C.17 Responsibilities of Personnel Involved in the Promotions Process‌‌‌

Download as PDF
Date

To avoid even the appearance of a potential conflict of interest, a member of any promotion/tenure review committee may serve on only one committee in the process.  No individual should actively participate or vote in more than one stage of the review process.

In instances where Department Chairs or equivalent faculty evaluate a candidate from their unit for promotion/tenure, that individual should serve as the Chair evaluator rather than in any other stage of the review process. 

A faculty member may not serve on a committee tasked with reviewing their own application for promotion. The faculty member may, however, serve on a review committee at a different level academic rank as long as no other conflict of interest exists.

Alternate representatives should be elected or appointed as needed to replace members of the unit or college review committee or University Promotions Committee who need to recuse or remove themselves from the review process due to the reasons above or any other conflict of interest considerations.

  1. Applicant

    An applicant for promotion must assume the following responsibilities:

    1. To prepare a completed promotion application which provides well-organized evidence to document his/her achievements in the area of evaluation specified in the University Handbook.
    2. To transmit the completed application to the dean or director by the first Monday in November or to transmit it to the department chair at an earlier prescribed date if a departmental evaluation is to be used.
    3. An applicant may withdraw the promotion application by written request to the Provost at any time prior to its being transmitted to the Board of Trustees.

     

  2. Chair of Academic Unit (may not be applicable to all academic units)

    The Chair will assume these responsibilities:

    1. To receive the applicant's promotion application.
    2. To evaluate pertinent information concerning an applicant's qualifications for promotion and/or tenure in the areas of evaluation specified in the University Handbook.
    3. To provide the dean or director with a written evaluation of the applicant's strengths and weaknesses.
    4. To forward the applicant’s promotion application and any other pertinent information to the dean or director.

     

  3. College or Academic Unit Promotions Committee

    This Committee will assume these responsibilities:

    1. To receive the applicant's promotion application from the dean or director.
    2. To evaluate pertinent information concerning an applicant's qualifications for promotion in the areas of evaluation specified in the University Handbook.
    3. To grant or request an interview with the applicant prior to making the committee's recommendation.
    4. To inform the dean or director in writing of the committee's recommendation by the first Monday in December.
    5. To provide the dean or director with a written evaluation of the applicant's strengths and weaknesses.

     

  4. Dean or Director

    The dean or director will assume these responsibilities:

    1. To evaluate and observe those faculty members who are eligible for promotion.
    2. To suggest that any faculty members in the college or academic unit deemed worthy of consideration submit an application for promotion; such suggestions must be made by an announced cut-off date each year.
    3. To create annually a College or Academic Unit Promotions Committee(s) whose membership(s) is (are) established in agreement with the college faculty.
    4. To complete a recommendation form for each faculty member applying for promotion.
    5. To inform the applicant of the dean's or director's recommendation.
    6. To forward the applicant's promotion form and any other pertinent information to the provost by the first Monday of classes of the spring semester.
    7. Upon request, to confer with an applicant regarding his/her strengths and weaknesses for promotion in the areas of evaluation specified in the University Handbook.

     

  5. University Promotions Committee

    The Promotions Committee is defined in Faculty Handbook Section II Article: Standing Committees.

    The University Promotions Committee will assume the following responsibilities:

    1. To acknowledge in writing to the individual under consideration the receipt of the promotion application due to lack of agreement among recommendations or by appeal of the applicant.
    2. To review pertinent information concerning an applicant's qualifications for promotion in the areas of evaluation specified in the University Handbook.
    3. To inform each applicant in writing, by way of the committee chair, of the committee's recommendation.
    4. To make recommendations to the provost concerning those for whom promotion should be recommended and those for whom promotion should not be recommended.

     

  6. Provost

    The provost will assume these responsibilities:

    1. To make applications for promotion available to any faculty member upon request.
    2. To suggest to any faculty member whom the provost deems worthy of consideration that they submit an application for promotion to the dean or director.
    3. To receive recommendation for promotion transmitted by the chair of the University Promotions Committee as necessitated by lack of agreement among recommendations or by appeal of the applicant.
    4. To analyze such recommendations and to seek additional data deemed necessary.
    5. To make a written recommendation on each applicant.
    6. To confer, upon request, with any faculty member whose application for promotion did not receive final favorable action.
    7. To provide, upon the applicant's request, a written evaluation of the applicant's strengths and weaknesses in the areas of evaluation specified in the University Handbook.

     

  7. President for the University

    The president for the University will assume these responsibilities:

    1. To suggest to any faculty member whom the president deems worthy of consideration submit an application for promotion to the college dean or appropriate administrator.
    2. To receive from the provost all completed promotion applications, all promotion recommendations, and all evaluations.
    3. To submit to the Board of Trustees in time for consideration at its May meeting the names of those faculty members the president recommends for promotion.
    4. To confer, upon request, regarding strengths and weaknesses in the areas of evaluation specified in the University Handbook with applicants who received conflicting recommendations from the provost and the University Promotions Committee.

     

  8. University Board of Trustees

    The University Board of Trustees will assume these responsibilities:

    1. To receive from the president all recommendations for promotion and/or tenure.
    2. To approve or deny said recommendations for promotion and tenure.