Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure

The Charter (B-I.C.2.c)(1)(f)) assures that each department/school affords some opportunity for review and reconsideration, at the unit level, of negative decisions regarding reappointment and/or tenure.

The fact that all tenure recommendations (whether positive or negative) must be forwarded to the dean allows for an automatic review of decisions made on the department/school level. Negative promotion decisions made at the school/department level will be reviewed by the dean only at the request of the affected faculty member (see Charter interpretation, fall, 1989). The chair's/director's recommendation regarding tenure or promotion may differ from that of the academic unit as long as the reasons for the difference are stated. The dean has the authority to uphold the negative recommendation or to overturn the decision and recommend to the Provost/VPAA the granting of tenure or promotion. The PTRC will be involved in review of recommendations according to established policy and at the discretion of the dean.

A faculty member who is not recommended for reappointment, tenure and/or promotion by the dean may appeal that decision. A faculty member may always request that the Faculty Personnel and Conciliation Committee (FPCC) hold a hearing that would lead to a recommendation to and a finding by the Provost.

Other Grievances

Since the dean is the contracting officer for all faculty in the college, any faculty member may file a grievance with the dean concerning any aspect of the contractual relationship with the university as reflected in departmental/school, college and university assignments and responsibilities. This presumes the means to resolve the grievance exists at the collegiate level.

When a grievance is filed at the college level, the dean will discuss the grievance with all parties and seek to resolve problems at the departmental/school level when appropriate. 

Although every effort is made to seek conciliation of differences and to determine a fair settlement at the departmental/school level, occasionally a settlement is not attained. In such instances, the dean will conduct a thorough investigation of the allegation. This investigation may include review of all materials submitted by parties to the grievance. It may also include face-to-face conferences between the person alleged to be the cause of the grievance and the dean, and/or between all three parties. At the conclusion of the investigation, the dean will issue to both parties a statement of findings and any appropriate recommendations. In the event that this procedure does not resolve the issue, faculty members are referred to Part B, Section E of the Academic Charter, which outlines in detail the procedure for arbitration of Faculty Grievances by the Faculty Personnel and Conciliation Committee.