1. A mechanism of appeal and review of how the system is applied in individual cases shall be maintained. Any faculty member who feels that he/she has been unfairly evaluated by his/her supervisor has the right to appeal the evaluation to the appropriate Dean or next level administrator, who has the right to revise the evaluation. Should the Dean’s assessment still prove unsatisfactory, or if the Dean is the original evaluator, the faculty member has the right to appeal to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, whose revision and/or judgment shall be considered final. Any faculty member who remains dissatisfied with the judgment of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs may file a grievance (see section 2.16 of this Handbook).
  2. A Comprehensive Peer Review shall be undertaken on a regular basis. Faculty members who are in a probationary status shall undergo comprehensive peer review every two years beginning in the spring of their first year of appointment. Tenured faculty members shall undergo comprehensive peer review every five years. For the review that takes place in the first year of appointment, classroom observation shall be a mandatory part of the peer view. The review that takes place in the third year of appointment shall specifically address the faculty member's progress toward achieving benchmarks necessary for being granted tenure and promotion. If the faculty member's progress is unsatisfactory, peer reviewers will suggest remedies.
  3. Faculty members who are candidates for promotion or tenure must have a comprehensive peer review as part of their evaluations in the spring prior to their submitting a Tenure and Promotion Portfolio. The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs shall ensure that probationary faculty members receive comprehensive peer review in the year prior to application for tenure. Faculty members intending to apply for promotion are responsible for informing their unit administrators of their intentions in the spring prior to submitting their applications for promotion.

5-25