Procedures for TAP

The Chair of TAP:

1. Notifies the entire faculty of the TAP procedures and deadlines at the end of the academic year by announcing the information at the May faculty meeting and by sending an email to the faculty at this time, and notifies potential candidates that they must send a statement of intention to the chair of TAP by June 1.
    
2. Consults deans and notifies candidates who are eligible for tenure and refers them to tenure regulations in the Faculty Handbook at the end of that same year. The chair of TAP will send a Verification of Eligibility form to the appropriate Dean upon receipt of the statement of intention.
    
3. Sends a request for information letter to the candidate.
    
4. Notifies candidates for TAP of the due dates for the candidates’ self-maintained files.
   1. Self-maintained files for TAP are due to the chair of the TAP no later than September 1.
   2. Candidates may send information such as their curriculum vitae to faculty members who are writing peer evaluations. Such information is due the same day as the self-maintained files.
       
5. Sends peer evaluation forms no later than the day after the self-maintained file due-date to the following:
   1. All members in the candidate’s senate division, including any member serving on the candidate’s Ad Hoc committee.
   2. No more than three individuals outside the senate division, chosen by the candidate, if the candidate so requests.
       
6. Requests letter of recommendation for the candidate’s department chair (or Director of the Mickel Library). If the candidate is a department chair, the candidate has the option of selecting a senior faculty member of the same senate division to write the letter. Since candidates for promotion to Full Professor have the option of designating a senior faculty member in the same division to write the letter of recommendation, the chair of TAP requests this letter as well. This letter is due to the chair of the TAP by September 1.
    
7. Reviews the information from the candidates and appoints an ad-hoc committee. The ad-hoc committee should be composed of three members of the faculty, at least two of whom should be drawn from the candidate’s list. The Committee should exclude faculty serving on the TAP. The person writing the letter of recommendation and peers outside the senate division completing evaluations should also be excluded from the ad-hoc committee. Requests a written report from the ad-hoc committee, signed by all members of the committee by September 15. This report will be considered confidential and will be placed in the candidate's confidential TAP file to be seen only by individuals making the decision on tenure and/or promotion.
    
8. Appoints chairs of ad-hoc committees and distributes the self-maintained files to the appointed chairs by September 2. These files should not include the peer evaluations and the letter of recommendation from the designated person. 
   All materials received regarding the candidate’s tenure and/or promotion process should be placed in one of two Google files labeled “Confidential” or “Tenure and Promotion Information.” Information to be placed in the “Confidential” file include but is not limited to the following:  Chair recommendations, Third Year Advisory Report, Dean’s recommendation, the Ad Hoc Committee Report, TAP peer evaluations, TAP Committee Letter. The candidate will upload their supporting material in the “Tenure and Promotion” file.
    
9. Circulates all evaluations and candidates’ self-maintained files, including those for promotion to Full Professor, to all members of the TAP. The TAP reviews evaluations and self-maintained files for all candidates for tenure and/or promotion.
    
10. Accepts no unsolicited information after the TAP begins its deliberations. The Chair of TAP announces when those deliberations will begin.
     
11. Arranges for TAP meetings throughout the fall term to discuss the candidates. An attempt should be made to complete all deliberations and paperwork by Thanksgiving break. This time table will depend on the number of candidates.
     
12. Arranges a meeting with the TAP, if the candidate so requests.
     
13. Calls for a written vote (following discussion of each candidate) from each TAP member and announces the results of the vote of the Committee. The vote should include separate votes for tenure and promotion.  The vote options should include: Highly Recommend, Recommend, Recommend with Reservations and Do Not Recommend.
     
14. Prepares one copy of the confidential written report, including two parts. Part I (Candidate's copy) consists of the committee’s assessment, one copy of which will be forwarded to the candidate by the appropriate Dean after the decision is made by the Board of Trustees and the candidate had been notified. Part II (File Copy), which is to remain strictly confidential, consists of the committee’s specific recommendation and vote. The report is signed by all members of the Committee and submitted to the appropriate Dean.
     
15. May request a meeting between the TAP and the administration for discussion at least two weeks prior to the submission of the administration’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees, in the event the administration’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees differs from the recommendation of the TAP.
     
16. Delivers all evaluations and self-maintained files to the appropriate Dean’s office.
     
17. After the final decision has been announced, removes any confidential material (e.g., peer evaluations, letters of recommendation, ad hoc committee reports) from files and gives them to the appropriate Dean to file for a period of one calendar year from the date of action by the Board of Trustees, unless the faculty member requests that they be kept longer.
     
18. Meets with a member of Campus Technology to set up the peer evaluation system for TAP candidates.  This meeting should take place in early to mid-August so the evaluation process is open September 2- 15.
     
19. Asks the TAP members who are rotating off the committee to meet with perspective candidates in April for an information session regarding the TAP process.

The Candidate for TAP:

1. Determines eligibility for tenure and/or promotion by reading the TAP section of the Faculty Handbook and consults the appropriate Dean, if there are any questions.
    
2. Sends a statement of intention to the chair of the TAP.
    
3. Supplies the information requested by the chair of TAP including the following:
   1. (Optional) Names of five (5) faculty members to be considered for appointment to an ad hoc committee, excluding members of the TAP, and peers outside the senate division completing evaluations.
   2. (Optional) No more than three names of faculty members outside the senate division to be sent peer evaluation forms.
      For those seeking promotion to the rank of Full Professor, peer evaluation forms will be sent to all current Full Professors of the University.
       
4. Submits to the chair of the TAP the self-nomination forms and a self- maintained file which must contain the following evidence that the candidate has met the criteria for tenure and/or promotion:
   1. Updated professional vita, including a list of publications, performances, exhibitions, professional presentations, conferences, awards, research grants, offices in professional organizations, and a list of other contributions to the University (committees, community service, curriculum development, etc.).
   2. Evidence of effectiveness in teaching, which should include digital versions of all student evaluations, course syllabi, and a current (within the past year) written observation of classroom teaching by either the department chair or for candidates for Full Professor, by a senior faculty member in the same division. If the candidate is a department chair, the candidate has the option of selecting a senior faculty member of the same division to write the observation.
   3. A narrative self-evaluation of the candidate’s work according to the criteria listed under “Criteria for Tenure and Promotion.”
   4. The Dean’s Advisory (Third Year) Evaluation (may not apply to candidates who began their career at Converse prior to this evaluation) and all department chair evaluations.
5. Picks up file from the appropriate Dean’s office on a date designated by the chair of the TAP.

The Ad-Hoc Committee:

1. Examines the candidate’s self-maintained file which they will receive on Sept. 2. This portions of the file will not include any documents that are in the “confidential” file.
2. Writes a narrative report, signed by all members of the ad hoc committee, on the candidate and submits it to the chair of the TAP by September 15.

The Dean:

1. Determines eligibility of candidates for TAP when questions arise and will send a Verification of Eligibility form, supplied by the chair of TAP, to the chair of TAP by June 15.
2. Receives (from chair of the TAP) candidates’ evaluations, self- maintained files and any other material submitted by the candidate.
3. Receives the TAP’s written report and recommendations, prepares the Dean’s evaluation, and submits both to the Provost. The Dean or Provost may request a meeting with the TAP to receive additional information or clarification.
4. Notifies the faculty representative to the Board of Trustees (usually the Senate President, who also serves as the Chair of TAP) of the decision of the administration at least two weeks prior to the meeting of the Board.
5. Meets with the candidate and provides a letter, including the reasons for the decision and an assessment of strengths and weaknesses in the specific areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. Part I (Candidate's Copy) of the TAP’s report will be attached.
6. Upon receiving notification from the Provost of the decision of the Board of Trustees, meets with each candidate and provides a letter which states the Board of Trustees’ decision regarding tenure and/or promotion including the reasons for the decision and an assessment of strengths and weaknesses in the specific areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. Part I of the TAP’s report will be attached.
7. Sends a letter informing the candidate’s department chair of the Board of Trustees’ decision regarding tenure and/or promotion.

Files all confidential material for each candidate for one calendar year from the date of action by the Board of Trustees. Destroys all files at that time unless the faculty member requests that they be kept longer.

Retains a copy of the TAP’s confidential report and the Dean’s evaluation.

The Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs

1. In addition to the candidate’s file and all supporting materials, the Provost receives the TAP written report and recommendation from the appropriate Dean. The Provost independently reviews the candidate’s record of accomplishments in teaching, advising, research and/or creative achievements, and service and ultimately makes a recommendation to the President.

2. Sends recommendations from the Deans, TAP, and the Provost to the President.

3. Informs the appropriate Dean of the decision of the Board of Trustees

The President of the University:

• May arrange for a meeting with the individual candidates.
• Receives the reports from the Deans, the TAP, and the Provost and has access to the files. The President may arrange for a meeting with the appropriate Dean, the TAP, or the Provost to receive additional information or clarification.
• Notifies the Provost of the decision of the Board of Trustees.  Faculty and professional librarian promotions are granted upon recommendation of the President and are supject to approval by the Board of Trustees. Tenure is granted to teaching faculty members by the same authority and in the same way. Librarians are not eligible for tenure.