Faculty Grievance Policies and Procedures
When promotion and/or tenure is not recommended, the Committee shall inform the candidate of this decision. At this time
the candidate will receive a copy of the file, complete with all reviews and recommendations, and notify the candidate of
the right to add a written statement to be included in the file. The candidate has 10 working days after notification to
add a statement to the file. A candidate’s appeals of a tenure decision shall be made in writing to the Board of Trustees
within 30 days of written notification of denial of tenure. The candidate has the right to appear and make oral arguments
before the Trustees before the Board votes on the disposition of the case. The Board may (1) vote to support the candidate
and reverse the denial, (2) vote to deny the appeal, or (3) vote to allow reconsideration by the Tenure Review Committee
after a specified period of time not to exceed one year. In each case the Board shall forward the file to the President of
the College with a letter describing their recommendation and will forward a copy to the appellant.
All tenured faculty are evaluated annually by the President of the College and Trustees at the Board of Trustees
quarterly meeting. Using the tenured faculty member’s personnel file, review focuses on the faculty member's performance
in light of his or her expected contribution to the College. The annual evaluation is the core of the College’s ongoing
post-tenure review process, and it should contain a summary rating of excellent, very good, satisfactory, needs improvement
or unsatisfactory. On this scale, the appropriate rating for a tenured faculty member whose overall performance in previous
years has been 'satisfactory' or better, but whose current overall performance is not satisfactory, is 'needs improvement.'
If a faculty member's previous overall performance was rated 'needs improvement' and the current overall performance has
not met the conditions for improvement, the appropriate rating is 'unsatisfactory.'
When a tenured faculty member receives an overall unsatisfactory annual evaluation, the Trustees will notify the faculty
member of the adverse evaluation within 15 days. At that time the Board will supply the faculty member with all pertinent
information regarding the review and the results of the Board’s vote. The Board will also recommend a course of action,
which may include—but is not limited to—(1) warning the faculty member, and/or (2) requesting a plan for and evidence of
improved performance within a specified period of not less than one semester and not more than two years, or (3)
termination. If he or she chooses to do so, the faculty member must respond in writing to the President of the College
within 30 days of being notified of the Trustees’ decision. If he or she is terminated, the faculty member may request a
hearing before the Trustees at the following quarterly meeting, where he or she may comment on or rebut any of the
information. Both the terminated faculty member and the Trustees may at that time call for testimony from anyone with
knowledge of the pertinent issues. The Board of Trustees may then let the decision stand or reverse themselves and
recommend an alternate course of action.
If the Trustees conclude that the faculty member's performance was unsatisfactory during the period in question, it
may recommend a one- or two-year improvement plan intended to aid the faculty member to return to a satisfactory level of
performance.
At the end of the one- or two-year plan, the Board will again conduct a review of the faculty member's performance,
using the provisions of the improvement plan and all information pertinent to the faculty member's performance during the
period of the plan. If it finds that the faculty member's performance has been satisfactory, it reports its findings to the
President of the College and the faculty member, and the review is complete. If the panel finds that the faculty member's
performance has been unsatisfactory, it shall recommend to the President that they initiate proceedings for dismissal
based on one of the causes outlined in this document.
To initiate the termination of a tenured faculty member for just cause, the President of the College shall inform the
faculty member in writing of the proposed termination, the specific reasons for it and the effective date of termination.
The President of the College must also inform the faculty member that a request for a hearing of the case by the Board of
Trustees must be initiated within 30 days. In the absence of such a request the President’s action becomes final.
The Board of Trustees shall begin all requested hearings within 30 working days following receipt of a faculty member's
request. The faculty member shall have the opportunity to attend all the Trustees meeting where evidence is received or
witnesses are heard. The faculty member shall have the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses, to present evidence and
may be accompanied by one nonparticipating advisor.
A complete record of the hearing shall be maintained and available to the parties involved. The hearing shall be closed
to the public, except upon mutual agreement by the faculty member, the President of the College, and the Trustees.
The Trustees shall submit a completed written report to the President within 30 days after conclusion of the hearings.
The President of the College shall review the Board of Trustees’ findings and recommendations and convey a decision with a
rationale in writing to the faculty member within 10 days. The decision is final and not subject to further review within
the College.
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