5.7
Guidelines of the Academic Council for the Reappointment and Promotion of Instructional Faculty with Adjunct Status

[As amended through May 23, 2018]

The statement in Sec. 401 of the Academic Council By-Laws, which states that when a department has fewer than three Academic Council members, or, in cases for promotion to the rank of adjunct professor, fewer than three Academic Council members eligible to participate in a case for promotion to the rank of professor, the VPAA, in consultation with the chair of the department, must supplement that number to a minimum of three, applies to these Guidelines.

I. REAPPOINTMENT

Sec. 101. Scheduling the Evaluation for Reappointment. Following consultation with the candidate, the chair or a delegate designated by the chair will set the deadline for the candidate’s submission of a current curriculum vitae and all other materials to be evaluated. The anticipated time for the completion of the evaluation of the candidacy by the department or program will also be set at this time.

Sec. 102. Timing of the Review. The reappointment of adjunct faculty is usually considered by the Advisory Committee in the spring term. The chair of the department or program should deposit the relevant materials for review at the Office of Academic Affairs as soon as possible in the spring term, and not later than March 1. The materials for cases eligible for fall semester review should be deposited at the Office of Academic Affairs as soon as possible in the fall semester, and not later than November 1.

Sec. 103. Criteria for Consideration. Reappointment shall be based on a consideration of the candidate’s performance at Wesleyan, in most cases chiefly as a teacher but, where appropriate, also as a scholar, performer, writer, or artist. When consideration for reappointment will be based in part on a candidate’s performance as a scholar, performer, writer, or artist, it should be made clear to the candidate at the time of the appointment that this is the case. The candidate’s colleagueship is a criterion for reappointment as well. The Advisory Committee encourages the submission of the fullest possible account of the candidate’s applicable performance. The meaning of criteria such as teaching, colleagueship, and other aspects of performance for evaluation purposes is discussed in Sec. 502 of the “By-Laws of the Academic Council.”

Sec. 104. Evidence for theEvaluation

(a) Teaching

1. Student Evaluations. The student evaluations, collected by the Office of the Registrar and deposited in the Office of Academic Affairs, should be examined by the department or program chair and those tenured members of the department or program who will consider the case. In addition, the department or program may solicit opinions about the candidate’s teaching from the candidate’s former students (alumni, undergraduate, or graduate). A candidate has to option to submit the names of up to five former students whose opinions about the candidate’s teaching shall be solicited by the chair, or a delegate designated by the chair. If the candidate elects this option, the department or program shall solicit at least an equal number of opinions from other students selected from its own list of the candidate’s former students. Every effort should be made to ensure that the practices of confidentiality are in force.
   
   
2. Faculty Peer Evaluations. The department or program chair may solicit information from faculty members within or outside of the department or program, for example, those who have taught courses jointly with the candidate, observed the candidate’s teaching, or discussed pedagogical matters with the candidate in multi-section courses.
   
   
3. The Candidate’s Own Evaluation. In addition to the curriculum vitae, the candidate should submit to the department or program chair for inclusion in the dossier any teaching materials that the candidate considers pertinent to the case, such as course syllabi, examinations, and so on.In most cases, a written statement concerning the candidate’s teaching would also be appropriate.

(b) Other Achievements. When appropriate, the evaluation should include published and unpublished scholarly materials or other created works provided by the candidate.

(c) Colleagueship. See the “By-Laws of the Academic Council,” Sec. 502c. Testimony regarding colleagueship shall be solicited by the department or program chair.

Sec. 105. Candidates and the Evaluation

In addition to including in their dossiers the materials mentioned above, candidates may comment on their student evaluations and may send their written comments to their department or program chair and to the Office of Academic Affairs at any time during their appointment as well as at the time of reappointment review, when they may wish to make a general summary comment, which shall be made available to the Advisory Committee. Candidates also have the right to be informed ahead of time of the schedule of the evaluation, to nominate referees of their teaching, and to the following:

(a) Candidates Statements. Candidates should have the opportunity to state their own cases before the tenured members of their department or program, in person or in writing, without prejudicing their cases.

(b) Counselor. Candidates may ask a tenured member of the faculty, who may or may not be from their own department or program, to advise them on presenting their cases to the department or program, to review their dossiers, and to ensure that their rights and interests are duly observed by the department or program and in the presentation of their cases to the Advisory Committee. If the counselor is a tenured member of the candidate’s department or program, the acceptance of a role as counselor in no way compromises the counselor’s right to come to an independent judgment and to vote based on the merits of the case.

(c) Information and Confidentiality. Candidates should be informed promptly of the status of the case by the department or program chair and the counselor, including a summary of the department’s or program’s discussion and of the Advisory Committee’s general reactions to the evidence. But, in aiding the candidate, the chair and counselor are cautioned not to impair the confidentiality of the discussions by the department, program, or Advisory Committee.

Sec. 106. Role of the Department or Program in the Evaluation

(a) Consultation in the Reappointment of Adjunct Instructors, Assistants or Associates. The reappointment of adjunct instructors or adjunct assistant and associate professors shall be considered by all tenured faculty members in the department, or by tenured core faculty members in the program, who are employed by the university half-time or more. Faculty members considering the case shall solicit the opinions of the tenure-track and adjunct faculty members in the department or program except those in their first or last years at Wesleyan. These opinions may be oral or written. After appropriate consultation with the department or program, and with the concurrence of the majority of the tenured faculty members in the department or tenured core faculty members in the program, the chair shall recommend to the president whether or not to reappoint the candidate.

(b) Consultation in the Reappointment of Adjunct Full Professors. The reappointment of adjunct full professors shall be considered by all tenured full professors in the department or by tenured core full professors in the program who are employed by the university half-time or more. Faculty members considering the case shall solicit the opinions of all the associate professors and all tenure-track and adjunct faculty members in the department or program except those in their first or last year at Wesleyan. These opinions may be oral or written. After appropriate consultation with the department or program, and with the concurrence of the majority of the tenured full professors in the department or tenured core full professors in the program, the chair shall recommend to the president whether or not to reappoint the candidate.

(d) Materials to Deposit at the Office of Academic Affairs. In addition to forwarding copies of the teaching materials and, when appropriate, the scholarly, or created works submitted by the candidate, the department or program chair should deposit at the Office of Academic Affairs, not later than the deadlines stated in Sec. 102, electronic copies of the following:

1. The department’s recommendation and rationale therefor.
2. The candidate’s curriculum vitae.
3. The candidate’s statement(s) on teaching and scholarship, and, when applicable, creative work.
4. If applicable, the candidate’s works since the time of appointment or promotion (whichever is the most recent) that have been subjects of evaluation.

Sec. 107. Role of the Advisory Committee. Following review and a positive recommendation by the department or program, the request for contract renewal shall be presented to the Advisory Committee, which will consider the case and forward a recommendation to the president. These recommendations shall also be reported in the personnel agenda that is sent to the Academic Council. The Advisory Committee may seek additional information,including information from the department or program. If necessary, it may also request a meeting with the tenured faculty members or full professors in the department or the tenured core or tenured core full professors in the program, as well as with the counselor, if any.

Sec. 108. Candidates May Meet with the Advisory Committee. Candidates have the opportunity to state their own cases before the Advisory Committee, in person or in writing, without prejudicing their cases.

Sec. 109. Matters Affected by these Procedures. These procedures apply only to the reappointment of adjunct faculty members whose appointments are not coterminous with their administrative appointments. The reappointment of adjunct faculty members with the status of coaches is also governed by the procedures in the Manual of the Physical Education Department, which differs from and, in the case of coaches, takes precedence over the procedures stated herein. These procedures do not govern such matters as length of contract and sabbatical policy. In the event that the procedures in these guidelines or in the Manual of the Physical Education Department change from a candidate’s appointment to the time of reappointment review, the applicable procedures will be those in effect at the time of the reappointment review.

Sec. 110. Total Length of Appointments and Reappointments. The contracts of adjunct lecturers as well as adjunct assistant and associate professors shall normally be for four-year terms and those of adjunct full professors shall normally be for six-year terms. At the university’s discretion, these contracts may be for shorter periods of time. No adjunct faculty member shall be asked to resign from the university or be denied reappointment because the faculty member has more than 12 semesters at any rank.

Sec. 111. Informing the Participants. Candidates for appointment as adjunct faculty shall be informed about these guidelines and the website where they are located. After appointment to the faculty, they shall receive a copy of the Faculty Handbook. It is the responsibility of the Office of Academic Affairs to keep the department or program chair (and the candidate’s counselor if these are not the same) informed of the status of reappointment cases.

II. PROMOTION

The statement in Sec. 401 of the Academic Council By-Laws, which states that when a department has fewer than three Academic Council members, or, in cases for promotion to the rank of adjunct professor, fewer than three Academic Council members eligible to participate in a case for promotion to the rank of professor, the VPAA, in consultation with the chair of the department, must supplement that number to a minimum of three, applies to these Guidelines.

Sec. 201. Experience Prior to Wesleyan. Relevant experience, such as scholarship, teaching, or other achievements at other institutions, shall be considered by the vice president for academic affairs only at the time of the original appointment. This shall be done in order to determine the appropriate level of the appointment and the number of semesters at that level to be credited to the candidate. The vice president shall make this determination after consultation with the department or program chair and the relevant academic dean.

Sec. 202. Timing of Consideration for Promotion. Instructional faculty members with adjunct status are eligible for consideration of the following promotions after the completion of the given number of semesters at Wesleyan, including the sabbatical semester awarded to adjuncts after each five years of service: to adjunct assistant professor after 12 semesters as an adjunct instructor; to adjunct associate professor after 12 semesters as an adjunct assistant professor; to adjunct professor after 12 semesters as an adjunct associate professor. Adjunct faculty members currently employed by the university who have accumulated more than 24 semesters as an adjunct lecturer and/or instructor may request promotion to adjunct associate professor. Adjunct faculty members currently employed by the university who have accumulated more than 12 but fewer than 24 semesters at the rank of adjunct lecturer and/or instructor and who are promoted to the rank of adjunct assistant professor may count those additional semesters in the 12 needed to request promotion to adjunct associate professor.

Sec. 203. Initiating the Request. Adjunct faculty members who have spent the required number of semesters at rank have the option of requesting that they be considered for promotion. The department or program chair or a delegate designated by the chair, shall discuss the possibility of promotion with adjunct faculty members after the completion of the required number of semesters at rank, but no adjunct faculty member shall be considered for promotion without requesting such a review.

A candidate who wishes to be considered for promotion shall send a request, along with a curriculum vitae and other relevant materials, to the department or program chair, or a delegate designated by the chair.

(a) Requests to be considered for promotion to adjunct assistant professor or adjunct associate professor shall be addressed to all tenured members in the candidate’s department or all tenured core faculty members in the candidate’s program.

(b) Requests to be considered for promotion to adjunct professor shall be addressed to the full professors in the candidate’s department or all tenured core faculty members in the candidate’s program.

Sec. 204. Scheduling the Evaluation for Promotion. Following consultation with the candidate, the chair or a delegate designated by the chair will set the deadline for the candidate’s submission of his/her current curriculum vitae and all other materials to be evaluated; and the anticipated time for the completion of the evaluation of his/her candidacy by the department or program.

Sec. 205. Timing of the Review. The promotion of adjunct faculty members is usually considered by the Advisory Committee in the spring term. The chair of the department or program should deposit the relevant materials for review at the Office of Academic Affairs as soon as possible in the spring term, and not later than March 1. The materials for cases eligible for fall semester review should be deposited at the Office of Academic Affairs as soon as possible in the fall semester, and not later than November 1.

Sec. 206. Criteria for Consideration. Promotion shall be based on a consideration of the candidate’s performance at Wesleyan, in most cases chiefly as a teacher but, where appropriate, also as a scholar, performer, writer, or artist. When consideration for promotion will be based partly on a candidate’s performance as a scholar, performer, writer, or artist, it should be made clear to the candidate at the time of appointment that this is the case. The candidate’s colleagueship is a criterion for promotion as well. The Advisory Committee encourages the submission of the fullest possible account of the candidate’s applicable performance. The meaning of criteria such as teaching, colleagueship, and other aspects of performance for evaluation purposes is discussed in Sec. 502 of the “By-Laws of the Academic Council.”

Sec. 207. Evidence for the Evaluation. In addition to the items mentioned in Sec. 104, in some cases outside opinions may be appropriate. In those cases, the department or program chair will solicit the opinions of two to four individuals chosen by the department or program and, if the candidate wishes, one or two additional opinions from names submitted by the candidate. In soliciting these opinions the department or program chair should use the standard letters to referees and the replies should be held in confidence from the candidate.

Sec. 208. Candidates and the Evaluation. In addition to initiating the request for promotion after the required number of semesters, and to submitting the above-mentioned materials in their dossiers, candidates have the rights mentioned in Sec.105.

Sec. 209. Role of the Department or Program in the Evaluation. Upon receiving a request for promotion, the department or program chair, or a delegate designated by the chair, shall ask the Office of Academic Affairs for a summary of the candidate’s teaching evaluations.

(a) Consultation in the Promotion to Adjunct Assistant or Adjunct Associate Professor. Requests for promotion to the ranks of adjunct assistant professor and adjunct associate professor shall be considered by all tenured faculty members in the department or all tenured core faculty members in the candidate’ program who are employed by the university half-time or more, and who shall solicit the opinions of the tenure-track and adjunct faculty in the department or program except those in their first or last year at Wesleyan.

(b) Consultation in the Promotion to Adjunct Professor. Request for promotion to the rank of adjunct professor shall be considered by all tenured full professors in the department or all tenured core full professors in the candidate’s program who are employed by the university half-time or more. Faculty considering the case shall solicit the opinions of all the associate professors and all tenure-track and adjunct faculty in the department or program, except those in their first or last year at Wesleyan.

If, upon examination of the evidence, the department or program members considering the request think a review is inadvisable, the department or program should give its reasons in writing. If the candidate nonetheless wishes a full review, then one must be conducted.

In cases where created works or other types of performance are among the criteria for promotion, a department or program that proceeds with a full review should draw upon the opinions of qualified outside authorities. The Advisory Committee encourages the submission of the fullest possible account of the candidate’s applicable performance.

After appropriate consultation with the department or program faculty members, and with the concurrence of the majority of the faculty members considering the case, the department or program chair shall recommend to the president whether or not to reappoint the candidate.

Sec. 210. Materials to Deposit at the Office of Academic Affairs. In addition to forwarding copies of the teaching materials and, when appropriate, the scholarly, or created works submitted by the candidate, the department or program chair should deposit in the Office of Academic Affairs electronic copies of the following:

a. The department’s or program’s recommendation and rationale therefor.
b. The candidate’s curriculum vitae.
c. The candidate’s statement of teaching and scholarship, and, when applicable, creative work.
d. If applicable, the letters soliciting outside evaluations and the letters responding to the request.
e. If applicable, the candidate’s works since the time of appointment or promotion (whichever is the most recent) that have been subjects of evaluation.

Sec. 211. Role of the Advisory Committee. Following review and a favorable vote by the department or program, the request for promotion shall be presented to the Advisory Committee, which will consider the case and forward a recommendation to the president. The recommendation shall also be reported in the personnel agenda that is sent to the Academic Council.

Sec. 212. Role of the Counselor. Candidates may, if they wish, ask a tenured member of the faculty, who may or may not be from their own department or program, to advise them on presenting their cases to the department or program, to review their dossiers, and to ensure that their rights and interests are duly observed by the department or program and in the presentation of their cases to the Advisory Committee. If the counselor is a tenured member of the candidate’s department or program, the acceptance of a role as counselor in no way compromises the counselor’s right to come to an independent judgment and to vote based on the merits of the case.

Sec. 213. Matters Affected by these Procedures. These procedures apply only to the promotion of adjunct faculty members whose appointment is not coterminous with their administrative appointments. They do not govern such matters as length of contract and sabbatical policy. The promotion of adjunct faculty members with the status of coaches is also governed by the procedures in the Manual of the Physical Education Department, which differ from and, in the case of coaches, take precedence over the procedures stated herein. In the event that the procedures in these guidelines or in the Manual of the Physical Education Department change from a candidate’s appointment or reappointment to the time of promotion review, the applicable procedures will be those in effect at the time of the promotion review.

Sec. 214. Informing the Participants. It is the responsibility of the Office of Academic Affairs to keep the department or program chair (and the candidate’s counselor if these are not the same) informed of the status of promotion cases.