ARTICLE 25

                                        Tenure, Promotions , and Non-Renewal

 

Section A.  Criteria .

 

Subd. 1.  Tenure .  The decision to award tenure shall be based on the principle of a demonstrated cumulative record of positive performance and professionally competent achievement consistent with the goals of the institution over the duration of the probationary period on the criteria outlined in Article 22.  Annual evaluations that are minimally satisfactory and are used, in part, in the tenure decision, may result in the denial of tenure .

 

Subd. 2.  Promotion .  The decision to promote shall be based on a demonstrated cumulative requisite record of professional performance and high achievement appropriate to the relevant rank.

 

Section B.  Tenure .  The following procedures shall constitute the process of consideration for tenure.

 

Subd. 1.  Progress reports   completed in accordance with Article 22, Section D. along with all required forms and documents, and all information provided by the faculty member  being considered for tenure shall be sent to the immediate supervisor  by January 31.  If a faculty member  does not comply by that date, h/she shall lose protection provided in Subd. 11. below.  Failure of any faculty member to provide any required materials shall not prevent the process from continuing if the review is during the final year of the probationary period.

 

Subd. 2.  The faculty member ’s department (appropriate college at Metro State) and chair shall forward recommendations regarding tenure to the immediate supervisor .[See Art. 20, Sec. A, Subd. 4.] The faculty member  is entitled to attach comments to the recommendations.  Copies of the recommendations shall be sent to the faculty member by the chair (dean of the college at Metro State).  Failure of the department (college at Metro State) and/or chair to make a recommendation  to the immediate supervisor shall not prevent the process of review from continuing.

 


Subd. 3.  The immediate supervisor   shall provide a written assessment in accordance with Article 22, Section D, and subsequently shall provide a written recommendation  regarding tenure to the supervising Vice President .  The recommendation of the immediate supervisor shall be sent to the faculty member  in accordance with Article 5, Section A.  The faculty member  is entitled to attach comments to the recommendation.

 

Subd. 4.  After receiving the materials specified in Section B. Subd. 2. and 3. above, the supervising Vice President  shall prepare a written recommendation  regarding tenure.  Notice of a negative recommendation shall be sent to the faculty member  in accordance with Article 5, Section A.  Upon request, the faculty member  shall be given the opportunity to meet with the supervising Vice President to discuss the recommendation.  The faculty member is entitled to attach comments to the recommendation.  Such comments must be provided to the supervising Vice President by May 1.

 

Subd. 5.  The supervising Vice President shall forward a written recommendation , along with any comments from the faculty member , to the President .

 

Subd. 6.  Should a recommendation  for denial of tenure  be made by the department (college at Metro State), the chair, the immediate supervisor  or the Vice President , the President shall invite the faculty member  to meet to discuss the recommendations before a decision is made.  The faculty member  may choose to be accompanied by an Association  Representative.

 

Subd. 7.  The President , after considering the recommendations and the faculty member ’s comments, shall decide whether or not to grant tenure and shall notify the faculty member  of the decision by June 15 in accordance with Article 5, Section A.

 

Subd. 8.  The President ’s written notice of denial of tenure  shall include reasons for denial.

 

Subd. 9.  In cases of denial of tenure  in the fifth (5th) year or during the final year of a shortened probationary period , the faculty member ’s appointment  expires at the end of the subsequent academic year .

 

Subd. 10.  A probationary faculty member  who has been given notice of denial of tenure  shall, upon request, be granted an interview with the President  by January 15 of the terminal year in order to discuss his/her employment status.  Any change in the decision shall be communicated to the faculty member  in writing within fifteen (15) days.

 

Subd. 11.  During the fifth (5th) year of a probationary period or during the last year of a shortened probationary period, faculty members who are denied tenure without evaluation in compliance with Article 22 during the academic year  in which notice of denial is given shall have the decision rescinded and shall obtain an additional year of employment during which they shall re-apply for tenure. If tenure is subsequently awarded, it will be retroactive to the year following the year in which the tenure was denied due to the lack of evaluation in accordance with Article 22.  The Administration  may not intentionally avoid conducting an evaluation in order to extend the probationary period.  In the event that a faculty member  undergoes two successive tenure reviews wherein the Arbitrator reverses the decision on alleged violations of Subd. 3. through Subd. 9. above, the arbitrator is free to fashion the appropriate remedy, which may in certain cases be an award of tenure.

 

Subd.  12.  If a faculty member  voluntarily withdraws from the established tenure review process, the review shall conclude at that point.  If this is in the last year of the probationary period, the faculty member ’s appointment  will terminate at the end of the subsequent year.

 

Section C.  Promotion .  The criteria to be used in the promotion process shall include those described in Article 22, Section B.  The following shall constitute the process for consideration for promotion.

 

Subd. 1.  A faculty member  seeking promotion shall give notice of intent to the immediate supervisor  by November 15.  The faculty member  completes an application for promotion and sends a copy, along with supporting documentation, to the department/unit through the chair.  The recommendation  of the department/unit and of the chair [See Article 20, Section A., Subd. 4.], with all documentation, shall be sent to the immediate supervisor by January 31, with copies sent to the faculty member by the chair.

 

Subd. 2.  A copy of the immediate supervisor ’s proposed recommendation shall be given to the faculty member .  After receipt of this recommendation , the faculty member  shall be given the opportunity to meet with the immediate supervisor.  The faculty member may submit written comments to the Vice President  regarding the immediate supervisor’s recommendations.

 

Subd. 3.  The supervising Vice President ’s recommendation shall be sent to the President by May 1.  A copy of the Vice President’s recommendations shall be sent to the faculty member .  Upon receipt of the Vice President’s recommendation , the faculty member  may request an interview with the President before the President decides on the request for promotion.  The President’s decision shall be conveyed to the faculty member in writing by June 15.

 

Subd. 4.  The President ’s decision to grant or to deny promotion shall not be arbitrary or capricious.  Processing of any subsequent applications for promotion shall take into account the areas of deficiency upon which promotion was denied.

 

Subd. 5.  A faculty  member  who is not promoted may, upon request, meet with the President  or designee  to discuss the President’s decision.  The faculty member  may request, and shall be furnished, written indication of deficiencies and guidance concerning appropriate action to overcome such deficiencies.

 

Subd. 6.  Failure of the department/unit or chair to make a recommendation  to the immediate supervisor  by January 31 shall not preclude the president from making a promotion decision.

 


Subd. 7.  Length of service in rank and at the university  may be a factor in consideration for promotion.  Normally, three (3) years in rank, with two (2) evaluations conducted in accordance with Article 22, will be a minimum prerequisite for consideration for promotion.  (See Article 22).    All full-time faculty whose appointments are effective after the beginning of the academic year  shall be considered as having begun service at the beginning of that academic year.  Faculty  members who do not receive a full evaluation under Article 22 shall not be denied consideration for promotion.

 

Subd. 8.  All promotions shall take effect on the first duty day of the subsequent year as indicated in the appointment  form.

 

Subd. 9.  An instructor shall be promoted to Assistant Professor  upon being granted tenure.

 

 

Section  D.  Non-Renewal of Probationary Faculty .  A recommendation  for non-renewal of a probationary faculty member  may be made by the appropriate department, immediate supervisor  or Vice President .

 

Subd. 1.  Should a recommendation  for non-renewal be made , the President  shall invite the faculty member  to meet with him/her to discuss the recommendation before his/her decision is made.  The faculty member  may be accompanied by an IFO  representative.

 

   Subd. 2.  Notice of non-renewal of probationary faculty shall be as follows.

       

           a.   For first year faculty, the notice of non-renewal shall be given no later than November 1

                  of  the  second academic year  of their appointment .  Following notice of non-renewal, the

                  faculty  membe r shall have employment through the remainder of his/her second  academic

                  year.

 

                 b.                 For all other faculty, the notice of non-renewal shall be given no later than August 1.

            

                 Following notice of non-renewal, the faculty member