Introduction
The University of Colorado’s post-tenure review policy is described in , which states:
“Post-tenure review (PTR) is a summative evaluation over a five-year review period. The purposes of PTR are to facilitate continued faculty development and to ensure professional accountability to the university community, the Board of Regents, and the public.”
After tenure is granted, there is an expectation of continued professional growth and productivity in the areas of teaching (or librarianship), scholarly and creative work, and leadership and service. These reviews are conducted by primary units and the dean's offices, and submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs. Faculty Affairs is charged with annual reporting of post-tenure review results to the University of Colorado System Office.
Overview
The post-tenure review (PTR) process begins with the award of tenure, and the initial PTR occurs five years after the faculty member is granted tenure and recurs at five-year intervals unless interrupted by promotion review or leave. Promotion serves to re-start the PTR clock.
Each primary unit shall have written guidelines that conform to the campus procedures and APS 1022:
The steps below describe the procedure followed by the Boulder campus in fulfilling the University of Colorado’s policies on Post-Tenure Review and Faculty Performance Evaluation. Questions concerning application of these policies can be directed to the dean’s office or the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Post-Tenure Review Procedures on the Boulder Campus
- Each tenure home unit should have a post-tenure review (PTR) committee, comprising tenured faculty peers within the campus, either primary unit faculty or, if needed, faculty of the appropriate college personnel review committee. If a primary unit does not have sufficient tenured faculty members to staff the PTR committee, it may ask a tenured faculty peer from another primary unit to fill in. The size of the committee should be defined in the primary unit’s bylaws or PTR guidelines. Faculty undergoing PTR shall not, in that year, serve on the committee that conducts PTR.
- The post-tenure review committee shall provide an evaluation of the faculty member’s performance and shall provide a brief narrative explanation of that evaluation. The post-tenure review committee will examine at least the following:
- The post-tenure review committee will pursue the following process:
- Faculty members who do not agree with the annual performance rating may request a peer review of their annual performance record using the established primary unit process or a specific written process developed by the unit for this purpose. Subsequently, faculty members who believe the primary unit's evaluation is incorrect may appeal the rating through established grievance procedures in the college/school. This appeal process should be completed within six weeks or less from the date it is initiated by the faculty member, and no action will be taken to begin a PIA until this appeal process, if invoked, is completed.
- While in typical circumstances PTRs will occur every five years, the faculty member may submit a petition to delay the post-tenure review for up to one year when it is in the best interest of the individual and the campus. Faculty members who have signed a formal and binding retirement contract shall undergo post-tenure review as scheduled until their retirement begins. If the retirement date is within one year of the scheduled PTR and it is in the best interest of the individual and the campus, the faculty member may submit a petition to delay the post-tenure review. Any such delays would be contingent on approval by the primary unit head, the dean, and the provost or their delegate.
Performance Improvement Agreement (PIA)
- Faculty members who receive an evaluation of “below expectations” or “fails to meet expectations” in any of the evaluated areas, must agree to a Performance Improvement Agreement (PIA) (See for more information on the performance improvement agreement).
- Working with their supervising administrator or an appropriate committee of the primary unit (as determined by primary unit policy), the faculty member develops a PIA that includes specific goals, timelines, and benchmarks that will be used to measure progress at periodic intervals. Usually, PIAs will be established for one year, but if research deficiencies warrant longer, the PIA may be set up for two years. The dean’s office should be available to provide advice to the faculty member as needed.
- The next annual merit evaluation following the term of the PIA shall address whether the goals of the PIA have been met.
Extensive Review
An Extensive Review take place whenever a faculty member establishes a pattern of unsatisfactory performance, as evidenced by two evaluations of performance "below expectations" or “failing to meet expectations” in a five-year period or failure to meet the goals of a PIA.
- For an extensive review, the post-tenure review committee will examine at least the following:
- The post-tenure review committee shall write a summary evaluative report of the faculty member's teaching (or librarianship), scholarly and creative work, clinical activity, and leadership and service, and it shall share this report with the faculty member. The report must contain an enumerated list of “deficiencies.” This report is not subject to approval by the faculty member. The form used by the Boulder campus for the evaluative report is known as the Post-Tenure Review Evaluative Report (available in the Forms section of the A-Z Info Guide of the Faculty Affairs website).
- Upon receipt of the evaluative report, the faculty member must write a Development Plan within 20 calendar days. The Development Plan should cover the next one or two years, and must include the following:
- The post-tenure review committee must review a draft of the faculty member’s development plan and provide written feedback to the faculty member and to the primary unit head. If the faculty member revises the development plan, the post-tenure review committee shall review subsequent drafts and make a recommendation to the primary unit head to accept or not accept the development plan. The primary unit head shall accept the plan, or work with the faculty member to develop an acceptable plan.
In the case where either the primary unit head or the faculty member feels that an impasse has been reached, both parties shall follow the provisions defined below: - At the completion of the development plan period (1 or 2 years), the primary unit head, in consultation with the post-tenure review committee as needed, will assess the progress of the faculty member towards meeting the goals of the development plan and then shall submit to the dean (or to the provost in cases when the primary unit head is the dean) a report and recommendation as to whether or not the development plan goals have been met satisfactorily.