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(revised 05/15/2020 board meeting)
The college will award tenure only to full-time regular faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, advising of students, professional development, as assessed by their peers both on and off campus, and service to the college, which typically includes work on standing committees of the faculty as well as special assignments that might emphasize recruitment, retention, or administration.
They must hold the necessary credentials specified in the Simpson College Faculty Handbook, Part II: Personnel Polices , Section 3.1.1.
Granting of tenure is also contingent upon an interest and involvement in the overall activities of the college. Tenured faculty members hold leadership roles across campus that preserve the institution and continually improve the experience of Simpson’s students.
Tenure is customarily awarded to faculty members after six years of full-time service unless otherwise specified in the faculty member’s contract of hire. A minimum of three years of full-time teaching at Simpson College is required to be eligible fo tenure. During this probationary period, they receive annual evaluations (except Year 4) by department chairs and student evaluations for every course, as well as extensive reviews by the Faculty Personnel Committee during their thrid and sixth years. The review process is overseen by the academic dean and the president of the college.
Election to appointment with tenure is by the board of trustees upon the recommendation of the president of the college. The nomination for appointment with tenure is initiated by the Faculty Personnel Committee. Tenure will not be granted to part-time faculty members.
Criteria for tenure and promotion are defined in Simpson College Faculty Handbook Part II: Personnel Polices , Section 7.
Procedures for awarding tenure are in Simpson College Faculty Handbook, Part III: Personnel Procedures , Section 5.
As a consequence of the investment that the college makes in reviewing, supporting, and developing tenure-track faculty, and the committment that these faculty members exhibit toward the college as vested stakeholders, the college honors the value that tenure brings to the institution.
8.1.0 Criteria
8.1.1 Degree
(revised 05/17/2013 board meeting)
The appropriate academic degree required for a tenured position will be the earned doctorate except as indicated in 3.1.1
In order to be considered by the committee for tenure and/or promotion, Simpson College must have documentation that the appropriate degree has been awarded. Normally, this will be a transcript that denotes the completed degree. In cases where all degree requirements have been completed but the degree has not been posted to the transcript by the degree granting institution, Simpson College may accpet a letter from the appropriate college official (typically the Registrar) that shows that all requirements have been completed and that the degree will be posted to the transcript on a date certain. Documentation of the completion of the appropriate degree must be included in the candidate’s file by the closure date.
In addition to the appropriate terminal degree as required for the rank of assistant professor, the candidate must show demonstrated success in the following areas:
8.1.2 Teaching
8.1.3 Advising
8.1.4 Professional Development, Scholarship and Achievement
8.1.5 Service to Colleagues and the College
8.2.0 Tenure for Employees with Faculty Rank
Employees with faculty rank whose assignment includes supervision and other non-teaching duties that are greater than half-time are not eligible to receive tenure. If a subsequent appointment results in a position with full-time teaching responsibility, the faculty member is then eligible for tenure consideration. Time spent in teaching as a non-tenured faculty member shall be credited toward time required for tenure on the basis of full-time equivalency.
8.3.0 Stopping the Tenure Clock
Tenure-track faculty members serve on a probationary period between the time they begin employment and the tenure decision. Under appropriate circumstances this time-period, which is specified in the faculty member’s offer letter, may be modified. At the request of the faculty member the college may agree to modify this time-period by not more than two one-year stops in the tenure clock. Any approved modification will result in a corresponding postponement of the tenure decision.
Tenure-track faculty members may request that the tenure clock be stopped for a one-year period under any of the following circumstances if the faculty member believes the circumstances would seriously impair the faculty member’s capacity to build the record of accomplishment they judge appropriate for professional satisfaction and tenure review:
- Pregnancy, childbirth, adoption or foster child placement
- Substantial caregiver responsibility for someone with whom the tenure track faculty member has a familial or household relationship/impairment.
- Physical or mental illness or impairment
- Military service
- Legal concerns, including but not limited to, the settling of estates or the processing of divorce, custody disputes, civil suits or the defense of felony criminal charges.
The above list of circumstances is not intended to be exhaustive, but instead is intended to be illustrative in nature. This policy recognizes that a variety of circumstances and conditions can occur that would make it beneficial to the faculty member and the College to temporarily stop the tenure clock.
Tenure clock stops are granted in one-year increments. A cumulative total of two years is normally the maximum period of time that the tenure clock may be stopped for any combination of reasons. Requests should be made no more than 6 months after the commencement of the qualifying event or extenuating circumstance.
A request for a tenure clock stop must be submitted in writing to the academic dean. In determining whether the request will be granted the College shall determine if, in its opinion, the circumstances identified would seriously impair the faculty member’s capacity to build the record of accomplishment necessary for successful tenure review: Approval of a request shall be automatic for any faculty member who has been granted a paid or unpaid lead of absence for one of more semesters and for any of reasons specified in paragraph (i), above. Documentation of medical reasons (other than childbirth) will be required prior to approval; documentation of other extenuating circumstances may also be required. The faculty member may appeal a denial of a request to the President of the College, whose decision on the matter shall be final. It should be noted that unless an exception is granted by the College, faculty members will serve the total number of probationary years as specified in the original contract at the time of hire (excluding any year(s) during which the tenure clock is stopped).
It is very important that all individuals and committees participating in tenure reviews understand that any individual whose tenure clock has been stopped must be held to the same standards - no lesser and no higher - as those to which all other candidates are held.
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