Faculty Tenure Policy

Purpose

This policy provides information pertaining to the eligibility and process for faculty tenure in compliance with Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI of University of Louisiana (UL) System Board Rules.

Academic Tenure

More than any other single factor, tenure decisions affect the quality of the faculty and the curricula. Tenured faculty retain the status until they retire, resign, or are terminated for cause, unsatisfactory job performance, or financial exigency and/or program discontinuance. Therefore, tenure shall be granted only to those faculty members who demonstrate the ability and potential to contribute to the discipline, demonstrate collegiality, and support the teaching mission of McNeese State University.

Definition

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-A

Indeterminate tenure, hereafter referred to as tenure, is intended to ensure and enhance faculty members’ academic freedom for teaching and job effectiveness. Tenure assures the faculty member that employment in the academic discipline at the institution will be renewed annually until the faculty member resigns, retires, or is terminated for cause, unsatisfactory job performance, or financial exigency and/or program discontinuance.

1. Faculty at the instructor rank or other ranks specified as non-tenure-track in the Faculty Appointment and Credentialing Policy are not eligible for tenure.
2. Each recommendation by an institution to grant tenure to a faculty member is submitted to the UL System Board of Supervisors at a time designated by the UL System president, which shall be no later than the date to submit annual budgets for approval.

Eligibility for Tenure

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-B

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor: The probationary period for full-time faculty appointed as a tenure-track assistant professor is six years. A tenure-track faculty member may apply for tenure during the spring of the sixth year of employment in the tenure-track position. Tenure is not automatic and cannot be earned simply by serving the probationary period.

Tenure-Track Associate Professor or Tenure-Track Professor: The probationary period for full-time faculty appointed as tenure-track associate professor or tenure-track professor is four years. A tenure-track faculty member may apply for tenure during the spring of the fourth year of employment in the tenure-track position. Tenure is not automatic and cannot be earned simply by serving the probationary period.

Factors Considered in Tenure Decisions

The tenure-track faculty member’s record of performance as indicated on the annual performance review (APR) by the job effectiveness/productivity score and the performance level of satisfactory or unsatisfactory outlined in each department’s APR document are among the factors considered in tenure decisions. The earning of consistent overall performance level ratings of satisfactory on the APR is a key factor when considering tenure applications. Assignment of an unsatisfactory performance level in the teaching component of the APR prior to applying for tenure may affect eligibility for tenure. Additional factors outlined in department- or college-level requirements may be considered.

Faculty must provide evidence to demonstrate they consistently adhere to the Responsibilities of Academic Staff Policy and fulfill workload expectations. In addition, the faculty must demonstrate evidence of collegiality and professionalism such as, but not limited to, respect toward peers, students, administrators, and a willingness to be a contributing member of the learning community.

Factors irrelevant to professional performance (e.g., ethnicity, race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, retirement, genetic information, sex, or veteran status) are excluded from consideration unless mandated by federal or state law or by judicial order.

Timeline for Tenure Review

The tenure review must be completed no later than the end of the sixth year of continuous full-time service at McNeese for a tenure-track assistant professor, or the fourth year for a tenure-track associate professor or tenure-track professor. Tenure-track faculty hired in the spring semester must complete an additional probationary semester. Denial of an early application for tenure does not affect the time allowed in the probationary period, provided employment continues after denial of the early application.

While a combined application for tenure and promotion may be submitted, reviews and recommendations for tenure are considered separately from reviews and recommendations for promotion in rank (see Faculty Promotion Policy).

Interim, or Third Year, Review of Progress for Tenure Application

The interim review is part of the overall review a faculty member receives during the probationary period. The interim review is not a recommendation for future tenure but is an opportunity to provide the candidate with a formal review of their progress to this point. Interim reviews are conducted by the department head and dean with input from tenured faculty in the department and are advisory in nature. Faculty evaluation is a dynamic process; therefore, it is McNeese policy that the interim tenure review status, or results, are not binding but are intended to assist the faculty member with understanding expectations, responsibilities of faculty, and interpretation of job performance with respect to the tenure process. It is expected and incumbent upon all parties involved that they be candid and forthright in their assessment of the faculty member’s strengths and weaknesses in their performance and the recommendations for improvement. Statements concerning collegiality should be based on evidence of respect for peers, willingness to work toward departmental goals, professionalism, and other such factors to enhance the learning community. Evaluations shall not be tainted by undocumented or hearsay evidence.

Interim Review Process

For the interim review, the department head should gather information from tenured faculty within the department regarding a tenure-track faculty member’s potential for success. For the purposes of discussion, the department head may share the tenure-track faculty member’s APR results with the tenured faculty members in the department. The department head uses the information to create a written interim report indicating the faculty member’s areas of strength, constructive comments, and areas for improvement.

In the third-year review, neither the department head nor the dean are authorized to guarantee that tenure will or will not be recommended. However, the department head or dean may indicate there is a need to continue with positive performance or to make improvements. During the third-year review meeting and discussion which takes place prior to the end of the spring semester, the department head or dean should provide information related to collegiality and, if necessary, offer suggestions for improvement. The department head or dean should convey the dynamic nature of job performance expectations and evaluation.

A written copy of the interim review report must be provided to the faculty member. The faculty member should sign a statement indicating the interim review consultation was held. The department head must place the signed document in the faculty member’s departmental personnel file and forward a copy to the dean.

Procedures for Tenure Review

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-C

Department Head Notification to Tenured Faculty

When a tenure-track faculty member is in the final probationary year, the department head provides written notice, usually at the beginning of the spring semester, to the tenured faculty within the department/discipline regarding the application(s) for tenure review. This written notification must describe the application process and list the persons who will review the application.

Submission of the Application for Tenure

Applications for tenure are submitted in the learning management system (LMS) by March 1. If the University is closed on March 1, the application is due the next business day. Faculty in their final probationary year who do not submit an application for tenure by the designated deadline will receive a non-renewal notice that employment will end at the culmination of the following academic year.

If the candidate is also applying for promotion, they should seek advice from the department head, and may choose to consult with the dean, regarding eligibility for promotion well before the March 1 deadline. (See Faculty Promotion Policy.)

If the candidate decides to submit an application for tenure or a combined application for tenure and promotion, the following steps must occur:

1. The dean or department head submits a request to the Office of E-Learning and Testing for a course shell to be created in the LMS to house the application for tenure or tenure/promotion. The course shell should be named:
   1. “Spring [Current Year] Tenure Application – Faculty Member’s Last Name, First Name” or
   2. “Spring [Current Year] Tenure and Promotion Application – Faculty Member’s Last Name, First Name”.
2. The department head enrolls the candidate into the LMS course.
3. The candidate uploads documentation into the LMS course shell to create the application. Supporting documentation must cover all years since hired in the tenure-track position. Colleges and/or departments may require additional documents than those listed below, but at a minimum, the application must contain the following, organized in a way that is easy to navigate:
   1. A concise narrative summary presenting the candidate’s basis for requesting consideration for tenure (or tenure and promotion), not to exceed two pages. The candidate should clearly state achievement and recognition (relative to approved departmental guidelines) on which they believe the overall APR results and the teaching, scholarly activity/research, and service should be judged. The information submitted should apply to achievements since the date hired in the tenure-track position.
   2. A current and complete curriculum vitae (resumé).
   3. Documented APR summaries and performance level ratings since the date hired in the tenure-track position.
   4. Evidence of positive classroom teaching, student advising, student success, innovative teaching methods, and mentoring since the date hired in a tenure-track position. Include copies of Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) results, including student comments for the appropriate timeframe.
   5. Evidence of scholarly activity, research, and/or professional recognition appropriate to the teaching discipline since the date hired in a tenure-track position.
   6. Evidence of service since the date hired in a tenure-track position.
4. When the application is completed in the LMS course, the candidate notifies the department head.
5. By April 1, the dean or department head enrolls the provost and all other academic deans in the LMS course for the Academic Affairs review.

Peer Evaluation by Tenured Faculty in the Department*

The department head informs tenured faculty within the department about the need to review a request for tenure. To begin the review process, the department head makes the candidate’s application available to the appropriate faculty, department head, and dean by enrolling them into the LMS course. The department head may ask the tenured faculty members to convene as a committee to determine the recommendation for each person requesting tenure. Faculty reviewing the candidate’s file must ensure the evaluation is not tainted by undocumented or hearsay evidence.

If the review takes place in a committee format, the committee should select a spokesperson to lead the discussion regarding each candidate’s application and to report the committee’s recommendation in writing to the department head. All committee members must sign a written document indicating their individual recommendation or the committee’s consensus regarding the request for tenure. The document with all signatures is forwarded to the department head by the committee spokesperson. 

If a committee is not convened and each tenured faculty member reviews the application materials separately, then the department head must obtain the signature of each faculty member providing input for the tenure recommendation. The signature serves as documentation that all appropriately credentialed faculty have been consulted in the tenure decision.

*In cases where there are less than three departmental tenured faculty, the department head must consult with the dean to identify tenured faculty, in related disciplines, to assist with the review. The candidate must be informed in writing about the faculty who will review the materials and provide input regarding the recommendation for tenure.

Department Head Evaluation of Candidate for Tenure

As the administrative supervisor of the applicant, the department head, regardless of their own tenure status, reviews the application for tenure. The department head’s evaluation of the candidate for tenure should be founded primarily upon a definite, objective, and fair interpretation of the candidate’s documentation and teaching, scholarly activity/research, and service as documented in previous APRs. The evaluation shall not be tainted by undocumented or hearsay evidence. The department head may request additional supporting documentation as well as an interview with the candidate. The department head will make the recommendation based on their evaluation of the candidate’s performance in producing scholarly activity, contributing to the discipline, teaching/classroom performance, service, and collegiality. The department head will forward the signed departmental faculty recommendation as well as the signed department head’s recommendation to the dean for further consideration.

Dean Evaluation of Candidate for Tenure

The dean’s evaluation of the candidate for tenure should be founded primarily upon a definite interpretation of the candidate’s previous APR results (teaching, scholarly activity/research, and service), evidence of consistent professional growth and contribution to the institutional mission, and other information in the review file. The evaluation shall not be tainted by undocumented or hearsay evidence. In making their decision, the dean should consider carefully the recommendations of the candidate’s departmental peers and department head.

The dean may convene a college committee comprised of tenured faculty to review the request. Each member of the college committee must provide signed, written documentation indicating their individual recommendation regarding the request for tenure.

The dean should study the information supporting the request and take into consideration the department head’s and the faculty’s comments (and, if appropriate, the college committee’s comments) relevant to the recommendation, interview the candidate if deemed necessary, and make their own recommendation regarding tenure.

Approval/disapproval by the dean should be a matter of careful review to ensure that no major misjudgments have been made by the faculty and the department head, that no major inequalities exist between departments in meeting the academic standards of the college, and that the candidates demonstrate consistent contribution to the institutional mission.

By April 1, the dean should forward their recommendation and supporting documentation to the provost and should ensure that the provost and all other academic deans are enrolled in the LMS course for the Academic Affairs review.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Review

Approval/disapproval by the provost should be a matter of careful review to ensure that no major misjudgments have been made by the recommending units (departmental faculty, department head, and college dean) and that no major inequalities exist between colleges in meeting the academic standards of the University. The provost may create an ad hoc committee comprised of one tenured faculty member to represent each academic college to review the process for each tenure recommendation.

When there are conflicting recommendations from the tenured faculty, department head, and dean, the provost should study all the particulars and make an appropriate determination for recommendation.

The provost reviews all recommendations for tenure with the academic deans and the library director prior to forwarding the recommendations to the president. The provost’s review may consider documented but confidential information related to the candidate’s work performance in formulating a decision for tenure.

After all reviews are completed, the provost submits recommendations for tenure to the president.

Tenure Decision

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-D and Section XI-F

The president makes the final recommendation for faculty tenure and forwards recommendations for tenure to the UL System Board of Supervisors for final action. The Office of Academic Affairs informs the candidate of the status of the request for tenure prior to the end of the spring semester. In the event tenure is to be denied, the faculty member is given 12-month advanced written notice that employment will be terminated upon completion of the following academic year. If the granting of tenure is recommended, the faculty member shall be informed in writing, and the tenure recommendation will be submitted for approval by the UL System Board of Supervisors. After the UL System Board of Supervisors acts on the recommendations at their August board meeting, the Office of Academic Affairs informs the candidate in writing. The tenure decision is effective with the fall semester appointment.

Tenure Decision for Administrative Appointees (June 2007)

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-M

Academic administrators at the level of dean or higher are frequently appointed with academic rank (typically associate professor or professor) and tenure in a specific discipline. A request to offer tenure with appointment must have prior approval by the UL System president. In the employment of certain academic administrators such as department heads, directors, or deans where the offer of employment does not include immediate tenure, it should be stipulated that a tenure review shall be performed within one to three years by the administrator’s immediate supervisor. This evaluation should include, among other factors, a review of specific provisions stipulated at the time of employment.

Administrators (vice presidents, deans, and directors) in non-academic areas (business affairs, student affairs, etc.) shall not be appointed with academic rank or tenure. Exceptions to this rule may include individuals appointed to such a position after having acquired rank and tenure in an academic discipline within the same institution, or in other exceptional cases specifically approved by the UL System Board of Supervisors.

Review of Department Head or Dean for Tenure

The review of a dean shall be made by the provost with input from department heads in the dean’s college, while the review of a department head shall be made by the department head’s dean with input from faculty within the department.

Early Awarding of Tenure

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-E

Prior to accepting a tenure-track faculty member’s application for early tenure, the dean must discuss the extraordinary and exceptional contributions of the tenure-track faculty member that may support an early application for tenure with the provost. McNeese expects tenure-track faculty members to complete the probationary period prior to applying for tenure. In certain and extremely unusual cases, the institution may award tenure to faculty members of extraordinarily high merit prior to the end of the sixth probationary year. Any academic unit’s recommendation, with faculty input whenever possible, to award tenure before the end of the usual probationary period should be accompanied by an accounting of compelling reasons for this action. Evidence of sustained scholarly achievement and recognition at the international level is a minimum expectation for consideration of early tenure. If the request to grant early tenure is denied, the faculty member may continue with the probationary period.

Credit for Prior Service

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-G

It is generally expected that the entire probationary period will be completed at McNeese. However, credit towards the probationary period may be given to tenure-track associate professor and tenure-track professor appointments for prior service.

Prior to accepting the appointment at McNeese, a faculty member may discuss with the dean, in consultation with the department head and with the documented approval of the provost, president, and UL System Board of Supervisors, the potential to count years of previous full-time experience at the rank of assistant professor or higher at another postsecondary institution toward the probationary period. The decision to allow credit for prior service as well as the amount of credit must be documented in the initial appointment letter for employment at McNeese.

Faculty Initially Appointed as Professor or Associate Professor

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-H

Faculty members initially employed at the rank of professor may be granted tenure upon appointment or may be required to serve up to a four-year probationary period. Because McNeese usually requires at least a three-year probationary period in these cases, faculty initially appointed as professor may apply for tenure during the third year, but no later than the fourth year of service.

Faculty members initially employed at the rank of associate professor are required to serve a four-year probationary period and must apply for tenure no later than during the fourth year of service.

Limitation of Tenure

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-I

Tenure shall be limited to persons in the faculty ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Administrators shall not earn tenure except as members of an academic discipline with an appropriate rank.

Duration of Tenure

Reference: University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter III, Section XI-J

Tenured faculty shall retain their status until they retire, resign, or are terminated for cause, unsatisfactory job performance, or as a result of financial exigency and/or program discontinuance. Tenure shall be granted and held only within an academic discipline that is offered at the institution and assures renewed appointments only within that discipline. All tenured faculty participate in the Annual Performance Review and may be terminated for unsatisfactory performance (see Faculty Annual Performance Review (APR) and Evaluation Policy).

Termination for Financial Exigency

See Financial Exigency section of Termination of Service Policy.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.