Post-Tenure Peer Review Policy
Policy Intent
At the University of Iowa, the faculty body has primary institutional responsibility for faculty status (i.e. appointment, reappointment, promotion, tenure and dismissal). Faculty exercise this responsibility through the formal process of peer review. Post-tenure peer review is intended to acknowledge achievements and to provide an appropriate mechanism to encourage constructive responses to normal changes that are likely to occur over the course of a successful academic career.
Policy Statement
In accordance with the University of Iowa’s policy on Review of Tenured Faculty Members (OM III-10.7), reviews conducted under this policy shall respect the principles of academic freedom and the significance and importance of tenure. Free inquiry and expression are essential to the maintenance of excellence, and tenure is essential to free inquiry and expression.
A. The peer review of tenured faculty members will occur at least once every five years.The faculty member may request a review ahead of schedule. Faculty members are exempted from their scheduled five-year peer review if (a) they are being reviewed for promotion to a higher rank during the year of the scheduled review; (b) they are within one year of announced retirement or are on phased retirement; (c) they serve as assistant dean, associate dean, or dean; or (d) the Dean, in his or her discretion, concludes that unusual circumstances warrant exempting a faculty member from review in a given year. At any time in the peer review process, the faculty member may consult with the Chair of Council on Faculty regarding policies and procedures.
B. Materials used to conduct the peer review provided by the faculty member include, but are not limited to:
- A current curriculum vitae of the faculty member.
2. A written self-assessment of teaching, scholarship, and service activities over the last five years (or since the previous peer review) completed by the faculty member,including the percent allocation of effort to each. The statement on scholarship should include a list of grant applications that were submitted but not funded. The statements should include explanation of any time during which effort has been reallocated and address any areas for development noted in prior post-tenure reviews.
3. A general career plan including goals for the next five years covering anticipated teaching, scholarship, and service activities as well as any specific plans for professional development. The goals should be in keeping with collegiate expectations for professors in the areas of scholarship, teaching, and service, recognizing negotiated post-tenure effort reallocation, if applicable.
4. Copies of the most recent peer review committee report and annual administrative reviews during the five year review period.
5. Teaching evaluations of the faculty member's courses during the last five years, including student ACE evaluations and at least one peer evaluation completed within two years of the review.
6. Any additional materials the committee and/or faculty member considers appropriate.
C. The mechanism for accomplishing the peer review includes, but is not limited to, the following components:
1. The Associate Dean for Faculty, following consultation with the faculty member to be reviewed, selects a committee of three tenured faculty members within the same college of the same or higher rank as the faculty member being reviewed to serve as the faculty review committee for the faculty member to be reviewed. Faculty members outside the college may be selected when there are too few peers within the college. The Associate Dean for Faculty will add a committee member from outside the college to review faculty with any joint appointment or those hired as a part of a University-wide hiringinitiative. Associate Deans and Deans may not serve on peer review committees.
2. The peer review committee:
a. Reviews all submitted material and requests other materials it deems appropriate. The solicitation of external reviews of the faculty member's scholarship is not part of the peer review process.
b. Writes a peer review committee report for the faculty member being reviewed. This report will be three to five pages in length and devoted to an assessment as to whether, judging from all the information available, the faculty member under review has demonstrated professional vitality by achieving the expected standard of performance for faculty members within the College. When the performance of the faculty member under review has not fallen below the expected standard of performance for faculty members within the College, the committee may nevertheless make suggestions of ways the faculty member might try to enhance his or her performance through professional development activities.
3. The peer review committee shall complete its review and final report no later than the last day of classes in the spring semester of the academic year in which the review commenced. Written timelines for submitting materials will be posted one year in advance.
D. Distribution and use of the peer review committee report:
1. The outcome of the peer review is confidential and sent to the faculty member being reviewed, the review committee, the Associate Dean for Faculty, the Dean, others directed by the faculty member, and in special circumstances, the Provost.
2. The committee will discuss the written report with the faculty member within one week after the written report is sent.
3. The faculty member will have an opportunity to respond to the report in writing. Any such written response will be sent to the Dean of the College of Nursing, appended to the peer review committee report, and kept on file with the peer review committee report in the personnel file of that faculty member.
4. If the performance of the faculty member under review has fallen for a significant period of time below the expected standard of performance for faculty members within the College, the Dean may pursue the development of a plan to address those problems, under the standards and procedures set forth in the University of Iowa Review of Tenured Faculty Members policy (OM III-10.7)
5. At the faculty member's request, the Dean of the College of Nursing will meet with the faculty member to discuss the peer review committee report, and the faculty member's written response (if one was written).
6. The developmental nature of post-tenure review mandates that a faculty member being reviewed should be accorded adequate time to respond to the review and to improve performance where necessary.
7. A faculty member who believes the policy and procedure during the five-year peer review process has been violated may seek redress of her or his grievance within the scope and framework of The University of Iowa Faculty Dispute Procedures (OM III-29.6)..
8. The Associate Dean for Faculty records completion of each five-year review in the online HR system by the end of each fiscal year.
Effective Date:11/11
Regular Review Date11/11Revision Dates:
Approving Unit:Faculty Organization
Responsible Unit:Faculty Services
Domain:Faculty Services
Review Frequency:Every 3 years
Revised:4/22/14
Approved Revisions by College of Nursing Faculty Organization 4.22.14
Approved Revisions by Provost 4.29.14