i. Guidelines for Reappointment
Reappointment of faculty members is part of the shared responsibility of the Institute's administrative leadership, faculty, and trustees. At the Institute, consideration of reappointment is one indicator of successful participation in the academic mission. The Provost is responsible for making recommendations to the Institute’s Board of Trustees regarding faculty reappointment, which is informed by the following elements:
-The recommendation of the faculty member’s academic unit leader for reappointment;
-Evidence that the faculty member has contributed meaningfully to the mission and vision of the Institute;
-Continuing demand in the academic program or unit for the faculty member’s expertise and service; and
-Evidence of the faculty member’s commitment to reflect the Institute’s core values and comply with organizational policies, such as policies on conflict of interest, outside professional activities, research misconduct, patent, and copyright.
The Faculty Affairs team, within the Office of the Provost, initiates and coordinates the process of reappointment at the Institute. Faculty reappointment takes place at the same time as the annual faculty evaluation and goal setting process. Faculty Affairs, with support from the Office of Human Resources, maintains a list of all faculty with terms of their appointments. In December of each academic year, the Office of the Provost will notify academic unit leaders of the faculty members whose reappointment decisions are due in the upcoming year.
Except for faculty hired for a one-year appointment and faculty hired on the basis of extramural funding, as noted below, faculty members are to be notified of reappointment decisions by the Office of the Provost no later than September 30 of the terminal year of their appointment. A faculty member not being recommended for reappointment will be so informed by the academic unit leader. A faculty member that is not approved for reappointment will be notified in writing. The decision not to reappoint is not subject to the problem resolution process (Section VIII).
For initial one-year appointments, the Institute reserves the right to not renew an appointment, and the Institute will give at least 30 days’ notice of non-renewal during that first year of service. Faculty members hired n the basis of extramural funding of all ranks will be informed of their reappointment status by their dean or academic unit leader at least 90 days’ prior to their appointment end date.
Steps toward Reappointment:
During the annual faculty evaluation process, faculty members should request feedback from the academic unit leader regarding progress toward reappointment to ensure they are fully informed of any concerns and/or opportunities to improve. This discussion should be documented in the Interfolio faculty evaluation system.
Recommendations for reappointment will occur during the faculty evaluation period. It is expected that formative feedback between faculty and their academic unit leaders, the rank and promotion process, and the annual faculty evaluation process contribute to a valid, useful indication of academic productivity, performance, and career growth. Academic unit leaders will consider the discussions that have taken place during the annual review process when making their recommendations to the Provost about reappointment.
Academic unit leaders may seek input from other sources as they make reappointment decisions. Additional factors or measures, set by the school as part of the evaluation, should be constructed so as not to be burdensome to individual faculty members.
By September 1 of the terminal year of the appointment, the academic unit leader will make a recommendation to the Provost about the reappointment.
This recommendation shall be made in the annual evaluation, as follows:
A. When the recommendation is for reappointment, the academic unit leader shall:
- Indicate the requested renewal term in years; and
- Provide a brief narrative that summarizes any key factors related to the Reappointment for periods greater than one year.
- Ensure sufficient resources to support the faculty position.
B. When the recommendation is for non-reappointment, the academic unit leader shall:
- Indicate the rationale for the decision in writing; and
- Indicate the decision has been reviewed with the faculty member.
C. Upon receipt of the recommendation, the Office of the Provost shall:
- Approve or reject the recommendations for reappointment.
- Communicate the reappointment decision in writing to the candidate, contingent upon final Board approval in the case of five-year reappointments, in the final year of the appointment.
- Inform any candidates not being recommended for reappointment of the decision and the end date of their appointment period.