Tenure and Promotion: Definition, Eligibility, Granting of Tenure, Criteria, Procedures and Methods of Processing, Confidential Nature of Materials and Discussions, Reports and Appeals, Permanent Status and Sustained Performance Evaluations

REGULATIONS OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

7.019 Tenure and Promotion: Definition, Eligibility, Granting of Tenure, Criteria, Procedures and Methods of Processing, Confidential Nature of Materials and Discussions, Reports and Appeals, Permanent Status and Sustained Performance Evaluations.

(1)     Two of the most important types of decisions made in the University are those having to do with promotion and tenure; they are the principal means by which the quality of the institution is maintained and developed. The President shall have the responsibility of submitting nominations for the awarding of tenure to the Board of Trustees. The tenure nominations are subject to approval by the Board before such status is granted. The responsibility for decisions on promotion has been specifically delegated to the President by the Board of Trustees. This regulation governs tenure and promotion of faculty at the University.

(2)     Definition of Tenure and Promotion of the Faculty.

(a)     Tenure, a status granted by the Board of Trustees, is attained by the faculty member through distinction in teaching, research, extension, or other scholarly or creative activities, and service and contributions to the University and to the profession. It assures the faculty member immunity from reprisals or threats due to an intellectual position or belief which may be unpopular. Tenure shall normally be in an academic department. With the written consent of the Provost, the tenure of a faculty member may reside in a center or institute when the research, teaching, and other duties of the faculty member necessitate such a designation. A faculty member who has been granted tenure by the Board of Trustees (or the Board of Regents prior to July 1, 2001) shall have the status of a permanent member of the faculty and remain in the employment of the University until the faculty member:

1.       Voluntarily leaves the employment of the institution; or

2.       Voluntarily retires; or

3.       Is dismissed for cause under the provisions of University of Florida Regulation 7.048, or an applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement for faculty members in a bargaining unit, which govern the termination of faculty employment; or

4.      Is discontinued from employment pursuant to the layoff provisions of University regulations or an applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement for faculty members in a bargaining unit.

While the guarantee of annual contract renewal cannot be absolute and exists only to the extent that funds from all sources remain available to honor the commitment, tenure remains one of the distinctive characteristics of the University.

(b)     Promotion shall mean the appointment of a faculty member to a higher academic rank in recognition of distinguished performance as a faculty member. Responsibility for promotion decisions has been specifically delegated to the President by the Board of Trustees.

(c)      Decisions to promote or to grant tenure, although not identical, differ more in emphasis than they do in kind. The granting of tenure is a more critical action than promotion, for it represents a commitment by the institution to the individual, which is a very serious undertaking for the University. Both decisions, however, represent an evaluation on the part of the University of the faculty member’s total value to the University and of his or her potential for the future as evidenced by his or her record. Both require not only a consideration of the candidate’s fulfillment of his or her assigned responsibilities in teaching, research, extension, and service, but also a broad scale evaluation of his or her fitness to fulfill effectively the responsibilities attendant to membership in the University community. They also require a determination that the individual understands the concepts of academic freedom and academic responsibility and their close interrelationship. The same criteria are to be applied in making or evaluating recommendations in both tenure and promotion judgments.

(d)     Tenure may be granted by the Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the President at the time of initial appointment only after a consideration of the needs of the department or program. Refer to paragraph (3)(a)3. below.

(e)     Consideration for tenure, permanent status, or promotion during an administrative appointment shall be based on the faculty duties in teaching, research, service (including clinical service), or extension evaluated under the University’s criteria for tenure and promotion and shall not be based on the administrative portion of the assignment.

(3)     Eligibility for Tenure.

(a)     Only those employees classified as faculty members of the University who are in a continuous full-time or part-time tenure-accruing position and hold the rank of assistant professor or above are eligible for nomination for tenure. Refer to University of Florida Regulation 7.003.

1.      The faculty member considered for tenure shall normally hold the terminal degree appropriate to the academic field to which the faculty member is appointed. Any candidate who does not hold the terminal degree must have an exceptional record of professional achievement.

2.      A faculty member shall be appointed to a department or unit, and there shall normally be an academic department which is responsible for the faculty member’s tenure. With the written consent of the Provost, a center or institute may be responsible for the tenure of a faculty member.

3.      The award of tenure may be recommended to the Board of Trustees at the time of initial appointment to associate professor or above. Requests for tenure upon appointment should be submitted to the Provost or designee with a statement of the reasons for the request and supporting documentation, including but not limited to, a copy of the nominee’s resume and the vote of the appropriate departmental or unit faculty. This statement shall set forth the special circumstances which warrant granting tenure as a condition of employment, including a brief summary of the nominee’s academic credentials and employment. If the Provost approves the request, the letter of offer of appointment to the nominee should address the tenure issue by indicating that the recommendation for tenure will be sent to the Board of Trustees for its consideration and decision. The social security number, documentation required by the I-9 Form, and an assurance that the internal procedures for tenure approval were followed, including the results of the vote of the appropriate departmental or unit faculty, must also be submitted to the Provost with the appropriate documents.

4.      If a non-tenured faculty member is appointed to serve in academic- administrative classifications or administrative positions, he or she shall be eligible for tenure only in the faculty rank, but not in the administrative position. Only that portion of the assignment that is not administrative shall be considered in the tenure process. Tenured faculty members appointed to these positions shall retain tenure in the faculty rank, but tenure shall not apply to or be held in any administrative positions or classifications. Refer to University of Florida Regulation 7.003.

(b)     A faculty member in a tenure-accruing position shall be considered and recommended for tenure or given notice of non-renewal by the end of the “tenure probationary period.” “Tenure probationary period” or “probationary period” shall be defined for the purpose of this regulation as that period of academic service in a tenure-accruing position at the University of Florida by the end of which the faculty member must be recommended for tenure or given notice of nonrenewal. The tenure probationary periods for each college are as follows:

1.     One (1) year of academic service shall mean employment during at least thirty-nine (39) weeks of any twelve (12)-month period beginning with the fall term. Employment for one semester (or its equivalent) shall constitute one-half (½) year of academic service.

2.     A faculty member may apply for tenure at any time prior to the beginning of the last year of the tenure probationary period, and the department chair or equivalent administrator shall initiate the tenure nomination process upon that request. A faculty member must request consideration no later than the beginning of the last year of the tenure probationary period.

3.     Faculty members being considered for tenure prior to the beginning of the last year of the probationary period may withdraw from consideration without prejudice by written mutual agreement between the faculty member and the chairperson or equivalent administrator. Faculty members being considered for promotion may withdraw from consideration. The withdrawal from consideration for tenure or for promotion must be made prior to a decision by the President. For the procedures concerning the decision at the presidential level, refer to paragraphs (6)(b)3. and (6)(c)3. below.

4.     Time spent by a faculty member with a tenure-accruing appointment under joint appointment or exchange within or outside the State University System, on a duly established personnel exchange program of the University or on a special assignment for the benefit of the parent institution or for the University System, shall be considered academic service for the purposes of subsection (3)(b) above absent an agreement between the faculty member and the University to the contrary. In all such cases, the faculty member shall be so informed in writing at the time leave is granted.

5.     A semester (or a 19.5 week period for twelve (12) month faculty) in which a faculty member is on a leave of absence shall not be considered academic service for the purposes of subsection (3)(b) above unless the primary purpose of the leave is to conduct research or there is an agreement to the contrary in writing between the faculty member and the Office of the Provost entered into prior to the commencement of the leave. A semester (or 19.5 weeks for twelve (12) month faculty) in which a faculty member is on reduced full-time equivalent (F.T.E.) compensated leave shall not be considered academic service for the purposes of subsection (3)(b) above unless the primary purpose of the leave is to conduct research or there is an agreement to the contrary in writing between the faculty member and the Office of the Provost entered into prior to the commencement of the leave.

6.     The appointment or employment requirement for a tenured faculty member shall be consistent with the degree of effort and duration of time (academic year or twelve (12)-month appointment) in which the faculty member was granted tenure status. Refer to University of Florida Regulation 7.003. Faculty who have been appointed to a tenure accruing position at less than 1.00 full-time equivalent (FTE) will be awarded tenure at the percentage of full-time effort (FTE) assigned at the time of the initial appointment in the tenure accruing position. The appropriate academic department and college may submit a request to the Office of the Provost for a change to full-time tenure status for any faculty member who was granted tenure at less than 1.00 FTE, after the faculty member has completed a total of five (5) consecutive years of l.00 FTE appointments.

(c)      Extension of the tenure probationary period.

1.       A one (1)-year extension of the probationary period shall be granted if during the probationary period:

a.       the faculty member becomes a biological or adoptive parent, or otherwise has significant care responsibilities for a newborn, a newly adopted child, or a child received into a licensed family foster home; or

b.      the faculty member must care for an “immediate family member” who is seriously ill for an extended period and for whom the faculty member has significant care responsibilities. An “immediate family member” shall be defined as a faculty member’s spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister, or the child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister of the faculty member’s spouse or domestic partner, or the spouse or domestic partner of any of them.

2.      A faculty member may request a one (1)-year extension of the probationary period in extraordinary circumstances where the extension is necessary to allow the candidate to demonstrate professional excellence and capacity for future academic productivity.

3.      Any faculty member requesting an extension of the probationary period under paragraph (3)(c)1. above must make such request in writing to his or her department chair or equivalent administrator no later than three (3) months after the onset of the circumstances forming the basis of the request, but in no event later than fifteen (15) months prior to the end of the probationary period. The faculty member shall provide, if requested, appropriate written documentation to substantiate the request. The request must be forwarded to the Provost by the department chair or equivalent administrator and the dean. Approval or disapproval at department and college level must specifically indicate agreement or disagreement with the request and the grounds therefor. The Provost has the final authority to approve or disapprove the request. A request may be disapproved only if the requirements of paragraph (3)(c)1. above are not met or if appropriate documentation is not furnished when requested. Events that occur in the last eighteen months of a faculty member’s probationary period cannot be the basis for a request under paragraph (3)(c)1. above.

4.       Any faculty member requesting an extension under paragraph (3)(c)2. above must submit his or her request to the department chair or equivalent administrator. The request must be forwarded by the department chair or equivalent administrator and the dean, to the Provost. The requestor must fully set forth and document why the circumstances of the request are extraordinary. Approval or disapproval at department and college level must specifically indicate agreement or disagreement with the request and the grounds therefor. The Provost has the final authority to approve or disapprove the request. Events that occur in the last eighteen (18) months of a faculty member’s probationary period may not be a basis for a request under paragraph (3)(c)2. above. Any request made for an extension under paragraph (3)(c)2. above must be made at least eighteen (18) months prior to the end of the probationary period.

5.      The maximum extension of the probationary period that a faculty member can obtain under subsection (3)(c) above is a total of two (2) years.

(d)     Tenure Eligibility for Tenured Faculty Members Transferred to Other Departments Within the University or from Another State University in Florida.

1.      All prior State University System tenure-accruing service shall be credited toward tenure at the University of Florida in the absence of an agreement between the University and the faculty member to the contrary.

2.      A faculty member may transfer with tenure from another university in the State University System if the transfer of the faculty member and the transfer of the line item, where appropriate, is approved by the appropriate University officials or if a vacancy exists and the faculty member is offered employment through the normal hiring process.

3.     While no department or unit of the University is obliged to accept the transfer of a faculty member from another unit or units, if a tenured faculty member of a department or unit is offered employment and accepts such a transfer, the academic department or unit must recognize the tenured status already attained by the transferring faculty member. The acceptance of a transferring faculty member is conditioned upon an affirmative vote of the tenured faculty members of the academic department or unit within which the faculty member will hold tenure. A report of the transfer shall be submitted through the appropriate administrative channels to the Office of the Provost.

(e)     Tenure Eligibility of Faculty in the various Colleges of the J. Hillis Miller Health Center with Assignments at Affiliated Institutions or Units.

1.      The Colleges of the J. Hillis Miller Health Center are authorized to offer tenure- accruing appointments to faculty members with an assignment at any of the affiliated institutions or units designated by the dean of any college of the J. Hillis Miller Health Center, provided the appointee fully qualifies for and holds the tenure-accruing rank in an academic unit in the respective college. In all circumstances, the appointee must be informed in writing of the inherent limitations in the definition of tenure for such faculty members.

2.      Any member of the faculty in one (1) of the colleges at the J. Hillis Miller Health Center, who acquires tenure while having an assignment at an affiliated institution or unit will continue in a tenured status only so long as that respective affiliated institution continues to provide funds to the University of Florida to support that faculty position. If the affiliated institution ceases to support that particular faculty position, the faculty member’s tenure shall be withdrawn.

(f)     Tenure Eligibility for Faculty in University Libraries and Florida Museum of Natural History. The faculty in the University Libraries and the Florida Museum of Natural History holding appointments in a regular academic rank or holding ranks equivalent to assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or above, i.e., assistant librarian, associate librarian, librarian, assistant curator, associate curator, curator, and above, are eligible for tenure and their contracts shall so state.

(4)     Criteria for Tenure and Promotion.

(a)     The criteria for promotion or for granting of tenure shall be relevant to the performance of the work which the faculty member has been assigned to do and to the faculty member’s duties and responsibilities as a member of the University community. These criteria recognize three (3) broad categories of academic service as follows:

1.      Instruction, including regular classroom teaching, direction of theses and dissertations, academic advisement, extension programs, and all preparation for this work including study to keep abreast of one’s field.

2.       Research or other creative activity including scholarly, peer-reviewed publications.

3.       Professional and public service (including clinical service).

(b)      Extension service may be inclusive of the three broad categories of academic service described above. Refer to subsection (2)(b) of University of Florida Regulation 7.010, for a detailed description of the duties and responsibilities specifically assigned to extension faculty.

(c)      The work for which a faculty member is responsible, as well as the expectation that he or she will abide by the regulations of the University and the laws of the State and the nation, should be made clear to the faculty member at the time of employment and shall be reviewed at subsequent intervals at least annually, since the faculty member’s assignment may vary with the passage of time.

(d)      The assignment shall also be specified at the time of recommendation for promotion and tenure on the University’s tenure and/or promotion nomination packet of information which the faculty member prepares. A copy of the University’s Guidelines and Information regarding the Tenure, Permanent Status and Promotion Process, which includes the nomination packet format may be obtained in the Chairperson’s, Dean’s or Director’s Office or from the Office of the Provost. In most cases, all three (3) types of activities listed in subsection (4)(a) above will be expected, although the ratios required may vary widely. By way of illustration, a faculty member assigned mostly teaching responsibilities will in most cases be expected to do some research and/or service work. On the other hand, there will be some research personnel who will be assigned no teaching. In most cases, promotion and tenure should require distinction in at least two (2) of the three (3) categories, one of which should be that of the faculty member’s primary responsibility, although merit should certainly be regarded as more important than variety of activity. “Distinction” in the categories listed in subsection (4)(a) above shall be defined by each college. Each college shall disseminate annually in writing its criteria for tenure and promotion to all faculty members. The criteria also shall be available from the dean’s office in each college. Reviews of nominations for promotion and tenure shall include evidence that review letters from outside the University have been sought for the evaluation of research and creative or extension service activities. In the case of tenure nominations at least five (5) review letters from outside the university must be presented.

(5)      Granting of Tenure.

(a)      By the end of the probationary period, a faculty member shall either be recommended for tenure or given notice that further employment will not be offered. The notice of denial of tenure shall be accompanied by a statement from the President or the President’s designee of the reason(s) for not granting tenure.

(b)      Each review of a nomination for tenure shall reflect careful consideration of the qualifications of the faculty member, including evaluation by colleagues and the department chairperson and/or immediate supervisor. Evaluation of the faculty member’s research and other creative activities or extension programs by qualified scholars in pertinent disciplines both within and outside the University shall be sought. When one of the duties of the faculty member being recommended is teaching, the quality of the faculty member’s teaching shall be evaluated by the procedures outlined in these regulations and the University policies which govern faculty evaluation and improvement. Refer to University of Florida Regulation 7.010. The President’s decision to approve the nomination of a faculty member for tenure shall signify that the President is satisfied the candidate will continue to make significant professional contributions to the University and the academic community generally. Upon nomination by the President and approval by the Board of Trustees, tenure shall be granted.

(6)      Procedures and Methods of Processing Tenure and Promotion Nominations.

(a)      Tenure and promotion nomination reviews shall be based on the University’s criteria as set forth in these regulations and the Guidelines and Information prepared by the Office of the Provost. Tenure and promotion nomination reviews shall originate with the appropriate academic department or unit, or its equivalent for those faculty in the University Libraries and the Florida Museum of Natural History, in which the individual shall be awarded tenure status and/or promotion as a faculty member.

1.       Faculty eligible for tenure and/or faculty who wish to be considered for promotion shall be furnished a copy of the University’s Guidelines and Information in order to assist them in the preparation of the University’s tenure and promotion nomination packet of information mentioned in subsection (4)(d) above.

a.       It shall be the responsibility of the faculty member to see that the tenure and/or promotion nomination packet is complete and contains all the information the faculty member believes is pertinent to the nomination.

b.      Prior to the review of the nomination, the faculty member shall have the right to review the contents of the tenure and/or promotion nomination packet, and may attach a brief and concise written response to any material therein. If the faculty member has waived the right to review the letters of evaluation, these shall not be made available to the faculty member.

c.      The tenure and/or promotion nomination packets shall be completed for departmental or unit review in accordance with the University guidelines before the departmental or unit vote is taken. The eligible faculty of the department or unit shall review the packets and may meet to discuss the nomination. A secret ballot of the eligible faculty shall be taken no earlier than one (1) day following the meeting. Even though otherwise an eligible faculty, a chairperson, dean, or equivalent administrator who provides a written evaluation of the candidate as part of the tenure or promotion process shall not participate in the secret ballot of the department or unit.

d.     In tenure cases, “eligible faculty” are those faculty holding tenure in the department or unit. In promotion cases, “eligible faculty” shall mean those faculty in the department or unit holding rank superior to that of the candidate.

e.     The faculty member may add materials that directly pertain to the tenure and/or promotion nomination packet by providing a copy to the appropriate administrator. The date of inclusion in the packet shall be recorded on the material.

f.      When any material is added to, deleted from, or changed in the packet by anyone other than the candidate after the commencement of the consideration process, a copy of any such additions, deletions, or changes, other than letters of evaluation to which the faculty member has waived the right to review, shall be sent to the faculty member within five (5) calendar days. Within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the material, the faculty member may provide a brief and concise response thereto, which shall be added to the nomination packet.

2.      The tenure and/or promotion nomination shall be reviewed in accordance with the applicable University Guidelines and Information and the procedures described in subsections (6)(b) and (c) below.

3.       The faculty member shall be informed of the status of the tenure and/or promotion nomination at each level of the University process within five (5) calendar days of the completion of the review at that level. Within ten (10) calendar days of being informed of the results of the departmental or unit review, including the chairperson’s recommendation, the faculty member may request a meeting with the chairperson (or equivalent administrator) to respond and/or may submit a written response to the chairperson. Within ten (10) calendar days of being informed of the results of the college’s review, including the dean’s recommendation, the faculty member may request a meeting with the dean (or equivalent administrator) to respond and/or may submit a written response to the Any written response submitted by the faculty member shall be placed in the nomination packet before consideration at the next level of review.

(b)      Procedures for Submitting Tenure Nominations.

1.       Departmental or Unit Review – The department chairperson or the equivalent administrator is responsible for initiating the process for tenure. The eligible faculty members of the academic department or unit in which the faculty member shall hold tenure status if it is awarded shall review the packet and may meet to discuss the nomination. A secret ballot of the eligible faculty members in the department or unit shall be taken no earlier than one (1) day following the meeting. The chairperson or equivalent administrator shall review the nomination and report the results of the faculty vote, the results of his or her review, and his or her recommendation to the candidate and to the appropriate dean or director. For those IFAS faculty stationed at research and education centers, nominations for the award of tenure shall also be reviewed by the center director and voted on by the center’s eligible faculty through a secret ballot. In those colleges in which there are no departments or in which the departments are so small that the college has chosen to forego the departmental review, the dean shall initiate the process. In such colleges, a secret ballot of the eligible faculty members of the college shall be taken in lieu of the secret ballot of the department or unit eligible faculty. As set forth in subparagraph (6)(a)1.c. above, the chairperson, dean or equivalent administrator, shall not participate in any secret ballot taken pursuant to this paragraph.

2.      College Level Review – The dean, or director in the case of the Florida Museum of Natural History, and a college-level fact-finding committee comprised of tenured faculty members of the college shall review the nomination. One-half of the members of the college- level fact-finding committee shall be elected by tenured faculty members of the college. The college committee shall provide recorded individual assessments to the dean or director as part of its fact-finding and consultative role. An individual assessment shall consist of a committee member’s indicating whether or not the candidate meets the standards for tenure within that college. The individual faculty members making the assessments shall not be identified. The dean’s or director’s letter of review and recommendation as well as the college committee’s individual assessments will be submitted to the candidate and to the University’s Academic Personnel Board.

3.      Presidential Review – The Academic Personnel Board is consultative to the President with respect to promotion, tenure, and permanent status nominations and takes a University-wide perspective in reviewing such nominations. The University’s Academic Personnel Board consists of ten (10) senior-ranked faculty members (eligible faculty members who have attained the highest promotional rank in the faculty title series to which they are appointed) who do not have an academic administrative appointment, an associate provost for academic affairs designated by the Provost, and the Vice President for Research. The faculty members are appointed by the President. Two (2) faculty members shall represent the Health Science Center; two (2) shall represent the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and six (6) shall represent the colleges and academic units in the Education and General Budget. The associate provost for academic affairs serves as the secretary of the Board. The President may divide the Academic Personnel Board into more than one working group to expedite the review of nominations.

a.     The Academic Personnel Board shall advise the President on all nominations received. The Academic Personnel Board will serve in a fact-finding and consultative role, reviewing the candidates’ nomination packets and reporting on the strengths and weaknesses of the records. If there are questions about a nomination packet, the Academic Personnel Board shall notify the dean who in turn will notify the chairperson and the faculty member so they may respond. Pursuant to paragraph (3)(b)3. above, a candidate may choose to withdraw from consideration at this time. The Provost shall present the report of the Academic Personnel Board to the President. The Academic Personnel Board shall be available for further consultation with the President concerning these nominations.

b.      The President makes the final tenure recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The college or appropriate unit will be notified of the President’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

4.       The faculty member shall be notified in writing by the President or designee immediately, or as soon thereafter as possible, of the final action taken on the nomination for tenure. If the faculty member is denied tenure, the notice shall include a statement of the reason(s) for the denial.

5.        By the end of the tenure probationary period, the faculty member shall be either awarded tenure or given appropriate notice of denial of tenure and non-renewal by the President or the President’s designee. The notice of non-renewal shall be accompanied by the following: a statement of the reason(s) why tenure was not granted; reference to any previously-held informal conference between the faculty member and the President’s designee to explain the reason(s) for the denial; the expiration date of the current year’s contract; the last day of employment with the University; and a reference to the appropriate grievance procedures described in subsection (8) below and in University of Florida Regulation 7.041.

(c)      Procedures for Submitting Promotion Recommendations.

1.       Departmental or Unit Review — The department chairperson or equivalent administrator is responsible for initiating the process for the promotion of faculty to the rank of associate or full professor or above, or the equivalent in other academic ranks (e.g., curators, librarians, extension agents, scientists, scholars or engineers). The appropriate department chairperson or administrator will initiate the nomination process upon the request of an eligible faculty member, except that only a college dean or the administrator of a unit equivalent to a college may nominate a faculty member for the title of distinguished professor. Nominations shall be processed and considered as described in subsections (6)(a), (c) and (d) above. The eligible faculty members of the department or unit shall review the packet and may meet to discuss the nomination. A secret ballot of the eligible faculty of the department or unit shall be taken no earlier than one day following the meeting. The chairperson or equivalent administrator shall review the nomination and report the results of the faculty vote, the results of his or her review, and his or her recommendation to the candidate and to the appropriate dean or director. Nomination for the award of the “distinguished professor” title shall be made by the appropriate college dean or equivalent administrator and be accompanied by the votes or a summary of the opinions of those faculty in the rank of professor or the equivalent in academic rank within the academic department or unit.  In those colleges in which there are no departments or in which the departments are so small that the college has chosen to forego the departmental review, the dean shall initiate the process. In such colleges, a secret ballot of the eligible faculty members of the college shall be taken in lieu of the secret ballot of the department or unit eligible faculty member. As set forth in subparagraph (6)(a)1.c. above, the chairperson, dean or equivalent administrator shall not participate in any secret ballot taken pursuant to this paragraph.

2.      Review at College Level – The dean, or director in the case of the Florida Museum of Natural History, and a college-level fact-finding committee shall review the nomination. A college committee for the purposes of promotion review shall be composed of faculty holding faculty or faculty equivalent titles, as defined in University of Florida Regulation 7.003, at the associate (or equivalent) rank and above. The only modifiers to these titles shall be the clinical, research, and extension modifiers. In the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) county extension faculty may also serve on a committee. A college may have one (1) or more such committees and may have one (1) committee that reviews both tenure and promotion cases. One-half of the members of any college-level fact-finding committee shall be elected by tenured faculty members of the college. The eligible faculty members of the appropriate college committee shall provide recorded individual assessments to the dean or director as part of its fact-finding and consultative role. An individual assessment shall consist of a committee member’s indicating whether or not the candidate meets the standards for promotion within that college. The individual faculty members making the assessments shall not be identified. The dean’s or director’s letter of review and recommendation as well as the college committee’s individual assessments will be submitted to the candidate and to the University’s Academic Personnel Board.

3.      Presidential Review – The Academic Personnel Board shall advise the President on all nominations for promotion received. The Academic Personnel Board will serve in a fact- finding and consultative role, reviewing the candidate’s nomination packets and reporting on the strengths and weaknesses of the record. If there are questions about a nomination, the Academic Personnel Board shall notify the dean who in turn shall notify the chairperson and the faculty member so they may respond. Pursuant to paragraph (3)(b)3. above, a candidate may choose to withdraw from consideration at this time. The Provost shall present the report of the Academic Personnel Board to the President. The Academic Personnel Board shall be available for further consultation with the President concerning these nominations. The President makes the final decision with respect to promotions. The College or appropriate unit will be notified of such action.

4.      The faculty member shall be notified in writing, by the President or designee immediately, or as soon thereafter as possible, of the final action taken on the nomination for promotion. If the faculty member is denied promotion the notice shall include a statement of the reason(s) for the denial.

(d)      Nominations of an Administrator for Tenure and/or Promotion in a Faculty Rank — In the case of a recommendation of a chairperson or other administrator for tenure and/or promotion in an academic rank, the next highest level of supervising administrator or the administrator’s designee (e.g., the chairperson, the dean, or director, or vice president) in the college or major budgetary unit shall be the officer or administrator in charge for the purposes of conducting the review process. Where tenure is involved, the supervising administrator shall obtain the required secret ballot of the tenured members of the academic department or unit. Where promotion is involved, the supervising administrator shall solicit the opinions of the faculty holding academic rank superior to that held by the candidate for promotion. The appropriate University procedures described in subsections (6)(a), (b), and (c) above shall be followed. Tenure and/or promotion may be awarded to a faculty member only in the faculty member’s capacity as a faculty member in an academic department or unit. In no case is tenure applicable to the faculty member’s appointment in an administrative classification or position. Refer to paragraph (3)(a)4. above and section (5) of University of Florida Regulation 7.003.

(7)       Promotion and Tenure Materials and Discussions. All records reflecting evaluations of employee performance compiled for promotion and/or tenure, including records of any discussions of these evaluations, shall be regarded as limited access records and shall be made known only to those individuals who are required to participate in making recommendations or making of the decision unless otherwise required by law. All such discussions shall be considered confidential. (Refer to University of Florida Regulation 1.019)

(8)      Promotion and Tenure Grievance Procedures. A faculty member who is denied promotion or tenure and who believes his or her rights have been violated may elect to use one of the procedures outlined in University of Florida Regulation 7.041. The notice from the President or designee of the denial of tenure or promotion shall refer to the grievance procedures outlined in University of Florida Regulation 7.041.

(9)      Refer to University of Florida Regulation 7.025 for the description of permanent status and the eligibility requirements for this status.

(10)    Sustained Performance Evaluations. Tenured faculty members shall receive a sustained performance evaluation once every seven (7) years following the award of tenure or their most recent promotion. The purpose of this evaluation is to document sustained performance during the previous six (6) years of assigned duties and to encourage continued professional growth and development. A performance improvement plan shall be developed for those employees whose performance is identified through the sustained performance evaluation as being consistently below satisfactory in one or more areas of assigned duties. It is the responsibility of the employee to attain the performance targets specified in the performance improvement plan. If the faculty member fails to meet these targets the unit has the responsibility to take appropriate actions under the provisions of University of Florida Regulation 7.048 or a Collective Bargaining Agreement for faculty in a bargaining unit.

Authority: BOG Regulation 1.001.

History: Formerly, 6C1-7.26, 6C1-7.27, 6C1-7.30, 6C1-7.33, 6C1-7.34, New 3-26-80, Amended 3-6-85, Formerly 6C1-7.19, Amended 12-18-87, 5-21-89, 11-13-90, 5-18-92, 4-30-95, 7-15-97, 7-27-98, 1-12-00, 8-2-00, 7-30-01, 5-20-02, 6-3-03, 7-19-05, 9-9-05, 6-15-07, Formerly 6C1-7.019, Amended 3-16-10 3-17-11, 6-8-12, 3-22-13, 3-28-14.