Non-Tenured, Tenure Track Faculty Review
Appointment to a tenure track position carries with it certain responsibilities related to teaching, research, and service. The initial six years of appointment serve as a probationary period, allowing time for individual faculty to demonstrate competency as a university professor.
Each non-tenured faculty member appointed to a tenure track position will be reviewed annually during the first through sixth years of appointment. A committee of tenured faculty is appointed by the appropriate department chair. This Annual Review Committee reviews the non-tenured faculty member's annual report. The committee schedules a conference with the individual and provides specific written feedback indicating progress made toward promotion and tenure during the calendar year under review. The committee forwards this written feedback to the appropriate department chair.
Each year the department chair reviews the committee's feedback. In the annual review conference, the department chair indicates to the individual his/her recommendation for continued employment or notification of a terminal appointment based upon the individual's performance during the calendar year under review and cumulative performance. The department chair forwards this recommendation to the Dean.
The third year review is also significant since it represents a mid-point in the six-year probation period. Typically, the Annual Review Committee's scrutiny of the non-tenured faculty member's demonstrated competency as a university professor is greater, and more materials may be requested by the chairperson (e.g., vita, course evaluations, past annual reviews, copies of publications or verification of other scholarly activity). The faculty will consult with the chairperson prior to compiling the third year review materials. The department chair, however, may recommend non-reappointment to the Dean at any time between the first and sixth years of appointment. Notification of individual faculty members receiving a terminal appointment will follow the time schedule specified in the University's promotion and tenure policy (OP 32.01).