AA/PPS 04.02.01 - Development and Evaluation of Tenure-Track Faculty

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to providing tenure-track faculty with regular reappointment reviews of their teaching, scholarly, and academic expertise for continued professional growth and contributions.

1. BACKGROUND

   1. The purpose of this policy is to provide the framework for the development and implementation of review and communication procedures for the reappointment of tenure-track faculty. The years preceding a tenure-track faculty member’s application for tenure and promotion constitute a probationary period. During this period, the faculty member’s performance is carefully assessed for progress in meeting performance expectations for tenure and promotion. Supplementary policy and procedure statements are available in each college, department, and/or school. Ultimately, faculty appointments must be approved by the Texas State University System (TSUS) Chancellor and the Board of Regents, based on the president’s recommendations with input from the provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs (EVPAA). The provost and EVPAA is the Chief Academic Officer and plays a crucial role in shaping institutional decisions and guiding the academic vision of the university, which includes having authority over faculty appointments, development, promotion, and tenure.

   2. Texas State University will not discriminate against any person in employment or exclude any person from participating in or receiving the benefits of any of its activities or programs on any basis prohibited by law, including race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, veterans’ status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Equal employment opportunities shall include: personnel transactions of recruitment, employment, training, upgrading, promotion, demotion, termination, and salary.

   3. This policy describes the procedure and criteria for evaluation and reappointment of full-time, probationary faculty. All tenure-track faculty participate in two types of evaluations, including:

      1. Annual Performance Evaluation – a retrospective review of a faculty member’s prior achievements via annual performance evaluation required of all faculty in AA/PPS No. 04.02.10, Performance Evaluation of Continuing Faculty and Post-Tenure Review that is conducted in the spring of each academic year with faculty required to submit their materials in Faculty Qualifications no later than January 31 every year; and

      2. Tenure-Track Reappointment Evaluation – a prospective review of a faculty member’s progress toward meeting standards for tenure and promotion that results in reappointment decisions.

   4. The model described below is based on a typical full six-year tenure-track period. Formative reviews are conducted regularly. A summative review is required in the third year. The mid-term summative review for tenure-track faculty who have negotiated a shortened probationary period will be conducted at a time that is specified by the department chair or school director and the personnel committee. The time for this review should be stipulated when negotiating the initial contract or determined during the first year of the probationary period. Faculty with years of credit toward the tenure probationary period are evaluated with the years credited included in the determination of their review year. For example, a faculty member who receives two years credit toward the probationary period will be evaluated as a third-year faculty member and will have their first reappointment review at Texas State be implemented as third year summative review.

   5. At least once each academic year, the chair or director is required to meet with each tenure-track faculty member to discuss relevant policy and procedure statements, explain departmental, college, and university expectations, and provide information regarding requirements that tenure-track faculty must fulfill to be recommended for reappointment and ultimately, for tenure and promotion. In each review, the chair or director will provide constructive feedback, communicate strengths as well as concerns about the tenure-track faculty member’s performance, describe expectations for appropriate documentation and evidence of progress, and note that failure to improve might jeopardize continuing employment, as well as tenure and promotion, at the university.

   6. Tenure-track faculty should be advised that evaluations are derived from teaching, scholarly, and service activities documented in the university’s Faculty Qualifications System using the Texas State vita format. Academic units are responsible for communicating expectations for documentation required for the tenure-track reappointment review process (e.g., teaching evaluations, narratives, and examples of scholarly work).

2. FIRST-YEAR TENURE-TRACK FACULTY EXPECTATIONS

   1. In the first contract year, effectiveness in the classroom (e.g., mastery of the subject matter, the ability to communicate with students, and the ability to create a classroom environment conducive to learning) is crucial to successful progress toward tenure. The chair or director and personnel committee member faculty are responsible for ensuring that first-year tenure-track faculty members receive as much guidance as may be necessary.

   2. The chair or director, assigned mentors, and members of the department or school personnel committee must observe the first-year tenure-track faculty member’s performance in the classroom at least three times during the academic year to assess their strengths and weaknesses as a teacher, giving particular attention to classroom environment and interaction between teacher and students, and mentor faculty member appropriately based classroom on observations. AA/PPS No. 02.03.01, Conduct and Planning of Courses serve as a useful guide for chairs or directors and first-year tenure-track faculty members.

   3. An equally important objective for a first-year tenure-track faculty member is to initiate research, creative and scholarly contributions such as articles in refereed academic journals, chapters in books, performances, books, monographs, grants, exhibitions, conference presentations, peer review of creative works, and effectively using start-up funding leading to external funding grant application submissions.

   4. Although the first-year tenure-track faculty member’s priorities are excellence in teaching and the development of a scholarly agenda, they will also be expected to devote limited and targeted time and energy to university service at the department or school level, service to a professional organization, and community engagement.

   5. The annual performance review required of all faculty in AA/PPS No. 04.02.10, Performance Evaluation of Continuing Faculty and Post-Tenure Review concurrently serves as the opportunity for first-year tenure-track faculty to receive feedback and guidance related to tenure and promotion. This annual performance review occurs in the spring of each academic year and results in a dean’s decision to “Reappoint for One Year” or “Reappoint with Terminal Contract.”

3. SECOND-YEAR TENURE-TRACK FACULTY EXPECTATIONS

   1. In the second-year, tenure-track faculty members should follow the first-year guidelines. In addition to teaching and scholarly and creative responsibilities, tenure-track faculty members should continue limited and targeted service. The chair or director and personnel committee faculty members should monitor the second-year faculty member’s progress through informal dialogue and at least two classroom visitations. Student evaluations of teaching should be one of the factors in the personnel committee’s evaluation. In addition, progress on research projects and creative and scholarly work should be included in the personnel committee’s evaluation.

   2. Tenure-track evaluations for second-year tenure-track faculty occur in the spring of each academic year. This review results in a provost and EVPAA’s decision to “Reappoint for One Year” or “Reappoint with Terminal Contract.” These probationary faculty are evaluated during the annual performance review required of all faculty.

4. PROCEDURES FOR THIRD-YEAR REVIEW

   1. During the spring semester of the third-year, faculty participate in the annual performance review required of all faculty as well as a summative review designed to assess the tenure-track faculty member’s cumulative record as a teacher and scholar and to determine whether they are on track to meet department/school, college, and institutional expectations. During the third-year summative review, the chair or director should consult with tenure-track faculty members regarding their past and present performance and future plans. The consultation will provide an opportunity for the chair or director to identify the faculty member’s strengths, suggest ways to overcome any concerns or weaknesses, and provide expectations on the documentation needed for the third-year review. The reappointment decisions should be based largely upon the faculty member’s ability and willingness to:

      1. stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity, communicate effectively with students in lectures, studio situations and conferences, and provide current student evaluations showing evidence of high-quality teaching along with evidence of student achievements (e.g., outstanding research projects, noteworthy creative endeavors, awards, honors, positive student evaluations, and other evidence);

      2. provide evidence of peer-reviewed scholarly and creative activity as specified by department or school policy, which may include major research projects, performances and productions, books or published monographs, journal articles, major works, exhibitions, external and internal funding activity, and the development of laboratory or field research;

      3. provide materials showing evidence of the targeted service and leadership endeavors; and

      4. maintain harmonious effective working relationships with colleagues.

   2. The department or school personnel committee’s recommendation “Reappoint for One Year” or “Reappoint with Terminal Contract.” A tenure-track faculty member’s contract should be founded on evidence regarding teaching, scholarship, and service, including effective working relationships with colleagues. The decision is directly related to the faculty member’s satisfactory progress toward meeting criteria for tenure and promotion at this midpoint of the probationary period. After reviewing the department or school personnel committee’s recommendation on each faculty member undergoing third-year review, the chair or director will forward that recommendation along with the chair’s or director’s recommendation to the college dean. The packet submitted by the chair or director may include copies of evaluative letters from any faculty colleagues, copies of letters from the chair or director to the faculty member regarding the results of the department’s or school’s annual reviews and third-year review, and other appropriate materials regarding the faculty member’s performance.

   3. The college dean will review the recommendation of the department or school personnel committee, the chair or director’s recommendation, and will make their own recommendation to “Reappoint for One Year” or “Reappoint with Terminal Contract” a tenure-track faculty member’s contract. The dean will then forward all recommendations on faculty undergoing third-year review to the provost and EVPAA.

      The college dean’s recommendation to the provost and EVPAA by the dean should include copies of letters from the chair or director to the probationer regarding the results of the department’s or school’s annual reviews and department, school, and college’s third-year review. The provost and EVPAA makes the final decision to “Reappoint for One Year” or “Reappoint with Terminal Contract.”

   4. An unsatisfactory third-year tenure-track summative review leads to issuance of a terminal contract.

5. PROCEDURES FOR FOURTH- AND FIFTH-YEAR REVIEWS

   1. In the fourth contract year, faculty members must demonstrate sustained growth and development in their research and scholarly and creative records along with successful teaching and service. The annual performance review is required of all faculty in AA/PPS No. 04.02.10, Performance Evaluation of Continuing Faculty and Post-Tenure Review and concurrently completes a fourth-year tenure-track faculty reappointment evaluation to receive feedback and guidance related to tenure and promotion. This review occurs in the spring of each academic year and results in a provost and EVPAA decision to “Reappoint for One Year” or “Reappoint with Terminal Contract.”

   2. In the fifth year, the chair or director and department or school personnel committee should assess the faculty member’s progress and development in the key areas previously identified (teaching, scholarly and creative activity, and service) with a continuing emphasis on excellence. The faculty member undergoes the annual performance review required of all faculty in the spring of each academic year and concurrently completes a fifth-year tenure-track summative reappointment evaluation to receive feedback and guidance related to tenure and promotion. This review occurs in the spring of each academic year and results in a provost and EVPAA decision to “Reappoint for One Year” or “Reappoint with Terminal Contract.”

   3. The chair or director, as well as any assigned mentor or other party, is expected to advise tenure-track faculty members concerning the assembly of required documents for the upcoming sixth year mandatory tenure deliberations. The candidate, along with the chair or director, are responsible for accurate and complete documentation in each candidate’s file.

6. PROCEDURES FOR TENURE AND PROMOTION PACKET SUBMISSION

   1. In the sixth contract year, tenure-track faculty members must document the development and maintenance of excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative endeavors, and service. In preparation for the tenure review, tenure-track faculty members should assemble the documentation and materials required in and by college, department and/or school policies and submit in accordance with the Tenure and Promotion Calander published each year by the Faculty & Academic Resources office.

   2. Further information about the tenure review process may be found in AA/PPS No. 04.02.20, Tenure-Line Faculty Tenure and Promotion Review; TSUS Rules and Regulations, Chapter V, Sections 4.2 and 4.7; and the section on academic tenure in the Faculty Handbook.

7. PROCEDURES FOR WRITTEN FEEDBACK FOR TENURE-TRACK FACULTY

   1. In each year of the probationary period, with the exception of faculty who are not reappointed, the chair will provide a written performance review to all faculty members on tenure-track. This annual review should be made available to tenure-track faculty members prior to the notification deadline for reappointment (with copies to the appropriate dean and the provost and EVPAA). Final evaluation forms, signed by the senior vice provost, are sent to the dean’s office. The dean’s office is responsible for distributing copies to each chair or director in the college, to be placed in the faculty member’s file. A copy that includes comments by the dean or senior vice provost will be provided to the faculty member.

8. CALENDAR AND REPORTING PROCEDURES

   1. The deadlines and reporting procedures related to the policies outlined above are listed in the Calendar for Evaluation and Reappointment of Tenure-Track Faculty and Reappointment of Untenured Continuing Tenure-Track Faculty form.

   2. In summary, tenure-track faculty are evaluated on the following schedule.

1. REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

   1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

      Position	Date
      Vice Provost for Faculty Success	May 1 E5Y

2. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This PPS has been reviewed by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Senior Vice Provost

   Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs