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Post-Tenure Review (Post-TR)

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA POLICIES

BOARD OF REGENTS POLICY MANUAL: 8.3.5 Evaluation of Personnel (8.3.5.4 Post-Tenure Review); 8.3.9 Discipline and Removal of Faculty Members (8.3.9.1 Grounds for Removal)

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS HANDBOOK: 4.7 Post-Tenure Review

Overview

The post-tenure review process shall support the further career development of tenured faculty members as well as ensure accountability and continued strong performance from faculty members after they have achieved tenure. 

Each tenured faculty member shall participate in a Post-TR within five years following the award of tenure and again at least once every five years thereafter. The first Post-TR shall assess the tenured faculty member’s performance since the award of tenure, and subsequent post-tenure reviews shall assess the performance since the most recent Post-TR. 

A tenured faculty member may voluntarily choose to participate in a Post-TR sooner than five years, but no earlier than three years. However, this review must demonstrate the full body of work expected of a five-year cycle. If this voluntary review is successful, then the faculty member’s next scheduled Post-TR will take place five years after this voluntary review. In addition, a tenured faculty member whose performance is evaluated as unsatisfactory (1 or a 2 on the common Likert Scale)– whether overall or in any particular area – in an annual review process will be provided with a performance improvement plan (PIP). If the faculty member’s performance is evaluated as unsatisfactory (1 or a 2 on the common Likert Scale) or not meeting expectations – overall or in a particular area – again the next year, the faculty member shall then undergo a corrective Post-TR. That review will not alter the timing of the faculty member’s regularly scheduled five-year Post-TR thereafter. 

Post-TR shall include evaluation of instruction, student success activities, research/scholarship, and service as is appropriate to the faculty member’s institution, school or college, and department. The Post-TR will also incorporate findings from the faculty member’s annual reviews from the years since the last Post-TR. The faculty member shall provide review materials and additional information, as provided for in GCSU’s guidelines, to aid the review process. 

The Post-TR will include, at a minimum, feedback from the faculty member’s department chair and a committee of faculty colleagues. The results of the Post-TR shall be conveyed to the faculty member. The results of the Post-TR shall be considered in subsequent decisions on promotion, merit pay, and other rewards. 

If the results of the Post-TR are unfavorable, then a performance improvement plan (PIP) shall be created by the applicable department chair and dean in consultation with the faculty member. If the faculty member successfully completes the performance improvement plan, then the faculty member’s next Post-TR will take place on the regular five-year schedule. 

If the faculty member fails to make sufficient progress in performance as outlined in the performance improvement plan (or refuses to engage reasonably in the process) as determined by the department chair and dean after considering feedback from the committee of faculty colleagues, then the institution shall take appropriate remedial action corresponding to the seriousness and nature of the faculty member’s deficiencies, as described below. The President will make the final determination on behalf of the institution regarding appropriate remedial action. An aggrieved faculty member may seek discretionary review of the institution’s final decision pursuant to the Board Policy on Applications for Discretionary Review. 

Remedial actions may include, but are not necessarily limited to, suspension of pay, salary reduction, revocation of tenure, and separation from employment. The institution must give the faculty member notice of the possibility of such remedial actions when the performance improvement plan begins.  The institution’s imposition of such remedial action will not be governed by or subject to the Board Policy on Grounds for Removal or Procedures for Dismissal.

Guiding Principles

The post-tenure review process (Post-TR) shall support the further career development of tenured faculty members as well as ensure accountability and continued strong performance from faculty members after they have achieved tenure. The primary purpose of the Post-TR process is to assist faculty members with identifying opportunities that will enable them to reach their full potential for contribution to the academic discipline, institution, and the institution’s mission. Post-TR is not the venue to address misconduct covered under BOR Policy 8.3.9.1 “Grounds for Removal” regarding the discipline and removal of faculty members for cause. Post-TR is intended to provide a longer-term and broader perspective than is usually provided by an annual review. The review should be both retrospective and prospective, encouraging a careful look at possibilities for different emphases at different points of a faculty member’s career.  

Timeline  

All tenured faculty who have rank and tenure with an academic unit must undergo Post-TR five years after the award of tenure and subsequently every five years unless it is interrupted by a further review for promotion to a higher academic rank (Associate/Full Professor) or academic leadership promotion (e.g. department chair, Dean, Associate Provost). 

A tenured faculty member may voluntarily elect to go up for a Post-TR before the five-year time limit, but no earlier than three years. However, this review must demonstrate the full body of work expected of a five-year cycle. This enables a faculty member to take full advantage of the feedback and insight provided by their colleagues at a strategic moment in their career, rather than having to wait for the usual 5-year cycle. Early Post-TR should include a review of the faculty member’s accomplishments since they were last evaluated for tenure or a previous Post-TR, whichever was most recent. If the faculty member has a successful review, the next Post-TR will be five years from the voluntary Post-TR date. If the faculty member is unsuccessful, the 5-year Post-TR date remains in place.  

GCSU should follow existing processes to allow faculty the opportunity to pause the Post-TR timeline as listed below.

Academic administrators who hold faculty rank and are tenured at the institution aligned with an academic unit will receive an annual review by their appropriate supervisor and will undergo a comprehensive evaluation, including a 360° feedback assessment every five years.  See the Five-Year Review of Academic Administrators policy.

Pausing the Post-Tenure Review Period

Each faculty member must be assessed five years after the most recent promotion or personnel action, and reviews will continue at five‐year intervals unless interrupted by a successful voluntary post-tenure review, promotional review, or a prolonged leave of absence due to an FMLA qualifying event, in which case the post-tenure review will be paused accordingly. To request permission to pause the post-tenure period, the faculty member shall complete the Post-Tenure Review Period Pause form. Submission of the request must occur prior to end of the semester preceding the scheduled post-tenure review.

The Post-Tenure Review Period Pause form requires documentation of the FMLA leave (start and end dates, dates of leave taken) from Human Resources and a narrative explaining which professional activities were interrupted during their leave and how that had significantly impacted progress toward their post-tenure review. Faculty are not required to disclose the reason for their leave. Also on the form will be recommendations for approval or disapproval of the requested pause and a rationale from the department chair/director and dean/director. Lastly, the form will be reviewed by the provost and the resulting notification will be sent to the faculty member.

Procedures

The tenured faculty member will submit the Post-Tenure Review Period Pause form prior to end of the semester preceding the scheduled post-tenure review. The form will be routed through the department chair/director, the dean/director, and the provost. The following information will be submitted on the Post-Tenure Review Period Pause form which will be created upon implementation of this policy:

  • Faculty Member Name
  • Rank (Associate Professor or Professor)
  • College/Library
  • Department
  • Date of Appointment
  • Date of Tenure
  • Date of Last Review (tenure and promotion/post-tenure review)
  • Human Resources’ documentation of the FMLA leave (start date of FMLA, dates of leave taken, end date of FMLA)
  • Faculty Member’s narrative explaining which professional activities were interrupted during their leave and how that had significantly impacted progress toward their post-tenure review. Faculty are not required to disclose the reason for their leave.
  • Signature and date for Department Chair/Director Approval/Disapproval with Rationale
  • Signature and date for Dean/Director Approval/Disapproval with Rationale
  • Signature and date for Provost Approval/Disapproval

 

Post-Tenure Review Calendar

The following timeline outlines the stages for Post-TR. In the event that any of these dates falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline shall be the next day of university business. 

May 1

The Chief Academic Officer notifies the Post-TR candidate.

August 25

The Post-TR Committee shall be determined.

September 1

The Post-TR candidate submits the Post-TR portfolio.

September 22

The Post-TR candidate receives a decision from the Post-TR Committee.

November 1

The Post-TR candidate and immediate supervisor agree to terms of the Performance Improvement Plan, if applicable.

December 1

The immediate supervisor of the Post-TR candidate notifies the Chief Academic Officer and retains the Post-TR portfolio.


Notification

The Chief Academic Officer shall send a letter of notification to each tenured faculty member who is scheduled to undergo a Post-TR during the upcoming academic year in compliance with the Post-TR calendar. This letter of notification shall be copied to the Post-TR candidate’s immediate supervisor and dean. 

Materials Submitted by the Post-Tenure Review Candidate  

The Post-TR candidate shall submit a Post-TR portfolio to her/his immediate supervisor that includes the following: 1) a summary of major accomplishments achieved during the interval under review in the areas of teaching, research/creative/scholarly endeavors, student success activities, and service to the University, academic unit [college or library], department, profession, and community; 2) Annual reviews encompassing the previous five years for the 5-year span and copies of the documents supporting the annual review of faculty performance completed during the interval under review; 3) results obtained via student, Chair, or peer evaluations (normally included as part of 2); and 4) a current Curriculum Vitae. If appropriate, the Post-TR candidate may include letters from relevant individual(s) to provide the Post-TR committee with a description of special conditions within the department or academic unit that merit consideration. Contributions should be dated from previous tenure and promotion milestones and encompass the previous 5-year period. The immediate supervisor shall convey this portfolio to the Post-TR committee chair. At the conclusion of the Post-TR process, the Post-TR portfolio is returned to the supervisor of the Post-TR candidate by the chair of the Post-TR committee. The supervisor of the Post-TR candidate shall retain the Post-TR portfolio in the department files in compliance with the University System of Georgia Records Retention Schedule. 

Composition of the Post-TR Committee

The Post-TR committee shall consist of three tenured faculty members from within the Post-TR candidate’s department. The Post-TR candidate shall identify two members of the Post-TR committee, and the Post-TR candidate’s immediate supervisor selects the third member. The Post-TR candidate is permitted one preemptive challenge to the Post-TR committee member selected by the immediate supervisor. Faculty members with administrative contracts are ineligible to serve on the Post-TR committee. In the event that there is an insufficient number of tenured faculty from the Post-TR candidate’s department, tenured faculty from related departments at GC shall be selected.

Responsibilities of the Post-TR Committee

All members of a Post-TR committee shall practice circumspection when evaluating a colleague’s performance. The criteria used to review a Post-TR candidate must be consistent with the missions of the University, Academic Unit (College, Library), and Department, and the criteria must be consistent with the Post-TR candidate’s official assignments. The basic standard for appraisal shall be whether the Post-TR candidate discharges conscientiously and with professional competence the duties appropriately associated with their position. Post-TR should be flexible enough to acknowledge different expectations in different disciplines and changing expectations at different stages of a Post-TR candidate’s career. Observing confidentiality with respect to the results of Post-TR is an ethical responsibility of all members of the Post-TR committee. The Post-TR committee shall provide its report using the form(s) prescribed below. The Post-TR committee chair shall convey copies of the relevant form(s) to only the Post-TR candidate and their immediate supervisor.

Post-Tenure Review Committee Report  

The committee shall provide a written evaluation of the candidate’s performance, as well as a comprehensive rating using the common Likert scale for each area of Teaching, Scholarship, Service, Student Success, and Professional Development. Evaluation of Post-TR portfolios will utilize the common Likert scale and be documented using the Common Likert Form.  

If the candidate’s performance is rated as unsatisfactory (1 or a 2 on the common Likert Scale), the committee shall include suggestions for improvement and for possible remedial action to guide the development of a Performance Improvement Plan.  

The candidate’s immediate supervisor shall notify the Chief Academic Officer of the results of the review and place a copy within the candidate’s personnel file in the department. 

Discussion of the Results

The appropriate supervisor must meet with each faculty member to discuss the results of Post-TR. Each faculty member must receive a letter documenting the summary of the findings of the Post-TR. If in the event of an unsuccessful Post-TR the letter must also include next steps, due process rights, and the potential ramifications if the faculty member does not remediate or demonstrate substantive progress towards remediation in the areas identified as unsatisfactory (1 or a 2 on the common Likert Scale). The Post-TR committee chair, the immediate supervisor, and the Post-TR candidate must acknowledge receipt of the report by signing the Post-TR committee report. Signing the report does not represent acceptance of the Post-TR committee's conclusions by the Post-TR candidate. The faculty member can provide a written rebuttal that will be attached to the final document, however, no action is required by the appropriate supervisor.  

Appeal of the Results of Post-Tenure Review

The faculty member will have seven (7) calendar days after seeing the Post-TR Report to file the written appeal. The written appeal should specifically state the factual basis for the appeal and provide documentation to support that appeal. The appeal process would begin with the department chairperson or the immediate supervisor of the faculty member. If the matter cannot be resolved by a discussion between the faculty member and the chair, the faculty member could then appeal to the dean of the appropriate college. This appeal should be submitted to the dean with appropriate notice to the department chairperson or supervisor that the appeal is taking place. Upon receipt of an appeal from a faculty member, the dean will schedule conferences to discuss the appeal with (1) the appealing faculty member and (2) with the supervisor of that faculty member. The dean shall, within seven calendar (7) days, make a decision on the validity of the appeal and inform the faculty member and department chairperson whether the appeal has been upheld or denied.

Upon receipt of the decision of the dean, if the faculty member still is in disagreement with the decision, the faculty member may appeal to the Provost within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the dean's decision. The Provost checks to ensure that the process for the appeal was handled appropriately. Should the Provost determine that due process was not provided, they will refer the matter back to the college dean for resolution. The Provost shall conclude their review within seven (7) calendar days.  

Outcomes & Consequences of Post Tenure Review

The results of a positive Post-TR shall be linked to recognition or reward. Faculty members who are performing at noteworthy levels shall receive recognition for their achievements. 

In the event of a Post-TR that does not meet expectations or needs improvement, the faculty member’s appropriate supervisor(s) and faculty member will work together to develop a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in consultation with the Post-TR committee based around the deficiencies found by the committee. Consistent with the developmental intent of the Post-TR, the PIP must be designed to assist the faculty member in achieving progress towards remedying the deficiencies identified in the Post-TR. The PIP must contain clearly defined goals or outcomes, an outline of activities to be undertaken, a timetable, available resources and supports, and an agreed-upon monitoring strategy.   The PIP’s goals or outcomes must be reasonable, achievable with the timeframe, and reflect the essential duties of the faculty member.  The PIP must be approved by the Dean and submitted to GC’s Office of Academic Affairs. Formal meetings for assessing progress on the PIP should be scheduled no less than twice per semester during the fall and spring semesters.  

The assessment of the PIP will take the place of the annual review for the calendar year following the Post-TR. Failure to successfully remediate the identified deficiencies, or demonstrate substantive progress towards remediation, within one year subjects the faculty member to disciplinary actions up to and including, but not limited to, reallocation of effort, salary reduction, and tenure revocation and dismissal. The candidate will be able to appeal the final assessment of their PIP and the resulting remedial actions as outlined below.  

Due Process Following an Unsuccessful Post-Tenure Review or an Unsuccessful Corrective Post-Tenure Review

The Performance Improvement Plan will be assessed in place of the relevant year’s annual review. The candidate will submit an updated portfolio, including evidence of their progress on the Performance Improvement Plan, to a new Post-TR committee, which will submit an advisory report to the candidate’s chair and dean. This report will indicate whether, in the assessment of the committee, the candidate has made satisfactory progress, and if not, it will include recommendations on remediation. The committee shall provide reasons to explain its assessment and recommendation. If, after conducting a final review of appropriate materials, including the assessment of the new Post-TR committee, and allowing the faculty member an opportunity to be heard at the conclusion of the performance improvement plan, the department chair and dean determine that the faculty member has failed to make sufficient progress in performance as outlined in the performance improvement plan (or has refused to engage reasonably in the process), the department chair and dean will propose appropriate remedial action corresponding to the seriousness and nature of the faculty member’s deficiencies.   

Recommendations made by the Post-TR committee, department chair, dean, and others are added to the candidate’s portfolio as they are completed. In each stage of the process, an individual or committee that makes a recommendation must provide a rationale for that recommendation. At each stage of the process, the faculty member can submit updated materials or provide a written rebuttal that will be attached to the final document; however, no action is required in response. 

The faculty member has ten (10) calendar days from receiving the recommendation of the dean and department chair to request a second Post-TR committee review. If received within 10 calendar days, the request will be granted. Upon request to review the recommended action by the faculty member, further due process comprises the following steps noted below. If the faculty member does not request a review by the PTR committee, the Provost will make the final determination on remedial action.

  1. The second Post-TR committee will review the candidate’s portfolio, the performance improvement plan, and the recommendation(s) of the department chair and dean. The Post-TR committee may exercise its judgment as to whether an in-person hearing is necessary. The recommendation of the Post-TR committee may be based solely on a review of the record. The Post-TR committee will issue its recommendation to the Provost and the faculty member within twenty (20) calendar days of the request for review by the faculty member.  
  2. Within five (5) calendar days of receiving the portfolio, the performance improvement plan, and recommendation(s) from the Post-TR committee, the Provost shall send an official letter to the faculty member notifying them of the decision.

The Provost’s remedial action may include, but not be limited to, suspension of pay, salary reduction, revocation of tenure, and separation from employment. If the remedial action is separation from employment, and only in that case, the faculty member has the right to request a final faculty hearing for the purpose of confirming that due process was followed in reaching the decision of separation of employment. If the faculty member requests a formal hearing within five (5) calendar days of receiving the Provost’s official letter, the Provost will grant that request.

The following procedures will be followed for the final faculty hearing:

  1. If the institution does not have a final dismissal hearing committee as a standing committee of its faculty’s legislative body, a PTR final dismissal faculty hearing should be formed within five (5) calendar days of receiving the faculty member’s request and consist of not fewer than three, but not more than five, impartial faculty members appointed by Executive Committee of University Senate (ECUS), from among the members of the entire faculty of the institution. Members of the hearing committee may serve concurrently on other committees of the faculty. The hearing committee should elect a chair from its membership. The entire process of the hearing and written recommendation from the final hearing committee to the President must be completed within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the faculty member’s request for a hearing.
  2. The hearing committee will notify the faculty member recommended for dismissal in writing at least fifteen  (5) calendar days prior to the hearing.
  3. Prior to the hearing, the hearing committee will review all documentation relevant to the post-tenure review of the faculty member.
  4. During the hearing, the faculty member should have the opportunity to make a statement to the committee, respond to the documentation reviewed by the committee, and answer any questions from the committee.
  5. The President and the faculty member shall be notified in writing of the recommendation of the hearing committee within ten (10) calendar days of the hearing, whether that recommendation be dismissal or any penalty less than dismissal, providing supporting reasons.
  6. The President may or may not follow the recommendation of the committee, but, within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the recommendation, the President should notify the faculty member and the hearing committee regarding the decision and the supporting reasons. The President should also notify the faculty member of the discretionary review process as provided for in the Board of Regents Policy: BoR Policy 6.26 Application for Discretionary Review.
  7. If the remedial action taken by the President is dismissal, the semester during which a final decision is issued will be the last semester of employment in the faculty member’s current role, with the President outlining the faculty assignments to be completed prior to the dismissal date.

Corrective Post Tenure Review

A tenured faculty member evaluated as deficient (1 or a 2 on the common Likert Scale ) in any one of the elements of teaching, student success activities, research/scholarship, and/or service for two consecutive annual evaluations will participate in a corrective Post-TR. Note that the deficiency does not have to be in the same area; but could be a different area from one year to the next. This review will be initiated prior to the normally scheduled five-year review. The faculty member will follow GC's guidelines and procedures for post tenure review. If the outcome of the Corrective Post-TR is successful, the faculty member will reset the Post-TR clock.  If the outcome of a corrective Post-TR does not meet expectations or needs improvement, the same process for an unsuccessful Post-TR will be followed. The institution should follow appropriate due-process mechanisms for a faculty member to appeal a corrective Post-TR as outlined above.  

Forms/Materials

The following forms can be found on the MyGCSU Academic Affairs page (Evaluative Forms) under Tenure & Promotion Forms and Documents:
  • Post-Tenure Review form 1A (positive report)
  •  Post-Tenure Review form 1B (negative report)
  • Post-Tenure Review Optional Supplement to the Summary Report form 2
  • Post-Tenure Review form 3: Notification to CAO
  • Common Likert Form
  • Pausing the Post-Tenure Review Period

Updated October 10, 2023