Section 6.12

Department/School/Program Level

Section B-I.C.2.c(1)(e) of the Charter states that "probationary appointments are subject to annual review and recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal by the tenured faculty of the academic unit and its Chair or Director." Further, "the responsibility for establishing evaluation procedures and for conducting the annual evaluations of probationary faculty members lies with the tenured faculty of the academic unit and its Chair or Director; participation by tenured faculty members is essential in order that the probationer develop a sense of the evaluative judgments of colleagues as well as those of the Chair or Director" (B-I.D.2.b). Regarding dual or joint appointments, the Charter reads, "The appropriate academic units, their Chairs/Directors and the Deans shall work together in formulating the procedures for selection and evaluation related to salary changes (merit), promotion, and tenure of faculty members who hold dual or joint appointments." (B-I.Db3).

In view of the important role that tenured faculty play in providing a meaningful probationary period, Arts and Sciences Council affirmed on February 1, 1999, the following process for conducting annual evaluations of tenure track faculty in college units:

• The tenure track faculty member annually provides current vita (a cumulative record of contributions in teaching, scholarship, and service) and any other pertinent materials for tenured faculty review in the appropriate unit(s).
• At a meeting of the tenured faculty, a selected colleague orally summarizes the data to the faculty. The presenter may wish to meet with the probationer before this presentation to review progress and validate the accuracy of the information to be shared. With joint/dual appointments, presenters from each unit are appropriate. After the presentation, the faculty present discuss the progress of the probationer in terms of strengths and weaknesses in the areas of teaching effectiveness, research or creative activity, and service. Written comments submitted to the chair/director are encouraged. With dual and joint appointments, the faculty meeting must include a minimum of three tenured faculty from the secondary unit. Comments should be submitted to the chair/director in each unit.
• The chair/director, following the meeting and in conjunction with the personnel committee or a subset of tenured faculty, will prepare a written assessment of the probationer's strengths and weaknesses in each of the three areas as identified by the participants in the process. The Chair/Director will meet with the probationer after the written assessment has been received to more fully assess the individual's progress toward tenure. With joint/dual appointments, the appropriate Chairs/Directors should prepare joint assessments and participate in joint meetings with the probationer. At the end of the meeting, the probationer will sign the statement as an indication that it has been discussed. The faculty signature does not signify agreement or disagreement with the contents of the evaluation.

The above procedure is offered as the standard for the college. In those cases where department/school faculty choose not to adopt the guidelines, they must establish an alternative procedure which ensures the opportunity for participation of tenured faculty in the annual review process. A statement of this alternative procedure is to be filed in the college office. In such units, the chair/director of the department/school is responsible for informing probationary faculty of the annual review process as they begin employment at BGSU.

Dean's Annual Review of Tenure-Track Faculty

It is the Dean's responsibility to annually review each probationer's progress toward tenure. The process will consist of the following steps:

• review of the materials submitted by the department(s)/school(s)/program(s) including the probationer's current vita and the collaborative letter of evaluation.
• obtain further information from the chair(s)/director(s) in case of questions or concerns about the material presented
• write a letter of assessment to the tenure-track faculty about his/her progress toward tenure.

 
Passed by Arts & Sciences Council February 1, 1999.
Endorsed by Arts & Sciences Council of Chairs and Directors, March 25, 1999.Accepted by Dean Cranny, March 25, 1999