Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Purpose. Within the limitations of Ohio
laws and after the successful completion of the specified probationary period
and the evaluative process called for in this policy, Kent state university
shall grant faculty members indefinite tenure as one means of ensuring academic
freedom.
(1) The only faculty members covered
by this policy are those who hold full-time appointments to the regular ranks
of the assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor. Such
appointments as term, full-time non-tenure track, casual or continuing,
part-time, lecturer, visiting, or adjunct and others are not included in these
understandings.
(2) Kent state
university recognizes a limited appointment, that is, one automatically
expiring after a specified time, when the appointment recommendation
particularly notes such an automatic time limit and is accepted by the
appointee. Such appointments are not included in these
understandings.
(3) This policy
applies to administrative personnel who hold academic rank, but only in their
capacity as faculty members.
(B) Initial procedure. "Indefinite tenure" is
a right of a faculty member to continuous appointment to a professional
position of specified locus in the university. The services of a faculty member
with tenure may be terminated by the university only under policies stated in
the sanctions for cause and retrenchment articles of the applicable collective
bargaining agreement.
(1) For the purposes of
tenure, the term "unit" shall be defined as a department, school, or college
without subordinate academic departments or schools (hereafter, "independent
college"). The term "faculty" shall be understood to mean those who hold
regular full-time tenured or tenure-track appointments. Given some variance in
procedures followed for faculty from independent colleges and/or regional
campuses, sections of this policy have been included to delineate these
specific procedural differences.
(2) Criteria appropriate to a particular unit
shall be formulated by that unit in light of college (if applicable) and
university standards and guidelines, the mission of the unit, and the demands
and academic standards of the discipline.
(3) Tenure is granted in the unit of
instruction, department, school, or independent college specified in the
appointment.
(4) Tenure is granted
either at the Kent campus or in the regional campuses system, but not both, and
is specified at the time of the appointment.
(5) The unit handbook may recommend that
candidates for tenure should be expected to meet the minimum criteria for
promotion to associate professor and, in such cases, the higher standards that
a candidate for early promotion is expected to meet may be applied to the
candidate's application for early tenure as well. These criteria only apply to
regional campus faculty if a similar standard has been set in the regional
campus handbooks.
(C)
Probationary periods and notice: In considering an individual for tenure, the
length of time in the probationary rank and the dates of notice are related to
the initial appointment rank.
(1) Probationary
periods and notices dates.
(a) An initial
appointment at the rank of assistant professor shall be subject to the
following probationary periods.
(i) If the
appointment carries no years of credit toward tenure the appointee shall
receive written notification by the fifteenth of March of the sixth year of
service that:
(a) Tenure will be granted. In
this case the tenure shall be effective at the start of the next contract year;
or
(b) Tenure is not to be granted.
In this case, the appointee shall receive a one-year terminal appointment for
the following academic year.
(ii) If the appointment as assistant
professor carries some years of credit toward tenure, the number of years shall
be deducted from six and the provisions of paragraph (C)(1)(a) of this rule
shall be used with the new number replacing the six-year provision; thus if an
assistant professor is hired with two years credit towards tenure, then the
notification shall occur by the fifteenth of March of the fourth year of
service
Typically, the maximum years of credit toward tenure for an
assistant professor hire is two years. However, in extraordinary circumstances,
additional credit may be granted after consultation with the faculty advisory
committee (FAC) at the time of appointment.
(iii) The terms and conditions of every
appointment, including credit for the previous academic appointment and
specification of the year in which tenure procedures will take place, shall be
stated in writing, which shall be in the possession of both Kent state
university and the faculty member before the appointment is finalized. The
tenure decision should be based upon these initial terms and
conditions.
(iv) Faculty members
may apply for early tenure consideration. Except as specified in
paragraph (B)(5) of this rule, the criteria for evaluating an application
for early tenure will be the same as the criteria for an on-time application
for tenure. A positive vote on early tenure shall automatically constitute a
positive vote for reappointment. A negative decision on early tenure shall not
prejudice the decision on re-appointment or a later application for
tenure.
(b) Typically,
an initial appointment at the rank of associate professor, or an initial
appointment at the rank of professor carries a probationary period of three
years. In extraordinary cases, a shorter probationary period may be considered
after consultation with the FAC at the time of appointment.
(i) If tenure is awarded in consequence of
the tenure review during the third full year of service, it shall become
effective with the contract for the fourth year of service.
(ii) If tenure is denied, the candidate shall
receive written notification by the fifteenth of March of the third full year
of service and shall receive a terminal appointment for the fourth
year.
(c) Tenure with
appointment: An initial appointment at the rank of associate professor or at
the rank of professor may carry tenure if, after consultation with the unit's
tenure committee at the time of the appointment, the dean determines that a
candidate's qualifications and credentials meet Kent state university standards
and the standards appropriate to the candidate's discipline for the rank of
associate professor, or professor, as applicable. Approval of at least
three-fourths of the members of the unit's tenure committee eligible to vote,
excluding those who abstain, is required for tenure with appointment.
(2) Because the purpose of the
probationary period is to provide an opportunity for observation, time spent on
leave other than a scholarly leave of absence (e.g., university policy and
procedures governing modification of the faculty probationary period) is not
considered as part of the probationary period. Summer appointments are not
counted within yearly appointments.
(3) The conferring of tenure is a positive
act by the university and as such a faculty member cannot receive tenure by
default.
(a) If an untenured faculty member
does not receive notification by the appropriate date, the fifteenth of March
of the year in which the tenure review is scheduled to be conducted in accord
with paragraph (C)(1) of this policy, the faculty member as part of
the faculty
member's professional responsibility, shall have twenty working days to
inquire of the unit administrator, dean, or provost as to the status of
the faculty
member's tenure decision. The university will have ten working days in
which to respond.
(i) In the event that the
evaluative process has been conducted, the university will notify the
individual and the decision will go forward as if the appropriate notification
dates had been met.
(ii) In the
extreme case that a candidate has not been evaluated for tenure at the proper
time, the
candidate will be evaluated at the next regular evaluation period after
the error has been detected with all relevant notification dates delayed
accordingly.
(b) Any
failure in procedural matters by the university or the faculty member shall not
be sufficient cause for the conferring of tenure, the denial of tenure, or the
termination of employment.
(D) Tenure criteria. For the purposes of this
policy "scholarship" is broadly defined to include research, scholarly and
creative work. Scholarship may include commercialization activities relevant
and appropriate to the academic discipline. For the purposes of this policy
"service" is broadly defined to include administrative service to the
university, professional service to the faculty member's discipline, and the
provision of professional expertise to public and private entities beyond the
university.
(1) The granting of tenure is a
decision that plays a crucial role in determining the quality of university
faculty and the national and international status of the university.
Essentially, those faculty members involved in making a tenure decision are
asking the question; "Is this candidate likely to continue and sustain, in the
long term, a program of high quality scholarship, teaching, and service
relevant to the mission of the academic unit and the mission of the
university?" The awarding of tenure must be based on convincing documented
evidence that the faculty member has achieved a significant body of
scholarship, excellence as a teacher, and has provided effective service. The
candidate must also be expected to continue and sustain, over the long term, a
program of high quality scholarship, teaching, and service relevant to the
mission of the candidate's academic unit(s) and to the mission of the
university.
(2) A minimum
requirement for tenure is the terminal degree in the candidate's discipline as
noted in the handbook of the candidate's academic unit. In exceptional cases,
this rule may be modified with the approval of the unit's tenure committee and
the provost.
(3) The criteria for
assessing the quality of scholarship, teaching and service shall be clearly
specified and included in the handbook of each unit and campus. Guidelines for
weighing the categories of scholarship, teaching and service shall be
established by each unit for Kent campus faculty. For regional campus faculty,
guidelines for weighting the categories of scholarship, teaching and service
shall be established by each campus faculty council and this weighting shall be
used at all levels of review. The handbook should indicate with some
specificity how the quality and significance of scholarship, and the quality
and effectiveness of teaching, and service are to be documented and assessed.
Only documented evidence of scholarship, teaching, and service will be used in
assessing a faculty member's eligibility for tenure. In the evaluation of
scholarship, emphasis should be placed on external measurements of
quality.
(4) All tenured and
tenure-track faculty members must have the opportunity to participate in the
establishment, development, and revision of the unit's criteria. These
processes should be democratic and public.
(5) As the university enters new fields of
endeavor, including interdisciplinary initiatives, instances may arise in which
the scholarship of faculty members may extend beyond established disciplinary
boundaries. In such cases, care must be taken to apply the criteria with
sufficient flexibility. In all instances, superior scholarly attainment, in
accordance with the criteria set forth in the unit handbooks, is an essential
qualification for tenure.
(6) A
non-tenured faculty member applying for promotion to the rank of associate
professor or full professor must also undergo a successful tenure
review.
(7) Criteria based upon
sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual
orientation, political activity or other legally protected categories are
expressly forbidden.
(E)
Procedure for making decisions regarding tenure.
(1) Due process is integral to an effective
tenure policy. The guiding premise in the following procedure is that the
essential phases in the tenure consideration occur at the unit level and at the
regional campus (if applicable). Assessments and the recommendations beyond
these levels should reflect due regard for the professional judgment and
recommendations made at the unit and regional campus levels. Review and
assessment by extra-unit and extra-regional campus faculty and the academic
administration are necessary to insure the integrity of the system.
(2) External reviewers: All candidates for
tenure must submit the names of at least five persons outside the university
who are qualified to evaluate their achievements objectively. The unit
administrator shall solicit evaluations from at least three of the qualified
individuals whose names have been submitted by the candidate. The unit
administrator may also solicit evaluations from external reviewers other than
those named by the candidate but must inform the candidate of the persons
contacted. In addition, the college dean (where appropriate) may consult with
the unit administrator regarding any letters the dean may wish to solicit for
consideration at the unit level and inform the candidate of such letters
received. The candidate shall be given a copy of the letter to be sent to
outside evaluators and have the opportunity to comment before the letter is
mailed.
(F) Procedures
for making decisions regarding tenure: the unit level. All actions involving
tenure shall be initiated at the academic unit level. (See paragraph (B)(1) of
this rule for definition of "unit.") Consideration of those standing for tenure
shall be undertaken by the unit tenure committee, chaired by the unit
administrator as a non-voting member and composed of all tenured members of the
unit's advisory committee and any full-time faculty who
are tenured full professors of the unit who
may not be members of the faculty advisory committee. No member of the
committee shall be present when the committee deliberates or votes on the
tenure of an individual in a rank higher than that of the individual member of
the tenure committee, or on the tenure of a spouse,
domestic partner, or relative. A member of the
committee who intends to vote on a regional campus candidate at the regional
campus level of review may be present, but shall not vote on that candidate at
the unit level. The unit administrator serves as the non-voting
chairperson of the tenure committee.
(1) Each
spring semester the unit administrator shall notify those faculty members who
are eligible for tenure consideration during the next academic year.
(2) The unit administrator shall make
available copies of the guidelines, timetables, and other information
concerning the tenure review to all candidates in the unit, Kent campus and
regional campuses faculty members alike, no later than three weeks before the
deadline for submission of materials, which is at the end of the first week of
the fall semester.
(3)
All tenure reviews will be carried out on a paperless,
electronic system provided by the university for this purpose. Candidates for
tenure, reviewers and administrators must submit and review tenure file
documents on this system and any official notification required under this
policy will appear in this system. Faculty members being considered for
tenure are responsible for developing, organizing, and
including
the evidence supporting their candidacy for tenure
in the electronic file. The unit administrator
will meet with the candidate to review the file
in order to
insure that the file is complete and the candidate and the unit administrator will certify that
the file is complete. Thereafter, the candidate must be informed of anything
that is added to or removed from the file and provided the opportunity to
insert written comments concerning that new or removed material. At each level
of review, advisory bodies and administrators will have access to the complete
file before they consider the case.
(4) Before convening the tenure committee,
the unit administrator shall formally invite signed written comments from all
tenured faculty members who are not members of the tenure committee. The unit
administrator shall provide these comments to the tenure committee, shall
provide a copy to the candidate, and shall place the comments in the
file.
(5) Members of the tenure
committee on leave of absence or absent for justifiable reasons shall be
notified of the nominations and shall vote by absentee ballot, or they may
request from the committee the right to abstain from voting.
Except where a member of the tenure committee is
ineligible to vote in accordance with paragraph (F) of this rule or has been
granted the right to abstain from voting, all committee members shall submit a
vote on each candidate. If the tenure committee will
consist of fewer than four voting members, then a special procedure for enlarging it shall
be developed by the unit administrator with the advice of the faculty advisory
committee and the assistance of the college dean, if applicable, and the
approval of the provost.
(6) The
unit administrator shall discuss the unit
administrator's estimate of the strengths and weaknesses of each
candidate with the unit tenure committee.
(7) The case of each candidate shall be
subject to candid discussion by the committee. During the committee meeting,
each voting member shall indicate
the member's nonbinding "yea" or "nay." After the
meeting, each voting member shall record the member's
final vote by completing a signed evaluation form with comments.
(8) Approval of at least three-fourths of the
members of the tenure committee who vote, excluding those who abstain under
paragraph (F)(5) of this rule, shall constitute formal endorsement to the unit
administrator for tenure.
(9) The
unit administrator shall assemble the recorded votes, and signed evaluation
forms, along with supporting statements, as well as other relevant documents
regarding the faculty member's application for tenure. The unit administrator
shall weigh and assess all relevant information and decide whether to recommend
the granting of tenure to the candidate. The unit
administrator shall record the unit
administrator's decision, along with a signed statement supporting
it.
(10) In the case of regional
campus and Kent campus faculty alike, the unit administrator shall extend an
invitation to the candidate to meet in order to discuss the assessment and
recommendation. This meeting should take place as soon as possible. In all
cases that are not unanimously positive, the unit administrator must meet with
the candidate within five working days from the date of the submission of the
unit administrator's letter to the administrator at the next higher
level.
(11) The unit administrator
shall inform the offices of the appropriate college dean and/or regional campus
dean, where appropriate, and the provost of the results of the unit's
deliberations. The file must be completed and closed at the unit level and no
material shall be added or removed except as provided for in this
policy.
(12) No later than the date
when the unit administrator transmits the unit
administrator's recommendation to the next higher administrative officer,
The unit
administrator shall notify the candidate of this recommendation by
letter.
(a) The unit administrator shall
include with this letter a copy of the unit
administrator's letter of recommendation to the next higher
administrative office, a summary of the advisory recommendations of the tenure
committee, and copies of the committee's signed evaluation forms.
(b) In the unit administrator's letter to the
candidate,
The unit
administrator shall inform the candidate that the candidate
has the right, within ten working days, to add a letter to
the
candidate's file responding to any procedural errors or errors of fact
that the candidate believes have been included in either the unit
administrative officer's letter, or the committee members'
statements.
(c) The unit
administrator's letter shall also indicate that, if the candidate wishes to
appeal a negative recommendation, such intent shall be expressed to the next
higher academic officer in writing within ten working days of receipt of the
unit administrator's letter.
(G) Procedures for making decisions regarding
tenure: the regional campus level: Regional campus candidates for tenure will
be reviewed both at the unit level, as described in paragraph (F) of this rule,
and at the regional campus level. The tenure committee of the regional campus
shall be composed of tenured members of the faculty council and
full-time faculty of the campus who are tenured full
professors. No member of the committee shall be present when the committee
deliberates or votes on the tenure of an individual in a rank higher than that
of the individual member of the tenure committee, or on the tenure of a
spouse, domestic partner, or relative.
A member of the committee who intends to vote at the
unit level of review may be present, but shall not vote on that candidate at
the regional campus level. The faculty chair is a voting member of the
campus tenure committee, except in cases in which the faculty chair is
untenured or has otherwise not achieved the rank held by the candidate for
tenure. In such cases, the faculty chair will recuse himself or herself and a
tenured individual with the appropriate rank will be elected from and by the
campus tenure committee to fill the role of the faculty chair provided for in
the policy.
(1) The regional campus dean will
make available to the candidate and the unit copies of those sections of the
campus handbook concerning the campus' method of weighting unit
criteria.
(2) Regional campus
faculty members being considered for tenure are responsible for developing,
organizing, and submitting to the unit administrator the evidence supporting
their candidacy for tenure. The unit administrator will review the files with
the candidate for tenure in order to insure that the files are complete. The
unit administrator will prepare a statement for inclusion in each file
indicating that the file is complete as indicated in paragraph (F)(3) of this
rule. The unit administrator must notify the regional campus dean in a timely
fashion that the file is available for review by the campus tenure committee.
Thereafter, the candidate must be informed of anything that is added to or
removed from the file and provided the opportunity to insert written comments
concerning the added or removed material.
(3) Before convening the campus tenure
committee, the faculty chair shall formally invite signed written comments from
all campus tenured faculty members who are not members of the tenure committee.
The faculty chair shall provide the comments to the campus tenure committee,
shall provide a copy to the candidate, and shall place the comments in the
file.
(4) Members of the campus
tenure committee on leave of absence or absent for justifiable reasons shall be
notified of the candidacies and shall vote by absentee ballot, or they may
request from the committee the right to abstain from voting.
Except where a member of the tenure committee is
ineligible to vote in accordance with paragraph (G) of this rule or has been
granted the right to abstain from voting, all committee members shall submit a
vote on each candidate. If the campus tenure committee consists of fewer
than four voting members, including the voting
chairperson, then a special procedure for enlarging it shall be developed by
the regional campus dean, with the advice of the faculty council and the
approval of the provost.
(5) The
case of each candidate shall be subject to candid discussion by the committee.
During the committee meeting, each voting member shall indicate
the
member's nonbinding "yea" or "nay." After the meeting, each voting member
shall record the member's final vote by completing a signed
evaluation form with comments.
(6)
Approval of at least three-fourths of the members of the tenure committee who
vote excluding those abstaining under paragraph (G)(4) of this rule shall
constitute a formal endorsement to the regional campus dean for
tenure.
(7) The faculty chair shall
then summarize the committee's vote, signed evaluation forms, and
recommendation for support or non-support of granting tenure to the candidate
in a signed letter to the candidate and the regional campus dean. The letter
shall indicate that, if the candidate wishes to respond to a recommendation for
non-support, such a response must be made to the campus dean and copied to the
unit administrator within ten working days of receipt of the letter. Copies of
the faculty chair's letter shall be provided to the college dean, and to the
unit administrator of the candidate's unit.
(8) The regional campus dean shall assemble
the records, along with supporting statements, ballots, and other relevant
documents. The regional campus dean will then review the file and the advisory
recommendations of the campus tenure committee and unit administrator, weigh
and assess all relevant information, and decide whether to recommend the
granting of tenure to the candidate. The regional campus
dean shall record the regional campus dean's decision along with a
signed statement supporting the decision.
(9) The regional campus dean should extend an
invitation to the candidate to meet in order to discuss the assessment and
recommendation. This meeting should take place as soon as possible. In all
cases that are not unanimously positive, the regional campus dean must meet
with the candidate within five working days from the date of the submission of
the regional
campus dean's letter to the appropriate administrator.
(10) The regional campus dean's
recommendations to grant or deny tenure to the candidate shall be submitted to
either the college dean (in the case of a candidate from a dependent department
or school) or to the provost (in the case of a candidate from an independent
college), with copies to the unit administrator and (where the recommendation
is to a college dean) to the provost. The file must be completed and closed at
the regional campus level and no material added or removed except as provided
for in this policy.
(11) No later
than the date when the regional campus dean transmits
the
regional campus dean's recommendations to the college dean or provost the
regional campus dean shall notify the candidate of the regional campus
dean's recommendation by letter.
(a) The
regional campus dean shall include within this letter a copy of
the
regional campus dean's letter of recommendation to the college dean or
provost, a summary of the advisory recommendations of the tenure committee, and
copies of the committee's signed evaluation forms.
(b) In the regional campus dean's letter to
the candidate,
The regional campus
dean shall inform the candidate that the candidate
has the right, within ten working days, to add a letter to
the
candidate's file responding to any procedural errors or errors of fact
that the candidate believes have been included in either the regional campus
dean's letter, the faculty chair's letter, or the committee members'
statements.
(c) The letter shall
also indicate that if the candidate wishes to appeal a negative decision, such
intent shall be expressed to the next higher academic officer in writing within
ten working days of receipt of the regional campus dean's letter.
(H) Procedures for
making decisions regarding tenure: colleges with dependent units. The college
dean shall conduct a review of the unit's decision, and where applicable, the
regional campus' actions and shall convene the college advisory committee,
which shall function as the college tenure committee. On the basis of the
qualifications of the candidate, this committee shall evaluate all assessments
deriving from the unit and, where applicable, regional campus levels, recommend
to the dean whether tenure should be granted or denied.
(1) The college dean shall be the chairperson
and a nonvoting member of the college tenure committee. Tenured members of the
elected college advisory committee shall serve as the college tenure committee
to review recommendations and evaluations from the departments and schools and
recommend to the dean in each case whether tenure should be granted or denied.
This committee shall have made available to it all data developed by the unit
and where applicable, the regional campus. No members of the college tenure
committee may vote on candidates from their own unit or
own regional campus and no member of the committee shall be present when
the committee deliberates or votes on the tenure of a spouse, domestic partner, or relative.
(2)
Members of the
college tenure committee on leave of absence shall be notified of the
candidates and shall vote by absentee ballots or they may request from the
committee the right to abstain from voting. Except where a member of the tenure
committee is ineligible to vote in accordance with paragraph (H)(1) of this
rule or has been granted the right to abstain from voting, all committee
members shall submit a vote on each candidate. If the college tenure committee
will consiste of fewer than four voting members, then a special procedure for
enlarging it shall be developed by the college dean, with the advice of the
college advisory committee and the approval of the provost.
(3)
The case of each candidate shall be subject to candid discussion of the
committee. During the committee meeting, each voting member shall indicate
the
member's nonbinding "yea" or "nay." After the meeting, each voting member
shall record the member's final vote by completing a signed
evaluation form with comments.
(4) Approval of at
least three-fourths of the tenure committee who (excluding those who abstain for reasons under
paragraph (H)(1) of this rule) shall constitute a recommendation
for tenure by the college tenure committee to the college dean.
(5)
The college dean shall prepare a written statement in which is recorded the
recommendation of the college tenure committee, along with the numerical vote.
In addition, the college dean shall submit a recommendation for approval or
disapproval of tenure.
(a) For Kent campus and
regional campus candidates alike, the college dean's statement and candidate's
file are submitted to the provost.
(b) The file must be completed and closed at
the college level and no material shall be added or removed except as provided
for in this policy.
(6) No later than the
college recommendation is submitted to the provost, the college dean shall
notify the candidate of the college dean's recommendation by letter.
(a) The college dean shall include with this
letter a copy of the college dean's letter of recommendation to the
provost, a summary of the advisory recommendations of the tenure committee, and
copies of the committee's signed evaluation forms.
(b) In the college dean's letter to the
candidate,
the college
dean shall inform the candidate that
the candidate
has the right, within ten working days, to add a letter to
the
candidate's file responding to any procedural errors or errors of fact
that the candidate believes have been included in either the college dean's
letter or the committee member's statements.
(c) The letter shall also indicate that, if
the candidate wishes to appeal a negative recommendation, such intent shall be
expressed to the next higher academic officer in writing within ten working
days of receipt of the college dean's letter.
(I) Procedures for making decisions regarding
tenure: the provost level. The provost shall conduct a review of the previous
actions and shall make an academic administrative recommendation on tenure to
the president.
(1) To assist in this process
with respect to Kent campus faculty, the provost shall convene the Kent campus
tenure advisory board. The members of this board shall be appointed by the
provost in consultation with the provost's advisory council from a list of
tenured associate and full professors nominated by the faculty senate executive
committee, the college advisory committees, and the college deans. It is
ordinarily expected that, through such discussion, consensus on the Kent campus
tenure advisory board members will be reached. In the unusual circumstance that
the provost's advisory council and the provost are unable to reach consensus in
regard to the members of the board by the specified date for the beginning of
board's activity, the provost shall convene a Kent campus tenure advisory board
that includes those for whom consensus has been reached and others that the
provost appoints. This board shall evaluate from a Kent campus-wide perspective
the recommendations made thus far and shall formally advise the provost as to
whether, in its view, these recommendations should be accepted.
(2) To aid in making a recommendation with
respect to regional campus faculty, the provost shall convene a
regional-campus-wide tenure advisory board. The members of this board shall be
appointed by the Provost in consultation with the regional campuses faculty
advisory council and regional campus deans from a list of tenured associate and
full professors nominated by each regional campus faculty council and the
regional campus deans. It is ordinarily expected that, through such discussion,
consensus on the regional campuses-wide tenure advisory board members will be
reached. In the unusual circumstance that the regional campuses faculty
advisory council and the provost are unable to reach consensus in regard to the
members of the board by the specified date for the beginning of the board's
activity, the provost shall convene a regional campuses-wide tenure advisory
board that includes those members for whom consensus has been reached and
others that the provost appoints. This board shall evaluate from a regional
campus-wide perspective the recommendations made thus far and shall formally
advise the provost as to whether, in its view, these recommendations should be
accepted.
(3) No member of the Kent
campus or regional-campus-wide tenure advisory board will vote on a candidate
for
whom the member cast a ballot at a lower level of
review and no member may be present while the board deliberates or votes on the
tenure of a spouse, domestic partner, or
relative.
(4) The provost shall
provide written notification to all candidates for tenure of the action taken.
Such notification shall be made at least one week prior to the date designated
as the submission date for recommendations for tenure by the president to the
board of trustees. The communication to candidates whose tenure is not approved
shall include reasons why approval was withheld. A negative recommendation
shall include a statement of the relevant unit handbook criteria or criteria as
established in this policy that the candidate has failed to meet. Copies of
each communication shall be sent to the college dean, regional campus dean (if
applicable) and the unit administrator.
(J) New material may be added as requested by
a review committee or the responsible academic administrator at any level in
order to correct or more fully document information contained in the tenure
file. In such instances, the candidate shall be notified of, and given the
opportunity to review, such new material as is added to the file and also be
provided with the opportunity to include written comments relevant to this
material and/or the appropriateness of its inclusion in the file.
In no case will a candidate for tenure be required to
create new material or required to procure material not currently in possession
of the candidate.
(K) Any
faculty member whose tenure has been disapproved at any level shall have the
right to appeal to the next higher academic administrative officer. In the case
of denial by the provost, the appeal shall be to the president, or when
appropriate, to the joint appeals board (see collective bargaining agreement,
Article VII, Section 2). All appeals must be initiated by the candidate in
writing within ten working days of the candidate's receipt of the disapproval
notification or as otherwise specified by the collective bargaining agreement.
At each level of appeal, the appellant shall be offered an opportunity to
appear in person to present the appellant's case orally before the appropriate
tenure advisory committee or board. The appellant may be accompanied by a
colleague who may assist in presenting the
appellant's case. Furthermore, if an individual other than the appellant
is invited to address the committee or board, the appellant shall have an
opportunity to respond to any new information. The committee or board shall
determine whether the information is new and whether to invite an oral or
written response. The academic administrator in question shall consider the
vote of this body seriously before making the
recommendation and shall inform both the appellant and the academic
administrator at the next higher level of the results of this vote.
(L) Academic administrators and members of
tenure committees are expected to act in accordance with the principles of due
process and abide by the "Professional Code of Ethics "(rule
3342-6-17 of the Administrative
Code). All documents in the tenure process are subject to the Ohio Open Records
Law (section 149.43 of the Revised
Code).
(M)
Normally,
decisions regarding tenure for all faculty members who are appointed to a
tenure-track position will be governed by the university policies and procedures
regarding faculty reappointment, tenure, and promotion and the unit
handbook in place at the time of the initial appointment.
In the event that university policies and procedures
regarding faculty reappointmetn, tenure, and promotion and/or the unit handbook
are revised during the faculty member's probationary period,
the faculty
member will have the option of being governed by
the
current policies and the current unit handbook or by the
policies and the unit handbook in place
at the time of the faculty member's initial appointment. The faculty member
will include a written election of this option in the faculty
member's file.
(N) Transfer of tenure. Tenured faculty
members may transfer from one academic unit to another; from the regional
campus system to an academic unit at the Kent campus, or from an academic unit
at the Kent campus to the regional campus system in accordance with the
following procedure
(1) The tenured faculty
member who is seeking a transfer shall initiate a written request to both
the faculty
member's current academic administrator (i.e., department chair, school
director, independent college dean or regional campus dean) and to the academic
administrator of the academic unit or regional campus to which
the faculty
member seeks a transfer.
(2)
The appropriate faculty advisory body of the academic unit or regional campus
from which the incoming faculty member seeks a transfer should provide a
written recommendation on the acceptability of the transfer to the academic
administrator. Upon receipt of this recommendation, the academic administrator
will forward the academic administrator's written recommendation
together with that of the faculty advisory committee, to the dean of the
college, who in turn makes a recommendation to the provost. In the case of
faculty in independent colleges, the unit administrator's recommendation is
forwarded directly to the provost.
(3) The appropriate faculty advisory body of
the academic unit or regional campus to which the incoming faculty member seeks
a transfer should provide a written recommendation on the acceptability of the
transfer to the academic administrator. In addition, the ad hoc tenure
committee of the academic unit or regional campus to which the incoming faculty
member seeks a transfer should evaluate the professional credentials of the
incoming faculty member and provide a recommendation to the academic
administrator. In order to undertake this evaluation, the committee may request
evidence of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service in a form to be
decided by the committee (i.e., curriculum vita, teaching dossier, a written
statement from the faculty member seeking the transfer). Approval of at least
three-fourths of the members of the unit's or campus' tenure committee who
vote, excluding those who abstain, is required for transfer of tenure. If the
ad hoc tenure committee approves the transfer of tenure, the academic
administrator will forward the academic administrator's recommendation together
with that of the faculty advisory committee and the ad hoc tenure committee to
the dean of the college who in turn makes a recommendation to the provost. In
the case of faculty in independent colleges, the unit administrator's
recommendation is forwarded directly to the provost.
(4) The provost shall consult with the
provost's advisory council. The final decision on the transfer of a tenured
faculty member between academic units and/or campuses rests with the provost.
In the event that the provost's decision conflicts with the unit tenure
committees vote, the provost shall provide a statement in writing to the unit
administrator explaining the decision.
(5) A faculty member whose tenure transfers
under this section will retain the faculty member's rank.
