UTMB HANDBOOK OF OPERATING PROCEDURES

Section 5 Faculty Policies Subject 5.3 Appointments and Rank Policy 5.3.9 Tenure and Reappointments

06/16/97 - Originated - Reviewed w/ changes - Reviewed w/o changes Office of President - Author

Tenure and Reappointments

Audience

The information in this document is for use by all faculty members.

Policy

Tenure is granted to certain faculty members as recognition by UTMB that the individual has demonstrated professional and personal integrity, as well as educational and intellectual qualities that make him or her desirable permanent member of the UTMB faculty. Tenure denotes a status of continuing appointment as a member of the faculty at UTMB. Except for the title Regental Professor, only members of the faculty with the academic titles of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor may be granted tenure. Tenure may be granted at the time of appointment to any of the academic ranks of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor, or tenure may be withheld pending satisfactory completion of a probationary period of faculty service.

Guidelines

Objective evidence of these demonstrated qualities must form an integral part of all recommendations for tenured positions and correspondence should state clearly the basis for recommendations concerning tenure. The Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee of the applicable UTMB School will consider the recommended rank and tenure separately. The maximum period of probationary faculty service in non-tenured status with any academic title or combination of academic titles, as specified in Regents' Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter III, Section 6, Subsection 6.23, in non-tenure status shall not be more than nine (9) years of full-time academic service. Operating procedures for the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure committee are detailed in the bylaws of the respective UTMB Schools. Prior service at other academic institutions, whether inside or outside the UT System, shall not be counted toward fulfillment of the probationary period at UTMB.

Guidelines (cont’d)

NOTE: A faculty member is in compliance with full-time academic service standard at UTMB when compensated for 100% efforts by UTMB or UTMB and affiliated institutions with the approval of the President; and the responsible dean and department chairperson certify that regular, recurring teaching assignments, along with research responsibilities and assigned responsibilities, in any approved combination thereof, equal full-time effort. Not later than thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the penultimate academic year of the maximum probationary period all non-tenured faculty appointed to a title that accrues time toward the satisfaction of a probationary period shall be given notice that the subsequent academic year will be the terminal year of employment or that, subject to the approval of the Board, beginning with the subsequent academic year tenure will be granted. A Memorandum of Appointment (MOA) shall be provided to such faculty. In the event that the employment of a nontenured faculty member in any academic rank is to be terminated prior to the end of the end of the maximum probationary period notice thereof shall be given in accordance with the Regents' Rules and Regulations, Chapter III, Section 6, Subsection 6.7. In the event of decision not to reappoint a non-tenured, tenure-track faculty member, written notice will be given him or her not later than March 1st of the first academic year of probationary period if the appointment expires at the end of that academic year, or not later than December 15th of the second academic year of probationary period if the appointment expires at the end of that academic year. After two or more academic years written notice shall be given not later than August 31st (30 days prior to the end of the then current academic year) that the subsequent year will be the terminal academic year of appointment and an MOA shall be provided. The notice required by this section is not applicable where termination of employment is for good cause under Section 6.3 of the Regents’ Rules. For purposes of calculating the period of probationary period, an "academic year" shall be the period from September 1 through the following August 31. If a faculty member is initially appointed during

Guidelines (cont’d)

an academic year, the period of service from the date of appointment until the following September 1 shall not be counted as academic service toward fulfillment of the maximum probationary period. One year of probationary service is accrued by at least nine months’ full Time academic sercie during any academic year. If tenure track faculty members are appointed to administrative or other non-academic positions within UTMB, the period of non-academic assignment shall not be counted toward fulfillment of a probationary period. If such a person is subsequently returned to a full-time non-tenured faculty appointment, the probationary time will resume at that time and be cumulative with any probationary time acquired prior to the period of non-academic assignment.

Extension of Maximum Probationary Period

A faculty member who determines that certain personal circumstances may impede his or her progress toward achieving demonstration of eligibility for recommendation of award of tenure may make a written request for extension specifying the reason(s) for the requested extension. Personal circumstances that may justify the extension include, but are not restricted to, disability or illness of the faculty member; status of the faculty member as a principal caregiver of a preschool child; or status of the faculty member as a principal caregiver of a disabled, elderly, or ill member of the family of the faculty member. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to provide appropriate documentation to adequately demonstrate why the request should be granted. • The request for extension shall be limited to one academic year. A request for an additional academic year's extension will follow the established request process, with the maximum duration of extension, whether consecutive or nonconsecutive, to be two academic years. • Normally, requests for extension must be made in advance of the academic year or semester for which the extension is desired and may be made no later than three months prior to the deadline for initiation of the mandatory review process to determine

Extension of Maximum Probationary Period	recommended award of tenure or notice as provided under Subsection 6.7 of the Rules that the next year will be the faculty member's terminal year of appointment. • The decision regarding the request shall be made by the chief academic officer, upon recommendation of the department chair and the dean, within a reasonable period of time and in a manner specified by institutional policy.
Reference	Regents' Rules and Regulations, Series 31007, 2 , Section 1 - 7