This P&P includes the following main sections:

• Background
• Timing of pre-tenure review
• Definitions
• Procedure for pre-tenure review
• Results of pre-tenure review

As part of the effort to communicate expectations to faculty, each institution in the University System of Georgia conducts in depth pre-tenure reviews of all faculty members in their third year of progress towards tenure. The reviews are based on criteria established for promotion and tenure, as described elsewhere in this P&P Manual. The senior vice chancellor for academic affairs reviews and approves institutional pre-tenure review policies as well as any later revisions.

New faculty appointed at the rank of instructor will be evaluated once they are promoted to the rank of assistant professor--considering their probationary credit and service at the assistant professor rank, using the schedule shown above.

Described here are the following terms:

Year of Service

• A year of service toward tenure is considered to be a regular full-time appointment for an academic year. The year of submission and review is counted as a year of service.

• Time spent on leaves-of-absence interrupts one's service and will not normally be counted for credit toward tenure.

Program Peer Committee

• Each program peer committee consists of all tenured faculty in the program who are not current candidates for promotion.

• At the start of each fall semester, the committee begins a 12-month term and selects its own chairperson.

• In tenure cases, all faculty on the committee may discuss and vote on all candidates.

• In promotion cases, a committee member may discuss and vote on only those candidates seeking a rank equal to or lower than the rank of the committee member.

School Peer Committee

• Each school peer committee consists of one tenured full professor from each program in the school, elected by the tenure-track faculty in the respective program. If a tenured professor is not available, the program faculty may elect a tenured associate professor.

• At the start of each fall semester, the committee begins a 12-month term and selects its own chairperson.

• A faculty member may not serve simultaneously on the SPSU campus peer committee and any SPSU school peer committee.

• All members may discuss all cases for tenure and promotion. However, a member may not vote on (a) cases from his or her own program and (b) cases for rank higher than his or her own rank.

Campus Peer Committee

• The campus peer committee consists of one tenured full professor from each school, elected by the tenure-track faculty in each school. If there is no tenured professor available, the school faculty may elect a tenured associate professor.

• At the start of each fall semester, the committee begins a 12-month term and selects its own chairperson.

• A faculty member may not serve simultaneously on the SPSU campus peer committee and any SPSU school peer committee.

• All members may discuss all cases for tenure and promotion. However, a member may not vote on (a) cases from his or her own school and (b) cases for rank higher than his or her own rank.

The following procedure generally is followed when conducting a pre-tenure review.

The eligible faculty member submits the pre-tenure review package to the school dean by the announced deadline. The package must include the following parts when it is submitted to the dean:

• Cover sheet

• Resume in official SPSU format

• List of all course sections taught at SPSU, term by term

• Narrative-a maximum five-page, single-spaced section describing the faculty member's accomplishments and plans for the future, all in the context of criteria for tenure

• Summaries of official SPSU student evaluations for all courses taught at SPSU (note that spring term evaluations only became required as of 2001 and thus may not be available for some years)

    Note: Additional documentation of teaching effectiveness may be submitted but must not exceed 10 pages.

The dean forwards the package to the chairperson of the program review committee. The chairperson schedules meetings of the committee to review pre-tenure packages from the program faculty.

Note:

By a 2/3 vote of a program's tenured faculty and agreement of the dean and VPAA, a school may elect to bypass review by the program review committee and move directly to review by the school peer committee.

The program peer committee conducts its review and submits a letter to the school dean that (a) describes the faculty member's progress toward tenure and (b) includes specific suggestions for continued progress.

The dean forwards the package-with the letter from the program review committee-to the chairperson of the school peer committee. The chairperson schedules meetings of the committee to review pre-tenure packages from the school.

The school peer committee conducts its review and submits a letter to the school dean that (a) describes the faculty member's progress toward tenure and (b) includes specific suggestions for continued progress.

The dean forwards the package-with the letters from the program and school peer committees-to the chairperson of the campus peer committee. The chairperson schedules meetings of the committee to review pre-tenure packages from the entire campus.

The campus peer committee conducts its review and submits a letter to the dean that (a) describes the faculty member's progress toward tenure and (b) includes specific suggestions for continued progress.

The dean conducts his or her review and submits a letter to the VPAA-along with the package and letters from all three peer committees. The dean's letter (a) describes the faculty member's progress toward tenure and (b) includes specific suggestions for continued progress.

After reviewing the materials, the VPAA adds his or her letter and sends copies of the package to the faculty member and appropriate dean-keeping the original for the file in the VPAA's office. The VPAA's letter comprises only a brief overview that summarizes his or her views on the faculty member's progress toward tenure.

Note:

At this point, the faculty member has the option of responding in writing to the letters and comments. Responses should be sent to the dean, with copy to the VPAA.

• A favorable review is not a guarantee that promotion or tenure will be awarded when the required years in rank are served.

• Where progress has not been satisfactory at the time of pre-tenure review, the school dean and faculty member will develop an action plan to address noted deficiencies.

• If the school dean and faculty member cannot agree on an action plan, the vice president for academic affairs will finalize the plan.

• Completion of an action plan is not a guarantee for promotion and tenure.