If a university is to perform its function effectively, it is
essential that faculty members be free to express new ideas and divergent
viewpoints in their teaching and scholarship.
In the process of teaching and scholarship, accepted “truths” often must
be challenged and questioned. A
university must create an atmosphere that encourages faculty members to express
ideas and divergent viewpoints, and to pursue inquiries. Such an atmosphere exists at The University
of Texas at Arlington, and tenure is essential to this atmosphere.
The decision to grant tenure and/or to promote a faculty
member is among the most vital that take place in a university. The excellence of a university and its
reputation and standing among its peers are determined by the achievements of
its faculty and graduates. Accordingly,
the promotion of faculty members and the granting of tenure are based primarily
on demonstrated performance in three areas of professional responsibility: (1) teaching; (2) scholarship; and (3) service to the institution
and the profession.
Each academic unit must provide
clear guidance to faculty members relating to performance evaluation. Each academic unit must develop detailed
written standards that define the unit’s expectations for promotion and tenure
and include specific descriptions of the evidence required to demonstrate distinction
in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. This is essential for conducting annual performance reviews as
well as for setting objectives for the promotion and tenure process. These guidelines shall be made available to
all faculty in the academic unit and a copy shall be included in the faculty
member’s dossier through all the stages of review. The following principles shall inform the development of the
unit’s standards for promotion and tenure.
A. Teaching
Faculty members seeking promotion and/or tenure are expected
to demonstrate effective teaching of undergraduate and graduate students (where
applicable). Because teaching
effectiveness is not accurately assessed by a single indicator, a variety of
indicators may be utilized. All faculty
members being considered for promotion and/or tenure are expected to provide a
statement elaborating their approach to teaching and their teaching philosophy,
as well as a summary of student responses to the university-mandated
teaching-evaluation questions for every class taught. In addition, the faculty member’s application for tenure and/or
promotion should be supplemented with some or all of the following:
1. Student ratings, grade
distributions, and number of students taught.
2. Teaching assignments (to
include course number, title and semester taught) and course syllabi.
3. Evidence of willingness
and ability to supervise independent studies, to prepare graduate students for
qualifying examinations, and to direct theses and dissertations.
4. Evidence of willingness
and ability to undertake administrative activities that are directly related to
curriculum development and to assume duties of student advising.
5. Evidence of contribution
to improving teaching effectiveness such as the development, implementation,
and publication of innovative educational methods and materials.
B. Scholarship
Faculty members seeking promotion and/or tenure are expected
to demonstrate distinction in the area of scholarship. Excellence in scholarship may be
demonstrated by creative activity and/or research. Documentation of excellence will include the informed judgment of
the faculty member’s peers. Evidence
of scholarship may include, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Scholarly books,
chapters, essays, or peer reviewed journal articles published or certified as
accepted for publication, and editorial activities.
2. Significant creative and
professional work (e.g., art, architecture, theater, music, film, dance),
awards for creative writing, and special recognition for performances,
exhibits, or achievement.
3. Sponsored activities,
funded grants and contracts received, and intellectual properties developed.
C. Service
Faculty members seeking promotion and/or tenure are expected
to participate as citizens of the university and of the profession. Service to the university may include
membership in governance bodies and committees, administrative duties, program
planning and development, and special administrative assignments. Service to the profession may involve assisting
various constituencies in areas related to the faculty member’s area of
expertise. Because of the diversity of
units and variations in the extent and character of their external
interactions, service activities will be manifested differently but will have a
common connectedness to teaching and scholarship. Documentation of service activity may include, but is not
limited to, the following:
1. Offices held and
committee membership and contributions at the department, School, College and
University levels.
2. Service and offices held
in professional associations.
3. Involvement in community
events related to area of professional expertise.
4. Participation at the
local, state, national and international levels in activities related to area
of professional expertise.
5. Promoting alumni support
for the university.
6. Active involvement in
student recruitment and retention.
7. Television and radio
appearances, as well as newspaper and newsletter editorials, of a professional
nature.
8. Clinical practice or
activities.
9. Service on a
professional certification body.
A comprehensive review of each tenure-track faculty-member’s
progress toward tenure will be conducted annually by the department or School
Promotion and Tenure (P/T) committee.
Each academic unit must establish written protocols for materials to be
submitted by the candidate and a deadline for submission. The committee will develop a written report
on the faculty member’s teaching, scholarship, and service, describing the
accomplishments of the faculty member and detailing any deficiencies that need
to be addressed. The committee will
vote, by secret ballot, regarding reappointment and the results of the vote
will be included in the committee’s report.
Copies of the report will be provided to the faculty member and to the departmental
chair or, in the case of the Schools, to the dean of the School within ten (10)
working days of the vote. In the case
of the Colleges, the department chair shall place in writing a recommendation
to reappoint or not reappoint the tenure-track faculty member and forward the
recommendation to the dean. The deans
of the Colleges and the Schools shall review the recommendation and make an
independent recommendation to reappoint or not reappoint and forward all the
recommendations to the provost. Copies
of all the recommendations will be placed in the faculty member’s dossier where
they will be retained indefinitely.
The Office of the Provost will initiate the promotion and
tenure process each year by informing deans of the timeline for submission of
promotion and tenure dossiers to the Provost.
Deans shall use this timeline to develop an internal timeline and
communicate this timeline to all faculty members in their units. A description of the required dossier
materials and their format is available at http://www.uta.edu/uta/tnp or from
the Office of the Provost.
Faculty in Colleges will begin the review process with their
department P/T Committee. Faculty in
Schools will begin the review process with their School P/T Committee.
A. Department P/T Committee Review
1. Committee Composition
Departments will establish departmental P/T committees. Departmental committees will have a minimum
membership of three (3) tenured faculty.
Committee size, composition (number of faculty in each rank),
membership, and term of office will be decided by vote of the tenured and
tenure track voting faculty of the department.
Deans, assistant and associate deans, chairs or equivalent are not eligible to serve on the committee. If the department lacks sufficient tenured
faculty members to constitute a committee, qualified faculty from related
disciplines shall be selected by vote of the voting faculty of the department.
2. Committee Duties
The Department P/T Committee will review the faculty member’s
submitted materials and develop a written report. The report should recommend tenure or denial of tenure, or, if
appropriate, promotion. A vote on the
recommendation by all tenured faculty in the department shall be conducted by
secret ballot and the results recorded in the report. The report shall be added to the dossier and forwarded to the
department chair.
B. Department Chair Review
The department chair will review the recommendation made by
the department P/T Committee, the vote of tenured faculty (if applicable), and
the faculty member’s dossier and make an independent written recommendation
regarding tenure and/or promotion. This
recommendation shall be added to the dossier and forwarded to the College P/T
Committee.
C. College P/T Committee Review
1. Committee
Composition
The College will establish a College P/T committee. The College P/T committee will have a
minimum membership of three (3) tenured faculty. Committee size, composition (number of faculty in each rank),
membership, and term of office will be decided by vote of the tenured and
tenure track voting faculty of the College.
Committee members will be elected in a manner prescribed by the voting
members of the College faculty. Deans,
assistant and associate deans, chairs or equivalent are not eligible to serve
on the committee. If the College lacks
sufficient tenured faculty members to constitute a committee, qualified faculty
from related disciplines shall be selected by vote of the voting faculty of the
College.
2.
Committee Duties
The College P/T committee will review department P/T
committee and department chair recommendations, offer an independent evaluation
of the faculty member’s dossier, and make a written recommendation regarding
tenure and/or promotion. A vote by
secret ballot shall be conducted and the results of the vote recorded in the
report. Any dissenting viewpoints from
committee members shall be included in the report. The report shall be added to the dossier and forwarded to the
dean.
D. School P/T Committee Review
1. Committee Composition
Schools will establish P/T committees. School P/T committees will have a minimum
membership of three (3) tenured faculty. Committee size, composition (number of
faculty in each rank), membership, and term of office will be decided by vote
of the tenured and tenure-track voting faculty of the School. Deans, assistant and associate deans, chairs
or equivalent are not eligible to serve on the committee. If the School lacks sufficient tenured
faculty members to constitute a committee, qualified faculty from related
disciplines shall be selected by vote of the voting faculty of that School.
2.
Committee Duties
The School P/T Committee will review the faculty member’s
submitted materials and develop a written report. The report should recommend tenure or denial of tenure, or, if
appropriate, promotion. A vote by
secret ballot shall be conducted and the results of the vote recorded in the
report. The report shall be added to
the dossier and forwarded to the dean.
E. Dean Review
The dean will review the previous recommendations and the
faculty member’s dossier, make an independent assessment and recommend, in
writing, tenure or denial of tenure, or, if appropriate, promotion. This
recommendation shall be added to the faculty member’s dossier and forwarded to
the University P/T Committee.
F. University P/T Committee Review
1. Committee Composition
The University P/T Committee shall consist of the provost, the
vice president for research, and the dean of the graduate school. The chair of the Faculty Senate’s Academic
Freedom and Tenure committee will be present to observe the deliberations of
the University P/T Committee as an ex officio, non-participating member and may
submit to the President written reactions, observations, and/or concerns about
the review process.
2. Committee Duties
The University P/T Committee shall review
the previous recommendations and all information contained in the faculty
member’s dossier. The University P/T
Committee shall meet with the dean of the faculty member’s School or College to
discuss the recommendations and submitted materials. The president shall attend these discussions. The committee shall recommend whether to
tenure and/or promote the faculty member.
A vote shall be conducted and the result, along with the recommendation,
reported to the president.
G. Presidential and
Board of Regents Action
Upon receipt of the candidate’s full
dossier and recommendation from the University P/T Committee, the president
shall render one of the following decisions:
1. Recommend to the Board of Regents a
tenure-track faculty member for tenure and promotion. Tenure and promotion will be awarded pending approval of the
Board of Regents.
2. Deny the tenure-track faculty member’s request
for tenure and promotion. The president
shall inform the faculty member of the decision within ten (10) working days of
reaching it. If the decision occurs at the end of the probationary period, the
president shall inform the faculty member that he/she will not be reappointed,
that the next academic year will be the terminal year, and that the faculty
member has exhausted the opportunities for tenure and promotion.
3. Recommend to the Board of Regents a tenured faculty member for
promotion. Promotion will be awarded
pending approval of the Board of Regents.
4. Deny a tenured faculty member promotion.
The president shall inform the faculty member of the decision within ten (10)
working days of reaching it.
Sec. 6-306 Outside Reviewer Letters
The departmental P/T committee shall be the primary authority
for evaluating the faculty member’s teaching effectiveness, service
contributions, scholarly, creative and/or professional work. Independent outside reviews shall be used as
supplementary evaluation of the faculty member’s scholarly, creative and/or
professional contributions to his/her discipline. Each department/School P/T committee shall use the following
procedure to obtain outside review letters.
A. Number and Selection of Reviewers
The dossier must include a minimum of six (6) outside review
letters, at least three (3) of which should come from a list of reviewers
nominated by the department/School P/T Committee, and at least three (3) from a
list of reviewers nominated by the candidate. All outside review letters
received shall be included in the candidate’s dossier.
B.
Qualifications of Reviewers
1. Outside reviewers must
be respected scholars of appropriate rank or stature who serve in the faculty
member’s field of training, specialty, or a closely related field.
2. Individuals who have served as dissertation
committee members or co-authors with
the faculty member shall not be selected as outside reviewers.
C.
Administrative Responsibility
1.
The department/School P/T Committee shall prepare letters requesting
outside reviews.
2.
The chair of the department/School P/T Committee shall ensure that
outside reviewers are given enough time to meet the deadlines for the tenure
and promotion process.
3.
The chair of the department/School P/T Committee shall ensure that the
candidate is notified when outside review letters have been requested and
received.
D.
Content of Letters Requesting Outside Reviews
1.
Letters requesting an outside review shall specifically ask for an
evaluation of the faculty member’s record of scholarly, creative and/or
professional work in his/her discipline, a general assessment of his/her vita,
and how they know the faculty member.
The material for review should include a sample of the faculty member's
most significant published or creative/professional works as determined by the
faculty member.
2. The contents of all outside review letters
will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law and University
regulations. Consequently, all letters requesting an outside review must
include the following statement: Under University policy, your letter will
become a part of the official tenure and promotion dossier and will be held in
confidence to the extent permitted by law and University regulations.
E.
Summary
of the Outside Review Process
The
chair of the department/School P/T Committee shall prepare a summary of the
results of the outside review process.
This summary shall list the name, position, and organization of each
person from whom evaluations were requested but shall not specify whether the
request originated with the candidate or the committee. Additionally, for those whose letters are
included in the dossier, the chair’s summary shall include relevant information
about the reviewers’ professional/academic qualifications for evaluating the
candidate for tenure and/or promotion.
All committee proceedings and discussions will be strictly
confidential to the extent permitted by law and University regulations. Committee members shall not divulge any
information pertaining to their committee meetings, discussions, or
recommendations.
Sec. 6-308. Review
of Tenure and Promotion Decisions
A. It is the right of
a faculty member to appeal an unfavorable tenure and/or promotion decision once
it has been rendered by the president.
Upon receipt of a negative decision by the president, the faculty member
will have five (5) working days in which to file with the provost, a written
notice of the intent to grieve the decision.
Upon receipt of the written notice, the Provost will schedule a meeting
with the faculty member within ten (10) working days. The faculty member may present a grievance, in person, to the
Provost on an issue or subject related to the decision to deny tenure and/or
promotion. The Provost shall notify the
faculty member of the result of the grievance within ten (10) working days. The decision is not subject to further
review except as provided by Section B below.
B.
A decision to deny tenure and promotion that results in a notification
that the subsequent academic year will be the terminal year of appointment is
subject to review under Part One, Chapter III, Subdivision 6.35 of the Regents’
Rules and Regulations. In accordance
with Subparagraph 6.352 a review by a hearing tribunal shall be granted only in
those cases where the affected faculty member submits a written request for
review by a hearing tribunal to the president and describes in detail the facts
relied upon to prove that the decision was made for reasons that are unlawful
under the Constitution or laws of Texas or the United States. Such a request
for a hearing must be submitted within ten (10) working days of the written
notification to the faculty member that the subsequent academic year will be
the terminal year of appointment. If
the president determines that the alleged facts, if proven by credible
evidence, support a conclusion that the decision was made for unlawful reasons,
such allegations shall be heard by a hearing tribunal. The president shall, within fifteen (15)
working days of receipt of the written request for review schedule a day and
time for the hearing. The hearing shall
be conducted in accordance with the procedures in Regents Rules, Part One,
Chapter III, Subsection 6.3 as in the case of dismissal for cause, with
the following exceptions:
1. The burden of proof is upon the affected
faculty member to establish by the greater weight of the credible evidence that
the decision in question was made for reasons that are unlawful under the
Constitution or laws of Texas or the United States;
2. The administration of the university need
not state the reasons for the questioned decision or offer evidence in support
thereof unless the affected faculty member presents credible evidence that, if
unchallenged, proves the decision was made for unlawful reasons;
3. The hearing tribunal shall make written
findings and recommendations based on the evidence presented at the hearing and
shall forward such findings and recommendations with the transcript and
exhibits from the hearing to the president;
4. The president may approve, reject, or amend
the recommendations of the hearing tribunal or may reach different conclusions
based upon the record of the hearing.
The decision of the president shall be final and communicated to the
faculty members within fifteen (15) working days from the receipt of the
hearing tribunal’s written report.