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Title
Rank and Tenure Committee

Purpose and Function
The Rank and Tenure Committee is charged with evaluation and affirmation of faculty achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service in order to develop and maintain a level of excellence that will enable the University most effectively to fulfill its mission.

The Committee

• reviews applications for promotion and tenure in accord with established criteria;
• submits recommendations to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to be presented to the President of the University;
• reviews the criteria for promotion and tenure and makes recommendations for change;
• approves departments’ standards, which are also approved by the appropriate dean and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs,  to evaluate their faculty members’ teaching, leadership/ scholarship, and service.

The Committee acts on applications for promotion in the fall and spring semesters; it acts on applications for tenure in the fall semester only.

All committee members participate in the discussion and the vote on each application.  In the general business of the committee, four members constitute a quorum and a simple majority is required for committee actions.

Positive recommendation for Assistant Professor requires a simple majority, four out of seven.  Positive recommendation for Tenure, Associate and full Professor require five out of seven.

If a candidate applies for tenure and Associate Professor at the same time, the vote on tenure will be taken first.  The outcome of the vote will be announced to the committee members prior to any consideration for promotion. An unsuccessful candidate for tenure may be awarded Associate Professor. A successful candidate for tenure is awarded a promotion to Associate Professor.

If a member of the committee is an applicant or is department chairperson for an applicant for advancement in rank or tenure, the member’s alternate will serve instead when the case is under consideration.

Confidentiality regarding all matters discussed in meetings of the Rank and Tenure Committee is an important responsibility of each member.  Any member who violates this confidentiality is subject to removal from the committee by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Membership and Selection
One full-time faculty member from each college of the University
Three full-time faculty members at large

At-large representatives
are elected from the full-time faculty of the entire University;
are full-time, tenured associate and/or full professors;
are present and vote on all business of the committee, including all applications for promotion and tenure.

College representatives
are elected by and from the full-time faculty of the individual colleges;
are full-time, tenured associate and/or full professors;
are present and vote on all business of the committee, including all applications for promotion and tenure.

In the event of a vacancy on the committee, the most recently elected alternate to that position will fill the vacancy.

The committee elects its Chair and an Assistant Chair, who has the right of succession to the Chair.

Term
Three years, with possibility of re-election for one consecutive three-year term.

The term of the Chair is three years without possibility of re-election to that office until one year has elapsed.

Meetings
Meetings are held at the call of the Chair.

Reports to
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Related Policies and Committees
Policy - University Standing Committees

History of the Committee
1/24/03 – Revision approved by the President of the University
4/22/08 – The Reporting Authority for the functioning of the committee was transferred from the President of the University to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
4/22/08 – Revision approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
5/02/08 - Title changed from Vice President for Academic Affairs to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Last update May 5, 2008
Copyright © 2008 by Marywood University. All rights reserved.