1
AU Libraries
Promotion and Tenure Documents
I. Criteria for Promotion and Tenure ……… 2
II. Process and Procedures ……… 5
III. General Calendar ……… 12
IV. Classroom Observation Form……… 14
V. Activities Report Form ……… 15
VI. Peer Review Form ……… 17
VII. Faculty Evaluation Form ……… 20
VIII. Process/Materials Charts ……… 21
IX. P&T Committee (Bylaws excerpt) ……… 23
X. Sabbaticals (Faculty Paid Leave) …………..……….. 24
XI. Checklist/Calendar: Dean ……… 25
XII. Checklist/Calendar: Chair ……… 26
XIII. Checklist/Calendar: Faculty ……… 28
XIV. Checklist/Calendar: Committee ………... 30
Approved by Librarian Faculty: April 18, 2007
Revised and Approved by Librarian Faculty and Provost: October 18, 2007 Revised: April 2011; February 2012; November 2012; May 13 2013; August 2020
5
II. Alfred University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Process & Procedures
The process and procedures described here apply to tenure-track librarians. The annual evaluation process for non-tenure-track librarians will be defined at the time of hire and agreed to by the Dean and Director of Libraries. Evaluation will be tied to the responsibilities outlined in a job description and may include some form of peer review. The position requirements and annual evaluation process will be communicated to the librarian at the time of hire.
The Library faculty endorses the Standards for Faculty Status of College and University Librarians as adopted by the membership of the Association of College and Research Libraries. In keeping with these standards which call for librarians to “form as a library faculty whose role and authority is similar to that of the faculties of a college, or the faculty of a school or a department,” the following policies and procedures have been adopted by the Library faculty.
In all cases the procedures outlined here are supplementary to those in the Alfred University Faculty Handbook. In case of conflict between this document and the Handbook, the Handbook will take precedence.
Throughout this document, “Committee” specifically refers to the Library Promotion and Tenure Committee unless otherwise specified. The term “Chair” refers to the Chair of the Library Faculty.
The review process must meet the highest ethical standards. The Committee must maintain strict confidentiality (i.e. material presented, discussion of candidates, decisions, etc. shall not be discussed or shared with anyone outside the Committee). The Chair must report any violations of confidentiality to the Dean. The Committee must determine when conflicts of interest might exist (i.e.: in cases where a close relationship exists between a faculty member and the Chair or between a faculty member and a member of the Committee) and take steps to ensure that they do not interfere with the integrity of the evaluation. This may require appointing another faculty member to serve as an evaluator or excusing a committee member during the relevant deliberations. In addition, the Committee must consider only direct, first-hand knowledge of the candidate’s teaching and/or other activities.
1. The principles, policies, and general philosophy guiding the tenure process at Alfred University are stated in Section 4 of the Faculty Handbook.
2. For all matters related to the Promotion and Tenure process, the Library Director fills the role of Chair unless they are untenured. If the Director is untenured, a tenured librarian, chosen by the Library Faculty Council, fills the role of Chair.
3. The membership, terms of office, and function of the Promotion and Tenure Committee are defined in the library faculty by-laws.
4. The faculty member being evaluated is responsible for preparing the required documentation of effectiveness, scholarship, service and professional activities and submitting them to the Chair in one PDF file. Each year the chair will create a course in the campus CMS and add all relevant material for the review of each faculty member. Only the Dean and committee members will be given access to the material. The documentation required for specific stages in the promotion and tenure process are listed in the appropriate sections below. It should be noted that every faculty
28
XIII. Checklist/Calendar: Faculty
By June 1st – Candidates for tenure and/or promotion must submit to the Chair the names of at least three reviewers who will write letters on their behalf; at least one of these must be from an off-campus reviewer. [The latter stipulation satisfies the requirement for External Review, 7.2.)
By June 1st – Candidates for promotion must notify the Chair of their intent to submit materials for promotion consideration in the following fall semester (7.4)
By June 30th – All faculty must submit an Annual Report of faculty activities to the Chair and the Dean (6.2)
By the 1st Day of Fall Classes– All dossiers for tenure, promotion consideration and/or five-year review must be submitted to the Chair as one PDF file
By October 1st – All completed peer reviews will be submitted to the Chair
By October 1st – All requests for sabbatical leave, including written proposals for sabbatical projects, will be submitted to the Chair for preliminary review
By October 10th – The Chair will prepare all required written evaluations and meet with individual faculty to discuss and sign them
By November 1st – All requests for sabbatical leave will be submitted to the Dean
By December 1st - The Promotion and Tenure Committee will provide its written report to the candidate, Chair and Dean according to the guidelines of this document and those in the Faculty Handbook By February 15th – Written notification of the outcome of any action items reviewed during the tenure
review process will be provided to the candidate by the Dean (4 and 7.2)
Appointment letters:
By February 15th – All faculty, with or without tenure, whose appointments are not being terminated at the end of the current year, will receive a letter notifying them of the terms of their employment for the following year (2.5)
By March 1st – All regular faculty members without tenure will return signed copies of the appointment letter to the Dean and Chair; the faculty member will retain a third signed copy (2.5)
Dates for notification of Non-Reappointment are those shown in (2.6) and (8.3).
Meetings with Chair:
Untenured faculty: One meeting by Oct. 10th to discuss the Chair’s annual written performance evaluation.
