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University policy regarding faculty tenure

  1. Purpose.  Within the limitations of Ohio laws and after the successful completion of the specified probationary period and the evaluative process called for in this policy, Kent State University shall grant faculty members indefinite tenure as one means of ensuring academic freedom.
    1. The only faculty members covered by this policy are those who hold full-time appointments to the regular ranks of the assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor.  Such appointments as term, full-time non-tenure track, casual or continuing, part-time, lecturer, visiting, or adjunct and others are not included in these understandings.
    2. Kent state university recognizes a limited appointment, that is, one automatically expiring after a specified time, when the appointment recommendation particularly notes such an automatic time limit and is accepted by the appointee.  Such appointments are not included in these understandings.
    3. This policy applies to administrative personnel who hold academic rank, but only in their capacity as faculty members.
  2. Initial procedure.  "Indefinite tenure" is a right of a faculty member to continuous appointment to a professional position of specified locus in the university. The services of a faculty member with tenure may be terminated by the university only under policies stated in the sanctions for cause and retrenchment articles of the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
    1. For the purposes of tenure, the term "unit" shall be defined as a department, school, or college without subordinate academic departments or schools (hereafter, "independent college"). The term "faculty" shall be understood to mean those who hold regular full-time tenured or tenure-track appointments. Given some variance in procedures followed for faculty from independent colleges and/or regional campuses, sections of this policy have been included to delineate these specific procedural differences.
    2. Criteria appropriate to a particular unit shall be formulated by that unit in light of college (if applicable) and university standards and guidelines, the mission of the unit, and the demands and academic standards of the discipline.
    3. Tenure is granted in the unit of instruction, department, school, or independent college specified in the appointment.
    4. Tenure is granted either at the Kent campus or in the regional campuses system, but not both, and is specified at the time of the appointment.
    5. The unit handbook may recommend that candidates for tenure should be expected to meet the minimum criteria for promotion to associate professor and, in such cases, the higher standards that a candidate for early promotion is expected to meet may be applied to the candidate's application for early tenure as well. These criteria only apply to regional campus faculty if a similar standard has been set in the regional campus handbooks.
  3. Probationary periods and notice:  In considering an individual for tenure, the length of time in the probationary rank and the dates of notice are related to the initial appointment rank.
    1. Probationary periods and notices dates.
      1. An initial appointment at the rank of assistant professor shall be subject to the following probationary periods.
        1. If the appointment carries no years of credit toward tenure the appointee shall receive written notification by the fifteenth of March of the sixth year of service that:
          1. Tenure will be granted.  In this case the tenure shall be effective at the start of the next contract year; or
          2. Tenure is not to be granted.  In this case, the appointee shall receive a one-year terminal appointment for the following academic year. 
        2. If the appointment as assistant professor carries some years of credit toward tenure, the number of years shall be deducted from six and the provisions of paragraph (C)(1)(a) of this rule shall be used with the new number replacing the six-year provision; thus if an assistant professor is hired with two years credit towards tenure, then the notification shall occur by the fifteenth of March of the fourth year of service
          1. Typically, the maximum years of credit toward tenure for an assistant professor hire is two years.  However, in extraordinary circumstances, additional credit may be granted after consultation with the Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) at the time of appointment.
        3. The terms and conditions of every appointment, including credit for the previous academic appointment and specification of the year in which tenure procedures will take place, shall be stated in writing, which shall be in the possession of both Kent state university and the faculty member before the appointment is finalized. The tenure decision should be based upon these initial terms and conditions.
        4. Faculty members may apply for early tenure consideration.  Except as specified in paragraph (B)(5) of this rule, the criteria for evaluating an application for early tenure will be the same as the criteria for an on-time application for tenure.  A positive vote on early tenure shall automatically constitute a positive vote for reappointment. A negative decision on early tenure shall not prejudice the decision on re-appointment or a later application for tenure.
      2. Typically, an initial appointment at the rank of associate professor, or an initial appointment at the rank of professor carries a probationary period of three (3) years.  In extraordinary cases, a shorter probationary period may be considered after consultation with the FAC at the time of appointment.
        1. If tenure is awarded in consequence of the tenure review during the third full year of service, it shall become effective with the contract for the fourth year of service.
        2. If tenure is denied, the candidate shall receive written notification by the fifteenth  of March of the third full year of service and shall receive a terminal appointment for the fourth year.
      3. Tenure with Appointment: An initial appointment at the rank of associate professor or at the rank of professor may carry tenure if, after consultation with the unit's tenure committee at the time of the appointment, the dean determines that a candidate's qualifications and credentials meet Kent state university standards and the standards appropriate to the candidate's discipline for the rank of associate professor, or professor, as applicable. Approval of at least three-fourths of the members of the unit's tenure committee eligible to vote, excluding those who abstain, is required for tenure with appointment.
    2. Because the purpose of the probationary period is to provide an opportunity for observation, time spent on leave other than a scholarly leave of absence (e.g., university policy and procedures governing modification of the faculty probationary period) is not considered as part of the probationary period. Summer appointments are not counted within yearly appointments.
    3. The conferring of tenure is a positive act by the university and as such a faculty member cannot receive tenure by default.
      1. If an untenured faculty member does not receive notification by the appropriate date, the fifteenth of March of the year in which the tenure review is scheduled to be conducted in accord with paragraph (C)(1) of this policy, the faculty member as part of the faculty member's professional responsibility, shall have twenty working days to inquire of the unit administrator, dean, or provost as to the status of the faculty member's tenure decision.  The university will have ten working days in which to respond.
        1. In the event that the evaluative process has been conducted, the university will notify the individual and the decision will go forward as if the appropriate notification dates had been met.
        2. In the extreme case that a candidate has not been evaluated for tenure at the proper time, the candidate will be evaluated at the next regular evaluation period after the error has been detected with all relevant notification dates delayed accordingly.
      2. Any failure in procedural matters by the university or the faculty member shall not be sufficient cause for the conferring of tenure, the denial of tenure, or the termination of employment.
  4. Tenure criteria.  For the purposes of this policy "scholarship" is broadly defined to include research, scholarly and creative work. Scholarship may include commercialization activities relevant and appropriate to the academic discipline. For the purposes of this policy "service" is broadly defined to include administrative service to the university, professional service to the faculty member's discipline, and the provision of professional expertise to public and private entities beyond the university. 
    1. The granting of tenure is a decision that plays a crucial role in determining the quality of university faculty and the national and international status of the university.  Essentially, those faculty members involved in making a tenure decision are asking the question; "Is this candidate likely to continue and sustain, in the long term, a program of high quality scholarship, teaching, and service relevant to the mission of the academic unit and the mission of the university?"  The awarding of tenure must be based on convincing documented evidence that the faculty member has achieved a significant body of scholarship, excellence as a teacher, and has provided effective service. The candidate must also be expected to continue and sustain, over the long term, a program of high quality scholarship, teaching, and service relevant to the mission of the candidate's academic unit(s) and to the mission of the university.
    2. A minimum requirement for tenure is the terminal degree in the candidate's discipline as noted in the handbook of the candidate's academic unit.  In exceptional cases, this rule may be modified with the approval of the unit's tenure committee and the provost.
    3. The criteria for assessing the quality of scholarship, teaching and service shall be clearly specified and included in the handbook of each unit and campus.  Guidelines for weighing the categories of scholarship, teaching and service shall be established by each unit for Kent campus faculty.  For regional campus faculty, guidelines for weighting the categories of scholarship, teaching and service shall be established by each campus faculty council and this weighting shall be used at all levels of review. The handbook should indicate with some specificity how the quality and significance of scholarship, and the quality and effectiveness of teaching, and service are to be documented and assessed.  Only documented evidence of scholarship, teaching, and service will be used in assessing a faculty member's eligibility for tenure. In the evaluation of scholarship, emphasis should be placed on external measurements of quality. 
    4. All tenured and tenure-track faculty members must have the opportunity to participate in the establishment, development, and revision of the unit's criteria.  These processes should be democratic and public.
    5. As the university enters new fields of endeavor, including interdisciplinary initiatives, instances may arise in which the scholarship of faculty members may extend beyond established disciplinary boundaries.  In such cases, care must be taken to apply the criteria with sufficient flexibility.  In all instances, superior scholarly attainment, in accordance with the criteria set forth in the unit handbooks, is an essential qualification for tenure.
    6. A non-tenured faculty member applying for promotion to the rank of associate professor or full professor must also undergo a successful tenure review.
    7. Criteria based upon sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political activity or other legally protected categories are expressly forbidden.
  5. Procedure for making decisions regarding tenure.
    1. Due process is integral to an effective tenure policy.  The guiding premise in the following procedure is that the essential phases in the tenure consideration occur at the unit level and at the regional campus (if applicable).  Assessments and the recommendations beyond these levels should reflect due regard for the professional judgment and recommendations made at the unit and regional campus levels.  Review and assessment by extra-unit and extra-regional campus faculty and the academic administration are necessary to insure the integrity of the system.
    2. External reviewers:  All candidates for tenure must submit the names of at least five persons outside the university who are qualified to evaluate their achievements objectively. The unit administrator shall solicit evaluations from at least three of the qualified individuals whose names have been submitted by the candidate.  The unit administrator may also solicit evaluations from external reviewers other than those named by the candidate but must inform the candidate of the persons contacted.  In addition, the college dean (where appropriate) may consult with the unit administrator regarding any letters the dean may wish to solicit for consideration at the unit level and inform the candidate of such letters received.  The candidate shall be given a copy of the letter to be sent to outside evaluators and have the opportunity to comment before the letter is mailed. 
  6. Procedures for making decisions regarding tenure: the unit level. All actions involving tenure shall be initiated at the academic unit level. (See paragraph (B)(1) of this rule for definition of "unit.") Consideration of those standing for tenure shall be undertaken by the unit tenure committee, chaired by the unit administrator as a non-voting member and composed of all tenured members of the unit's advisory committee and any full-time faculty who are tenured full professors of the unit who may not be members of the faculty advisory committee.  No member of the committee shall be present when the committee deliberates or votes on the tenure of an individual in a rank higher than that of the individual member of the tenure committee, or on the tenure of a spouse, domestic partner, or relative. A member of the committee who intends to vote on a regional campus candidate at the regional campus level of review may be present, but shall not vote on that candidate at the unit level. The unit administrator serves as the non-voting chairperson of the tenure committee.
    1. Each spring semester the unit administrator shall notify those faculty members who are eligible for tenure consideration during the next academic year.
    2. The unit administrator shall make available copies of the guidelines, timetables, and other information concerning the tenure review to all candidates in the unit, Kent campus and regional campuses faculty members alike, no later than three weeks before the deadline for submission of materials, which is at the end of the first week of the fall semester.
    3. All tenure review will be carried out on a paperless, electronic system provided by the university for this purpose. Candidates for tenure, reviewers, and administrators must submit and review tenure file documents on this system and any official notification required under this policy will appear in this system. Faculty members being considered for tenure are responsible for developing, organizing, and including the evidence supporting their candidacy for tenure in the electronic file. The unit administrator will meet with the candidate to review the file in order to insure that the file is complete and the candidate and the unit administrator will certify that the file is complete. Thereafter, the candidate must be informed of anything that is added to or removed from the file and provided the opportunity to insert written comments concerning that new or removed material.  At each level of review, advisory bodies and administrators will have access to the complete file before they consider the case.
    4. Before convening the tenure committee, the unit administrator shall formally invite signed written comments from all tenured faculty members who are not members of the tenure committee.  The unit administrator shall provide these comments to the tenure committee, shall provide a copy to the candidate, and shall place the comments in the file.
    5. Members of the tenure committee on leave of absence or absent for justifiable reasons shall be notified of the nominations and shall vote by absentee ballot, or they may request from the committee the right to abstain from voting. Except where a member of the tenure committee is ineligible to vote in accordance with paragraph (F) of this rule or has been granted the right to abstain from voting, all committee members shall submit a vote on each candidate. If the tenure committee will consist of fewer than four voting members, then a special procedure for enlarging it shall be developed by the unit administrator with the advice of the faculty advisory committee and the assistance of the college dean, if applicable, and the approval of the provost.
    6. The unit administrator shall discuss the unit administrator's estimate of the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate with the unit tenure committee.
    7. The case of each candidate shall be subject to candid discussion by the committee.  During the committee meeting, each voting member shall indicate the member's nonbinding "yea" or "nay."  After the meeting, each voting member shall record the member's final vote by completing a signed evaluation form with comments.  
    8. Approval of at least three-fourths of the members of the tenure committee who vote, excluding those who abstain under paragraph (F)(5) of this rule, shall constitute formal endorsement to the unit administrator for tenure.
    9. The unit administrator shall assemble the recorded votes, and signed evaluation forms, along with supporting statements, as well as other relevant documents regarding the faculty member's application for tenure. The unit administrator shall weigh and assess all relevant information and decide whether to recommend the granting of tenure to the candidate.  The unit administrator shall record the unit administrator's decision, along with a signed statement supporting it.
    10. In the case of regional campus and Kent campus faculty alike, the unit administrator shall extend an invitation to the candidate to meet in order to discuss the assessment and recommendation.  This meeting should take place as soon as possible.  In all cases that are not unanimously positive, the unit administrator must meet with the candidate within five working days from the date of the submission of the unit administrator's letter to the administrator at the next higher level. 
    11. The unit administrator shall inform the offices of the appropriate college dean and/or regional campus dean, where appropriate, and the provost of the results of the unit's deliberations.  The file must be completed and closed at the unit level and no material shall be added or removed except as provided for in this policy.   
    12. No later than the date when the unit administrator transmits the unit administrator's recommendation to the next higher administrative officer, the unit administrator shall notify the candidate of this recommendation by letter.
      1. The unit administrator shall include with this letter a copy of the unit administrator's letter of recommendation to the next higher administrative office, a summary of the advisory recommendations of the tenure committee, and copies of the committee's signed evaluation forms. 
      2. In the unit administrator's letter to the candidate, the unit administrator shall inform the candidate that the unit administrator has the right, within ten working days, to add a letter to the candidate's file responding to any procedural errors or errors of fact that the candidate believes have been included in either the unit administrative officer's letter, or the committee members' statements.   
      3. The unit administrator's letter shall also indicate that, if the candidate wishes to appeal a negative recommendation, such intent shall be expressed to the next higher academic officer in writing within ten working days of receipt of the unit administrator's letter.  
  7. Procedures for making decisions regarding tenure: the regional campus level:  Regional campus candidates for tenure will be reviewed both at the unit level, as described in paragraph (F) of this rule, and at the regional campus level. The tenure committee of the regional campus shall be composed of tenured members of the faculty council and full-time faculty of the campus who are tenured full professors. No member of the committee shall be present when the committee deliberates or votes on the tenure of an individual in a rank higher than that of the individual member of the tenure committee, or on the tenure of a spouse, domestic partner, or relative. A member of the committee who intends to vote at the unit level of review may be present, but shall not vote on that candidate at the regional campus level. The faculty chair is a voting member of the campus tenure committee except in cases in which the faculty chair is untenured or has otherwise not achieved the rank held by the candidate for tenure. In such cases, the faculty chair will recuse himself or herself and a tenured individual with the appropriate rank will be elected from and by the campus tenure committee to fill the role of the faculty chair provided for in the policy.
    1. The regional campus dean will make available to the candidate and the unit copies of those sections of the campus handbook concerning the campus' method of weighting unit criteria.
    2. Regional campus faculty members being considered for tenure are responsible for developing, organizing, and submitting to the unit administrator the evidence supporting their candidacy for tenure. The unit administrator will review the files with the candidate for tenure in order to insure that the files are complete.  The unit administrator will prepare a statement for inclusion in each file indicating that the file is complete as indicated in paragraph (F)(3) of this rule. The unit administrator must notify the regional campus dean in a timely fashion that the file is available for review by the campus tenure committee.  Thereafter, the candidate must be informed of anything that is added to or removed from the file and provided the opportunity to insert written comments concerning the added or removed material. 
    3. Before convening the campus tenure committee, the faculty chair shall formally invite signed written comments from all campus tenured faculty members who are not members of the tenure committee. The faculty chair shall provide the comments to the campus tenure committee, shall provide a copy to the candidate, and shall place the comments in the file.
    4. Members of the campus tenure committee on leave of absence or absent for justifiable reasons shall be notified of the candidacies and shall vote by absentee ballot, or they may request from the committee the right to abstain from voting.  Except where a member of the tenure committee is ineligible to vote in accordance with paragraph (G) of this rule or has been granted the right to abstain from voting, all committee members shall submit a vote on each candidate. If the campus tenure committee consists of fewer than four voting members, including the voting chairperson, then a special procedure for enlarging it shall be developed by the regional campus dean, with the advice of the faculty council and the approval of the provost.
    5. The case of each candidate shall be subject to candid discussion by the committee.  During the committee meeting, each voting member shall indicate the member's nonbinding "yea" or "nay."  After the meeting, each voting member shall record the member's final vote by completing a signed evaluation form with comments.   
    6. Approval of at least three-fourths of the members of the tenure committee who vote excluding those abstaining under paragraph (G)(4) of this rule shall constitute a formal endorsement to the regional campus dean for tenure.
    7. The faculty chair shall then summarize the committee's vote, signed evaluation forms, and recommendation for support or non-support of granting tenure to the candidate in a signed letter to the candidate and the regional campus dean. The letter shall indicate that, if the candidate wishes to respond to a recommendation for non-support, such a response must be made to the campus dean and copied to the unit administrator within ten working days of receipt of the letter. Copies of the faculty chair's letter shall be provided to the college dean, and to the unit administrator of the candidate's unit.
    8. The regional campus dean shall assemble the records, along with supporting statements, ballots, and other relevant documents. The regional campus dean will then review the file and the advisory recommendations of the campus tenure committee and unit administrator, weigh and assess all relevant information, and decide whether to recommend the granting of tenure to the candidate.  The regional campus dean shall record the regional campus dean's decision along with a signed statement supporting the decision.
    9. The regional campus dean should extend an invitation to the candidate to meet in order to discuss the assessment and recommendation.  This meeting should take place as soon as possible.  In all cases that are not unanimously positive, the regional campus dean must meet with the candidate within five working days from the date of the submission of the regional campus dean's letter to the appropriate administrator.
    10. The regional campus dean's recommendations to grant or deny tenure to the candidate shall be submitted to either the college dean (in the case of a candidate from a dependent department or school) or to the provost (in the case of a candidate from an independent college), with copies to the unit administrator and (where the recommendation is to a college dean) to the provost. The file must be completed and closed at the regional campus level and no material added or removed except as provided for in this policy. 
    11. No later than the date when the regional campus dean transmits the regional campus dean's recommendations to the college dean or provost the regional campus dean shall notify the candidate of the regional campus dean's recommendation by letter.
      1. The regional campus dean shall include within this letter a copy of the regional campus dean's letter of recommendation to the college dean or provost, a summary of the advisory recommendations of the tenure committee, and copies of the committee's signed evaluation forms. 
      2. In the regional campus dean's letter to the candidate, the regional campus dean shall inform the candidate that the candidate has the right, within ten working days, to add a letter to the candidate's file responding to any procedural errors or errors of fact that the candidate believes have been included in either the regional campus dean's letter, the faculty chair's letter, or the committee members' statements. 
      3. The letter shall also indicate that if the candidate wishes to appeal a negative decision, such intent shall be expressed to the next higher academic officer in writing within ten working days of receipt of the regional campus dean's letter.  
  8. Procedures for making decisions regarding tenure: colleges with dependent units. The college dean shall conduct a review of the unit's decision, and where applicable, the regional campus' actions and shall convene the college advisory committee, which shall function as the college tenure committee. On the basis of the qualifications of the candidate, this committee shall evaluate all assessments deriving from the unit and, where applicable, regional campus levels, recommend to the dean whether tenure should be granted or denied. 
    1. The college dean shall be the chairperson and a nonvoting member of the college tenure committee.  Tenured members of the elected college advisory committee shall serve as the college tenure committee to review recommendations and evaluations from the departments and schools and recommend to the dean in each case whether tenure should be granted or denied.  This committee shall have made available to it all data developed by the unit and where applicable, the regional campus.  No members of the college tenure committee may vote on candidates from their own unit and no member of the committee shall be present when the committee deliberates or votes on the tenure of a spouse or relative. 
    2. Members of the college tenure committee on leave of absence shall be notified of the candidacies and shall vote by absentee ballots or they may request from the committee the right to abstain from voting. Except where a member of the tenure committee is ineligible to vote in accordance with paragraph (H)(1) of this rule or has been granted the right to abstain from voting, all committee members shall submit a vote on each candidate. If the college tenure committee will consist of fewer than four voting members, then a special procedure for enlarging it shall be developed by the college dean, with the advice of the college advisory committee and the approval of the provost.
    3. The case of each candidate shall be subject to candid discussion of the committee.  During the committee meeting, each voting member shall indicate the member's nonbinding "yea" or "nay."  After the meeting, each voting member shall record the member's final vote by completing a signed evaluation form with comments.
    4. Approval of at least three-fourths of the tenure committee who vote (excluding those who abstain for reasons under paragraph (H)(1) of this rule) shall constitute a recommendation for tenure by the college tenure committee to the college dean.
    5. The college dean shall prepare a written statement in which is recorded the recommendation of the college tenure committee, along with the numerical vote.  In addition, the college dean shall submit a recommendation for approval or disapproval of tenure.
      1. For Kent campus and regional campus candidates alike, the college dean's statement and candidate's file are submitted to the provost.
      2. The file must be completed and closed at the college level and no material shall be added or removed except as provided for in this policy.
    6. No later than the college recommendation is submitted to the provost, the college dean shall notify the candidate of the college dean's recommendation by letter.
      1. The college dean shall include with this letter a copy of the college dean's letter of recommendation to the provost, a summary of the advisory recommendations of the tenure committee, and copies of the committee's signed evaluation forms. 
      2. In the college dean's letter to the candidate, the college dean shall inform the candidate that the candidate has the right, within ten working days, to add a letter to the candidate's file responding to any procedural errors or errors of fact that the candidate believes have been included in either the college dean's letter or the committee member's statements.   
      3. The letter shall also indicate that, if the candidate wishes to appeal a negative recommendation, such intent shall be expressed to the next higher academic officer in writing within ten working days of receipt of the college dean's letter. 
  9. Procedures for making decisions regarding tenure: The Provost Level. The provost shall conduct a review of the previous actions and shall make an academic administrative recommendation on tenure to the president. 
    1. To assist in this process with respect to Kent campus faculty, the provost shall convene the Kent campus tenure advisory board. The members of this board shall be appointed by the provost in consultation with the provost's advisory council from a list of tenured associate and full professors nominated by the faculty senate executive committee, the college advisory committees, and the college deans.  It is ordinarily expected that, through such discussion, consensus on the Kent campus tenure advisory board members will be reached.  In the unusual circumstance that the provost's advisory council and the provost are unable to reach consensus in regard to the members of the board by the specified date for the beginning of board's activity, the provost shall convene a Kent campus tenure advisory board that includes those for whom consensus has been reached and others that the provost appoints.  This board shall evaluate from a Kent campus-wide perspective the recommendations made thus far and shall formally advise the provost as to whether, in its view, these recommendations should be accepted.
    2. To aid in making a recommendation with respect to regional campus faculty, the provost shall convene a regional-campus-wide tenure advisory board. The members of this board shall be appointed by the Provost in consultation with the regional campuses faculty advisory council and regional campus deans from a list of tenured associate and full professors nominated by each regional campus faculty council and the regional campus deans. It is ordinarily expected that, through such discussion, consensus on the regional campuses-wide tenure advisory board members will be reached. In the unusual circumstance that the regional campuses faculty advisory council and the provost are unable to reach consensus in regard to the members of the board by the specified date for the beginning of the board's activity, the provost shall convene a regional campuses-wide tenure advisory board that includes those members for whom consensus has been reached and others that the provost appoints.  This board shall evaluate from a regional campus-wide perspective the recommendations made thus far and shall formally advise the provost as to whether, in its view, these recommendations should be accepted.
    3. No member of the Kent campus or regional-campus-wide tenure advisory board will vote on a candidate for whom the member cast a ballot at a lower level of review and no member may be present while the board deliberates or votes on the tenure of a spouse, domestic partner, or relative.
    4. The provost shall provide written notification to all candidates for tenure of the action taken.  Such notification shall be made at least one week prior to the date designated as the submission date for recommendations for tenure by the president to the board of trustees.  The communication to candidates whose tenure is not approved shall include reasons why approval was withheld.  A negative recommendation shall include a statement of the relevant unit handbook criteria or criteria as established in this policy that the candidate has failed to meet. Copies of each communication shall be sent to the college dean, regional campus dean (if applicable) and the unit administrator.
  10. New material may be added as requested by a review committee or the responsible academic administrator at any level in order to correct or more fully document information contained in the tenure file.  In such instances, the candidate shall be notified of, and given the opportunity to review, such new material as is added to the file and also be provided with the opportunity to include written comments relevant to this material and/or the appropriateness of its inclusion in the file. In no case will a candidate for tenure be required to create new material or required to procure material not currently in the possession of the candidate.
  11. Any faculty member whose tenure has been disapproved at any level shall have the right to appeal to the next higher academic administrative officer.  In the case of denial by the provost, the appeal shall be to the president, or when appropriate, to the Joint Appeals Board (see collective bargaining agreement, Article VII, Section 2). All appeals must be initiated by the candidate in writing within ten working days of the candidate's receipt of the disapproval notification or as otherwise specified by the collective bargaining agreement.  At each level of appeal, the appellant shall be offered an opportunity to appear in person to present the appellant's case orally before the appropriate tenure advisory committee or board. The appellant may be accompanied by a colleague who may assist in presenting the appellant's case.   Furthermore, if an individual other than the appellant is invited to address the committee or board, the appellant shall have an opportunity to respond to any new information.  The committee or board shall determine whether the information is new and whether to invite an oral or written response. The academic administrator in question shall consider the vote of this body seriously before making the recommendation and shall inform both the appellant and the academic administrator at the next higher level of the results of this vote. 
  12. Academic administrators and members of tenure committees are expected to act in accordance with the principles of due process and abide by the Professional Code of Ethics (rule 3342-6-17 of the Administrative Code).  All documents in the tenure process are subject to the Ohio Open Records Law (Section 149.43 of the Revised Code).  
  13. Normally, decisions regarding tenure for all faculty members who are appointed to a tenure-track position will be governed by the university policies and procedures regarding faculty reappointment, tenure, and promotion and the unit handbook in place at the time of the initial appointment. In the event that university policies and procedures regarding faculty reappointment, tenure, and promotion and/or the unit handbook are revised during the faculty member's probationary period,  the faculty member will have the option of being governed by this policy and the current unit handbook or by the policies  and the unit handbook in place at the time of the faculty member's initial appointment.  The faculty member will include a written election of this option in the faculty member's file.  
  14. Transfer of tenure.  Tenured faculty members may transfer from one academic unit to another; from the regional campus system to an academic unit at the Kent campus, or from an academic unit at the Kent campus to the regional campus system in accordance with the following procedure.
    1. The tenured faculty member who is seeking a transfer shall initiate a written request to both the faculty member's current academic administrator (i.e., department chair, school director, independent college dean or regional campus dean) and to the academic administrator of the academic unit or regional campus to which the faculty member seeks a transfer.
    2. The appropriate faculty advisory body of the academic unit or regional campus from which the incoming faculty member seeks a transfer should provide a written recommendation on the acceptability of the transfer to the academic administrator. Upon receipt of this recommendation, the academic administrator will forward the academic administrator's written recommendation together with that of the faculty advisory committee, to the dean of the college, who in turn makes a recommendation to the provost. In the case of faculty in independent colleges, the unit administrator's recommendation is forwarded directly to the provost.
    3. The appropriate faculty advisory body of the academic unit or regional campus to which the incoming faculty member seeks a transfer should provide a written recommendation on the acceptability of the transfer to the academic administrator.  In addition, the ad hoc tenure committee of the academic unit or regional campus to which the incoming faculty member seeks a transfer should evaluate the professional credentials of the incoming faculty member and provide a recommendation to the academic administrator.  In order to undertake this evaluation, the committee may request evidence of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service in a form to be decided by the committee (i.e., curriculum vita, teaching dossier, a written statement from the faculty member seeking the transfer). Approval of at least three-fourths of the members of the unit's or campus' tenure committee who vote, excluding those who abstain, is required for transfer of tenure. If the ad hoc tenure committee approves the transfer of tenure, the academic administrator will forward the academic administrator's recommendation together with that of the faculty advisory committee and the ad hoc tenure committee to the dean of the college who in turn makes a recommendation to the provost.  In the case of faculty in independent colleges, the unit administrator's recommendation is forwarded directly to the provost.
    4. The provost shall consult with the provost's advisory council.  The final decision on the transfer of a tenured faculty member between academic units and/or campuses rests with the provost.  In the event that the provost's decision conflicts with the unit tenure committees vote, the provost shall provide a statement in writing to the unit administrator explaining the decision
    5. A faculty member whose tenure transfers under this section will retain the faculty member's rank.
Policy Effective Date:
Oct 01, 2021
Policy Prior Effective Dates: 
11/4/1977, 9/18/1978, 8/31/1979, 10/1/1985, 8/21/1989, 4/19/1991, 11/20/2004, 4/5/2010, 8/22/2010, 3/1/2015, 8/23/2015, 07/01/2018
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