Confidentiality of Personnel Deliberations
Composition of Departmental Personnel Committees (Probationary and Temporary Appointment, Retention, Tenure, and Promotion, and Evaluation of Temporary, Probationary and Tenured Faculty)
Composition of Departmental Personnel Committees
The department annually elects 5 personnel committees.
The probationary and tenured faculty members of the department or equivalent unit shall elect a peer review committee(s) of tenured faculty members. When there are insufficient eligible members to serve on the peer committee, the department shall elect members from a related academic discipline(s).
(The Committees, as a whole, must take responsibility for the following tasks: Probationary Appointment; Temporary Appointment; Retention, Tenure and Promotion; Range Elevation; Evaluation of Temporary Faculty; Evaluation of Probationary Faculty; Evaluation of Tenured Faculty (Post-Tenure review); Evaluation for Request to Emeritus status; and Collaboration on the Development of Individual Professional Plans. It is required that each unit indicate below which Committee is responsible for each of these tasks.)
| Committee Titles and Responsibilities |
Number of Members (at least 3; all tenured) (Indicate if must be (full) professor rank) |
Number of Alternates (1 or more; all tenured) (Indicate if must be (full) professor rank) |
|---|---|---|
|
Promotion Committee A Promotion to Full Professor, Range Elevation from C to D; Collaborates in preparing Individual Professional Plans. |
3 (Full Professors) Department chair will serve as a voting ex officio member, so only 2 members need to be elected |
1 (Full Professor) |
|
Retention, Tenure, and B-Level Promotion Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor and Tenure; Range Elevation from A to B and B to C. |
5 (Tenured Professors) Department chair will serve as a voting ex officio member, so only 4 members need to be elected |
1 (Tenured Professors) |
|
Lecturer Appointment and Review Committee Appointment and Evaluation of Temporary Faculty |
6 (Tenured Professors) (2 committees of 3) Department chair will serve as a voting ex officio member of each, so only 4 members need to be elected |
2 (Tenured Professors) |
|
Tenure-Track Appointment Committee Appointment of Tenure-Track Faculty |
5 (Tenured Professors and up to 1 Probationary tenure Professor) | 2 (Tenured Professors and up to 1 probationary tenure Professor) |
|
Post-Tenure Review Committee Evaluation of Tenured Faculty |
3 (Full Professors) Department chair will serve as a voting ex officio member, so only 2 members need to be elected |
1 (Full Professor) |
Eligibility for Committee Service and Balloting
Recruitment of Probationary Faculty
Appointment of Probationary Faculty
Personnel Action Files
Individualized Professional Plans
Eligibility for Tenure and Promotion
| Area of Specialization | Terminal Degree |
|---|---|
|
Sociology or related field |
Ph.D. |
Evaluation of Permanent Instructional Faculty
Additional:
The evaluation of teaching performance through classroom observation shall be based on the department's "Classroom Visitation Guidelines", a copy of which will be given to all faculty at the beginning of the academic year. The Guidelines are provided below.
CLASSROOM VISITATION GUIDELINES
To the peer observer: Please use the following questions as a general guide in your report on your classroom visitation:
- Did the faculty member seem to be well prepared for this class session?
- Was the class session well organized, coherent, and effective?
- Did the class session engage the interest of students as shown by their attentiveness and participation?
- Did the faculty member allow for questions and discussion and respond to student questions and comments in a sensitive and respectful manner?
- Were the course outline, syllabus and any online support materials clear and comprehensive as to assignments, requirements, and grading criteria? (Instructor and observer are referred to the University requirements for class syllabi in the Faculty Handbook).
- Any other comments of observations, for example, pertaining to any online component of the course?
Committee Procedures
Review of Faculty Holding Joint Appointments and of Faculty Active in Interdisciplinary Programs
Student Consultation in Academic Personnel Processes
Oral Testimony
Role of Department/Division/School Chair or Director
Appointment of Temporary Faculty
Evaluation of Temporary Faculty
Additional:
Currency in the field will be evaluated by examination of an updated curriculum vita and instructional materials and teaching technologies submitted prior to the file's closing date. Currency can further be demonstrated by evidence of professional achievement, which may include academic and scholarly contributions to the faculty member's profession and field that are published or formally accepted for publication such as journal articles, books and book chapters, research monographs, book review, and oral or poster presentations at professional meetings. Other examples are editorial work, organizing conferenced and paper sessions, invited lecturers, research grants and fellowships, and offices and positions held in scholarly associations. A complete list of professional achievements as evidence of currency in the field is provided under the additional of Evaluation of Permanent Instructional Faculty.
Lecturers should describe their currency in the field in their Personnel Information Form, submitted as part of the review process.
The minimum degree for temporary faculty is the M.A. in sociology or related field; the preferred academic degree is the Ph.D. or continued active graduate studies toward the completing the Ph.D.
Peer evaluations of instruction for faculty with multi-year appointments will be held once during the three-year period, with more frequent evaluations to be conducted if recommended by the department evaluation committee or the department chair.
The evaluation of teaching performance through classroom observation shall be based on the departments "Classroom Visitation Guidelines," a copy of which will be given to all faculty at the beginning of the academic year. The Guidelines are provided below.
CLASSROOM VISITATION GUIDELINES
To the peer observer: Please use the following questions as a general guide in your report on your classroom visitation:
- Did the faculty member seem to be well prepared for this class session?
- Was the class session well organized, coherent, and effective?
- Did the class session engage the interest of students as shown by their attentiveness and participation?
- Did the faculty member allow for questions and discussion and respond to student questions and comments in a sensitive and respectful manner?
- Were the course outline, syllabus and any online support materials clear and comprehensive as to assignments, requirements, and grading criteria? (Instructor and observer are referred to the University requirements for class syllabi in the Faculty Handbook).
- Any other comments of observations, for example, pertaining to any online component of the course?
A lecturer with a 3-year appointment will be evaluated in year 3 of the 3-year appointment.