9-1-2016 / Initial hire / September 1 is the typical start date for academic year tenure track faculty. The letter of appointment will specify the length of the initial appointment (typically two years), any prior service credit granted, salary, and the academic year in which the faculty member will apply for tenure. The work year is September through May and salary payments are made in twelve equal installments paid from September through August.
3-15-2017 / First annual peer evaluation (the date faculty member’s dossier submitted to peer committee). This is called a mid-appointment review / All full time faculty are reviewed yearly up to and including the year in which tenure application is submitted. The bargaining agreement specifies annual peer evaluation for all faculty without tenure. This mid-appointment review presents no opportunity to recommend termination without just cause. This review carries no expectation of a recommendation from the peer committee, dean, provost, or president. The review is in a specific, required format that will continue to be updated for subsequent reappointments, and eventually tenure. The same format is used for promotion and post tenure review.
9-15-2017 / Start of first reappointment review / The completed personal action application is contractually required to be submitted to the peer committee by this date. The application will be an update of the dossier submitted for the mid-appointment review described above. This review requires recommendations for reappointment or termination and must contain letters from the peer committee, dean, and provost.
1-15-2018 / President’s decision on reappointment to faculty member / If reappointed, the term will be for one year or two years.
In the event of non-reappointment, the faculty member, who is in the second year of an initial two year appointment, would be terminated at the end of the 2017-2018 academic year on May 31, 2018. The employee will remain on payroll through August 31, 2018.
3-15-2019 / Peer evaluation for reappointment / The completed personal action application is contractually required to be submitted to the peer committee by this date. The application will be an update of the dossier submitted for the reappointment review described above. This review requires recommendations for reappointment or termination and must contain letters from the peer committee, dean, and provost.
6-30-2019 / President’s decision on reappointment to faculty member / If reappointed, the term will be for one year or two years.
In the event of non-reappointment, the faculty member, who is in the third year of service, would be terminated at the end of the subsequent 2019-2020 academic year on May 31, 2020. The employee would remain on payroll through August 31, 2020.
KEY EVENTS FOR PROBATIONARY TENURE TRACK FACULTY MEMBER
ACADEMIC YEAR 2016-2017
Assumption: Faculty member is hired in an initial two-year appointment at the rank of assistant professor with no prior service credit granted toward tenure. First year of employment is academic year 2016-2017 and tenure application will occur in academic year 2021-2022.
DATE / ACTION / COMMENTS3-15-2020 / Peer evaluation for reappointment / The completed personal action application is contractually required to be submitted to the peer committee by this date. The application will be an update of the dossier submitted for the last reappointment review above. This review requires recommendations for reappointment or termination and must contain letters from the peer committee, dean, and provost.
6-30-2020 / President’s decision on reappointment to faculty member / If reappointed, the term will be for one year or two years.
In the event of non-reappointment, the faculty member, who is in the fourth year of service, would be terminated at the end of the subsequent 2020-2021 academic year on May 31, 2021. The employee would remain on payroll through August 31, 2021.
3-15-2021 / Peer evaluation for reappointment / The completed personal action application is contractually required to be submitted to the peer committee by this date. The application will be an update of the dossier submitted for the last reappointment review above. This review requires recommendations for reappointment or termination and must contain letters from the peer committee, dean, and provost.
6-30-2021 / President’s decision on reappointment to faculty member / If reappointed, the term will be for one year or two years.
In the event of non-reappointment, the faculty member, who is in the fifth year of service, would be terminated at the end of the subsequent 2021-2022 academic year on May 31, 2022. The employee would remain on payroll through August 31, 2022.
9-25-2021 / Start of tenure review process / The bargaining agreement mandates that the tenure application and ALL supporting materials must be submitted to the peer committee by this date.
2-28-2022 / President’s decision on tenure to faculty member / This is a bargaining agreement mandated deadline. The faculty member will have already received letters from the peer committee, dean, and provost stating recommendations for tenure and promotion to the rank of associate professor. If the decision of the president is to deny tenure, the application will NOT go to the Board of Trustees and the faculty member’s position will be terminated at the end of the NEXT academic year on May 31, 2023. The employee would remain on payroll through August 31, 2023. The Board of Trustees acts on tenure applications at the March meeting. Minutes of the meeting serve as formal acknowledgment of the award of tenure.
Promotion from assistant to associate professor is typically linked to the tenure action. The promotion and related salary increase for the faculty member would be effective 9-1-2022. The faculty member will receive no further appointment letters and will be placed on the four year post tenure review schedule. In the case of this faculty member, that review would occur in the 2025-2026 academic year.
Please note that all dates cited are from Appendix H of the bargaining agreement.