CON Promotion and Tenure for Academic Rank

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Faculty Policies

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER COLLEGE OF NURSING
Promotion and Tenure for Academic Rank	Subsection: 4.4.6 (1)
Section 4.0 - Faculty Policies	Originating Date: May 1974
Responsible Reviewing Agency: Promotion and Tenure Committee Faculty Coordinating Council General Faculty Organization Related Documents: Board of Regents Bylaws RP 4.4.3 Appendix A1 Standards for Promotion and Tenure for Academic Rank UNMC Guidelines for Submitting Academic Promotion and Tenure Recommendations	Revised: November 1998 Revised: August 1999 Revised: March 2000 Revised: February 2006 Revised: February 2007 Revised: March 2011 Revised: February 2013 Revised: May 2015 (changes) Revised: November 2018 (changes) Revised: November 2023 (changes)

Purpose

Establishes standards for making all recommendations on academic rank promotion.

Scope

Applies to faculty doctorally prepared faculty members holding a special appointment or Health Professions Appointment (HPA).

Policy

1. The College of Nursing shall promulgate written standards which shall be used in making all recommendations on promotion and awarding continuous appointments. The standards are applicable to all faculty in divisions.
2. Information concerning continuous appointments, continuous joint appointments, and promotion may be found in the Board of Regents Bylaws, Chapter IV, Rights and Responsibilities of Professional Staff.
3. University of Nebraska Medical Center Guidelines for Submitting Academic Promotion and Tenure Recommendations are available at the University of Nebraska Medical Center website for academic services: https://info.unmc.edu/academicservices/. The applicant must follow the instructions in these guidelines.
4. The College of Nursing Promotion and Tenure committee establishes Standards for Promotion and Tenure for Academic Rank (Appendix A1). The College of Nursing has established submission deadlines. Submission dates and links to all required documents are posted on the College of Nursing website promotion and tenure page on the College of Nursing website. are posted on the College of Nursing Policy and Procedure wiki website. All documents are linked on the Promotion and Tenure page at https://www.unmc.edu/nursing/faculty/faculty-promotion-and-tenure.html.
5. The College of Nursing Promotion and Tenure Committee solicits external reviews of applicants for promotion and/or tenure. Applicants must indicate whether they waive or retain their right of access to review letters. The External Letters of Review Waiver form indicating the applicant's decision regarding access to external reviews must be signed before letters are solicited. The candidate for promotion and/or tenure can appeal the College of Nursing Promotion and Tenure recommendation on the grounds that it was capricious, arbitrary, or prejudiced.
6. Post-Tenure Review of all faculty holding continuous appointment will be conducted congruent with the information in the Board of Regents Bylaws RP 4.4.3 and University of Nebraska Medical Center Guidelines for Submitting Academic Promotion and Tenure Recommendations. https://www.unmc.edu/academicaffairs/faculty-affairs/promotion-tenure/index.html The purpose of the post-tenure review process is to assist tenured faculty in achieving their professional goals and maximizing their contributions to the university throughout their professional careers, to provide assurance to the public that tenured faculty are accountable for their performance and productivity, and to provide continued peer involvement in the review of tenured faculty members.
   
   The standards for substantial and chronic deficiency have been determined by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Nursing faculty.

Definition of Substantial and Chronic Deficiency

Substantial - The faculty member’s evaluation in two academic areas (teaching, scholarship, and professional service) on the annual evaluation form has been evaluated. An unsatisfactory evaluation is determined when an individual does not demonstrate behaviors showing competence and accomplishments in a given academic area. (See Appendix A1)

Chronic - The faculty member’s evaluation in two academic areas (teaching, scholarship, and professional service) on the annual evaluation form has been evaluated unsatisfactory for two consecutive years. An unsatisfactory evaluation is determined when an individual does not demonstrate behaviors showing competence and accomplishments in a given academic area.

Faculty member may appeal the Peer Post-Tenure Review recommendations on the grounds that the decision was capricious, arbitrary or prejudiced. The burden of proof is on the faculty member.

Decision Process

1. Notification
   After review by the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the committee chair will notify the candidate and the dean in writing the recommendation of the P&T committee.
2. Committee Decision
   To appeal the Promotion and Tenure committee’s recommendation, a letter stating why the recommendation was capricious, arbitrary or prejudiced must be submitted to the dean within 15 working days after receiving written notification of the denial from the committee. The dean will review all submitted materials, and may meet with the Promotion and Tenure Committee or request additional review of the documenting materials before rendering a decision.
3. The Dean’s Decision
   Decisions by the dean to deny promotion and tenure will normally be considered final. A candidate who alleges that the dean’s decision to deny promotion or tenure was arbitrary, capricious, or prejudiced may submit a written appeal to the chancellor within 15 working days after receiving written notification of the dean’s decision.
4. Post-Tenure Review
   1. Post-Tenure Review Process
      
      The Post-Tenure Review of a College of Nursing faculty member may be held in the fourth and subsequent years after receiving continuous appointment. The division assistant dean and faculty member will discuss during the faculty member’s annual review whether the faculty member continues to demonstrate achievement of his/her professional goals and is maximizing contributions to the university or if there is a substantial deficiency (Appendix A1: Standards for Promotion and Tenure may be used as guidelines).
      
      If substantial deficiency is identified during the faculty member’s annual evaluation, the division assistant dean and faculty member will develop a plan to remedy the substantial deficiency within the next year. This plan will be shared with the Dean of the College of Nursing. At the next annual review, evaluation of progress to remedy the substantial deficiency will be made.
      
      If the next annual review finds the substantial deficiency is not remedied, the division assistant dean will notify the Dean of the College of Nursing that a Peer Post-Tenure Review is required. The faculty member is informed in writing that a Peer Post-Tenure Review is needed to review the chronic deficiency demonstrated by the faculty member. The Peer Post-Tenure Review process as outlined in the annual UNMC Guidelines for Submitting Academic Promotion and Tenure Recommendations will be initiated (IV. Post-Tenure Review).
      
      If the Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee determines that the faculty member does not have a chronic deficiency, the faculty member, division assistant dean, and dean will be informed of the decision.
      
      If the Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee determines that a faculty member has chronic deficiency, the process outlined in the UNMC Guidelines for Submitting Academic Promotion and Tenure Recommendations (IV. Post-Tenure Review, 6-7) will be followed.
   2. Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee
      
      The Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee shall be selected to conduct the review of the faculty member’s performance. Appointment of the Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee members will follow the process described in the UNMC Guidelines for Submitting Academic Promotion and Tenure Recommendations (IV. Post-Tenure Review, 4). The College of Nursing Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee may be selected from members of the College of Nursing Promotion and Tenure Committee or from other faculty members of the College of Nursing. The faculty member and division assistant dean will together determine the Peer Post-Tenure Committee members. The review committee shall be composed of two senior tenured faculty from within the College of Nursing and one senior tenured faculty outside the College of Nursing who hold an academic rank at least equal to that of the faculty member to be reviewed.
   3. Peer Post-Tenure Review Appeal
      
      The faculty member may appeal the Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee findings/ recommendations to the Dean of the College of Nursing within 15 days after being informed of the committee’s findings. If the faculty member and the Dean of the College of Nursing cannot agree on a resolution in response to the Peer Post-Tenure Review Committee’s report, the faculty member may appeal in writing to the UNMC Chancellor within 15 days of meeting with the dean. The burden of proof lies with the faculty member and should reflect the grounds that the decision is arbitrary, capricious, or prejudiced. The university procedures administered by the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee or the Professional Conduct Committee by the Faculty Senate can be invoked.