Board of Visitors Policy: 1402

1. Nature of Appointment
   1. Unless tenure has been awarded by the university, all appointments of full-time faculty are on an annual, temporary, or probationary basis, renewable one year at a time at the discretion of the university.
   2. In some cases, appointments for a period of less than one academic year may be made, for example, initial appointments at mid-year or emergency one-semester appointments.

1. Consideration of reappointment or nonreappointment will be according to a timetable distributed by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.¹ Consideration takes place early in the second semester for faculty members in their first year of service and early in the first semester for faculty members in the second or subsequent year of service. 
2. For instructors, assistant professors, lecturers, clinical assistant professors, research assistant professors, and untenured associate professors and professors, the initial consideration will be by the departmental tenure and promotion committee unless they are in the first year and have been appointed mid-year. For senior lecturers, master lecturers, research associate professors, research professors, clinical associate professors, and clinical professors, initial consideration will be by the department chair, except for those years when the faculty member is undergoing their sixth year review (see III.B. below). 
3. In the case of financial constraints or demonstrable overstaffing of departments, the dean or the provost and vice president for academic affairs may require that the number of probationary tenurable and nontenurable faculty members in the department be reduced. 
4. Faculty members who were appointed as instructors with the expectation that the terminal degrees would be completed may not be reappointed before the award of the degree unless prior approval has been obtained from the provost and vice president for academic affairs. (See the Board of Visitors Policy on Academic Rank and Criteria for Ranks.) 

5. If the critical requirements of the position of a probationary tenurable faculty member are changed so as to affect the primary duties expected of the faculty member, and hence his or her consideration for tenure, the faculty member shall be fully and promptly informed of the changes in writing at least one semester before the changes are implemented. 

1. Reappointment or Nonreappointment of Probationary Tenure-Track Faculty²
   1. The departmental promotion and tenure committee and all subsequent persons considering the case will take into consideration the formal evaluations of the faculty member's performance by the chair (unless the faculty member evaluated is the chair) and the dean, faculty information sheets, and any other relevant data, as well as the needs of the department. 
   2. These procedures will be suitably adapted for faculty members who hold interdisciplinary, interdepartmental or joint appointments or who hold appointments in a department with two or fewer tenured faculty members. The adapted procedures should be recommended by the promotion and tenure committee of the college or colleges involved and approved by the dean or deans concerned and the provost and vice president for academic affairs. 
   3. Each department conducts an annual review of the probationary tenure-track faculty in that department (including the chair if untenured). This review is based on the performance of the individual faculty member and the needs of the department and is initially conducted by a committee consisting of tenured members of the department.
   4. The departmental promotion and tenure committee recommends to the chair (or the dean in case the faculty member being evaluated is the chair) one of the following actions: 
      
      1. That the faculty member be considered for tenure through normal channels, if a sufficient probationary period has elapsed. (In this case, the faculty member is considered for tenure through the normal tenure procedures, and the remainder of this section does not apply.) 
      2. That the faculty member be offered an additional annual contract without tenure. 
      3. That the faculty member not be reappointed, that is, not be offered an additional contract if in the first or second year of service or offered a terminal contract for the succeeding year if in the third or subsequent year of service. 

      4. A copy of the committee's recommendation shall be supplied to the faculty member with reasons for the recommendation for appointment or nonreappointment. 

   5. Considering the written recommendation of this committee, the performance of the faculty member and the needs of the department, the chair (unless she or he is the faculty member being evaluated) makes a recommendation to the dean concerning reappointment or nonreappointment of each individual probationary tenure-track faculty member and provides the faculty member with a copy of the recommendation. 

   6. Considering the recommendation of the departmental promotion and tenure committee and of the chair (unless she or he is the faculty member being evaluated) as well as the needs of the college, the dean makes a decision concerning reappointment or nonreappointment of each individual probationary tenure-track faculty member, notifies that faculty member in writing of this decision, and provides the faculty member and the provost and vice president for academic affairs with a copy of the decision letter. 

      1. If the dean decides not to reappoint a faculty member, the faculty member may request a review by the provost and vice president for academic affairs. The decision of the provost and vice president for academic affairs is final. 

      2. Notice of the dean's decision concerning reappointment or nonreappointment of probationary tenure-track faculty members shall be according to the following schedule: 

         1. Not later than March 1 of the first academic year of service. 

         2. Not later than December 15 of the second academic year of service. 

         3. Terminating appointment of one year, with notice by December 15, after two or more academic years of service. 

2. Reappointment or Nonreappointment of Nontenure-track Faculty 

   1. Each department conducts an annual review of all nontenure-track faculty members in that department. This review is based on the performance of the individual faculty member and the needs of the department. 

      1. For lecturers and clinical assistant professors, this review is conducted by a committee consisting of tenured members of the department and master lecturers and clinical professors followed by the department chair and dean. 

      2. For senior lecturers and master lecturers, the annual review is conducted by the chair followed by the dean. In lieu of this annual review, and if not applying for promotion, every six years senior lecturers and master lecturers will instead undergo an in-depth evaluation that is initially conducted by a committee consisting of tenured members of the department followed by the chair and dean. 

      3. For clinical associate professors and clinical professors, the annual review is conducted by the chair followed by the dean. In lieu of this annual review, and if not applying for promotion, every six years clinical associate professors and clinical professors will instead undergo an in-depth evaluation that is initially conducted by a committee consisting of tenured members of the department followed by the chair and dean. 

      4. For faculty of practice (any rank) the annual review is conducted by a committee consisting of tenured members of the department followed by the department chair and dean. 

   2. For lecturers, faculty of practice, and clinical assistant professors and for all nontenure-track faculty undergoing an in-depth sixth-year evaluation, the departmental committee recommends to the chair one of the following actions: 

      1. That the faculty member be offered an additional annual contract. 

      2. That the faculty member not be reappointed, that is, not be offered an additional annual contract. 

   3. A copy of the committee's recommendation shall be supplied to the faculty member with reasons for the recommendation for appointment or nonreappointment. 

   4. Considering the written recommendation of this committee (in case section 2.b. above applies), the performance of the faculty member, and the needs of the department, the chair makes a recommendation to the dean concerning reappointment or nonreappointment of each individual nontenure-track faculty member and provides the faculty member with a copy of the recommendation. 

   5. Considering the recommendations of the departmental committee (in case section 2.b. above applies) and of the chair, as well as the needs of the college, the dean makes a decision concerning reappointment or nonreappointment of each individual nontenure-track faculty member and notifies each faculty member of this decision. If the decision is not to reappoint the faculty members, the dean provides the faculty member and the provost and vice president for academic affairs with a copy of the decision letter. 

      1. If the dean decides not to reappoint a faculty member, the faculty member may request a review by the provost and vice president for academic affairs. The decision of the provost and vice president for academic affairs is final. 

      2. Notice of the dean's decision concerning reappointment or nonreappointment of nontenure-track faculty members shall be according to the following schedule: 

         1. Not later than March 1 of the first academic year of service. 

         2. Not later than December 15 of the second or subsequent academic year of service. 

¹ See the Schedules for Faculty Personnel Actions in the appendix for specific dates and actions. 

² For a definition of the academic ranks, types of appointment, and specific procedure variations, see the Policy on Academic Rank and Criteria for Ranks.