Kenan-Flagler Business School: Post-Tenure Review Policy

Unit Policy

Title

Kenan-Flagler Business School: Post-Tenure Review Policy

Introduction

Purpose

By mandate of the UNC Board of Trustees, each department and unit of the University must develop a periodic, comprehensive review of the performance of tenured faculty members. The goals of the post tenure review are to promote faculty development, ensure faculty productivity, and provide accountability.

Scope

This policy applies to all tenured faculty members at Kenan-Flagler Business School, as well as the Post-Tenure Review Committee members, the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research, and the Dean who are involved in administering the review process.

Post-Tenure Review Policies

Each faculty member is subject to post tenure review no less often than every five years following the conferral of tenure. Reviews must examine all aspects of a faculty member's academic performance and must involve faculty peers. Comprehensive reviews for other purposes, such as a review for a promotion (e.g. to full promotion, to a distinguished chair) may be substituted for a post tenure review. A review may be delayed for compelling reasons approved by the Provost.

If a faculty member is reassigned to other duties (e.g., department chair or academic unit head) for .50 FTE or more or is occupying a leave-earning position (e.g., SAAO Tier I or Tier II), that faculty member shall not be required to undergo post-tenure review until having completed a five-year cycle following the reassignment.

Post-Tenure Review at KFBS:

• The Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research will appoint a Post-Tenure Review Committee consisting of a minimum of three faculty members. Faculty selected to serve on the post-tenure review committee will be at either the full or distinguished rank. There will be one faculty representative from each research area. The Post-Tenure Review Committee members, Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research, and Dean will complete all training required by UNC-CH in accordance with UNC-CH's Post Tenure Review Policy.
• Faculty members under review will be notified by the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research or their designee in the year of their review.

• The review process will involve an examination of qualitative and quantitative evidence of all relevant aspects of a faculty member's professional performance over the previous five years in relation to the mission of School. Each faculty member being reviewed must provide a concise summary of accomplishments and plans, including the following documents:

  1. A current vita
  2. A summary of teaching. The summary may be presented in a grid (following the format used in the annual review process) showing teaching assignments, student enrollments, and course evaluations for the previous five year period. The teaching summary should also include information not obvious from the grid, including information on new course development, teaching innovations, and other contributions to the teaching mission of the School.
  3. Faculty may use the Kenan-Flager Business School Post Tenure Review Assessment Template to provide a concise (1-2 page) personal assessment of contributions to the research, teaching and service missions of the School during the preceding five years. The personal assessment should highlight information beyond data provided on the vita or teaching summary, including additional information on research or teaching impact, external recognition for professional accomplishments, and other relevant data pertaining to academic and professional contributions.
  4. A concise five year career work plan. The career work plan should describe what kinds of School contributions will be emphasized in the future, including new research initiatives, development of new courses, aspirations for administrative assignments, and other contributions to the School's mission.
• The post-tenure review assessment shall include, in writing, at least three categories which clearly specify that the faculty member's performance meets, exceeds or does not meet expectations. The post-tenure review process should identify and recognize performance that exceeds expectations. The process may also identify specific areas in which faculty members can improve and, in such cases, the process should result in specific recommendations and plans for improvement. For faculty members whose overall performance does not meet expectations, the report of the Post-Tenure Review Committee shall include a statement of the faculty member's primary responsibilities, specific descriptions of shortcomings as they relate to the faculty member's assigned duties, and note that a more comprehensive plan for improvement (a faculty success plan) should be prepared. The Post-Tenure Review Committee shall include a brief written rationale for each assessment in each relevant category (teaching, research/creative activity, service), in accordance with the faculty member's long-term work plan and responsibility of duties.
• Per the Evaluating Faculty Teaching Effectiveness Policy: "For all faculty with a workload plan that includes teaching, peer assessments must occur per appointment period, promotion, or post-tenure review interval." Faculty with workload plans receive their peer voice assessment in their annual reviews. Faculty undergoing their post-tenure review also receive a detailed assessment of their teaching in their post-tenure review report.
• The Post-Tenure Review Committee will consult with the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research and provide to the faculty member and the Sr. Assoc. Dean a written summary of its conclusions with regard to the faculty member's overall performance and, where appropriate, its recommendations. The faculty member being reviewed must be given an opportunity, by the unit head, no less than fourteen (14) days from receiving the documents to provide a written response to the report of the Post-Tenure Review Committee. If the faculty member disagrees with the review, the response shall offer evidence in support of a different assessment. The response shall become part of the permanent record of the post-tenure review moving forward.
• The Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research shall review the committee's report, including any written response provided by the faculty member. The Sr. Associate Dean for Faculty and Research shall provide a written review along with all of the report information from the committee, and the faculty member's response, shall be provided to the Dean to whom the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research reports. Faculty who receive an overall rating of exceeds expectations or meets expectations shall have completed the post-tenure review process. Faculty who receive an overall rating of does not meet expectations on their post-tenure review will be placed on a faculty success plan.
• Faculty Success plans for faculty members whose overall performance does not meet expectations should be formative and developed in cooperation with the faculty member and the Sr. Assoc. Dean on the basis of the evaluation and recommendations provided by the Post-Tenure Review Committee. Faculty success plans should be individualized and flexible, taking into account the faculty member's intellectual interests, abilities, and career stage, as well as needs of the unit and institution. The faculty success plan should describe changes, if any, to be made in the faculty member's workload and distribution of teaching, research/creative activity, and/or service responsibilities. Faculty success plans shall not be punitive and instead establish clear goals, specify steps designed to achieve those goals, define indicators of goal attainment, establish a clear and reasonable time frame for the completion of goals, identify any resources available for implementation of the plan, and state the consequences of failure to attain the goals. The use of mentoring peers is encouraged, and progress meetings with the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research must occur on at least a semi-annual basis during the specified time frame. The Sr. Assoc. Dean should acknowledge in writing a faculty member's clear improvement and the successful completion of a faculty success plan. The Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research shall maintain a record of the Committee's report, and the faculty member's response. This material shall be maintained as part of the faculty member's confidential personnel file within the unit.
• When the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research is being reviewed, the Dean assumes the function of the Sr. Assoc. Dean in the review process and the report of the Post-Tenure Review Committee and any response shall be reviewed by the Dean. A faculty member whose overall performance has been found to show substantial deficiencies and for whom a faculty success plan has been recommended will have the right to appeal the findings of the Post-Tenure Review Committee and the recommendation for a faculty success plan to the next higher level administrative officer beyond the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research.
• In the case of a faculty member who fails to complete a faculty success plan successfully and whose performance continues to be deficient, the Dean should notify the next higher level administrative officer, who will consider whether grounds for dismissal or other disciplinary action exist under the Trustees Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure. Dismissal or severe sanction may be imposed only in accordance with and on the grounds stated in the Trustees Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure.
• Faculty members may grieve matters related to post-tenure review to the Faculty Grievance Committee under Section 607 of the Code of the University of North Carolina during their term of employment.

Record keeping:

Copies of the school's post-tenure review procedures, as revised from time to time, will be filed with the dean or Provost, as appropriate. The Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research or their designee will maintain a list of the faculty members reviewed each year, a record of completed reviews and responses to the reviews, the names of all faculty members for whom a development plan was recommended, and a copy of the development plans. The Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research will submit annual reports to the Office of the Provost giving the following information:

1. Number of faculty members reviewed during the previous year,
2. Number of faculty members for whom a development plan was recommended and established, and
3. Number of faculty who are subject to review, but for whom a delay was approved by the Provost along with the compelling reasons for the delay.

Procedure for Requesting a Post Tenure Review Delay:

• Requests to delay an upcoming post tenure review should be submitted to the faculty member's Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research in advance to ensure timely processing of the request.
• Requests must be in writing and specify the compelling reason(s) for the request to delay the review.
• Requests must include a written justification from the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research, and be approved by the Dean (or his/her designee).
• Approved requests are then submitted to the Executive Vice-Provost for review and approval. Once the request is reviewed, a written communication will be sent from the Provost's Office to the faculty member, the Sr. Assoc. Dean for Faculty and Research and the Dean indicating whether the request has been approved.
• If the request is approved, the faculty member's HR office must then complete an electronic action in the existing system, with the Provost's letter of approval attached, to finalize the change to the Post Tenure Review date.

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: Mary Margaret Frank

Telephone: 919-962-3232

Email: myersmm@unc.edu