Faculty/Staff Resources
Procedures for Annual Evaluations, Promotion, and Tenure
I. Introduction and Mission
Introduction:
The ability of a college to function, progress, and develop excellence depends both on the individual performance of each faculty member and on the collective performance of the faculty. Thus, the success and reputation of a college are highly dependent upon the talents that exist among its faculty and how effectively those talents are marshaled to accomplish the mission of the college. To achieve and maintain high quality, a faculty evaluation system is essential. Properly administered, an evaluation system will encourage professional growth of individual faculty members, assure retention of only those faculty members who demonstrate a high level of scholarship, academic performance and service, and permit appropriate recognition of achievement.
The work of faculty members as independent professionals is not easily categorized or measured. Because it is inherently judgmental, the evaluation of faculty must be constrained by principles and procedures designed to protect academic freedom and to ensure accuracy, fairness, and equity. The purpose of this document is to outline these broad principles and to establish the rigorous and common procedures necessary to maintain these qualities in the faculty evaluation process. These procedures shall be considered adjunct to the current Guidelines for Evaluation of Faculty of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Mission:The College of Engineering and Technology (COET) embraces its unique role as the singular intellectual and cultural resource for engineering and technology instruction, research and outreach within the state. The College provides students with comprehensive engineering and technology programs to fulfill their highest aspirations and ambitions.
Accomplishing the COET's mission requires a creative, collective intermingling of individual faculty talents. Consequently, each individual faculty member likely will have a unique role in the COET and a special assignment in terms of the focus and apportionment of faculty responsibilities among teaching, research, service, extension, and administration. The evaluation criteria and processes must accommodate such differences.
II. Statement of Faculty Workload
The apportionment of faculty in the COET is, in general, divided among the areas of teaching, research, service, extension, and administration. It is recognized that individual departments and other administrative sub-units that have independent promotion and tenure processes (hereafter referred to as Units) within the COET have differing emphasis on each of these areas dependent upon the mission particular to the Unit. Faculty members shall work with their respective chairs to reach a written agreement on the apportionment for the specific calendar year.1 & 2 During the Promotion and Tenure process, faculty members shall be evaluated on the basis of this apportionment using criteria specific to their particular discipline. These criteria shall be applied to faculty members such that the apportionment is equitably reflected.2 & 3 The Promotion and Tenure material submitted to the Dean’s office shall have a clear description of the Unit’s process for achieving the apportionment. The material submitted to the Dean’s office shall include documentation of this distribution for each year. In cases in which the apportionment is modified during the calendar year, adequate documentation of such changes is also required by the University of Nebraska. For information about the activities associated with these apportionment areas, please refer to documentation contained in the College of Engineering and Technology Criteria for Promotion and Tenure.
III. Promotion and Tenure Timeline
The College of Engineering and Technology Promotion and Tenure (COET P&T) committee must be given adequate time to consider each case before it. The members of the COET P&T committee shall work together so that they can perform the evaluations in an efficient manner. Included in this process is the necessity of reconsideration at each step. Following the notification of the initial decision of the COET P&T committee, candidates may request reconsideration by the committee within three working days. Below is the Promotion and Tenure timeline to be followed by all Units of the COET. Specific dates for each year will be provided in a memorandum from the Associate Dean in charge of academic affairs in September of the fall semester. The flowchart shown below schematically outlines the Promotion and Tenure process from the Unit level to the level of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (SVCAA). It is essential that all Units abide by these deadlines when planning the Unit promotion and tenure schedule.
1 See Bylaws of the Board of Regents
2 See Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty: Annual Evaluations, Promotion, and Tenure
3 See College of Engineering and Technology Criteria for Promotion and Tenure
| Timeline for the Promotion and Tenure Process College of Engineering | |
| Description | Deadlines |
| Organization meeting for COET P&T Committee | Before Thanksgiving Break |
| Material due in the Dean’s Office | Monday following Thanksgiving |
| Promotion and Tenure Meeting | In the week prior to the start of classes, spring semester |
| Promotion and Tenure Reconsideration Meeting (if necessary); single meeting to hear all reconsideration cases | No sooner than 10 business days following submittal of draft reports to candidates |
| Material due in the Vice Chancellor’s Office with the Dean’s recommendation | TBD by SVCAA |
IV. College of Engineering Promotion and Tenure Committee
A. Formation, Composition and Duration
The COET P&T committee shall consist of one member from each COET Unit. Each Unit shall elect one faculty member to serve a three year term as a member of the COET P&T committee. No substitutions are allowed during deliberations within any given year. For the first cycle of implementation of these procedures, one third members shall serve on the P&T committee for one year, and second one third members for two years, and the remaining one third members for the full three year term. After the first year, one third members shall be elected each year. This will provide the Committee with experience, continuity and appropriate representation. All COET tenured full Professors except those with full-time administrative appointments such as Deans and Heads/Chairs are eligible to become the members of the COET P&T committee. In case a Unit does not have full Professors, an Associate Professor shall be elected. Only one faculty member can be elected from each Unit to serve on the COET P&T committee. The duration of each member’s service on the P&T committee for the first cycle of implementation will be decided by the COET Dean. In the case when a member is incapacitated, a formal replacement will be made following the election process mentioned above.
B. Selection and Responsibilities of the Chairperson
The entire COET P&T committee will elect the chairperson. The chairperson shall hold a full Professor rank. Candidates for the position of chairperson must be in the second or third year of their term on the COET P&T committee except for the first cycle. The chairperson may not serve more than two consecutive one-year terms. The chairperson shall be elected by secret ballot administered by the COET Associate Dean in charge of academic affairs at the first meeting of the COET P&T committee. The vote shall be on a single ballot in which each member lists the candidates in order of preference. The candidate with the highest overall ranking shall be elected chairperson. The chairperson’s responsibilities include ensuring the appropriateness, fairness and completeness of the discussion on each candidate’s file. The chairperson shall also make sure that each participating member of the COET P&T committee is well-informed before the committee discusses and votes on the promotion and tenure recommendations. All the deliberations of the COET P&T committee must be kept confidential.
C. Responsibilities of Members
Committee members should attend all committee meetings and familiarize themselves with the appropriate procedures, guidelines and bylaws. It is of paramount importance that each committee member thoroughly evaluates the promotion and tenure files of each candidate before the scheduled meeting of the COET P&T committee.
Each year, the COET P&T committee shall have a first meeting only to become familiar with the review process. At this first meeting of the COET P&T committee, the COET Associate Dean in charge of academic affairs shall provide an overview of the process and the criteria for evaluating candidates according to their faculty apportionment to the committee and distribute the following materials to each member: 1. Bylaws of the Regents of the University of Nebraska 2. Bylaws of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln 3. University of Nebraska - Lincoln Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty: Annual Evaluations, Promotion and Tenure 4. College of Engineering and Technology Procedures for Annual Evaluations, Promotion and Tenure 5. College of Engineering and Technology Criteria for Promotion and Tenure.
V. Promotion and Tenure Committee Procedures
A. Discussion of Files
All members of the COET P&T committee must read and evaluate each file prior to the beginning of the meeting. The chairperson shall solicit discussion from all participating committee members. Any committee member with conflict of interest shall excuse himself/herself from voting. A Unit representative member shall not vote on a candidate from his/her unit. The COET P&T committee voting shall not be by secret ballot. The chairperson shall ensure that discussion is based solely on material in the candidate’s promotion and/or tenure documentation file in accordance with University policy.
B. Role of the College Deans during COET P&T Committee Meetings
The COET Dean may be present at COET P&T committee meetings, but shall not participate in any discussions or vote. The COET Associate Dean in charge of COET academic affairs shall attend each meeting of the COET P&T committee to ensure that all rules and procedures are properly followed, but not to participate in any discussions or vote. The Associate Dean, as well as the COET P&T chairperson, will keep the committee discussions limited to the material contained in the candidate’s file.
C. Final Committee Reports
The COET P&T committee chairperson shall draft a written report for each faculty member evaluated for promotion and /or tenure. This report, prepared with assistance from committee members, shall contain at least the following: a final vote count, a clear statement of recommendation for approval or denial of promotion and/or tenure, and a brief of the evidence supporting the recommendation. This report shall also contain a summary discussion of any dissenting views. The draft recommendation shall then go to the candidate and the candidate’s Unit Head/Chair.
D. Appeal Procedures
A candidate shall have three working days after receiving the draft report to request in writing to the COET P&T committee chairperson for reconsideration. The chairperson shall arrange a time and date for reconsideration. The chairperson shall inform the candidate of the time and date for reconsideration presentation in writing immediately following his/her request. At least seven working days must be given to the candidate for the preparation of his/her presentation. Candidates appealing shall represent themselves at the reconsideration meeting. The meeting shall last until the issues in dispute have been completely discussed. The duration of the discussion shall be at the discretion of the chairperson of the COET P&T committee. The committee shall revote after the discussion. Only then shall the chairperson send the recommendation to the Dean, with copies, to the candidate and Unit head/chair.
The Dean shall also send the candidate a draft of his/her recommendation before forwarding it to SVCAA. The Dean shall also provide an opportunity to the candidate to appeal to the Dean before he/she makes his/her letter final. The candidate must submit the appeal in writing within five working days of receiving the letter from the Dean.
VI. College Requirements for Departments
A. Unit Promotion and Tenure Committee:
The Procedures for Annual Evaluations, Promotion and Tenure for the College of Engineering and Technology shall take precedence over procedures and guidelines of any Unit within the College. Units within the COET may supplement these procedures and guidelines with more detailed descriptions and interpretations of the criteria and standards that, when approved, will apply to faculty members in the particular unit.
A.1 Composition of Committee:
All tenured faculty at the rank of Associate Professor or full Professor shall be eligible for inclusion on the Unit Promotion and Tenure (U P&T) committee. The U P&T committee shall have at least three members. When a promotion to full Professor is being considered, only the full Professors on the U P&T Committee shall participate in the evaluation and discussion. A minimum of three full Professors shall be members of the U P&T Committee in any year in which a promotion to full Professor is being considered. The U P&T Committee shall elect a member of the committee to serve as the committee chair.
A.2 Supplementing the U P&T Committee:
The Unit may not have sufficient qualified faculty to meet the requirements of Sec. VI A.1 of this document, either because less than three faculty are tenured, or because the committee will consider promotions to the rank of full Professor, and less than three faculty members hold the full Professor rank. The Unit Head/Chair in consultation with full Professors in the Unit shall contact several possible eligible faculty from other Units to ask if they are willing to serve on the U P&T committee. A group at least twice the number required to reach the minimum of three full Professors should be created. Additional faculty members will then be appointed from this group by the Dean to serve on the U P&T committee to make up the required number of full Professors.
B. External Reviewers:
The external review procedure shall conform to Sections V-D-4 and VI-D-5 of the University of Nebraska’s “Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty: Annual Evaluation, Promotion and Tenure” The external review shall be of the candidate’s scholarly performance and capability. The U P&T committee shall assemble a list of potential external reviewers, including individuals nominated by the candidate and individuals recommended by others as being knowledgeable in the candidate’s field. The candidate shall then have the right to review the list and to object to any individual who, in the opinion of the candidate, has a conflict of interest or is unqualified to judge the quality of the candidate’s work. The candidate’s objections shall be in writing, with explanations of the reasons for the objection. The final identification of the reviewers, however, remains the responsibility of the U P&T committee. When a list of sufficient potential reviewers has been assembled, the U P&T committee shall select a subset of them and request their participation and then solicit reviews from the selected group. At least three reviews must be obtained, but a larger number (no more than six) may be obtained.
C. Unit Promotion and Tenure Procedure:
The U P&T committee shall consider each promotion and tenure file presented to it. The Unit Head/Chair may participate in the meetings of the U P&T committee as a resource but shall not vote. The U P&T committee shall make a positive or negative recommendation concerning each file to the Unit Head/Chair. The vote of the committee in deciding this recommendation shall be by secret ballot. The letters of recommendation from the Unit Chair/Head and U P&T committee shall be included in each candidate’s file before it is submitted to the COET P&T committee.
D. Unit Promotion and Tenure Verification Requirement:
The U P&T committee shall be responsible for the verification of all evidence contained in the candidate’s promotion and tenure file, such as journal articles accepted but not yet published, external grants announced but not yet awarded, record of graduate student advising and graduation history, and any other items that may require verification. The letter of recommendation from the U P&T committee shall contain a statement stating that the U P&T committee has verified the evidence in the candidate’s promotion and tenure portfolio.
VII. Annual Evaluations of the Performance of Probationary Faculty
The annual evaluation of a probationary faculty member is essential to assess the progress of his/her performance each year and to develop goals and objectives of future achievements. The annual evaluation process shall follow the UNL guidelines.
VIII. Modification of this Document
This document can be modified by a majority vote of approval by the COET Faculty. Approved February 2004 First Modification April 28, 2005 (added section VI.D)
Faculty Conferences:
• May 13-16, 2008
Call for Papers, Present a paper at ET08, Ninth International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar & Exposition
Abstracts are to be submitted by January 31, 2007
www.etfoundation.org
Faculty Awards:
