Post-Tenure Review
This page presents the Department policy and procedures related to post-tenure review.
Post-Tenure Review
Faculty Policy and Procedures (FPP 7.17) provides specific roles to departments in determining the criteria for and conduct of reviews of tenured faculty. It also outlines specific roles for deans and the Provost. This policy is implements and is compliant with FPP 7.17 and the CALS post-tenure review policy (linked pdf)
Purpose
The purpose of Post-Tenure Review (PTR), as outlined in FPP 7.17, “…is the periodic assessment of each faculty member’s activities and performance, in accordance with the mission of the department, college, and institution, and the responsibilities of the faculty as described in FPP 8.02.” In addition, PTR allows the department and the individual being reviewed to identify and discuss opportunities for professional growth and improvement. Furthermore, PTRs are required to determine overall reviewee’s performance as “exceeds expectations,” “meets expectations,” or “does not meet expectations” (See Board of Regents Policy Document (RPD) 20-9, link.)
Criteria
Every member of the Department faculty is expected to contribute substantially to the mission of the University of Wisconsin, in accordance with his or her official appointments and in light of assigned teaching, research, outreach, and service responsibilities. A member’s work must include some mix of the following scholarly activities, depending on specific appointment. All faculty should participate in items 1-5. Faculty with formal teaching responsibilities are also responsible for item 6, while faculty with formal extension responsibilities are also responsible for item 7.
- Conducting and supervising research and outreach/Extension projects, including the publication of refereed journal articles and other forms of scholarly communications and presentations.
- Seeking and obtaining financial support for research and outreach/Extension projects.
- Supervision and mentoring of graduate students, with additional opportunities for supervision of undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, academic staff, and others.
- Contributing to the outreach mission of the university.
- Performing service to the department, college, campus, community, and profession as appropriate and commensurate with appointment.
- Teaching assigned courses, including both group and individual instruction courses, with attention to student learning, including regular improvements based on the development of ideas in the field, the literature of teaching and learning, and personal experience.
- Executing Extension service responsibilities. Impact of Extension work must be documented; see Defining Excellence among Integrated Cooperative Extension Specialists in Wisconsin document for more details.
Procedures
Each tenured professor will undergo a post-tenure review at least once every five years. The first review will normally occur in the fifth year after an individual is granted tenure. The Executive Committee may shorten the five-year schedule (e.g., prominent award nomination, program redirection, etc.), but extending the interval requires approval by the Provost.
(1) The departmental chair will notify each professor scheduled for post-tenure review in an upcoming year of the upcoming review. Departments may arrange for a joint post-tenure review of a Professor who holds appointments in more than one department. If a joint review is conducted, the chairs of the respective departments can appoint a joint Post-Tenure Review Committee (“The Committee”) if that is desired. The process for a joint review should be written and provided to the Professor in advance.
(2) Professors bear the primary responsibility for preparing their post-tenure review documentation, but may be assisted by the department chair. A general format for the document is here (PTR 5-year document template). In addition, the documentation must include a Narrative Account of their program and a Career Plan for the Future (see descriptions below). The combined total of both statements should not exceed three pages. Also include a complete curriculum vitae as this is required by CALS.
Narrative Account—This is a written statement prepared by the Professor that provides a summary of his or her major accomplishments and contributions during the previous five-year period in all areas for which they have responsibility—e. g., administration, instruction, research, extension and outreach, professional service, consulting.
Career Plan for the Future—This is a written statement prepared by the Professor that outlines his or her professional plan of work for the upcoming five-year period. It may be brief but should provide sufficient information about major intended work activities and products to facilitate discussion between the Executive Committee and the Professor. Examples of information that might be included in the statement are lines of research to be pursued, expected teaching and extension activities and course development, anticipated service to the university or the profession and anticipated leaves from the department. The career plan shall serve as a statement of intent by the Professor, but it is not to be viewed as a binding contract between the Professor and the Department.
(3) At least two members of the Executive Committee will serve on the PTRC and review the post-tenure documentation for the Professor. Consistent with FPP 7.1, “No individual shall serve as a reviewer if the faculty member under review formally objects to his or her service in that capacity. Such formal objections should be kept confidential.” The Chair will work with the Professor to resolve any objections. If these cannot be resolved, the Professor may appeal to the Dean per FPP 7.1.
The Committee may choose to meet with the Professor to clarify any items in the documentation. The Committee also may solicit or accept information from outside parties if a) it is directly relevant to the professional performance of the Professor during the period under review, and b) all such information is shared with the Professor. In addition, the Professor may request to meet with the Committee.
(4) The Committee in conjunction with the Chair will prepare a preliminary report describing and evaluating the performance of the Professor. The report will include a summary of professional accomplishments and any recommendations for growth and development. If deficiencies are noted in the report, specific recommendations must also be included on mechanisms to improve performance.
(5) The Professor will be provided a copy of the preliminary report, and will have ten days to correct any factual inaccuracies. The Chair will revise the preliminary report to correct errors of fact, and will then submit it to the Executive Committee.
(6) Following acceptance by the Executive Committee, the preliminary report will be provided to the Professor, who will then have 30 days to submit a written response if s/he wishes. The Executive Committee will review the Professor’s written response and will direct the Chair to issue a final report.
(7) The final report, the Professor’s written response, and all supporting documents will be placed in the department’s personnel file. If the professor had no response, this should be noted with the final report. A copy of all materials will be sent to the Dean, at which point the CALS and campus policies on PTR guide the process.
A time line is provided below.
Annual Timeline for Post-Tenure Review Process (all dates approximate)
| July | Chair alerts faculty member of upcoming review for the fiscal year |
| First week of September | Professor’s post-tenure review documentation due |
| September | At least two members of the Exec. Committee serve as reviewers and review documents. Reviewers, in conjunction with the chair, prepare a preliminary report. |
| First week of October | Reviewers’ preliminary report provided to Professor who has 10 working days to review for factual accuracy |
| Middle of October | Chair revises preliminary report to correct errors of fact |
| First week of November | Post-Tenure Review report submitted to Executive Committee for acceptance and provided to Professor who has ten working days to submit a written response. |
| First week of December | Final Post-Tenure Review report, with the Professor’s written response, accepted by Executive Committee. Final report and Professor’s written response filed in department’s personnel files and forwarded to CALS Dean. |
| Mid-January | Typical deadline for Post-Tenure Review to CALS and Campus |
Key contact and responsible party: FWE Chair and Executive Committee
Timing: CALS typically asks that dossiers are sent to College as early as December to meet salary block grant consideration. Reviews can be submitted later if no salary action will be taken.
Process for updating or changing policy: Any formal policy would require action by the Department.
History of changes: Original policy was adopted in June 2012, with subsequent revisions adopted in November 2015. Policy revised substantially in September 2017 to reflect Faculty Senate adoption of new PTR policy as part of FPP 7.17. Correction of rating titles in January 2019.
Questions
If you have questions about FWE Post-Tenure Review Process or Policy, contact the department chair.
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