Purpose
The process outlined in this document provides due process for a faculty member whose requests for promotion and/or tenure are denied. The process provides three-levels of appeal that may be pursued that reflect the points within the college’s promotion and tenure process at which a faculty candidate may learn of a negative decision.
Scope
All CHP faculty members eligible for promotion and/or tenure may utilize this appeal process.
Process
The process and timeline by which a CHP faculty member may apply for promotion and/or tenure are outlined in the CHP Promotion and Tenure Guidelines. A recommendation for promotion and/or tenure originates with the faculty member’s department chair or program director. In the case that a department chair or program director is applying for promotion and/or tenure, the recommendation originates with the CHP dean. After the initial recommendation, the application moves to the CHP Promotion and Tenure Committee and after review, the committee makes a recommendation to the dean, who then makes a recommendation to the provost about the promotion and/or tenure of the faculty member.
A negative recommendation at any level of review within the College must include written notification to the faculty member to include a detailed summary of the rationale by which they have made the recommendation. This letter is to be copied to the department chair or program director, chair of the CHP Promotion and Tenure Committee, and/or dean, as appropriate.
Within ten working days of receipt of notification of the action taken, a faculty member may appeal a negative decision to the next higher level in the review process in the college.
- Negative recommendations by the department chair or program director may be appealed to the Promotion and Tenure Committee.
- Negative recommendations by the CHP Promotion and Tenure Committee may be appealed to the dean.
- Negative recommendations by the dean may be appealed to the provost by following the process detailed in UAMS Academic Affairs Policy – 2.3.5, Process to support requests from UAMS faculty members for promotion and tenure. The decision of the provost is final.
Upon notification of a negative recommendation, the faculty member has ten working days to submit a written request to appeal to the next level. Along with the request, the faculty member will submit all the written materials that they have provided in any previous reviews to include the initial materials submitted for consideration, all additional written materials submitted during any subsequent appeal, and notification letter(s) received. The department chair, program director, chair of the CHP Promotion and Tenure Committee, and/or dean will provide to the next level of appeal any additional written information collected in the course of their work in arriving at the decision to deny the faculty member’s request(s) for promotion and/or tenure (e.g., summary notes from interviews conducted within the course of making the decision). At any level of appeal, additional written and/or oral information from any member of the UAMS community may be sought to arrive at a fair decision.
Approval
This procedure was approved by the College of Health Professions Executive Committee on Feb. 13, 2024.