Policy 6-310: Appointment, Reappointment and Evaluation of Auxiliary Faculty and Other Instructional Personnel

1. Purpose
   1. To maintain the high quality of all University faculty and other classroom teachers by establishing minimum guidelines for a systematic process to ensure that quality. Because auxiliary faculty engage in a wide range of activities, considerable flexibility is needed for colleges and departments to determine details appropriate to their own units.
2. Effective Date
   1. The college (and department) policies required by this university policy are due at the office of the cognizant senior vice president no later than January 15, 2008. The remaining portions of this university policy will be effective upon its approval and adoption.
3. References
   1. Policy 6-300, University Faculty
   2. Policy 6-003College Faculties and Councils
   3. Policy 6-302, Appointments
   4. Policy 6-309, Academic Staff, Educational Trainees, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Medical Housestaff
   5. Procedure 6-310, Appointment, Reappointment and Evaluation of Auxiliary Faculty and Other Instructional Personnel
   6. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Accreditation Standard 4.A., Policy 4.1 on Faculty Evaluation
4. Policy
   1. Appointments
      1. When initially appointing auxiliary faculty and academic staff (associate instructors and research associates), departments must verify that they possess appropriate credentials by way of degrees and field of study for the position consistent with university policy. Departments must maintain on file a curriculum vita for each individual hired into one of these positions. The terms of such appointments and the process for making such appointments shall be consistent with university policies.
   2. Evaluation and Reappointment of Auxiliary Faculty
      1. Colleges (and departments only when necessary because of widely varying circumstances) must establish policies that provide a statement of criteria and standards for the reappointment of each category of auxiliary faculty used in the college and that also provide evaluation plans, which must address reappointments of both compensated and uncompensated (volunteer) faculty, and must provide for more thorough review of the former.
      2. The process for making such reappointments shall be consistent with university policies, especially Policy 6-302.
      3. Each department must designate a committee or individual(s) responsible for making a recommendation on the reappointment or non-reappointment of each auxiliary faculty member before the department faculty votes on each such faculty member.
      4. Policies may distinguish between procedures followed for annual reappointments and those followed for more thorough reviews of long-term auxiliary faculty, which must occur at least every five years. Multiple indicators of teaching quality must be used in these more thorough reviews. See Procedure 6-310.
      5. Policies must provide for action, such as developing and implementing a plan for improvement or non-reappointment, if evaluation indicates areas of concern.
      6. If departments provide appointment homes for individuals whose work primarily takes place in a different unit, colleges must coordinate with those units in developing criteria, standards, and procedures for evaluations. See Procedure 6-310.
      7. Where Adjunct faculty hold regular faculty appointments in another department at the University, a department may simply rely on the regular review procedure in the faculty member’s home department or may do its own review.
   3. Evaluation and Reappointment of Other Instructional Personnel
      1. Procedures similar to those in sections B.4 and B.5 must be developed and followed for evaluating teaching by associate instructors, graduate student instructors of record, and postdoctoral fellows. Classroom observation of new instructors is encouraged. Evaluation plans must provide for closer scrutiny of new instructors and those teaching in new areas. Departments must designate a committee or individual(s) responsible for evaluating all such instructional personnel and making a recommendation on each person to the department chair or designee responsible for staffing courses prior to reappointments.
   4. Documentation
      1. Reviews must be documented, and documentation of each review must be retained in the department and available on request by the cognizant senior vice president.
   5. Promotions
      1. In conjunction with these requirements, colleges or departments must establish criteria, standards, and procedures for promotions in rank for long-term auxiliary faculty.
   6. Governance
      1. Colleges are also encouraged to establish policies addressing participation in departmental and/or college governance and resources for professional development available to such faculty and other instructional personnel. See Procedure 6-310.
   7. Approval Requirement for Policies
      1. Policies for evaluation for reappointment and promotion of auxiliary faculty and other instructional personnel must be submitted to the cognizant senior vice president for approval.