Post-Tenure Review Policy

Post-tenure review is a systematic process for the periodic, comprehensive review of the performance of all faculty members having permanent tenure and whose primary duties are teaching, research and/or service. The goals of post-tenure review are to promote faculty development, ensure faculty productivity, and provide accountability. The post-tenure review process should respect the basic principles of academic freedom.

University Policy

Title

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policy on Post-Tenure Review

Introduction

Purpose

Post-tenure review is a systematic process for the periodic, comprehensive review of the performance of all faculty members having permanent tenure and whose primary duties are teaching, research and/or service. The goals of post-tenure review are to promote faculty development, ensure faculty productivity, and provide accountability. The post-tenure review process should respect the basic principles of academic freedom. Post-tenure review does not abrogate, in any way, the due process criteria or procedures for dismissal or other disciplinary action established under the Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure.

Scope

This policy applies to all University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ("UNC-Chapel Hill") tenured faculty members whose primary responsibilities are teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

Policy

Each faculty member is subject to post-tenure review no less often than every five years following the conferral of permanent tenure. Reviews must examine all aspects of a faculty member's professional performance and must involve faculty peers. While annual performance reviews may inform the post-tenure review process, they are not a substitute for a comprehensive post-tenure review. Comprehensive evaluations conducted for other purposes, such as a review for promotion, may be substituted for or combined with post-tenure review.

Occurrence of Post-Tenure Review

• Each tenured faculty member is subject to a post-tenure review no less often than every five years following the conferral of permanent tenure.
• 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.
• Extension – A faculty member may request to delay a scheduled post-tenure review for compelling reasons. The request for postponement must be in writing and approved by the Provost.

Departmental Guidelines

• Each appointing unit has developed written policies and procedures that describe the expectations the unit has of its tenured faculty, the manner in which the post-tenure review process is conducted, and the procedures by which persons will be designated to conduct reviews.
• Effective upon the award of tenure, and coincident with the start of each post-tenure review cycle, faculty should develop, in consultation with their department chairs, long-term work plans that are aligned with annual performance evaluations and consistent with the expectations of the department/school. These long-term work plans will cover the five years of the post-tenure cycle.
• The long-term work plan can be modified annually by the faculty member in consultation with their department chair. Plan modifications must be approved by the unit head. The unit head shall notify a faculty member at least six months in advance of an upcoming post-tenure review.
• The long-term work plan shall correspond with the annual work plan and evaluation required by the University Policy on Faculty Workload. While annual evaluations may inform the process, they are not a substitute for a periodic, comprehensive post-tenure review. The finalized long-term work plan must be approved by the college/school dean or designee. Comprehensive evaluations conducted for other purposes, such as a review for promotion, may be substituted for or combined with post-tenure review.
• Each college/school shall develop written policies and procedures that address how Faculty Success Plans resulting from an annual evaluation will be considered in the PTR process.
• Each unit shall design a written self-assessment tool for faculty members to offer their personal perspective to the post-tenure review committee.

Post-Tenure Review Policies

In the remainder of this document, those designated to conduct the initial review will be referred to as the Post-Tenure Review Committee. The following criteria are required when conducting a PTR.

• The review process must involve faculty peers and should be conducted by a minimum of three Post Tenure Review Committee members.
• The faculty member being reviewed shall not participate in the selection of members of the Post-Tenure Review Committee.
• The post-tenure review process should be flexible enough to acknowledge different expectations in different disciplines and changing expectations at different stages of faculty careers.

Training for Institutional Reviewers

UNC-Chapel Hill shall provide ongoing support and training for all post-tenure review evaluators, including peer review committee members, department chairs or academic unit heads, and deans. The UNC System Office will provide digital training modules that focus on basic state personnel policies and regulations, preparing for and conducting a thorough review, and the essentials of managing a meaningful review process.

UNC-Chapel Hill shall ensure that all post-tenure review evaluators review these modules and receive training in campus-specific policies and procedures. In submitting the requisite annual post-tenure review reports, the Provost will also certify that required training has been conducted.

Faculty "Reviewee" Expectations

Each faculty member being reviewed should provide to the Post Tenure Review Committee the following items:

• A concise summary of accomplishments and plans.
• Additional evidence of performance, which may include annual evaluations, a current curriculum vitae, copies of publications, evaluations of teaching, and other documentation of contributions and accomplishments.
• A written self-assessment encompassing the faculty member’s career objectives and future aspirations.

Approval Process

The faculty member’s materials including the department chair/unit head’s review, the post-tenure review committee report, and any written response from the faculty member shall be provided to the dean/administrative officer to whom the unit head reports. The dean/administrative officer shall also conduct a written evaluative review of the information received.

• A faculty member whose PTR results in an overall rating of "Exceeds Expectations" shall have completed the post-tenure review process and will be recognized by the institution for their performance.
• A faculty member whose PTR results in an overall rating of "Meets Expectations" shall have completed the post-tenure review process.
• A faculty member whose PTR results in an overall rating of "Does Not Meet Expectations" shall be subject to a Faculty Success Plan.

Faculty Success Plans Standards

• Faculty Success Plans shall be formative, developed in cooperation with the faculty member, and include specific steps for improvement.
• Faculty Success Plans shall be completed within one year from date of issuance. Plan timelines may be longer than one year, at the discretion of the unit head.
• Peer mentoring is encouraged as part of the Faculty Success Plan.
• Progress meetings shall occur on a regular basis between the faculty member and department chair/unit head during the duration of the Faculty Success Plan.

The Faculty Success Plan Template for PTR can be accessed on the Office of Faculty Affairs website.

Workload Allocation

In consultation with the dean/administrative head, the chair/unit head may redefine faculty workloads and distribution of teaching, research/creative activity, and service when a faculty member’s PTR results in an overall rating of does not meet expectations. In such cases where revisions are made:

• The department chair/unit head and dean shall ensure any changes to these duties are not punitive responses to the faculty member and instead address ways to support the department, school/college, and institution to better leverage the faculty member’s expertise and abilities and improve their performance.
• The Faculty Success Plan shall detail the changes in duties and responsibilities. The faculty member’s annual work plan shall also change accordingly to ensure the faculty member is evaluated appropriately, based on the relevant allocation of workload.

A faculty member who fails to satisfactorily complete their Faculty Success Plan and whose performance continues to be deficient, may be subject to the imposition of a disciplinary sanction or dismissal in accordance with the Trustees Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure.

Dispute Resolution

Faculty who wish to contest determinations regarding their post-tenure review may seek resolution through the Faculty Grievance Committee.

Records and Reporting on Post-Tenure Reviews

The unit head shall maintain a record of the Post-Tenure Review Committee’s report, the faculty member’s response as well as the reviews of the unit head and the administrative officer. This material shall be maintained as part of the faculty member’s confidential personnel file within the unit.

Copies of each unit’s post-tenure review procedures, as revised from time to time, will be filed with the dean or Provost, as appropriate. Unit heads 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 Faculty Success Plan was recommended, and a copy of the Faculty Success Plan.

• Deans 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 Faculty Success 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.
  4. Certify that all post-tenure review evaluators and administrators have reviewed UNC System Office training modules and received training in unit-specific policies and procedures.
• Deans will use the process specified by the Office of the Provost to annually report (i) the names of all faculty members who receive a post-tenure review overall rating of “exceeds expectations” and (ii) the rationale for the overall rating.
  1. The Provost will coordinate appropriate recognition for these faculty members in collaboration with the Office of Faculty Affairs.

Consistent with UNC System Regulation 400.3.31[R], the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost will document UNC-Chapel Hill’s adherence in an annual report on post-tenure review to the UNC System Office.

Procedure for Requesting a Post-Tenure Review Delay

Requests to delay an upcoming post tenure review should be submitted to the faculty member’s department chair/unit head in advance to ensure timely departmental processing of the request.

• Requests must be submitted using the Review Deferral Request Form and specify the compelling reason(s) for the request to delay the review.
• Requests must include a written justification from the department chair/unit head, and be approved by the next level administrative officer (or their designee).
• Request forms should be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs at facultyaffairs@unc.edu for review and approval. Once the request is reviewed, a notification will be sent from the Office of Faculty Affairs to the faculty member, the department chair/unit head and the next level administrative officer indicating whether the request has been approved.
• If the request is approved, the faculty member’s academic unit must then complete an electronic action in the existing system, with the approved form attached, to finalize the change to the Post Tenure Review date.

Related Requirements

External Regulations

• UNC System Policy 400.3.3: Performance Review of Tenured Faculty (Post-Tenure Review)
• UNC System Regulation 400.3.3.1[R]: Regulation on Performance Review of Tenured Faculty (Post-Tenure Review)

University Policies, Standards, and Procedures

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policy on Faculty Workloads

Contact Information

General inquiries about the post-tenure review policy should be directed to the Office of Faculty Affairs at facultyaffairs@unc.edu.

Policy Effective Date

The UNC System made revisions to the policy, regulation and guideline on post-tenure review effective March 26, 2024. The Provost shall annually review the post tenure review policy of UNC-Chapel Hill and certify that all aspects of the UNC-Chapel Hill policy are in compliance with the policies of the UNC System Office and any associated guidelines adopted by the President of the UNC System Office.