Arkansas State University

Board of Trustees

                                                                                                            December 19, 2003

                                                                                                            Resolution 03-50

                                                                                                           

           

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                           Contact:  Dr. Susan Allen  (870-972-2030)

 

 

ACTION ITEM: Promotion, retention and tenure (PRT) are awarded by the Board of Trustees acting through the president of the university; therefore, changes in the PRT policy must be approved by the ASU Board.  Research and Academic Affairs request approval to implement the following PRT revisions effective with the 2004-2005 academic year.

 

ISSUE:             The University Promotion, Retention and Tenure Committee and the vice chancellor for Research and Academic Affairs have reviewed the current PRT policy and support the following revisions:

 

·         Change in Department PRT Committee Composition.  Each department will maintain a standing committee on promotion, retention, and tenure. Departmental PRT committees will have a minimum of five tenured faculty members representing all areas within the department. Faculty of each department will elect the committee with committee members serving staggered three-year terms. If the department cannot form a committee of five, the department chair, after consultation with the faculty in their department, will select faculty from other departments in the college to make up the committee. The chair of the department may serve on the committee as a non-voting member.

 

·         Comprehensive Pre-tenure Review.  A Comprehensive Pre-Tenure Review will be completed in the third year of employment at ASU for all pre-tenure faculty regardless of rank.  This review will require that all third-year pre-tenure faculty members submit documentation of performance in the areas of teaching, scholarly activities, and service using the tenure application format.  The Department PRT Committee, the Department Chair, and the Dean will formally review this documentation and provide appropriate feedback to each third-year, pre-tenure faculty member regarding their progress toward tenure.

 

·         Tenure Schedule.  Persons initially given pre-tenure appointments as professors, associate professors, or assistant professors must be reviewed for tenure not later than the completion of their sixth year of service at Arkansas State University, and tenure must be granted for the seventh year of service at Arkansas State University.  If the mandatory review results in a failure to gain tenure by completion of the sixth year of service, the seventh appointment will be a terminal appointment.  Non-compensated leave time of a full semester or more will not count toward tenure.

 

 

·         Application for Early Tenure.  Since it is unusual for a faculty member to amass a record of performance that reflects exemplary productivity in less time than the standard probationary period, accelerated tenure is rare.  However, any faculty member has the right to submit an application seeking tenure during any application period in which they can clearly demonstrate meeting the performance criteria that would be expected during the mandatory review.  If a faculty member fails to earn tenure in this accelerated review cycle, he/she may apply for tenure again only in the sixth year of the pre-tenure cycle.

 

 

RECOMMENDATION/RESOLUTION:

 

Be it resolved that Arkansas State University-Jonesboro is approved to revise the Promotion, Retention and Tenure policy and implement changes for the 2004-2005 PRT review cycle.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                           

Florine Tousant Milligan, Secretary                                             John Paul Hammerschmidt, Chair