1.                  To be eligible to apply for tenure, a faculty member will have (a) taught at MUW for six years in a tenure-track position, unless credit toward tenure was awarded upon hiring; and (b) received satisfactory evaluations in the three areas listed in 2 (a), (b), and (c) below.  Documentation of years awarded toward tenure should be included in the portfolio.

2.                  Criteria to be used in recommendations regarding tenure include the following, with the greatest weight being given to the first criterion:

a.                  Excellence in teaching and advising as evidenced by demonstrated knowledge of the individual's area of academic appointment, ability to help students discover that knowledge in substantive and meaningful ways, updating knowledge and skills, designing new courses, regularly revising existing courses, and university-wide outreach to students including support for admissions and retention efforts.

b.                  Quality and extent of scholarly and professional activities, which may include research, writing, performing and other creative work, publications, presenting papers, professional and scholarly services, activity in professional organizations, and grant activity to funding sources outside the University.

c.                  Quality and extent of service to the division and the entire University, which may include committee work; administrative duties, if assigned; involvement with student activities; and other means of maintaining and improving the ongoing life of the institution.  Working with other people is essential to the maintenance of a collegial environment; therefore, professional ethics, cooperativeness, resourcefulness and responsibility will be considered, as will service to the community at large.

3.                  Application for tenure is mandatory only for a faculty member employed in a designated tenure track position (after the adoption of P.S. #1302--November, 1983). The faculty member must apply in the spring of the sixth year in a tenure track position (minus years of credit toward tenure).   Years granted toward tenure are binding on the faculty member as well as on the University.

4.                  Applications for tenure will be prepared by the individual faculty member who is solely responsible for the content and organization.  The application will be submitted to the Department Chair.  As a courtesy, the dean or department chair may provide some general assistance. 

5.                  A faculty member's application for promotion and/or tenure:

a.                  Must clearly address and document proof of accomplishments in each of the three areas described in Item 2 above (and on the standard request for promotion and/or tenure form available in the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs).

b.                  Must include at least three letters of recommendation, but no more than five, from colleagues and/or other professional peers (which may include those at other institutions) who can address the individual's performance in the areas of professional activity referred to in 13 a, b, and c.

c.                  Must include annual evaluations for each year under consideration for promotion and/or tenure.

d.                  May include written student evaluations from students in classes taught during the years under consideration.

e.                  Must include numerical student evaluations. 

f.                    May include peer evaluations and other evidence of quality teaching, professional development, and service, if submitted by the faculty member.

6.                  A written recommendation evaluating the individual's application credentials and the candidate’s portfolio will be forwarded by the College’s  Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committee to the Dean for review.  At the same time, the Department Chair will conduct an independent review and prepare a written recommendation evaluating the candidate’s portfolio which will be forwarded to the Dean.  The Dean will review the candidate’s portfolio, make an independent recommendation, and forward all materials to the Chief Academic Officer.  The Chief Academic Officer will review all applications for completeness and forward all materials, regardless of recommendations, to the University Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committee.

7.                  A University Faculty Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committee and separate College Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committees will be elected/selected each year following procedures and guidelines specified in PS #1303: Promotion of Faculty.

8.                  The University Faculty Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committee will review and recommend approval or disapproval of each application for tenure submitted to them.  For the Committee to recommend approval, a majority of the committee members must approve.

9.                  The recommendation of the University Faculty Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committee will be forwarded to the Chief Academic Officer, who will recommend approval or disapproval to the President.   In the event of an unfavorable decision from the University Faculty Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committee, the faculty member may elect to appeal to the Faculty Appeals Committee. The recommendation of the Faculty Appeals Committee, whether favorable or unfavorable, will be forwarded to the Chief Academic Officer, who will attach the recommendations of the Faculty Appeals Committee to those of the University Promotion, Tenure, and Post-Tenure Review Committee and will recommend approval or disapproval to the President.

10.             If the application is approved by the President, the President will send a letter to the candidate stating it is approved, with a copy to the Chief Academic Officer and the appropriate Dean and Department Chair.  If the application is rejected by the President, the President will send a written report of the unfavorable decision and the reason(s) for it to the faculty member concerned, with a copy to the Chief Academic Officer and the appropriate Dean and Department Chair.

11.             At each stage in the process, the committee or administrator will report their decision in writing to the faculty member concerned and to the appropriate Dean and Department Chair. The reasons for an unfavorable decision will be described in detail in this report.

12.             By September 30 of each academic year, the Chief Academic Officer will establish the date by which each stage of the process is to be accomplished and inform the faculty of those dates.

13.             Tenure can be awarded only by the Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning.  If the President determines that tenure is warranted, the President will recommend tenure to the IHL Board.  If the IHL Board approves tenure, the President will notify the faculty member, with copies of the letter to the Chief Academic Officer and the appropriate Dean and Department Chair.

14.             If tenure is not to be awarded, the President will notify the faculty member, with copies of the letter to the Chief Academic Officer and the appropriate Dean and Department Chair.   The faculty member occupying a tenure track position at the end of the sixth year of service will be given employment for one additional year only (P.S. # 1302). If no application is submitted or the application is withdrawn by the candidate, the right to one additional year of employment is waived.

15.             For the purposes of this policy, the Culinary Arts Institute and the Library shall each be viewed as a college and the director of these units will fulfill the responsibilities assigned by this policy to the dean. 

Revised:  7/23/02, 12/6/05
Reviewed: 12/19/03, 09/04