Departmental Executive Committee

The departmental executive committee shall provide for the periodic review of the performance of every faculty member. Such reviews normally shall be conducted as part of the annual determination of recommendations for merit salary increments. Such reviews shall provide for a faculty member to be heard on his/her own case, if he/she wishes, and for the faculty member to be informed of the outcome of the review.

The departmental executive committee shall provide for the annual written evaluation of every probationary faculty member beginning with the second year of the initial appointment (FPP 7.05). In a year in which a renewal/promotion review (FPP 7.06) is being carried out, this evaluation shall normally be part of that review.

The functions of executive committees in review and evaluating faculty shall be performed in an impartial manner. Any member of an executive committee may at any time disqualify himself/herself from any review.

Policy on Review of Probationary Faculty

The departmental executive committee shall establish procedures for the guidance and annual evaluation of each probationary faculty member and for the review of probationary appointments (FPP 7.06). A written description of these procedures shall be filed with the relevant dean(s) and the Provost. This must include specification of the voting rules of the departmental executive committee. A copy of this description and the departmental and divisional executive committee criteria for the granting of tenure (FPP 7.14C and D) shall be given to each probationary faculty member at the time of his/her appointment.

Responsibility for developing annual evaluations shall be assigned to a committee made up of members of the departmental executive committee. The probationary faculty member shall be informed of the membership of his/her oversight committee. In the case of joint appointments, executive committees shall establish procedures to coordinate the annual evaluations of probationary faculty members. At least once each year, one or more members of the oversight committee and the department chair shall discuss with the probationary faculty member departmental and divisional committee expectations and his/her progress toward tenure. The oversight committee shall ensure that the probationary faculty member's file contains all materials relevant to effective evaluation including teaching evaluations and copies of publications.

Membership of the oversight committee may change from year to year at the discretion of the department. This policy allows either for separate guidance and oversight committees or for a single committee.

The oversight committee shall provide the departmental executive committee with an annual evaluation of the progress of the probationary faculty member. Following discussion of the evaluation by the executive committee, a written evaluation approved by the executive committee shall be given to the probationary faculty member. The probationary faculty member may respond to the evaluation in writing or may, upon request, address the executive committee regarding the evaluation.

Policy on Review of Tenured Faculty

The purpose of the review of tenured faculty is to assess periodically each faculty member's activities and performance, in accordance with the mission of the department, college, and institution in such a way as to determine that the faculty member is meeting his or her obligations to the University and the State of Wisconsin. The review is to be appropriately linked to the merit process, and "should not involve the creation of unnecessary additional bureaucracy." (Refer to Appendix 8-A, Faculty Document 1001b, for the entire policy, including criteria and procedures, on review of tenured faculty.)

Policy on Solicitation and Use of Student Evaluations of Instruction

Each department or comparable unit shall devise means of soliciting and reporting student evaluations that meet the informational requirements of its divisional executive committee for tenure purposes, and of its dean for retention, promotion, and merit increases. (Refer to Appendix 8-B, Faculty Document 258—available from the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty [262-3956] —for specifics.)

NOTE: The attorney general of the state of Wisconsin has determined that student evaluations of instruction are open records. Please contact the Office of Administrative Legal Services or the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty for additional information.