PROV-004: Employment of Academic General Faculty Members (Tenure-Ineligible)
Academic Division (excludes the College at Wise).
Academic General Faculty Members provide important academic service to the University community, focusing on teaching, research, integration of professional practice, academic librarianship, or clinical service. This policy provides the terms and conditions of their employment, establishing clear standards for review and promotion and affirming their role in faculty self-governance at the University.
- Arm's-Length Letters:Letters from outside references who are not likely, and not perceived to be likely, to have a preexisting positive or negative bias toward the candidate. Letters from former or current advisors, collaborators, or co-workers are not arm’s-length. Letters from individuals with only incidental relationships with the candidate, such as serving together on editorial boards or professional committees, may be considered arm’s length.
- Dossier:A set of documents submitted by the candidate for renewal, tenure, or promotion consideration.
- Evaluation Packet:A set of documents comprising all materials to be used for tenure or promotion evaluation.
- General Faculty:The term “general faculty” came into use around the start of the 20th century to refer to all faculty members at the University, each of whom held tenure or were eligible for tenure in one of the University’s schools. Today, the General Faculty encompasses all academic faculty at the University and convenes once each academic year to approve the conferral of degrees in each school of the University. In the 1970’s, the University began to hire faculty members who would not be eligible for tenure. They were called “general faculty members” because they were members of the General Faculty but did not hold tenure in a school.
- General Faculty Members:Tenure-ineligible salaried faculty positions that focus on teaching, research, professional practice in an academic discipline, academic librarianship, or clinical service, or provide high-level administrative or professional services in support of the institution’s academic mission.
- Academic General Faculty Members:General Faculty Members whose primary responsibility is teaching, research, integration of professional practice, academic librarianship, or clinical service. These responsibilities do not necessarily encompass the full scope of responsibilities expected from tenure-track faculty positions (e.g., an academic general faculty member could have primary responsibilities for research with minimal or no responsibility for classroom instruction or have primary responsibilities for teaching and/or clinical practice without research obligations).
- Administrative or Professional General Faculty Members:General Faculty Members whose primary responsibilities (at least 50%) are to provide services to faculty, students, and staff in order to support the institution’s primary missions of instruction, research, and public service (see policy HRM-003: Employment of Administrative or Professional General Faculty Members). Effective January 3, 2017, the University no longer hires Administrative or Professional General Faculty Members.Administrative General Faculty Members who perform work directly related to the management of the educational mission and general activities of the institution, department, or subdivision thereof, and whose position is normally within three reporting steps of the president (e.g., the dean of a school).Professional General Faculty Members who perform work requiring advanced learning and experience acquired by prolonged formal instruction and/or specialized work experience, normally limited to professional positions serving education, research, medical, student affairs, and other such activities.
Academic General Faculty (AGF) Members make important academic contributions to the University community, focusing primarily on teaching, research, integration of professional practice, academic librarianship, or clinical service. This policy provides the terms and conditions of their employment, establishes clear standards for review and promotion, and affirms their role in faculty self-governance at the University.
This policy’s specific requirements are motivated by the core values of respect, equal opportunity for advancement, transparency, and consistency. Schools should act in accordance with these values when applying and interpreting this policy, their own school-specific policies, and in all interactions with AGF Members.
In this policy, all references to schools/deans are intended to refer also to units/unit heads that employ AGF Members.
School-Specific Polices:
Each school that employs AGF Members is required to publish a school-specific policy that must be approved by the executive vice president and provost (provost).School policies must conform to the general requirements set forth in this policy and, where appropriate, provide greater specificity, consistent with the school’s particular needs and structure. School policies must be developed and revised in consultation with the school’s faculty with representation from its AGF Members.
These policies must ensure that AGF Members are represented fairly in matters of shared governance in the school, including, but not limited to, the hiring, evaluation, and promotion of AGF Members. School policies should make clear what rights and opportunities apply to AGF Members, such as sabbatical leave, emeritus status, and roles in matters related to the hiring, evaluation, and promotion of tenured or tenure-track faculty members (see Procedure 2. Obtaining Approval for School-Specific Policies on Academic General Faculty).
- Formal Faculty Titles:
Formal faculty titles, as defined in policy PROV-029: Faculty Appointment Types and Titles, and specified below for each faculty rank, must be used internally when presenting faculty actions for approval to the University’s Board of Visitors and in all school communications related to a faculty member’s employment (including appointment letters, performance evaluations, recommendations for promotion, etc.). In addition to the use of formal faculty titles as required by the University, schools should address in their policies if and when formal faculty titles will be required in other contexts. - Rank Categories:
AGF ranks provide pathways to promotion that are categorized based on primary responsibilities and required qualifications of the appointment.- Professional Ranks:
The professorial ranks provide a promotion path for faculty starting at the junior rank of Assistant Professor, advancing to the senior rank of Associate Professor, and further advancing to the senior rank of Professor.- Qualifications:
AGF Members who hold professorial rank normally must hold the terminal degree expected for faculty who teach or perform clinical care in their discipline. In exceptional circumstances, on the practice track, or in disciplines where commensurate experience is a typical qualification for professorial appointment, an individual with significant related experience who does not hold the qualifying terminal degree may be hired with professorial rank. In such cases, the school must request approval in writing and provide a justification describing the individual’s alternate qualifications to the provost (see Procedure 4. Documenting Faculty Qualifications). Where the department routinely expects to hire individuals for the position with a particular combination of education and commensurate experience, approval should be sought for the position, rather than an individual. Responsibilities and Criteria for Promotion by Track:
Schools appointing AGF Members with professorial rank must utilize one of four available tracks to identify the faculty member’s primary responsibilities: teaching, research, practice, or clinical care. Only professorial AGF Members are categorized in these tracks.More specific information on the tracks used within a particular school, the evaluation/promotion criteria associated with each track, and details regarding the promotion review process, will be specified in the school’s policies on AGF Members.
A faculty member’s effort distribution must include sufficient allocation for activities required for reappointment or promotion. The structure of positions that include significant academic leadership responsibilities (such as advising deans in the College of Arts & Sciences, program directors, or academic center directors) may vary from the guidelines specified below, including the suggested percentage of time devoted to responsibilities associated with the relevant track and criteria for promotion.
Teaching Track:
AGF Members on the teaching track hold one of the professorial ranks and one of the following as their formal faculty title: Assistant Professor of [Area], General Faculty; Associate Professor of [Area], General Faculty; Professor of [Area], General Faculty.AGF Members on the teaching track engage primarily in education and student development (generally 60–90% of their effort), provide service to the University, with any remaining effort allocated to scholarship, engagement, an administrative role, or other activities. Because education and student and trainee development is the primary responsibility of AGF Members on the teaching track, the course load or teaching effort for these positions will often be higher than it would be for a tenure-line faculty member.
AGF Members on the teaching track may be expected to engage in scholarship as part of their responsibilities as specified in the appointment letter, position statement, or school policy. Scholarship cannot be required unless it is allocated, or otherwise included, in the faculty member’s assigned effort distribution.
To be promoted to associate professor on the teaching track, AGF Members must demonstrate excellence in education and student or trainee development and meet or exceed the expectations of their position as verified through an internal review. This may also be demonstrated through a local or regional reputation. If scholarship is required, it must be evaluated for renewal or promotion; school policies must define what types of scholarship, if any, will be required for renewal and promotion, and if so, how it will be evaluated.
Promotion to professor on the teaching track requires sustained excellence in education and student or trainee development, contributions to the educational capabilities and excellence of the University, and a regional, national, or international reputation based on professional or academic achievements. The extent of the required reputation may depend on the discipline. Promotion to professor also may require further achievements, as set forth in the school’s policies on AGF Members, such as substantial scholarship or national contributions to the development of curricula or pedagogy in their discipline.
Research Track:
AGF Members on the research track hold one of the professorial ranks and one of the following as their formal faculty title: Research Assistant Professor of [Area]; Research Associate Professor of [Area]; Research Professor of [Area].AGF Members on the research track engage primarily in research (generally 60–100% of their effort). To the extent they are supported by non-grant funds, AGF Members on the research track may participate in service, prepare new grant proposals, teach, or engage in other activities unrelated to their current grants.
AGF Members hired with the rank of assistant professor on the research track are expected to engage in independent research or contribute to collaborative research/team science efforts. To be promoted to associate professor, AGF Members on the research track must establish a substantial record of scholarship appropriate to their responsibilities and demonstrate leadership in local, regional, or national discipline-related affairs. This must be demonstrated through a local, regional, or national reputation and verified through an internal review.
Promotion to professor requires independent research or research support as defined in the appointment letter or position statement, a sustained record of scholarship appropriate to the position, and national or international recognition for contributions to the field. Promotion to professor also may require further achievements, as set forth in the school’s policies on AGF Members, such as significant innovations or accomplishments in research.
Practice Track:
AGF Members on the practice track hold one of the professorial ranks and one of the following as their formal faculty title: Assistant Professor of Practice in [Area], Associate Professor of Practice in [Area], or Professor of Practice in [Area].AGF Members on the practice track focus on integrating professional experience with the academic mission of the school, as well as providing service to the University.
To be promoted to associate professor on the practice track, AGF Members must demonstrate sustained excellence in integrating professional experience with the academic mission of the school, meet or exceed the expectations of their position as defined in their appointment letter, position statement, or school policy, and receive regional, national, or international recognition for contributions to their professions, as verified by an internal review.
Scholarship is not required for promotion unless it is specified as a requirement in the appointment letter, position statement, or school policy. If required, scholarship must be evaluated for promotion on the practice track according to the standards laid out in the school’s policies on AGF Members.
Promotion to professor on the practice track requires further sustained excellence in integrating professional experience with the academic mission of the school, substantial contributions to the capabilities and excellence of the University, and further recognition for regional, national, or international achievements in the relevant professional field(s).
Promotion to professor also may require further achievements, as set forth in the school’s policies on AGF Members, such as substantial scholarship or national or international contributions to the integration of professional experience with academic instruction or scholarly research.
Clinical Track:
AGF Members on the clinical track hold one of the professorial ranks and one of the following as their formal faculty title: Assistant Professor of [Area], Clinical Faculty; Associate Professor of [Area], Clinical Faculty; Professor of [Area], Clinical Faculty.AGF Members on the clinical track engage primarily in clinical care (generally 60–100% of their effort), with any remaining effort allocated to scholarship, teaching, engagement, an administrative role, or other activities. AGF Members on the clinical track may be expected to engage in scholarship as part of their responsibilities as specified in the appointment letter, position statement, or school policy. Scholarship cannot be required unless it is allocated, or otherwise included, in the faculty member’s assigned effort distribution.
To be promoted to associate professor on the clinical track, AGF Members must demonstrate excellence in clinical work or clinical education and meet or exceed the expectations of their position. This must be demonstrated through a local or regional reputation and verified through an internal review. If scholarship is required, it must be evaluated for renewal or promotion; school policies must define what types of scholarship, if any, will be required for renewal and promotion, and if so, how it will be evaluated.
Promotion to professor on the clinical track requires sustained excellence in clinical care or clinical education, contributions to the health of the community and the reputation of the University, and a regional, national, or international reputation based on professional or academic achievements. The extent of the required reputation may depend on the discipline. Promotion to professor also may require further achievements, as set forth in the school’s policies on AGF Members, such as substantial scholarship and national contributions to health practices in their discipline.
- Qualifications:
Faculty Librarian Ranks:
All librarians at the University make significant professional contributions by providing research support to faculty and students, maintaining, and expanding library collections, and serving patrons. In addition to these important professional undertakings, some librarian positions primarily involve the production of original scholarship and other similar endeavors that further support designation as AGF Members.The Faculty Librarian ranks provide a promotion path for faculty starting at the junior rank of Assistant Librarian, advancing to the senior rank of Associate Librarian, and further advancing to the senior rank of Librarian. Faculty Librarians hold one of the following as their formal faculty title: Assistant Librarian, Associate Librarian, or Librarian.
Faculty Librarians may be hired within the University Library. Any other school or unit wishing to hire Faculty Librarians may do so only with the advance permission of the provost.
Qualifications:
Faculty Librarians must hold a terminal disciplinary or professional degree, in library science (Masters in Library Science), information science, or another field directly relevant to their faculty work.Faculty Librarians with teaching responsibilities are also governed by policy PROV-008: Teaching Courses for Academic Credit and must be qualified in accordance with that policy.
Responsibilities and Criteria for Promotion:
Faculty Librarians are individuals whose primary responsibilities (at least 60%), as defined in an appointment letter or position statement, involve the production of original scholarship for publication, teaching, or innovation in research methods.To be promoted to Associate Librarian, AGF Members must demonstrate evidence of sustained excellence in original scholarship, teaching, or innovation in research methods, meet or exceed the expectations of their position as defined in their appointment letter or position statement, and receive regional, national, or international recognition for contributions to academic librarianship, as verified through an internal review. Scholarship is not required for promotion unless it is specified as a requirement in the appointment letter or position statement. If required, scholarship must be evaluated for promotion on the library track according to the standards laid out in the library’s policies on AGF Members.
Promotion to Librarian requires further sustained excellence in original scholarship, teaching or innovation in research methods, substantial contributions to the capabilities and excellence of the University, and further recognition for regional, national, or international achievements in academic librarianship.
Lecturer and Instructor Ranks:
The lecturer and instructor ranks provide for a promotion path for faculty starting at the junior rank of Lecturer/Instructor, advancing to the senior rank of Senior Lecturer/Instructor, and further advancing to the senior rank of Distinguished Lecturer/Instructor.AGF Members in the lecturer or instructor ranks hold one of the following as their formal faculty title1: Lecturer in [Area], Senior Lecturer in [Area], Distinguished Lecturer in [Area]; or Instructor of [Area], Senior Instructor of [Area], Distinguished Instructor of [Area].
Schools may use the lecturer or instructor ranks only when the primary teaching responsibilities associated with the position do not require the qualifying terminal degree. Schools may, for example, not require a qualifying terminal degree for positions that focus primarily on teaching undergraduate competency or technical skills, such as language acquisition, writing instruction, or computer software applications. Schools are not required to use the lecturer and instructor ranks for these positions. School-specific policies must stipulate whether the lecturer and/or instructor ranks will be used and, if so, define criteria (in addition to the criteria defined in this policy) that will be used to determine their appropriate use in the school.
The lecturer ranks should be used for positions that deliver instruction primarily to a class or group. The instructor ranks should be used for positions that deliver instruction primarily to individual students (e.g., clinical supervision).
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1The lecturer or instructor titles also may be held by faculty wage employees (who are not governed by this policy) and other types of employees who assume teaching responsibilities (see policies PROV-026: Faculty Wage Employment and PROV-008: Teaching Courses for Academic Credit).
____________- Qualifications:
AGF Members who hold a lecturer or instructor rank normally must hold a minimum of a master’s degree in their discipline. In exceptional circumstances, schools may hire individuals with significant related experience who do not hold the master’s degree in their discipline with the provost’s advance written approval (see Procedure 4. Documenting Faculty Qualifications). Responsibilities for Promotion:
AGF Members holding the rank of lecturer or instructor may be expected to perform service in their departments or schools, in accordance with the school’s policy on AGF Members. AGF Members holding the rank of senior lecturer, senior instructor, distinguished lecturer, or distinguished instructor are expected to contribute service to their department, school, and/or the University, in addition to performing their teaching responsibilities. Teaching responsibilities may be reduced to accommodate increased responsibilities for service activities, but teaching must remain at least 60% of the faculty member’s overall responsibilities. A faculty member’s effort distribution must include sufficient allocation for activities required for reappointment or promotion.Promotion to senior lecturer or senior instructor requires demonstrated excellence as a teacher. Promotion to distinguished lecturer or distinguished instructor requires further sustained excellence as a teacher and substantial service to the school or University. The specific criteria and types of documentation required for promotion to senior lecturer/instructor and distinguished lecturer/instructor are defined by each school in its policies on AGF Members.
- Qualifications:
- Professional Ranks:
Appointments, Contract Renewal, Promotion, and Termination:
Initial Appointment Term:
AGF Members are normally hired within one of the University’s schools or in the University Library. In rare circumstances, they may be hired in a unit reporting to the provost or the president. Such hires require the advance written approval of the provost.AGF Members are normally hired through a competitive national or international search. Search exemptions are rare and must follow the Procedure for Requesting an Exception. Regardless, review and recommendation by a faculty committee must be part of all AGF hiring decisions.
AGF Members on a renewable contract may be given an initial appointment of a three-year term; a one-year term, followed by a two-year term when renewed; or three successive one-year terms. One- year terms should be used sparingly and primarily when further performance evaluation is necessary. With the first renewal after the third year of continuous service, the AGF Member will, when renewed, be offered a three-year renewable appointment. Exceptions to these practices must be approved both in writing and in advance by the provost.
Nonrenewable contracts may be offered to AGF Members to fill a short-term need, such as a leave replacement or research grant support. These contracts may be for any duration of three years or less; faculty members may not be on a nonrenewable contract for longer than three years without provost approval. Nonrenewable appointments of AGF Members (whether paid over nine or twelve months) carry no expectation of renewal and do not require advance notice of nonrenewal.
Should short-term needs become long-term needs, schools may offer faculty members on nonrenewable contracts a new renewable or nonrenewable contract without the need for a search or search exemption. Time in rank under prior contracts doing similar work should be counted as part of a faculty member’s time in rank for promotion review eligibility. Exceptions to this expectation must be documented in the new contract.
Performance Reviews:
All AGF Members must undergo an annual performance review in accordance with the provost’s policy, Annual Performance Reviews. The criteria for these annual performance reviews should correspond to criteria in the appointment letter, position statement or school policy. Feedback received through the annual performance review should help guide the faculty member towards renewal and promotion.After three years in rank, faculty members may request comprehensive school-level feedback regarding their progress toward satisfying the criteria for the next promotion. How schools will offer this feedback must be documented in school policy.
Contract Renewals:
Schools must have written criteria and procedures governing appointment (i.e., contract) renewals. No appointment may be renewed without a successful performance review. Only designated academic hiring officials as specified in PROV-006: Extending Offers of Employment to Faculty in Academic Areas are authorized to renew a faculty member’s appointment. AGF Members who hold a three-year appointment who are to be reappointed should be notified in writing within three months of the start date of the new contract by a designated academic hiring official. Faculty members at a senior rank who are renewed will be reappointed for three or five-year terms, per school policy.Schools will abide by the University’s statement on academic freedom when making decisions about a faculty member’s employment contract. Decisions to nonrenew a faculty member’s contract for reasons other than performance do not require faculty input.
Beginning with the faculty member’s sixth year of employment as an AGF Member, in the event of a negative renewal decision, the dean will provide reasons for the nonrenewal in writing. The faculty member will have thirty (30) days to submit a written appeal to the provost. The appeal should be accompanied by adequate documentation and a statement of reasons as to why the decision is believed to be inappropriate.
Faculty members may also grieve any dispute regarding contract of employment to the Faculty Senate Grievance Committee according to their procedures.
Promotion:
This section establishes promotion guidelines for full-time and part-time AGF. A promotion review cycle is initiated by the school according to their timeline and progresses through a department or committee level review in the fall, school-level review in the winter, and provost review in the spring.Any eligible faculty member who submits a dossier for promotion consideration will be reviewed according to the procedures described below, resulting in a promotion decision by the provost. Faculty members who are denied a promotion will not be considered again in the annual review cycle immediately following the denial, but they may choose to be considered in a later cycle.
Criteria for promotion include performance or achievements that exceed the minimum requirements of the appointment letter or position description. Therefore, time served in rank does not guarantee promotion.
AGF Members who have received notice of nonrenewal (see Section IV.E. Standards for Notice of Nonrenewal) may not initiate the promotion review process.
For Faculty at Junior Ranks:
AGF Members are eligible to be reviewed beginning with the promotion cycle occurring in their sixth year in rank at the University (i.e., the promotion review cycle following five years in an assistant professor, assistant librarian, lecturer, or instructor appointment) unless a shorter time period is indicated in the offer letter. Candidates who seek promotion must submit their dossier for review according to their school’s timeline and procedures as described in their school or unit policy. If a faculty member prefers to delay their promotion consideration, they can submit their dossier in any subsequent review cycle. A faculty member who chooses to postpone promotion consideration is still eligible for contract renewal.Faculty supervisors (usually a department chair, associate dean, or dean) are expected to notify in writing and discuss the faculty member’s eligibility and readiness for promotion early in the faculty member’s fifth year in rank. They may not prohibit eligible faculty members from submitting their dossier for consideration.
Faculty must serve in rank for at least two years before being promoted. If school policy allows, the faculty member’s supervisor may invite them to submit their dossier for consideration prior to year six based on exceptional performance or prior experience.
Once promoted to senior rank, faculty members’ contracts will henceforth be renewed unless the provost has approved their nonrenewal based on one or more of these conditions:
- The faculty member’s performance is found to not meet the expectations of their position as defined in their appointment letter, position statement, or school policy, following a faculty committee review. Prior to a nonrenewal decision, the school will provide the faculty member with a performance improvement plan which will establish expectations for improvement and a timeline.
- The school no longer needs the disciplinary expertise for which the faculty member was hired. Situations that may warrant nonrenewal include, but are not limited to: the closure of a center or program, sustained declines in student enrollment in a particular field, significant curricular redesign, or a change in curricular standards defined by an accrediting agency.
- The funds supporting faculty members whose positions are contingent on such funds are no longer available (see Section VI. Positions Supported by Contingent Funds).
A school may renew the contract of a faculty member with assistant, lecturer, or instructor rank who has been denied a promotion. Reappointment following an unsuccessful promotion review will be for a three-year renewable term.
For Faculty at Senior Ranks:
AGF Members are eligible to be reviewed beginning with the promotion cycle occurring in their sixth year in rank at the University (i.e., the promotion review cycle following five years in an associate professor, associate librarian, senior lecturer, or senior instructor appointment) unless a shorter time period is indicated in the offer letter. Candidates who seek promotion must submit their dossier for review according to their school’s timeline and procedures as described in their school or unit policy. If a faculty member prefers to delay their promotion consideration, they can submit their dossier in any subsequent review cycle.Faculty supervisors are expected to discuss the faculty member’s eligibility and readiness for promotion early in the faculty member’s fifth year in rank. However, they may not prohibit eligible faculty members from submitting their dossier for consideration.
Faculty must serve in rank for at least two years before being promoted. If school policy allows, the faculty member’s supervisor may invite them to submit their dossier for consideration prior to year six based on exceptional performance or prior experience.
Faculty members promoted in senior rank at the University will henceforth have their contracts renewed unless the provost has approved their nonrenewal based on one or more of the conditions a, b, and c in Section D.i. above.
Faculty hired into a senior rank at the University may be considered for these renewal provisions at the time of their first renewal or later by submitting a dossier identical to a promotion dossier as described in Procedures. In exceptional cases, the provost may approve such status earlier upon recommendation of the dean.
Standards for Notice of Nonrenewal:
One-year renewable and any nonrenewable appointment of AGF Members (whether paid over nine or twelve months) carry no expectation of renewal and do not require advance notice of nonrenewal.AGF Members who hold a renewable appointment with a term of two years or more (whether paid over nine or twelve months) whose appointment (i.e., contract) will not be renewed will typically receive written notice of nonrenewal at least twelve months before the expiration of their appointment. If notice of nonrenewal is received at less than twelve months before the expiration of an appointment, they are entitled to twelve months of employment following the date of that notice.
These standards for notice of nonrenewal do not apply to positions supported by contingent funds when such funds are no longer available (see Section VI. Positions Supported by Contingent Funds).
- Termination for Just Cause:
AGF Members may be terminated for just cause in accordance with PROV-035: Misconduct and Discipline of Academic Faculty and Disciplinary Suspension and Termination of Academic Faculty. In the event of termination for just cause, AGF Members are not eligible for the standards for notice defined in Section IV.E. Standards for Notice of Nonrenewal.
Changing Track, Unit, or Appointment Type:
An AGF Member and the dean or unit head may agree that the faculty member should be considered for assignment to a different track as an AGF Member (e.g., from teaching to research). During the annual performance review, the supervisor (usually a department chair, associate dean, or dean) and the AGF Member should review the AGF Member’s track assignment and either confirm it is appropriate or discuss recommending a change in track to the dean. A change in track within the AGF professorial ranks must be approved by the dean and the provost.A change from the lecturer/instructor ranks or non-faculty librarian positions to the AGF professorial or faculty librarian ranks requires a request from the dean to the provost that includes a clear plan and timeline for promotion review.
Faculty members who wish to change to another unit or to a tenure-eligible appointment may apply to an open search for such a position at any time. The application will not affect their current appointment or faculty status unless they are offered and accept a new appointment.
In rare circumstances, when the dean determines that a faculty member would likely be among the best available candidates if an open search for a tenure-eligible position were conducted in that faculty member’s area of expertise, the dean may request that the provost waive the search as described in the Procedures for Requesting an Exemption.
A request for a reclassification to another unit or track not resulting from an open search must be requested by the faculty member in writing and supported by the department chair(s) and dean(s).
The appointment of the faculty member to a different unit or appointment type must be handled in accordance with PROV-006: Extending Offers of Employment to Faculty in Academic Areas. An offer letter must address whether time in a previous track or unit will be counted toward promotion eligibility.
The provost will review the dean’s request for a change in a faculty member’s track, unit, or appointment type and, if approved, submit a recommendation to the University’s Board of Visitors (see policy PROV-029: Faculty Appointment Types and Titles). If the change is not approved, the AGF Member will continue to serve in their current track, unit, and appointment type.
Positions Supported by Contingent Funds:
The employment of AGF Members whose salaries are funded from grants, contracts, or private gifts is subject to the continued availability of such funds. In the event such funds become unavailable, faculty members will normally be placed on leave without pay for the duration of their current appointment and given notice that their appointment will not be renewed.The school and the University may, at their discretion, provide temporary funds from other sources to support the faculty member’s position from time to time. Such temporary support does not obligate the school or the University to support the faculty member’s position once the grants, contracts, or private gifts are no longer available, nor does it prevent the school or the University from giving the faculty member immediate notice of nonrenewal in the event those contingent funds are no longer available.
- Contracts that Supersede this Policy:
The appointment letter typically serves as a faculty member’s contract of employment with the University. Appointment letters that deviate from the terms and conditions of this policy must be approved in advance and in writing by the provost. The terms and conditions contained in such appointment letters or contracts that have been approved by the dean and the provost supersede this policy so long as they comply with applicable law and are consistent with the policies of the Board of Visitors. Expectation of Continued Employment:
The employment of AGF Members hired before the effective date of PROV-004 (January 3, 2017) is governed by a previous policy that granted the Expectation of Continued Employment (ECE) following a comprehensive review.AGF Members serving with ECE will be reappointed for another three- or five-year term, per school policy (see Section IV.D Promotion), at least one year before the end of their current contract provided their annual performance reviews affirm that their performance remains at a high level and the services of the school continue to be the type and scope requiring the faculty member’s high level of professional skills. At any time, if the annual performance review reveals that the faculty member’s performance is not at a high level, the school will provide written guidance regarding concerns about performance and stipulate that future reappointments are contingent upon significant improvement in performance. If the faculty member’s performance does not improve to the extent required by the school, the school may, with the provost’s advance, written approval, give the faculty member notice of nonrenewal in accordance with the standard of notice defined in Section IV.E. Standards for Notice of Nonrenewal.
All other provisions in this policy apply to faculty members holding ECE.
Any exception to the terms of this policy or procedures must be requested from the provost in writing.
- Periodic Review: This policy will be reviewed every five years.
- Obtaining Approval for School-Specific Policies on Academic General Faculty: In complying with the provost’s mandate for school-specific policies related to AGF Members, schools may either develop separate policies or incorporate specific sections into larger policies governing all academic faculty in the school. These policies must be developed and revised in consultation with the school’s faculty with representation from its AGF Members. Following any revision of this policy by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, schools must review and revise their school-specific policies and submit them to the vice provost for faculty affairs in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for the provost’s review and approval before they are published or considered effective. If a school wishes to make any substantive revisions to its school-specific policies between formal review cycles, those revisions must be submitted for the Provost’s review and approval before they are considered effective. The most recent version of each school’s policy governing AGF Members must be posted on the school’s website in an easily accessible location.
- Extending Offers of Employment: See policy PROV-006: Extending Offers of Employment to Faculty in Academic Areas.
Documenting Faculty Qualifications: Schools requesting approval to hire an AGF Member with professorial or faculty librarian rank who does not possess the qualifying terminal degree must send their request, including a description of the individual’s qualifications/experience and the individual’s curriculum vitae, to the vice provost for faculty affairs.
All documentation related to the faculty member’s qualifications must be retained in the individual’s personnel record (see policy HRM-044: Maintaining Faculty Personnel Records).
Evaluation Materials: Dossiers compiled for promotion or similar review (as described in Section IV.D.) will include a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and candidate statement(s) on the activities required for promotion according to their offer letter, track, and effort distribution. Statements may be combined into a single document. Evaluation packets should also include additional materials as described below based on the candidate’s responsibilities. School policy may define additional dossier requirements. The dossier must include all accomplishments to be considered as part of the review per school policy.
- Student Education and Development:
Candidates must demonstrate their excellence in education and student/trainee development through a reflective statement and supporting evidence. Examples of evidence include, but are not limited to: course syllabi, assignments or activity descriptions, lesson plans or notes, peer observations, letters from former students, evidence of student success, evidence of student mentoring, and teaching awards; all institutionally-administered Student Experience of Teaching (SET) reports or other school-sanctioned student experience surveys from the last three years must be submitted, when available. Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work:
Candidates must demonstrate their substantial record of research, scholarship, or creative work through a reflective statement and supporting evidence. Examples of evidence of a national or international reputation may include invited talks, citations, awards, relevant remarks by external evaluators, and invitations to participate in distinguished professional service. Examples of evidence of excellence may include distinguished awards, the securing of external funding from competitive sources, and publications or creative works in highly selective venues. For those engaged in community-based work, examples of excellence may also include collaborative research and creative practices with community partners that address social, environmental, or public challenges. Evidence of the candidate’s distinct intellectual contributions is required; in particular, the candidate must clearly delineate their distinct contributions to collaborative efforts.Arm’s-length external letters are required when the majority of a faculty member’s effort is dedicated to research, scholarship, or creative work. They are sought to evaluate objectively the candidate’s work in terms of productivity and excellence. Other letters may also be included when they provide context about a candidate’s contributions to collaborative efforts or other information particularly known to the writer.
- Service:
Candidates must demonstrate their service contributions to the University, school and/or department, their profession, and/or the public through a reflective statement. The importance of their service contribution and any leadership role should be described. In alignment with the University’s mission statement, candidates are invited to demonstrate the ways they direct their service efforts toward the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and/or the world. - Clinical Care:
Candidates must demonstrate their excellence in clinical care through a clinical portfolio as described in school policy.
A short biographical sketch of each referee, together with a statement of their professional relationship to the candidate (if any) must be provided. Whether the candidate, the review committee, or the administration recommended the referee must be identified. A copy of the request for an evaluation must be included, as well as a list of all referees contacted; if a request for evaluation is denied, the reason for the denial must be provided, if available. All evaluations received must be included in the evaluation packet.
- Student Education and Development:
Promotion Review Process: Evaluation committees must consist of at least three faculty members. Faculty members with school-level administrative appointments (ex: associate dean, department chair) cannot serve as committee members without prior approval from the provost. School policies may include additional composition requirements for evaluation committees beyond those included in this policy.
Voting committee members must be at or above the rank the candidate is seeking. Faculty members may not vote for or against a candidate’s promotion at both the school and University level and must avoid or mitigate other real or apparent conflicts as described in PROV-007: Faculty Conflicts of Interest or school-level policy. At each stage in the process, the number of faculty members voting yes, no, abstaining, absent, or recused due to conflict of interest must be counted and documented.
All reviews for promotion will be conducted in accordance with the school’s policies for AGF Members. For more detail regarding the criteria for promotion, see Section III.A.ii, III.B.ii, III.C.ii). The committee review must result in a written analysis of the candidate’s achievements according to the criteria required for promotion.
By the first week in February, the dean will report to the provost in writing on promotion recommendations arising out of their school for which action is to be taken for that year’s review cycle. Decanal reviews are to reflect the dean’s own judgments on the substance and the recommended outcome for each candidate and therefore must include the dean’s affirmative or negative recommendation. All recommendations by the deans for promotion must be supported by adequate investigation, review, and written documentation.
In the event of a negative recommendation, the dean will notify the AGF Member in writing by February 1. The faculty member must receive a written evaluation that summarizes the salient conclusions and judgments from the dean’s analysis, redacted to remove information that would reveal the source of evaluations and individual opinions. Deans should provide the provost’s office with a copy of the communication to the candidate, including the date of such communication.
Candidates may submit a written appeal to the provost within 30 days of being notified of the dean’s negative recommendation, with a copy to the dean. Appeals should be accompanied by adequate documentation and a statement of reasons as to why the recommendation is believed to be inappropriate. The dean may provide the provost with a written response to the appeal if they wish to do so; such responses should be provided within 15 days of the appeal.
The provost will review the dean’s recommendations regarding promotion (both positive and negative). In the event of a negative decision and the receipt of a written appeal from the faculty member, the provost will also review the faculty member’s appeal and related documentation before making a final determination regarding the dean’s recommendations.
The provost’s promotion and tenure committee will request from the dean any additional information required for a particular case. Each dean will be asked to discuss any cases from their school where the provost, in consultation with the provost’s promotion and tenure committee, has concerns or questions regarding the substantive recommendation, the process used to reach it, or the quality and thoroughness of the written data provided in support of the recommendation.
As soon as practical after committee review, the provost will report to the dean and the candidates the results of the promotion reviews at the provost’s level. The provost will forward positive recommendations that require Board of Visitors approval to the president for action at their June meeting.
A recommendation for promotion of a faculty member who is the subject of a disciplinary investigation will not be forwarded to the Board of Visitors until after the investigation has concluded.
A positive promotion review will automatically result in contract renewal for a three or five-year term, per school policy. Any exception requires prior approval from the provost.
A negative decision on promotion by the provost may be grieved to the Faculty Senate Grievance Committee according to their procedures.
Expedited Review:
An expedited promotion review for an AGF member may take place when a retention counter-offer with promotion must be made quickly, when accelerating the promotion process may benefit the institution (e.g., when a faculty member may serve more effectively in their administrative position), or for other reasons as approved by the provost. Expedited reviews allow for a compressed time period; they are not intended to bypass normal review processes.Expedited promotion review requires:
- a faculty committee review recommending promotion to the dean;
- a recommendation from the dean to the provost; and
- review by one or more members of the provost’s promotion and tenure committee.
In expedited review, the chair and dean may appoint a sub-committee consisting of no fewer than three faculty members who are members of the department or school promotion committee or who constitute an expedited promotion committee. Once the provost receives the dean’s recommendation, the provost reviews the nomination and decides as quickly as possible.
Materials submitted in an evaluation packet for expedited review should be similar to those included in evaluation packets submitted for review during the normal cycle, including a complete, detailed curriculum vitae, and arm’s-length letters, if needed. Letters of recommendation provided in the application dossier can be used for this purpose so long as they are arm’s-length. A candidate’s cover letter or research plans may substitute for the usual reflective statement in the dossier. The dossier must provide evidence of teaching effectiveness; where available, this should include student evaluations. Other examples of such evidence are listed in Procedure 5.a.
Procedures for Faculty Members with Joint Appointments: For all joint appointments, salary-sharing expectations, effort allocations, promotion procedures, and other key details of the joint appointment must be documented in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the deans and department chairs (if relevant) of both academic units. When evaluating a candidate’s productivity and contributions, careful consideration must be given to the amount and nature of the effort that the candidate has devoted to each unit, taking into account the effort allocations specified in the MOU or appointment letter. The MOU must define how the faculty member’s work in the secondary unit will be considered by the primary unit in promotion decisions, and this information must be shared in writing with the faculty member. When a faculty member is considered for promotion in the primary unit, the secondary unit must conduct a promotion review in the same academic year or earlier; the promotion is effective in all units once the faculty member’s promotion in their primary unit is approved. If a faculty member earns a promotion in rank in the primary unit and the secondary unit does not approve that promotion in rank, the secondary appointment must be terminated by the time the promotion in the primary unit takes effect.
If a secondary unit chooses not to renew a joint appointment, the home unit becomes responsible for that portion of the faculty member’s salary unless otherwise provided for in the MOU. In such cases, the leadership of the secondary unit should provide notice of nonrenewal to the faculty member and to the chair and dean of their primary unit at least 12 months before the end of the secondary appointment term. The secondary unit is responsible for their portion of the salary for the entirety of the faculty member’s secondary appointment term and for at least twelve months from when notice of nonrenewal is given.
A faculty member must be considered for subsequent promotions simultaneously in all units where they hold an appointment. If approved, the promotion applies to all units; faculty members may only hold one rank across all appointments at the institution.
Revised 7/30/26; Minor updates to Policy Statement and Sections I, VI 7/16/25; Minor update Section IX.E 10/20/22; Revised 2/25/22, 1/31/20.
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