VCOM Faculty Handbook

member must demonstrate the ability to maintain the same level of contributions for the coming seven years.

Tenure is awarded for a seven-year term and is subject to review prior to renewal. The award of tenure may not exceed seven years. The review for tenure renewal will take place in the sixth year of the award period and will be repeated at seven year intervals thereafter. Failure to apply or to show sustained outstanding activity in teaching, research (with research funding considered as essential), scholarly activity, professional service and leadership activities will result in an early review and loss of tenure at the time of review. Loss of tenure at the six year interval time period is possible if the work and accomplishments of the faculty member have not been sustained. As in some institutions, loss in tenure status at VCOM does not equate to dismissal of the faculty member. The VCOM Provost, with approval by the Board, at its discretion, may award a maximum of three years toward tenure upon hiring, if the faculty member was in a tenure track position before coming to VCOM and has achieved years toward tenure. This is a rare case and the person applying must already have achieved tenure at the institution he or she is departing. Faculty who apply for and are not awarded tenure within seven years may continue as a non-tenured faculty and or may be dismissed at the discretion of the Provost and Board. A faculty member who is denied tenure and continues as a non-tenured faculty may not reapply for tenure for a period of three years. Faculty members seeking both promotion and tenure must formally request consideration of both elements individually. Tenure is a matter for separate consideration and is made apart from promotion in rank. The Process of Applying for Promotion in Rank or Tenure Faculty members seeking both promotion and tenure must formally request consideration of both elements individually. Tenure is a matter for separate consideration and is made apart from promotion in rank. Initiation for promotion in academic rank for a faculty member may be by: • The faculty member, who may submit a written request seeking a letter of recommendation for promotion to their immediate supervisor. • The Division Chair, Associate Dean and/or higher, who may recommend a faculty member apply. Should a faculty member initiate the promotion process by seeking a recommendation for promotion to their immediate supervisor and be unable to solicit the support of his/her immediate supervisor to initiate the promotion process, the supervisor must explicitly detail, in writing, the reasons and deficiencies upon which the decision is based and must detail the progress the faculty member must achieve before the supervisor’s support can be attained. A faculty member denied promotion support by their supervisor may appeal the decision. In the event of an appeal based upon a supervisor’s denial of support, the written report from the supervisor will be reviewed by the Associate Dean or the Campus Dean (whichever is appropriate to appeal to). The Associate Dean or the Campus Dean may then choose to support or deny support of the promotion. • Upon receiving written notification of denial of support for promotion from the faculty member’s supervisor, the faculty member, within seven calendar days, may appeal, in writing, the supervisor’s denial of support to the Associate Dean or the Campus Dean (whichever is appropriate to appeal to). • After careful consideration of the facts and reasons and deficiencies outlined by the supervisor, the Associate Dean or the Campus Dean will notify the faculty member, in writing, of the decision regarding their support for the faculty member’s promotion within 14 calendar days from the time the

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