|
|
Faculty
Handbook
|
|
|
|
|
Rights, Responsibilities, Policies
|
|||
|
|
Faculty
Handbook
|
|
|
|
|
Rights, Responsibilities, Policies
|
|||
REGULATIONS
ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM, EMPLOYMENT, AND TENURE
Forward
These regulations are designed to enable Western New Mexico University to protect academic freedom and tenure and the requirements of academic due process. The principles implicit in these regulations are for the benefit of all who are involved with or are affected by the policies of the institution. A department or university is a marketplace of ideas, and it cannot fulfill its purposes of transmitting, evaluating, and extending knowledge if it requires conformity with any orthodoxy of content and method. In the words of the United States Supreme Court, “Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain maturity and understanding; otherwise our civilization will stagnate and die.” *
All members of the faculty, whether tenured or not, are entitled to academic freedom.
Academic Freedom: (Quotes from the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure With 1970 Interpretive Comments, as developed by representatives of the American Association of University Professors and the Association of Colleges during 1969. The governing bodies of the associations adopted several changes in language in order to remove gender-specific references from the original text.)
“(b) Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject.”
“(c) College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As people of learning and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.
* American Association of University
Professors, Policy Documents and Reports, January, 1977, p. 15
I. Statement of Terms of
Appointment
A. The terms and conditions of
every appointment to the faculty will be stated or confirmed in writing, and a
copy of the appointment document will be supplied to the faculty member. Any subsequent extensions or modifications
of an appointment, and any special understanding of any notices incumbent upon
either party to provide, will be stated or confirmed in writing and a copy will
be given to the faculty member.
B. With the exception of
special appointments clearly limited to a brief association with the
University, and reappointments of retired faculty members on special
conditions, all fulltime appointments to the rank of Instructor or higher are
of three kinds: (1) probationary appointments; (2) appointments with continuous
tenure; and (3) temporary appointments.
Temporary appointments shall refer to those faculty members who are not
working towards tenure appointment.
C. Except for faculty members
who have tenure status, every person with a teaching or research appointment of
any kind will be informed each year in writing of his/her appointment and of
all matters relative to his/her eligibility for the acquisition of tenure.
II. Probationary Appointments and Attainment
of Tenure*
A. Probationary appointments
may be for one year, or for other stated periods, subject to renewal or
non-renewal at the discretion of the administration. Only the Regents may grant tenure. Effective with those faculty initially hired after January 1,
1993, the total period of full time teaching service prior to the acquisition
of continuous tenure or the offer of a terminal contract will not exceed seven
years, at least one year of which must be fulltime employment at Western New
Mexico University. Previous fulltime
teaching service with the rank of Instructor or higher in other institutions of
higher learning may be negotiated for credit toward tenure at the time of
initial appointment. Acquisition of
tenure shall be according to procedures outlined in Criteria for Promotion,
Tenure, and Post-tenure Review.
B. The faculty member will be provided, upon initial appointment or within a reasonable time thereafter, with a copy of the substantive standards and procedures generally employed in decisions affecting renewal and tenure as specified in this handbook. Any additional evaluation criteria or procedures adopted by the faculty member’s department will also be brought to his/her
*Academic tenure shall apply to academic positions
only. Administrative positions and other non-academic appointments or
duties are not eligible for tenure.
attention. At the time
when decisions affecting tenure are ordinarily made, the faculty member will be
given the opportunity to submit materials which he/she believes will be helpful
to the adequate consideration of his/her circumstances. It is important for
faculty seeking tenure status to compile and document evidence consistent with
criteria used in the review process.
C. The probationary period shall, however, be suspended when a faculty member is on a leave of absence for work on an advanced degree, and may be suspended in cases where an absence from campus would demonstrably interfere with the proper evaluation of the member’s progress toward a tenure appointment contract in the opinion of his/her department chair, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and a majority of the tenure appointment contract members of the department.
D.
The progress toward tenure appointment contract of each faculty member
on probationary status shall be reviewed annually by the department chair
following criteria and procedures contained in “Criteria for Promotion, Tenure,
and Post-tenure Review.” The
Department Chair, in making the evaluation, shall solicit the opinions of other
tenured members of the department.
E. Regardless of the stated term or other provisions of any appointments, written notice that a probationary appointment is not to be renewed will be given to the faculty member in advance of the expiration of his/her appointment, as follows: (1) not later than March 1 of the first academic year of service if the appointment expires at the end of that year; or, if a one-year appointment expires at the end of that year, at least three months in advance of its termination; (2) not later than December 15 of the second academic year of service if the appointment expires at the end of that year; or, if an initial two-year appointment terminates during an academic year, at least six months in advance of its termination; (3) at least twelve months before the expiration of an appointment after two or more years of service at Western New Mexico University. Proof that the above notice has been given is a receipt signed and dated by the faculty member, or the opportunity to sign and date such a receipt in the presence of a faculty senator, or a certified mail receipt. The University will normally notify the faculty members of the terms and conditions of their renewals no later than April 15.
F. It is to be clearly understood that during the probationary period of employment, termination of appointments may be made without implication of criticism or bias.
G. If the faculty member alleges that the decision against renewal
was based on a violation of academic freedom, he/she may seek relief via the
normal grievance procedures.
A. Tenured faculty members
shall be subject to a post-tenure review five years after their
attainment of tenure and every five years hence. Post-tenure review and any subsequent evaluation shall be
conducted by a committee of faculty members.
The composition of that committee will be determined by each
department. This review will be
completed by the end of the semester that ends the five year period.
B. The progress toward post-tenure
review of each faculty member shall be reviewed annually following criteria and
procedures contained in “Criteria for Promotion, Tenure Appointments, and Post-tenure
Review.” These criteria will include
(1) an evaluation of the faculty member’s teaching, (2) an evaluation of the
faculty member’s research and scholarly output, and (3) an evaluation of the
contributions made by the faculty member in the areas of public and
professional service to the institution and the community. These evaluations will at least rely upon
student evaluations, input from the other tenured faculty of the department
(peer review), and an assessment by the department chair. The chair shall notify a faculty member in
writing of the specific services which are unsatisfactory. Unless he/she has been so notified, a tenured
faculty member can assume that his/her services have been satisfactory. It is mandatory that the chair annually meet
(no later than the full week prior to March 1) with a faculty member to discuss
his/her evaluation and progress toward post-tenure review. Comments and recommendations resulting from
these evaluations must be given to the faculty member and made a part of the
faculty member’s personnel record in the Human Resources Office.
C. At the time of post-tenure
review, if a faculty member receives an unfavorable evaluation in the area of
the faculty member’s teaching, the faculty member shall be notified in writing
by his/her department chair by the end of that academic semester. The post-tenure review process shall
now include a two-year probation and re-evaluation period.
D. If the faculty member
alleges that the unfavorable evaluation was based on grievable circumstances or
a violation of academic freedom, he/she may seek relief via the normal
grievance procedures.
E. During the probation and re-evaluation period, the faculty member’s teaching will be evaluated on a semester basis in accordance with the guidelines in
*Full implementation of post tenure review will occur in the 1997-1998 academic year. Departmental procedures for post tenure review will be on file with the Office of Academic Affair by May 1, 1997.
Post-tenure
Review III. B. In addition,
evaluations/recommendations will be conveyed to the faculty member and recorded
in the Human Resources Office on a semester basis. During the subsequent probation and re-evaluation period,
if the faculty member fails to demonstrate improvement in the area of teaching,
a loss of tenure will result. Notice of
this loss of tenure must be given to the faculty member in written form. Proof that the above notice has been given
is a receipt signed and dated by the faculty member, or the opportunity to sign
and date such a receipt in the presence of a faculty senator, or a certified
mail receipt.
F. If the faculty member
alleges that the loss of tenure was based on a violation of academic freedom,
he/she may seek relief via the normal grievance procedures.
G. The Faculty Senate will
annually review the process of post-tenure review and make
recommendations to the General Assembly for change if necessary.
SEVERANCE:
FACULTY TERMINATION AND DISMISSAL
A. Termination of Appointment by the Faculty
Member
1. Termination occurs on the death of a faculty
member.
2. Resignation (voluntary termination before
retirement age)
a. A faculty member may terminate
his/her appointment effective at the end of an academic year, provided that
he/she gives notice in writing at the earliest possible opportunity, but not
later than May 15, or 30 days after receiving notification of the terms of
his/her appointment for the coming year, whichever date occurs later. The faculty member may properly request a
waiver of this requirement of notice in case of hardship or in a situation
where he/she would otherwise be denied substantial professional advancement or
other opportunity.
b. If a faculty member with a
tenure appointment contract resigns from the University and is rehired within
three years as a fulltime member of the same department, he/she shall have a
tenure appointment contract upon his/her return. If he/she is rehired by the same department after more than three
years absence, he/she may be given not more than a one-year probationary
period at the recommendation of the department and approval by the President
and the Board of Regents. If, after
resigning from the University, he/she is rehired as a fulltime member of an
academic department other than the one in which he/she held a tenure
appointment contract, he/she may be given not more than a one-year
probationary period at the recommendation of the department. A faculty member with a tenure appointment
contract who has left his/her academic department to accept fulltime employment
by the University in an administrative capacity may, at the request of the
department involved, return to a teaching position in his/her original
department or in a different department.
His/her return would be at a salary appropriate to his/her academic
rank.
3. Retirement
a. A person may continue at
the University beyond retirement in an advisory capacity or on a ¼ time basis
at the request of his/her department and with the approval of the department
chair, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, President, and the Board of
Regents. His/her contract shall be
approved on a year-to-year basis and may be terminated at any time.
b. Early Retirement. A faculty
member may retire at minimum age as determined by New Mexico ERA
regulations. The faculty member must
notify the department chair at least one year in advance of his/her planned
early retirement.
c. Privileges of Retirement. Any retired faculty member should be
entitled to the following privileges:
(1) He/she may take courses at the University, with waiver of tuition fees
in accordance with practices accorded to faculty and staff.
(2) Free campus parking.
(3) Notices of major campus activities will be mailed to him/her.
(4) Voluntary participation in commencement exercises.
(5) Admittance to regularly scheduled athletic events at no charge.
(6) Library privileges.
B. Termination of Appointments by the University (cancellation of contract at the end of the contract period)
1. Non-tenured faculty members
may be terminated during their probationary period without specified cause.
2. Financial Exigency
a. Termination of an
appointment with continuous tenure or of a probationary or a temporary
appointment before the end of the specified term may occur because of a
demonstrable bona fide financial exigency.
b. Before terminating an
appointment because of financial exigency, the University, with faculty
participation, will make a good faith effort to place the faculty member
concerned in another suitable position within the University.
c. In all cases of termination
of appointment because of financial exigency the faculty member will be given
notice or severance salary as prescribed herein.
d. In all cases of termination
of appointment because of financial exigency, the place of the faculty member
concerned will not be filled by a replacement within a period of two years,
unless the released faculty member has been offered reinstatement and a
reasonable time in which to accept or decline it.
e. The final decision of which
faculty member shall be terminated will be that of the Board of Regents.
3. Termination for Medical Reasons
Termination for medical reasons of an appointment with tenure, or of a probationary or temporary appointment, will occur only if the faculty member can no longer perform the essential functions of the appointment, with or without a reasonable accommodation. The decision to terminate will be reached only after there has been appropriate consultation, and after the faculty member concerned, or someone representing the faculty member, has been informed of the basis for the proposed action, and has been afforded an opportunity to present the faculty member’s position, suggest possible reasonable accommodations, and respond to the evidence.
a. The University has the
right to require medical/mental examinations of the faculty member at the
University’s expense at any time of the year, provided that the examination is
job-related and there is evidence of performance problem or safety issue,
or the faculty member has requested a reasonable accommodation. The examination will be conducted by a
licensed physician mutually acceptable to the faculty member and the
University.
4. Discontinuance of Program or Department Not
Mandated by Financial Exigency
Termination
of an appointment with continuous tenure, or of a probationary or specified
appointment before the end of the specified term, may occur as a result of a
bona fide formal discontinuance of a program or department of instruction.
C. Dismissal (cancellation of contract at any time during the semester)
1. Adequate cause for
dismissal will be related directly and substantially to the fitness of the
faculty member in his/her professional capacity as a teacher or
researcher. Adequate cause may normally
be defined as:
a. Incompetence in performing
the duties for which the faculty member is employed.
b. Failure to perform the
duties for which the faculty member is employed.
c. Conviction of a felony or
any crime involving moral turpitude. A
faculty member convicted of a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude
shall be subject to immediate dismissal without notice.
d. Repeated acts of insubordination.
e. Unprofessional conduct.
f. Habitual drunkenness or
habitual use of narcotics or dangerous drugs, as defined in the State of New
Mexico Statutes.
g. Falsification of employment
application or document submitted thereto or other false or fraudulent
representations made in securing employment.
2. Recognizing that dismissal
for adequate cause may arise due to unforeseen circumstances, there shall be no
fixed requirement for notice prior to University action. The University shall give notice as soon as
the facts indicating adequate cause are known to it.
1. For those individuals who,
for any reason, do not complete the period of the time specified in the
contract, payment will be prorated in accordance with the terms of the
contract. Release of final checks will,
at all times, be subject to the usual clearance provisions.
2. Faculty or staff members
who do not anticipate continuing in other employment covered by New Mexico
Educational Retirement may apply to the Office of Educational Retirement for a
refund of personal contributions.
Application forms are available at the Office of Business Affairs.
If any faculty member feels that he/she has cause for grievance in any matter not covered by the procedures described in the foregoing Regulations, he/she may petition the Faculty Senate to invoke the grievance procedure for redress.
FACULTY RIGHTS
AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. All faculty members have the
same rights and responsibilities as those of any other persons. It should be made clear, however, that
faculty members as well as other employees of the University and all students
are subject to the guidelines and stipulations about conduct included in
“General Policies and Principles” as set forth in the Regents Policy Manual,
pp. 11 - 15 and pp. 46-47. A
copy of that Appendix is provided to each faculty member along with this
Faculty Handbook (p. 203-2 to p. 203-7) and becomes a part of the
contract.
B. Faculty members have the
responsibility of being familiar with the contents of this Faculty
Handbook and the Regents Policy Manual and appropriate appendices.
Regents Policy Manual – section II .26 (pp. 46-47).
Rights and Responsibilities
The purpose of this statement is to help clarify relationships between the Regents and the Administration, Faculty, and Students of the University. “Management and Control” of the University are vested in the Regents, and they are also charged with the authority and “duty to enact laws, rules, and regulations for the government of the University.” Inevitably, the management responsibilities of the Regents must be delegated, and so is much of their authority to govern the affairs of the institution subject to overall policy which they establish. In this situation, it may be helpful to have a statement of the position of the Regents on certain topics of current interest and concern.
1. As limited by the
applicable law, these policies, and other actions of the Regents, the Board
recognizes and approves:
a. the authority and responsibility of the Administration in all matters relating to the operation of the University;
b. the authority and responsibility of the Faculty, in cooperation with Administration, to set educational policies, to screen faculty personnel, and in general, to deal with all matters relating to teaching and research; and
c. the rights and responsibility of the Students of the University to provide for their own self-government with authority in the affairs of the student community.
2. There presently exist
adequate procedures for determining most matters affecting University
operation. In order that the University
may function properly under the authority of those in direct charge of its
activities, the Regents ordinarily will not interfere with actions of the
Administration, the Faculty, or Student Government. The Regents cannot, however, ignore the responsibilities of
management and control vested in them by the Constitution and laws of the State
of New Mexico. Thus, they reserve unto
themselves the right to consider and determine, if deemed necessary, any matter
relating to the University. Except as
otherwise provided, appeals of Administration, Faculty, or Student decisions
should be addressed in writing to the Regents via the President of the
University. The Regents will consider
such appeals as a body. In their
discretion, the Regents may request written briefs or oral argument or both.
3. The Regents recognize and approve the right of free speech and honest expression of opinion on any subject by any member of the University community whether the subject relates to on-or off-campus issues, but those who speak or act shall not do so in the name of the University or any of its organizations unless there has been specific authorization to do so.
4. Off-campus speakers, if
approved in accordance with University regulations, should be allowed free
expression of their views. Students
with diverse points of view should permit such speakers to be heard without
harassment.
5. Any member of the University community—student or member of the faculty or staff—is subject to discipline if he/she acts in such a way as to affect adversely the University’s educational function or to disrupt community living on campus. All authorized University activities are deemed to be part of its educational function. No member of the University community has a right to interfere with another in the pursuit of an education or in the conduct of University duties and responsibilities.
The rights and responsibilities of each member of the University community, the same as every other citizen, are measured by laws of our country. Respect for the law is fundamental and necessary for the preservation of our form of government. The Regents will take action to enforce this principle, if it should be necessary.
Regents Policy Manual – section 1.8 (pp. 11-15).
Conduct Leading to Disciplinary Action
One of the important aspects of academic due process is a clear statement of the kinds of conduct that will lead to University disciplinary action. It is deemed important, therefore, to clarify the type of conduct which shall be considered to affect adversely the University’s educational function, to disrupt community living on campus, or to interfere with the right of others to the pursuit of their education or to conduct the University duties and responsibilities. In an effort to accomplish this, but without intending the statement to be all-inclusive, the following is hereby set forth:
a. Any member of the
University community -- student or member of the faculty or staff -- who
commits or attempts to commit any of the following acts of misconduct shall be
subject to appropriate disciplinary procedures and sanctions:
i. Obstruction or disruption, by any means, of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary procedures, or other University or University-authorized functions, events, or activities.
ii. Unauthorized or prohibited entry into or onto, or unauthorized or prohibited occupation or use of, any University facility, building, vehicle, or other University property.
iii. Physical abuse, the threat of physical abuse, or intimidation of any person on campus or at any University-authorized function or event, or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health, freedom of action, or safety of any such person.
iv. Theft of, damage to, or defacement of property of the University or the property of any person on campus. (Any student or member of the faculty or staff who steals, damages, or defaces University property shall reimburse the University to the full extent of the University’s loss).
v. Denial of, or interference with any person’s lawful right of access to, use of, or exit from any University facility or with any other lawful right of any person on campus.
vi. The destruction of, or damage to, property of the University or of others on campus by setting fire.
vii. Use or possession on the campus of firearms, ammunition, or other dangerous weapons, substances, or materials, or of bombs, explosives, or incendiary devices, except as authorized.
viii. Forgery or alteration or destruction of University documents or furnishings of an intentionally falsified information document submitted to the University or making intentionally false accusations against any member of the University by filing a complaint or charges under these rules.
ix. The repeated use of obscene or abusive language in a classroom or public meeting where such language is beyond the bounds of generally accepted good taste and which, if in a class, is not significantly related to the teaching of the subject; the use of obscene or abusive language against another member of the University, faculty, staff, or students.
x. Disorderly, lewd, or indecent conduct occurring on campus or at a University-recognized or University-sponsored activity off campus.
xi. Aid to others in committing or inciting others to commit any act of misconduct set forth in 8.a.(i) through 8.a.(x).
xii. Any act that demonstrates the probability that the person constitutes a physical danger to himself or herself or others on campus.
xiii. Willfully refusing or failing to leave the property of, or any building or other facility owned, operated, or controlled by the Board of Regents upon being requested to do so by the President, if the person is committing, threatening to commit, or inciting others to commit, any act which would disrupt, impair, interfere with or obstruct the lawful mission, processes, procedures, or functions of the University. As used herein, “President” means the President (or acting President) of the University or any person or persons designated by him/her to act on his/her behalf.
xiv. Use of
alcoholic beverages on campus.
xv. Any other acts or omissions which affect adversely the University’s educational function, disrupt community living on campus, interfere with or affect adversely the processes of the University.
b. Sanctions
i. Any student who violates any of the rules set forth in 8.a.(i) through 8.a.(xv) shall be subject to censure, warning, disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion, as well as restitution, if applicable.
ii. Any member of the faculty or staff who violates any of the rules set forth in 8.a.(i) through 8.a.(xv) shall be subject to censure, warning, disciplinary probation, or dismissal, as well as restitution, if applicable.
iii. As used in 8.b.(i) and (ii).
a.
“Warning” means a notice, oral or written, that continuation or
repetition, within a stated reasonable period of time, of conduct found to be
wrong doing may be cause for more severe disciplinary action.
b. “Censure” means a written reprimand for violation of a specific regulation, including the possibility of a more severe disciplinary action in the event a conviction for a later violation of a University regulation committed within a stated reasonable period of time.
c.
“Restitution” means the requirement to reimburse the legal owner for
loss due to defacement, damage, or misappropriation of property.
d. “Disciplinary
Probation” means that individuals violating the aforementioned regulations may
be placed on probation for a period not exceeding one (1) year. The person placed on probation shall be
notified in writing that repetition of the act or other acts prohibited by
these regulations will lead to more severe sanction. The official transcript of a student shall be marked
“Disciplinary Probation” for the period of probation and any “exclusions”
noted. The parents will be notified of
the action for students under majority age.
For faculty violations, a notice of probation will be placed in the
faculty member’s personnel file.
e.
“Suspension” means exclusion of a student for a definite period of time
from attending classes and participating in other University activities as set
forth in a notice to the student. The
official transcript of the student shall be marked “Disciplinary Suspension,
effective to,” and parents of students under majority age will be notified
of the action.
A student who is not currently enrolled at the University and was not
registered during the previous semester or graduated at the end of the previous
semester may request that the notation
of “Disciplinary Suspension” be removed from a permanent record when two
(2) years have elapsed since the expiration of the student’s suspension. Such request must be submitted in writing to
the President. If the request is not
granted, the student may submit another request after one (1) year.
f.
“Expulsion” means a termination of student status for an indefinite
period of time. Permission of the
President shall be required for readmission.
The official transcript of the student shall be marked, “Disciplinary
Expulsion effective to” and parents will be notified of the action for students
under majority age.
g.
“Dismissal” means termination of employment for cause, either for a
stated time period or indefinitely.
c. If any
of the acts of misconduct set forth in 8.a.(i) through 8.a.(xv) are committed
by a person who is not a student or member of the faculty or staff such persons
may be denied admission, readmission, or employment by the University.
d. Appeals:
Any appeals from any sanction imposed shall follow the same channels and
procedures as established for other grievances.
Tenure, Promotion and Post-Tenure Review
Deadlines
A faculty member who wishes to apply for tenure or promotion in rank must submit an application to his/her department chair by February 1 of the academic year preceding the academic year in which the promotion or grant of tenure will become effective. In addition the faculty member should provide the cumulative file of their activities organized in accordance with the tenure and promotion application form. These materials will be forwarded along with any departmental or department chair recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs by March 1. The Vice President will make a recommendation to the President by April 1. The President will make a recommendation to the Board of Regents by April 15. This recommendation shall also be provided to the faculty member. The Board of Regents shall act upon the recommendation at its next scheduled meeting.
Evaluative Criteria
The faculty at Western New Mexico University recognizes that evaluation of individual performance must be an ongoing responsibility. Faculty evaluations shall be used to make decisions for promotion, tenure and performance based compensation. The amount of compensation is determined by the Board of Regents. Every faculty member shall be evaluated annually. Evaluation techniques are doomed however, without the cooperation of the evaluee. The method herein described is an attempt to ensure the cooperation of the individual faculty member by placing the responsibility for setting goals and the means by which to measure their attainment on each individual. The process is known as Management by Objectives (MBO). The goals are meant to be set to assure continuation of past performance as well as to establish ways to demonstrate improvement. This process has four phases:
1) The overall objectives of the University are clearly communicated to everyone in the academic departments (and hopefully everyone throughout the University). These long-range objectives are worked out by the Board of Regents and the University Administration headed by the President and Vice President for Academic Affairs preferably with the participation of department chairs and the General Assembly.
2) Department chairs will meet with department members, then with the Vice President for Academic Affairs during the last 4 weeks of the spring semester to discuss department goals and objectives for the following academic year. These departmental goals, in addition to the overall goals, are also communicated to faculty members in each department, respectively. After this communication, while in the first two weeks of the contract period, each faculty member works out measurable personal goals that mesh with the objectives of the University and department. Each department chair shall set goals to be reviewed by the Academic Vice President. The goals shall fall into the five key criteria areas:
Teaching effectiveness
Student advisement process
Scholarship, research, or other creative activity
Professional contribution
Personal relationship
After discussion and agreement with the department chair (Vice President for Academic Affairs reviews Chair’s goals), these goals are written on a standard form for later review. It is intended that individual weakness will be acknowledged and each faculty member will initiate objectives that will lead to improvement of weaknesses. Department chairs are encouraged to suggest alternatives and to work with faculty members to generate goals that are realistic and achievable as well as being appropriate. The Vice President for Academic Affairs shall review and approve all forms to ensure a standard process across all departments.
3) During the last full week before Thanksgiving break in the fall semester, the department chair shall meet with each faculty member to discuss progress toward the written goals. The Department Chair, in making evaluations, shall solicit the opinions of the other tenured members of the department. The Department Chair shall notify a faculty member in writing prior to the Thanksgiving break if his/her services are unsatisfactory. Unless he/she has been so notified, a faculty member in probationary status can assume that his/her services have been satisfactory. Except for termination for adequate cause, a faculty member may not be given notice of non-renewal of contract unless he/she has been given the above letter. Tentative decisions by the department chair on recommendations for tenure or promotion are made at this time based on current and previous performance and conveyed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Recommendations for termination are also conveyed to the Vice President and the faculty member at this time. The comments and recommendations of the Department Chair must be made part of the faculty member’s personnel record. Also, a record will be kept on the progress toward the objectives. In the week following Thanksgiving, the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall review the individual progress of the department chairs toward their written goals. In the full week prior to March 1, a final performance review is conducted by the department chair with each faculty member. The results of this evaluation will be communicated to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for use in calculating performance-based compensation factors for all faculty members. A similar review of department chairs shall be carried out by the Vice President for Academic Affairs during the week of March 1.
4) All participants (Vice President for Academic Affairs, department chairs and faculty members) hold an annual review in the March General Assembly to judge whether long-range objectives are being met. The cycle will then be refined and repeated.
The key word in the term “management by objectives” is not the word “objectives” but the word “management”. The process is only an attempt to encourage active management with the active participation of those being managed.
Specifically for the written objectives the faculty member, department chair, and occasionally the Vice President for Academic Affairs should discuss what the goals are that the faculty member should strive to attain in a given academic year. The means to attain the goals might change each year and the weights for the aforementioned five criteria will also vary yearly, with the key emphasis, however, always being on teaching effectiveness. The mission of the University as stated by the Board of Regents is that the University will serve primarily as a teaching institution. The emphasis is on classroom performance, primarily teaching the clients, the students of Western New Mexico University. One method of measuring teaching effectiveness is through the administration of written student evaluations of all faculty members each year. All courses taught by non-tenured and adjunct faculty will be evaluated. In the case of tenured faculty, three courses per year will be evaluated.
The three courses will be determined by the department chair in consultation with the faculty member. Additional evaluations may be administered at the discretion of the faculty member. The weight of this criterion should never be less than 40% nor more than 60% for a faculty member.
In order to have some type of balanced performance in the five key criteria areas, all should be counted with various weights (but with none of the other four weighted less than 5%). The five weights must total 100%. The faculty member and department chair (with input from the Academic Vice President if appropriate) should decide upon the weights for the given academic year regarding the faculty member’s objective. This will allow the faculty member to develop strengths in all areas of evaluation over time. The Academic Vice President shall ensure that there is relative uniformity over all departments in setting and measuring goals.
Each evaluation shall rate the performance in each of the five criteria according to a numerical scale from zero (0) to ten (10) with zero (0) being poor performance (none of the individual objectives met) and ten (10) being excellent (with all objectives meeting maximum potential). These numerical values shall be weighted according to the pre-agreed upon weights to obtain an overall evaluation score. The form for implementing this process is included as part of this regulation but shall be reviewed annually by the department chairs and the Academic Vice President for improvement and may be changed as necessary to implement the process herein described.
Initially, it may be difficult for individual faculty to generate meaningful objectives for themselves. As an assistance, the following examples are included as guidelines for generating objectives:
TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS
·
more
case work in classes
·
improved
student evaluation in a specific area
·
more
use of visual aids
·
more
work with poorer performing students
·
special
review sessions during non-class hours
·
use
yourself as a tutor more often
·
more
guest speakers (experts)
·
develop
appropriate field trips
·
coordinate
a graduate assistant for tutoring
STUDENT ADVISEMENT PROCESS
·
maintain
office hours at a convenient time for most students
·
advise
all majors in your subject area
·
put
on a seminar for all students in a major on job skill requirements
·
develop
a new degree plan form for your major field
·
keep
an “open door” policy towards students and majors outside of office hours
·
have
evening office hours for evening and non-traditional students
·
write
a paper in your field and submit to a reviewed journal
·
develop
a grant proposal and submit for funding
·
make
a university/community presentation on a topic of interest in your field
·
attend
one workshop in your field and report on your experience at a departmental
meeting
·
serve
on a discussion panel at a regional/national professional meeting
·
write
a book review for a professional journal and have it accepted
·
participate
as a judge in an artistic competition in your field
·
review
two or more manuscripts for a professional journal
PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
·
serve
on an elected faculty committee
· &nbs
