DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
RULES AND PROCEDURES – REVISED: 11/9/07
I. Definitions
and General Policies.
A.
General Definitions.
1.
Department shall mean The Department of
Physics and Astronomy.
2.
Dean shall mean the Dean of the
3.
Vice-Chancellor shall mean the
Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost of the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
B.
Regular Members. All faculty holding the rank of instructor,
assistant professor, associate professor or professor who are assigned to the
Department for at least 50% of an academic year appointment shall hold regular
membership in the Department and shall be eligible to vote on all issues at
Department meetings and shall be eligible to serve on all Department
committees, except as otherwise restricted by these rules.
C.
Associate Members. All persons holding academic staff
appointments who are assigned to the Department, all persons teaching less than
half time in the Department, and all persons who hold rank and tenure in the
Department but are currently assigned to other units of the University shall
hold associate membership in the Department.
1.
Academic staff with appointments of at
least half-time shall be eligible to vote on all issues at Department meetings
except for personnel questions of recruitment,
promotion, retention, and tenure.
2.
Faculty and Academic Staff who teach less
than half-time in the Department are eligible to vote on all issues at
Department or (as elected members) at Department committee meetings except the
following: curricular matters; personnel questions of recruitment, retention,
tenure, promotion, salary and merit; the election of Department representatives
to college or university bodies; the nomination of Department members to
Department, college or university office or award; and the nomination of a
candidate for Department chairperson.
3.
The eligibility of associate members to
serve on Department committees shall be governed by their eligibility to vote
on the matters within that committee's jurisdiction.
D.
Quorum.
A quorum at all Department and Departmental committee meetings shall be
one more than half the membership of that body, except as otherwise defined in
these rules.
E.
Voting.
1.
Affirmative Vote. Motions at all Department and Departmental
committee meetings shall be passed when a majority of the votes cast are in the
affirmative. Abstentions are not
votes. When approved by the body, votes
may be requested from absent members of the body.
2.
Method of Voting. Voting at all Department and Departmental
committee meetings, except for the election of a nominee for chairperson, shall
normally be by a show of hands. Any
member of the body voting may require that a vote be taken in such a manner
that the vote of each member is ascertained and recorded. Election of a nominee for chairperson shall
be by secret ballot.
F.
Absentee Ballots. Absentee
ballots normally shall not be permitted.
Upon a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Department or Departmental committee,
absentee ballots shall be permitted on specific motions with each motion
requiring specific approval of the use of absentee ballots. Absentee ballots may not be used in personnel
matters.
G.
Minutes.
1.
Written minutes of each meeting of the
Department or Departmental committee shall be taken and copies circulated to
all members of the Department, Dean's office and archives, except that when a
meeting has been closed under one of the exemptions in Wis. Stats. 19.85, the
written minutes shall be circulated only to the Department chairperson and
members of the body holding the closed meeting.
2.
The minutes of all Department and
Departmental committee meetings shall, at a minimum, record all motions and the
disposition of all motions, and all roll call votes. Complete files of all minutes shall be kept
by the Department chairperson and (for Departmental committee meetings) by the
chairperson of each committee and shall be maintained in the Department office.
3.
The minutes shall be open to public
inspection to the extent prescribed in Wis. Stat. 19.21.
H.
Open Meetings.
1.
All meetings of the Department or of the
Departmental committees shall be open, except that meetings of the Retention
and Tenure Committee, the Promotion Committee and the Salary and Merit Committee
may be closed, upon a motion duly made and passed, under one of the exemptions
in Wis. Stats. 19.85.
2.
Any member of the Department may require
that the meetings at which his/her tenure is to be discussed be open. Notice of this right to an open meeting shall
be contained in the notice of the meeting which such members receive. Any member of the Department may request that
the meetings at which his/her retention is to be discussed be open, but the
decision for such action rests with the Committee.
3.
The Department chairperson and the chairs
of all Departmental committees shall provide such advance public notice of
their meetings as is reasonably likely to apprise all interested persons of the
meeting. Persons about whom a personnel
decision is to be discussed or made shall receive individual written notice of
the meeting at least ten days prior to the meetings, except when the pending
decision is renewal of a probationary appointment or granting of tenure, in
which case the notice shall be twenty days.
II. Committees.
A.
Standing Committees.
1.
Retention and Tenure Committee.
a.
Membership. The Retention and Tenure Committee consists
of all regular tenured members of the Department. The Department chairperson shall serve as an
ex-officio non-voting member and shall call the first meeting of the committee.
b.
Chairperson. The chairperson of the Retention and Tenure
Committee shall be elected from the membership at the committee's first meeting
of the academic year and shall serve for one year.
c.
Duties.
The Retention and Tenure Committee shall make recommendations to the
Dean and to the Vice-Chancellor regarding:
i.
The renewal or non-renewal of probationary appointments according to the
policies described in the section on Renewal of Probationary Appointments in the
University Handbook.
ii.
The granting of tenure according to the
policies described in the section on Granting of Tenure.
2.
Promotion Committee.
a.
Membership. The Promotion committee shall consist of all
regular members of the Department with rank equal to or above the rank to which
the candidate is being considered for promotion. The Department chairperson
shall serve as an ex-officio non-voting member and shall call the first meeting
of the committee.
b.
Chairperson. The chairperson of the Promotion Committee
shall be elected from among the membership at the first meeting of the academic
year and shall serve for one year.
c.
Duties.
The Promotion Committee shall recommend to the Dean and to the
Vice-Chancellor the promotion or non-promotion of eligible faculty in the
Department according to the policies described in the section on Promotions in
the University Handbook.
3.
Recruitment Committee.
a.
Membership. Three regular members of the Department shall
be appointed by the Department chairperson, as needed, to serve with the
chairperson on the Recruitment Committee.
Persons appointed shall represent a mix of ranks and, where possible,
shall represent both tenured and non-tenured faculty.
b.
Chairperson. The Department chairperson shall serve as
chair of the Recruitment committee.
c.
Duties.
The recruitment committee shall, in consultation with the members of the
Department:
i.
Determine the number and nature of
positions available in the Department;
ii.
Prepare a job description in accordance
with the guidelines in the University Handbook and obtain the approval of the
job description from the Department, the Dean, the Vice-Chancellor, and the
appropriate affirmative action officer;
iii.
Solicit applications and nominations of
candidates by advertising in the appropriate media;
iv.
Compile vitae and other relevant
information on all applicants, and make that information available to all
Department members;
v.
Screen and rank applicants;
vi.
Present a list of three or four of the
highest ranked candidates for review by the members of the Department;
vii.
Arrange and organize interviews of those
candidates selected by the Department for interview;
viii.
Solicit the Department's recommendations
of the candidate(s) to fill the position(s) available and transmit those
recommendations to the Dean. An
affirmative vote of the Department is required before a candidate is
recommended to the Dean for appointment.
The Department's recommendation shall also specify the type of
appointment, the rank or title to be offered, and the crediting of prior
service as agreed to in consultation with the Dean and the Vice-Chancellor;
ix.
Assure that all university policies,
including those pertaining to affirmative action, are followed. The Department chairperson shall provide a
copy of all Department personnel rules and procedures to each person to whom an
appointment is offered.
4.
Salary and Merit Committee.
a.
Membership. Two regular members of the Department shall
be elected by the Department to serve on the Salary and Merit Committee. The membership shall contain a mix of
ranks. The Department chairperson shall
serve as an ex-officio non-voting member.
b.
Chairperson. The Salary and Merit Committee shall elect
its own chairperson at the first meeting of the academic year. The chairperson shall serve for one year.
c.
Duties.
The duties of the Salary and Merit Committee are described in the
section on Salary and Merit.
5.
Educational Policies Committee.
a.
Membership. The Educational Policies Committee shall
consist of the Department chairperson, the coordinator of the applied physics
emphases, and two regular faculty members, appointed
by the Department chairperson. The
appointments shall be for two years and shall be staggered.
b.
Chairperson. The chairperson shall be elected from among
the members of the Educational Policies Committee at the first meeting of the
academic year which shall be called by the Department chairperson.
c.
Duties.
The Educational Policies Committee shall be responsible for the review
of all matters pertaining to curriculum, course sequences, content of the
majors and minors administered by the Department, and all courses offered
within the Department. The Committee
shall:
i.
Review all proposals regarding changes in departmental educational
policies submitted by faculty within the Department, including the formulation
of new course proposals, course revisions, and proposed changes in major and
minor requirements;
ii.
Present its recommendations to the
Department for consideration;
iii.
Present proposals approved by the
Department to the appropriate faculty committees for their consideration;
iv.
Ensure that all educational policies of
the Department are accurately reflected in the university catalog, timetables,
and other relevant publications;
v.
Establish committee operating procedures
to perform its duties.
6.
Budget Committee.
a.
Membership. The Budget Committee shall consist of the
Department chairperson and two regular faculty elected by the Department. The terms shall be for two years and shall be
staggered.
b.
Chairperson. The chairperson shall be elected from among
the members at the first meeting of the committee each academic year which
shall be called by the Department chairperson.
c.
Duties.
The Budget Committee shall make recommendations to the Department on all
matters concerning the allocation of Department funds for capital equipment,
supplies and equipment, travel, and all other issues relating to the use of
Department resources. The Budget
Committee shall:
i.
Review all requests from Department faculty for capital equipment,
supplies and equipment, and travel;
ii.
Establish priorities for all requests,
while maintaining prudent fiscal policy regarding available Departmental
resources;
iii.
Recommend to the Department the allocation
of resources for capital equipment, supplies and equipment, and travel;
iv.
Ensure that all orders for capital
equipment and supplies and equipment are processed in a timely fashion;
v.
Report regularly to the Department on the
state of the Department budget.
7.
Program Review and Assessment Committee.
a.
Membership. The Program Review and Assessment committee
shall consist of
the Department chairperson and two regular faculty members, appointed by the
Department chairperson. The appointments
shall be for two years and shall be staggered.
b.
Chairperson. The chairperson shall be elected from among
the members of the Program Review and Assessment Committee at the first meeting
of the academic year which shall be called by the Department chairperson.
c.
Duties.
The Program Review and Assessment Committee shall be responsible for the
review of all matters pertaining to program reviews and assessments mandated by
the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The Committee shall:
i.
Gather and maintain such data as may be
required, together with such supplementary data as may be deemed useful for assessment purposes, for the
preparation of assessment reports and program reviews;
ii.
Draft assessment reports and program
reviews;
iii.
Present drafts of assessment reports and
program reviews to the Department for consideration;
iv.
Ensure department compliance with University
assessment policies and program review policies;
v.
Establish committee operating procedures
to perform its duties.
B.
Ad Hoc Committees. The Department chairperson shall form
necessary ad hoc committees, appoint members, and define the duties of such
committees in consultation with the Department.
Normally, the formation of ad hoc committees shall be approved by the
Department.
III. Renewal
of Probationary Appointments. The policies for the renewal of probationary
appointments shall be consistent with those contained in the University
Handbook.
A.
Schedule.
The Retention and Tenure Committee of the Department shall recommend the
renewal or non-renewal of all probationary appointments according to the
schedule provided by the offices of the Vice Chancellor and Dean. Normally, the schedule for decisions is as
follows:
1.
In November for those faculty in their
second year of service (for the following year);
2.
In February for those faculty in their
first year of service (for the following year);
3.
In April for those faculty completing
their second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth year of service (for the year
following the following year).
B.
Criteria.
The recommendations of the Retention and Tenure Committee shall be based
on a review and evaluation of the probationary faculty member's teaching,
scholarship and service. This review and
evaluation shall be consistent with the criteria defined in the University
Handbook and those approved by the Department.
All criteria used shall be transmitted to the probationary faculty at
the time of appointment, or at least one year in advance of their use in
evaluating the probationary faculty member.
See “Review and Evaluation of Performance” in this document.
C.
Data.
The data used in the review and evaluation of a probationary faculty
member is described in the section on "Review and Evaluation of
Performance" in this document and the University Handbook.
D.
Procedure.
1.
At least 20 days before the Retention and
Tenure Committee meets to make its recommendation, the concerned probationary
faculty member shall receive notice from the Department chairperson of the
date, time and place of the meeting. In the case of a
tenure decision, and only in the case of a tenure decision, this notice shall also advise the probationary faculty
member of his/her right to demand that the portion of the meeting which
concerns him/her be open, and of the date by which written demand for an open
meeting must reach the Department chairperson.
2.
Meeting.
The chairperson of the Retention and Tenure Committee shall announce the
purpose of the meeting, determine the existence of a quorum, and may request a
motion to close the meeting unless a demand for an open meeting has been
made. Written minutes of the meeting
shall be taken, and shall, at a minimum, record all motions made and the
disposition of all motions by the numbers voting for, against, or abstaining.
3.
Report of Decision. The chairperson of the Retention and Tenure
Committee shall immediately inform the Department chairperson in writing of the
Committee's recommendation, and the Department chairperson shall notify the
probationary faculty member in writing within 10 working days. Copies of the Department chairperson's letter
to the probationary faculty member shall be sent to the chairperson of the
Retention and Tenure Committee. The Dean
and the Vice Chancellor shall get copies of the recommendation of the
Committee.
4.
The Department chairperson may make a
separate recommendation regarding the renewal of each probationary
appointment. When the chairperson
exercises this option he/she shall send copies of his/her letter to the
probationary faculty member, the chairperson of the Retention and Tenure
Committee, the Dean, and the Vice Chancellor.
E.
Non-Renewal of Probationary Appointments.
1.
The procedures followed by the Department
for non-renewal of probationary appointments shall be consistent with those
defined in the University Handbook.
2.
A faculty member who has been denied
renewal of a probationary appointment by either the Retention and Tenure
Committee or the Department chairperson may request from the Department
chairperson a written statement of the reasons for non-renewal. This statement of reasons shall be written by
the Department chairperson in consultation with the Retention and Tenure
Committee, and shall be provided within 10 working days of the request. This statement shall become a permanent part
of the personnel file of the faculty member.
A copy of the statement of reasons shall be sent to the chairperson of
the Retention and Tenure Committee, the Dean, and the Vice Chancellor.
3.
A faculty member who has received a
written statement of reasons for non-renewal of a probationary appointment may
request a reconsideration hearing before the Retention and Tenure Committee or
the Department chairperson, whichever made the first recommendation for
non-renewal. The request for
reconsideration shall be granted.
4.
If reconsideration is sought, the faculty
member who has been denied renewal of a probationary appointment shall file
with the Department chairperson a written response to the written statement of
reasons within 10 working days of receipt of the statement of reasons. The Retention and Tenure Committee or the
Department chairperson shall reconsider within 20 working days of the request,
except that this time may be extended by mutual consent of the two
parties. The probationary faculty member
shall receive, from the Department chairperson, at least a 10 day notice of the
date, time, and place of the reconsideration.
This notice shall also advise the probationary faculty member of his/her
right to demand that the reconsideration be open to all, and of the date by
which the written demand for an open meeting must reach the Department
chairperson.
5.
At the reconsideration meeting the
probationary faculty member shall have the opportunity to respond to the
written reasons for non-renewal and to present any new written or oral evidence
or arguments to the non-renewal decision.
Written minutes shall be taken and a tape recording of the meeting may
be made at the discretion of chairperson conducting the meeting.
6.
The chairperson of the Retention and
Tenure Committee shall immediately inform the Department chairperson of the
Committee's decision in all reconsiderations.
The Department chairperson shall inform the probationary faculty member
of the reconsideration decision within five (5) working days of the
reconsideration. Copies of the
Department chairperson's letter to the probationary faculty member shall be
sent to the chairperson of the Retention and Tenure Committee, the Dean, and
the Vice Chancellor.
7.
If reconsideration reaffirms an earlier
decision to recommend non-renewal, the probationary faculty member may appeal
that decision to the Mediation Subcommittee of the University Senate within 20
days of receipt of the reconsideration decision. This appeal is governed by the provisions in
the University Handbook.
IV. Grant
of Tenure.
A.
Policies and procedures of the Department
regarding tenure decisions shall be consistent with those contained in the
University Handbook.
B.
A recommendation regarding tenure shall be
made by the Retention and Tenure Committee for each full time probationary
faculty member who is being considered for reappointment to an eighth
year. A recommendation regarding tenure
shall be made by the Retention and Tenure Committee for each part-time
probationary faculty member who holds an appointment of at least half-time and
who is being considered for reappointment to a tenth year. All recommendations regarding tenure shall be
made to coincide with the appropriate renewal recommendation and all such
recommendations shall be by a vote separate from the renewal recommendation
vote.
C.
The recommendations of the Retention and
Tenure Committee regarding tenure shall be based on a review and evaluation of
the probationary faculty member's teaching, research, professional and public
service, and contributions to the institution.
The UW-SP interpretation of these criteria is found in the University
Handbook in the section "Evaluation of Faculty and Academic Staff,"
and the Department's application of these criteria is found below in the
section "Review and Evaluation of Performance." A description of the data upon which the
review and evaluation of the probationary faculty member shall be based is also
found below in the section "Review and Evaluation of Performance."
D.
The procedures outlined in III D. (1, 2,
3, 4) shall apply to all recommendations regarding tenure.
V. Promotion.
A.
Promotion recommendations shall be made by
the Promotion Committee to the Dean and the Vice Chancellor through the
Department chairperson. The Department
chairperson may make a separate recommendation.
B.
The minimum standards which each person is
expected to achieve before consideration for promotion to a particular rank are
found in the University Handbook under "Faculty Ranks." However, promotion does not follow
automatically when a faculty member has achieved these minimum standards.
C.
The recommendation of the Promotion
Committee shall be based on the review and evaluation of the candidate's
teaching ability, scholarship, and general educational service. These criteria are further defined in the
University Handbook in the section "Evaluation of Faculty and Academic
Staff." The Department's application
of these criteria is found below in the section "Review and Evaluation of
Performance." A description of the
data to be used in promotion review is found below in the section "Review
and Evaluation of Faculty."
D.
The Promotion Committee shall normally
make all promotion recommendations by mid November. The chairperson of the Promotion Committee
shall inform the Department chairperson of the Committee's schedule of review
and evaluation meetings. The Department
chairperson shall then notify each person who is to be considered for
promotion, giving the individuals at least 10 days advance notice and inviting
them to submit additional materials and information for review and evaluation.
E.
The Promotion Committee shall make its
recommendations directly to the Department chairperson, with a report of its
actions to the Department. The
Department chairperson shall inform the individuals of the relevant
recommendations of the Promotion Committee within 10 working days of receiving
the report.
F.
The Department chairperson shall report
the recommendations of the Promotion Committee to the Dean, and may add
independent recommendations of his/her own.
In the event that the Department chairperson makes recommendations
contrary to those of the Promotion Committee, he/she shall inform the
individual concerned and the chairperson of the Promotion Committee in writing
before transmitting the recommendation to the Dean.
G.
In any discussion with the Dean regarding
promotion recommendations, the Department chairperson shall normally include
the chairperson of the Promotion Committee.
VI. Salary
and Merit.
A.
The Salary and Merit Committee shall, at
an appropriate time each year (normally January and February) make
recommendations regarding the salary of each Department member. These recommendations shall be consistent
with directions from the Board of Regents and from the University Senate which
adopts an annual set of "Salary Distribution Guidelines."
B.
The data upon which salary and merit
recommendations are to be based are described below in the sections
"Review and Evaluation of Performance" and "Merit." These data shall be available to all members
of the Salary and Merit Committee.
C.
The Salary and Merit Committee shall
develop procedures for the distribution of merit that shall be consistent with
the policies of the Board of Regents and the University Senate then in
use. These procedures shall be approved
by the Department prior to their implementation.
D.
The chairperson of the Salary and Merit
Committee shall report the salary and merit recommendations for Department
members to the Department chairperson.
This report shall include a description of the committee's
procedures. The Department chairperson
shall inform each individual Department member of the Salary and Merit Committee's
recommendations regarding that individual within 10 days. A summary of the Committee's recommendations
shall be reported to the Department within 20 days.
E.
The Department chairperson shall forward
to the Dean the recommendations of the Salary and Merit Committee, and may
submit separate recommendations. If the
Department chairperson's recommendations differ from those of the Salary and
Merit Committee, the chairperson shall inform the individual(s) affected and
the chairperson of the Salary and Merit Committee before transmitting the
recommendations to the Dean.
F.
In any discussion with the Dean regarding
salary and merit recommendations, the Department chairperson shall normally
include the chairperson of the Salary and Merit Committee.
VII. Review
and Evaluation of Performance.
A.
General.
The performance of all members of the Department shall be periodically
reviewed and evaluated by the Department chairperson and by appropriate
Department committees for the following purposes:
1.
recommendations concerning renewal or
non-renewal of probationary or fixed-term appointments;
2.
recommendations concerning the conferral
of tenure;
3.
recommendations concerning promotion in
rank;
4.
recommendations
concerning salary and merit.
B.
Criteria.
1.
The University Handbook provides that
"decisions relating to renewal of appointments or recommending of tenure
shall be made in accordance with institutional rules and procedures which shall
require an evaluation of teaching, research and professional and public service
and contribution to the institution."
2.
The University Handbook provides that the
following criteria shall be used as guidelines for evaluation for retention,
tenure, promotion, salary and merit decisions; teaching ability, scholarship,
and general educational service. These
guidelines are further explained in the University Handbook section
"Evaluation of Faculty."
3.
Teaching: The
Department assigns the greatest importance to teaching ability; proficiency in
teaching must be demonstrated in order for a favorable evaluation to be made.
In assessing teaching ability and performance, the department will consider the
following:
a.
Peer observations of instruction:
i.
Reports of classroom visits by different
faculty members and, when possible, different classes to evaluate how effectively
the instructor communicates with the students, whether the instructor presents
the material at a level appropriate for the course and how the instructor
strives to maintain a classroom atmosphere that encourages students to remain
focused on learning. During the period
leading to the first retention consideration, a probationary faculty member’s
classes are to be observed by at least two colleagues, presenting a minimum of
four observations. For subsequent
personnel decisions, a minimum of two classroom observations are to be
conducted.
ii.
Review of exams and syllabi to assure
material covered is appropriate for the courses being taught.
b.
Student evaluation of course instruction:
i.
The modified median of the instructor
rating from the Student Evaluation of Course Instruction Forms when compared to
the department average.
ii.
The modified median of the course rating
from the Student Evaluation of Course Instruction Forms when compared to the
department average.
iii.
When considering (i)
and (ii) above, retention and tenure committee members will also consider the
average grades assigned by the instructor in comparison to the department
average. Ideally instructors should be rated highly by their students
while maintaining the department’s high academic standards.
c.
Participation in university, local, state,
and national meetings that focus on teaching.
d.
Involvement in projects or initiatives
designed to enhance student learning.
e.
Publications on topics related to
teaching.
4.
Scholarship: The
Department provides numerous opportunities for undergraduate students to become
involved in meaningful research. Since
these students aspire to a wide array of career options, including graduate
study, industrial employment, and secondary education, department faculty may
pursue a variety of scholarly interests that enhance the professional
objectives of each student. Acceptable
scholarship can be theoretical, experimental, computational, or pedagogical.
Although there are many different ways that department
faculty can fulfill the scholarship expectations of the Department, some forms
of scholarship are valued more highly than others. Thus, it is possible
for a faculty member to meet the scholarship expectations of the Department by
pursuing a fewer number of more highly valued scholarship activities or by
pursing a greater number of less highly valued scholarship activities.
When evaluating the different forms of scholarship, it can be
expected that:
a.
Refereed publications and presentations
will be valued more highly than contributions that have not been subject to the
normal peer review process;
b.
Manuscripts published in national or
international journals will be valued more highly than manuscripts published in
regional journals;
c.
Invited presentations will be valued more
highly than contributed presentations;
d.
Publications and presentations that
include students as co-authors will be valued more highly than those that
report on work conducted without student participation;
e.
Pedagogical scholarship will be accorded equal
weight with traditional disciplinary investigations.
Collaborative scientific research is becoming
increasingly prevalent and faculty participation in such research is encouraged
by the Department. However, a viable,
long-term research program based on facilities and resources available at
UW-Stevens Point should be a scholarship goal of each faculty member in order
to reduce external constraints and ensure continuing opportunities for student
research. Publications and grant
applications identifying a UWSP faculty member as principal investigator will
be valued more highly than those in which the UWSP faculty member is identified
as a secondary investigator.
In addition to traditional forms of scholarship
(publication, professional presentation, and grant application), the following
activities shall be considered evidence of scholarship if sufficient
documentation exists for the appropriate department review committee to
evaluate:
a.
participation in workshops designed to
improve classroom or laboratory instruction;
b.
creation of innovative lecture or
laboratory exercises;
c.
participation in the national discourse
related to the science curriculum;
d.
service as a professional consultant,
including professional review panels;
e.
other
scholarly activities by prior agreement with the Department.
In general, performance in more than one of the above
scholarship activities shall be required for a positive personnel
decision. However, outstanding
performance in only one scholarship activity will be sufficient if the record
indicates the activity has achieved national recognition by colleagues in the
discipline. At least some scholarship
activities must be reviewed outside of the Department.
5.
Service:
The University Handbook states:
“General educational service is the acceptance and fulfillment of
professional responsibilities outside the classroom, e.g. academic or
extracurricular advising. Service may
also be shown by participation in organizations related to the discipline, by
acceptance of professional responsibilities within the university, and by
professional relationships within the community.” One vital aspect of educational service is
its relationship to the mission of the Department or the institution and to the
faculty member's academic or professional experience.
The following activities shall be
considered evidence of educational service:
a.
Academic advising;
b.
Extracurricular advising;
c.
Service to professional organizations;
d.
Outreach activities with area schools;
e.
f.
Committee work on governance committees as
well as departmental committees;
g.
Technology transfer;
h.
Service through public education
opportunities;
i.
Evaluation of programs;
j.
Service as an expert witness;
k.
Providing consultation services to elementary
and secondary education programs;
l.
Development/fundraising work;
m.
Refereeing manuscripts.
In making personnel decisions, the
department will take account of the quality and the extent of the faculty
member’s service contributions.
C.
Data.
1.
The recommendations of the Retention and
Tenure Committee and the Promotion Committee shall be based on a review of the
following data:
a.
Data provided by the individual: an
up-to-date vita; copies or abstracts of articles published in the last five
years; course syllabi; grading and attendance policies, examples of exams used;
records of professional activities; other materials deemed relevant by the
individual.
b.
Data provided by students: Student Evaluation of Course Instruction
forms from the past three years together with statistical summaries prepared by
the Department program assistant.
c.
Data from other sources: written reports of classroom visitations
conducted by members of the Department; any other peer evaluation materials
deemed relevant by the Department.
2.
The recommendations regarding salary and
merit shall be based on the most recent student evaluations of course
instruction and other data determined by the Salary and Merit Committee.
3.
Student Evaluation.
a.
Board Policy. Board of Regents policy requires that data
gathered from students be considered in making all personnel recommendations
for members of the
b.
The University Handbook requires that
every faculty member be evaluated by students at least once each year in all
sections and courses taught during the last quarter of the course, or during
the final exam period. University
guidelines for this evaluation are found in the University Handbook, in the
section "Periodic Student Evaluation of Teaching."
c.
In addition to the Board of Regents
requirements and the UWSP requirements, the Department requires that:
i.
Student Evaluation of Course
Instruction Forms shall be administered by each faculty member each
semester in all sections taught. Merit
recommendations shall be based on the most current student evaluations;
ii.
Each faculty member administers an
evaluation instrument, prepared and approved by the University, during the
final two weeks of the course being evaluated.
The evaluations shall be collected by a designated student and delivered
to the Department program assistant, who will tabulate the results and provide
a statistical summary. The original
evaluations shall be given to the appropriate faculty member at his/her request,
following the submission of the final grades for the course. The statistical summary and a summary of
comments shall be placed in the appropriate personnel file for use in personnel
evaluations. Statistical information
regarding student evaluations of course instruction for Department faculty as a
whole shall be available to all faculty and to the Dean;
iii.
Statistical summaries of student
evaluations as well as student comments from such evaluations shall be retained
in the faculty member's personnel file according to the provisions of UWSP 3.05.
D.
The Department chairperson shall maintain,
for each individual, a file of all written data gathered for the purpose of
review and evaluation of performance.
Each individual has the right to examine his/her file periodically and
to place in it written responses to any materials contained therein. The chairperson shall make this file
available for the appropriate use of each Department committee charged with
making personnel recommendations concerning the individual.
E.
Periodic Evaluation of Tenured Faculty.
1.
Post-tenure evaluation of all tenured
faculty members shall follow the procedures defined in these rules and those
identified in the University Handbook.
If the two sets of procedures are in conflict, those in the University
Handbook shall prevail.
2.
Tenured faculty shall be evaluated at
least once every five years for the purposes of general review, development and
recognition.
3.
Tenured faculty who apply for promotion
shall have the promotion evaluation substituted for their next scheduled post
tenure evaluations and will then be rescheduled for the next evaluation in five
years.
4.
Review Committee. The review committee shall consist of two
tenured members of the Department appointed by the chair of the Retention and
Tenure Committee and shall be acceptable to the faculty member being reviewed.
5.
Review Process.
a.
Performance Objectives. The criteria for the evaluation of tenured
faculty shall be those established under the performance objectives defined in
these Rules and Procedures. Unless
otherwise defined in accordance with i through iii
below, the performance objectives of each faculty member shall be based upon 1)
teaching ability; 2) scholarship; and 3) general educational service. Of these three, teaching ability shall be the
primary objective and shall be weighted the most heavily in any performance
evaluation. Exceptional performance in
either of the other two areas may offset more modest performance in the other.
i.
For individual faculty with unique duties
or interests within the Department, individualized performance objectives may
be defined in consultation between the faculty member and the Department
Chairperson. Such performance objectives
must be in writing and must be approved by the faculty member, the Department
Chair, the Dean of the
ii.
Individualized performance objectives
shall retain the excellence in teaching as the primary goal.
iii.
Individualized performance objectives
shall be expected to involve longer-term effort (i.e., greater than one year)
and shall identify approximate timelines for their completion. The performance objectives shall be reviewed
annually by the faculty member and the Department Chairperson.
b.
Required Materials. The evaluation shall include, but need not be
limited to, the following:
i.
Analysis of student evaluations of course
instruction;
ii.
Peer observation and evaluation of
instruction;
iii.
Review of professional/service
accomplishments;
iv.
Review of any additional/alternative
objectives agreed upon by the faculty member and the Department.
c.
Conducting the Review. The review committee shall review the Student
Evaluations of Course Instruction forms and all material submitted by the
faculty member and shall conduct at least one classroom visitation by each
reviewer during its evaluation. The
committee shall evaluate the performance of the faculty member according to the
defined performance objectives.
The
review committee shall discuss its preliminary findings and any recommendations
it may have with the faculty member and shall give the faculty member
opportunity to respond to these findings and recommendations. A summary of the final evaluation shall then
be provided to the Department Chair and a copy shall be provided to the faculty
member and shall be included in the faculty member's personnel file. Any previous post tenure evaluations shall,
at the request of the faculty member, be removed from
the file.
6.
Reporting of Results.
a.
If the review is satisfactory, the review
committee shall notify the Department Chair and the chair of the Retention and
Tenure Committee, in writing, of that fact, and shall have completed its
responsibility. The Department Chair
shall submit an annual report to the Dean listing the names of faculty
satisfactorily reviewed.
b.
If the evaluation identified any areas
requiring improvement, the review committee and the faculty member shall
develop a plan to address those areas.
The Department Chair shall monitor the progress of this plan during the
next academic year. If the faculty
member is not making satisfactory progress toward the agreed-upon goals at the
end of the succeeding academic year, the Chair shall inform the Dean who may
then become involved in the process.
After a second review, at a mutually agreed upon time, the Dean, in
consultation with the Chair, shall determine if any further action is required.
VIII. Selection
of Department Chairperson.
A.
The policies and procedures for the
selection of a Department chairperson shall be consistent with those defined in
the University Handbook in the section "Department Chairperson."
B.
The selection of a Department chairperson
shall normally occur every three years and the person selected shall assume
office at the beginning of the following academic year. The term of office shall be three years.
1.
Timelines.
The procedures followed in the selection of a Department chairperson
shall be completed such that the Department's recommendation can be submitted
to the Dean no later than April 1.
2.
Eligibility. All regular members of the Department who
meet the requirements defined in the University Handbook are eligible to serve
as chairperson of the Department. If a
Department faculty position is vacant at the beginning of the term of the
Department chairperson, the Department may, in consultation with the Dean,
recruit a chairperson from outside the Department.
3.
Selection of Department nominee. The Department shall:
a.
Determine if the Department wishes to
initiate a search for a chairperson;
b.
Determine, by a simple majority vote of
its eligible members, whether it wishes to recommend consideration of nominees
from within the Department, from outside the Department, or both;
c.
Solicit nominations from regular members
of the Department. The present
Department chairperson shall determine from each nominee if he/she is willing
to serve before that nominee's name shall appear on any ballot;
d.
Elect a Chairperson Selection Committee
consisting of two regular members of the Department. Normally, the committee members shall be
selected from those who are not candidates for Department chairperson;
e.
Conduct a primary election in which all
eligible nominees shall be considered. A
ballot listing the names of all eligible nominees, listed in alphabetical
order, shall be distributed to all eligible voters in the Department. Each eligible voter shall indicate his/her
first choice (3 points), second choice (2 points), and third choice (1 point),
and return his/her ballot in a sealed envelope to the Department program
assistant on or before the date specified by the Chairperson Selection
Committee. The ballots shall be counted
by the members of the Chairperson Selection Committee;
f.
Conduct a final vote by directing the
Chairperson Selection Committee to prepare a ballot containing the names of the
two candidates receiving the two highest vote totals on the primary
ballots. The ballots shall be
distributed to each voting member of the Department who shall vote for one of
the two candidates, or abstain. Each
ballot shall be delivered to the Department program assistant in a sealed
envelope on or before the date specified by the Chairperson Selection
Committee. The ballots shall be counted
by the members of the Chairperson Selection Committee, and the results reported
to the Department members. A simple
majority shall determine the Department's nominee for chairperson. In the case of a tie vote, a second vote
shall be taken, between the same two candidates, with the balloting procedure
as prescribed above. If a second tie
vote results, the Department may either establish it own procedures to break
the tie or may transmit the names of both candidates to the Dean.
4.
The Dean, in consultation with the members
of the Department, shall appoint the chairperson.
C.
Temporary Chairperson. If it becomes necessary to appoint a
temporary chairperson, the procedures described in the University Handbook
shall be followed.
IX. Summer
Session. Beginning with the Summer Session
of 1975 and every summer thereafter, it shall be the policy of the Department
that each regular faculty member whose major responsibility is in the
Department shall teach at least three credits (i.e., at least half time), or be
employed within the Department or the University in a professional capacity
equivalent to teaching three credits during the summer sessions if he/she so
desires, and if such opportunities are available. The following guidelines shall apply:
A.
No person shall teach full time if another
is unemployed unless the lack of employment is by choice.
B.
Any variations in excess of the normal
summer session teaching load of three credits shall be apportioned by the
Department chairperson, in consultation with the affected faculty.
C.
If the summer session offerings are not
extensive enough to provide a sufficient number of half time positions to
employ all ranked faculty members who wish to be employed, the following
policies shall apply:
1.
Programmatic needs shall be the primary
consideration in assigning faculty;
2.
Those eligible faculty members whose
average fractional employment per summer session, (calculated for all summer
sessions from 1975, or from the date of employment, whichever is later), is
least shall be offered employment first;
3.
Grants in which an individual participates
during the summer sessions shall not be used in determining the individual's
priority in summer session teaching assignments.
D.
These policies and procedures shall be
consistent with those in the University Handbook in the section "Summer
Session Teaching Load and Salary."
X. Merit. Merit shall be defined as exemplary service
in any of the following areas:
A.
Teaching.
Excellence in teaching must be demonstrated, specifically with regard to
the performance of the teacher in the classroom and laboratories and in the
informal outside-the-classroom contacts with students. Consideration shall be given to the workload
of the teachers involved;
B.
Academic Preparation. A faculty member should display continuous
preparation in his/her field. This may
include participation in formal course work, institutes, seminars, independent
study, state and national professional meetings, etc.;
C.
Professional Accomplishments. A faculty member should demonstrate
professional accomplishments through publications (e.g., monographs, research
articles, textbooks, reviews, etc.), presentations at seminars, state and
national professional meetings, development of new or revised courses and
course material, preparation of grant proposals, etc. The quality of these activities shall be
given appropriate consideration;
D.
Professional Service. A faculty member should exhibit professional
service through active participation in professional organizations and
professionally related community activities;
E.
University Service. A faculty member should contribute to the
university community through service in Department, University and System
committees. The capacity and degree to which
the individual participates shall be given appropriate consideration;
F.
Administrative Responsibilities. Those faculty members with administrative
responsibilities within the Department, College, or University shall exhibit
excellence in the performance of those duties to be considered meritorious. Specifically, administrators shall be
evaluated on:
1.
Their effectiveness and timeliness in
handling routine day-to-day duties;
2.
Their accessibility to both faculty and
students, and their ability to effectively communicate with both groups;
3.
Their ability and effectiveness in representing
the Department to the rest of the university and the public.
XI. Distribution
of Merit Awards. The Salary and Merit
Committee shall supervise the distribution of merit award recommendations and
shall transmit those recommendations to the Dean. In addition to the guidelines for merit
defined in the University Handbook, the following guidelines shall apply:
A.
The criteria for merit awards shall be
those identified in the section "Merit" above, and shall be applied
to each eligible member of the Department over the preceding 12-month period
(normally the preceding Spring semester and the Fall semester of the current
academic year) If the Department chooses to do so, the Salary and Merit
Committee shall create and distribute an information form to be completed by
each eligible Department member. The form will identify relevant
activities. This form, together with the
results of the most recent Student Evaluations of Course Instruction forms for
each member shall be made available to all Department members before merit
recommendations are made. Individuals
may add information they consider relevant to their information form and their
student evaluation forms for review by other Department members.
B.
A rating form shall be distributed to all
regular Department members for the purpose of determining the Department's
merit recommendations. On the form each
regular Department member shall rate all other eligible members, according to
the following rules:
1.
An average of ten merit points per
eligible Department member shall be awarded by the Department in its
recommendations to the Dean and the Vice-Chancellor;
2.
Each regular Department member shall
assign to all other eligible Department members an average of ten merit points
per member (e.g., if there are nine eligible members in the Department, each
evaluator shall assign a total of 80 points to the other eight eligible
members);
3.
No evaluator shall assign merit points to
him/her self;
C.
The largest number of points in each
category signifies the greatest merit.
D.
The rating forms shall be collected and
counted by the Salary and Merit Committee.
Using the results obtained from the rating forms, the Committee shall
formulate a means of distributing the available merit award points that
satisfies System and University guidelines, and shall present its
recommendations to the Department. The
Department shall make the final recommendations to the Dean.
XII.
Academic Staff Promotion. The
University Handbook provides for academic departments to specify performance
criteria for promotion of Category B academic staff.
A.
To be considered for promotion from
Associate Lecturer to Lecturer, the candidate must have completed either
part-time or full-time employment as an academic staff member for at least 5
years and have taught a minimum of 48 credits.
To be considered for promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, the
candidate must have completed either part-time or full-time employment as an
academic staff member for at least 10 years and have taught a minimum of 168
credits.
B.
Teaching quality is the primary criterion
used to evaluate academic staff members.
Scholarship and service activities provide evidence that the candidate
is maintaining currency in the field and are therefore encouraged.
C.
If more than one Category B academic staff
member is employed within the Department, then senior academic staff members
will be expected to contribute to the evaluation of junior academic staff
members.
XIII. Part-Time
Members. As the demand for courses in
the Department changes, and as a result of other unanticipated occurrences, it
may be necessary for the Department to request authorization to hire part-time
academic staff or faculty on a limited term.
Such part-time members of the Department shall:
A.
Be recruited locally when possible and for
a limited term of employment;
B.
Be nonvoting members of the Department and
shall not be expected to serve on Department committees;
C.
Have their salaries determined by the
Dean, in consultation with the Department chairperson;
D.
Be subject to the policies and procedures
defined for part-time employees in the University Handbook.
XIV. Members
on Leave from the Department. Regular or
associate faculty members who are temporarily on leave from the Department
(e.g., teaching elsewhere, on sabbatical, on sick leave, working through a
grant, etc.) shall retain their status
in the Department, except that:
A.
They shall not be part of the membership
used in defining a quorum, unless they are physically present at the meeting;
B.
They shall normally not vote on motions
unless they are physically present or the Department has specifically invoked
the provision for absentee ballots (Part I.F. of these rules and procedures).
XV. Amendments. These rules and procedures shall be subject
to review and amendment. A proposed
amendment shall be submitted, in writing, to members of the Department no later
than one week (seven days) prior to the meeting at which it is to be
considered. A simple majority of voting
members of the whole Department shall be required to approve these rules and to
pass any amendment.