CHAPTER 4B PERSONNEL RULES

SECTION 3: INTERPRETATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES FOR PERSONNEL RULES AND POLICIES: FACULTY APPOINTMENT

(To see who has authority to approve changes to this section, please see the Approval of Changes page).

This section interprets, amplifies, and provides procedures for the implementation of UWSP Personnel Rules for Faculty, Chapters 1 - 6, and 15.

This material follows the approximate order of the rules.

DEPARTMENTAL/UNIT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Wherever UWSP Personnel Rules or policies or procedures provide for the development of departmental/unit policies and procedures and the approval of those policies or procedures by the chancellor or vice chancellor, approval has been delegated to designees

for departments/units reporting to a dean, the designee is the dean;
for departments/units reporting to vice chancellors, the designee is the vice chancellor; and
for departments/units reporting directly to the provost, the designee is the provost.

FACULTY RANKS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS.

An individual to be considered for appointment or promotion must meet at least the stated minimum qualifications of training and experience for the appropriate rank–

Instructor:

master’s degree or equivalent, preferably with evidence of progress toward a higher degree;

Assistant Professor:

earned doctorate or the highest degree normally earned in the field;

Associate Professor:

earned doctorate or the highest degree normally earned in the field and, normally, a minimum of 5 years (7 years for part‑time) of teaching experience at the college level; or

Professor:

earned doctorate or the highest degree normally earned in the field and, normally, a minimum of 10 years (13 years for part‑time) of teaching experience at the college level, plus evidence of scholarly academic standing as demonstrated through publication or other professional attainment.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE DOCTORATE.

Terminal Degrees.

The university includes departments and specializations in which the highest degree normally earned is not the doctorate and in which a requirement for the earned doctorate would be inappropriate.

Departmental Determination.

These areas and specializations are determined by the relevant faculty in cooperation with the appropriate administrative officers. In such areas and specializations, appropriate educational requirements other than the earned doctorate shall be established by the appropriate faculty and administrative officers and thereafter approved by faculty governance.

Requirements.

Such requirements should be established using nationally recognized professional standards and shall be published and be available to the appropriate faculty. Promotions on the basis of such requirements shall not be considered exceptions to the minimal qualifications stated above.

EXCEPTIONS.

Any of the requirements above may be waived in exceptional instances where the faculty member possesses unusual qualities exceeding those normally acceptable. Exceptions to the requirements for promotion are granted by the chancellor.

MODIFICATION OR REMOVAL OF RANK.

Modification or removal of rank without the agreement of the department, school, or other administrative unit, and of the individual faculty member, may occur only after appropriate notice, hearing, and finding of inappropriate behavior or activity under the provisions of chapters UWS/UWSP 4 or6 .

Administrative Assignment and Academic Staff Titles.

Already employed faculty reassigned or employed as administrators or other specialized personnel may be employed as academic staff or with academic staff titles but retain rank and status as faculty.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES*

Faculty teaching general education courses must hold a master’s degree or higher in the discipline or subfield. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than that in which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield in which they teach.

* Revisions are based on the Higher Learning Commission. March 2016. Determining Qualified Faculty Through HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices: Guidelines for Institutions and Peer Reviewers. http://download.hlcommission.org/FacultyGuidelines_2016_OPB.pdf.

DEPARTMENTAL TESTED EXPERIENCE CRITERIA FOR RANK*

Tested experience includes a breadth and depth of experience outside of the classroom in real-world situations relevant to the discipline in which the faculty member is teaching. Each Unit should develop hiring qualifications that outline the minimum threshold of experience and a system of evaluation for tested experience. This experience could include the skill sets, types of certifications or additional credentials, and experiences that would meet tested experience requirements for specific disciplines and programs. Faculty hiring qualifications related to tested experience should be reviewed and approved through the university governance process.

APPLIED MUSIC.

Instructor

• Master’s degree in another field and five years relevant teaching experience.

• Bachelor’s degree in Music and five years of experience in the field.

Assistant Professor.

Degree.

Required training and experience: a master’s degree in music and 4 years of college teaching experience, or as a professional performer, or a combination of both.

Other Requirements.

Excellence in the appropriate applied area, as demonstrated by either

• active participation in public concerts on or off campus, as either a member of a professional orchestra, opera company, or other ensemble, or as a soloist, or

• recordings, tours, engagements, critical reviews, recognition by colleagues, etc.

Teaching.

In addition to peer and student evaluations, teaching excellence shall be supported by activities outside the university as a clinician and educator, and by the accomplishments of former and present students.

Associate Professor, Music Department Artist Faculty.

(i.e., faculty whose major teaching expertise is in the performance areas: voice, instrument, conducting, composition).

Degree.

A master’s degree in music.

Teaching Experience.

Required training and experience: a minimum of 5 years of college teaching experience.

Performance.

Proven excellence in performance and teaching at the college level as evaluated by faculty and students.

Professional Experience.

Professional experience that includes associations with professionally recognized artists, through participation as a permanent member of a recognized major symphony, opera company, choral organization, chamber group, etc., or through participation as a solo performer or conductor in professional activities outside the university.

Professional Growth.

Evidence of continued professional growth and study in categories such as

• study with eminent teachers who may or may not be affiliated with schools of higher education;

• participation as teacher, performer, conductor, or other active member in recognized music festivals, workshops, seminars, or master classes;

• performance in professional recordings;

• finalist in a major competition;

• advanced-level scholarship or fellowship recipient; and

• publications (articles, books, compositions).

Tenure.

Faculty members qualifying for assistant professor under the criteria above shall be considered for tenure on the same basis as an assistant professor who holds the terminal degree.

COMPUTING AND NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES (CNMT)

Instructor.

Appointment - The candidate must have a master’s degree in a CNMT-related field with proven expertise in computing.

Assistant Professor.

Appointment - The candidate must have a master’s degree or higher in a CNMT-related field with proven expertise in computing as well as demonstrable and continuous professional development activities in computing during the most recent five years. In addition, the candidate should have at least one of the following: three years of college teaching experience in computing, equivalent professional work experience in computing, or current certification by a recognized certification body.

Promotion to Rank - The candidate must satisfy the appointment criteria, must have three years of college teaching experience, must be promotable according to the Department Handbook, and must receive a rating of “better than promotable performance” in both teaching and professional disciplinary growth using the criteria defined in the Department Handbook.

Associate Professor.

Appointment - The candidate must have a master’s degree or higher in a CNMT-related field with proven expertise in computing, demonstrable and continuous professional development activities in computing during the most recent seven years, five years of college teaching experience in computing, and three years of additional professional work experience in computing.

Promotion to Rank - The candidate must satisfy the appointment criteria at the Assistant Professor level, must have five years of college teaching experience in computing, must be promotable according to the Department Handbook, and must receive a rating of “better than promotable performance” in both teaching and professional disciplinary growth using the criteria defined in the Department Handbook.

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE.

These are criteria for appointment, promotion, and tenure.

Instructor.

The candidate must have a master’s degree and significant professional managerial and/or creative design experience.

Assistant Professor.

The candidate must have a master’s degree and 3 years of experience; a combination of professional experience and post‑secondary teaching experience.

Associate Professor.

In addition to the qualifications for Assistant Professor, 5 years of superior performance in college teaching and superior status in professional development is required.

Professor.

In addition to the qualifications for Associate Professor, a record of continuous and consistent superior professional development with recognized national status by peers is required. An exceptional record of teaching performance and continuous high quality service must be achieved.

Tenure.

Faculty hired through the fall of 1998 who have met the criteria for associate professor shall be considered as having terminal degrees for tenure purposes.

NATURAL RESOURCES: NATURAL RESOURCES LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Assistant Professor.

A Master of Science or higher degree with a major in a natural resources field plus a minimum of 3 years of experience in Conservation or Natural Resources Law Enforcement.

Associate Professor.

In addition to the requirements for the Assistant Professor rank, 5 years of teaching experience at the college level plus evidence of scholarly achievement as demonstrated through research and publication or other professional achievement.

Professor.

In addition to the requirements for the Associate Professor rank, 10 years of teaching experience at the college level plus evidence of scholarly achievement as demonstrated through research and publication or other professional achievement.

Tenure.

A Master of Science degree shall be considered the terminal degree for tenure purposes.

NATURAL RESOURCES: WILDLAND FIRE SCIENCE.

Assistant Professor.

A Master of Science or higher degree with a major in a natural resources field plus a minimum of 3 years of experience in Wildland Fire Management.

Associate Professor.

Professor.

Tenure.

A Master of Science degree shall be considered the terminal degree for tenure purposes.

SOCIOLOGY: FACULTY IN SOCIAL WORK.

Instructor.

Required training and experience: an MSW degree or its equivalent from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, plus 2 years of acceptable field experience.

Assistant Professor.

Required training and experience: an MSW degree or its equivalent from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, a minimum of 1 year of college teaching in social work, and 3 years of varied field experience in social work agencies.

Associate Professor.

Required training and experience: A DSW or Ph.D. in social work and five years’ college teaching experience, plus evidence of scholarly work and professional development. Alternatively, an MSW degree or its equivalent from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, evidence of scholarly work and professional development, five years’ college teaching experience and three years’ field experience with social work agencies.

Professor.

Required training and experience: A DSW or Ph.D. in social work and ten years of college teaching experience, plus evidence of scholarly work and professional development. Alternatively, an MSW degree or its equivalent from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, evidence of scholarly work and professional development, ten years’ college teaching experience and five years’ field experience with a social work agency, including at least two years of demonstrated involvement in administrative program development or agency consultation.

Tenure.

An MSW degree shall be treated as a terminal degree for tenure purposes.

MUSICAL THEATRE.

Assistant Professor.

Degree

A master’s degree in Theatre OR Music OR Appropriate Field.

Teaching Experience

Required training and experience: 4 years of college teaching experience, or as a professional performer, or a combination of both.

Other Requirements

Excellence in the field of Musical Theatre, as demonstrated by:

• active participation in Professional Performances, including touring, on or off-campus.

Teaching

Associate Professor

Degree

A master’s degree in Theatre OR Music OR Appropriate Field.

Teaching Experience

Required training and experience: a minimum of 5 years of college teaching experience.

Performance

Proven excellence in performance and teaching at the college level as evaluated by faculty and students.

Professional Experience

Professional experience that includes associations with professionally recognized artists or through participation as a performer, music director, or director in professional theatrical events, including touring.

Professional Growth

Evidence of continued professional growth and study in categories such as:

• participation as teacher, performer, musical director, or director in recognized professional performances, workshops, seminars, or master classes;

• performance in professional recordings;

• advanced-level scholarship or fellowship recipient; and

• publications (articles, books, compositions).

Tenure

Faculty members qualifying for assistant professor under the criteria above shall be considered for tenure on the same basis as an assistant professor who holds the terminal degree.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY.

Terminal Degrees.

A master’s degree in library/information science from an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited institution or international equivalent; or in the case of University Archives faculty, a master’s degree with an archives sequence.

Instructor.

a master’s degree, preferably with evidence of progress toward a terminal degree;

Assistant Professor.

a terminal degree;

Associate Professor.

a terminal degree and, normally, a minimum of 5 years (7 years for part-time) of professional library experience at the college level; plus evidence of service, scholarship, and professional growth;

Professor.

a terminal degree and, normally, a minimum of 10 years (13 years for part-time) of professional library experience at the college level; plus, continued evidence of service, scholarship, and professional growth.

GRADUATE FACULTY

NOTE: This policy also appears in Chapter 4B:5

Criteria: Both of the following:

• Rank of Assistant Professor or higher.

• Either

o Successful teaching experience in the discipline in which the faculty member provides graduate instruction, or

o Continuing evidence of scholarly achievement and professional activity.

MEMBERSHIP PROCESS

Prospective graduate faculty members are recommended by department chairs or their equivalent in consultation with faculty members eligible for graduate faculty status. Departmental recommendations shall be forwarded to the Graduate Council for information. This status will grant an individual the ability to serve on thesis or dissertation committees, teach graduate level courses, and vote on matters related to the graduate faculty.

ASSOCIATED GRADUATE FACULTY

Criteria: Both of the following:

• Rank of Assistant Professor or higher where the highest degree typically earned is other than the academic doctorate.

• Either

o Successful teaching experience in the discipline in which the faculty member provides graduate instruction, or

o Continuing evidence of scholarly achievement and professional activity.

MEMBERSHIP PROCESS

Prospective associated graduate faculty members are recommended by department chairs or their equivalent in consultation with faculty members eligible for associated graduate faculty status. Departmental recommendations shall be forwarded to the Graduate Council for information. This status will grant an individual the ability to teach graduate-level courses. Individuals are not eligible to serve on thesis or dissertation committees, however, those appointed to associated graduate faculty status with unique expertise required for completion of thesis or dissertation requirements may apply for temporary graduate research status. Associated graduate faculty must meet the approved ATE requirements for their department.

TEMPORARY GRADUATE RESEARCH STATUS

Criteria: Both of the following:

• A Ph.D., Ed.D, or terminal professional degree;

• Continuing evidence of scholarly achievement and professional activity.

MEMBERSHIP PROCESS

Upon recommendation of the department and the dean of the college, instructors may obtain TEMPORARY GRADUATE RESEARCH STATUS. Departmental recommendations shall be forwarded to the Graduate Council for information. These appointments are designed to allow collaborators from other institutions or non-permanent appointments at the university (e.g., postdoctoral researchers) to serve on thesis or dissertation committees. Such appointments will only allow individuals to serve on thesis or dissertation committees and authorization will typically be granted for the duration of the collaborative project for which they are assisting. Individuals who serve on more than one committee must have temporary graduate research status approved for each project. Temporary graduate research status does not authorize an individual to teach graduate level courses (a separate authorization would be required) and does not grant the ability of an individual to vote on graduate faculty matters that pertain to administrative or curriculum issues.

TEMPORARY GRADUATE TEACHING STATUS

Criteria: Both of the following

• Qualifications for rank of Assistant Professor or higher.

• Either

o Successful teaching experience in the discipline in which graduate instruction is given, or

o Continuing evidence of scholarly achievement and professional activity.

Upon recommendation of the department, faculty or instructional academic staff may be given TEMPORARY GRADUATE TEACHING STATUS. Departmental recommendations shall be forwarded to the Graduate Council for information for a term no more than 5 years. Minimum requirements for temporary graduate teaching status are to have the qualifications for rank of Assistant Professor within their discipline and teaching or scholarly activity as outlined above unless their department has alternative tested experience criteria listed below. These ALTERNATIVE TESTED EXPERIENCE CRITERIA must be approved by the Graduate Council. Temporary graduate teaching status does not authorize an individual to serve on thesis or dissertation committees and does not grant the ability of an individual to vote on graduate faculty matters that pertain to administrative or curriculum issues.

ALTERNATIVE TESTED EXPERIENCE CRITERIA

COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

For the College of Natural Resources, “tested experience” and/or “skill sets, certifications, other credentials” includes the following:

• Possession of a terminal degree in a natural resources discipline OR

• Professional experience equivalent to 5 years in one, or a combination, of the following:

o Employment with a private, public, or non-profit agency whose primary service is to provide education, policy development, management, commercial or other professional services for the following sectors:

 Forest Management

 Environmental Education or Interpretation

 Natural Resource Planning, Policy, or Sustainable Energy

 Soil, Land, or Waste Management

 Wildlife Management or Captive Wildlife

 Water Resource Management

 Fisheries Management

 Paper Science Manufacturing or Chemical/ Environmental Engineering

o Teaching experience in a primary or secondary classroom (kindergarten through grade 12) may be considered for instructional assignments related to environmental education.

o Informal teaching experience, including the delivery of outreach, extension, or similar community-oriented programming.

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

For the purpose of advanced courses with specialized disciplinary content, the department requires a master’s degree or PhD candidacy in a field related to biology, and evidence of at least one of the following:

• Identified graduate coursework of at least 6 credits in specialized disciplinary content consistent with the assigned course for the instructor, or

• Publications and/or presentations at professional conferences in the disciplinary content area of the assigned course for the instructor, or

• At least 3 years of professional experience working in a discipline directly related to the content area of the assigned course for the instructor

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY

In the Geography/Geology Department, “tested experience” and/or “skill sets, certifications, other credentials” are met by one or a combination of the following:

For graduate-level instructors in Geography:

• Achievement of Ph.D. candidacy (from an accredited university) in Geography or in a related field.

• Applied research in a geographic subfield (e.g., geospatial techniques) that engaged community, government, or business groups and resulted in a presentation or in published materials.

• Attainment of state or national certificates or accreditation from a geographic or related professional organization in which 5 years of experience are required, or 3-4 years of experience are required and a minimum of two re-certifications is achieved.

• Non-university related employment in a position that uses geographic or related knowledge and skill sets on a daily basis.

For graduate-level instructors in Geology:

• Achievement of Ph.D. candidacy (from an accredited university) in Geology or in a related field.

• Applied research in a geologic subfield (e.g. hydrogeology) that engaged community, government, or business groups and resulted in a presentation or in published materials.

• Attainment of state or national certificates or accreditation from a geologic or related professional organization in which 5 years of experience are required, or 3-4 years of experience are required and a minimum of two re-certifications is achieved.

• Non-university related employment in a position that uses geologic or related knowledge and skill sets on a daily basis.

SENTRY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

Qualification guidelines for teaching graduate courses

For faculty to teach graduate courses in the Sentry School of Business and Economics, the following criteria apply:

• An appropriate earned doctorate OR Alternative tested experience: An appropriate Master’s degree in a field related to the courses taught, plus executive or professional-level experience. The faculty member must have a minimum of 5 years of managerial or professional-level experience in business, education, government or the military relevant to the subject matter of the courses taught. In rare cases, candidate with a relevant undergraduate degree plus significant and extensive executive professional-level experience may be nominated by the personnel committee. In these rare instances the experience should be significant in terms of the level of executive responsibility (high-ranking) and extensive in terms of the length of experience (career length).

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS

Policy for Tested Experience Hiring Criteria:

Hiring Requirements:

1. To teach undergraduate courses - the person must hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology; or a Master’s degree or a license or certification beyond the baccalaureate degree in the specific content area of the course (e.g., sign language).

2. To teach graduate courses - the person must hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology or audiology, have a license to practice, and/or hold national certification, and have a minimum of 3 years of clinical experience; or have a Master’s degree in an unrelated discipline, and possess a license or certification beyond the baccalaureate degree in the specific content area of the course (e.g., business/practice management).

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

The School of Education believes that a faculty member should hold a terminal degree to teach graduate courses. Alternative tested experience: temporary graduate faculty will need to possess a Master’s degree, five years of professional experience including at least three years PK-12 teaching experience that is consistent with their discipline, and where applicable, the knowledge, skills and dispositions to teach online, hybrid or face-to-face courses. In other circumstances, the combination of a Master’s degree, three years of PK-12 teaching experience, discipline specific to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction certifications/licenses, specialized credentials, skill sets or relevant real-world experience are considered evidence of appropriate qualifications for graduate teaching.

Educational Sustainability Doctoral Program (Ed.D.)

Introduction

The following defines the Educational Sustainability (Ed.D.) doctoral program minimum qualifications and tested experience for instructional faculty teaching courses in the Educational Sustainability doctoral program. This does not include the courses EDSU 918 (Scholar Mentorship course) or the EDSU, EDSU 919 (Applied Residency Course) 920 (Dissertation Course); please see the Affiliate Scholar Practitioner Program for those requirements.

The Ed.D. program is interdisciplinary in nature given the social, ecological and economical aspects of the broad field of education defined as informal, formal and nonformal systems of teaching, learning and leading. These systems include but not limited to, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Adult Learning, Life-long learning, and educational components of business, communities, non-profit educational institutions, international educational organizations and sustainability pedagogies and learning to support.

Given that the field of educational sustainability questions historical trends, current practice and future orientations of education from social, cultural, ecological and economic contexts, students often are interested in exploring and practicing in and for novel places (both geographically speaking and theoretically/philosophically thinking), weaving contributions of other disciplinary fields into research and professional practice. To this extent, courses and related experiences connect this scope of sustainability to support the Ed.D. program as interdisciplinary within clearly defined outcomes set forth and approved by HLC (see Ed.D. catalog for outcomes).

Alternative Tested Criteria

With this explanation, and for the purpose of the doctoral courses in this interdisciplinary arena, the department requires: an Ed.D. or Ph.D. in a disciplinary field related to the course being taught and 3 years of combined professional/practitioner, teaching and/or research experience in the specific content area of the course being taught.

SCHOOL OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS

Policy for Tested Experience Hiring Criteria

Athletic Training

Hiring Requirements:

1. To teach graduate courses in the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program, the person must hold either:

a. A Doctorate of Athletic Training (DAT), possess a current and active license to practice Athletic Training in any jurisdiction in the United States, and a minimum of three (3) full-time equivalent years of clinical experience with the demonstrated post-professional expertise clinical expertise in the content area assigned. Post-professional expertise can be demonstrated by recent continuing professional education in the content area.

b. A Post-professional Master’s degree, possess a current and active license to practice Athletic Training in any jurisdiction in t he United States, and a minimum of three (3) full-time equivalent years of clinical experience with demonstrated post-professional expertise in the content area assigned. Post-professional expertise can be demonstrated by recent continuing professional education in the content area.

c. An entry-level Master’s degree in Athletic Training, possess a current and active license to practice Athletic Training in any jurisdiction in the United States, and a minimum of five (5) full-time equivalent years of clinical experience, and post-professional expertise as demonstrated by additional specialist certifications recognized by the Board of Certification (BOC).

Physical Therapy

Hiring Requirements:

1. To teach graduate courses in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, the person must hold either:

a. a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, a current and active license to practice physical therapy in any jurisdiction in the United States, and a minimum of three (3) full-time equivalent years of clinical experience with demonstrated post-professional expertise can be demonstrated by recent continuing professional education in the content area, and/or specialist certification recognized by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS);

b. A post-professional Master’s degree, a current and active license to practice physical therapy in any jurisdiction in the United States, and a minimum of five (5) full-time equivalent years of clinical experience and post-professional expertise as demonstrated by current specialist certification recognized by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS).

SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Qualification Guidelines for Teaching Graduate Courses

The following define for the School of Health Promotion and Human Development at UWSP the minimum qualifications and tested experience (e.g., skills, certifications, credentials, professional experiences) for teaching graduate courses that we offer in the following areas:

Community and Organizational Leadership

Master’s degree in a discipline within the fields of Government & Public Administration, Business Management and Administration, Health Science, Human Services, Communications, Marketing, or Education and Training as appropriate to the specific content area of the course, plus 5 years of professional experience in the specific content area of the course.

Family and Consumer Sciences

Master’s degree in Education, Human Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, Counseling, or related discipline within the fields of Human Services, or Family Studies, or Education as appropriate to the specific course being taught; plus 5 years of professional experience in the specific content area of the course, or teaching licensure in Family and Consumer Sciences and 5 years of professional experience in the specific content area of the course.

Food and Nutrition

Master’s degree in Health Education, Public Health, Exercise Science, or related discipline within the fields of Health Science, Human Services, Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, Government and Public Administration or Business Management & Administration as appropriate to the specific content area of the course, plus 5 years of professional experience in the specific content area of the course.

Health and Wellness Management

Master’s degree in Health Education, Public Health, Nutrition, Exercise Science or related discipline within the fields of Health Science, Human Services, Marketing, or Business Management and Administration as appropriate to the specific content area of the course, plus 5 years of professional experience in the specific content area of the course.

Health Promotion and Wellness

Human Development

Master’s degree in Education, Human Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, Counseling, or related discipline within the fields of Human Services, Family Studies, or Education as appropriate to the specific content area of the course, plus 5 years of professional experience in the specific content area of the course.

Membership Process

Using the criteria above and upon recommendation of the department and the dean of the college instructors may obtain TEMPORARY GRADUATE TEACHING STATUS. Such appointments must specify the courses(s) to be taught and the duration for temporary only pertain to the teaching of the specified course(s). Under no circumstances shall the temporary status be used as a continuing substitute for graduate faculty membership. Temporary graduate teaching status does not authorize an individual to serve on thesis or dissertation committees (a separate authorization would be required) and does not grant the ability of an individual to vote on graduate faculty matters that pertain to administrative or curriculum issues.

The department or dean has the responsibility to communicate this TEMPORARY GRADUATE TEACHING STATUS to the registrar.

LIMITED APPOINTMENTS

DEFINITION.

A limited appointment is an appointment to a designated administrative position in which the individual serves at the pleasure of the appointing official. Such appointments are governed by the provisions of Chapter UWS 15.

APPOINTMENT RIGHTS.

Current Faculty.

A member of the faculty granted a limited appointment does not lose existing rights to a faculty appointment by accepting the limited appointment.

Initial Appointment.

Whenever feasible, an individual granted a limited appointment and not already holding a faculty [or academic staff] appointment shall be given an appropriate faculty [or academic staff] appointment.

Termination.

Termination of a limited appointment is not a dismissal under Chapters UWS 4/UWSP 4 (see 4A.2) and is not otherwise appealable.

Notice.

Whenever possible, an individual holding a limited appointment without another faculty [or academic staff] appointment shall be given notice of termination of the limited appointment at least 3 months in advance of the expiration of the appointment.

SALARY.

The salary for an individual with a limited appointment is determined by an vice chancellor, the provost, or the chancellor, as appropriate. Such salaries are based upon the appointee’s duties and shall be in conformity with the salary structure prescribed in the UW System. Annual salary increases for faculty holding limited appointments are also determined by the appointing authority.

EDUCATIONAL CODE, CREDITING OF PRIOR SERVICE, AND SALARY INFORMATION

EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION CODE.

Effective 2006-2007, a faculty member’s code assignment is based on the following academic preparation.

Code 1.

• Ph.D.

• Ed.D.

• Earned doctor’s degree equivalent to the Ph.D. or Ed.D., requiring an original contribution to the field and requiring the minimum equivalent of 3 full years of graduate study beyond the baccalaureate.

• MFA in creative arts (specifically: studio art, creative writing, dance and technical areas of drama) when a higher terminal degree is not normally awarded.

Code 2.

• Earned degrees, such as the J.D., requiring a minimum of 90 semester credit hours of graduate level work beyond the baccalaureate degree.

• All requirements for the doctorate met except completion of the dissertation.

Code 3.

• Master’s degree plus 30 semester credit hours of graduate level work in a coherent program of study. If the master’s degree requires more than 30 semester credit hours, then the additional graduate level work only needs to bring the total semester credit hours to 60 (for example, a master’s degree requiring 36 semester credit hours would need to be supplemented with an additional 24 credits to qualify for this educational code.)

• A specialist degree or its equivalent.

• University Library faculty with an MLS and a second approved master’s degree.

Code 4.

• A master’s degree.

Code 5.

• A bachelor’s degree.

Code 6.

• No bachelor’s degree.

TIME GRANTED TOWARD TENURE: PRIOR SERVICE CREDIT.

General Guideline.

The practice of granting credit for prior service is not universal but has been most common in traditional four‑year universities. When prior service credit is granted, it is usually limited to 3 years, leaving 3 to 4 years for evaluating the individual prior to making the mandatory tenure decision.

Impact.

Tenure may be awarded at any time during the probationary period, so granting of credit for prior service does not necessarily speed up this decision. The sole consequence of granting credit for prior service is that it does shorten, by a stipulated number of years, the time period in which the decision to award tenure or non-renew must be made.

Individual Decisions.

Decisions on crediting of prior service are made on an individual, case-by-case basis: there is no automatic or formula‑based credit for prior service.

SALARY INFORMATION.

Salary at Time of Hiring.

The hiring salary schedule is updated annually to help establish starting salaries for new hires. The salary schedule considers previous experience and the assigned educational preparation code and specifies the minimum salary at the time of hire. Market factors may dictate a higher starting salary than that suggested by the hiring schedule. Starting salaries are negotiated among the applicant, the chairperson, and the dean. The provost or appropriate vice chancellor must approve all salaries.

Crediting of Prior Years.

When a newly hired person receives credit for previous experience in determining salary, fractional years of credit are rounded to the next higher number of full years (e.g., 1.2 years are counted as 2 years on the salary schedule).

Salary Adjustments.

Annual Adjustments.

Each year the Board approves the average base salary increase for the following year (usually expressed as a percentage of salary). The Board also establishes guidelines for salary increase distribution. Using Board guidelines, the Common Council recommends to the chancellor specific criteria for determining individual salary increases and the percentage to be assigned to the various criteria. The criteria normally considered include experience, rank, and performance in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and general educational service.

Promotion Adjustments.

Promotions from the rank of Instructor to Assistant Professor are accompanied by a salary increase of 5%. Promotions from the rank of Assistant Professor to Associate Professor are accompanied by a salary increase of 7%. Promotions from the rank of Associate Professor to Professor are accompanied by a salary increase of 9%.

Notification.

The time of salary announcements varies each year, depending upon state legislative and Board of Regents’ actions. Notification of the established salary is given each person following Regent action.

Summer Session.

Compensation.

Summer session compensation is normally 9.3% of the previous academic year salary for the equivalent of three credits of instruction (half-time); full-time is normally compensated at 18.6%.

Contracts.

Summer session contracts are all contingency contracts, based on negotiations between the faculty member and appropriate dean on the number of students anticipated to enroll. When enrollment is less than anticipated, the dean determines whether the class is to be canceled and the contract voided or to keep the class at the lower enrollment and reduce the salary of the faculty member.

Paychecks.

Academic year salaries for new faculty appointees are paid in 9 checks.

Date Available.

Faculty payroll checks are usually available on the first work day of each month but are not issued on Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday. Checks will be delivered only to the faculty member or to a spouse employed by the university.

The first check for the academic year is issued on October 1, the last on June 1 (July 1 for those faculty remaining on the 10 month pay plan).

Direct Deposit.

Faculty members may have payroll checks deposited directly to the financial institution of their choice. Deposit is by courier (local) or mail (out of town). Checks are deposited or mailed for deposit on the night before payday; however, the deposit may not legally be credited to the faculty member’s account until the first.

Persons with questions regarding direct deposit of payroll checks should call the UWSP Payroll Office.

Summer Session.

Summer school checks are issued on August 1 and September 1.

Optional Twelve-payment Plan.

For faculty on academic year appointments, an optional twelve-payment plan (rather than 9 or 10) is available, and can be arranged through the UWSP Credit Union.

Post-retirement Teaching.

Faculty who teach after retirement will be appointed as fixed-term academic staff with a Hayes-Hill title in the lecturer series. A working title of professor (or associate or assistant) emeritus may be used in conjunction with the Hayes-Hill title. The scheduled salary for such an appointment will be that provided by the salary schedule for Category B academic staff at the appropriate education code and experience level. Unscheduled salary may be negotiated based on appropriate factors. Each academic year in which an academic staff member is employed by the university will be counted as 1 year of experience for salary purposes.

PROBATIONARY AND TENURE APPOINTMENTS

TENURE DENSITY.

Tenure density refers to the ability of a department to accommodate a 10% reduction in workload without loss of tenured faculty.

ACQUIRING TENURE.

General.

The vice chancellor, in consultation with the dean and department chairperson will determine whether or not a particular vacant position may be designated as a tenure track position at the time the position is advertised.

Effective with the 1992-93 academic year, all vacant faculty positions approved by the vice chancellor for recruitment will be understood to be tenurable positions.

The vice chancellor will make an initial decision whether to sign the Position Announcement form based on the most recent tenure management report for the department. Additional considerations may include: anticipated student enrollment, faculty attrition, retirement, retraining, reassignment, changes in academic programs, changes in student interest, interrelations among curricular areas, characteristics of departmental programs, the need to maintain a viable core of offerings in certain areas regardless of enrollments, the primary academic emphases of the university, departmental and curricular tenure density, etc. Tenure density considers the ability of the department to accommodate a ten percent reduction in workload without the loss of tenured faculty.

If the vice chancellor decides not to sign the Position Announcement form, the appropriate dean will be informed. At that point, the dean and, if necessary, the department chairperson will be invited to confer with the vice chancellor to review the data leading to the initial decision not to sign the form.

If review of the decision does not result in authorization for a faculty search, the vice chancellor may instead authorize a search for an instructional academic staff position. Such a position will normally be renewable for up to four years. A request to renew the position beyond four years must be approved by the vice chancellor on a case-by-case basis. If the position is not renewed, then recruitment procedures may continue according to the steps outlined in current EEO-AA policies.

Each faculty member being considered for tenure is entitled to 2 determinations:

• whether present circumstances of the university and the department will permit the granting of tenure; and

• whether the department chooses to recommend tenure.

Note: the determination of whether circumstances will permit granting of tenure shall not be based on tenure density.

Eligibility.

Only persons eligible for consideration for promotion to the rank of associate professor may be tenured. Exceptions for certain groups may be granted by the Common Council and the chancellor.

Departmental Assignments and Tenure Density.

Faculty assigned to or tenured in a particular department but not presently serving in that department will not be counted as department members for tenure density purposes so long as they continue in such alternative assignments. The department should be informed of an individual’s intent to return during the year immediately preceding the return so as to assist the department in planning.

Reduced Responsibilities.

A probationary faculty member may reduce professional responsibilities under limited conditions specified in UWSP 3.04 (3) (see 4A.2) . Colloquially, this is called “stopping the tenure clock,” and may be requested in circumstances such as childbirth, adoption, dependent care obligations, or disability. The time granted for such activities does not count as a break in continuous service nor as part of the probationary period.

CONTRACTUAL PERIODS AND SCHEDULES FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON RETENTION, TENURE, PROMOTION, AND MERIT.

Contractual periods.

Faculty may be hired on multiple-year contracts or one-year contracts.

Annual Schedule.

The vice chancellor and the deans annually distribute to department chairpersons a schedule of specific dates when recommendations regarding renewal, tenure, promotion, and merit are due.

Retention.

Dates for decisions on renewal are governed by the provisions of Chapters UWS and UWSP 3.09 (see 4A.2.) Faculty must receive notice by March 1 in the first year, December 15 in the second year, and, thereafter, 12 months prior to the expiration of the appointment.

Tenure.

Departments normally submit recommendations for tenure to the dean in November.

Promotion.

Departments normally submit recommendations for promotion in November or as part of the retention recommendation.

Merit.

The date when merit recommendations are due is governed by legislative and System action. Departmental merit recommendations are usually submitted to the dean in February.

APPOINTMENTS.

Decision Authority.

Decisions on appointment and renewal are made by the department and the vice chancellor (as the chancellor’s designee) for probationary faculty appointments in the first year and after the 4th year. Decisions on renewal in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years are made by the department and appropriate dean (as the chancellor’s designee).

Change in Position Responsibilities.

An amended letter of appointment shall be sent in situations where a significant change in position responsibility occurs; however, no such change may be made during a contractual period without the mutual consent of the faculty member and the appropriate institutional officers, except as may be necessary under 36.21 Wis. Stats. and Chapter UWSP 5 (see 4A.2).

Teaching Responsibilities.

An individual who holds academic rank in a department is usually expected to perform some regular teaching assignment each year. Exceptions to this policy may be made by the vice chancellor upon the recommendation of the department. Present and future faculty of the University Library shall be an exception to this policy.

Joint Appointments.

Academic joint appointments or faculty members may be made between departments and/or colleges. These appointments are made only if the faculty member and the involved university units agree upon the desirability of such an arrangement. Joint appointments may be terminated at the end of a contractual period upon the request of any of the involved individuals or units.

Home Department.

Faculty members with joint appointments will have a home department which will be responsible for the person’s salary, tenure, and rank. Faculty with joint appointments will be eligible to participate in both units in faculty meetings, appropriate committees, research, and teaching. Such participation will depend upon prior agreement of the involved units.

Part-time Appointments.

Half-time Minimum.

Part-time faculty appointments must be half‑time or more for 2 consecutive semesters. Half‑time is the equivalent of 6 credits per semester.

Change in Proportion of Time.

A faculty member may request either

• a permanent reduction to not less than half-time;

• a reduction to less than half-time on an academic staff appointment; or

• a temporary reduction as a partial leave without pay.

Salary.

A faculty member’s base salary is prorated for any reduction in time; eligibility for fringe benefits may change during semesters at reduced time.

Probationary Agreement.

For faculty on probationary appointment, the initial letter of agreement for a reduced assignment shall state how much time the faculty member will have accrued toward tenure by the beginning of the reduced assignment, and how much time will be accrued during the period the faculty member serves on reduced assignment.

Salary and Merit for Part‑time Faculty.

Criteria.

General criteria for determining salary and merit for part‑time faculty are the same as for full‑time faculty. Departments may develop specific performance objectives for individuals with part-time appointments just as they do for faculty with full-time appointments.

Amount.

The amount of each adjustment shall be prorated in proportion to the percentage of a full‑time appointment for which the person is hired.

Experience Credit.

Part-time faculty receive proportional salary for rank and educational code, and will be moved a full year of experience on the salary schedule each year unless leave policy dictates otherwise.

EVALUATION OF FACULTY BY STUDENTS AND PEERS

(See Chaps. UWS 3 and UWSP 3 (see 4A.2)

GENERAL PRINCIPLES.

Departmental Responsibilities.

The primary responsibility for evaluation of faculty for purposes of retention, promotion, merit, tenure, salary, and post-tenure review rests with the faculty of the individual departments. All faculty and administrators who appraise performance shall have completed appropriate training provided through the vice chancellor’s office.

NOTE. Departments and equivalent academic areas may extend limited governance rights to their academic staff members as provided for in UWS 1.05 and UWSP 1.05 (see 4A.2). This limited faculty status means that departmental academic staff have the right to participate in all aspects of the department’s governance as specified by the department except decisions relating to hiring, retention, promotion, and tenure for individual faculty.

Role of Chairperson in Personnel Matters.

Records.

The department chairperson shall maintain files of records and correspondence relating to departmental actions on personnel matters.

Committee Actions.

The department chairperson shall assist the chairperson of any departmental personnel committees making personnel recommendations in the preparation of all relevant records and correspondence.

Forwarding Results.

As appropriate, the department chairperson shall forward results of departmental personnel actions to the dean of the college.

Separate Recommendation.

Normally, the department chairperson provides to the dean a separate recommendation on personnel matters.

Committee Membership.

Where a department chairperson provides separate recommendations on personnel matters, the chairperson shall not be a voting member of departmental personnel committees and shall not be counted in determining a quorum.

No Separate Recommendation.

With the approval of the department, the chairperson, and the dean of the college, a department chairperson may vote with departmental committees on personnel matters. Where this practice is adopted, the chairperson shall be a voting member of appropriate personnel committees and shall not forward a separate recommendation to the dean; the dean shall receive only the committee’s recommendation.

Evaluation of Probationary and Tenured Faculty.

Both probationary and tenured faculty shall be evaluated regularly on how they meet individual and department performance objectives. Near the middle of each evaluative period, an interim meeting will be held with the faculty member to discuss progress toward the objectives and to revise objectives as necessary. Departments or program units in consultation with their deans should develop procedures for carrying out these reviews.

Evaluations by Students and Colleagues.

Student and colleague evaluations of teaching, and colleague evaluations of teaching-related scholarship, shall be considered in making decisions on retention, promotion, merit, tenure, salary, and general improvement and recognition.

Colleague Evaluation of Teaching, Scholarship and University Service.

Tenured faculty have the primary role in personnel decisions. However, as tenure and experience are not identical, departmental evaluations should utilize the resources of all experienced members. A significant number of the colleagues of the individual under consideration shall be directly involved in the analysis of student evaluations, study of information provided by the individual, classroom visitations, observation of professional presentations, review of publications, and examination of teaching materials (syllabi, exams, handouts, etc.).

Procedural Rights.

When being reviewed for any departmental personnel recommendations, faculty members shall be given the opportunity to present materials showing qualifications, and may be invited to present oral evidence to the appropriate departmental evaluation committee(s).

Presence at Meetings.

No Exclusions.

Under the provisions of 19.89 of the Open Meetings Law, no member of a governmental body may be excluded from any meeting of the body. In addition, no member may be excluded from meetings of the body’s subunits unless the rules of the body specifically state otherwise.

Right to Open Meeting.

Under the provisions of UWSP 3.06 (1)(d) (see 4A.2), a probationary faculty member has the right to request and receive an open meeting for any meeting of a department or unit or subunit involving consideration of tenure for that individual.

Meetings to consider retention of probationary faculty shall normally be held in closed session.

19.85 Wis. Stats.

Under the Open Meetings Law, even when departmental policies provide that subunit or committee meetings be restricted to members of the subunit or committee, a faculty member under consideration for tenure has the right to request and receive an open meeting for the portion of the meeting that constitutes an evidentiary hearing for the tenure decision or at which final action is taken on the tenure decision for that individual.

Departmental Policies.

Normally, departmental policies will require a written request for an open meeting reasonably in advance of the meeting.

Merit.

In the performance objectives as evaluated within each department, merit recognizes performance ranging from solid through exemplary. It must never be used as a substitute for adequate and reasonable compensation for all members of the faculty.

Activities.

Activities to be considered in the evaluation process shall include those undertaken as part of the extension function or as part of the international programs offerings as well as a faculty member’s usual activities.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES (CRITERIA) FOR EVALUATING FACULTY.

Each department shall specify in writing the relative importance of these performance objectives:

Teaching Ability:

the success of the instructor, both in and out of the classroom, in securing interest, effort, and progress on the part of the student. The primary consideration is that students are stimulated to high standards of scholarship, to active interest in learning, and to effective effort toward self‑improvement.

Scholarship:

activities which are clearly defined, use methods and procedures appropriate to the task, are documented and available to the academic community for review and comment, have disciplinary and/or pedagogical value, and reflect a level of expertise/creativity expected in higher education.

General Educational Service:

the acceptance and fulfillment of professional responsibilities outside the classroom, e.g., academic advising, extracurricular advising, participation in organizations related to the discipline, acceptance of professional responsibilities within the university or community, etc.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

Written Procedures.

Each department shall establish procedures for retention, promotion, merit, tenure, salary, and post-tenure review. These procedures shall include a policy explicitly expressing how the faculty performance objectives (above) are defined, measured, and evaluated in discipline specific ways. They will also provide for expanding retention, promotion, and tenure personnel committees, in consultation with the dean, for cases where there are fewer than three departmental representatives voting on a personnel decision. When approved by the appropriate dean and the vice chancellor, this statement shall be the standard used by all evaluators for faculty of that department; however, the standard need not apply to administrative merit.

Colleague Evaluation of Teaching

Evaluation of the candidate’s teaching materials represents an important component of the colleagues’ evaluation of the candidate’s teaching. While the specifics of the colleagues’ examination of these materials may vary significantly from discipline to discipline, it must include the following three general components: course content, course objectives, and grading policies. In addition, where applicable, the evaluation should include course examinations, course organization and quality of student achievement.

During the period leading to the first retention recommendation, the probationary faculty member’s classes should be observed by at least two colleagues, presenting a minimum of four observations. Care should be taken that the classes visited are representative of the probationary faculty member’s teaching assignment over a period of semesters. For subsequent retention, tenure or promotion recommendations, the appropriate personnel committee should conduct a sufficient number of observations to provide adequate information to support its personnel recommendation. This typically would include a minimum of two classroom observations.

Midterm Evaluation

An anonymous, midterm evaluation will be conducted on all courses at UWSP using the Midterm Student Evaluation of Teaching survey (see Chapter 4D.15). Student responses will only be available to the instructor, which the instructor may choose to use in personnel files. An instructor may opt out of the midterm evaluation if they already have a mechanism in place to receive feedback during the term. Results from this evaluation are formative and should be used by the instructor to make improvements to the class.

End of Term Evaluation.

All courses being evaluated at UWSP shall use the End of Term Student Evaluation of Teaching survey (see Chapter 4D.15: Selected Documents Pertinent to Personnel Matters). Departments may elect to add additional questions to this survey. If additional questions are added, then the department must clarify in their bylaws how these questions will be used in personnel decisions and should follow best practices when selecting questions.

Student Evaluation of Teaching

Examination of responses to the End of Term Student Evaluation of Teaching survey is an important component of colleague evaluation. The interpretation of the results is primarily the responsibility of the department. This component, however, cannot be the sole basis for a personnel decision. The evaluation results cannot substitute for colleague observation of classes and colleague evaluation of the candidate’s materials listed above under “Colleague Evaluation of Teaching”. In particular, departments should interpret the results in the context of those observations and materials.

Per Regent policy, care must be taken to ensure that “any limitations in the objectivity, validity, and reliability of the data is considered” in the process of colleague evaluation. Pursuant to this goal, department interpretation of the data should be supplemented by consideration of evaluation response rates. As part of the evaluation process, departments should identify course evaluations with low response rates, as that data will be less reliable and will require more careful analysis. Faculty are expected to take actions that will encourage a sufficient response rate.

(Colleague reviews of instruction for merit determinations must, at a minimum, examine responses to this survey.)

PROMOTION PROCEDURES IN DEPARTMENTS.

Promotion Committees.

Promotion committees are normally limited to persons above the rank of the individual applying for promotion.

Committee Chairperson’s Duties.

The chairperson of each committee shall report the committee’s recommendations to the individual, the department chairperson, and the dean of the college.

Department Chairperson’s Recommendation.

If the department chairperson provides a separate recommendation to the dean and if the chairperson’s recommendation differs significantly from that of the department, the chairperson shall notify the appropriate departmental committee of this fact and provide to the person under consideration written justification for the action.

Forwarding Recommendations.

In any discussion between the dean and the department regarding these recommendations, both the department chairperson and the chairperson of the committee shall be included. The dean shall forward a recommendation along with those of the department and department chairperson to the vice chancellor, and shall inform the department chairperson in writing of that recommendation.

Informing Department.

In the event that the dean, vice chancellor, or chancellor makes a recommendation contrary to the department’s, that administrator shall inform the individual and the department chairperson in writing, including reasons for the decision, before transmitting the recommendation to the next administrative level.

Completion of Requirements.

The required number of years of teaching experience for a particular rank shall be completed before the individual is considered for promotion.

PROCEDURES FOR POST-TENURE REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENT.

Introduction

Tenure is an essential part of the guarantee of academic freedom that is necessary for university-based intellectual life to flourish. The grant of indeterminate tenure to faculty members represents an enormous investment of university and societal resources, and those who receive this investment do so only after rigorous review which established that their scholarship, research, teaching, and service met the highest standards and are congruent with the needs of the university.

It is the policy of the Board of Regents that a periodic, post-tenure review of tenured faculty members is essential to promoting faculty development, including recognizing innovation and creativity; enhancing the educational environment for students; and identifying and redressing deficiencies in overall performance of duties through a supportive and developmental remediation process.

Nothing in this policy shall be interpreted to alter or to infringe upon existing tenure rights, as set forth in UW System Board of Regents or UW System policies, nor shall this policy diminish the important guarantees of academic freedom. Specifically, this policy does not supersede administrative rules providing for termination for cause set forth in Chapter UWS 4 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

Purpose

The purpose of post-tenure review is the periodic assessment of each tenured faculty member’s academic activities and performance, in accordance with the mission of the department, college, and institution. (Please refer to the UWSP Teaching, Scholarship and Service document published by the Provost for more detail.) The review is to be appropriately linked to the promotion and/or merit processes (see “Promotion Review as Substitute” under “Evaluation Procedures,” and “Use of Post-Tenure Review File for Merit” under “Departmental Procedures” below). Review of tenured faculty builds on and complements other aspects of the tenure process in order to develop faculty capacity and strengthen and promote the public benefits of tenure. Post-tenure review is not a reevaluation of tenure and is not undertaken for the purposes of discipline or dismissal.

Faculty shall be subject to dismissal only for just cause (see Handbook “Chapter 4A.2: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Personnel Rules for Faculty and Academic Staff). Departments, schools, and colleges shall not use post-tenure reviews as the basis for budgetary decisions or for program modification or redirection. Although this review is not subject to the grievance process set forth in Chapter UWS 6.02, faculty do retain rights regarding discipline under Chapter UWS 4.

Definition

In the following policy, “department chair” refers to any equivalent unit coordinator.

Annual Performance Review

Tenured and tenure-track faculty are evaluated annually in a separate process described in the Faculty/IAS Annual Performance Review later in this chapter).

Evaluation Procedures

Each tenured faculty member will be evaluated every 5 years for the purpose of general review, development, recognition and merit. This will include evaluating how past individual-based and department-based performance objectives have been met and will set such objectives for the next evaluation period.

Notice to Faculty

A written notice of post-tenure review must be given to the faculty member three months in advance of the review.

Promotion Review as Substitute.

A faculty member seeking promotion in rank will use review and evaluation for promotion in place of post-tenure review. The substitution is permissible only when promotion is sought in the same year as or sooner than the faculty member’s scheduled post-tenure review. If promotion is sought in the same year as the faculty member’s scheduled post-tenure review and promotion is denied, the post-tenure review of the faculty member will continue under this policy. A promotion decision must be made early enough in the academic year to permit completion of the post-tenure review process during that academic year if promotion is denied. When review and evaluation for promotion is used in place of post-tenure review, the next post-tenure review will be scheduled five years after the promotion review.

Evaluation Process.

The evaluation shall address each of the three criteria, Teaching Ability, Scholarship, and General Education Service, outlined in the UWSP Handbook, Chapter 4B.3, “Performance Objectives (Criteria) for Evaluating Faculty,” and any individually-based objectives. The evaluation shall include consideration of activities done in support of undergraduate education. If applicable to the individual, the evaluation shall also include consideration of activities done in support of graduate education.

This evaluation shall be conducted by a Review Committee of at least three tenured members of a faculty member’s department (or outside the department if needed). See departmental procedures or bylaws.

The evaluation shall include:

• analysis of student evaluations; and

• peer observations and evaluations of instruction; and

• review of professional accomplishments; and

• analysis of other material presented by the faculty member, such as a cover letter, course syllabi, letters of support, etc.

The review of evidence, discussion with the department chair, decision whether the faculty member meets the expectations for each of the three above-referenced criteria, and the writing of the required reports shall be completed within 60 days of the established review date.

The Review Committee shall make a recommendation regarding the faculty member’s performance and write a summary report, which shall be provided to the faculty member. See the Departmental Procedures section below. The faculty member may provide the dean with a written response to the report within 10 days of receipt of the report.

Sufficiency Review

The materials for each Post Tenure Review shall be forwarded to the appropriate dean. The dean shall conduct a sufficiency review to ensure that the Review Committee’s work was conducted according to the criteria and procedures established by the department and that the results of the review are within reasonable expectations for a faculty member. In the event that the dean considers that the review was insufficient, the dean shall provide the reasons to the Review Committee in writing why the review was insufficient within five working days of receiving the report. The Review Committee may provide a response addressing the dean’s concerns about the sufficiency of the review within 10 working days. The dean may conduct an independent review of the submitted materials. As part of the independent review, the dean shall request advice from the appropriate department or unit chair. The dean shall request advice from the department or unit chair within 5 days of receiving the report, and the department or unit chair will provide their advice within 14 days of receiving the request from the dean. The dean will then make a recommendation to the chancellor (or designee) on whether or not the faculty member “meets expectations” or “does not meet expectations”. The faculty member may provide the chancellor with a written response to the dean’s recommendation within 10 days of receipt of the recommendation. The chancellor (or designee) shall review the post-tenure review materials and determine that the faculty member either “meets expectations” or that a remediation plan must be developed. A faculty member may provide a written response within 10 days of receipt of the decision.

Result of Evaluation

The review will identify which of the following applies to the faculty member:

Meets expectations This category applies to those tenured faculty members whose performance reflects the expected level of accomplishment.

Does not meet expectations This category applies to those tenured faculty members whose performance reflects a level of accomplishment below the expected level. All reviews resulting in “does not meet expectations,” unless overturned upon further review, will result in a remediation plan .

Actions Stemming from Results

A faculty member who has received a review in the category of “meets expectations,” shall receive a base salary increase of 2.0%.

If the faculty member receives a review in the category of “does not meet expectations,” and where deficiencies are indicated, a remediation plan for responding to those deficiencies shall be established as follows:

1. Areas of deficiency must be described in writing and provided to the faculty member.

2. The remediation plan, developed by faculty members in consultation with the department chair and dean, shall address any deficiencies identified in the review and will provide opportunity for professional growth and include appropriate support from the department or dean as applicable.

a. The remediation plan must establish how and when the faculty member will have satisfied the expectations of the plan within a reasonable time period, not to exceed three academic semesters (not including the summer sessions). In those few remediation plans related to a performance shortfall in scholarship where more than three academic semesters may be necessary to correct identified deficiencies, an extension of one academic semester shall be permitted only with the approval of the chancellor.

b. The remediation plan must list the actions to be taken when the faculty member fails to meet the expectations set forth in the plan, including reference to existing faculty complaint processes, and which permit the imposition of discipline, as appropriate, up to and including dismissal for cause under Chapter UWS 4.

c. If the faculty member’s performance does not show satisfactory improvement within the time frame specified in the remediation plan, the departmental committee that conducted the review will notify the department chair and dean of the remaining areas in need of improvement. The dean, in consultation with the chancellor and faculty member, makes the final determination whether the faculty member has satisfied the remediation plan.

Offer of Support

Regardless of the results of the faculty member’s post-tenure review, assistance shall be made available to all faculty members to support their professional development at any time in their careers.

Departmental Procedures.

The department shall develop procedures for conducting post-tenure reviews and for actions to be taken as a result of the reviews.

Relative Importance of Criteria.

Department procedures shall indicate the emphasis to be given to activities done in support of undergraduate education in the context of the mission of the department, college, and university.

Accountability.

The department procedures shall clearly indicate the method by which strengths, as well as suggestions for improvement, will be brought to the attention of the faculty member being reviewed. Subsequent performance objectives shall be based on the post-tenure review.

Written Report.

For record keeping, the department chair shall send a brief written summary of the post-tenure review, a list of any recommendations, the faculty member’s written responses to the various reviews if there are any (including any remediation plan), and a statement of completion of the review to the appropriate dean with a copy to the faculty member.

Use of Post-Tenure Review.

The outcome of the post-tenure review may be used as one basis for determining institutional support from the department, college, and division for professional development proposals submitted by individual faculty. The support may be used to correct deficiencies or advance goals.

Use of Post-Tenure Review File for Merit.

Following the completion of the review, the review file may, at the discretion of the reviewed faculty member, serve as the merit file for that faculty member for that year only. The faculty member may elect to add additional information to the file for merit purposes.

Records.

The department may release review materials only as required for faculty-initiated personnel actions or as specified above under “Written Report” or as required by business necessity or law. The full reviews shall be forwarded to the dean. A faculty member’s individual performance objectives for the next review period shall become a part of the faculty member’s yearly merit file.

Record Keeping.

The provost shall be informed by the deans of all completed post-tenure reviews and shall ensure implementation of the review process by maintaining completion records and informing deans when individual faculty members have not been reviewed within the required time period.

FACULTY/IAS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW

Faculty and Instructional Academic Staff Annual Performance Evaluation In order to follow UW System Administrative Policy 1254 (Performance Management) and UW System Administrative Policy 1278 (Pay Plan), each faculty and instructional academic staff (IAS) member in a department shall engage in a formative annual performance evaluation that identifies strengths, areas for growth, and, if necessary, supports to be provided, in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. The annual performance evaluation is initiated at the unit level (e.g., department, discipline area), and can be combined with the retention, tenure, promotion, or post-tenure review process. Ratings from the Annual Performance Evaluation may not be used as grounds for dismissal or non-retention nor as evidence in the retention, tenure, promotion, or post tenure review process. Retention, tenure, promotion, non-retention, and dismissal processes should follow policies as outlined in the University Handbook in Chapter 4A.2, and departmental personnel guidelines. In the following policy, “Department” refers to groups or units as defined by the University Handbook, “Department Chair” or “supervisor” refers to any equivalent unit coordinator or administrator responsible for personnel management, and “Scholarship” includes that which is defined as such in departments (e.g., research, creative activities). This policy applies to full-time instructional academic staff. Part-time instructional academic staff will be evaluated annually by their direct supervisor through methods described in the department personnel guidelines.

Department Procedures for Annual Performance Review

Each department shall establish annual performance review procedures to minimally include the following. The procedures should be outlined in the department personnel guidelines/handbook.

• The faculty/IAS member must provide a summary of recent activities in the areas of teaching, research/scholarship/creative activities, and educational service, as well as goals and/or expectations for the following year, and evidence of Student Evaluation of Instruction. Departments may determine additional criteria required.

• A description of who completes the evaluation (e.g., department chair, department personnel committee, mentor faculty, complete department, supervisor).

• The method for completion of the evaluation (e.g., one or more of the following: retention process, tenure process, annual meeting with department chair, review by personnel committee, full departmental review of materials).

• How individuals are informed of their rating.

• Opportunity for a performance conversation between the evaluator or supervisor (e.g., department chair, department mentors, personnel committee, complete department) and the faculty/IAS member being evaluated. Per UW System Policy 1254, all employees are required to have a performance conversation with a supervisor (e.g., department chair) at regular intervals. This can be, but does not have to be, included in the Annual Performance Evaluation process, however department policies must include this as an annual requirement.

• Processes and supports to address performance levels that do not meet expectations.

• Description of how the areas of evaluation may be different for Instructional Academic Staff or University College faculty (e.g., evaluation will only be completed in the areas of teaching and service; or may include primary job duties).

Result of Evaluation

The review will identify which of the following applies to the faculty/IAS member in each of the following areas (Teaching, Scholarship, Service): Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, or Does Not Meet Expectations. Each faculty member will be assigned three total ratings and notified of their rating in writing. If defined in department personnel guidelines/handbook, IAS or University College faculty may be assigned a different number of ratings, such as only in the areas of teaching and service, or the inclusion of primary job responsibilities. All reviews resulting in “Does Not Meet Expectations” in any area will result in development of an improvement plan for that area, with strategies identified for improvement. Regardless of the results of the review, assistance shall be made available to all faculty/IAS members to support their professional development at any time in their careers. Requirements of the improvement plan are identified below.

Report of Annual Performance Evaluation

The department chairperson or designated administrator shall submit to the dean a summary report of the faculty/IAS ratings recommendations.

Institutional Procedures

Annual performance evaluation recommendations coming from departments shall follow university and UW System approved procedures in the salary distribution plan.

Administrative Recommendations

Each dean, following consultation with the department (if any), shall forward to the vice chancellor a separate recommendation along with those of the department and the chairperson. If the dean makes a recommendation different from that of the department, the affected individual and the department chairperson shall be informed in writing at the time the recommendation is transmitted to the next administrative level.

Notification of Rating

Following completion of administrative review and final determination of the performance ratings, each administrator who elects to change a rating that has been recommended, shall provide written notification of the change and the reasons for the change to the faculty/IAS member, department chairperson, and the previous administrators who completed the review. If the faculty/IAS member does not agree with the final decision, the faculty/IAS member may provide a written response to the recommendation within 14 calendar days of receipt of the recommendation. The response will be included in the employee’s personnel folder. Disagreements about an employee’s performance management plan should be discussed with the employee’s direct supervisor. If resolution between the employee and supervisor cannot be reached, the employee can contact HR for guidance.

Improvement Plans

Areas of deficiency must be described in writing and provided to the faculty/IAS member. The improvement plan, developed by faculty/IAS members in consultation with the personnel assigned within the department guidelines (mentor, department chair, personnel committee, dean), shall address any deficiencies identified in the review and will provide opportunity for professional growth and include appropriate support from the department or dean as applicable.

The improvement plan must establish how and when the faculty/IAS member will have satisfied the expectations of the plan. If the faculty/IAS member’s performance does not show satisfactory improvement within the time frame specified in the improvement plan, the department will notify the dean of the college of the remaining areas in need of improvement. The dean, in consultation with the department chair or department designee, and the vice chancellor, makes the final determination whether the faculty/IAS member has satisfied the improvement plan. If it is determined by the dean and the vice chancellor that the faculty/IAS member did not meet the requirements of the improvement plan, the faculty/IAS member will be notified that they did not meet the UW System requirements for meeting meritorious or solid performance, and subsequently do not qualify for pay plan, as outlined in the UW System Pay Plan Distribution Framework for University Workforce Policy.

UWSP EMPLOYEE NON-LOAD PAY PLAN DETAILS

PLAN OVERVIEW

To provide one consistent non-load payment plan meeting a diversity of needs, the following components are integrated:

• Base Pay. Accounts for market value variation in rank and field of instruction.

• Course Size Lower Threshold. Acknowledges value in smaller course pedagogy.

• Course Size Upper Limit. Provides maximum compensation enrollment number beyond which additional compensation is not provided even if more students are accepted in course.

• High Enrollment Compensation. Incentivizes instructors to recruit students into off track courses (e.g. maximizing time to degree) and compensates for higher enrolled courses up to course size upper limit.

PLAN APPLICATION

• The pay plan will be applied to faculty or instructional academic staff teaching a section during summer/winterim or an overload section in the regular academic year, unless an exception is granted (see Plan Exceptions below).

• The pay plan will be applied to faculty or instructional academic staff teaching a section in programs that use a per credit per student pricing model, unless an exception is granted.

• Typically the pay plan will not apply to instructional academic staff teaching a non-overload section during the normal academic year. If the section is warranted by student demand, the instructor should receive full pay at a rate of 4.2% of their adjusted base pay per credit.

PLAN COMPONENTS

Four basic components inform faculty member pay for any non-load teaching (e.g. overload, winterim, summer): Base Pay, Course Size Lower Threshold (lowest limit to be considered for full pay), Course Size Upper Limit (no additional compensation beyond this number), and High Enrollment Compensation (above the course size lower threshold).

• Base Pay:

o Compensation for graduate and undergraduate classes will be calculated as 3.1% of the Faculty member’s base pay per credit.

o Compensation for graduate and undergraduate classes will be calculated as 4.2% of the Instructional Academic Staff member’s adjusted base pay per credit.

• Course Size Lower Threshold and Pay:

o The number of undergraduate students enrolled meriting full instructor pay is: 16.

o The number of graduate students enrolled meriting full instructor pay is: 12.

o Enrollments below threshold to be prorated based on threshold (e.g. 1/16 per student).

o Slash course pay to be calculated using separate undergraduate and graduate sections.

o Final decision by faculty to commit to offer course will be made seven days prior to first day of class, with minimum pay based on enrollment on that day.

• Course Size Upper Limit Calculation:

o For the purposes of Requests for Faculty or Academic Staff Overload Appointment forms, all courses will default to an upper enrollment limit matching 4.7% of base salary per credit. For course management purposes, timetable course enrollment limits may initially be set at a number lower than the upper enrollment limit used to construct the Request for Faculty or Academic Staff Overload Appointment forms. Also, for Requests for Faculty or Academic Staff Overload Appointment forms, course instructors may in conference with their home departments determine the upper enrollment limit for their courses. Course size determination shall be based upon the same practices used to justify upper enrollment limits for the same course (or similar if same is not available) when taught on load during normal semesters. Appropriate course size calculations may also include keeping faculty pay within overall summer/semester pay caps.

o Additional students may be added beyond the contracted upper limit but will not result in any increased instructor pay.

• High Enrollment Compensation:

o For undergraduate sections additional compensation shall begin with the 17th student.

o For graduate sections additional compensation shall begin with the 13th student.

o Per student additional compensation shall consist of 20% of current Wisconsin resident base tuition price for course.

o Faculty total compensation for each off-load course shall not exceed 4.7% of base salary per credit.

o Instructional Academic Staff total compensation for each off-load course shall not exceed 6.3% of base salary per credit.

• Other Details:

o Additional compensation will be calculated on the enrollment at the end of the last day to enroll in the class.

o Compensation will be determined on a section by section basis. For example, enrollment among multiple classes or sections will not be combined or averaged when calculating an instructor’s compensation.

PLAN EXCEPTIONS

• Exceptions to the pay plan will be considered by the Deans and Provost’s office. Sections deemed to be critical to the program should be guaranteed full pay (3.1% per credit for faculty or 4.2% per credit for instructional academic staff) even at enrollments less than the relevant threshold. Typical exceptions could be GEP and other courses designed to create a stable summer/winter array of offerings, internships, sections of newly created programs that might be under-enrolled initially, or sections of courses that complement other programs and are necessary for their long-term survival.

• Special consideration pay will be given to programs requiring exceptional student coverage (e.g. International Programs, field experiences, internships, CNR Summer Field Experience) at an additional rate of 0.15% of base pay per credit (e.g. on top of the 3.1% per credit).