D. Committee Structure for Promotion and Tenure

1. Department Review Committee

The first level of review for pre‐tenure and tenure and promotion is conducted by a department committee made up of all tenured members of a department at the associate level or above. If a department has fewer than three tenured members, the dean shall appoint faculty members from related fields to complete the three‐person committee. The departmental committee chair will be elected by the tenured associate professor or higher members of the department no later than the third week of fall semester. If a department has a faculty member under consideration for associate professor or full professor, the chair must have that same rank or higher. Tenure and promotion recommendations to associate professor are recommended by a vote of the tenured faculty at the associate level or higher (Approved December 8, 2017). Promotion recommendations to full professor are made by a vote of the tenured full professor faculty. (Approved 1/24/2014)

2. College Tenure and Promotion Committee

The most significant level of review among faculty committees (Approved December 8, 2017) is the college committee of tenured faculty members, consisting of seven tenured faculty members at the rank of associate or full Professor. At least three of the seven members must hold the rank of full Professor. Each member of the College Tenure and Promotion Committee shall be elected by a vote of tenured members of that particular college. There shall not be mandatory representation of each department on this committee, and all members of this committee shall be selected by at‐large elections. However, no department shall have more than two members of the department who shall serve at the same time on the Tenure and Promotion Committee. The members will serve staggered two‐year terms to ensure continuity with approximately half the committee standing for election each spring. There shall be no limitation on consecutive terms of service on the committee. The chair will be elected by its members. When a faculty member is under consideration for associate professor or full professor, the chair of the college committee must have that same rank or higher. Tenure and promotion recommendations to associate professor are made by a vote of the entire college committee (Approved December 8, 2017). Promotion recommendations to full professor are made by a vote of the tenured full professor faculty on the committee. (Approved 1/24/2014)

3. Recusal

In advance of consideration of candidates, each committee member shall disclose to the other committee members the nature and extent of any relevant past interactions, relationships and working arrangements with each candidate who will be considered by the committee.

A committee member with a Conflict of Interest as defined in this policy shall recuse him or herself from consideration of each candidate with whom he or she has a Conflict of Interest.

For purposes of this policy, “Conflict of Interest” means –

• The committee member is related to the candidate, directly or through marriage;

• The committee member is married to or otherwise in a personal or intimate relationship with the candidate;

• The committee member resides in the same household as the candidate; or

• The committee member has a vested personal, business or financial interest that conflicts with a vested personal, business or financial interest of the candidate.

Objection to a committee member’s participation based on Conflict of Interest as defined by this policy may be raised by the candidate, any member of the committee, or by the Dean of the candidate’s school or college. If an objection is raised and the committee member refuses to voluntarily recuse him or herself, the Dean of the candidate’s college or school shall decide whether a Conflict of Interest as defined by this policy exists such that the committee member shall be disqualified from participation. The Dean’s decision on this issue is final.

An individual committee member shall recuse him or herself from consideration of a candidate if the individual committee member subjectively determines that he or she cannot fairly evaluate that candidate’s performance as required by the University’s published policies.

There is no basis for disqualification or recusal of a committee member except as specifically stated in this policy. (Approved February 23, 2018).