Procedure for Reconsideration of the Faculty Status Council Tenure Recommendation
(The following procedures also govern reconsideration of a promotion recommendation.)
If a faculty member wishes to request reconsideration of a negative tenure recommendation on substantive grounds, the procedure shall be as follows:
Upon receipt of the letter from the Chair of the Faculty Status Council advising the tenure candidate of a negative tenure recommendation, the candidate has five (5) class days to request a letter of explanation from the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty. The Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty has five (5) class days to respond to the candidate’s request. Upon receipt of the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty’s letter of explanation, the candidate has a fifteen (15) class day period in which to request reconsideration of a negative recommendation on substantive grounds to the Faculty Status Council, or to make formal appeal on procedural grounds to the Faculty Appeals Committee. A request for reconsideration must be considered and completed before any formal appeal on procedural grounds to the Faculty Appeals Committee may begin.
The request is to be directed to the Chairperson of the Faculty Status Council, with copies to the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty. The request must be made prior to any subsequent appeal to the Faculty Appeals Committee. This request must specify clearly the basis of the reconsideration request. Reconsideration must be based only on substantive grounds:
- That the recommendation resulted from the misinterpretation or improper assessment of the Tenure Review File.
In such a reconsideration, the candidate bears the burden of proving the existence of the stated ground for reconsideration by clear and convincing evidence. The candidate must state his or her case in writing and this statement from the candidate becomes part of the Tenure Review File for consideration by the Faculty Status Council and for possible future use by the Faculty Appeals Committee and the President.
The consideration of the request for reconsideration must be held within fifteen (15) class days after the Council receives the request. Procedures to be followed during reconsideration follow.