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July 17, 1997
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| MEMO TO: | Deans, Directors and Department Heads | |
| FROM: | Paul S. Sypherd, Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost | |
| RE: | Appeals of P&T Decisions, Access to Files, Confidentiality |
It is University policy that faculty members who have received adverse rulings during the
promotion and tenure and continuing status process may have access to their files. The
protocol for
such review is attached to this memo. The Provost's Office begins redaction
of the faculty member's file for the appeal process when notice of the
appeal is received from the President's Office, and the appellant requests
access to his/her file. Although every attempt is made to protect confidentiality
of outside reviewers and students, protection of the confidentiality of
committee members and other participants within the institution is limited,
since the candidate may already know who the members of the committees are,
and, obviously, the administrators who have made decisions in the case.
When an appeal is litigated, any materials in the file are "discoverable," and
thus subject to scrutiny. In this case, confidentiality is further limited.
This office has established the following protocol to be used for appeals
of tenure, continuing status and/or promotion decisions:
In view of the present legal climate, faculty who serve on faculty status committees should be aware of qualifying factors which modify confidentiality. Since a candidate may scrutinize materials in his/her file as part of the appeal process, care should be taken that any written comments that will be a part of the file are as objective and factual as possible. PSS/jz
Promotion and Tenure |
Continuing Status and Promotion
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