain one at the conclusion of its contract term, should submit position requests to the Office of Academic Affairs. In the latter case, these requests should be submitted no later than the beginning of the last semester of contract. Chairs/directors are advised to consult the description of the lecturer rank (see Section 2.1.2.1) and to consider carefully whether departmental needs are better met through requesting tenure track positions. Situations in which a lecturer position may be an appropriate alternative include replacing a faculty member on leave or staffing a significant number of lower level and/or service courses.

[This section is designed to ensure appropriate use of the Lecturer rank.]

5. Revising the "Guidelines for awarding reappointment, tenure, and promotion"

Delete: Contents of Section 3.5.3, Guidelines for Awarding Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion

Replace with:

The candidate for reappointment, tenure or promotion is to present his or her chair with a well documented report of accomplishments in the categories described in Section 3.5.4.4. The Department Chair will review and evaluate each faculty member's level of accomplishment accordingly, after appropriate consultation with the department, and shall make recommendation relative to reappointment , tenure or promotion. Such recommendations are carefully reviewed by the Committee of Tenured Faculty and by the VCAA. The following sections present guidelines for that review process in each evaluation category.

[Retains introduction to current section with minor edits. All subsequent sections are new.]

[Shifts reappointment of Lecturers on initial one-year contracts to the department level, instituting evaluation by the Committee of Tenured Faculty after three years of service. Links reappointment evaluation to conditions of contract and expectations delineated in annual performance evaluations.]

Instructor. The rank of Instructor is viewed as both temporary and transitional. It is temporary in that it cannot be extended beyond four years. It is transitional in that the faculty member is expected to acquire those qualifications necessary for appointment at the Assistant Professor rank in a tenure-track position. Reappointment at this rank is made annually until such time as the Instructor qualifies for the Assistant Professor rank. As in all UNCA positions, excellence in teaching is expected of instructors. Reappointment also is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward those qualifications specified by the Instructor's department. These qualifications shall be presented each year in the Chair's annual performance evaluation of the Instructor.

[Identifies reappointment pattern. Links reappointment evaluation to expectations delineated in annual performance evaluations.]

Assistant Professor. Assistant Professors are appointed initially to a probationary term of four years. A second probationary contract may be offered for an additional three years during which the Assistant Professor is evaluated for promotion with tenure. During the sixth year a promotion-with-tenure decision is made.

To become reappointed to a second probationary period as an Assistant Professor an individual must have a record of effective teaching, some scholarly/creative activity with the potential for recognized accomplishment in that area, and effective service. A high level of effective service would be considered an asset but is not an expectation of all candidates at this level.

It is expected that an individual seeking promotion to Associate Professor with tenure will have a strong record of effective teaching, recognized accomplishment in scholarly/creative activity, and some level of service both within and outside the department (i.e., to the University or community). In cases where unusual amounts of service are expected from an untenured faculty member, the University will take this into account in making decisions about promotion to Associate Professor.

[Identifies reappointment pattern and linkage of tenure and promotion. Presents guidelines for both reappointment and tenure/promotion evaluation.]

Promotion from Associate to Professor requires evidence of continued excellence in teaching and further growth and maturity in scholarly/creative activity. A more significant level of service to the department and to the University or community is expected. While the evaluation will focus on accomplishments since promotion to Associate Professor, the candidate's whole career will be taken into consideration. Because promotion is based largely on accumulated accomplishment while in rank at UNCA, time spent at the rank of Associate Professor will vary according to rate of achievement.

[Identifies considerations for tenure when faculty member is hired as an Associate Professor and considerations for promotion from Associate Professor to Full Professor.]

[Identifies considerations for tenure when faculty member is hired as a Professor.]

6. Stopping the clock for leaves of absence

Add: As final entry in Section 3.5.3, Guidelines for Awarding Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion.

Extensions to probationary periods. Because reappointment and tenure decisions are governed by timetables, modifications to these timetables must be documented in writing. Section III-F of the UNCA Tenure Policies and Regulations notes that a probationary faculty member who receives a one-year leave of absence also receives an automatic timetable extension of one year. A probationary faculty member who receives a one-semester leave of absence may request a one-semester timetable extension from the VCAA. Written VCAA acknowledgement or authorization of the extension must be provided to the faculty member, to his or her department chair, and retained in the faculty member's personnel file. See Section 4.2 for descriptions of faculty leaves.

Add: As last sentence in Section 4.2, Faculty Leaves of Absence

In unusual circumstances, faculty members may request leaves of absence during probationary periods. A probationary faculty member who receives a one-year leave of absence also receives an automatic timetable extension of one year. A probationary faculty member who receives a one-semester leave of absence may request a one-semester timetable extension from the VCAA. See Section 3.5.3 for procedural information.

7. Periodic Review of reappointment, tenure and promotion policies

Add: Create a new Section 3.5.5

Every seven years commencing in the fall of 2009 the Faculty Welfare and Development Committee will nominate individuals to the Faculty Senate to serve on a task force charged with reviewing and revising, if necessary, the University's policies regarding reappointment, tenure and promotion. This task force will consist of four individuals, one faculty member from each division and an additional current member of the tenure committee.

Add: Following first sentence in Section 10.2.2.4

The Faculty Welfare and Development Committee also periodically initiates review of the University's policies regarding reappointment, tenure and promotion. (See section 3.5.5)