University of South Carolina
School of Music
POST TENURE REVIEW RATIONALE AND PROCEDURES

Rationale

The School of Music values excellence in teaching, research/creative activity, and service.  Because the quality of the School of Music is related directly to the excellence of its faculty, on-going performance assessment is an integral component of assuring faculty excellence.  Effective assessment is an extended process, beginning with the initial search, and continuing throughout a faculty member's career at an academic institution.  Information and insights gathered through student statements, peer evaluations, annual performance reviews, and thoughtful self-examination provide the means whereby continuous professional growth and successful careers can be realized.  The following procedures outline the faculty review process to be utilized in the School of Music, subsequent to the awarding of tenure.

I.  Faculty Eligibility for Post-Tenure Review

Each tenured faculty member regardless of rank and including those in administrative positions (other than the Dean), will be reviewed every six years unless, during the previous six-year period, the faculty member has been reviewed and advanced to or retained in a high position (e.g. Dean or chaired professorship).  The Post-Tenure Review will be waived for (1) any faculty member who has notified the School of Music Dean in writing of retirement within three years of the next scheduled review, or (2) any faculty member who has been promoted to the rank of professor or associate professor within the previous five years.  The Chair of the School of Music Select Tenure & Promotion (T&P) Committee will notify faculty members by the conclusion of the previous academic year that Post-Tenure Review will occur in the following academic year.

II.  Post-Tenure Review Committee

A three-member Post-Tenure Review (PTR) Committee will be selected by the Chair of the School of Music Select Tenure & Promotion Committee, with the approval of the Dean, by September 15.  The committee will consist of tenured School of Music faculty members.  The faculty member being reviewed may propose the name of a colleague to serve as one of the committee members.  Every effort will be made to honor this request.  One committee member will be designated as the PTR committee chair who will coordinate the procedures for the individual faculty member undergoing Post-Tenure Review.  Tenured full professors who are having a Post-Tenure Review and faculty who will be on leave of absence will be excluded from membership on a committee that year.  The Dean is eligible neither to vote nor to serve on a committee. 

III.  Post-Tenure Review File

The faculty member being reviewed will prepare and submit a Post-Tenure Review file to the PTR committee by December 1.  While the faculty member may include any documentation he/she believes to be pertinent, the faculty member being reviewed must include the following:

A.  Teaching

1. A listing of all courses taught during the previous five years. *
2. All available student evaluations during the previous five-year period for each course listed.
3. (optional) The faculty member may invite other colleagues to observe his/her teaching.   Written observations by no more than three invited observers may be included in the file.  (Note:  The PTR Committee must observe teaching.  See section III.E.1)

B.  Research/Creative Activity

1. A listing, with documentary evidence, of research and creative activity during the previous five years. *
2. Research/Creative Activity is to be evaluated by peers outside the school (although not necessarily outside the university).  Refereed publications or other reviewed research/creative exercises may be considered as having been peer-reviewed outside the unit.

C.  Service

1. A listing, with available documentary evidence, of service activities conducted during the previous five years.*

D.  Other

1. Current Curriculum Vitae
2. A personal statement of self-assessment (Optional).
3. Copies of all annual performance reviews conducted by the Dean during the previous five years.
4. A copy of the official report of sabbatical activities conducted during the previous five years (if applicable).

E.  Teaching

1. Each member of the PTR committee must observe the candidate teach a minimum of one hour.  Written summaries of teaching observation must be completed prior to December 1.

*Submission of University of South Carolina School of Music Faculty Report of Activities for the period of review fulfills the requirements in III.A.1, III.B.1, and III.C.1.

 

IV.  PTR Standards

A. While the standards used in the evaluation of a faculty member for PTR are not as comprehensive in scope as those of probationary faculty members seeking the initial tenure award, the file of a faculty member undergoing PTR should indicate clear evidence of professional consistency and progression.

B. A faculty member is expected to maintain consistency and durability  in the performance of his/her assigned duties in all three primary areas of evaluation.

C. A faculty member should show evidence of growth and development in one or more of the primary areas of evaluation.  Strong evidence of growth and development in more than one primary area may serve as an indicator of a "superior" review.

V.  PTR Review Process

A. The faculty member's file will be considered closed and ready for review on December 1. The faculty member will deliver the file to the chair of his/her PTR committee. When the review process is concluded, the committee chair will forward the file to the dean along with the committee report.

B. Each PTR Committee Member will review the entire file and prepare a written evaluation which rates the faculty member's performance in three areas:  teaching, research/creative activity, and service.  In each of the three areas the committee member will rate the faculty member's work as superior, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory and will provide sufficient written justification to support his/her vote.

C. The PTR Committee Chair will write a summary evaluation on behalf of the PTR Committee; this report will be based on the individual Committee evaluations referred to in V.B.  The three performance areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service must be evaluated with ratings of superior, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory given in each area.  Sufficient evaluative commentary must be provided to justify the performance rating assigned.  All PTR committee members must sign the summary evaluation.  Upon completion and committee approval of the summary evaluation, all individual committee recommendations will be destroyed.  The summary evaluation should be forwarded to the faculty member, and a copy of the summary evaluaion and the candidate's file will be forwarded to the dean by January 15.

D. The Post-Tenure Review will be considered "superior" if the PTR committee rates at least two performance areas as "superior". Faculty members who receive a "superior" Post-Tenure Review evaluation should recieve positive consideration for a merit raise in the year following the evaluation.

E. The Post-Tenure Review will be considered satisfactory if no more than one performance area receives a rating of "unsatisfactory."  In the case of a satisfactory Post-Tenure Review, the process is completed with the distribution of the PTR Committee Chair's summary evaluation to the faculty member and the Dean. 

F. In the case of an unsatisfactory Post-Tenure Review evaluation (two or more  performance areas receiving the rating "unsatisfactory"), the faculty member may appeal the decision as outlined in section VI, or may proceed directly to the implementation of a Development Plan (section VII). 

VI.  Appeal Procedures in the Case of an Unsatisfactory Review

A. Should the faculty member choose to appeal the findings of the PTR Committee, he/she must file a written appeal with the Chair of the Select Tenure and Promotion Committee by February 1. The faculty member's written appeal will become a part of his/her permanent file.

B. The Chair of the Select T&P Committee will call a meeting of the Appeals Committee by February 15 in order to review the written appeal.  The Appeals Committee will be required to review the faculty member's PTR file.   In the event that an elected member of the Appeals Committee also served as a member of the grieving candidate's PTR Committee, he/she will be excused from the deliberations.

C. The Chair of the Appeals Committee will schedule a meeting date between the Appeals Committee and the faculty member prior to March 1.  Following this meeting, the Chair of the Appeals Committee must write a summary finding of the Appeals Committee.  This summary finding, along with a detailed recommendation for action, will be forwarded to the Dean by March 15. 

D. The written summary by the Appeals Committee along with the faculty member's PTR file will be available in the Dean's office for review by members of the School of Music Tenure and Promotion committee.  Members of the T&P committee will have the option of reviewing the material and submitting a written position to the Dean by March 25.

E. The Dean of the School of Music will make final determination about whether the faculty member's Post-Tenure Review evaluation shall be deemed satisfactory or unsatisfactory.  Should the Post-Tenure Review evaluation finding of "unsatisfactory" be upheld, a written Development Plan must be implemented (section VII.).

VII.  Development Plan

A. In the case of an unsatisfactory review, or following an unsuccessful appeal, a Development Plan will be drafted by the Dean of the School of Music in consultation with the Chair of the Select Tenure and Promotion Committee. Additional consultation with the area coordinator of the faculty member's discipline may be made at the Dean's discretion.

The Development Plan must identify areas of weakness along with specific and measurable tasks that are intended to assist the faculty member in strengthening those areas.  A timetable for implementation of the plan must be specified.  The specific timetable should be relative to the nature of the specific development plan.  In no case will the timetable be less than one year or more than two years in duration.

B. The Dean, the Chair of the Select Tenure and Promotion Committee, and the faculty member under review will meet to discuss the proposed Development Plan. Revisions to the plan that might be suggested in this meeting will be adopted at the discretion of the Dean. The formal Development Plan will be implemented following this meeting.  The dean will appoint the original PTR Committee to serve as the PTR Development Committee for the duration of the Development Plan.

C. In the event of non-agreement by the candidate to the formal Development Plan, he/she will submit a written response to the Dean, documenting his/her specific disagreement(s) with the plan.  This written statement will become a part of the candidate's PTR file.

D. At the conclusion of the timetable laid out in the Development Plan, the PTR Development Committee must submit a written annual evaluation of the faculty member's progress to the School of Music Dean.  Additional progress reports may be submitted to the Dean at the discretion of the PTR Development Committee.  This evaluation will be available in the Dean's office for review by members of the School of Music Tenure and Promotion committee.    Members of the School of Music T & P committee will have the option of reviewing the material and submitting a written position to the Dean.   Copies of the PTR Development Committee's assessment and the unit T & P committee's response will be provided to the faculty member undergoing PTR.

E. The School of Music Dean will determine whether the goals of the Development Plan have been met.  The Dean, in addition to making the final determination of progress, or lack thereof, of the faculty member in meeting the goals of the development plan, will determine whether or not further measures may be necessary.

F. Failure to make substantial progress toward meeting the performance goals established in the Development Plan may expose the faculty member to proceedings for termination.

The procedures outlined above are in compliance with regulations on Post-Tenure Review (PTR) established in the University Faculty Manual.  Should discrepancies between the following procedures and the Faculty Manual be identified, the Faculty Manual will take precedence.