AA/55/AS/24/SEC - Authority for the University Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Committee to develop temporary alternate review pathways

Effective November 12, 2024

WHEREAS, the URPTC has on occasion interceded to resolve issues relating to conflicts of interest in the review process; and,

WHEREAS, this practice is not codified by the 2022 policy on Principles, Criteria and Procedures for Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Review; and,

WHEREAS, the URPTC, comprising elected representatives of the faculty from all colleges, is best positioned to facilitate the smooth progress of the review process; and,

WHEREAS, the 2024-2025 RPT cycle is already underway; therefore, let it be

RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate of California State University, Stanislaus affirm the work of URPTC in consultation with AVPFA and/or Provost to ensure a fair and objective review of all candidates by negotiating and making such adjustments to the RPT process during the 2024-2025 academic year as they find necessary, and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Faculty Affairs Committee shall, in concert with URPTC and campus administration, develop updates to the policy on Principles, Criteria and Procedures for Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Review that formalize the practices noted above and place those updates before the faculty for their consideration, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the AS waive the standard ten day waiting period for resolutions in this case and that upon approval this resolution be forwarded immediately to the campus President for immediate action.

Rationale

This resolution provides a practical provision in addition to university policy, so that it may match longstanding, just, and collaborative practices between faculty governance and university administrators.

Stanislaus State is committed to hiring the best faculty members and then ensuring that they are successful. Our campus is committed to providing support, guidance, and a fair assessment of candidates through every stage of review within the long road to tenure and promotion.

The URPTC committee is charged with overseeing the process of Retention Promotion and Tenure review on our campus. This committee has a long-standing practice of fielding questions and resolving problems relating to the RPT process. Some of these issues have, at times, included cases of conflict of interest that ultimately required establishing alternate committee members, and even entire committees, in order for the RPT process to be completed in a fair and unbiased manner. Such decisions have historically been made through consultation among URPTC, the Provost, the AVPFA, and the relevant parties under review or participating in the review process.

While these have been longstanding practices that have led to overall satisfaction with the review process by reviewers and those under review, they are not codified in RPT policy. In order to preserve this precedent and solidify our campus’ demonstrated commitment to fair and supportive assessment of faculty, the RPT policy must be revised.

To this end, the Faculty Affairs Committee shall take up revision of the Principles, Criteria and Procedures for Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Review this academic year, but this resolution seeks to grant authority to the URPTC to continue past practices during this review cycle. It is crucial to codify the role of URPTC as they seek to ensure that the process is free from perceived conflicts of interest, as we endeavor to respect and honor the hard work and dedication of our colleagues.

Review History: Approved by the Academic Senate on October 22, 2024

Approved by President Britt Rios-Ellis on November 12, 2024

Academic Affairs and Office of Faculty Affairs Division has the primary responsibility for this policy.

Attachment(s): 55/AS/24/SEC - Authority for the University Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Committee to develop temporary alternate review pathways  

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