LIBRARY FACULTY HANDBOOK
3.d TENURE AND PRE-TENURE (This Section Under Revision)
For conditions, criteria, and eligibility for tenure, see the WSU Faculty Manual (pp. 34-40). For procedures, see "Recommendations for Faculty Promotion and/or Tenure" sent to the Director of Libraries annually by the university administration. For WSU Libraries' criteria for tenure, see the Criteria for Merit Increases, Promotion, and Granting of Tenure, Sec. 3.b.1, in this Handbook. For the Tenure Timeline, see p. 3 in this section.
Tenure Preparation Plan
The "Tenure Preparation Plan" is to be an outline of specifics to be accomplished (with anticipated deadline dates) prior to the date at which tenure is to be considered. The plan should relate to criteria in the promotion and tenure document (i.e., cover primary academic assignment, professional/scholarly and service activities). The plan should be completed in consultation with the division head and the Director of Libraries. The plan should be reviewed and revised each year with clear directions given to untenured librarians in regard to accomplishments and expectations. The plan differs from the yearly goals and objectives in that it covers the period prior to tenure.
[Library Faculty Meeting, 10/26/87]Pre-Tenure Consideration
In accordance with the WSU Faculty Manual, a procedure has been established in the Libraries for an annual pre-tenure consideration of non-tenured faculty (see the Tenure Timeline on p. 3 of 3):
Annually, the Director of Libraries shall obtain an evaluation of each such faculty member from every tenured faculty member. The Director of Libraries, together with the appropriate tenured division head or unit head, will then confer with the individual faculty members to discuss results and implications of this evaluation. This will constitute the formal tenure progress review of faculty in accordance with WSU Faculty Manual revisions regarding tenure approved by the WSU Board of Regents, 6/3/83.
[Indented paragraph approved at Library Faculty Meeting, 2/3/84]
Current Library Procedure
1. Each library faculty member eligible for tenure and pre-tenure consideration submits information he/she wants included in his/her open personnel file which is maintained in the Library Administrative Office. The file should include the following:
[Library Faculty Meeting, 10/25/93]a. Professional Activity Report
b. Vita
c. Position Description d. Request for promotion (for promotion and tenure--Librarian 2's applying for tenure should be prepared to apply for promotion to Librarian 3)
e. List of at least 3 references from outside WSU. Additional references from WSU units other than the Libraries may also be submitted. (For promotion, 3rd year, and tenure candidates only.)
[Director Pastine, memo to Faculty, 8/26/87; and WSU Faculty Manual, p. 33]
In the documentation, the chair or unit head (Director of Libraries in consultation with division head) should include a brief statement on the professional qualifications of each outside reference. The chair (Director) is responsible for selecting three additional outside reviewers and assuring that they have appropriate professional stature and objectivity to judge the scholarly work of the tenure candidates.
[Provost Yates, "Recommendations for Faculty Promotion and/or Tenure," 9/15/87; and Library Faculty Meeting, 10/25/93]Letters of reference (to be kept strictly confidential) will be available in the Library Administrative Office so that appropriate colleagues will be better qualified to evaluate each candidate's professional/scholarly achievements.
[Library Faculty Meeting, 12/14/87]2. The Director of Libraries calls an annual meeting of the tenured library faculty.
3. Tenure ballots (received from the Provost) are distributed by the Director of Libraries to each tenured library faculty member at least 2 weeks prior to the annual meeting.
4. Discussion of tenure and pre-tenure candidates occurs during the meeting of the tenured library faculty with the Director of Libraries. Tenure ballots may be submitted to the Director of Libraries immediately following the meeting, or by the due date on the university tenure ballot form. Pre-tenure recommendations should be submitted on pre-tenure forms. Evaluation is based on the Criteria for Merit Increases, Promotion, and Granting of Tenure.
5. Tenure ballots are submitted to the Provost along with the Director's own letter of recommendation.
6. The Provost meets with the Director of Libraries to discuss library faculty tenure recommendations to be reported to the Board of Regents.
7. Results of the recommendations:
a. Written notification of the decision to recommend granting or denial of tenure is given to each tenure candidate by the Director of Libraries within 3 working days after the meeting with university administrators. Notification includes the date of the Regents meeting when tenure recommendations will be reported.
b. Following the Regents meeting at which action is taken, tenure candidates receive notification of the granting or denial of tenure through the Director of Libraries and/or the university administration.
Communications regarding promotion and tenure:
Announcements providing information about schedules and requirements for the submission of documentation for tenure and/or promotion will be sent to all library faculty.
Announcements providing information about the availability of documentation and schedules for review, discussion and balloting will be sent only to those library faculty eligible to participate in the process, i.e., tenured librarians for tenure candidates, and Librarian IV’s for Librarian IV promotion candidates.
Announcement of the successful achievement of tenure and/or promotion will be distributed to all Library employees.
[Library Faculty meeting, 12-14-98]Tenure Timeline
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Tenure Preparation Plan Create plan Revise and expand plan Revise plan, etc Revise plan, etc. Revise plan, etc. Complete plan Tenured Faculty Review Progress At 1st year tenure review At 2nd year tenure review At 3rd year tenure review At 4th year tenure review At 5th year tenure review At tenure meeting Time of Review Fall Fall Spring Fall Fall Fall Outside Letters Required No No No, but submit list of 3 non-WSU references No No Yes Ballots /Comments from Tenured Faculty Written Pre-Tenure Review Comments form required Written Pre-Tenure Review Comments form required Ballots required; to be forwarded to Provost Written Pre-Tenure Review Comments form required Written Pre-Tenure Review Comments form required Ballots required; to be forwarded to Provost
Rev. 12/14/98
WORD: 3d-tenur