FCG Chapter 24 Appointment and Promotion of Faculty Members

Section 24-31 General Appointment Policy

The principal functions of a university are to preserve, to increase, and to transmit knowledge. Its chief instrument for performing these functions is its faculty, and its success in doing so depends largely on the quality of its faculty. The policy of this University should be to enlist and retain distinguished faculty members with outstanding qualifications.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956 with Presidential approval.

Section 24-32 Scholarly and Professional Qualifications of Faculty Members

The University faculty is committed to the full range of academic responsibilities: scholarship and research, teaching, and service. Individual faculty will, in the ordinary course of their development, determine the weight of these various commitments, and adjust them from time to time during their careers, in response to their individual, professional development and the changing needs of their profession, their programs, departments, schools and colleges, and the University. Such versatility and flexibility are hallmarks of respected institutions of higher education because they are conducive to establishing and maintaining the excellence of a university and to fulfilling the educational and social role of the institution. All candidates for initial faculty appointment to the ranks and/or titles listed in Chapter 21, Section 21-32.A shall submit a statement of past and planned contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Academic units and search committees shall consider a candidate’s statement as part of a comprehesive evaluation of scholarship and research, teaching, and service. In accord with the University’s expressed commitment to excellence and equity, any contributions in scholarship and research, teaching, and service that address diversity and equal opportunity shall be included and considered among the professional and scholarly qualifications for appointment and promotion outlined below.

Scholarship, the essence of effective teaching and research, is the obligation of all members of the faculty. The scholarship of faculty members may be judged by the character of their advanced degrees and by their contribution to knowledge in the form of publication and instruction; it is reflected not only in their reputation among other scholars and professionals but in the performance of their students.
The creative function of a university requires faculty devoted to inquiry and research, whose attainment may be in the realm of scholarly investigation, in constructive contributions in professional fields, or in the creative arts, such as musical composition, creative writing, or original design in engineering or architecture. While numbers (publications, grant dollars, students) provide some measure of such accomplishment, more important is the quality of the faculty member’s published or other creative work.

Important elements in evaluating the scholarly ability and attainments of faculty members include the range and variety of their intellectual interests; the receipt of grants, awards, and fellowships; the professional and/or public impact of their work; and their success in directing productive work by advanced students and in training graduate and professional students in scholarly methods. Other important elements of scholarly achievement include involvement in and contributions to interdisciplinary or community-engaged research and teaching; participation and leadership in professional associations and in the editing of professional journals; the judgment of professional colleagues; and membership on boards and committees.
The scope of faculty teaching is broader than conventional classroom instruction; it comprises a variety of teaching formats and media, including undergraduate and graduate instruction for matriculated students, and special training or continuing education. The educational function of a university requires faculty who can teach effectively. Instruction must be judged according to its essential purposes and the conditions which they impose. Some elements in assessing effective teaching include:
- The ability to organize and conduct a course of study appropriate to the level of instruction and the nature of the subject matter;
- The consistency with which the teacher brings to the students the latest research findings and professional debates within the discipline;
- The ability to stimulate intellectual inquiry so that students develop the skills to examine and evaluate ideas and arguments;
- The extent to which the teacher encourages discussion and debate which enables the students to articulate the ideas they are exploring;
- The degree to which teaching strategies that encourage the educational advancement of students from all backgrounds and life experiences are used;
- The availability of the teacher to the student beyond the classroom environment; and
- The regularity with which the teacher examines or reexamines the organization and readings for a course of study and explores new approaches to effective educational methods.
  
  A major activity related to teaching is the instructor’s participation in academic advising and counseling, whether this takes the form of assisting students to select courses or discussing the students’ long-range goals. The assessment of teaching effectiveness shall include student and faculty evaluation. Where possible, measures of student achievements in terms of their academic and professional careers, life skills, and citizenship should be considered.
Contributions to a profession through published discussion of methods or through public demonstration of an achieved skill should be recognized as furthering the University’s educational function. Included among these contributions are professional service activities that address the professional advancement of individuals from underrepresented groups from the faculty member’s field.
The University encourages faculty participation in public service. Such professional and scholarly service to schools, business and industry, and local, state, national, and international organizations is an integral part of the University’s mission. Of similar importance to the University is faculty participation in University committee work and other administrative tasks and clinical duties, including the faculty member’s involvement in the recruitment, retention, and mentoring of scholars and students in an effort to promote diversity and equal opportunity. Both types of service make an important contribution and should be included in the individual faculty profile.
Competence in professional service to the University and the public should be considered in judging a faculty member’s qualifications, but except in unusual circumstances skill in instruction and research should be deemed of greater importance.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 58, May 16, 1978; S-A 64, May 29, 1981; S-A 71, February 5, 1985; S-A 75, April 6, 1987; S-A 86, December 8, 1992; S-A 99, July 9, 1999; S-A 125, June 11, 2012: all with Presidential approval; RC, October 27, 2017; S-A 143, June 22, 2018; S-A 153, April 22, 2021; S-A 162, January 11, 2023: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-33 A Statement of Principle: Academic Freedom and Responsibility

Academic freedom is the freedom to discuss all relevant matters in teaching, to explore all avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression, and to speak or write without institutional discipline or restraint on matters of public concern as well as on matters related to shared governance and the general welfare of the University.

Faculty members have the right to academic freedom and the right to examine and communicate ideas by any lawful means even should such activities generate hostility or pressure against the faculty member or the University. Their exercise of constitutionally protected freedom of association, assembly, and expression, including participation in political activities, does not constitute a violation of duties to the University, to their profession, or to students and may not result in disciplinary action or adverse merit evaluation.

A faculty member’s academic responsibility requires the faithful performance of professional duties and obligations, the recognition of the demands of the scholarly enterprise, and the candor to make it clear that when one is speaking on matters of public interest, one is not speaking for the institution.

Membership in the academic community imposes on students, faculty members, administrators, and regents an obligation to respect the dignity of others, to acknowledge their right to express differing opinions, and to foster and defend intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction, and free expression on and off the campus. The expression of dissent and the attempt to produce change, therefore, may not be carried out in ways that injure individuals and damage institutional facilities or disrupt the classes of one’s instructors or colleagues. Speakers on campus must not only be protected from violence, but also be given an opportunity to be heard. Those who seek to call attention to grievances must not do so in ways that clearly and significantly impede the functions of the University.

Students and faculty are entitled to an atmosphere conducive to learning and to evenhanded treatment in all aspects of the instructor-student relationship. Faculty members may not refuse to enroll or teach a student because of the student’s beliefs or the possible uses to which the student may put the knowledge to be gained in a course. Students should not be forced by the authority inherent in the instructional relationship to make particular personal choices as to political action or their own roles in society. Evaluation of students and the award of credit must be based on academic performance professionally judged and not on matters irrelevant to that performance. (Examples of such matters include but are not limited to personality, personal beliefs, race, sex, gender, religion, political activity, sexual orientation, or sexual, romantic, familial, or other personal relationships.)

It is the responsibility of the faculty members to present the subject matter of their courses as approved by the faculty in their collective responsibility for the curriculum. Within the approved curriculum, faculty members are free to express ideas and teach as they see fit, based on their mastery of their subjects and their own scholarship.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956 [formerly Section 24-37]; S-A 83, April 30, 1991; S-A 85, May 27, 1992; S-A 131, January 9, 2014: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-34 Qualifications for Appointment at Specific Ranks and Titles

A. Qualifications for Appointment at Specific Ranks

Appointment with the rank of assistant professor requires completion of professional training, in many fields marked by the Ph.D., and a demonstration of teaching and/or research ability that evidences promise of a successful career. For tenure-eligible or WOT appointments, both of these shall be required.
Appointment to the rank of associate professor requires a record of substantial success in teaching and/or research. For tenured, tenure-eligible, or WOT appointments, both of these shall be required, except that in unusual cases an outstanding record in one of these activities may be considered sufficient.
Appointment to the rank of professor requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching, and/or accomplishments in research as evaluated in terms of national or international recognition. For tenured, tenure-eligible, or WOT appointments, both of these shall be required.

B. Qualifications for Appointments with Specific Titles

Lecturer and artist in residence are instructional titles that may be conferred on persons who have special instructional roles. Appointments may be renewed pursuant to Section 24-53.
Senior artist in residence is an instructional title that may be conferred on persons who have special instructional roles and who have extensive training, competence, and experience in their discipline. Appointments may be renewed pursuant to Section 24-53.
Appointment to one of the ranks in Subsection A above with a teaching title requires qualifications corresponding to those prescribed for that rank, with primary emphasis upon teaching. Such an appointment requires completion of professional training appropriate to the teaching, scholarship, and service requirements of the position. Appropriate degree requirements shall be determined for each position by the college, school, or campus making the appointment. Tenure is not acquired under teaching appointments.

Teaching professor, associate teaching professor, and assistant teaching professor appointments are term appointments for periods not to exceed the limits specified in Section 24-41. The question of their renewal shall be considered by the voting faculty who are superior in academic rank to the person being considered and are faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which the appointments are held, except that the voting faculty at rank of professor shall consider whether to recommend renewal or non-renewal of the appointment of a teaching professor. Such consideration shall be conducted in accord with the provisions of Section 24-53.

Teaching professors, associate teaching professors, and assistant teaching professors are eligible for appointment to the graduate faculty, and are eligible to act as principal investigators for grants and contracts.
1. Appointment with the title of assistant teaching professor requires a demonstration of teaching ability that evidences promise of a successful teaching career.
2. Appointment with the title of associate teaching professor requires extensive training, competence, and experience in the discipline.
3. Appointment with the title of teaching professor requires a record of excellence in instruction, which may be demonstrated by exemplary success in curricular design and implementation, student mentoring, and service and leadership to the department, school/college, University, and field.
Individuals appointed to one of the titles in Section 1–3 above may demonstrate their scholarship in a variety of ways (Section 24-32), including but not limited to: introduction of new knowledge or methods into course content; creation or use of innovative pedagogical methods; development of new courses, curricula, or course materials; participation in professional conferences; evidence of student performance; receipt of grants or awards; contributions to interdisciplinary teaching; participation and leadership in professional associations; or significant outreach to professionals at other educational institutions. While they may choose to do so through publication, such publication shall not be required.
Appointment to one of the ranks in Subsection A above with a research title requires qualifications corresponding to those prescribed for that rank, with primary emphasis upon research. Tenure is not acquired under research appointments.

Research professor and research associate professor appointments are term appointments for a period not to exceed five years. The question of their renewal shall be considered by the voting faculty who are superior in academic rank to the person being considered and are faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which the appointments are held, except that the voting faculty at rank of professor shall consider whether to recommend renewal or non-renewal of the appointment of a research professor. Such consideration shall be conducted in accord with the provisions of Section 24-53.

Research assistant professor appointments are for a term not to exceed three years with renewals and extensions to a maximum of eight years (see Section 24-41, Subsection H.) The question of their renewal shall be considered by the faculty who are superior in academic rank to the person being considered and are faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which the appointments are held. Such consideration shall be conducted in accord with the provisions of Section 24-41.

Research faculty titles and the qualifications for them are described in Section 24-35.
Appointment to one of the ranks in Subsection A above with a clinical practice title requires qualifications corresponding to those prescribed for that rank, with primary responsibility and credentialing to perform clinical practice at the University or a University of Washington affiliated clinical site. Teaching, scholarship , and service are integral parts of the role. Such an appointment requires completion of professional training appropriate to the teaching, scholarship, and service requirements of the position. Appropriate degree requirements shall be determined for each position by the college, school, or campus making the appointment. Tenure is not acquired under clinical practice appointments.

Professor of clinical practice, associate professor of clinical practice, and assistant professor of clinical practice appointments are term appointments for periods not to exceed the limits specified in Section 24-41. The question of their renewal shall be considered by the voting faculty who are superior in academic rank to the person being considered and are faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which the appointments are held, except that the voting faculty at rank of professor shall consider whether to recommend renewal or non-renewal of the appointment of a professor of clinical practice. Such consideration shall be conducted in accord with the provisions of Section 24-53.

Professors of clinical practice, associate professors of clinical practice, and assistant professors of clinical practice are eligible for appointment to the graduate faculty, and are eligible to act as principal investigators for grants and contracts.
1. Appointment with the title of assistant professor of clinical practice requires a demonstration of clinical and teaching ability that evidences promise of a successful academic clinical career.
2. Appointment with the title of associate professor of clinical practice requires extensive training, competence, and experience in the discipline.
3. Appointment with the title of professor of clinical practice requires a record of excellence in clinical practice and teaching, scholarship, and service, which may be demonstrated by innovative curricular design and implementation, student and trainee mentoring, effectiveness in health care equity initiatives, success in novel and/or cutting-edge clinical service, innovative quality improvement of clinical care, and/or exemplary service and leadership to the department, school/college, University, and field.
Individuals appointed to one of the titles in Section 6 above may demonstrate their scholarship in a variety of ways (Section 24-32), including but not limited to: development of new courses, curricula, or course materials; creation or use of innovative teaching or pedagogical methods; contributions to interdisciplinary teaching; evidence of outstanding student or trainee performance; receipt of grants or awards; participation and leadership in professional conferences and associations; initiatives in health care equity; significant outreach to professionals at other educational institutions; novel interventions to improve the quality and safety of clinical care; introduction of new knowledge or methods into clinical practice; or innovative leadership in clinical practice. While they may choose to do so through publication, such publication shall not be required.
Appointment with the title of professor of practice is made to a person who is a distinguished practitioner or distinguished academician, and who has had a major impact on a field important to the University’s teaching, research, and/or service mission.

Professor of practice appointments are term appointments for a period not to exceed five years. The question of their renewal shall be considered by the voting faculty who are superior in academic rank and are faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which the appointments are held. Such consideration shall be conducted in accord with the provisions of Section 24-53. This title is available to address a unique appointment need and is intended to be sparingly used. Tenure is not acquired through service in this title.
Appointment with the title of instructor is made to a person who has completed professional training, in many fields marked by the Ph.D., and is fulfilling a temporary, clinical, or affiliate instructional need, or is in a temporary transition period between post-doctoral training and mentoring and entry into the professorial ranks. These appointments are limited to acting, affiliate, or clinical.
An affiliate appointment requires qualifications comparable to those required for appointment to the corresponding rank or title. It recognizes the professional contribution of an individual whose principal employment responsibilities lie outside the colleges or schools of the University. Affiliate appointments are annual; the question of their renewal shall be considered each year by the faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which they are held.
An adjunct appointment is made only to a faculty member (including one in a research or teaching professorial rank) already holding a primary appointment in another department. This appointment recognizes the contributions of a member of the faculty to a secondary department. Adjunct appointments do not confer governance or voting privileges or eligibility for tenure in the secondary department. These appointments are annual; the question of their renewal shall be considered each year by the faculty of the secondary department.
A joint appointment recognizes a faculty member’s long-term commitment to, and participation in, two or more departments. A joint appointment may be discontinued only with the concurrence of the faculty member and the appointing departments. One department shall be designated the primary department and the others secondary, and this designation can be changed only with the concurrence of the faculty member and the appointing departments. Personnel determinations (salaries, promotions, leave, etc.) originate with the primary department, but may be proposed by the secondary department(s), and all actions must have the concurrence of the secondary department(s). A faculty member who has the privilege of participation in governance and voting in the primary department may arrange with the secondary department(s) either to participate or not to participate in governance and voting in the secondary department(s). This agreement must be in writing and will be used for determining the quorum for faculty votes. The agreement can be revised with the concurrence of the faculty member and the department involved.
A clinical appointment in the appropriate rank or title is usually made to a person who holds a primary appointment with an outside agency or non-academic unit of the University, or who is in private practice. Clinical faculty make substantial contributions to University programs through their expertise, interest, and motivation to work with the faculty in preparing and assisting with the instruction of students in practicum settings. The normal appointment period of a clinical faculty member shall be one year with exceptions to be reviewed by the Provost; the question of the appointment period’s renewal shall be considered by the faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which the appointments are held.
Appointment with the title of teaching associate is made to a non-student with credentials more limited than those required of an instructor. Teaching associate appointments are annual, or shorter; the question of their renewal shall be considered each year by the faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized college or school) in which they are held.
The emeritus appointment is recommended by departmental action for a regular, WOT, research, teaching, or clinical faculty member who has retired under the UW Retirement Plan or is receiving benefits as if the faculty member retired under another state of Washington retirement plan and whose scholarly, teaching, or service record has been meritorious. Such a recommendation requires approval by the college dean and the President of the University. The normal criteria for appointment with the emeritus title are at least ten years of prior service as a member of the faculty and achievement of the rank of professor or associate professor. Under certain circumstances the President may grant emeritus status to an administrator at the level of dean or vice president, or at other levels if deemed appropriate.
The acting title denotes a temporary appointment for properly qualified persons in the instructor title or at the professorial ranks. It commonly is used for persons who are on the faculty for a year or less or for persons who have not yet completed the requirements for a regular appointment. In the latter case, the acting title is dropped when the requirements are completed. The total service of a faculty member with an acting appointment may not exceed four years in any single rank or title, or six years in any combination of ranks or titles. A faculty member whose appointment as assistant professor has not been renewed may not be given an acting appointment.
Appointment to one of the ranks in Subsection A with a visiting title indicates that the appointee holds a professorial position at another institution of higher learning and is temporarily employed by the University. An employee who does not hold a professorial position elsewhere, but who is otherwise qualified, may be designated as a visiting lecturer.
The visiting scholar title is an honorary title awarded to persons who hold professorial (including research titles) positions at other institutions and who are visiting the University but who are not employed by the University during their stay. The purpose of this title is recognition of the visitor’s presence at the University, and to make University facilities and privileges (library, etc.) available.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 23, February 22, 1959; S-A 32, May 8, 1967; S-A 33, June 13, 1967; S-A 37, February 8, 1971; S-A 64, May 29, 1981; S-A 78, December 14, 1988; S-A 81, January 30, 1990; S-A 94, October 24, 1995; S-A 97, January 10, 1997; S-A 103, March 6, 2001; S-A 108, June 21, 2002; S-A 109, June 5, 2003: all with Presidential approval; RC, April 18, 2006; S-A 124, July 5, 2011; S-A 133, June 11, 2014; S-A 140, June 26, 2017; S-A 142, June 22, 2018; S-A 147, September 16, 2020; S-A 150, April 22, 2021; S-A 152, April 22, 2021; S-A 164, May 9, 2023; S-A 165, July 17, 2023: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-35 Research Personnel Appointments

Research titles designate appointments for faculty whose primary responsibility is research. The research titles are:
- Research professor
- Research associate professor
- Research assistant professor
Research professors, research associate professors, and research assistant professors are eligible for appointment to the graduate faculty, are expected to take active roles in generating research funding, and are eligible to act as principal investigators for grants and contracts. Research faculty may participate in the regular instructional program but are not required to do so, except insofar as required by their funding source.

S-A 64, May 29, 1981; S-A 81, January 30, 1990; S-A 150, April 22, 2021: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-36 Qualifications for Extension Appointments

Persons giving instruction in extension classes offered for academic credit shall have scholarly and professional qualifications equivalent to those required for the teaching of regular University classes.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956 with Presidential approval.

Section 24-40 Faculty Without Tenure By Reason of Funding

A professor or associate professor without tenure by reason of funding (WOT) is qualified for tenure by virtue of rank. Such faculty members hold their appointments on a continuing basis. The term of appointment of an assistant professor WOT is governed by Section 24-41, Subsections A and D.
Faculty members appointed WOT do not hold tenure because all or part of their annual University administered salary is derived from sources other than regularly appropriated state funds. Except for this distinction, WOT faculty members have the same rights, responsibilities, and obligations as tenure-track and tenured faculty members at those ranks. The description of their duties and qualifications for promotion and salary increases for reasons of merit are the same. Except for termination of funding as defined in Section 24-41, Subsection L, or for reasons of program elimination (see Chapter 25, Section 25-52), such faculty members are not subject to removal, or discriminatory reduction in salary, except for cause (see Chapter 25, Section 25-51.)
Faculty members WOT are expected to be integrated fully into the research, instructional, and service activities of their departments, schools, and colleges, warranting their status as voting members of the University. This expectation is the basis for their appointment being continuing and distinguishes such faculty from other non-tenured and term appointments (see Section 24-41.)
Faculty members WOT have their salaries supported from a variety of department, school, and college resources, including, but not limited to, state funds, grant and contract funds, departmental, clinical and service funds. As defined in Section 24-57, faculty member’s WOT shall have a written understanding with the chair describing their duties to be performed to meet the department’s missions. This understanding will specify the sources, distributions and levels of funds supporting their salaries for these purposes. Salary funding shall be related to the faculty member’s involvement in these departmental activities. Classroom instructional duties shall be supported from departmentally administered funds.
To maintain the integration of WOT faculty members in the ongoing activities of the appointing unit during a temporary lapse in funding sources, appointing departments, schools, or colleges shall develop a process to identify and evaluate the availability of alternative salary sources. This process shall be recorded with the dean’s office of the appropriate unit and the dean’s office shall forward the policy to the Secretary of the Faculty. Should alternative resources be made available, a new version of the understanding specified in Subsection D shall be required.

S-A 102, July 7, 2000; S-A 105, May 6, 2002: both with Presidential approval; RC, July 5, 2011; S-A 164, May 9, 2023 with Presidential approval.

Section 24-41 Duration of Nontenure Appointments

The first appointment or the reappointment of an assistant professor who is eligible for tenure, or who is without tenure by reason of funding as described in Section 24-40, is for a basic period of three years, subject to earlier dismissal for cause. Although neither appointment period shall extend beyond the academic year in which a decision on tenure is required, the year in which a negative tenure decision is made must be followed by a terminal year of appointment. If the assistant professor is reappointed, the period of reappointment must include a tenure decision. Assistant professors holding positions funded by other than state funds shall be treated in the same way except that the appointment may be to a position without tenure by reason of funding as provided in Subsection D. Procedures governing the reappointment of assistant professors are as follows:
1. During the second year of the initial appointment, the dean of the assistant professor’s college or school shall decide whether:
  1. The appointment is to be renewed under the above provision for reappointment;
  2. The appointment is not to be renewed beyond the initial three-year period, in which case the appointment will terminate at the end of the third year; or
  3. The decision concerning the appointment is to be postponed to the following year.
2. Should the above decision result in a postponement, during the third year of the initial appointment the dean shall decide whether:
  1. The appointment is to be renewed under the above provision for reappointment, or
  2. The appointment is not to be renewed; if it is not, the basic appointment is extended to include a fourth and terminal year.
3. The dean shall inform the professor in writing within 30 days of any decision made pursuant to this section.
Lecturer, Artist in Residence, and Professor of Practice
1. Appointment as a full-time artist in residence shall be for a term not to exceed five years.
  
  Appointment as a full-time lecturer shall be for a term not to exceed one year. Such appointments are limited to three consecutive years.
  
  The normal appointment period of a part-time lecturer or artist in residence shall be for one year or less with exceptions to be reviewed by the Provost.
2. Appointment as a full-time senior artist in residence shall be for a term not to exceed five years.
  
  The normal appointment period of a part-time senior artist in residence shall be for one year or less with exceptions to be reviewed by the Provost.
3. Except as provided in Subsection B.4 below, at least six months (or three months in the case of an initial annual appointment) before the expiration date of an appointment of a full-time lecturer, artist in residence, senior artist in residence, or professor of practice, the dean shall determine, pursuant to Section 24-53, whether this appointment shall be renewed and shall inform the faculty member in writing of the decision.
4. A renewal decision in accord with Subsection B.3 above is not required where an initial appointment of a full-time lecturer, artist in residence, senior artist in residence, or professor of practice is for one year or less and the appointment is identified at the time of appointment as not eligible for renewal.
5. Part-time appointments as lecturer, artist in residence, and senior artist in residence are for the period stated in the letter of appointment. If such appointments are to be renewed the procedures in Section 24-53 shall be followed in a timely manner with knowledge of funding availability and staffing needs.
Teaching Faculty
1. Appointment as an assistant teaching professor shall be for a period not to exceed five years.
2. Appointment as an associate teaching professor shall be for a period not to exceed seven years. The normal appointment period shall be for a minimum of three years with exceptions to be reviewed by the Provost.
3. Appointment as teaching professor shall be for a period not to exceed ten years. The normal appointment period shall be for a minimum of three years with exceptions to be reviewed by the Provost.
4. At least six months (or three months in the case of an initial annual appointment) before the expiration date of an appointment of an assistant teaching professor, associate teaching professor, or teaching professor, the dean shall determine, pursuant to Section 24-53, whether this appointment shall be renewed and shall inform the faculty member in writing of the decision. A renewal decision is not required where an initial appointment of an assistant teaching professor, associate teaching professor, or teaching professor is for one year or less and the appointment is identified at the time of appointment as not eligible for renewal.
5. Assistant teaching professors, associate teaching professors, and teaching professors are not subject to removal during the term of their appointment except by removal for cause (see Chapter 25, Section 25-51) or for reasons of program elimination (see Chapter 25, Section 25-52).
An assistant teaching professor, associate teaching professor, or full-time artist in residence may, prior to expiration of an existing appointment, be considered for appointment as, or promotion to, an associate teaching professor, teaching professor, or senior artist in residence, respectively.
Clinical Practice Faculty
1. Appointment as an assistant professor of clinical practice shall be for a period not to exceed five years.
2. Appointment as an associate professor of clinical practice shall be for a period not to exceed seven years. The normal appointment period shall be for a minimum of three years with exceptions to be reviewed by the Provost.
3. Appointment as professor of clinical practice shall be for a period not to exceed ten years. The normal appointment period shall be for a minimum of three years with exceptions to be reviewed by the Provost.
4. At least six months (or three months in the case of an initial annual appointment) before the expiration date of an appointment of a faculty member with a clinical practice title, the dean shall determine, pursuant to Section 24-53, whether this appointment shall be renewed and shall inform the faculty member in writing of the decision. A renewal decision is not required where an initial appointment of a faculty member with a clinical practice title is for one year or less and the appointment is identified at the time of appointment as not eligible for renewal.
5. Faculty with clinical practice or clinical titles are not subject to removal during the term of their appointments except by removal for cause (see Chapter 25, Section 25-51) or for reasons of program elimination (see Chapter 25, Section 25-52).
An assistant professor of clinical practice or an associate professor of clinical practice may, prior to expiration of an existing appointment, be considered for appointment as, or promotion to, an associate professor of clinical practice or professor of clinical practice, respectively.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A, appointments of WOT or research assistant professors who are supported by other than state-appropriated funds are subject to termination should the supporting agency fail to continue the funding for the appointment, provided that assistant professors supported by other than state-appropriated funds are advised in writing prior to commencement of their appointments that such appointments are at all times subject to the continued availability of grant or contract funds.
The first appointment or the reappointment of a faculty member to less than 50% of full-time status shall be made on an annual, or shorter, basis. A faculty member who is appointed to a position with less than 50% of full-time status shall not accumulate eligibility toward tenure.
The first appointment or the reappointment of a research assistant professor is for a basic period of three years, subject to earlier dismissal for cause. Research assistant professors may not be reappointed more than once, except that a research assistant professor who does not receive promotion in rank must receive a terminal year of appointment. Procedures governing the reappointment of research assistant professors are as follows:
1. During the second year of the initial appointment, the dean of the research assistant professor’s college or school shall decide whether:
  1. The appointment is to be renewed under the above provision for reappointment;
  2. The appointment is not to be renewed beyond the initial three-year period, in which case the appointment will cease at the end of the third year; or
  3. The decision concerning the appointment is to be postponed to the following year.
2. Should the above decision result in a postponement, during the third year of the initial appointment the dean shall decide whether:
  1. The appointment is to be renewed under the above provision for reappointment or
  2. The appointment is not to be renewed; if it is not renewed, the basic appointment is extended to include a fourth and terminal year.
3. Not later than the end of the third year of a second appointment, the dean of the research assistant professor’s college or school shall decide whether:
  1. The research assistant professor is to be appointed as research associate professor, associate professor without tenure by reason of funding or associate professor with tenure;
  2. The appointment is to cease at the end of the following year; or
  3. The decision concerning the appointment is to be postponed to the following year. In cases b and c the appointment is extended by one year.
4. Should the above decision result in a postponement, during the extension year of a second appointment, the dean of the research assistant professor’s college or school shall decide whether:
  1. The research assistant professor is to be appointed as research associate professor, associate professor without tenure by reason of funding or associate professor with tenure, or
  2. The appointment is to cease; in which case the basic appointment is extended by one year.
5. The dean shall inform the professor in writing within 30 days of any decision made pursuant to this section.
At least six months (or three months in the case of an initial annual appointment) before the expiration date of an appointment of a research associate professor or research professor the dean shall determine, pursuant to Section 24-53, whether this appointment shall be renewed and shall inform the faculty member in writing of the decision. A renewal decision is not required where an initial appointment of a research associate professor, research professor, or professor of practice is for one year or less and the appointment is identified at the time of appointment as not eligible for renewal.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, research assistant professors are subject to removal during the term of their appointment for cause (see Chapter 25, Section 25-51), for termination of funding, or for reasons of program elimination (see Chapter 25, Section 25-52.)
Research professors and research associate professors are not subject to removal during the term of their appointment except by removal for cause (see Chapter 25, Section 25-51), for termination of funding as defined in Subsection J, or for reasons of program elimination (see Chapter 25, Section 25-52.)
Termination of funding is defined as failure, for a continuous period of more than 12 months, to obtain funding sufficient to provide at least 50% of the faculty member’s base annual salary. The University is not obligated to provide replacement funding during lapses of a faculty member’s external support.
In unusual cases, an individual may be appointed to the title of research assistant professor when there is no known funding to support the appointment. The department and dean shall determine that the individual will seek external funding to support such an appointment. Such appointments shall be made on an annual or shorter basis, and may be renewed annually upon evidence of research grant or contract pursuit activity. Upon receipt of salary funding support, said appointments shall be converted to initial three-year appointments in conformance with Subsection H.
The procedures prescribed in Section 24-53 for renewal of appointments and in Section 24-54 for Procedure for Promotion shall govern actions taken under this section.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 31, December 28, 1966; S-A 41, April 3, 1972; S-A 42, June 9, 1972; S-A 49, December 4, 1975; S-A 62, December 2, 1980; S-A 64, May 29, 1981; S-A 67, December 5, 1983; S-A 68, April 19, 1984; S-A 78, December 14, 1988; S-A 81, January 30, 1990; S-A 98, May 12, 1998; S-A 102, July 7, 2000; S-A 108, June 21, 2002: all with Presidential approval; RC, June 19, 2008; S-A 124, July 5, 2011; S-A 127, June 11, 2012; S-A 133, June 11, 2014; S-A 147, September 16, 2020; S-A 150, April 22, 2021; S-A 164, May 9, 2023; S-A 165, July 17, 2023: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-45 Appointment of Part-Time Professors

The University may appoint faculty to professorial, teaching professorial, or research professorial ranks (see Section 24-34, Subsections A.1 through A.3 and Subsections B.3 and B.5) on less than a full-time basis. The percentage of appointment at the time of hire shall be documented by the department chair (or dean in an undepartmentalized school or college) and clearly communicated in writing to the faculty member.
The first appointment of a part-time assistant professor who is eligible for tenure, or who is without tenure by reason of funding as described in Section 24-40, or who is a research assistant professor at 50% or greater of full-time shall be for a basic period of three years, subject to earlier dismissal for cause. In Spring Quarter of the second year of appointment, the dean of the assistant professor’s college or school shall decide whether:
1. The appointment is to be renewed;
2. The appointment is not to be renewed beyond the three-year period, in which case the assistant professor will be notified that the appointment ceases at the end of the third year; or
3. The decision concerning reappointment is postponed to the following year, in which case the assistant professor will be notified that the three-year appointment is extended to include a fourth year.
Should the decision in Subsection B above result in a postponement, during Spring Quarter of the third year the dean shall decide whether:
1. The appointment is to be renewed for a further period consistent with Subsection D below; or
2. The appointment is not to be renewed, in which case the assistant professor shall be notified that the appointment ceases at the end of the fourth year.
Should the initial appointment of a part-time assistant professor be renewed pursuant to Subsection B or C above, the following renewal periods pertain to the second appointment:
1. For part-time assistant professors who hold appointments of 90% time and above, the second appointment period shall be for three years.
2. For part-time assistant professors who hold appointments between 70% and 89%, the second appointment shall be for four years.
3. For part-time assistant professors who hold appointments between 60% and 69%, the second appointment shall be for five years.
4. For part-time assistant professors who hold appointments between 50% and 59%, the second appointment shall be for six years.
In all cases, a mandatory review for promotion and tenure (or in the case of WOT faculty, for promotion and continuous appointment) must occur no later than the end of the last year of appointment as specified in Subsections D.1 through D.4 above.
At any time during the appointment, faculty members may change their percentage of appointment with the written agreement of the dean. In the event of a change, the time for mandatory review shall be stated in the agreement consistent with Subsection D above.

S-A 98, June 2, 1998 with Presidential approval; RC, July 5, 2011; S-A 147, September 16, 2020; S-A 164, May 9, 2023: both with Presidential approval.

Section 24-50 Conflict of Interest Regarding Appointment, Employment, and Academic Decisions

A conflict of interest exists when a person participating in a decision has a substantial connection or interest related to individual(s) affected by the decision that might bias or otherwise threaten the integrity of the decision process or that might be perceived by a reasonable person as biasing or threatening such decisions. This includes familial, romantic, or sexual relationships and financial conflicts of interest. This may also include some professional relationships. No list of rules can provide direction for all the varying circumstances that may arise; good judgment of individuals is essential.

The procedures set forth in this chapter shall apply in all cases, except that no faculty member, department chair, dean, or other administrative officer shall vote, make recommendations, or in any other way participate in the decision of any matter which may directly affect the employment, appointment, tenure, promotion, salary, or other status or interest of a faculty or staff member with whom there exists a conflict of interest. [See also Executive Order No. 32.]

In addition, no faculty member, teaching assistant, research assistant, department chair, dean, or other administrative officer shall vote, make recommendations, or in any other way participate in the decision of any matter which may directly affect the employment, promotion, academic status or evaluation of a student with whom there exists a conflict of interest.

Conflicts of interest resulting from romantic or sexual relationships are detrimental to the functioning of the University because, if present, the professional authority under which decisions are made may be called into question. The University’s responsibilities to the public and to individual members of the University community may be compromised if such conflicts of interest are not avoided.

The faculty’s decision-making responsibilities should not restrict the faculty’s rights as citizens, including the personal rights of association and expression, unless the exercise of those freedoms conflicts with the institutional necessity of impartiality in academic and employment decisions. In that case, faculty members must restrict their participation in such decisions.

State law and University rules preclude a faculty member from participating in decisions which directly benefit a member of faculty member’s family. The same rules should apply to decisions involving sexual or romantic relationships between faculty and students, since these relationships, like formal family relationships, may call into question the ability of the faculty member to assess the performance of another solely on academic or professional merit.

Romantic or sexual relationships between faculty and students may in some instances infringe on the rights of that student or other students or colleagues. The possibility of sexual harassment may arise, if the faculty member’s immediate power to influence a student’s academic progress brings into question the ability of the student genuinely to consent freely to the relationship. The possibility of impeding the student’s academic or professional progress may also arise if the faculty member is already in a position of significant decision-making authority with respect to the student, since the faculty member must abstain from further participation in such decisions, thereby denying the student access to the faculty member’s professional assessment. The possibility of an unwelcome, hostile or offensive academic environment may also arise if the faculty member fails clearly to separate personal interests from professional decision-making.

Faculty members should be aware that the harms listed above do not arise only from existing relationships, but may also arise if an individual in a position of authority to a student makes overt sexual or romantic advances upon that student. Even if the advances are welcome, the faculty member should withdraw from the teaching or supervisory role, which may impede the student’s academic progress. If the advances are unwelcome, the student may suffer unneeded stress, and the academic relationship may suffer.

S-A 38, March 22, 1971 with Presidential approval; RC, December 4, 2013; S-A 137, March 30, 2016; S-A 164, May 9, 2023: both with Presidential approval.

Section 24-51 Responsibility for Appointments

The President and the appropriate college or school faculty share responsibility for recommending faculty appointments to the Regents. Full and discriminating consideration by that faculty of the scholarly and professional character and qualifications of a proposed appointee is essential in an effective appointment procedure.
The appropriate faculty, therefore, shall carefully judge the scholarly and professional character and qualifications of a prospective appointee, shall determine from all available evidence the prospective appointee’s suitability for employment, and shall provide the Regents, through the President, with the information needed for a wise decision.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 83, April 30, 1991; S-A 164, May 9, 2023: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-52 Procedure for New Appointments

Faculty recommendations of appointments are ordinarily rendered through committees, and the procedure depends upon the level of appointment.
1. For recommendation of a departmental appointment other than that of chair, the department members act as an advisory appointment committee. A department may delegate this responsibility to a departmental committee.
2. A committee responsible for recommending the appointment of a department chair should be an ad hoc committee appointed by the dean of the appropriate college, or if the President so desires, by the President.
3. A committee responsible for recommending the appointment of a dean should be an ad hoc committee appointed by the President.
The duty of an appointment committee is to search for suitable candidates, to study and determine their qualifications (Sections 24-32 to 24-36), and to obtain and evaluate all data related to the problem of appointment. When, after such a study, the committee finds a candidate or candidates who appear to be qualified it shall transmit its information and recommendation to:
1. The department chair, if the appointment is to be a departmental one other than that of chair, or
2. The appropriate dean, if the appointment is to be one of a department chair, or
3. The President, if the appointment is to be one of a dean.
In making new appointments administrative officers shall act in the manner prescribed below.
1. If the appointment is to be a departmental one other than that of chair, the chair shall submit all available information concerning candidates suggested by the department, the chair, or the dean to the voting members of the department faculty. The voting faculty of an academic unit may, by majority vote, delegate authority to recommend the appointment of affiliate faculty, annual clinical faculty, or annual or quarterly part-time lecturers to an elected committee of its voting faculty. In an undepartmentalized college or school, this delegation may be made to an elected committee of its voting faculty. The delegation shall expire one calendar year after it is made.
  
  Recommendations in favor of appointment, based on a majority vote of the voting members of the faculty or of the elected committee with delegated authority, shall be sent with pertinent information to the appropriate dean. If the chair concurs in the department recommendation, the dean shall make a decision concerning the appointment and, if it is favorable, shall transmit it together with the vote of the department and the recommendation of the chair to the President. In the unusual case where the chair does not concur in the department recommendation, the chair may communicate objections to the dean and may also submit a separate recommendation to the dean from among the candidates who have been considered by the department. If the dean concurs in the chair’s recommendation, or has additional information which raises doubts concerning the department’s recommendation, or finds that the President has such information, the dean shall refer the matter again to the department along with an explanation and comments. After considering the evidence, the department may then either reaffirm its original recommendation, or transmit a new one. After the department’s final recommendation has been sent to the dean, the dean shall make a decision concerning the appointment and, if an appointment is to be recommended, shall transmit it together with the final recommendation of the department and the recommendation of the chair to the President.
2. If the appointment is to be one of a department chair, the dean shall deal directly with the appointment committee in making the decision. The department concerned shall be consulted in making the appointment, but a formal vote is not required.
3. If the appointment is to be one of a dean, the President shall deal directly with the appointment committee in making the decision.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 24, June 23, 1959; S-A 126, June 11, 2012; S-A 150, April 22, 2021; S-A 152, April 22, 2021; S-A 164, May 9, 2023: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-53 Procedure for Renewal of Appointments

When it is time to decide upon renewal of a nontenure appointment to the faculty (Section 24-41), the procedure described below shall be followed.

The voting members of the appropriate department (or undepartmentalized college or school) who are superior in academic rank or title to the person under consideration shall decide whether to recommend renewal or termination of the appointment. Research faculty, teaching faculty, and clinical practice faculty shall be considered by voting faculty who are superior in rank to the person under consideration, except that the voting faculty at rank of professor shall consider whether to recommend renewal or non-renewal of the appointment of a research professor, teaching professor, or professor of clinical practice. Faculty with instructional titles outlined in Section 24-34, Subsections B.1 and B.2 shall be considered by voting faculty who hold a professorial rank or instructional title superior to the person under consideration. The voting faculty of an academic unit may, by majority vote, delegate authority to recommend the renewal of affiliate faculty, annual clinical faculty, or annual or quarterly part-time lecturer appointments to an elected committee of its voting faculty. In an undepartmentalized college or school, this delegation may be made to an elected committee of its voting faculty. The delegation:
1. Does not alter faculty rank requirements for considering appointment renewals, and
2. Shall expire one calendar year after it is made.
If this recommendation is a departmental one, the chair shall transmit it to the dean. If the chair does not concur in the recommendation the chair may also submit a separate recommendation.
The dean shall decide the matter within the time prescribed in Section 24-41 and inform the faculty member concerned of the decision.
If a faculty member requests a written statement of the reasons for the non-renewal of tthe appointment, the dean shall supply such a written statement within 30 days.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 41, April 3, 1972; S-A 60, June 25, 1979; S-A 81, January 30, 1990; S-A 94, October 24, 1995; S-A 124, July 5, 2011; S-A 126, June 11, 2012; S-A 147, September 16, 2020; S-A 152, April 22, 2021; S-A 164, May 9, 2023; S-A 165, July 17, 2023: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-54 Procedure for Promotions

Annually, all eligible members of the faculty shall be informed of the opportunity to be considered for promotion by their department chair (or chair’s designee or the dean of an undepartmentalized school or college, or the dean’s designee). At the request of the faculty member, or if the promotion decision is mandatory, a promotion review shall be conducted following the procedure below. At any point in the process described below, the candidates may remove their record from consideration for promotion.

Promotion shall be based upon the attainment of the qualifications prescribed in Sections 24-32, 24-33, 24-34, and 24-35 for the various academic ranks and titles and not upon length of service. In arriving at recommendations for promotion, faculty, chairs, and deans shall consider the whole record of candidates’ qualifications described in Section 24-32.

Eligibility to deliberate and vote on a recommendation of promotion is limited to voting members of the faculty who are superior in academic rank and title to the person under consideration, subject to the limitations described in Section 21-32, Subsections C and D.
The record of the candidate being considered for promotion shall be assembled following the published guidelines of the candidate’s college and unit. The candidate is responsible for assembling the promotion record, which shall include a self-assessment of the candidate’s qualifications for promotion. External letters of review shall be kept confidential from the candidate.

An initial report and/or recommendation on the qualifications of the candidate for promotion may be produced by a subcommittee. Such a subcommittee must consist of at least three eligible voting faculty members (where eligibility is defined in Subsection A above), and may include faculty drawn from other departments, schools, colleges, or campuses who have appropriate expertise. Members of the subcommittee shall be given the opportunity to review the candidate’s record, including external letters.

If there are fewer than three eligible voting members in the department (or undepartmentalized college or school), a subcommittee shall be formed as described above, and it shall include any eligible voting faculty members in the candidate’s department (or undepartmentalized college or school) who are available to serve.

For departments (or college/school if undepartmentalized) where an initial report and/or recommendation on the qualifications of the candidate for promotion is produced by a subcommittee (as described above), the report shall be written.

If there are three or more eligible voting faculty members in the candidate’s department (or undepartmentalized college or school), those eligible voting faculty members shall then meet to discuss the candidate’s record, and following the discussion they shall vote whether to recommend promotion. If an initial report was produced by a subcommittee, all members of the subcommittee may choose to participate in the discussion, but only eligible voting faculty in the candidate’s department (or undepartmentalized college or school) may be present for the vote.

The department chair (or the chair’s designee or the dean of an undepartmentalized school or college or the dean’s designee) shall write a substantive formal report of these proceedings for the candidate, summarizing the discussion, concerns raised, counterarguments raised to those concerns, and recommendation.

If there are fewer than three eligible voting faculty members in the candidate’s department (or undepartmentalized college or school), the recommendation of the subcommittee shall be used in lieu of a vote by the department (or undepartmentalized college or school).

If the candidate is a member of a departmentalized college or school, then where the departmental recommendation (or the subcommittee recommendation in the event there are fewer than three eligible voting faculty members in the candidate’s department) is favorable or the promotion decision is mandatory or the candidate has written a response to the departmental vote (or the subcommittee recommendation in the event there are fewer than three eligible voting faculty members in the candidate’s department), the chair shall transmit all documents produced in this promotion process to the appropriate dean, with the chair’s independent analysis and recommendation.
The dean shall be advised by a committee or council of the college or school. This advisory group, elected by the faculty of the college or school, shall consider each case presented to it and submit its recommendations with reasons therefor to the dean. In a departmentalized school or college, when a candidate for promotion is under consideration, any member of the committee or council who is also a member of the candidate’s department may be excused.
After receiving the recommendation of this committee or council, the dean shall prepare an initial recommendation or decision. In non-mandatory promotion cases, the dean has the authority to render a negative final decision. In all other circumstances, the dean’s recommendation is advisory to the Provost.

In cases where the initial decision or recommendation is not favorable, the dean or the dean’s designee shall then discuss the case with the candidate before formulating a final recommendation or decision.

If the recommendation of the dean is favorable, or if the promotion decision is mandatory, the dean shall transmit a finalized recommendation and the candidate’s response, if it exists, to the candidate and to the Provost.

If the final promotion decision of the dean is not favorable and not mandatory, and the candidate has written a response to the dean, the dean shall transmit this decision and the candidate’s response to the Provost for information purposes.
Upon receiving a recommendation, the Provost shall formulate an initial decision. If additional external letters are solicited in the formulation of this initial decision, the Provost shall identify letter writers to the dean. If the Provost’s initial decision is unfavorable, the Provost shall formalize a written summary of the reasons therefor.

The Provost shall review any responses submitted from the candidate, chair, or dean as permitted in Subsection F prior to issuing a final decision.

After the case is decided, the dean shall ensure that the candidate is informed in writing in a timely way of the result of the case, and if the result is not favorable, the reasons therefor.
Candidates shall be provided with the following documents in the course of the promotion process. For purposes of confidentiality, specific attributions, including but not limited to the identity of external reviewers, shall be omitted and vote counts may be omitted from these documents. Candidates may, but are not obligated to, respond in writing within seven calendar days of receiving these written summaries of the subcommittee report and departmental deliberations. Candidates may, but are not obligated to, respond in writing within seven calendar days of receiving any other documents listed below if the document does not recommend promotion. Candidates have the right to request corrections to factual errors from the author of any other document they receive, provided the request is submitted before they receive a written summary of the Provost’s initial decision. Any response or request for corrections prepared by the candidate shall be included among the materials forwarded in the review process. In the event a document is revised on the basis of a candidate’s response or request for corrections, the candidate shall be provided the revised version at the time it is forwarded to the next stage of the process. Candidates may not respond directly to documents that have been revised on the basis of the candidate’s own prior response. Candidates may, however, incorporate responses to revised documents if their response rights are activated at a later stage in the process.
1. The written summary of the subcommittee report (Subsection B), identifying the members of the subcommittee.
2. The formal report of departmental deliberation proceedings, delivered concurrently with the independent analysis and recommendation of any Subsection B reviewers.
3. The independent analysis and recommendation of any individual charged with preparing one in Subsection B, delivered concurrently with the formal report of departmental deliberation proceedings.
4. The council or committee recommendation with reasons therefor, delivered concurrently with the dean’s initial recommendation or decision with reasons therefor (Subsection C). In the event the recommendation is not favorable, this document shall also be delivered for the department chair, who may respond in writing, with a copy to the candidate, within five calendar days.
5. The dean’s initial recommendation or decision with reasons therefor (Subsection D), along with specific requests for additional information or clarification, delivered concurrently with the council or committee recommendation. These documents shall also be delivered to the department chair. In the event the recommendation or decision is not favorable, the chair may respond in writing, with copy to the candidate, within five calendar days.
6. If the initial decision is unfavorable, the written summary of the Provost’s initial decision with reasons therefor (Subsection E), along with specific requests for additional information or clarification. These documents shall also be delivered to the department chair and dean. The chair and/or dean may respond in writing, with copy to the candidate, within five calendar days.
7. The result of the case, and if the result is not favorable, the reasons therefor (Subsection E).

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 22, April 18, 1958; S-A 59, April 23, 1979; S-A 64, May 29, 1981; S-A 81, January 30, 1990; S-A 94, October 24, 1995; S-A 100, April 25, 2000; S-A 124, July 5, 2011; S-A 126, June 11, 2012; S-A 130, June 14, 2013; S-A 142, June 22, 2018; S-A 147, September 16, 2020; S-A 148, January 13, 2021; S-A 149, January 13, 2021; S-A 164, May 9, 2023; S-B 173, June 20, 2024: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-55 Procedure for Salary Increases Based Upon Merit

Faculty at the University of Washington shall be reviewed annually by their colleagues, according to the procedures detailed in this section, to evaluate their merit and to arrive at a recommendation for an appropriate merit salary increase. Such reviews shall consider the faculty member’s cumulative record, including contributions to research/scholarship, teaching, and service, and their impact on the department, school/college, University, and appropriate regional, national, and international communities.

The evaluation of a faculty member’s merit and salary shall be arrived at after review of the individual’s performance in relation to that of their colleagues and by comparison of individuals’ present salaries to those of their peers. In evaluating a faculty member’s eligibility for merit-based salary increases (Section 24-70, Subsections B.1 and B.4; Section 24-71, Subsections A.1 and B.1) and for “market gap” salary increases (Section 24-71, Subsection B.2), the following procedure shall be followed.

In arriving at their recommendations for salary decisions the appropriate faculty, department (unit) chairs, and deans shall each consider the following:
1. The cumulative record of the candidate, taking into account the qualifications prescribed in Sections 24-32, 24-33, 24-34, and 24-35 for the various academic ranks and titles;
2. The candidate’s current salary;
3. Documentation of the review conference required by Section 24-57, Subsection D; and
4. Any documents produced under Subsection H of this section.
  
  Salary recommendations shall seek to minimize salary inequities. Salary compression and other inequities, including those resulting from variations in the level of merit funds available over time, may be considered in making merit salary recommendations.
The merit and salary of each faculty member below the rank and title of professor shall be considered by the voting members of the department, or undepartmentalized college or school, who are the faculty member’s superiors in academic rank and title, and they shall recommend any salary increase which they deem merited.
The chair of a department, or the dean of an undepartmentalized school/college, shall consider the merit and salary of each full professor in the chair’s or dean’s unit. Before forwarding salary related recommendations the chair (or dean in an undepartmentalized school/college) shall seek the advice of the full professors according to a procedure approved by the voting members of the unit.
If the recommendation is a departmental one, the chair shall transmit it to the dean with any supporting data the dean may request. If the chair does not concur in the recommendations the chair may also submit a separate recommendation.
The dean shall review the department’s recommendation and forward the dean’s recommendation regarding faculty merit and salary to the President.
The dean of each college/school shall review the record and salary of the chair of each department and shall recommend an appropriate salary increase to the President.
The President shall authorize the salary increases of the faculty, and of each dean.
At the option of the faculty member affected, and mandatorily in the event of two consecutive annual ratings of no merit (as a result of reviews under this section), the chair of the faculty member’s department (or dean of an undepartmentalized school or college) shall, after consultation with the faculty member, appoint an ad hoc committee of department (or school/college) faculty superior (or, in the case of full professors, equal) in rank or title to the faculty member. This committee shall meet at its earliest convenience with the faculty member and review more fully the record and merit of that faculty member.

The committee shall, upon completion of its review, report in writing the results to the faculty member and to the faculty member’s department chair (or dean in an undepartmentalized school/college) and the committee shall advise them what actions, if any, should be undertaken to enhance the contributions and improve the merit ranking of this colleague, or to rectify existing misjudgments of this colleague’s merit and make adjustments to correct any salary inequity. The faculty member may respond in writing to this report and advice within 21 calendar days to the department chair (or dean) and committee (unless upon the faculty member’s request and for good cause the response period is extended by the chair or dean). The committee’s report and advice, the faculty member’s written response (if any), the response by the chair, and any agreement reached by the faculty member and the chair shall be incorporated into a written report.

Section 13-31, April 16, 1956; S-A 58, May 16, 1978; S-A 75, April 6, 1987; S-A 82, November 21, 1990; S-A 99, July 9, 1999; S-A 124, July 5, 2011; S-A 164, May 9, 2023: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-56 Procedure for Resignations

A faculty member has a professional obligation to give a written notice of resignation at the earliest possible opportunity. Normally such resignations should be given at least three months prior to the termination date, or within 15 days of notification of terms of a reappointment, whichever occurs later, and should ordinarily become effective at the end of an academic year.
If the faculty member resigns orally, then the dean shall attempt to obtain a written resignation. If this is not forthcoming sooner, no later than 15 days after the purported oral resignation the dean shall send by certified mail to the faculty member’s last known home address, and at the same time send by delivery or campus mail to the faculty member’s campus address, a letter stating the dean’s understanding that the faculty member has resigned. If, within 30 days after the dean mailed and sent this letter, the faculty member denies in writing to the dean that a resignation took place, none shall be deemed to have occurred. Otherwise, the faculty member shall be deemed to have resigned.

S-A 60, June 25, 1979; S-A 164, May 9, 2023: both with Presidential approval.

Section 24-57 Procedural Safeguards for Promotion, Merit-Based Salary, and Tenure Considerations

All procedures regarding promotion, merit-based salary, and tenure considerations outlined in the relevant sections of the Faculty Code must be followed. Open communication among faculty, and between faculty and administration, must be maintained in order to insure informed decision making, to protect the rights of the individual and to aid the faculty in the development of their professional and scholarly careers.

Each faculty member must be allowed to pursue those areas of inquiry which are of personal scholarly interest; at the same time, however, each faculty member must be informed of the expectations a department holds for the faculty member and of the manner in which faculty member activities contribute to the current and future goals of the department, school, college, and University. In order to enable the faculty member to establish priorities in the overall effort of professional career development and to fulfill the University’s obligations of fair appraisal and continual monitoring of faculty development, the following procedural safeguards shall be adopted in each department, school, or college.

A. Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness

To implement the provision stipulated in Section 24-32, Subsection C, the standardized student assessment of teaching procedure which the University makes available may be used for obtaining student evaluation of teaching effectiveness, unless the college, school, or department has adopted an alternate procedure for student evaluation, in which case the latter may be used. Each faculty member shall have at least one course evaluated by students in any academic year during which that member teaches one or more courses. The teaching effectiveness of each faculty member also shall be evaluated by colleagues using procedures adopted within the appropriate department, school, or college.

The collegial evaluation of teaching effectiveness shall be conducted prior to recommending any renewal of appointment or promotion of a faculty member. In addition, for faculty at the rank of assistant professor, or associate professor or professor “without tenure” under Chapter 25, Section 25-32, Subsection D, the collegial evaluation shall be conducted every year. For other faculty at the rank of associate professor or professor or with the title of professor of practice the collegial evaluation shall be conducted at least every three years. A written report of this evaluation shall be maintained and shared with the faculty member.

B. Yearly Activity Report

Each department (or undepartmentalized college) shall adopt a suggested format by which each faculty member will have the opportunity to provide information on professional activities carried out during the prior year. These reports shall be prepared in writing by each faculty member and submitted to the chair (or dean) in a timely fashion each year, and shall be used as reference and as a source of information for consideration of promotion, merit salary, or tenure. These forms shall be used as evidence for recommendations of promotion, merit salary, or tenure. Such information may be updated by a faculty member at any time during the academic year.

C. Regular Conference with Faculty

Each year the chair, or where appropriate the dean or designee, shall confer individually with all assistant professors, and associate professors and professors “without tenure” appointed under Chapter 25, Section 25-32, Subsection D. The chair (or dean or designee) shall confer individually with the other associate professors and senior lecturers at least every two years, and with the other professors and professors of practice at least every three years. The purpose of the regular conference is to help individual faculty members plan and document their career goals. While the documentation of those goals will be part of the faculty member’s record for subsequent determinations of merit, the regular conference should be distinct from the merit review pursuant to Section 24-55.

At each such conference, the chair, dean, or designee, and the faculty members shall discuss:

The department’s present needs and goals with respect to the department’s mission statement and the faculty member’s present teaching, scholarly and service responsibilities and accomplishments;
Shared goals for the faculty member’s teaching, scholarship, and service in the forthcoming year (or years, as appropriate) in keeping with the department’s needs and goals for the same period; and
A shared strategy for achieving those goals.

The chair, dean, or designee and the faculty member shall discuss and identify any specific duties and responsibilities expected of, and resources available to, the faculty member during the coming year(s), taking into account the academic functions described in Section 24-32. The chair, dean, or designee should make specific suggestions, as necessary, to improve or aid the faculty member’s work.

D. Documentation

The chair, dean, or designee, shall, in a timely manner, document in writing, with a copy to the faculty member, that such conferences occurred, and shall list the subject matter discussed.

This conference document shall also articulate in sufficient detail the discussed commitments and responsibilities of the faculty member for the coming year(s) and how these commitments and responsibilities are consistent with institutional standards for promotion and tenure as defined in Chapter 24.

Should the faculty member not agree with the summary or statements in this conference document, the faculty member shall indicate so in writing. The failure of a faculty member to object in writing to the chair’s (or dean’s) conference document within ten days of receiving it (unless upon the faculty member’s request and for good cause the period is extended by the chair or dean) shall constitute the faculty member’s official acceptance of its terms and conditions.

If the faculty member disagrees with the conference document, the chair (or dean) shall either withdraw it and issue a revised one to which both parties can agree, or reaffirm the accuracy of the original conference document.

In the event the faculty member disagrees with the resulting conference document, the chair of the faculty member’s department (or dean of an undepartmentalized school or college) shall appoint an ad hoc committee comprised of three department (or school/college) faculty superior (or in the case of full professors, equal) in rank or title to the faculty member, or faculty members from the Conciliation Board, and selected in the following manner. The faculty member and the chair, or dean, shall each select one member of the ad hoc committee and those two members shall select the third member. At its earliest convenience, the ad hoc committee shall review fully the records relating to the conference, meet with the faculty member, and meet with the chair, dean, or designee.

The chair, dean, or designee, and the faculty member shall then meet with the ad hoc committee to discuss the issues, with the purpose of achieving a resolution. In the event resolution is not achieved, the committee in a timely manner shall report in writing the results of its review to the faculty member, to the faculty member’s department chair or dean, and to the designee, if any. The committee’s report and advice, if any; the faculty member’s written response, if any; the response by the chair, dean, or designee, if any; and any agreement between the faculty member and chair, dean, or designee shall be incorporated into a written report that shall be placed in the faculty member’s personnel file.

A faculty member’s record upon the stated duties and responsibilities in the conference document will be assessed in accordance with Section 24-55. Nothing in this section is intended to alter the institutional standards for promotion and tenure as defined in Chapter 24.

[The University Handbook included Board of Regents Governance and Executive Orders No. 45 and No. 64 as footnotes to this section.]

S-A 64, May 29, 1981; S-A 79, May 31, 1989; S-A 99, July 9, 1999; S-A 107, June 20, 2002; S-A 124, July 5, 2011; S-A 129, April 16, 2013; S-A 133, June 11, 2014; S-A 147, September 16, 2020; S-A 150, April 22, 2021: all with Presidential approval.

Section 24-70 Faculty Salary System: Policy and Principles

Faculty at the University of Washington shall be salaried on a merit-based system that reflects the University’s standing among its peer institutions. Under this system, all faculty deemed meritorious shall be regularly rewarded for their contributions to their department, school/college, and university. Resources permitting, the University shall provide its meritorious faculty with salaries commensurate with those of their peers elsewhere.
Advancement in salary can be effected in several distinct, but not mutually exclusive, ways. A salary increase:
1. Shall be granted to provide an initial minimum equal-percentage salary increase to all faculty following a successful merit review (conducted in accord with procedures of Section 24-55);
2. Shall attend, in addition to awards under Subsection B.1 above, promotion in rank (approved in accord with Section 24-54);
3. Shall be awarded to raise individuals’ salaries to the minimum salary for each faculty rank (in accord with Section 24-71, Subsection A.3 below);
4. May be awarded as an additional merit salary increase beyond that available under Subsection B.1 (following review procedures of Section 24-55);
5. May be awarded as a result of unit-level adjustment (in accord with Section 24-71, Subsection B.2 below);
6. May be offered in response to a potential or actual external offer of appointment (upon review in accord with Section 24-71, Subsection B.3 below); and
7. May be allocated as a University-wide increase in the faculty salary base that shall be distributed in equal dollar amounts or equal percentage salary increases to all meritorious faculty.

S-A 99, July 9, 1999 with Presidential approval.

Section 24-71 Procedures for Allocating Salary Increases

The Provost shall consult with the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting and, each biennium, shall subsequently recommend to the President the allocation of available funds for salary increases, for distribution among all categories listed in Section 24-70, Subsection B. The President shall make the final decision on these allocations and shall report the decision to the Faculty Senate.
1. This allocation shall each year make available funds to provide an initial minimum equal-percentage salary increase to all faculty deemed meritorious under Section 24-55.
2. This allocation shall each year make available funds to provide salary increases to all faculty awarded promotions approved in accord with Section 24-54.
3. Every two years, the Provost shall, after consultation with the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting, determine the minimum salary for each faculty rank. This determination shall take account of the recent salaries of beginning assistant professors at the University of Washington, and shall endeavor to reflect in the floors for other ranks the general expectation of salary advancement for faculty.
The Provost may distribute, in the course of a biennium, funds allocated by the President:
1. To provide additional merit salary increases (beyond those awarded under Subsection A.1). This allocation shall be distributed as equal-percentage increases to all units to fund merit increases for faculty (in accord with Section 24-55).
2. To address the market “gap” of an individual unit. Allocation of such funds to units shall follow close consideration of individual units and consultation with the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting. The Provost shall periodically gather updates on salary information from appropriate sources, including unit heads, and shall make those findings available to the faculty. The department chair (or dean in an undepartmentalized school/college) shall consult with the unit’s voting faculty who are senior (or, in the case of full professors, equal) in rank—or the unit’s designated faculty committee(s)—about the appropriate distribution of these funds; and
3. To retain a current faculty member, based on the recommendation of the dean. Prior to preparing a response (retention offer), the dean shall first consult with the department chair if the school or college is departmentalized. All voting faculty of the department (or undepartmentalized school or college) shall be informed of the name of the faculty member requesting the proposed retention offer, including whether the offer is preemptive or competitive, and also provided the opportunity to cast an advisory vote on the appropriate response; alternatively, the faculty may establish, consistent with the procedures of Chapter 23, Section 23-45, an alternate protocol for this required consultation including the level of information shared before a retention offer may be made. This policy shall be recorded with the dean’s office of the appropriate unit and a copy forwarded to the Secretary of the Faculty. The faculty shall vote whether to affirm or amend this policy biennially, and the ballot shall include the option to vote for the default policy, in which all faculty shall be provided the opportunity to cast an advisory vote.
  
  The dean shall make an annual report to the respective elected faculty council, the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting, and the Provost, that summarizes the requests for retention offers and their final resolution.
The deans of the schools and colleges shall, after consultation with their elected faculty councils (Chapter 23, Section 23-45, Subsection B), allocate to the faculty of the constituent units of their school/college, all funds made available to provide salary increases under Section 24-70, Subsection B. Distribution of these awards to individual faculty shall be carried out following the requisite procedures of Chapter 24.

S-A 99, July 9, 1999; S-A 105, May 6, 2002; S-A 172, June 20, 2024: all with Presidential approval.

For related information, see:

Executive Order No. 45, “Documentation of Qualifications and Recommendations for Promotion, Tenure, and Merit Increases”
Executive Order No. 59, “Excess Compensation to Faculty”
Executive Order No. 64, “Faculty Salary Policy”
Administrative Policy Statement 41.1, “Salary Payments and Employment Periods for Academic Personnel”

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