/Institutions/Elon-University/json/2024-2025/Faculty-Handbook-local.json

/Institutions/Elon-University/json/2024-2025/Faculty-Handbook.json

Reappointment, Continuance and Tenure

Faculty members are encouraged to consult the section on the Faculty Evaluation System in this Handbook for further information on types of reviews and the schedule for evaluation.

R34S

In a year when there are no special reviews or decisions, each full time permanent teaching faculty member will complete the steps for reappointment according to the Schedule of Activities for Evaluation, which includes the following:

• Collecting student perception of teaching for all courses (Unit IV)
• Completing and submitting a Teaching Faculty Member’s Annual Self-Review (Unit I)
• Participating in a meeting with the Chair to discuss the Chair’s evaluation (Unit III)

Faculty members on appointments categorized as temporary (limited term and part-time) must administer the Student Perceptions of Teaching (Unit IV) for all courses taught at Elon. These data will be reviewed by the Department Chair and the Dean.

R22A

R26D

Following consultation with the Dean, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will determine the length of the faculty member’s probationary period for a tenure track appointment at the time of the initial appointment. The Dean should consult with the faculty member in making this decision.

The probationary period is four, five, or six years, depending on the faculty member's prior full time college teaching experience.

A faculty member with no full time college teaching experience normally will have a six year probationary period. A faculty member with one year of full time college teaching experience will have a five or six year probationary period. A faculty member with two or more years of full time college teaching experience will have a four, five, or six year probationary period.

When eligible, tenure track faculty members have a one-time only opportunity during their second year of appointment to request a change in their probationary period. Before Letters of Agreement are issued in April of year two, faculty members, in writing to the Dean, may request to change their pre-selected probationary period following the same guidelines as when initially appointed.

Length of Probationary Period	Year 1	Year 2*	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6	Year 7	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10
Four Years	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Probationary midpoint review (Unit III)  Second year midpoint review (Unit V)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Tenure evaluation	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Post probationary review (Unit III)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Long range professional development review Unit V (repeats every 5 years)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III…
Five Years	Unit IV     Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Probationary midpoint review  (Unit III)  Midpoint review (Unit V)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Tenure evaluation	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Post probationary review (Unit III)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Long range professional development review Unit V (repeats every 5 years)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III…
Six Years	Unit IV Unit I UnitIII	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Probationary midpoint review (Unit III)  Midpoint review (Unit V)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Tenure evaluation	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Post probationary review (Unit III)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Long range professional development review Unit V (repeats every 5 years)

*Eligible tenure track faculty members have a one-time only opportunity during their second year to request a change to the length of their probationary period

Unit reports are described in the Faculty Evaluation System.

Shaded areas in the chart above indicate post-probationary status.

Additional information on tenure and stop the clock for tenuremay be found elsewhere in this Handbook.

R22N

(Also used for evaluation of Professional Status faculty)

Full time tenured, tenure track, and professional status faculty at Elon University are evaluated annually according to the criteria listed in the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty and by the guidelines found in the Statement of Professional Standards .

Review of full time tenured, tenure track, and professional status faculty includes an evaluation of teaching, that is given top priority, and second level priorities including contributions to the life of the university and professional activity. All criteria for evaluation are considered.

R28U

The tenure review occurs during the final year of the agreed upon probationary period of four, five, or six years  for all teaching faculty on tenure track appointments. Upon successful completion of this review, with the recommendation of the President and approval of the Board of Trustees, tenure will be awarded. The full review process is outlined in the Schedule of Activities for Evaluation. The applicant is responsible for meeting the guidelines in place at the year of application.

R33X

The evaluation system for teaching faculty applying for tenure involves six stages and follows the Schedule of Activities for Evaluation.

Stage 1 involves the creation of a digital portfolio, consisting of material drawn from the faculty personnel file as well as additional information included by the candidate. When tenure and promotion are sought simultaneously, a single digital portfolio will suffice for both reviews. The individual candidate is responsible for seeing that the digital portfolio is in finished form by September 15 so that the process may proceed to stage two.

Stage 2 involves the separate evaluation of this digital portfolio by the respective Deans and by the Promotions and Tenure Committee. Each independently makes a recommendation regarding tenure and communicates that to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Stage 3 involves the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs holding one meeting with both the Promotions and Tenure Committee and the respective Dean to discuss their independent recommendations and rationales.

Stage 4 involves a recommendation on tenure by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to the President.

Stage 5 involves a recommendation on tenure by the President of the University to the Board of Trustees.

Stage 6 involves personnel decisions made by the Board of Trustees on tenure recommendations.

R23P

Teaching faculty members standing for tenure will create a tenure digital portfolio, which will serve as the basic resource in the tenure decision. When tenure and promotion are sought simultaneously, a single digital portfolio will suffice for both reviews. The digital portfolio is drawn from material in the faculty personnel file, but may be supplemented by material of the candidate’s choosing (e.g., personal recommendations). The digital portfolio will include material organized in sequential order from Part 1 through Part 8 described below. The digital portfolio shall be in PDF format and the organization should include tabbed, linked sections to facilitate review. The peer-reviewed scholarship statement from the candidate’s department or school and the Elon Teacher-Scholar-Mentor Statement must be inserted as the first page, preceding Part 1. Once this process has been completed, the digital portfolio is returned to the candidate.

Part 1 : This part includes a letter of consideration for tenure that focuses on the candidate’s activities and reviews while at Elon and subsequent to any successful promotion application. The letter should summarize the candidate’s case for tenure with specific reference to the candidate’s performance relative to the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty.

Part 2 : This part includes a current curriculum vitae. Candidates are asked to provide clear indications of the types of scholarship listed in their curricula vitae. In particular, reviewers of portfolios must be able to distinguish peer-reviewed and refereed scholarship from other kinds of academic products. It is also important that candidates follow accepted professional documentation guidelines (e.g., APA, CBE, MLA style) in formatting each entry. Candidates should be particularly careful to follow these guidelines when listing multiple authors and researchers.

Part 3 : This part includes the Teaching Faculty Member’s Annual Self-Review (Unit I) for the faculty member’s term of employment at Elon University or the previous six years, whichever is shorter.

Part 4 : This part includes a description, self-evaluation, documentation, and representative samples of the candidate’s achievement relative to the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty. The primary focus should be upon activity at Elon and subsequent to any successful promotion application. Evidence as to the status of scholarship that is not yet public, such as “in press,” or “under contract,” must be provided, if that scholarship is listed in support of the candidate’s application. Such evidence might include galleys, letters from editors, and so on.

Part 5 : This part includes the Department Chair’s annual evaluation (Unit III), including probationary midpoint review – Midpoint Unit III for each year of the candidate’s term of employment at Elon University or for the previous six years, whichever is shorter.

Part 6 : In this part the candidate will include a letter from the candidate’s Department Chair assessing the candidate’s performance relative to the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty and concluding with an overall recommendation.

If the candidate standing for tenure is the Department Chair, they, in consultation with the Dean, will determine which senior colleague in the department should write the letter. If a candidate’s Department Chair is serving on the Promotions and Tenure Committee, the Chair will not write the letter for the candidate. Rather, a senior member of the department, selected by the Dean and in consultation with the Department Chair, will write the letter.

Candidates who have a joint appointment or have significant responsibility in two or more departments or programs (for example, a math faculty member teaching in education) should have the Chair/Director from the secondary department or program submit an addendum to the Chair’s letter.

Part 7: The candidate will submit annual summaries of Student Perceptions of Teaching (Unit IV) for the candidate’s term of employment at Elon University or for the previous six years, whichever is shorter.

Part 8: The candidate will include the most recent Dean’s evaluation of the candidate (Unit V) from a midpoint review during the candidate’s term of employment at Elon University or the previous six years, whichever is shorter.

Part 9 : A candidate being considered for tenure may include letters of support for teaching, service, and professional activity from colleagues at Elon University and other institutions, not to exceed 15 letters. Letters required in Parts 1-8 above are not included in the 15-letter maximum.

A candidate being considered for tenure may include self-solicited letters from external reviewers that address the candidate’s professional activity, but such letters are not required. These letters are included in the 15-letter maximum stipulated above.

R24E

Subject to the financial resources of the University, academic tenure implies continuation of employment until retirement, provided that the faculty member continues to adhere to the standards of teaching and scholarship that are essential to the mission and goals of the University.

Those applicants not awarded tenure may be given an additional year of employment.

R33H

R35V

The length of the probationary period for a faculty member on continuing track is four years. Faculty members on continuing track are reviewed annually by their Chair. During the probationary period, continuing track appointments are of fixed term length, normally one academic year, with no guarantee of reemployment.

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year TBD	Year 8
Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Probationary midpoint review   (Unit III) Midpoint review   (Unit V)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Senior faculty review Unit V Continuance Review	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Post probationary review Unit III. This review will occur three years after a successful promotion decision	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Long range professional development review Unit V (repeats every 5 years)

Unit reports are described in the Faculty Evaluation System.

Shaded areas in the chart above indicate post-probationary status.

R29H

Full time continuing track teaching faculty members at Elon University are evaluated annually according to the criteria listed in the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty and by the guidelines found in the Statement of Professional Standards. Review of a continuing track faculty member is based primarily on demonstrated teaching, with considerable weight also given to contributions to the life of the University. Professional activity appropriate to rank is also considered.

R27Q

Continuing track appointments include a probationary period of four years. During the probationary period the continuing track appointments are of a fixed term length, normally one academic year, with no guarantee of employment. In the fourth year the faculty member on continuing track is reviewed by their Chair, Dean, and Senior Faculty Review Committee.

R26M

The evaluation system for teaching faculty on continuing track during the fourth year involves five stages and follows the Schedule of Activities for Evaluation.

Stage 1 involves the creation of a digital portfolio consisting of material drawn from the faculty personnel file as well as additional information included by the candidate. The individual candidate is responsible for seeing that the digital portfolio is in finished form by September 15 so that the process may proceed to stage two.

Stage 2 involves the separate evaluation of this digital portfolio by the respective Chair and Senior Faculty Review Committee. Each independently makes a recommendation regarding continuance and communicates that to the respective Dean.

Stage 3 involves a recommendation on continuance by the Dean to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Stage 4 involves a recommendation on continuance by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to the President.

Stage 5 involves personnel decisions made by the President of the University.

R35E

Teaching faculty members on continuing track who are applying for continuance will create a digital portfolio which will serve as the basic resource for the decision. The digital portfolio is drawn from material in the faculty personnel file but may be supplemented by material of the candidate’s choosing (e.g., personal recommendations). The digital portfolio will include material organized in sequential order from Part 1 through Part 8 described below. The digital portfolio shall be in PDF format and the organization should include tabbed, linked sections to facilitate review. If applicable, the peer-reviewed scholarship statement(s) from relevant department(s) or school(s) and the Elon Teacher Scholar Statement may be inserted as the first page, preceding Part 1. Once this process has been completed, the digital portfolio is returned to the candidate.

Part 1: This part includes a letter of consideration for removal of probationary status that reflects on the candidate’s time at Elon and on reviews of the candidate prepared in the most recent four years. The letter should summarize the candidate’s case for removal of probationary status, with specific reference to the candidate’s performance relative to the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty.

Part 2: This part includes a current curriculum vitae. Candidates are asked to provide clear indications of the types of scholarship listed in their curriculum vitae. In particular, reviewers of portfolios must be able to distinguish peer-reviewed and refereed scholarship from other kinds of academic products. It is also important that candidates follow accepted professional documentation guidelines (e.g., APA, CBE, MLA style) in formatting each entry. Candidates should be particularly careful to follow these guidelines when listing multiple authors and researchers.

Part 3: This part includes the Teaching Faculty Member’s Annual Self-Review (Unit I)) for the faculty member’s term of employment at Elon University or the previous four years.

Part 4: The candidate will include a description, self-evaluation, documentation, and representative samples of the candidate’s achievements relative to the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty . The primary focus should be upon activity at Elon. Evidence as to the status of scholarship that is not yet public, such as “in press,” or “under contract,” must be provided, if that scholarship is listed in support of the candidate’s application. Such evidence might include galleys, letters from editors, and so on.

Part 5: This part includes the Department Chair’s annual evaluation (Unit III), including Midpoint Unit III for each year of the candidate’s term of employment at Elon University or for the previous four years.

Part 6: The candidate will submit annual summaries of Student Perceptions of Teaching (Unit IV) for the candidate’s term of employment at Elon University or for the previous four years, whichever is shorter.

Part 7: The candidate will include the most recent Dean’s midpoint evaluation of the candidate (Unit V).

Part 8: The candidate may submit letters of support for teaching, service, and professional activity from colleagues at Elon University and other institutions, not to exceed 15 letters. Letters required in Parts 1 – 7 above are not included in the 15-letter maximum.

 

R24J

Following the probationary period, and upon favorable decision by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, a teaching faculty member with a continuing track appointment will receive a two-year annually renewable appointment.

Teaching faculty on continuing track appointments whose initial appointment was at the Associate Professor rank will receive a three-year annually renewable appointment and an annual $3,000 salary supplement following the probationary period and upon favorable decision by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Those individuals not offered continuance on a continuing track appointment may be given an additional year of employment.

R26X

R27B

Lecture track appointments provide for fixed term periods of employment with no expectation of tenure. The length of the probationary period for a faculty member on lecture track is four years. Faculty members on lecture track are reviewed annually by their Chair.

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5...	Year 8
Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Probationary midpoint review (Unit III) Midpoint review (Unit V)	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Senior faculty review Unit V Continuance Review	Unit IV Unit I Unit III	Unit IV Unit I Unit III Long range professional development review Unit V (repeats every 5 years)

Shaded areas in the chart above indicate post-probationary status. Unit reports are described in the Faculty Evaluation System.

R33A

Full time lecture track teaching faculty members at Elon University are evaluated annually according to the criteria listed in the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty and by the guidelines found in the Statement of Professional Standards. Reviews of lecture track faculty members are based primarily on demonstrated teaching, with considerable weight also given to contributions to the life of the University. Also considered is participation in professional activities that keep them abreast of their fields and enhance their teaching and service to the institution.

R24N

Lecture track appointments include a probationary period of four years. During the probationary period the lecture track appointments are of a fixed term length, normally one academic year, with no guarantee of reemployment. In the fourth year, the faculty member on lecture track is reviewed by their Chair, Dean, and Senior Faculty Review Committee.

R32S

The evaluation system for teaching faculty on lecture track during the fourth year involves five stages and follows the Schedule of Activities for Evaluation.

Stage 1 involves the creation of a file consisting of material drawn from the faculty personnel file as well as additional information included by the candidate. The individual candidate is responsible for seeing that the file is in finished form by September 15 so that the process may proceed to stage two.

Stage 2 involves the separate evaluation of this file by the respective Chair and Senior Faculty Review Committee. Each independently makes a recommendation regarding continuance and communicates that to the respective Dean.

Stage 3 involves a recommendation on continuance by the Dean to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Stage 4 involves a recommendation on continuance by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to the President.

Stage 5 involves personnel decisions made by the President of the University.

R25Z

Teaching faculty members on lecture track who are applying for continuance will create a file which will serve as the basic resource for the decision. The file is drawn from material in the faculty personnel file but may be supplemented by material of the candidate’s choosing (e.g., personal recommendations). Generally, the file will include the following material organized according to these guidelines:

Part 1: This part includes a letter of consideration for removal of probationary status that reflects on the candidate’s time at Elon and on reviews of the candidate prepared in the most recent four years. The letter should summarize the candidate’s case for removal of probationary status, with specific reference to the candidate’s performance relative to the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty.

Part 2: This part includes a current curriculum vitae. Candidates who submit a record of publications as evidence of professional activity are asked to provide clear indications of the types of scholarship listed in their curriculum vitae. In particular, reviewers of portfolios must be able to distinguish peer-reviewed and refereed scholarship from other kinds of academic products. It is also important that candidates follow accepted professional documentation guidelines (e.g., APA, CBE, MLA style) in formatting each entry. Candidates should be particularly careful to follow these guidelines when listing multiple authors and researchers.

Part 3: This part includes the Teaching Faculty Member’s Annual Self-Review (Unit I) for the faculty member’s term of employment at Elon University or the previous four years.

Part 4: The candidate will include a description, self-evaluation, documentation, and representative samples of the candidate’s achievements relative to the Criteria for Evaluation of Teaching Faculty. The primary focus should be upon activity at Elon. Evidence as to the status of scholarship that is not yet public, such as “in press,” or “under contract,” must be provided, if that scholarship is listed in support of the candidate’s application. Such evidence might include galleys, letters from editors, and so on.

Part 5: This part includes the Department Chair’s annual evaluation (Unit III, including midpoint Unit III) for each year of the candidate’s term of employment at Elon University or for the previous four years.

Part 6 : The candidate’s file will contain annual summaries of Student Perceptions of Teaching (Unit IV) for the candidate’s term of employment at Elon University or for the previous four years, whichever is shorter.

Part 7: The candidate will include the Dean’s midpoint evaluation of the candidate (Unit V).

Part 8: The candidate may include letters of support for teaching, service, and professional activity from colleagues at Elon University and other institutions, not to exceed 15 letters. Letters required in Parts I – VII above are not included in the 15-letter maximum.

Part 9: The candidate must prepare a digital copy (PDF) of the complete file and must include it with the file.

The file becomes the basic resource in the review. However, if further clarification becomes necessary, those involved in the decision may consult and use the candidate’s personnel file (described above).

The file exists only for the duration of the evaluation process. Once this process has been completed, the file is returned to the candidate.

R32G

Following the probationary period, and upon favorable decision by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, a teaching faculty member with a lecture track appointment will receive a two-year annually renewable appointment.

Teaching faculty on lecture track appointments whose initial appointment was at the Senior Lecturer rank will receive a three-year annually renewable appointment, a raise equivalent to that of a promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor, and a one-time four-semester hour course reduction following the probationary period and upon favorable decision by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Those individuals not offered continuance on a lecture track appointment may be given an additional year of employment.

R27Y

R23F

Visiting appointments are of fixed term length, normally one academic year with no guarantee of reemployment, and can be renewed annually for a maximum of three years of service. If needed, visiting appointments may be renewed annually for up to an additional three years.

A teaching faculty on a visiting appointment is reviewed by their Chair and Dean yearly according to the Schedule of Activities for Evaluation. 

Year 1	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 2	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 3		Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 4	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 5	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 6 (Final Year)
Unit IV Unit I Unit III		Unit IV Unit I Unit III		Unit IV Unit I Unit II			Unit IV Unit I Unit III		Unit IV Unit I Unit III		Unit IV Unit I Unit III

Unit reports are described in the Faculty Evaluation System.

Faculty on visiting appointments may apply for lecture track, continuing track, or tenure track appointments when they become available through the regular faculty recruitment process.

R22T

Full time visiting faculty at Elon University are evaluated annually according to their primary assignments, normally teaching and service, and by the guidelines found in the Statement of Professional Standards .

R24S

R28H

Limited term appointments are of fixed term length, normally one academic year with no guarantee of reemployment, and can be renewed annually for a maximum of four years of employment.

Teaching faculty on limited term appointments are reviewed by their Chair and Dean yearly.

Year 1	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 2	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 3	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 4 (Final Year)
Unit IV		Unit IV		Unit IV		Unit IV

Unit reports are described in the Faculty Evaluation System.

Faculty on limited term appointments may apply for lecture track, continuing track, or tenure track appointments when they become available through the regular faculty recruitment process.

R33R

Full time limited term faculty at Elon University are evaluated annually according to their primary assignment, normally teaching and service, and by the guidelines found in the Statement of Professional Standards.

R34Z

R24Y

New librarian appointments at the Assistant Librarian rank include a probationary period of four years. During the probationary period these appointments are of a fixed term length, normally one academic year, with no guarantee of reemployment.

Librarians are evaluated annually by the Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library. Librarians housed outside the library are evaluated annually by their supervising Dean. Completed evaluations are reviewed by the office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and submitted to the Office of Human Resources.

Year 1	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 2	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 3	Possible renewal for an additional year	Year 4	Year 5...
Annual evaluation		Annual evaluation		Annual evaluation		Annual evaluation Continuance review	Annual evaluation

Shaded area in the chart above indicates post-probationary status.

R23Z

Professional development in areas of librarianship, professional activity and service will be reviewed.

R35N

A review for continuation with the Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library is required after four years of employment. For librarians housed outside the library, review for continuation is performed by their supervising Dean, in consultation with the Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library.

Candidates for continuance are also reviewed by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President.

R28M

The continuance decision review occurs during the fourth year for all librarians. The decision to grant a continuing contract rests with the President. Results are forwarded from the Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library or supervising Dean to the candidate and also are placed in the candidate’s personnel file. Upon a favorable decision, librarians will receive a two-year annually renewable contract. Those candidates not offered continuing appointment may be given a one-year contract with no guarantee of reemployment.

The evaluation system for librarian continuance during the fourth year involves five stages:

Stage 1 involves the creation of a digital file consisting of material drawn from the faculty personnel file as well as additional information included by the candidate. The digital file shall be in PDF format and the organization should include tabbed, linked sections to facilitate review. It is the responsibility of the individual candidate to see that the file is in finished form by September 15 so that Stage 2 may proceed.

Stage 2 involves the evaluation of this file by the Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library.

Stage 3 involves a recommendation on continuance by the Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Stage 4 involves a recommendation on continuance by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to the President.

Stage 5 involves a decision on continuance by the President of the University.

R29U

Upon a favorable decision, librarians will receive a two-year annually renewable appointment.

Those individuals not offered continuance may remain on a one-year appointment with no guarantee of reemployment.

R34F

Part-time faculty members without other responsibilities are evaluated by their Department Chair and Dean only in the area of teaching.

Semester 1	Possible renewal.	Semester 2	Possible renewal.	Semester 3...
Unit IV		Unit IV		Unit IV

Unit reports are described in the Faculty Evaluation System.

R25A

Faculty members who believe that a decision which violates University procedures has been made in their case should consult the Grievance and Appeals section of this Handbook.