The FPC conducts the review for faculty midway to tenure. Normally, this will happen in the third year of appointment for faculty with a six-year probationary appointment. If a faculty member is hired with one or more years of previous service credited towards his/her tenure review, the midway review will take place in the year that is half-way to their tenure year. For example, a faculty member given three years’ credit towards tenure would be reviewed in his/her second year of service.
The FPC will appoint one of its members to chair the review committee for the faculty member under mid-probationary review. Each faculty member under review will have a different review committee. Whenever possible, the FPC member chairing the review committee will not be a member of the division of the faculty member under review.
The file created for mid-probationary review described in this section is open to the candidate, the members of the FPC, the members of the review committee, the chair of the department, the division head, the academic dean and the president of the college. The documents submitted for the files are the property of the college.
4.1.0 Evaluation Procedures for Faculty Midway to Tenure
4.1.1 Timing and Procedures
4.1.1.1 The Semester Before the Review
(revised 02/03/2012 board meeting)
- The designated FPC member meets with the candidate to determine dates of the review, and membership of the review committee.
- The review committee consists of the FPC member, the department chair, division head and one tenured faculty member from outside the department. If the faculty member under review is serving as the department chair and/or the division head, a tenured faculty member from the candidate’s department (or division, if the department lacks a tenured faculty member) will serve on the review committee. The selection of that tenured faculty member will be made by the Review Committee Chair. The review committee is chaired by the FPC member.
- The person under review provides the review committee chair with the names of three tenured faculty members from outside the department, one of whom will be asked by the review committee chair to serve on the review committee.If the faculty member under review wants to include an outside evaluator as a part of the review process, she or he will provide the review committee chair with the names of three faculty members within the discipline at other institutions, one of whom will be asked by the review committee chair to serve as an off-campus evaluator.
- If an off-campus evaluator is used, their role will be to provide the review committee an objective evaluation of the faculty member under review using the accepted criteria for tenure and promotion. The evaluation will be based on a review of the materials in the file and evidence gathered during a campus visit. The selection of the outside evaluator and campus visit will be governed by guidelines approved by the FPC (see Simpson College Faculty Handbook Part VII: Appendix C ).
4.1.2 The Semester of the Review
- A file is created in the academic dean’s office. As part of all regular reviews, the chair of FPC will announce the review. Signed letters will be accepted for the candidates file in the academic dean’s office. The letters should address the criteria for reappointment, promotion and tenure as stated in Simpson College Faculty Handbook Part II: Personnel Policies, Section 7 . (See Simpson College Faculty Handbook Part VII: Appendix B for details regarding the guidelines.) The FPC chair also announces the deadline for the closing of the file.
- A file is created in the academic dean’s office to hold these letters. The file includes the candidate’s current vita, teaching evaluations, and all letters submitted during the process. The candidate will write a self-evaluation and submit a current vita and syllabi for the file. The candidate will be permitted to review the file.
- The first meeting of the review committee is organizational. The committee reviews the conflict of interest policy and organizes class visits.
- Each member of the committee sits in on at least one class, individually interviews the candidate and reviews the file.
- If an off-campus evaluator is used, the committee chair arranges for the visit of the off-campus evaluator. The evaluator summarizes her or his findings and sends a letter to the review committee for inclusion in the file.
- At the second meeting, the review committee discusses the substance of the letter that will summarize its findings. The committee chair drafts the formal letter and, after approval by members of the committee, sends it to the candidate. The letter should address the four criteria outlined in Simpson College Faculty Handbook Part II: Personnel Policies, Section 7 on teaching, advising, professional development and service. The letter should focus on the materials gained through the review process and found in the file.
- Once the candidate has received the letter, a meeting with the committee is scheduled so that the faculty member has an opportunity to respond to it. After the meeting, the committee may or may not revise the letter as it deems appropriate.
- The letter is submitted to the FPC.
- The FPC reviews the file, meets with the candidate and makes recommendation regarding reappointment for the following year of the faculty member to the academic dean.
- The academic dean makes a recommendation to the president of the college, who will then make the decision. The academic dean shares the decisions of the FPC, the dean, and the president in a personal meeting with the faculty member and writes a concluding statement for the candidate’s personnel file. The concluding statement is shared with the candidate and with the FPC.
- A decision against reappointment will be reviewed by the FPC upon the written request of the faculty member. The request must be sent to the chair of the FPC within 30 days of the faculty member receiving the negative reappointment decision.
|
