C. Guidelines
1.The Faculty Status Committee considers all recommends for promotion, tenure, renewal of contract, and/or termination as representatives of the entire faculty.
a. Candidates for promotion and/or tenure are considered once a year, usually January through March. Recommendations from department chairs are solicited by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean on behalf of the committee. The faculty member may initiate his own recommendation, and occasionally the Status Committee itself initiates action. In all cases the judgment of the department chair, colleagues, and students is sought.
b. Department chairs incorporate the judgment of the departmental faculty in the recommendation and indicate how faculty judgment has been secured and how it is reflected in the recommendation.
c. Included in each candidate's file should be an updated vita, departmental recommendation, data from student evaluations, and supplemental comments from the individual (optional).
d.The Status Committee may ask the department chair, the candidate, or others to appear before the committee. Chairs and others may request such appearances.
e. (1)The Status Committee makes its recommendations on promotion, tenure, renewal of contracts, and/or termination to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean and the President. The President makes the final decision concerning recommendations to the trustees. (2) The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean serves the committee as a resource person but does not vote on recommendations for promotion, tenure, renewal of contract, and/or termination. His recommendation is submitted independently to the President along with those of the chairs and the Status Committee.
f. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean will inform the faculty member, the departmental chair, and the Status Committee what decisions have been made. In cases of adverse decision, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean will also inform the Committee on Due Process.
g. The Status Committee automatically reviews the situation of faculty members under terminal appointment. The department chair and the faculty member may submit additional evidence which might alter the decision.
h. A faculty member who has received an adverse decision regarding promotion, renewal of contract, and/or tenure has the right to appeal. The Faculty Committee on Due Process is charged with advising the faculty member of his or her rights and providing guidance through the appeal procedure.
i.The first level of appeal of an adverse decision regarding promotion, renewal of contract, and/or tenure will be to the Status Committee. The appeal procedure may continue to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, the President, and the Board of Trustees.
j. Faculty members who believe their rights to equal opportunity of employment have been violated on account of race, religion, or sex have the right to appeal in accordance with the guidelines on file in the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean.
2. The Status Committee annually reviews the Faculty Handbook to update its policies regarding faculty status, faculty benefits, and faculty performance.
3. Annually the Status Committee recommends to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean and the President relative salary increases (not specific figures) for individual faculty members (excluding members of the committee). Subsequently the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean reports to the committee on those instances where the administration deviates from the actions of the committee.
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