Schedule for Contract renewal and Tenure/Post-tenure Review 

For those in the tenure system, the terms of the contract period shall be negotiated by mutual agreement of the faculty member and their dean. At any time during the review process, a lesser term may be negotiated. In all cases, negotiations should be completed by March 15 preceding the new contract period, and documentation of the agreement must be placed in the faculty member’s official personnel file. If a faculty member is unavailable when the review would normally be scheduled (e.g. the person is on sabbatical), the contract may be extended for one year. The initiative for renegotiating the next contract period can begin with the faculty member, the respective dean, or the provost. Beyond the age of 60, after multiple post-tenure contracts, the faculty candidate may negotiate with the respective dean for a shorter contract and expectations regarding contract renewal.

 One-year Contracts: The first contract period (3 one-year contracts) shall be provisional. This period of time provides an opportunity for the faculty member and the institution to determine whether a longer-term relationship between the person and the institution would be mutually beneficial. During this provisional time, the institution is under no obligation to renew the contract. Renewal is at the discretion of the dean and provost in consultation with the program director.

Three-year and Six-year Contracts: The review process, in preparation for three- or six-year contracts, shall occur during the last year of the previous contract period. Contract review criteria are identical to those established for promotion. The three-year contract is processed by the colleague review committee including the program director or designee, the dean, and the Faculty Status Committee (FSC). Normally tenure is granted at the time of awarding the first six-year contract, after processing by the colleague review committee, dean, and Faculty Status Committee. Tenure must be approved by the Board of Trustees. Entry into tenure represents a long-term commitment by the faculty member and the institution to continuing service. Subsequent six-year contract renewal provides an opportunity for post-tenure review to plan the ongoing growth and development of the faculty member, and review the goals of the individual and the institution for the next contract period.

Schedule for Promotion

Promotion by Rank requires:  a specified length of EMU service attained, as well as specific ratings (Competent, Proficient, or Outstanding) across the domains of Teaching, Scholarship, and Service.

A typical trajectory can be described as follows: 

• Faculty members are hired at the rank of instructor or assistant professor.

• The rank of associate professor is considered after 6 years of faculty performance and demonstration of Proficient performance in Teaching, and Proficient performance in either Scholarship or Service. 

• A faculty member is eligible for the rank of full professor at any time after a minimum of six years of experience at the associate professor level.  

If a faculty member, upon employment by EMU, has already achieved tenure and the rank of associate professor or professor at another accredited institution, consideration may be given by the provost and respective dean (in consultation with the Faculty Status Committee), for awarding the same rank and tenure at the time of hiring. When current faculty work toward a terminal degree, application for promotion will be considered only if the work toward the degree is completed by May 15. A person’s schedule for promotion will be specified at the time of hire.

Timing of Application for Promotion: Application for promotion typically occurs at the time of contract renewal. In extraordinary cases in which the faculty member demonstrates excellence in advance of, or following, the scheduled period of review for contract renewal, the respective dean and program director may approve special requests for early/delayed promotion reviews.  Once the out-of-schedule promotion is granted, another full contract (3 year or 6 year) will commence at the time of the promotion/contract review in order to maintain the regularity of the review cycle.

Responsible Party

Responsibility for this policy lies with the Provost.

Policy Review

This policy is to be reviewed every three years.

Distribution

Faculty/Staff Handbook