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Regulations & Policies

Human Resources

I. OBJECTIVE & PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish the parameters of tenure and regular status of University employees.

II. STATEMENT OF POLICY

1. Non-Faculty tenure shall be administered consistent with the following provisions:
   1. The award of tenure shall provide annual reappointment until voluntary resignation, retirement, removal for just cause, or layoff.
   2. Tenure is awarded upon demonstration of excellence in teaching, excellence in scholarship as evidenced by an agenda of inquiry that has resulted in published scholarly or creative works of high quality, and continuing meaningful contributions in service. Tenure criteria shall address the areas of teaching; research and other scholarly activities; and service to the public, the discipline, and the university including those professional responsibilities consistent with faculty status. These criteria shall take into account the mission and needs of the institution and shall place appropriate emphasis upon teaching and teaching-related scholarship. In this regard, the University shall ensure that teaching is evaluated broadly, including assessments by peers and students, and that teaching performance is prominently considered in the award of tenure.
   3. Tenure shall be held as ranked Faculty in an academic department/unit and shall not extend to administrative appointments.
   4. Appointments to the ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor are tenure-earning when they do not include the appointment modifier of acting, part-time, joint, visiting, research, clinical, courtesy, honorary, or affiliate. Appointments which include the appointment modifier of multi-year, joint, visiting, research, clinical, or affiliate are ordinarily non-tenure-earning, however, employees with these appointment modifiers may earn time toward tenure as determined by the University President at the time of appointment. If an employee is initially appointed to the rank of instructor or to a non-tenure-earning rank and is subsequently appointed to a tenure-earning position, all or a portion of the prior service in such non-tenure-earning position may be counted toward tenure, provided the University President agrees to credit such service.
   5. The decision to recommend an employee for tenure shall be made no later than the sixth year of continuous full-time service or equivalent part-time service in a tenure-earning position. Tenure-earning employees not recommended for tenure by the end of six years of continuous full-time, or equivalent part-time services, shall be given notice that further employment will not be offered. Full-time service for the purpose of tenure eligibility shall mean employment at 1.0 FTE during at least 39 weeks of any twelve month or nine month contract. Part-time service shall mean employment during at least one semester of any twelve month period.
   6. At the time of employment, the University President may credit an employee with tenure-earning service from another institution of higher education, however, such credit shall be limited to not more than two years of tenure-earning service for an assistant professor, not more than three years for an associate professor, and not more than four years for a professor. All prior SUS tenure-earning service shall be credited toward tenure unless otherwise agreed at the time of employment.
   7. Time spent on a joint appointment or approved personnel exchange program of the University, or a special assignment which benefits the University shall be counted toward tenure eligibility. Time spent away from the University for other purposes shall not be counted toward tenure eligibility.
   8. Time spent on paid leave shall be tenure-earning unless otherwise agreed at the time of such leave. Time spent on unpaid leave shall not be credited as tenure-earning except as approved by the University President.
   9. The recommendation of an employee for tenure shall signify that the University President is satisfied the employee will continue to make significant professional contributions to the University and the academic community. Upon recommendation by the University President and approval by the University board and, if required by law or regulation, approval by appropriate statewide governing board.
   10. With sufficient justification, tenure may also be recommended by the University President and approved by the University board (and if required by law or regulation, approved by the appropriate statewide governing board) at the time of initial appointment or prior to the sixth year of tenure-earning service.
2. Regular status for Support employees shall be administered consistent with the following provisions:
   1. Regular status is earned by an employee in a class, after successfully completing the specified probationary period for that class, which is at least six (6) months. Regular status provides the employee with the rights to remain in the class or to appeal the adverse action taken against the employee while serving in the class. Once attained in any USPS class, regular status is retained throughout continuous employment in the USPS.
   2. An employee earns regular status in the class after successful completion of the designated probationary period and has rights to remain in the class or to contest adverse action taken against the employee while serving in the class.
   3. An employee with Regular status filling a time-limited position shall not have retention rights or other rights provided under layoff and recall provisions.
   4. An employee without Regular status in any class may be terminated at any time without the right to appeal such action.

Adopted by the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ Board of Trustees as part of the University's Personnel Program on January 26, 2006; Revised June 2, 2008.

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