Swagata "Ban" Banerjee, Ph.D. | Email: Swagata.Banerjee@kysu.edu

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS PHONE: (502) 597-6276 FAX: (502) 597-6404 www.kysu.edu

February 3, 2021

To: University Tenure and Promotion (T&P) Committee Kentucky State University (KSU)

Re: Letter dated January 29, 2021 (received via email at 6:54 pm, EST, on February 1, 2021) from Dr. Margery Coulson-Clark, the Interim Dean of the College of Humanities, Business and Society (CHBS)

Dear Committee Members:

I am writing this in response to the above-referenced letter, and in keeping with the Faculty Handbook (latest revision: August 27, 2019) Policy 2.7.4 ("Review Procedures for Promotion and/or Tenure Dossiers"), Sub-policy 2.7.4.2 ("Chairperson and Dean's Review") on Page 62.

First, I wish to convey my gratitude to the CHBS Interim Dean for her time and effort in going through my dossier and making her recommendation for tenure. However, I would like to make a very strong rebuttal of her arguments that led her to deny my request for promotion.

In this connection, I would like to bring to your attention that Interim Dean Coulson-Clark's decision not to recommend my promotion is based on the supposition that the ten-year minimum (eligibility requirement for promotion to the rank of Professor) has not been met. [Refer to Supporting Point 1 on her letter: faculty "may apply for promotion (f) or full professor after ten (10) years of service."] However, please allow me to highlight the fact that I now have about twelve-and-a-half (12.5) continuous years of teaching experience in three accredited US universities recognized by the US Dept. of Education: four (4) years at Alabama A&M University, 2008-'12; five (5) years at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 2012-'17; and three-and-a-half (3.5) years in Kentucky State University, 2017-'21 (until the time of applying in the 2020-'21 T&P cycle).

The requirements for promotion, according to the Faculty Handbook, are distinct from those of tenure. Supporting Point 2 on Dr. Coulson-Clark's letter states: "Dr. Banerjee's signed contract with Kentucky State University granted four (4) years of credit towards tenure." Yes, that is precisely what it was – the then-Acting Provost Candice Jackson granted me four (4) years of credit toward tenure, and not promotion (see her letter dated June 14, 2017 appended to my Cover Letter in Section II ("Before Hire at KSU"), Sub-section 2 ("2 - Letter-at-hire from Provost-CandiceJackson-crediting-prior-service"). In fact, in the second paragraph of