School of Social Welfare Post Tenure Review (PTR) Policy

The School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas conducts post-tenure review (PTR) in accordance with principles and policies recognized by the University, including those referencing academic freedom, tenure, due process, and confidentiality of personnel matters. As a professional school, PTR is also conducted in accordance with social work values as articulated in the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.

Conducted by the members of the School’s Promotion, Retention and Tenure (PRT) committee, who are elected by their tenured and tenure-track faculty colleagues, PTR provides a long-term assessment of a faculty member’s past accomplishments and future directions in teaching, scholarship, and service. This assessment is formative and developmental, and encourages professional vitality through collaborative discourse concerning the faculty member’s role in the School of Social Welfare and the University, as well as in the larger community, the field of social work, and social work education.

PTR promotes faculty development and achievement by recognizing contributions and accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, and service; addressing any areas of performance that may need improvement, and identifying support and resources needed to facilitate faculty success.

Post-tenure Review File

A confidential file is the basis for PTR in the School of Social Welfare. The faculty member submits a short narrative statement, current curriculum vitae, and list of additional activities not covered by the CV to the Promotion, Retention, and Tenure committee (henceforth called “PRT” or “the committee”). The narrative statement briefly outlines the faculty member’s goals for professional development and describes past accomplishments and future objectives relevant to those goals. The faculty member may also identify barriers to or resources needed for the accomplishment of these objectives. These materials are placed in the confidential PTR file. In addition, the Dean furnishes copies of the faculty member’s annual evaluation letters for the six-year period preceding PTR to the committee which are also placed in the confidential file.

Review Period

Faculty members will be reviewed by the School’s PRT committee once every seven years following the receipt of tenure. The period is restarted if a faculty member is considered for promotion or awarded a distinguished professorship. The time period during which a faculty member is on medical or familial leave or that would otherwise be excluded when computing time in rank does not count toward this period. In addition, time serving as dean or associate dean is excluded. The review will be postponed for faculty members who are serving as dean or associate dean until they are no longer serving in those roles. PTRs scheduled during an academic year when faculty members are on leave, taking Sabbaticals, or serving in Keeler Intra-University Professorships will also be postponed until the following academic year. Faculty members on phased retirement or whose retirement date has been approved by the university will be exempt from review under this policy. The Dean of the School of Social Welfare will notify faculty members scheduled for post-tenure review no later than March 15 of the year before the academic year of review.

Relation to Annual Evaluation

In the School of Social Welfare, PTR supplements but is a process separate from annual merit evaluations conducted by the Dean with all tenured and tenure-track faculty members. A copy of the PRT committee’s PTR is forwarded to the Dean prior to the faculty member’s annual merit evaluation. The PTR is incorporated in the documentation pertaining to the annual merit evaluation, and is included in the faculty member’s evaluation file.

Articulation of School Expectations

In view of the many different kinds of contributions made by faculty members over the course of their careers, the School of Social Welfare’s expectations take into account the variability of faculty interests, activities, and strengths. With this flexibility as a foundation, faculty members with tenure are expected to continue to engage in substantial productive activity in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. The School’s expectations for post-tenure review are consistent with established criteria for faculty performance as indicated in work load agreements and documented in the faculty member’s narrative statement, with an overall level of productivity commensurate with the period of review.

Both teaching and scholarship are given primary consideration in PTR. Service is also expected of every individual, and its nature and extent may vary widely. PTR primarily focuses on contributions in the prior six years, but also takes into account a faculty member’s contributions over time. It should be the aim of evaluators at every level to ensure that the total contributions of the faculty member to the University are properly recognized.

Criteria for Meeting Expectations in Teaching. The ability of faculty members to engage competently in the teaching/learning process is highly valued in the School of Social Welfare. Teaching is evaluated yearly as part of the annual merit review process.

Committee evaluation of quality of teaching and educational activity will be based on multiple sources of input, including content on contributions related to teaching and curriculum development through curriculum committee service as documented in the faculty member’s brief narrative statement and CV that are part of the PTR file.
 
Student evaluation scores will be examined to determine if there is a general trend of competence in teaching over time. Student evaluations of teaching will also be compared to School-wide averages and University averages by level of instruction.

Criteria for Meeting Expectations in Scholarship/Research. Scholarship and inquiry in a mission-oriented profession such as social work involves a variety of paths. The root idea of scholarship is to make new and distinctive contributions to a particular field of interest. The publication of scholarly work makes open and visible the individual's capacity to think, to formulate, and to communicate. Examples of scholarship are defined in the School’s Promotion and Tenure Policy.

The expectations for scholarship are consistent with faculty performance criteria as articulated in other School policies regarding faculty review, with a general expectation for an overall level of productivity commensurate with negotiated workloads and annual merit reviews.

In applying our PTR criteria, the committee will assess the quality as well as the quantity of the faculty member’s scholarship. Faculty members are encouraged to excel in both quantity and quality of publications consistent with their workload agreements.

While not required of any faculty member, research and scholarship which is supported through external funding is encouraged and recognized through PTR.

Criteria for Meeting Expectations in Service. The committee values the service activities of faculty members on behalf of the School, the University, the profession of social work, and the larger community. We favorably evaluate service at various levels, and look for evidence of regional, national, and international service as academic careers evolve.

Paid practice of any kind, be it direct service, consultation, teaching, speaking (except for a token honorarium) cannot be counted as service since, although it makes a professional contribution, it is already being rewarded through payment whereas the concept of service here includes personal donation or contribution.

Composition of Review Committee

Post-tenure review is conducted by the PRT committee which shall be elected by the faculty as described in the school’s governance document. To prevent conflict of interest, no faculty member scheduled for PTR in a given academic year or whose spouse or partner is scheduled for PTR shall serve as a member of the PRT committee during that year. Other procedures for preventing conflicts of interest are described in the School’s Promotion and Tenure Policy.

Committee Review

In a confidential process, the committee considers the faculty member’s accomplishments and objectives as reflected in the PTR file in light of the School’s expectations and assesses whether the faculty member’s performance in teaching, scholarship, and service over the previous six years exceeds expectations, meets expectations, or fails to meet expectations as indicated in work load agreements and documented in the faculty member’s narrative statement.

In PTR, the committee takes into account an individual faculty member’s responsibilities and, when applicable, differential allocation of effort. Given the special obligations of the School of Social Welfare to serve the profession, the social work community, and the public as well as the School and University, contributions by faculty members may vary considerably and an individual faculty member may meet his or her obligations in different ways over time. PTR in the School of Social welfare recognizes that faculty members make many different kinds of essential contributions to the School’s mission and that of the University; faculty members’ activities and contributions are likely to vary over time; and innovative work may take time to reach fruition and may sometimes fail.

Although one significant goal of PTR is to provide feedback that will assist associate professors in advancing to full professor, faculty members may meet or exceed expectations without qualifying for promotion to full professor due to the variety and extent of a faculty member's contributions over time.

Committee Report

The committee prepares a brief and concise report for inclusion in the PTR file. The committee’s report summarizes its findings and assessment (exceeds expectations, meets expectations, fails to meet expectations) regarding the faculty member’s productivity and contributions in each area of responsibility during the review period; and includes acknowledgement of contributions. The report also includes and recommendations for future academic career development if the faculty member fails to meet expectations. The faculty member is given a copy of the report and may submit a written response for inclusion in the PTR file before it is forwarded to the Dean.

Review by the Dean

The PTR file, including the faculty member’s response, if any, is forwarded by the committee to the Dean. If the Dean agrees with the report, he or she will indicate that agreement in writing to the faculty member and place a copy in the PTR file. If the Dean disagrees with the committee’s evaluation, he or she shall explain the reasons for any disagreement in writing with a copy to the faculty member and the committee. The Dean may request that the committee provide additional information or reconsider the review. If the Dean disagrees with a positive evaluation by the Committee, the faculty member may submit a written response to be included in the PTR file.

The Dean discusses the review with the faculty member as part of, or in conjunction with, the annual evaluation process. This discussion concentrates on the future professional development of the faculty member with an aim toward enhancing meritorious work and improving less satisfactory performance, including adoption of a performance improvement plan, if necessary. Any action on the review that is within the scope of the Faculty Evaluation Policy will be taken pursuant to that policy (see Provost Office policy library). A recommendation for dismissal cannot follow from PTR.

Appeals

Following the completion of review by the Dean, if a disagreement between the committee and Dean cannot be resolved or if the faculty member wishes to appeal an evaluation of “fails to meet expectations” in any category, the matter is handled as an appeal under the Faculty Evaluation Policy.

Report to the Provost

The Dean will provide a summary of the results in the School and copies of the PTR file to the Provost. The PTR file will be placed in the faculty member’s personnel file.