ARTICLE 14

PROMOTION PROCEDURE

14.1  Policy. 

(a)     Promotion decisions are not merely a totaling of an employee's annual performance evaluations.  Rather, the university, through its faculty, professional employees, and administrators, assesses the employee's potential for growth and scholarly contribution as well as past meritorious performance.

 

(b)     Upon annual written request beginning with the second year of employment, employees eligible for consideration for promotion shall be apprised of their progress toward promotion.  The appraisal shall be included as a separate component of the annual evaluation and is intended to provide assistance and counseling to candi­dates to help them to qualify themselves for promotion.  The employee may request, in writing, a meeting with an administrator at the next higher level to discuss concerns regarding the promotion appraisal which were not resolved in previous discussions with the evaluator.  The appraisals are not binding upon the university.

 

14.2  Criteria. 

(a)     Promotion decisions shall be a result of meritorious performance and shall be based upon established criteria specified in writing by the Board or the universities.  All affected employees shall be given a copy of the criteria.  The Board and the universities may modify these criteria so long as the local UFF Chapter (in the case of Board criteria, the UFF) has been notified of the proposed changes and offered an opportu­nity to discuss such changes in consultation with the President or representative (in the case of Board criteria, the Chancellor or representative).  Changes in criteria shall not become effective until one (1) year following adoption of the changes, unless mutually agreed to in writing by the local UFF Chapter President and the university President (in the case of Board criteria, the Chancellor or representative).  The date of adoption shall be the date on which the changes are approved by the administrator at the highest level required under applicable university policies and procedures.  Any proposal to develop or modify promotion criteria shall be available for discussion by members of the affected departments/units before adoption. 

 

(b)     Each university is encouraged to review its promotion criteria which may exist at the university, college/school, or department/unit level to ensure that such criteria are consistent with each other and that they comport with the mission of the university and its various academic units.

 

(c)     Promotion criteria shall be available in the department/unit office and/or at the college/unit level.

 

14.3 Procedures.

(a)     Recommendations for promotion shall begin with the employee's supervisor and shall be submitted to the appropriate officials for review.  Prior to the consideration of the employee's promotion, the employee shall have the right to review the contents of the promotion file and may attach a brief response to any material therein.  It shall be the responsibility of the employee to see that the file is complete.  The provisions of Sections 11.2 through 11.8 of this Agreement shall apply to the contents of the promotion file.  If any material is added to the file after the commencement of consideration, a copy shall be sent  to the employee within five (5) days (by personal delivery or by mail, return receipt requested).  The employee may attach a brief response within five (5) days of his/her receipt of the added material. The file shall not be forwarded until either the employee submits a response or until the second five (5) day period expires, whichever occurs first.

 

(b)     Recommendations for promotion shall include a copy of applicable promotion criteria, the employee's annual assignments and annual evaluations, and, if the employee chooses, the employee's promotion appraisal(s).  The reviewers at any stage in the review may request to view the appraisal(s).

 

14.4  Notice of Denial.  If any employee is denied promotion, the employee shall be notified in writing by the appropriate administrative official, within ten (10) days or as soon as possible thereafter, of that decision.  Upon written request by an employee within twenty (20) days of the employee's receipt of such decision, the university shall provide the employee with a written statement of the reasons why the promotion was denied.