1. REAPPOINTMENT, PROMOTION AND TENURE
AUGUST 25, 2017
SUE OTT ROWLANDS, PROVOST
AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

2. CORE VALUES OF NKU Excellence Integrity Inclusiveness Innovation
Collegiality

3. RESULTS OF 2016-2017 RPT: Total reviewed = 101
Reappointment = 68 reviewed, all reappointed
Tenure & Promotion to Associate = 11 reviewed, all approved
Tenure without promotion (Chase) = 1 reviewed and approved
Promotion to Professor = 22 reviewed with 3 not promoted

4. FACULTY HANDBOOK
Reminder: The Faculty Handbook (2017) has language around RPT that focuses on the process.
Section 3: Evaluation for Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure
Section 4: Reappointment
Section 5: Promotion
Section 6: Tenure
Section 7: Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure for Librarians
Departmental and College RPT guidelines, which have all been approved, provide guidance on expectations for reappointment, promotion and tenure.

5. FACULTY HANDBOOK
The 2016 Faculty Handbook changed to eliminate first-year review of probationary faculty
The Faculty Handbook (2017) will have new language surrounding initial appointments and reappointments of Assistant Professors, requiring RPT review only in years 2, 4, and 6
For , review will still take place annually in years 2-6

6. 2.2. Initial Appointment - Probationary
Ordinarily an initial appointment will be for two years for all ranks. If a person is appointed to the faculty during an academic year, the term of his/her contract will end at the end of the following academic year.

7. 2.3.2 Assistant Professor
Reappointments of an assistant professor will be for two-year terms, provided, however, that the total time in probationary appointments, including university-recognized credit for prior service, does not exceed seven years. If an assistant professor does not receive tenure before the end of the sixth year of probationary appointments, including university-recognized credit for prior service, the contract for the seventh year shall be a one-year terminal contract (see Section 2.5, Probationary Contracts).

8. 2.5. Probationary Contracts
Faculty who have probationary contracts do not have tenure. Reappointment to a probationary contract is conditioned upon successful performance and recommendation for reappointment as specified at Sections 3, Evaluation; 4, Reappointment; 5, Promotion; 6, Tenure, and 7, Appointment, Promotion and Tenure for Librarians. A person may not hold a probationary appointment for more than seven years, including university-recognized credit for prior service. If a person does not receive tenure before the end of the sixth year of probationary contracts, including university-recognized credit for prior service, the contract for the seventh year shall be a one-year terminal contract.

9. RPT PROCESS REMINDERS

10. The Letters
Letters should reflect the majority view and, if relevant, the minority view. If the minority member(s) wish, a minority letter can be included
All committee members should sign the majority letter
The committee vote should be recorded as unanimous or non-unanimous
Letters addressed to next level of review and copied to candidate and all previous reviewers
Letters should be substantial, providing thorough assessment of teaching, scholarship/creative activity, and service
‘Conditions to be removed’ language no longer in use
Use of ‘mandatory’ and ‘non-mandatory’ language as opposed to ‘early tenure’

11. Joint Appointments
MOU signed at the time of the appointment should clarify the process for the faculty member
Home department’s RPT/Professor committee should add a member from the second department
No second chair letter required but could be requested by candidate as a letter of support
All other parts of the process proceed as usual

12. Other Reminders
Cover pages will be provided for each candidate. These should be completed and included with hard copy recommendation letter(s). Cover letters will be delivered on Monday.
Beginning with the academic year, no RPT reviews for first year tenure-track faculty
RPT reviews will be conducted for all tenure-track faculty during the probationary years beginning with the second year of appointment. The only exception is in the case of an approved extension of the probationary period (a ‘stop-the-clock’ year).

13. QUESTIONS?