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DOCUMENT INFORMATION |
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| Document Title | Handbook for Appointment, Reappointment, and Promotion (HARP) | ||||||||||||
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| Document Type |
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| Office/Unit | Academic Affairs | ||||||||||||
| Document Owner | HR/UUP (jointly owned) | ||||||||||||
| Contact Information |
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| Approval Date | |||||||||||||
| Approved by | Provost & UUP | ||||||||||||
| Effective Date | August 18, 2017 | ||||||||||||
| Review Date/Schedule | XXXX/Every two years | ||||||||||||
| Revision History | See I.B (Development of this Handbook) |
DOCUMENT CONTENT |
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ContentsI. About This Handbook AppendixAppendix A: DPC Ballot I. About This HandbookI.A. Definitions of Terms as Used in This DocumentAcademic employee: An employee in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit with academic or qualified academic rank. Academic Personnel Committee (APC): Nine faculty who hold continuing appointment, jointly appointed by the Provost and the UUP Chapter President. Academic rank: Rank held by faculty having the titles of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor, Assistant Instructor, Librarian, Associate Librarian, Senior Assistant Librarian, and Assistant Librarian. Adjunct faculty: Those faculty members in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit at Fredonia who are not on the tenure track. Agreement: The collective bargaining Agreement between the State of New York and UUP. Chancellor: The Chancellor of the State University of New York. Chancellor’s Advisory Committee (CAC): A three-person committee who reviews decisions by the college President to not grant permanent or continuing appointment, and issues a recommendation to the Chancellor. The employee designates one committee member, Fredonia’s President designates another, and the two designees chose a third from a list jointly created by the campus and UUP chapter presidents. Chief Administrative Officer: The President of the State University of New York College at Fredonia. College Committee on Professional Evaluation (CCPE): Three Fredonia professional employees elected at large by the local UUP chapter and two professional employees appointed by Fredonia’s President who review a Performance Evaluation issued to a professional employee that contains a final/summative evaluation characterized as “Unsatisfactory.” College Review Panel (CRP): A committee of no fewer than five and no more than seven Fredonia professional employees elected at large by the local UUP chapter to review a professional employee’s promotion or in-grade salary increase that is denied at a level below Fredonia’s President. From among this group, a committee chair shall be selected. Contingent Faculty - Part-time and full-time non-tenure track faculty. Continuing appointment (tenure): An appointment to a position of academic rank which shall continue until resignation, retirement, or termination. COS: Change of Status is an electronic workflow system used at Fredonia to document employee appointments, reappointments, separations, and changes of status. Dean: An academic administrative title which, for the purposes of this document, includes the Library Director. Department: The local academic unit, which includes the School of Music as an academic unit. The School of Business is comparable to a college in its structure, with two departments reporting to a Dean. For the purposes of this document, the Library is a department. Department Chair: An academic title for the unit head of an academic department, including the Director of the School of Music and the Chair of the Library Faculty Committee. Departmental Personnel Committee (DPC): The departmental body that reviews applications and makes recommendations for reappointment, continuing appointment, and promotion. This includes the Library Personnel Committee (LPC). Distinguished Faculty: An academic title that shall herewith be inclusive of Distinguished Teaching Professor, Distinguished Service Professor, Distinguished Professor, and Distinguished Librarian. Distinguished Faculty Promotion Committee (DFPC): The local selection committee that solicits nominations, conducts an evaluation of proposed candidates to Distinguish ranks, prepares the final nomination portfolio, and forwards recommendation(s) to the President. Faculty: An employee with academic or qualified academic rank, including library faculty. File of evaluative material: For academic faculty this file shall include the dossier, reappointment statement, signed ballots, all recommendation letters, responses, and appeal letters. For professionals this file shall include performance programs, evaluations, responses, and recommendations. Handbook: This Handbook on Appointment, Reappointment and Promotion (HARP). Local title: An employee’s Fredonia title. Management Advisory Committee on Classification and Compensation (MACCC) Guide: The guide to UUP bargaining unit titles and position descriptions. Permanent appointment: An appointment of a professional employee in a professional title which is eligible for a permanent appointment, which shall continue until a change in such title, resignation, retirement, or termination. Policies: The SUNY Policies of the Board of Trustees. President: The President of the State University of New York College at Fredonia (Fredonia). Professional budget title: The official State title of a position in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit, other than a position of academic or qualified academic rank. Professional employee: A professional employed in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit, other than an employee with academic or qualified academic rank. Professional Services Negotiating Unit (PSNU): The bargaining unit for all UUP-represented positions. Qualified academic rank: Rank held by faculty having titles of lecturer, or titles of academic rank preceded by the designation “visiting” or other similar designations. Qualified professional rank: Rank held by professional employees having a title preceded by the designation “special.” Temporary appointment: An appointment to a position in the PSNU for a specified period of time that may be terminated at any time. Term appointment: Except as provided in Article XI Title D, Section 6 of the Policies, a term appointment is an appointment for a specified period of not more than three years, unless terminated earlier because of resignation, retirement, or termination. A term appointment may be given to any person appointed to or serving in a position designated as being in the PSNU. University: The State University of New York. University Review Board (URB): A three-person board of Management Confidential employees assigned by SUNY who review denials by Fredonia’s President of professional employees’ requests for promotions and issue a recommendation to the Chancellor. United University Professions (UUP): United University Professions is the state-wide union representing all faculty and professional employees. I.B. Development of This HandbookThis Handbook outlines the rationales, definitions, procedures, and processes for personnel reviews of term (tenure-track) and contingent faculty[1] and professional employees in the PSNU[2] at Fredonia. In compliance with the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (2009)[3] and the Agreement between the State of New York and UUP (July 2, 2007 – July 1, 2011), this Handbook defines and clarifies institutional standards and expectations at Fredonia. They are based in part on the work of the Task Force on Personnel Policies,[4] which was appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in Spring 2007 as partial fulfillment of the Memorandum of Understanding between Fredonia and the State University of New York. This Task Force met throughout the 2007-08 academic year and submitted in May 2008 a report of findings and recommendations for tenure-track faculty and professional employees in the PSNU. The recommendations of the 2002 Task Force on the Evaluation of Teaching[5] were also adapted and included in this Handbook, which replace previous versions of personnel policies in the Campus Handbook and on the Human Resources website. The Academic Affairs Vice President’s Council[6] provided a draft of personnel policies in academic year 2008-09, building on these earlier documents. In 2009-10, three subcommittees of the Faculty and Professional Affairs Committee (FPAC) were charged with developing recommendations for personnel policies to FPAC[7], which then provided an initial draft to the University Senate. Several forums and discussions were held with VP Council, University Senate, the Chairs of the Colleges of Arts and Humanities and Natural and Social Sciences, and tenured and tenure-track faculty while the subcommittees and FPAC created their recommendations. A subsequent draft was discussed in the University Senate on February 8, 2010, and March 1, 2010, and approved on March 1, 2010. Subsequent to the Senate approval of the personnel policies draft, the UUP chapter leadership sought and obtained approval to negotiate this Handbook from Phillip Smith, the state-wide President of UUP.[8] This Handbook is the result of those negotiations and shall remain in full force and effect unless modified by written, mutual agreement of UUP and Fredonia administration. This Handbook shall be reviewed every two years commencing 5/1 with the expectation that negotiations be completed by 9/1 of that same year for the purpose of changing language, clarifying procedures, updating forms or other such modifications that UUP and Fredonia Administration deem appropriate.[9] The review process shall follow the same process of negotiations that was followed for the creation of HARP, and can be commenced by either party. UUP Statewide President, Fred Kowal, has authorized the local UUP chapter to negotiate revisions to this document on or about May 1, 2017.[10] The procedures for professionals, which mirror those in the Agreement, are effective August 20, 2012. All faculty hired for the 2013-14 academic year and thereafter, along with tenured faculty seeking promotion to full professor in the 2013-14 academic year, shall follow the guidelines and timelines outlined in this Handbook. Faculty already on the tenure-track prior to 9/1/2013 are grandfathered and shall indicate in writing in their dossiers whether they want to be evaluated using the pre-HARP guidelines and timelines or those outlined in this Handbook. In such cases, faculty shall notify their Chair by August 20. I.C. Rationales and Principles for This HandbookThis Handbook was developed with these rationales in mind:
This Handbook outlines the way Fredonia rewards and retains its valued teacher-scholars and professionals, sustains excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, and ensures the intellectual vitality of Fredonia. This Handbook provides clear, equitable, and transparent processes so that individuals, departments, units, library, and colleges are aware of expectations and standards for reappointment, continuing/permanent appointment, and promotion. This Handbook is intended to ensure these principles:
I.D. The Goals of Personnel ReviewFredonia engages in careful, rigorous, and fair processes of personnel review so that term-appointed faculty and professional employees have clear ideas of their roles and responsibilities; several opportunities to demonstrate the ways their contributions benefit their department, unit, library, and the campus; and several opportunities for feedback at multiple levels. Effective personnel review also ensures that term-appointed faculty who are granted continuing appointment (the SUNY term for tenure) and term-appointed professionals who are granted permanent appointment meet the standards of their departments/units and show promise of continued effective contributions to the educational, scholarly/creative, community engagement, and operational missions of Fredonia. The continuing strength of academic programs and institutional effectiveness depends in large part on careful review of those entrusted with implementing the mission of Fredonia. I.E. Conflict of InterestTo ensure that the policies set forth in this Handbook are applied fairly to all candidates under review, and also to avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest, candidates shall not be reviewed by anyone who has any of the following relationships with the candidate. The potential reviewer shall not be
In such cases, the potential reviewer shall self-identify a conflict of interest and is then excluded from the review process. I.F. Academic FreedomIt is the policy of the university to maintain and encourage full freedom, within the law, of inquiry, teaching and research. In the exercise of this freedom faculty members may, without limitation, discuss their own subject in the classroom; they may not, however, claim as their right the privilege of discussing in their classroom controversial matter which has no relation to their subject. The principle of academic freedom shall be accompanied by a corresponding principle of responsibility. In their role as citizens, employees’ have the same freedoms as other citizens. However, in their extramural utterances employees have an obligation to indicate that they are not institutional spokespersons (see Agreement, Article 9). I.G. Prevailing PoliciesIn the event of any inconsistency or conflict between provisions of this Handbook or departmental policies and the UUP-State of NY collective bargaining Agreement, and/or the Policies of the Board of Trustees, the provisions of the collective bargaining Agreement and/or Policies shall apply and take precedence. II. Application Process and Pre-Employment ScreeningFredonia uses an applicant tracking system for all applicants to facilitate review by the department and administrative offices, and to capture information and maintain accurate records and of applicants and hires. Fredonia prides itself on an outstanding workforce and protects its students and the university community by contracting with a professional service to conduct pre-employment screenings on all potential employees. The applicant tracking system informs candidates about this practice and seeks their consent before any screening is initiated. All faculty and staff shall be cleared through this screening before being offered an appointment at Fredonia. III. Appointment, Reappointment, Review and Promotion of Tenure-Track Faculty[11]III.A. Career Timelines for Faculty ReviewsIII.A.1. Regular Timeline for Reappointments Leading to Continuing AppointmentConsistent with the Policies, reappointment reviews for a term-appointed Assistant Professor or Senior Assistant Librarian occur according to this timeline:
In the third year of service, departments may recommend reappointing candidates to a one-year term, instead of two years, as a means of providing further guidance to the candidate. In that case, during the candidate’s fourth year of service, s/he shall be reviewed for the 6th-year reappointment. In addition to these formal reviews, candidates are encouraged to seek regular input from their departmental colleagues. If a term-appointed faculty member is initially appointed by Fredonia as Associate Professor, Professor, Associate Librarian, or Librarian, this timeline for reviews is in effect:
III.A.2. Timeline Based on Prior Service CreditAccording to the Policies, term-appointed faculty may request up to three years of credit toward review for continuing appointment, based on satisfactory full-time prior service in academic rank at another accredited institution of higher education (see Policies XI.B.3.d). Prior service credit should be negotiated at time of hire however, within one month of the initial appointment, eligible term faculty may request Prior Service Credit by submitting a completed form[12] to the office of Human Resources. Once eligibility is confirmed, the Director of Human Resources forwards the verified document to the appropriate Dean, who recommends to the Provost the number of years (0-3) of Prior Service Credit. The Provost notifies the faculty member of the approved number of years credit and sends a copy of the adjusted timeline for review to the Chair, Dean, President, and Director of Human Resources. As an example, with two years of Prior Service Credit, the regular timeline shall be adjusted to reflect continuing appointment review in two fewer years:
III.A.3. Regular Timeline for Promotion to Associate Professor/Associate LibrarianAt Fredonia, reviews for continuing appointment and promotion to Associate Professor or Associate Librarian shall occur at the same time, in the 6th year of appointment. Although continuing appointment is granted beginning with the 8th year of service, promotion to the rank of Associate Professor or Associate Librarian is in effect at the beginning of the 7th year. In rare circumstances, continuing appointment may be granted without promotion. III.A.4. Regular Timeline for Promotion to Professor/LibrarianAt Fredonia, review for promotion to Professor or Librarian may occur after five or more years in rank as Associate Professor or Associate Librarian. If granted, promotion will take effect September 1 of the following year. III.A.5. Timeline for Promotion to Distinguished RankAccording to SUNY Policies & Procedures for Distinguished Faculty Rank, “candidates must have held the rank of full professor for five years, must have at least three years of full-time service at the nominating institution, and must have completed at least ten years of full-time service in the State University of New York.” III.A.6. Timeline for Alternative Department Process for Reappointment or PromotionWhen the department Chair is a candidate or has a conflict of interest, the timeline is modified to include a step of defining an alternative process and having approval from the Dean. If there are any other reasons for an alternative process, this modified timeline is in effect. III.A.7. Early Review for Continuing Appointment or Promotion in RankOnly in exceptional cases shall early continuing appointment or early promotion be granted. The expectations for early continuing appointment and promotion can be found in section IV.B. Expectations for Successful Review) of this Handbook. In such cases, the review shall normally occur no more than one full year early, and shall be in accordance with Article XI of the Policies of the Board of Trustees. III.B. Modified Reappointment or Tenure Timeline & Adjustments to Professional ObligationFredonia recognizes the need for all term-appointed faculty members to balance the commitments of family and work. Special circumstances can cause substantial alterations to one’s daily routine, thus creating a possible need to pause the tenure clock, fulfill an alternative work assignment, and/or create a flexible schedule for a period of time. Term-appointed faculty members have several options when such circumstances arise. New York State law, the Policies, the Agreement, and the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) all provide options for faculty members to pursue paid leave (e.g., through accruals, President-approved sick leave, or Title F leaves), unpaid leave, and/or an adjustment of the professional obligation to gain flexibility. III.B.1. Pausing the Tenure ClockIII.B.1.a. Policy. Term-appointed faculty members may request that the tenure clock be paused for a period of time when any of the circumstances listed below would seriously impair the faculty member’s capacity to build the record of accomplishment s/he judges appropriate for professional satisfaction and continuing appointment review. A faculty member may request to pause the tenure clock either in conjunction with or separate from a request for an adjustment of the professional obligation, or leave granted pursuant to other provisions of the Policies. The decision by Fredonia to grant a pause of the tenure clock shall be separate from any decision regarding proposed adjustments to the professional obligation or approval of leave. This Handbook recognizes that a variety of circumstances and conditions can occur that would make it beneficial to the faculty member and Fredonia to pause the tenure clock in academic-year increments. This list of circumstances is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive:
Candidates who are granted such requests are not expected to produce more work commensurate to the additional time that will accrue in their total time in appointment as a tenure-track faculty member. Candidates for continuing appointment shall be evaluated on equal terms with candidates who did not pause the tenure clock. The Departmental Personnel Committee [see III.E.2. Departmental Personnel Committee (DPC)] does not review requests to pause the tenure clock. These requests are reviewed by the Chair, Dean, Provost, Director of Human Resources, and President. Candidates who have received a notice of non-renewal from the President may not then petition for a pause in the tenure clock. III.B.1.b. Application and Review Procedure. All requests for an extension of a faculty member’s pre-tenure period shall be submitted on the Request to Pause the Tenure Clock form[13] (see Appendix G: Request to Pause the Tenure Clock) and forwarded through the appropriate chain of review as outlined below. For department faculty, the Request to Pause the Tenure Clock application shall be reviewed and recommended by the faculty member’s Chair, Dean, the Provost, and the Director of Human Resources. The final approval is granted by the President. For library faculty, the Request to Pause the Tenure Clock application shall be reviewed and recommended by the Library Director, the Provost, and the Director of Human Resources. The final approval is granted by the President. If the faculty member’s request for a pause of the tenure clock is denied at any point in the process prior to reaching the President, the reasons for denial shall be included as an attachment to the application form. If the request is denied, the applicant may write a letter of appeal to the President within five working days from the receipt of the denied application form and attached reason for denial. The President makes the final decision and notifies the candidate within ten working days of receiving the appeal letter from the candidate. If the request to pause the tenure clock is approved, the faculty member shall not be reviewed until the tenure clock is restarted. During the time that the tenure clock is paused, the faculty member is appointed as Visiting Assistant/Associate Professor or Visiting Senior Assistant/Associate Librarian. After the requested pause is over, the faculty member resumes the title held previous to pausing the tenure clock. All time accrued toward continuing appointment prior to the pause remains in effect. A pause of the tenure clock shall not be held against candidates when they resume the reappointment process. III.B.1.c. Methods for Pausing the Tenure Clock. Current practice under the Policies allows two mechanisms for pausing the tenure clock: moving the individual from academic rank to qualified academic rank, or decreasing the individual’s status to part-time (e.g. 99%). In either case, the Provost shall confirm in writing to the applicant that s/he shall be moved back to academic rank or full-time status after the period of time during which the tenure clock is paused. III.B.2. Temporary Adjustments to Professional ObligationIn accordance with Appendix A-42 of the Agreement, Faculty who seek flexibility in balancing their work schedule while on the tenure track may apply for an adjustment to their professional obligation. Academic faculty requests for adjustments shall be submitted to the Chair who then recommends to the Dean an appropriate course of action. The Dean then recommends to the Provost. Library faculty shall submit requests for adjustments to the Library Director, who then recommends to the Provost. The Provost sends a copy of the decision to the candidate, Chair, Dean or Library Director, Human Resources Director, and President. An adjustment to the professional obligation does not affect the timeline for reappointment or continuing appointment. Such adjustments include a full-time work equivalent and thus do not involve a reduction in pay. III.C. Annual Timelines for Faculty Reviews for Reappointment, Continuing Appointment, and PromotionEach July, the Provost publishes the Academic Affairs Calendar for the upcoming year. The calendar includes the following timelines for review of term faculty. The Calendar also includes the timelines for term faculty who were appointed on the tenure-track before this Handbook was in effect and who request in writing to be reviewed according to the previous timeline. III.C.1. Timeline for Reappointment Review in the First Year of ServiceDecember 1: Candidate submits the Reappointment Statement and current curriculum vitae (described in II.D.1.a) to the department Chair or the Chair of the Library Faculty for review by the DPC or LPC. December 15: DPC submits recommendation, signed ballots, and reappointment statement to the department Chair and candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Chair. January 15: Chair submits recommendation, signed ballots, and reappointment statement to the Dean with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Dean. February 1: Dean submits recommendation, signed ballots, and reappointment statement to the Provost with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Provost. February 15: Provost submits recommendation, signed ballots, and reappointment statement to the President with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the President. March 15: President notifies candidate of reappointment decision with a copy to the Provost/Vice President, Dean, Director, Chair, and Human Resources. III.C.2. Timeline for Reappointment Review Process after the First Year of ServiceAugust 20: Faculty on the tenure-track prior to 9/1/2013 shall notify Chair in writing of their intent to use pre-HARP or HARP guidelines and timelines. September 1: Chair submits to Dean or Library Director any proposed alternative structure of the DPC. September 15: Dean or Library Director, after consultation with the Provost, approves or amends the proposed alternative and sends a letter to the candidate, Chair, and Provost. October 1: Candidate submits dossier to the department Chair or the Chair of the Library Faculty for review by the DPC or LPC. November 1: DPC submits recommendation, signed ballots, and dossier to the department Chair and candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Chair. November 15: Chair submits recommendation, signed ballots, and dossier to the Dean with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Dean. December 15: Dean submits recommendation, signed ballots, and dossier to the Provost with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Provost. February 15: Provost submits recommendation, signed ballots, and dossier to President with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the President. March 15: President notifies candidate of reappointment decision with a copy to the Provost/Vice President, Dean, Director, Chair, and Human Resources. III.C.3. Timeline for Continuing Appointment and Promotion Review ProcessesAugust 20: Faculty on the tenure-track prior to 9/1/2013 shall notify Chair in writing of their intent to use pre-HARP or HARP guidelines and timelines for continuing appointment or promotion to Associate Professor. September 1: Chair submits to Dean or Library Director any proposed alternative structure of the DPC. September 15: Dean or Library Director, after consultation with the Provost, approves or amends the proposed alternative and sends a letter to the candidate, Chair, and Provost. October 1: Candidate submits dossier to the department Chair or the Chair of the Library Faculty for review by the DPC or LPC. November 1: DPC submits recommendation, signed ballots and dossier to the department Chair and candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Chair. November 15: Chair submits recommendation, signed ballots, and dossier to the Dean with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Dean. December 15: Dean submits recommendation, signed ballots, and dossier to the Provost and candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Provost. December 20: The recommendations, signed ballots, and dossier are available for review by the APC. February 15: Chair of the APC submits recommendations, signed ballots, and dossier to the Provost with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the Provost. April 15: Provost submits recommendation, signed ballots, and dossier to the President with a copy of the recommendation to the candidate. The candidate has five working days to appeal to the President. May 15: President notifies the candidate of continuing appointment and promotion decisions with a copy Provost/Vice President, Dean, Director, Chair, and Human Resources, and submits recommendations on continuing appointment to the Chancellor of the State University of New York. Fall: Chancellor notifies the candidate of continuing appointment decision. III.D. Process and Documentation for Review (including faculty with or anticipating Prior Service Credit)III.D.1. Reappointment Statement for First-year ReviewBy December 1, the first-year faculty member shall submit a 2-3 page Reappointment Statement and an updated curriculum vitae to the department. The Reappointment Statement shall address the following questions:
Whereas candidates in their first year may share, at their discretion, any such materials they are collecting for the review that begins in October of their second year, the only materials the department shall require the candidate to submit during the first-year review are the updated curriculum vitae and the Reappointment Statement. III.D.2. Using the Reappointment Statement for PlanningThroughout the first academic year the candidate should look for opportunities to refine the plan set out in the Reappointment Statement. The candidate should meet with the department Chair and her/his mentor to discuss a professional development plan, seek peer review of courses, and seek professional development opportunities on campus and in the discipline. III.D.3. Preparing the Dossier (see Appendix D) in Subsequent ReviewsAt the beginning of the following fall semester the faculty member begins to follow the appropriate timeline outlined in section III.C.2. Timeline for Reappointment Review Process after the First Year of Service, submitting a full dossier to the department, including copies of recommendation letters from the most recent review. Because this dossier provides an overview of accomplishments in the prior year, throughout the academic year the faculty member should collect and reflect upon materials that show what is being done in teaching, scholarship/creative activity, service, and professional development. III.E. Review by the Department[14]III.E.1. Department HandbookEach department shall have a handbook that outlines the procedures at the department level for reappointment, continuing appointment, and promotion. To ensure consistency with this Handbook, department handbooks, as they relate to items addressed in this Handbook, are approved by the Provost in consultation with the appropriate Dean every three years. The section in a department handbook that deals with the department review clarifies and refines the procedures set out in this Handbook (e.g., how many times the DPC meets, how the work of members of the DPC is divided, and so on). All department handbooks shall conform to the terms of the Agreement, the Policies, and this Handbook negotiated between the local chapter of UUP and Fredonia. In the event of any inconsistency or conflict between provisions of a departmental handbook and this Handbook, the provisions of this Handbook shall apply and take precedence. III.E.2. Departmental Personnel Committee (DPC)III.E.2.a. Role of the DPC. The role of the DPC is to review candidates from a broad disciplinary perspective, to vote on candidates, and to make their recommendations to the department Chair. III.E.2.b. Composition of the DPC. The committee is comprised of all UUP-represented members of the department who hold continuing appointment, excluding the department Chair and those UUP-represented members serving in an administrative assignment of more than 50% of their professional obligation. For promotions, DPC members shall be at or above the rank under consideration for candidates. Any department member who is on sabbatical or is unable to attend may participate in this process and vote, as long as that person reviews the candidate’s dossier and is at or above the rank under consideration. Absence from the DPC deliberation shall be recorded on the ballot. If there are not at least three people in the department available at this rank, the department Chair, in consultation with the members of the DPC, shall select an appropriate alternate from another department. The selection of the alternate(s) is submitted to the Dean or Library Director for approval by September 1 as indicated in the timelines for reviews (see section III.A. Career Timelines for Faculty Reviews). III.E.2.c. Chair of the DPC. For purposes of calling meetings, collecting ballots, and summarizing DPC activities and recommendations, the participating committee members select one of its members as Chair based on the promotion title under consideration. III.E.2.d. DPC Review of Materials. Each member of the committee shall review all materials, including copies of the most recent reappointment recommendation letters from the DPC, Chair, Dean, Provost, and President, all of which are to be submitted by the candidate under review.. The committee shall not interview the candidate. III.E.2.e. DPC Ballots. After deliberation, each DPC member shall complete and sign a written ballot for each personnel action under consideration: reappointment, continuing appointment, and promotion. The ballot has these options: Strongly Recommend; Recommend; Recommend with Reservations; Do Not Recommend. Each ballot includes commentary on the decision. All signed ballots become part of the record that is available to the candidate and subsequent reviewers. III.E.2.f. DPC Recommendations. The Chair of the DPC shall forward the signed ballots to the department Chair, with a cover letter that summarizes the discussions and recommendations of the DPC. The DPC Chair shall provide a copy of the cover letter to the DPC members, and copies of the cover letter and all signed ballots to the candidate. Candidates who wish to comment on the ballots or summary of the DPC submit comments in writing to the department Chair within five working days of receiving the signed ballots from the DPC. III.E.3. Review by Department Chair[15]III.E.3.a. Review Process. The department Chair, regardless of rank, reviews the candidate’s dossier, the DPC ballots, the summary letter from the DPC Chair, and any written appeal from the candidate. The Chair shall then write a recommendation, addressed to the Dean, with the following components: statement on the vote of the committee and a summary of the committee’s process and comments; the Chair’s own review of the candidate’s case for promotion and/or continuing appointment; and a recommendation for or against the personnel action. The department Chair shall also forward all dossier materials, as well as the signed ballots and summary letter from the DPC, to the Dean. The Chair’s letter is copied to the candidate and the Director of Human Resources. The Chair shall forward the dossier to the Dean, along with the department Chair’s recommendation, and the signed ballots and summary from the DPC. III.E.3.b. Appeal of Department Recommendation. If the candidate wishes to appeal the recommendation of the department Chair or to comment on the Chair’s letter, s/he shall submit a letter of appeal to the Dean. This letter shall be submitted within five working days of receiving the Chair’s letter and become part of the dossier that moves forward. III.E.3.c. Exception When the Department Chair is a Candidate. All of the procedures in section III. Review of Term-Appointed (Tenure-Track) Faculty of this Handbook are followed if a department Chair or LPC Chair is a candidate for continuing appointment or promotion, with the following differences. A full professor/librarian within the department shall assume all duties normally assigned to the department Chair. This person shall be selected by the DPC and the Dean or library director. If there is no one in rank in the department to assume this role, the DPC and the Dean shall select a professor from outside the department. The person designated as “department Chair” for this purpose is not a part of the DPC. III.F. Academic Personnel Committee (APC)Because decisions to promote and to confer continuing appointment upon academic employees represent a commitment beyond the individual department, evaluation of faculty for continuing appointment and promotion shall include a review by and recommendation from the Academic Personnel Committee (APC). As permitted in Article XI Title A of the Policies and Appendix A-4 of the Agreement, the APC shall review and make recommendations regarding applications of academic employees for continuing appointment and promotion. The role of the APC is to ensure another level of faculty input in the review process, to provide a campus-wide perspective on candidates being reviewed for continuing appointment and promotion, and to ensure that stated department criteria were applied to the evaluation of the candidate’s record. III.F.1. Composition of the Academic Personnel Committee (APC)II.F.1.a. Representation. The APC consists of nine faculty who hold continuing appointment, jointly appointed by the Provost and the UUP Chapter President. In the event that the UUP Chapter President is the candidate or has another conflict of interest, the UUP Vice President for Academics shall appoint a replacement to preside over the applicable case(s).There shall be one member of the APC appointed for a staggered, two-year term from each of the following areas:
III.F.1.b. Rank of APC Members. All members of the APC shall have attained continuing appointment and hold academic rank with the title of Associate Professor, Associate Librarian, Professor, Librarian, Distinguished Professor, or Distinguished Librarian. At least three members of the APC shall have the rank of Professor, Distinguished Professor, or Librarian. Only those APC members at the rank of Professor, Librarian, Distinguished Professor, or Distinguished Librarian participate in the reviews for promotion to Professor or Librarian. If there are not at least three people available at these ranks, the APC Chair shall request of the Provost and the UUP Chapter President, the appointment of an agreed upon alternate. III.F.1.c. Vacancies. Any vacancies on the APC shall be filled by an appointee jointly determined by the Provost and the UUP Chapter President. III.F.2. APC ChairAt the first meeting, APC members shall elect an APC Chair from among their members. The APC Chair shall serve in that role for a period of two years. The Chair convenes the APC as necessary to fulfill its responsibilities. III.F.3. BallotsEach member of the APC, including those who voted on a DPC, shall, after the APC discussion of candidates, complete and submit a signed ballot form (see Appendix B: APC Ballot) for each candidate. The ballot has these options: Strongly Recommend, Recommend, Recommend with Reservations and Do Not Recommend. APC members shall check one of the recommendations on the ballot; there shall be no abstentions except in the case of a conflict of interest (see I.E. Conflict of Interest). Following the APC discussion and submission of signed ballots, the Chair of the APC shall transmit the ballots of the APC with a cover letter that summarizes the discussions and recommendations of the APC to the Provost and the candidate, in accord with the timetable in section III.C.3. Timeline for Continuing Appointment and Promotion Review Processes. The candidate has five working days to submit a written appeal to the Provost. IV. Criteria for Evaluating Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty at FredoniaIV.A. Context for Evaluating Faculty at FredoniaThe criteria for faculty review at Fredonia are based on the broad criteria in the Policies, as well as the specific institutional interpretations, commitments, and priorities defined in the sections below. Because each faculty member has an important role in fulfilling Fredonia’s mission, faculty reviews should be guided in part by Fredonia’s identity as a comprehensive, regional institution that educates, challenges, and inspires students to become skilled, connected, creative, and responsible global citizens and professionals, and is aligned with the following values stated or implicit in the mission statement, baccalaureate and graduate goals:
Faculty are evaluated primarily in the areas of teaching, scholarship/creative activity, and service, with an understanding that continued mastery of subject matter and continuing growth occur in each of these areas. All areas shall be considered in all faculty personnel reviews. IV.A.1. Teaching and LearningFredonia has a long history of valuing strong teaching, and all faculty are expected to be regularly engaged in practices that encourage and support student learning. These practices include not only effective classroom delivery but work with students inside and outside the classroom, innovative use of virtual learning environments, and academic advising. Strong teaching also involves scholarly inquiry about one’s own practices, knowledge of pedagogies in one’s discipline, understanding of student learning, attention to course design, and assessment of student learning outcomes within and beyond the major. Aspects of teaching and learning may include a wide variety of activities, such as these examples:
Appendix D: Suggestions for Preparing a Dossier for Reappointment, Continuing Appointment, or Promotion provides further information about how such work can be documented. IV.A.2. Scholarship and Creative ActivityFredonia defines scholarship based upon the Policies, the standards of the specific academic disciplines, the mission and values of Fredonia, and the role of specific departments/schools and the Library. Each discipline shares a framework of inquiry that is understood and practiced by scholars and artists in that field, and Fredonia expects faculty members to be engaged with the broader work of their disciplines. Lee Shulman, former President of the Carnegie Foundation, defined scholarship as having these characteristics: It should be public, susceptible to critical review and evaluation, and accessible for exchange and use by other members of one's scholarly community. We thus observe, with respect to all forms of scholarship, that they are acts of mind or spirit that have been made public in some manner, have been subjected to peer review by members of one's intellectual or professional community, and can be cited, refuted, built upon, and shared among members of that community. Scholarship properly communicated and critiqued serves as the building blocks for knowledge growth in a field.[16] Scholarship, then, is evident in publications, presentations, exhibits, grants, and performances, but may also include a variety of actions and products that may become such “building blocks” of knowledge. In Scholarship Assessed (1997), Charles Glassick, Mary Huber, and Gene Maeroff argued that six qualitative standards are used to evaluate many types of scholarship, including scholarship of teaching and learning and scholarship of engagement:
This approach to evaluating scholarship—broadly defined—is valuable in understanding Fredonia’s view of scholarly and creative work in faculty reappointment, continuing appointment, and promotion processes. Regardless of the type of scholarship, these standards encourage faculty and committees to assess the quality of each contribution. As a regional, public liberal arts institution, Fredonia values a wide variety of scholarly and creative activities, undertaken alone or with student or peer collaborators[17]:
Department handbooks shall clarify the way each of these kinds of activities might be weighted and what evidence or scholarly/creative products are expected. Each department might have faculty working in several of these areas, although individuals are not likely to focus across all of these kinds of scholarship. The review process encourages faculty members to work with their departments in developing their research agendas in a variety of ways. Furthermore, individual faculty should be able to vary the form their scholarly and creative activity takes over the course of their careers, as long as their agendas are appropriate to the discipline to which the faculty member belongs and the mission of the academic department within Fredonia. These are some typical examples of the kinds of scholarly/creative products that Fredonia values, representing any of the categories of scholarship noted above:
Appendix D: Suggestions for Preparing a Dossier for Reappointment, Continuing Appointment, or Promotion provides further information about how such work can be documented. IV.A.3. ServiceService—defined as those professional activities that aid the department, college/school/library, university, profession, or community—is an important part of faculty work at Fredonia. Beyond their individual roles in teaching and learning and scholarship/creative activity, faculty share responsibility for the academic mission of Fredonia and therefore play significant roles in curriculum development, recruitment of students and faculty, personnel reviews, accreditation, academic initiatives, governance, and community engagement. Department, college/library, and university service may include many kinds of activities, such as these examples:
Faculty also share their expertise with professional and community organizations. In some instances, collaboration with community partners may represent engaged scholarship; in other cases, volunteering one’s time and expertise is valued service. Department handbooks may offer clear examples specific to the discipline. The following list—by no means comprehensive—includes professional and community service which may be evaluated as part of tenure-track faculty work:
All tenure-track faculty are expected to contribute to the service workload of the department, college/library, and campus. No amount of professional or public service shall excuse a faculty member from taking on the tasks that are essential to the academic enterprise. IV.B. Expectations for Successful ReviewTeaching, research, and service are integrated faculty obligations. They all serve to enrich the educational experience of students and to strengthen the standing of Fredonia. The value of these activities is determined according to how well they contribute to the central mission of Fredonia, which is to help students succeed. Department handbooks shall offer discipline-specific criteria for teaching, scholarship/creative activity, and service. IV.B.1. Expectations for ReappointmentThese are the expectations for successful review for reappointment of term faculty:
These are the expectations for successful review for reappointment of library faculty:
IV.B.2. Expectations for Continuing Appointment and Promotion to Associate ProfessorContinuing appointment and promotion are separate personnel recommendations but are normally decided simultaneously. These are the expectations for successful review for continuing appointment and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor:
IV.B.3. Expectations for Continuing Appointment and Promotion to Associate LibrarianContinuing appointment and promotion are separate personnel recommendations but are normally decided simultaneously. These are the expectations for successful review for continuing appointment and promotion to the rank of Associate Librarian:
IV.B.4. Expectations for Early Continuing Appointment and/or Promotion to Associate ProfessorContinuing appointment and promotion to Associate Professor are granted based on sustained accomplishments across years of review; these distinctions are not awarded as soon as one demonstrates a minimal threshold of achievement. Candidates are normally considered for promotion to Associate Professor and continuing appointment in their 6th year of appointment. Candidates may apply for early promotion and/or continuing appointment only if they have achieved an extraordinary record of accomplishment in all three professional areas: teaching, research/creative activity, and service. Candidates may apply for early continuing appointment and/or early promotion to Associate Professor only once. If denied early continuing appointment and/or promotion, the candidate may apply for continuing appointment and promotion under the regular reappointment schedule. IV.B.5. Expectations for Early Continuing Appointment and/or Promotion to Associate LibrarianMost library faculty are reviewed for continuing appointment and promotion to Associate Librarian in the sixth year of appointment. Continuing appointment is granted based on sustained accomplishments across the years of review; it is not awarded as soon as one demonstrates a minimal threshold of achievement. Candidates may apply for early promotion and/or continuing appointment only if they have achieved an extraordinary record of accomplishment in all three professional areas: librarianship, research/creative activity, and service. Candidates may apply for early continuing appointment and early promotion to Associate Librarian only once. If denied early continuing appointment and/or promotion, the candidate may apply for continuing appointment and promotion under the regular reappointment schedule. IV.B.6. Expectations for Promotion to ProfessorThese are the expectations for successful review for promotion to the rank of Professor:
IV.B.7. Expectations for Promotion to LibrarianThese are the expectations for successful review for promotion to the rank of Librarian:
IV.B.8. Expectations for Early Appointment to Professor and/or LibrarianPromotion to Professor and/or Librarian is granted based on sustained accomplishments across years of review; this distinction is not awarded as soon as one demonstrates a minimal threshold of achievement. A candidate may apply for promotion to Professor and/or Librarian before s/he has completed at least five years in rank as Associate Professor or Associate Librarian only if the candidate has achieved an extraordinary record of accomplishment in all three professional areas: teaching/librarianship, research/creative activity, and service. IV.B.9. Expectations for Those Who Have Paused the Tenure ClockPlease refer to section III.B.1. Pausing the Tenure Clock. IV.B.10. Expectations for Promotion to Professor/Librarian for Those Who Have Taken Significant Administrative AssignmentsAn Associate Professor or Associate Librarian who has taken on significant administrative responsibilities, 50% appointment or more, shall at the employee’s request, ideally at the time of appointment, meet with their new supervisor and the department Chair in the department in which promotion is granted, and Dean, to clarify in writing how expectations for promotion shall be evaluated for promotion to Professor or Librarian. The department Chair shall consult with the DPC in drafting the adjusted expectations. Using the department promotion guidelines as a benchmark, the teaching, service, and research expectations shall be adjusted according to the administrative demands placed upon the candidate. This written agreement shall become part of the candidate’s dossier. IV.C. Promotion to Distinguished Faculty RanksCreated by the State University Board of Trustees as a prestigious system-level distinction, the Distinguished Faculty Rank (DFR) programs recognize and reward SUNY’s finest and most accomplished faculty. The Distinguished Professorship (DP), Distinguished Service Professorship (DSP), Distinguished Teaching Professorship (DTP), and Distinguished Librarian (DL) designations constitute the highest system tribute conferred upon SUNY faculty. Criteria for selection as well as expectations for successful review can be found in the SUNY Policies And Procedures on Distinguished Faculty Rank. In the case of a conflict between the eligibility criteria defined in this section and the SUNY Policies and Procedures, SUNY Policies and Procedures shall apply. IV.C.1. Criteria for Promotion to Distinguished RanksDistinguished Professor shall herewith be inclusive of Distinguished Teaching Professor, Distinguished Service Professor, Distinguished Professor, and Distinguished Librarian. IV.C.2. Timeline for Distinguished Rank Nomination and Promotion Review ProcessApril 15: The President and University Senate Chairperson agree to the composition of DFPC. University Senate approves the composition no later than the first Senate meeting of the Academic Year. September 1: The President’s Office sends call-out for nominations consistent with SUNY Policies and Procedures. September 30: Nomination letters are due to the President’s Office. The President’s Office confirms nominees’ eligibility (e.g., years in rank) and nominees’ acceptance of nomination and notifies the DFPC. October 5: DFPC requests nominees’ updated vitae and names and contact information of at least 8 potential internal references and at least 8 potential external references. DFPC notifies the Dean/Director of Library of nominations in their area. DFPC solicits a letter of recommendation from each confirmed nominee’s Department Chair/Director of Library. In the event the Department Chair/Director of Library is the nominee, see HARP III.E.3.C. October 15: Nominee submits updated vitae and contact information of at least 8 potential internal references and at least 8 potential external references. DFPC begins requesting letters of recommendation from internal and external references and external reference vitae consistent with SUNY Policies and Procedures. November 15: Department Chair’s letter of recommendation is submitted to Dean and DFPC. December 1: Dean/Director of Library submits letter of recommendation to DFPC. Nominee and external reference vitae and internal and external letters of recommendation are due to DFSC. DFSC begins reviewing nomination materials. January 25: DFPC Chair submits selection(s) and nomination portfolio(s), if any, subject to SUNY limitations, to the Provost. February 1: Provost submits letter(s) of recommendation to the President. February 8: President submits endorsements/transmittal letters to Chancellor by the second Friday in February. The President’s Office notifies nominees of nomination status. May: Chancellor notifies the President of the Distinguished promotion decision. The President’s Office notifies the nominees of the Chancellor’s decision. IV.D. Composition of the Distinguished Faculty Promotion Committee (DFPC)IV.D.1. RepresentationThe Distinguished Faculty Promotion Committee (DFPC) consists of 9 voting members jointly recommended by the President and University Senate Chairperson and approved by the University Senate. According to SUNY Policies & Procedures for Distinguished Faculty Ranks, the local selection committee “shall be structured to include the Chair (or designee) of the campus faculty governance organization, and one member, designated by the campus President, to act in an ex-officio capacity.” The DFPC should be representative of the diversity of disciplines and should include tenured faculty at the rank of Professor or above. If possible, the DFPC “should include those already holding Distinguished rank.” According to SUNY Policy for the review of Distinguished Teaching Professor, the DFPC shall also include, as a 10th voting member, a student. There shall be one member appointed for a staggered, three-year term from each of the following areas:
IV.D.2. DFPC ChairAt the first meeting, DFPC members shall elect a DFPC Chair from among their members. The DFPC Chair shall serve in that role for a period of one year. The Chair convenes the DFPC as necessary to fulfill its responsibilities. V. Appointment, Reappointment, and Promotion of Contingent FacultyV.A. Definition of Contingent FacultyPart-time and full-time non-tenure track faculty provide vital service in fulfilling Fredonia’s core mission. They are important members of their academic departments: their contributions are essential in delivering the curriculum, assessing the department’s instructional effectiveness, and achieving student learning outcomes. The policies regarding the appointment, reappointment, and promotion of contingent faculty are intended to ensure fair and consistent employment practices, provide departments with stability in meeting their staffing needs, and ensure that students receive the highest quality of instruction. The American Association of University Professors recommends the term “contingent” to refer to both full-time and part-time faculty members who are not on the tenure track. The term reflects the contingent nature of departmental staffing needs, which may fluctuate with changes in enrollment or changes in staffing. The contributions of contingent faculty vary. Some contingent faculty teach a single section, while others may teach several sections. Some contingent faculty provide professional services to Fredonia for one semester, intermittently, or for a full-year; others may continue beyond one year; others have had a long association with the University. The policies regarding contingent faculty herein conform to Policies (i.e., Article II and Article XI Titles D, F, and H). SUNY Human Resources is the authority for definitions of titles for all employees, including part-time and full-time, non-tenure track faculty which it refers to as “qualified academic ranks.” Policies stipulate that “these titles may be on the basis of temporary or term appointments but cannot be on the basis of continuing appointment.” Members of the faculty on contingent appointments are expected to maintain the institution's high standards for professional conduct and to adhere to the University's academic and institutional policies. All contingent faculty are represented by UUP and enjoy the rights, privileges, and benefits defined in the Agreement. The policies herein conform with the Agreement (i.e., Article 30, Article 32, and Appendix A-30). All contingent faculty are eligible to participate in university-wide shared governance activities, as defined in the Faculty & University Senate Bylaws. Their specific roles, if any, in department-level shared governance activities for different kinds of decisions should be defined in the University Handbook and in department handbooks. V.B. Appointment of Contingent FacultyV.B.1. Temporary AppointmentsAccording to Policies, temporary appointments are typically granted when service is to be part-time . . . or anticipated to be for a period of one year or less (IX.F). Temporary appointments “may be terminated at any time.” Both part-time and full-time contingent faculty may be employed on a temporary appointment. For part-time contingent faculty, initial appointment is on a temporary basis, except in the case of a faculty member, part-time or full-time, who previously achieved the status of term and has not had a break in service or change in title. V.B.2. Term appointmentsBoth part-time and full-time contingent faculty may be employed on a term appointment. According to Policies, “a term appointment shall be an appointment for a specified period of not more than three years which shall automatically expire at the end of that period unless terminated earlier because of resignation, retirement, or termination” (XI.D.1). For part-time contingent faculty, the initial appointment is on a temporary basis, but after serving four consecutive semesters at Fredonia, further appointments must be made on the basis of term appointment (XI.D). Both the Policies and the Agreement recognize that part-time faculty “who have been granted a term appointment, but for whom classroom enrollment proves inadequate, shall have no further right to salary, benefits, or any other rights or privileges” (Policies XI.D[2].b.1; Agreement, Appendix A-30). V.C. Appointment & Reappointment NoticeIn accordance with the Agreement (Article 30), all contingent faculty shall, at the time of appointment and reappointment, receive notice containing the following information on required assignments, if applicable:
Contingent faculty are not subject to the same expectations as tenure-track faculty. They may choose, but are not required, to perform functions or undertake responsibilities other than those specifically stated in their appointment letter. V.D. Part-Time Contingent FacultyV.D.1. Professional ObligationPart-time temporary or term contingent faculty may teach no more than 24 credits or the equivalent within an academic year. Under certain circumstances, exceptions may be requested, in writing, and approved by the Provost or designee. They are compensated on a rate per credit or equivalent. Fredonia has established a minimum per credit compensation rate for its part-time contingent faculty. The teaching obligation is comprised of the following:
Required duties beyond the teaching obligation defined above shall be compensated and stated in the appointment letter. Such duties may be negotiated by the Chair but must be approved by the Dean at time of appointment. Voluntary service is not compensated but should be documented in writing (i.e., email, memo, etc.). Service activities that are essential to a department, program, or unit shall not be considered voluntary service and shall be included in the appointment letter. The university strives to achieve fairness and consistency across departments and colleges in its compensation of contractual service. V.D.2. AppointmentPart-time contingent faculty may be employed on either temporary or term appointments. Part-time temporary contingent faculty are typically appointed by semester. In accordance with the Agreement (Appendix A-30), departments are encouraged to appoint part-time term faculty to full-year appointments “where they are in a position to do so.” After serving four consecutive semesters in a part-time temporary appointment at Fredonia, the fifth consecutive appointment becomes term. Further employment at any college of any individual who has been employed at that college on a part-time basis for four consecutive semesters . . . shall be on the basis of a term appointment (Policies, XI.D.2.[2]a). At Fredonia, part-time contingent faculty who teach at least one semester per year for four consecutive years shall be reappointed on the basis of a term appointment upon their next semester of part-time appointment. V.D.3. NotificationWhereas employment is contingent on the department’s need, part-time term faculty must receive notice of non-renewal “forty-five calendar days prior to the end of a part-time service term appointment” (Policies, XI.D.5.a). V.D.4. BenefitsAccording to the Agreement, “part-time academic employees who teach two or more courses in any one semester shall be eligible to receive the benefits contained in Article 39 during that semester” (39.9.3). For further information regarding benefits, please see Fredonia’s Human Resources website. V.D.5. TitlesThe budget title, approved by SUNY HR, for part-time contingent faculty is Adjunct Instructor. However, with approval of this document, Fredonia has elected to use the campus title Adjunct Lecturer for all part-time contingent faculty. Adjunct Lecturers who have received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching will be awarded the local title of Senior Adjunct Lecturer. Adjunct Lecturers who have received the Chancellor’s Award while employed at another SUNY campus shall be granted Fredonia’s local title of Senior Adjunct Lecturer. V.E. Full-Time Contingent FacultyV.E.1. Professional ObligationThe professional obligation of full-time contingent faculty includes teaching at least 24 credits or the equivalent in an academic year, with additional duties and expectations defined according to departmental needs. Such duties, which may include attending department meetings, serving on committees, and advising students, shall be made explicit, to the extent possible, in the appointment letter. Full-time contingent faculty are paid an annual salary. Only in special circumstances when full-time contingent faculty are under contractual obligation to conduct research, scholarship or creative activity will they be compensated or rewarded for such activity. V.E.2. Appointment Status (Temp and Term)Full-time contingent faculty may be employed on a temporary or term appointment. Full-time temporary contingent faculty teach at least 24 credits or the equivalent with an appointment of one year or less. Full-time term contingent faculty teach at least 24 credits or the equivalent with an appointment of one, two, or three years. Unlike part-time term contingent faculty, full-time term contingent faculty are eligible for promotion according to procedures in this chapter. Full-time term contingent appointments are typically used when a department has a predictable, ongoing instructional staffing need. According to Policies, “term appointments may be renewed for successive periods of not more than three years each” (XI.D.4). When a full-time contingent employee has served two consecutive years on temporary appointments, the next consecutive full-time appointment shall be a term appointment for no less than one year. Given the term status and renewal notification requirements, these term appointments may be simultaneously non-renewed. V.E.3. NotificationWhile the university encourages department Chairs and Deans to make timely reappointment decisions, it is sometimes necessary to non-renew contingent faculty to meet the required notification provisions in the Agreement. This does not preclude, however, the reappointment of the contingent faculty at a later time. Whereas appointment of full-time term faculty is contingent on staffing needs, notification of termination or non-renewal depends on length of uninterrupted service: Three months prior to the end of a term expiring at the end of an appointee’s first year of uninterrupted service within the university. For employees serving on the basis of an academic year professional obligation, notice shall be given no later than March 31. (Policies, XI.D.5.b). Six months prior to the end of a term expiring after the completion of one, but not more than two, years of an appointee’s uninterrupted service within the university. For such employees serving on the basis of an academic year professional obligation, notice shall be given no later than December 15. (Policies, XI.D.5.c). Twelve months prior to the expiration of a term after two or more years of uninterrupted service within the university. (Policies, XI.D.5.d). Employees who intend to leave the employ of the university shall give 30-days notice to the chief administrative officer or their representative. In the event that an employee fails to provide the full 30 days notice, it shall be within the discretion of the chief administrative office or their representative to withhold from such employee’s final check an amount equal to the employee’s daily rate of pay for each day less than the required 30 days. (Policies, XI.D.5.f). V.E.4. BenefitsAccording to the Agreement, “all employees with full-time appointments shall be eligible to receive benefits contained in Article 39” (39.9.1). For further information regarding benefits, please see Fredonia’s Human Resources website. V.E.5. TitlesThe approved SUNY budget title for full-time contingent faculty, temporary or term, is Lecturer. With approval of this Handbook, the university shall implement the following title structure for full-time contingent faculty effective with their next appointment following the effective date of this Handbook. Full-time contingent faculty on multiple year appointments who have completed six consecutive years in a full-time service title may apply for Senior Lecturer at any time during their current appointment period. Lecturer - This title will be used for full-time temporary or term appointed contingent faculty. Senior Lecturer - This title will be used for full-time term appointed Lecturers who have been teaching at that rank for at least six consecutive years and who have demonstrated significant, notable, ongoing contributions to the university. The process for awarding the title Senior Lecturer is outlined in V.L.3. Visiting Assistant/Associate/Professor - These titles may be used for full-time appointments, for up to two years, in the event approval is granted to temporarily replace a tenured or tenure-track faculty member on leave. V.F. Contingent Faculty Hiring ProceduresPrior to filling a vacancy with an external applicant, Chairs are expected to communicate course staffing needs to all members of the department, including those appointed in the most recent two semesters, and to consider their qualifications. Current part-time contingent faculty interested in teaching in other Fredonia departments are encouraged to apply directly to that department’s continuous recruitment posting using Fredonia’s applicant tracking system (i.e., Interview Exchange). V.F.1. PostingTo meet anticipated student needs, to be transparent and consistent in posting and hiring practices, and to encourage diversity in hiring, all contingent faculty positions shall be posted using the university applicant tracking system (i.e., Interview Exchange). All postings and advertisements shall meet the requirements of Human Resources and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. V.F.2. Part-Time Contingent FacultyAll departments will have a “continuous recruitment” posting created in the applicant tracking system (i.e., Interview Exchange) for part-time contingent faculty. When the current part-time contingent pool does not meet the course staffing needs of the department, the Chair shall use the university applicant tracking system to review candidate qualifications and fill the vacancy. V.F.3. Full-Time Contingent FacultyThe Chair shall post all full-time contingent faculty positions using the university’s applicant tracking system (i.e., Interview Exchange). The filling of full-time contingent faculty positions shall follow the selection process in this Handbook. V.G. QualificationsContingent faculty ordinarily shall have at least a degree above the level that they are teaching, master’s degree for undergraduate level teaching or terminal degree for graduate level teaching. However, in some cases professional, performance, or clinical experience, or professional certification, may be considered as an appropriate equivalent, as approved by the Dean. V.H. Selection ProcessThe university is committed to selection processes that are open, fair, transparent, and clearly communicated. Timely communication regarding the status of candidates and appointees is also a priority. V.H.1. Part-Time Contingent FacultyThe Chair shall make recommendations on the appointment of all new part-time temporary contingent faculty members to the Dean. To make the recommendation, the Chair completes a Request to Hire requisition in the applicant tracking system, and forwards it to the Dean’s Office and Human Resources for approval. V.H.2. Full-Time Contingent FacultyThe Chair, in consultation with the current DPC Chair, shall identify an appropriate review committee to evaluate the qualifications of candidates for full-time contingent faculty vacancies. This committee shall make recommendations to the Chair on the appointment of all new full-time contingent faculty. The Chair then makes a recommendation to the Dean. In emergency situations that preclude formal consultation, Chairs shall gain permission from the Dean to seek input from available faculty with expertise in the area to be hired and shall document and report their actions and decisions to the DPC and the Dean. The Chair completes a Request to Hire requisition in the applicant tracking system, and forwards it to the Dean’s Office and Human Resources for approval. Upon approval by the Dean’s Office and Human Resources, the Chair may extend an offer to the applicant. V.I. Review of Contingent FacultyThe purpose of contingent faculty review is to provide collegial feedback recognizing good work and to offer suggestions for continuous improvement. Regular review of teaching and learning effectiveness helps the university to maintain focus on excellent instruction. Temporary appointed Adjunct Lecturers and Lecturers shall be reviewed at least once per year. Upon achieving term appointment, all Adjunct Lecturers, Lecturers, and Senior Lecturers shall be reviewed at least once within a three year period. By September 15, Human Resources shall compile and distribute a master spreadsheet of contingent faculty review cycles to the Deans and department Chairs. By April 15, department Chairs shall complete the review process, as described in Section V.J. Section IV.A.1 of this Handbook, on Teaching and Learning, states “. . . all faculty are expected to be regularly engaged in practices that encourage and support student learning.” Departments, knowing their disciplines and departmental culture, may include in their handbooks specific criteria for effective teaching in that field. These are the general criteria for all contingent faculty reviews:
V.J. Contingent Faculty Review ProcessThe department Chair is responsible for ensuring that reviews are conducted according to the provisions of this Handbook. As part of the review, the Chair or his/her departmental designee(s) (a tenured faculty member including tenured faculty in other departments or in administration) will observe each contingent faculty member in the classroom, lab, or studio.[18] By October 1 (Fall semester), or February 15 (Spring semester), the Department Chair notifies the contingent faculty member that they will be observed and who will be conducting the observation. For online courses, observation shall consist of limited guest access to the course’s learning management system for a mutually agreed-upon span of time no longer than two weeks. The Chair or designee will send review comments on the observation to the faculty member within two weeks of the date of observation. The faculty member will acknowledge receipt by signing and returning the observation form to the Chair or designee, and may submit a response if s/he desires. Sample Classroom Observation forms (i.e. Pre-Visit Questionnaire[19], Classroom Observation Feedback Form[20], and Classroom Observation Post-Visit Questionnaire[21]) are included in Appendix L-N. Following the observation, the Chair schedules a meeting with the contingent faculty member to discuss teaching effectiveness, including perceived strengths and areas for improvement. The basis of the conversation may include the following items if available to the Chair through departmental recordkeeping:
The faculty member:
Following the review meeting, and no later than December 15 (Fall) or May 1 (Spring), the department Chair shall write a review letter that addresses the general criteria for contingent faculty review in Section V.I, including the results of the review meeting. This letter shall be shared with the contingent faculty member in writing, and signed by the Chair and the faculty member, with a copy forwarded to the contingent faculty member and the Dean, as well as a copy of the signed observation letter. The Dean shall forward these materials to Human Resources to be placed in the contingent faculty member’s Official Personnel File (OPF) and for revision of the master spreadsheet. The faculty member may submit a written response to the Dean to the review document within two weeks of receipt of the Chair’s review letter, with a copy to Human Resources to be placed in the OPF. V.K. Reappointment/Non-Renewal Process for Contingent FacultyReappointment and non-renewal decisions are contingent on review of teaching effectiveness as well as available resources, budget considerations, operating needs, curricular needs, student enrollment, etc. in any given year or semester. For each department, the Chair recommends reappointment or non-renewal of all contingent faculty members to the Dean. For full-time contingent faculty members, the Chair's recommendation is made in consultation with the DPC. V.L. Title Awards for Full-Time Term Contingent FacultyV.L.1.The Award Title of Senior LecturerThe local title of Senior Lecturer at Fredonia may be awarded to full-time contingent faculty teaching at Fredonia for at least six years. The purpose of the Senior Lecturer title is to recognize and express the university’s appreciation for the faculty member’s significant, notable, ongoing contribution to the missions of the department and the university. V.L.2. Benefits of the Senior Lecturer Title AwardUpon receipt of the award of the title of Senior Lecturer, the Lecturer shall carry the local title of Senior Lecturer in the Fredonia department to which the faculty member was appointed as Lecturer. Senior Lecturers shall receive a one-time standard increase to their base annual salary. Senior Lecturers typically are appointed on multiple-year contracts, not to exceed the three-year maximum appointment length permitted by Policies. Once awarded, the campus title of Senior Lecturer at Fredonia shall remain in effect for the duration of the faculty member’s full-time service in the SUNY approved rank of Lecturer at the university. Senior Lecturers shall participate in the DPC consultation with the Chair during the reappointment/non-renewal process of full-time contingent faculty and candidacy review for the Senior Lecturer award title. V.L.3. Procedure for the Selection of the Senior Lecturer AwardApplication for the award title of Senior Lecturer may occur no earlier than the sixth year of full-time contingent employment. The candidate for the title award of Senior Lecturer shall prepare and submit a portfolio of materials to the Chair by February 15 for review by the Department Personnel Committee (DPC), Chair, Dean, and Provost, with the final decision resting with the President. Senior Lecturer title awards are not reviewed by the Academic Personnel Committee (APC). The portfolio shall include, at minimum, the same documents required during the contingent faculty review process. Notification of decision will be provided by May 15. An unsuccessful nomination for the award title of Senior Lecturer shall have no bearing on the status or reappointment as Lecturer, or future consideration for the award title of Senior Lecturer. VI. APPOINTMENT, REAPPOINTMENT, REVIEW AND PROMOTION OF PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEESVI.A. Types of Appointments for ProfessionalsVI.A.1. TemporaryA temporary appointment at Fredonia is customarily a period of one year or less. It may be terminated at any time. Temporary appointees are typically employed for a finite period of time to work on a specific project. VI.A.2. TermA term appointment is for a specified period of time not to extend beyond 3 years per term that shall expire at the end of that period, subject to non-renewal notice. At Fredonia, full-time term appointments usually run one to two years per term. Term appointments do not create any manner of legal right to, interest in, or expectancy of any future appointment or renewal. VI.A.2.1. Full-time Professionals When a full-time temporary professional employee has served two consecutive years on temporary appointments, the next consecutive full-time appointment shall be a term appointment for no less than one year. Given the term status and renewal notification requirements, these term appointments may be simultaneously non-renewed. VI.A.2.2. Part-time Professionals After serving four consecutive semesters in a part-time temporary professional appointment at Fredonia, the fifth consecutive appointment becomes term. Further employment at any college of any individual who has been employed at that college on a part-time basis for four consecutive semesters shall be on the basis of a term appointment. At Fredonia, part-time temporary professionals appointed for one semester per year for four consecutive years shall be reappointed on the basis of a term appointment upon their next semester of part-time appointment. VI.A.3. Appendix A TitlesA professional employee serving in a title listed in Appendix A of the Policies shall be granted term appointment for the first three years of employment in such title. Upon completion of three consecutive years of service, renewal of employment shall be on a term basis for a period of five years. VI.A.4. Appendix B TitlesA professional employee serving in a title listed in Appendix B of the Policies shall be granted a term appointment consistent with Article XI Title D of the Policies. At Fredonia, Appendix B appointments are reserved for professional employees who coach Fredonia’s Division III athletic teams. A coach is a professional employee who spends 75% or more of his/her professional obligation in coaching or coaching-related duties. VI.A.5. Appendix C TitlesA professional employee serving in a title listed in Appendix C of the Policies shall be granted a term appointment consistent with Article XI Title D of the Policies. VI.A.6. PermanentPermanency is the Board of Trustees’ equivalent to “tenure” for professional employees at Fredonia. It is normally achieved after seven consecutive years of full-time service in a title eligible for permanency, provided the last two years have been served in a title eligible for permanent appointment. Permanent appointment is granted by the Chancellor following a positive recommendation by the campus President. Once achieved, permanent appointment shall continue until resignation, retirement, or termination. See Policies, Article XI Title C. VI.A.7. ProbationaryA one-year probationary appointment is granted to a professional employee already holding a term appointment or a permanent appointment who is then appointed to a different professional title. See Policies, Article XI Title E. VI.B. Timelines for Professional Reviews for Reappointment and Permanent AppointmentVI.B.1. Prior Service CreditIn determining eligibility for permanent appointment, the Policies (Article XI Title C) provide that a professional employee may petition[22] for Prior Service Credit for up to a maximum of three years in recognition of service at another SUNY campus in a professional title in which permanency may be granted. This credit, however, should be negotiated at the time of hire. Such service, if recognized by Fredonia, truncates the time to permanent appointment based upon the amount of Prior Service Credit approved by the appropriate vice president. The professional employee is responsible for requesting Prior Service Credit and is encouraged to do so as quickly as possible. A waiver of all or part of the Prior Service Credit must be requested within six months of the initial appointment. VI.B.2. Timeline for ReappointmentsAll professionals shall have a common reappointment date of September 1. To achieve this, when appointments begin throughout the year, the initial appointment shall be granted for one year or longer so that the initial term appointment ends on August 31. The reappointment process starts with the evaluation of the professional employee pursuant to Appendix A-28 of the Agreement. June 15 – July 15: The performance program and evaluation process is completed (see VI.D. Annual Timeline for Performance Program and Evaluation) July 15: Supervisor submits reappointment recommendation letter to his/her immediate supervisor, copying the employee and the Director of Human Resources. July 30: Intermediate supervisor (next level, if applicable) submits reappointment recommendation to the next-level supervisor, copying the employee and the Director of Human Resources. August 15: Intermediate supervisor (next level, if applicable) submits reappointment recommendation to the appropriate vice president, copying the employee and the Director of Human Resources. August 15: Vice president sends reappointment recommendation to the President, copying the employee and the Director of Human Resources. If at any level, the recommendation is for non-renewal, the employee shall be given 5 working days’ notice to examine the file of evaluative materials and respond (pursuant to Article 31.6 of the Agreement). August 31: President notifies the employee of the decision and copies all levels and the Director of Human Resources. If the President denies permanent appointment, the employee may have the right to appeal the denial to the Chancellor pursuant to Article 33 of the Agreement. VI.B.3. Timeline for Non-RenewalConsistent with Article 32 of the Agreement, in the event that a full-time term appointment is not to be renewed, the President of Fredonia or designee shall notify the affected professional employee in writing no later than
In the event that a part-time term appointment is not to be renewed, the President of Fredonia or designee shall notify the affected professional employee in writing no later than 45 days before the end of the term appointment. VI.B.4. Timeline for Consideration of Permanent AppointmentTypically, a professional employee on track for permanent appointment serves a seven-year, full-time consecutive period. A decision about granting permanent appointment shall be made at the conclusion of the professional employee’s sixth consecutive year of full-time service, provided the last two years of such service are in a title eligible for permanency and that the employee has been serving in a term appointment. VI.B.5. Pausing the Permanent Appointment ClockA professional serving in a title that could lead to permanent appointment may petition his/her vice president to have the “permanency” clock stopped. The professional completes the Request to Pause the Permanent Appointment Clock form[23] (see Appendix H: Request to Pause the Permanent Appointment Clock) and submits it to his/her immediate supervisor for review. It shall specify the reason(s) for the request and shall not be considered approved until authorized by the respective divisional vice president. Prior to considering this option, the professional employee is encouraged to talk to his/her immediate supervisor, divisional vice president, and the Director of Human Resources. See Policies Article XI Title C. If the professional employee’s request for a pause of permanent appointment clock is denied at any point in the process prior to reaching the President, the reasons for denial shall be included as an attachment to the application form. If the request is denied, the applicant may write a letter of appeal to the President within five working days from the receipt of the denied application form and attached reason for denial. The President makes the final decision and notifies the candidate within ten working days of receiving the appeal letter from the candidate. If the request to pause the permanent appointment clock is approved, the professional employee shall not be reviewed until the permanent appointment clock is restarted. During the time that the permanent appointment clock is paused, the professional employee is appointed to a title with the prefix “Special.” After the requested pause is over, the professional employee resumes the title held previous to pausing the permanent appointment clock. All time accrued toward permanent appointment prior to the pause remains in effect. Time served in Special status shall extend the employee’s date to permanency on a month/year for month/year basis. A pause of the permanent clock shall not be held against candidates when they resume the reappointment process. VI.B.6. Review for “Early” Permanent AppointmentIt is possible in exceptional circumstances for a professional employee whose last two years have been in the professional title in which they are requesting permanency to secure permanent appointment prior to the customary seven-year process. Applications shall be made by the employee within the first three months after the end of the third or fourth year of employment. The appointment is either granted, or the employee is non-renewed. Prior to considering this option, the professional employee is encouraged to talk to his/her immediate supervisor, divisional vice president, and the Director of Human Resources. See Policies Article XI Title C. VI.B.7 Temporary Adjustments to Professional ObligationIn accordance with Appendix A-42 of the Agreement, professionals who seek flexibility in balancing their professional obligation (e.g. reduction in FTE, 12 month to 10 month appointment, etc.) while on the permanent appointment track may apply for an adjustment. Requests for adjustments shall be submitted to the immediate supervisor who then recommends to the Director an appropriate course of action. The Director then recommends to the Vice President. The Vice President sends a copy of the decision to the employee, immediate supervisor, Director, Human Resources Director, and President. An adjustment to the professional obligation may affect the timeline for reappointment notification or permanent appointment. VI.C. Changes in Professional Title (see Policies Article XI Title C)A Fredonia professional employee holding a term appointment or permanent appointment in a professional title who is appointed to a different professional title shall be given a probationary appointment in the different professional title. A professional employee holding permanent appointment in a professional title who completes a probationary appointment in a different professional title shall be granted a permanent appointment in the different title only, and once granted permanency in the new title shall not retain permanent appointment in the former title. A professional employee who is serving on a term appointment in a professional title and completes a probationary appointment in a different professional title shall be granted a new term appointment and shall not retain a term appointment in the former professional title. The new term appointment shall be for a duration not less than the unexpired term of the previous term appointment. At any time during the probationary period, Fredonia may require the employee to return to his/her former professional title. A professional employee holding a permanent appointment in a professional title and serving a probationary appointment in a different title who returns to his/her former professional title resumes permanent appointment in the former professional title. A professional employee holding a term appointment in a professional title and serving a probationary appointment in a different professional title who returns to the employee’s former professional title shall have his/her service in the probationary appointment counted towards the satisfaction of the eligibility requirements for permanent appointment except as provided in the Policies. VI.D. Annual Timeline for Performance Program and EvaluationNewly hired and promoted employees shall receive a Performance Program within 30-days of the effective date of hire or promotion. This program shall be in effect through 7/14/YY. June 15: Supervisor requests from the employee an optional one-page summary of performance accomplishments achieved during the current evaluation cycle. Supervisors are encouraged to contact the secondary sources in the performance program to secure their perspectives regarding the employee’s performance. June 30: Supervisor prepares draft Performance Evaluation and Performance Program forms and schedules a mutually convenient time to meet with the professional employee to discuss the evaluation and program. July 5: Supervisor meets with the employee to review and discuss the draft Performance Evaluation form and Performance Program. As necessitated by information exchanged in the meeting, the supervisor modifies the Performance Evaluation and Performance Program. July 10: The supervisor secures the employee’s signature on the Evaluation and Performance Program forms, provides the employee with a signed copy of both forms, forwards the original forms to Human Resources, and provides copies as per the distribution list on the forms. The employee’s signature signifies only that the employee has received and discussed the evaluation with the immediate supervisor, and it does not represent agreement or disagreement with the performance evaluation and/or performance program (Agreement, Appendix A-28). The employee may, if s/he so elects, submit written commentary to the forms, and such commentary shall travel with the forms into the Official Personnel file. If the employee elects to offer written commentary, s/he shall do so within 10 calendar days of receipt of the forms. VI.E. Criteria to be Used to Evaluate Professional EmployeesThe Performance Program outlines the criteria to be used in the evaluation of professional employees. The Policies outline five major criteria to be used by the supervisor in developing the Performance Program. Professional employees shall receive a summary evaluation that characterizes their performance as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. VI.E.1. Effectiveness in PerformanceThe Policies define effectiveness in performance “as demonstrated, for example, by success in carrying out assigned duties and responsibilities, efficiency, productivity, and relationship with colleagues” (Article XII C.5.a.). VI.E.2. Mastery of SpecializationThe Policies define mastery of specialization “as demonstrated, for example, by degrees, licenses, honors, awards, and reputation in the field” (Article XII C.5.b.). VI.E.3. Professional AbilityThe Policies define professional ability “as demonstrated, for example, by invention or innovation in professional, scientific, administrative, or technical areas; i.e., development or refinement of programs, methods, procedures, or apparatus” (Article XII C.5.c.). VI.E.4. Effectiveness in University ServiceThe Policies define effectiveness in university service “as demonstrated, for example, by such things as college and university public service, committee work, and involvement in college or university related student or community activities” (Article XII C.5.d.). Fredonia expects all Professional employees to engage in service activities that support the campus mission. Department and university service may include many kinds of activities, such as:
Professional employees also share their expertise with professional and community organizations. Department handbooks may offer clear examples specific to the profession. The following list—by no means comprehensive—includes professional and community service which may be considered as part of an employee’s professional obligation:
All professional employees are expected to contribute to the service workload of the department, college/library, and campus. No amount of professional or public service shall excuse a professional employee from taking on the tasks that are essential to the academic enterprise. VI.E.5. Continuing GrowthThe Policies define continuing growth “as demonstrated, for example, by continuing education, participation in professional organizations, enrollment in training programs, research, improved job performance and increased duties and responsibilities” (Article XII, C.5.e.). VI.F. Process and Documentation for Annual Evaluation of ProfessionalsPer Article XII Title C of the Policies, professional employees shall be evaluated “by the employee’s immediate supervisor, formally, in writing, once each year during the term of appointment. VI.F.1. Performance ProgramThe Performance Program (Program) is the document[24] that records the goals and objectives that the employee is to achieve during the evaluation period as well as “Appropriate criteria for evaluating the degree to which objectives are met” (Agreement, Appendix A-28). The Program codifies the objectives to be accomplished during the next evaluation cycle. It focuses the employee’s talents and expertise on agreed-upon goals to facilitate his/her successful completion within the prescribed timeframe. The Program serves as the foundation for the next year’s evaluation. Well-crafted Programs serve to support both university and department missions, motivate employees, remove ambiguity, and ensure compliance with the Agreement. To the extent possible, the document should be mutually agreed upon. The Program is developed at the time of the annual employee evaluation. Following the conclusion of the formal Evaluation process, the immediate supervisor and the professional employee shall review and discuss the Program and its performance objectives for the next evaluation cycle. If agreement can be reached during the meeting, the immediate supervisor and the employee should sign the Program and forward it to the Director of Human Resources. If, based on information shared between the parties, another meeting is required, it shall be scheduled so that the Program can be finalized by no later than July 1. As circumstances warrant (e.g., new supervisor, change in duties based on new assignment, etc.), the immediate supervisor and the professional employee shall meet to review the appropriateness of items in the Program. Modification to the Program shall be effected by the immediate supervisor and the professional employee co-signing an updated Program. Such revised Program shall be sent to the Director of Human Resources. VI.F.2. Performance EvaluationProfessional employees shall have their job performance evaluated on an annual basis. Employee evaluation should be an ongoing process that eliminates surprise, provides mentoring, and culminates in a formal evaluation. Such performance shall be characterized in summary as either “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory” (Policies, Article XII Title C) using the form[25] provided. The purposes of performance evaluation include the following:
The evaluation process measures performance against agreed-upon objectives. It commences with the supervisor scheduling a mutually convenient time with the professional employee to meet and discuss the evaluation. If the professional submits the optional “self-reflection,” the supervisor shall consider the input along with perspectives shared by the agreed-upon secondary sources. The immediate supervisor shall prepare a draft evaluation and share the document with the professional employee prior to the evaluation meeting. At the meeting, the supervisor shall share his/her rating on how well the professional employee did in meeting the stated objectives. For each individual goal contained in the Program, the immediate supervisor shall confirm whether the professional employee achieved one of the following outcomes:
The supervisor has the option of using optional ratings for each individual goal: highly effective, effective, some improvement needed, or unsatisfactory. VI.F.3. Unsatisfactory EvaluationA professional employee whose chooses to appeal a final evaluation characterized as “Unsatisfactory” shall inform the immediate supervisor in writing, the Chair of the College Committee on Professional Evaluation (CCPE), and the President or his/her designee within 10 working days of receipt of the Evaluation. Upon being notified that the professional employee is requesting a review, the immediate supervisor shall, within five working days, provide the Chair of the CCPE a signed/dated copy of the final evaluation report. If the final evaluation report contains recommendations affecting a professional employee's employment status or is to be reviewed by the CCPE, it shall be sent to the President or designee. If the employee chooses not to appeal the unsatisfactory evaluation, the President shall take such action as is deemed appropriate with respect to the recommendations. Otherwise, action shall be delayed until the CCPE has completed its review and submitted its recommendations to the President or designee; however, failure of the Committee to initiate and complete a timely review shall not prevent the President from acting upon recommendations in the final evaluation report to conform with notice requirements in the event of non-renewal of term appointments. VI.F.4. College Committee on Professional Evaluation (CCPE) (Agreement, Appendix A-28, VI)The CCPE shall consist of three professional employees elected at large by the professional employees in accordance with local UUP chapter practice. In addition, two professional employees shall be selected by the President. A Chair of the committee shall be elected from among the members. The CCPE shall, upon the timely request of a professional employee, review a final evaluation report characterized as "Unsatisfactory." Committee review shall address both the procedures and substance of the unsatisfactory evaluation. As part of its review, the Committee at its discretion
The CCPE shall complete the written recommendations within 25 working days from the date of appeal, with copies to the professional employee, the immediate supervisor, the evaluator's supervisor and the President. Within 10 working days of the issuance of the written recommendations, the President shall take such action as s/he deems appropriate and shall give written notice of such action to the professional employee, the immediate supervisor, the evaluator's supervisor and the CCPE. VI.G. Process for Promotion and In-Grade Salary Increases for Professional EmployeesVI.G.1. ScopeThis section coincides with A-28 of the Agreement and does not include requests for promotions or salary increases to address equity, merit, or a change in credentials. VI.G.2. Titles and Job DescriptionsThe Management Advisory Committee on Classification and Compensation[26] (MACC) is the Guide to UUP bargaining unit Titles and Job Descriptions. VI.G.3. Promotion Requests (Agreement, Appendix A-28, I)According to Appendix A-28 (I) of the Agreement, promotion may be warranted based on “a permanent significant increase or change in the employee’s duties and responsibilities as a consequence of movement from one position to another of greater scope and complexity of function or resulting from a permanent significant increase in the employee’s duties and responsibilities as a consequence of a permanent increase in the scope and complexity of function of the employee’s [current] position” (Policies, Article XII C.2.a). At Fredonia, request for promotion as described above, except for Cabinet-approved reorganizations, shall be made at the time of the annual performance program and evaluation by either the supervisor or the employee. VI.G.4. In-Grade Salary Increase (Agreement, Appendix A-28, IV)According to Appendix A-28 (IV) of the Agreement, “an employee who has been assigned a permanent and significant increase in duties and responsibilities as demonstrated by the employee’s performance program may apply for a salary increase provided that the employee first requested a recommendation for such a salary increase from the employee’s immediate supervisor and has been denied at an organizational level below that of the college President.” Appendix A-28 requests do not include requests for merit or equity adjustments. At Fredonia, A-28 requests for salary increases shall be made at the time of the annual performance program and evaluation by either the supervisor or the employee. VI.G.5. Process for Appeals (Agreement, Appendix A-28, III)Requests for A-28 related promotion and/or salary increases shall be made at the time of the annual performance program and evaluation using the Request for Appendix A-28 Promotion and/or Salary Increase form (see Appendix O). Requests may be made for promotion and for in-grade salary increases. An employee may initiate the process by stating the case for the promotion and/or salary in writing to their immediate supervisor for review and recommendation. The employee’s supervisor may initiate the process, or may forward the employee’s request, by stating the case for promotion and/or salary increase in writing to the Dean/Director for review and recommendation. The Dean/Director will review based on the criteria for promotion and salary increases and provide written recommendation to the Director of Human Resources. The Director of Human Resources will review based the criteria for promotion and salary increases in Appendix A-28 Section III Paragraph D and will provide written recommendation to the Dean/Director and appropriate Vice President. The Vice President shall approve or deny the request based on the analysis provided by the Director of Human Resources. If approved, the request would be forwarded to the President for consideration. If denied, the employee may appeal as outlined in HARP VI.G.6. and VI.G.7. VI.G.6. Timeline for A-28 Promotion & Salary Increase RequestsJune 15 - July 15: Employee may initiate process by stating the case for promotion and/or salary increase in writing to their immediate supervisor using the Request for Appendix A-28 Promotion and/or Salary Increase form. The current performance program and the next most recent performance program is attached to the request. July 30: Supervisor initiates process OR forwards employee’s request using the Request for Appendix A-28 Promotion and/or Salary Increase form. This form, the supervisor’s written justification, and copies of the current and most recent performance programs are sent to the Dean/Director with a copy to the employee. August 15: Dean/Director reviews and forwards the Request for Appendix A-28 Promotion and/or Salary Increase, the supporting documentation, and a written justification to the Director of Human Resources with a copy to the employee and the employee’s supervisor. September 15: Director of Human Resources provides written analysis of request to the appropriate Vice President with a copy to the employee, the employee’s supervisor, and Director/Dean. September 30: The Vice President provides written recommendation of the request to the President with a copy to the employee, the employee’s supervisor, the Director of Human Resources, and Director/Dean. October 15: The President notifies the employee of the decision regarding promotion and/or salary increase with a copy to the supervisor, the Director/Dean, the Director of Human Resources, and the Vice President. Temporary, significant increases or changes in employee’s duties and responsibilities that occur outside of this timeline shall be considered for Extra Service. VI.G.7. Process for A-28 AppealsConsistent with Appendix A-28 of the Agreement, if a professional employee’s promotion or in-grade salary increase request is denied at any step below the level of the university President, or if no written response is received by the employee at any step below the level of the university President within 45 days, the employee may appeal the denial to the College Review Panel (CRP), in writing, with a copy to Human Resources. The CRP shall, within 60 calendar days of receiving the appeal from the employee, prepare a written summary codifying their position on the employee’s request and shall forward same to the College President with a copy to the employee, supervisor, Dean/Director, Director of Human Resources, and the appropriate Vice President. The President shall, within 90 calendar days of receiving the recommendation from the CRP, prepare a written recommendation on the merits of the petition and reply to the employee with a copy to the supervisor, Dean/Director, Director of Human Resources, the appropriate Vice President, the Vice President of Finance and Administration, and the Chair of the CRP. If no response is received from the President within 90 calendar days from the date of CRP recommendation, or if the President denies the promotion, the employee may appeal to the University Review Board. Such written appeal may be prepared by the employee and sent to the URB with a copy to the university President and Human Resources. VI.H. Process for Internal SearchesIf, following Cabinet approval, a professional SL2-SL5 position is designated as one that can be opened up to an internal search only, then the Human Resources Director shall designate it as such and post it on campus for 10 working days. If the position is not successfully filled by a current on-campus employee, then the search shall be broadened to a regional, SUNY, or national search. VII. Emeritus StatusVII.A. ProcessFaculty and Professionals, full and part-time, who retire in good standing are eligible for Emeritus status pursuant to the Policies (Article XV Title D), and at Fredonia Emeritus status is extended to professional employees as well. This is the process used at Fredonia to confirm this title:
The Emeritus Application is submitted to the Office of the President. The President’s assistant schedules an exit interview. The President interviews the retiring employee. After the interview, the President sends a letter confirming Emeritus status which indicates approved services. The letter is copied to the department Chair, Dean, Provost, HR, and ITS as well as any other department associated with services. HR indicates this status, date granted, and services granted in the employee database. VII.B. PrivilegesThere are privileges that an Emeritus employee is granted automatically, and there are privileges that have to be approved by the President. VII.B.1. Automatic Privileges for Emeritus EmployeesAccess to the following privileges is automatically granted with Emeritus Status:
VII.B.2. Discretionary Privileges for Emeritus EmployeesAccess to the following privileges may be granted by the President in consultation with the department/unit:
[1] Except where otherwise noted, the term “faculty” in this document includes department/school faculty and library faculty. [2] Represented by the United University Professions (UUP), the State University Professional Services Negotiating Unit is comprised of faculty and professional employees within the State University system. [3] http://www.suny.edu/board_of_trustees/pdf/policies.pdf [4] Members of this Task Force who were approved by the University Senate (April 30, 2007) and served for all or part of 2007-08 were Richard Reddy and Maggie Bryan-Peterson (co-Chairs); Nancy Hagedorn, Tom Loughlin, Larry Maheady, Averl Otis, Jodi Rzepka, Monica White, Kerrie Wilkes, and Julia Wilson. [5] Members of this Task Force who served in Spring 2002 were Jack Berkley and Joan Burke (co-Chairs); Bob Booth, Roger Byrne, Bill Jungels, Barbara Mallette, Richard Reddy, Joe Straight, and Paul Schwartz. [6] Members of this administrative Council in 2008-09 were Virginia Horvath (facilitator); David Ewing, Randy Gadikian, Christine Givner, Melinda Karnes, Kevin Kearns, John Kijinski, Karen Klose, Beez Schell, and Eric Skowronski. [7] Members of the FPAC Faculty Subcommittee were Rob Deemer (Chair), Raymond Belliotti, Ann Carden, Michael Jabot, Adrienne McCormick, Samantha Kenney, Beez Schell, John Staples, and Kim Tillery. Members of the FPAC Professionals Subcommittee were Christopher Taverna (Chair), Shari Miller, Beez Schell, Idalia Torres, and Jefferson Westwood. Members of the FPAC Librarians Subcommittee were Barbara Kittle (Chair), Darryl Coleman, Jeremy Linden, and Beez Schell. [8]A The UUP was represented by Edward Giblin and Tara Singer-Blumberg, Janet Mayer, Bridget Russell, and Kathleen Sacco. The campus administration was represented by Michael Daley, David Herman, Virginia Horvath, and John Kijinski. [9] The 2017 negotiations were completed on 8/18/2017. The next round of negotiations will begin on or about 6/1/2019 for completion on or about 9/1/2019. [10] On 05/25/2017, UUP was represented by Tara Singer-Blumberg, Ziya Arnavut, Bruce Simon, Cynthia Smith, Derrik Decker, Amber Powell, Michael Gerholdt, and Daniel Smith. The campus administration was represented by Michael Daley, Terry Brown, Christine Givner, Andy Karafa, Judy Horowitz, and Jodi Rzepka. [11] This section of the Handbook clarifies appointment, reappointment, review and promotion for term-appointed faculty in academic departments, the School of Music, and the Library. [12] http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/forms/servicecredit.pdf [13] www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/forms/tenure_clock_form.pdf [14] In this Handbook, “department” includes Reed Library and the School of Music. [15] For library faculty, the “department Chair” is the Library Faculty Chair. The “Dean” is the Library Director. [16] Shulman, L. S. (1999). Course anatomy: The dissection and analysis of knowledge through teaching. In P. Hutchings, Ed., The course portfolio: How faculty can examine their teaching to advance practice and improve student learning. Washington, DC: AAHE, p.5. [17] These kinds of scholarship correspond roughly to those articulated by Ernest Boyer in Scholarship Reconsidered (1990), a text that was explicitly noted in the Task Force report on personnel policies and in several drafts of these policies. [18] All contingent faculty may also request that colleagues at Fredonia review their course design/syllabus, their assignment design, their comments on student work, their ability to lead discussion or integrative learning approaches, etc. If this is to be included in the review process, contingent faculty should consult with and seek approval from the department Chairperson in advance. [19] http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/Classroom%20Observation%20Pre-Visit%20Questionnaire.docx [20] http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/Classroom%20Observation%20Feedback%20Form.docx [21] http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/Classroom%20Observation%20Post-Visit%20Questionnaire.docx [22] http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/forms/Request%20for%20Prior%20Service%20-%20NTP.pdf [23] http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/forms/permanent_clock_form.pdf [24] The Performance Program Form is available online: http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/perf_prog_eval.asp. [25] The Performance Evaluation Form is available online: http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/perf_prog_eval.asp. [26] The list of MACC Titles is available online: http://www.uupinfo.org/reports/intro10.php [27] http://www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/forms/emeritus_application.pdf
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