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6.0 TENURE CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES

6.1 Introduction

In order for the Medical College of Georgia to maintain and recruit a distinguished faculty, it must have a promotion and tenure system that encourages excellence and creates an atmosphere of free inquiry and expression. The choices that an institution makes in granting tenure are crucial to its progress towards academic excellence. Tenure implies a mutual responsibility on the part of the institution and the tenured faculty member. Tenure should never be regarded as a routine award since, in granting tenure to a faculty member, the institution makes a commitment to his or her continued employment (subject to certain qualifications).

The award of tenure carries with it the expectation that the institution shall continue to need the services that the faculty member is capable of performing and that the financial resources are expected to be available for continued employment. Tenure also carries the expectation that the faculty member will maintain or improve upon the level of attainment which characterized the qualifications for the original award of tenure.

Tenure is designed as a means to protect the academic freedom of faculty members. It is a means to assure unfettered, unbiased, unencumbered search, verification, and communication of truth by professional scholars and teachers by freeing them from political, doctrinaire, and other pressures, restraints and reprisals which would otherwise inhibit their independent thought and actions in performing their professional responsibilities.

6.2 Eligibility for Tenure

6.2.1 General Qualifications

1. All persons with full time faculty appointments at the Medical College of Georgia who hold a regular professional rank in a tenure track of Assistant Professor or above shall be eligible for tenure. Tenure-eligible faculty may be reviewed for tenure alone or for promotion and tenure simultaneously. If reviewed for both, failure to receive one does not preclude a decision to award the other. It is recognized that criteria for promotion and for tenure are similar and meeting these criteria is linked in both form and process. The award of tenure is the commitment of the institution to the continued value of and need for the faculty member in meeting the defined missions of the department, school and institution.
2. Acceptance of an administrative position at the Medical College of Georgia by a Medical College of Georgia faculty member does not influence the tenure status, with the exception of the office of President.
3. When an initial appointment is made to an administrative position and where academic rank of Assistant Professor or above is granted concurrently, a specific understanding must be reached at the time of the offer as to whether the faculty rank is tenure track or non-tenure track.
4. Before a regular faculty member assumes an administrative position during a probationary period, an agreement similar to that in 5.2.1c must be reached.

6.2.2 Probationary Periods

1. Tenure track faculty members shall serve probationary periods prior to being eligible for the award of tenure. The minimum probationary period (minimum time at which tenure could be awarded) is five (5) years of full time service* at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher. The five year period must be continuous except that a maximum of two years interruption because of a leave of absence or part-time service may be permitted.
2. A maximum of three (3) years' credit toward the minimum probationary period may be allowed for service in tenure track professional positions at other institutions or for full-time service at the rank of Instructor at the Medical College of Georgia. No credit is allowed for service in a non-tenure track position. Such credit for prior service shall be defined in writing by the President and approved by the Board of Regents at the time of the initial appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher.
3. Under certain circumstances tenure can be awarded at the time of appointment.

*Full-time will denote a 100% workload basis for a fiscal-year or an academic-year contract. Except for faculty with VA appointments.

4. The maximum time that may be served at the rank of Assistant Professor or above without the award of tenure shall be seven years, provided, however, that a terminal contract for an eighth year may be proffered if an institutional recommendation for tenure is not approved by the Board of Regents. The maximum time that may be served in an combination of full-time instructional appointments (lecturer, instructor, or professorial ranks) without the award of tenure shall be ten years provided, however, that a terminal contract for an eleventh year may be proffered if an institutional recommendation for tenure is not approved by the Board of Regents.
5. Consistent with Board of Regents policy*, and as stated in the Statutes of the Medical College of Georgia, notice of intention to renew or not to renew a non-tenured faculty member who has been awarded academic rank (Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor) shall be furnished, in writing, according to the following schedule.

• At least three months before the date of termination of an initial one-year contract;
• At least six months before the date of termination of a second one-year contract;
• At least nine months before the date of termination of a contract after two or more years of service in the institution.

Faculty receiving a letter of non-renewal are not eligible for tenure or the tenure appeal process.

6. Annually, the Chairperson will counsel each tenure-eligible faculty member regarding his/her progress toward the award of tenure. In exceptional cases, tenure may be awarded upon the completion of the minimum probationary period of five years. It is more likely, however, that tenure will be awarded in the sixth or seventh years, provided that the faculty member meets the criteria for tenure. A more comprehensive review must be done in the third year. The third-year review is designed to assess the individuals progress toward promotion and/or tenure, and must involve the Chair and the Dean. A favorable result of the third-year review does not bind the institution to recommend the individual for promotion and/or tenure. It is an assessment which informs faculty members whether their progress toward promotion and/or tenure is satisfactory at the time of the assessment.
7. Tenure track faculty may voluntarily transfer to a non-tenure track status with approval of Chairman, Dean and President. Such transfer is considered a change of status and requires the review and approval of the Board of Regents. In all but exceptional cases, this change in status may be granted at any time through the first five years of the active employment of the faculty member. A faculty member with a non-tenure track appointment may only be placed in a tenure track position as a new appointment. Faculty transferring to a non-tenure track position shall not be considered for new appointment to a tenure track position for at least two years.
          *Board of Regents Policy Manual 803.06, B.I, Page 27.

6.3 Faculty with VA Appointment

The Board of Regents has approved tenure status for full-time MCG faculty with VA appointment. (Board of Regents Policy Manual, 803.06, E) which states:

Anything in this Policy Manual to the contrary notwithstanding, faculty members employed by the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) who hold a professorial rank in a tenure track position of Assistant Professor or above who also hold a part-time or full-time appointment at the Veterans Administration Medical Center-Augusta (VA), shall as stated above (Section 803.09-C) be eligible for the award of tenure at MCG upon completing at least five years of full-time or part-time service at the rank of assistant professor or higher. Such faculty members shall otherwise meet the same probationary periods, criteria for promotion, procedures and other requirements set forth in the Bylaws and Policy Manual of the Board of Regents and Statutes of MCG for the award of tenure to full-time faculty, provided, however, that such faculty members who have been employed previously by MCG for five consecutive years or more shall be eligible to apply for tenure. The tenure of a faculty member who also holds a VA appointment shall apply only that portion of a faculty member's salary and benefits which are provided directly by MCG. In no event shall the award of tenure to faculty members holding such joint appointments obligate MCG to assume any portion of the salary and benefits provided by the VA. In the event a faculty member who has been awarded tenure at MCG under provisions of this section shall for any reason cease to be employed by the VA, the Medical College shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to revoke the tenure, employment or other affiliation of the faculty member by MCG without hearing or other due process procedures or requirements set forth in the Bylaws and Policy Manual of the Board of Regents and the Statutes of MCG for other full-time tenured faculty. After termination of employment or revocation of tenure, MCG shall not be obligated to provide such faculty member with any further salary, benefits or other financial support.

6.4 Criteria for Granting of Tenure

The tenure decision shall be based on a thorough evaluation of the candidate's total contribution to the mission of the Medical College of Georgia. Faculty recognition and reward through the award of tenure shall be based upon each faculty member's sustained contribution in the areas of teaching, research/scholarly achievement, and service to the defined mission and purpose of the Medical College of Georgia as undertaken and supported by the school and discipline in which the faculty member holds appointment. Since the Medical College of Georgia is unique among University System of Georgia institutions in that it is heavily involved in patient care, faculty members in appropriate disciplines may also be evaluated in terms of their clinical service in addition to those areas common to all University System of Georgia institutions. While specific responsibilities of faculty members may vary because of the special assignments or because of the particular mission of the academic unit, all evaluations for tenure shall address the manner in which each candidate has performed in the areas of teaching, research/scholarly achievement, and service. (See also criteria for promotion.) A decision to grant tenure must be based not only on the candidate's attainment of high professional competence and academic performance measured against national standards but also on the goals and anticipated future needs of the institution.

It is recognized that the weighing of criteria for tenure and the means of fulfilling those criteria may vary among schools reflecting each school's unique mission and purpose. However, there are general guidelines that each candidate is expected to meet for measuring competence and academic performance. They are the same guidelines as those prescribed for promotion. (4.3)

6.5 Guidelines and Procedures (See also Procedures for Promotion 4.4.2)

6.5.1 A calendar for tenure processes shall be published by the Provost and sent to the Deans by June 1 of each year.

6.5.2 The tenure eligibility status (credited time in rank) of each faculty member shall be reviewed , in accordance with the calendar each year, by the Chairperson and a listing of faculty eligible for tenure prepared and forwarded to the Dean's office.

In the event that the candidate for tenure is a Chairperson, the Dean or appropriate Associate Dean will notify each Chairperson who is eligible for tenure in terms of service in rank of his/her status.

In conjunction with this annual review, the Departmental Chairperson will notify each faculty member who is eligible for tenure in terms of service in rank of his/her status.

The Chairperson will counsel each tenure-eligible faculty member as to his/her career progress. A third-year-review will be done for each faculty member. No later than the fifth year of the probationary period for faculty members holding the rank of Assistant Professor or above and no later than the eighth year for faculty members holding the rank of Instructor (or who have held any combination of instructor or professorial ranks), the Chairperson will assess the faculty member's career progress and potential and will discuss the assessment with the faculty member and the Dean.

6.5.3 In accordance with the calendar, an eligible faculty member may initiate the tenure process by submitting a portfolio to his/her Department Chairperson who may submit it to the departmental tenure review committee or its equivalent, unless the candidate has received a letter of non-renewal. A faculty member whose contract will not be renewed is not eligible for tenure or the tenure appeals process. A candidate may halt the tenure process at any time prior to a recommendation being made to the Board of Regents. The Department Chairperson should not be present at the deliberations of the review committee.

6.5.4 In accordance with the published calendar, the Chairperson shall appoint the department tenure review committee or its equivalent to conduct a substantive evaluation of the candidate's record and performance using the current published criteria for tenure as the basis for evaluation. The candidate shall not be present during the deliberation of his/her qualifications but shall be available during the meeting to answer questions or clarify circumstances relevant to his/her qualification. In accordance with the published calendar, the committee will submit to the Department Chairperson a written report of its proceedings which will include a recommendation based upon the candidate's record and performance in relation to the established criteria.

6.5.5 The Department Chairperson shall evaluate the departmental tenure review committee report and request supplementary evidence or analysis from the committee as needed. In accordance with the published calendar, the Department Chairperson shall submit the complete portfolio, the committee's recommendation, and his/her own separate recommendation and rationale to the school level faculty promotion and tenure committee. This committee sends their recommendations to the Dean in accordance with the published calendar. If the candidate has a joint appointment, the primary Dean sends a copy of the portfolio to the secondary Dean for comment.

6.5.6 The Dean may review the recommendations of the school level committee with the committee Chairperson or with the entire committee prior to making his/her own assessment and decision. If the school level committee does not support tenure the Dean will review the basis of the decision with the committee or its Chairperson. The Departmental Chairperson and the candidate should then reach a final consensus on the areas of concentration for the faculty member's efforts during the following years. These recommendations should be based upon established criteria for tenure and should become a part of the academic responsibilities and expectations for the candidate for the following year(s).

6.5.7 The Dean shall review the candidate's portfolio, including all recommendations sent forward by the Chairperson and by the appropriate tenure committees at the section, departmental and school levels. If the candidate is a member of the faculty of the School of Graduate Studies, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies shall offer his/her recommendation to the Dean of the primary school regarding the candidate's record and performance in graduate studies. The Dean of the primary unit will make his/her own assessment and decision and will make it known to the Chairperson. If the Dean does not support a recommendation for tenure, the Dean shall discuss with the Department Chairperson activity levels and performance needs to enhance the candidate's prospects for tenure at a subsequent review. The Chairperson shall discuss with the candidate ways to enhance candidacy for tenure at a subsequent review. The Chairperson and the candidate should then reach a final consensus on the areas of concentration for the faculty member's efforts during the following years. This consensus should be based upon established criteria for tenure and should become a part of the academic responsibility and expectations for the candidate for the following year(s).

6.5.8 Recommendations by the Dean for tenure are transmitted to the Provost, in accordance with the published calendar, along with two copies of the completed portfolio of each candidate.

6.5.9 The Provost shall review the faculty portfolios with each Dean, including the accompanying documents recommending tenure generated at each level of the tenure process. The Provost, upon determining the completeness of each portfolio and supporting documents, shall transmit the portfolios to the President for review.

6.5.10 The President will confer with the Provost. The Provost shall prepare the appropriate documents for the President for all those faculty members for whom a positive recommendation was sustained by the President in consultation with his senior staff. The President shall transmit to the Chancellor a list, by school, of all faculty members recommended for tenure for final action by the Board of Regents, in accordance with the published calendar. It is important that faculty members understand that all tenure recommendations are advisory until the Board of Regents takes action.

6.5.11 The Provost shall prepare the appropriate documents with recommendations for the President for those faculty members for whom tenure was not recommended. The Provost sends letters directly to those individual faculty. The Provost shall transmit to each Dean a list of those faculty members for whom tenure was not recommended, in accordance with the published calendar. Each Dean shall discuss the status of those faculty who were not recommended for tenure with the appropriate Department Chairperson or head of the academic unit. The appropriate Chairperson or academic unit head will discuss the recommendations and counsel those faculty members whose tenure was not recommended, in accordance with the published calendar.

6.6 Appeals

6.6.1 The individual faculty member shall have an avenue for appeal of decisions within 10 days at each level of the tenure review process.

1. Recommendations by the departmental review committee or the Department Chairperson may be appealed to the Dean through the school's established channel for appeal.
2. Decisions by the Dean may be appealed to the President within 10 days of the written notification of the decision. The President shall refer the appeal to an ad hoc Appeals Committee composed of the Chairman of the Faculty Appointment, Development, Promotion and Tenure Committee of the Academic Council and four corps of instruction members to be named by the President, two of whom must have served on the Academic Council and all of whom shall hold tenure. The appellant has the right to strike for cause any members of the ad hoc Appeals Committee. The President shall inform the Dean and the Provost that an appeal has been submitted and is under review. The findings and recommendations of the Appeals Committee shall be made to the President. The appellant will be notified of the President's decision with copies to the Dean and Provost.
3. Recommendations to the President may be appealed in writing to the Board of Regents within 20 days of notification of the President's action.

6.6.2 The procedures for appeal at each level shall be available through the department and through the Dean's office.

Approved by Academic Council
September 18, 1997

Revisions Approved by Academic Council
March 21, 2003

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October 26, 2004