Board of Visitors Policy: 1414

The faculty and administrators of Old Dominion University are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, and service. It is the role of the department chair and the dean to conduct annual evaluations of tenured faculty members, to identify the area or areas in which a particular tenured faculty member has not met expectations, to explain the rationale for that assessment, and to facilitate faculty development as needed to improve faculty performance. To this end, the post-tenure review process is intended to be developmental rather than punitive.

A tenured faculty who receives an annual review from the chair and dean stating that he or she has a serious deficiency in teaching, research, and/or service should be aware that a second annual evaluation from the chair and dean which states that he or she has not met expectations in terms of overall performance in one or more of the three areas of responsibility could activate the post-tenure review process. It is the responsibility of the department chair to meet within 30 days with the faculty member who has received such an evaluation to present in writing and clarify through discussion the deficiencies identified in the evaluation. The chair and dean should also outline in writing the steps to be taken, the required outcomes, and the points in time at which progress will be assessed in order for the faculty member to correct identified deficiencies and thus meet expectations in subsequent annual reviews.

Post-tenure review cannot be activated unless the pattern of deficiency has been noted in two consecutive annual reviews. (See paragraph II.B.5. of the Policy and Procedures on Evaluation of Tenured Faculty.) If the post-tenure review policy is activated, the faculty member must be notified in writing by the chair and dean.

The confidentiality of the post-tenure review process must be maintained. When the decision is made to place a faculty member under post-tenure review, discussion of the post-tenure review candidate and the process should be limited to the chair, the dean, the provost and vice president for academic affairs, the president, and the tenured faculty member placed under post-tenure review. With the approval of the faculty member undergoing post-tenure review, other individuals may be involved in various aspects of the strategic development plan for the purpose of mentoring the faculty member under review. Care should be taken, however, to involve in the plan only those individuals who agree to respect the essential confidentiality of the post-tenure review process.