Procedures for Tenure
By April 15 of the fifth year of probation, the Dean of the College shall notify the faculty member electronically in writing of the upcoming tenure review and invite the candidate to submit appropriate materials to be placed in the candidate's open file. It should be noted that faculty members can always add materials to their open files, except during years of review for tenure or promotion, when their access to the Moodle open file closes on the third Thursday of fall term. The Dean shall also inform the candidate of the deadline for submitting those materials to their Moodle file.
During the fall term of the same year, the Dean of the College shall solicit confidential letters from current students and alumni of the College. Eight shall be solicited from a list of sixteen names submitted by the faculty member under review, and sixteen others shall be randomly selected from the faculty member’s current and past class rosters. These twenty-four students and alumni shall be asked to submit confidential letters in which the writers evaluate the candidate’s effectiveness as a teacher and advisor. In addition, the Dean shall request from the Associate Dean a letter that provides information about the candidate's teaching and contributions to the College.
These letters shall be placed in the candidate's closed file by the Tuesday after fall break, and shall be available to the members of the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment, the Dean, and the President.
The Division Chair shall evaluate the candidate and recommend for or against granting tenure. The evaluation shall be based on: (1) letters solicited by the Division Chair from tenured members of the program committee, and from other tenured faculty members as appropriate, (2) a survey by the Division Chair of other persons at the College who know the candidate's work, (3) student course evaluations, (4) the records of the annual and mid-probationary reviews, (5) the annual Faculty Activity Summaries, and (6) the material submitted by the candidate to the Dean of the College for the open file. All solicited letters received shall be placed in the candidate's closed file by the third Thursday of fall term, and the Division Chair's letter shall be placed in the candidate's closed file by the Tuesday after fall break.
The Committee on Tenure and Reappointment shall evaluate him or her in relation to the performance standards of effective teaching, scholarly and professional activity and achievement, and service to the College and community. In order to secure helpful information bearing on the candidate's performance, the committee may meet with the President of the College, the Dean of the College, or appropriate members of the College community, but it shall meet alone to carry out its deliberative responsibilities. In its review, the committee shall not consider factors relating to institutional need. Such judgments shall be the responsibility of the Dean, the President, and the Board of Trustees. By the Thursday after the end of fall term final exams, the chair of the committee shall send to the Dean a letter from the committee recommending for or against tenure (and promotion to associate professor, when applicable) and stating reasons for that decision. The Dean of the College shall review the letter of recommendation from the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment, then forward that letter along with his/her own letter of recommendation to the President by the Tuesday of the first full week of CentreTerm. In addition, the Dean shall inform the chair of the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment by the Tuesday of the first full week of CentreTerm if the Dean’s recommendation differs from that of the Committee. The President, upon reviewing the letters of recommendation from the Dean and the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment and upon consulting, as needed, with the Dean, appropriate Division Chair, and other appropriate members of the College community, normally shall make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees at its January meeting. Either the President or the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment may request a meeting with the other to discuss the committee's recommendation and the reasons for it.
Following action by the Board of Trustees, the President shall inform the candidate in writing of the Board's decision regarding tenure (and promotion, when applicable). The President shall inform the Committee on Tenure and Reappointment in writing of his or her recommendation and of the Board's decision.