ESS & Promotion – Academic Staff

Employment Security Status Procedures
*ESS only applies to academic staff whose salary is directly funded by the university’s general fund. Persons whose appointments are conditioned on subsidy may not hold ESS.

(Article XXI)

ESS: When a member of the academic staff receives employment security status, the terminal date of his/her appointment is eliminated. Academic staff with ESS can only be terminated for “just cause,” subject to the due-process protections of the grievance procedure. ESS must be earned by the end of the fifth year of full-time service.

Factors: The same criteria that are specified for the annual review apply to the attainment of ESS: primary consideration is given to job performance, with secondary attention given to professional achievement and service to the university and community. Scholarship can be considered only if the candidate so chooses. Each unit’s academic staff is to develop a factor statement specifying the particular measures of job performance and professional achievement relevant to the mission of that unit. Academic staff in each classification with at least three members may also develop a factor statement. The administration will either approve or give reasons for disapproving the factors. It is a joint process with input from both the academic staff and the administration.

Application: Academic staff who are eligible for ESS should ask for written application instructions at least six months but no more than twelve months prior to the individual’s fifth anniversary on the ESS clock. These instructions shall be provided by the dean/vice president/director within ten days of receipt of the written request.

Evaluation: In each college, school, or division, an elected peer committee of academic staff with ESS or tenure evaluates candidates and insures the proper application of criteria. A two-third’s affirmative vote is required for the committee’s recommendation to be forwarded to the dean/vice president together with the written assessments, supporting documents, and recommendations from each level of review (chairperson, director, or equivalent administrator and the department elected peer-group committee or academic staff members holding ESS or tenure).

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Appeal: Where the dean or vice president denies ESS despite the 2/3 affirmative vote of the college/division peer committee, the candidate can appeal the decision to the Provost within 15 days of written notice of denial.

Promotion Procedures
(Article XXIII)

Eligibility: Academic staff who have served a minimum of three years at their current rank are eligible for promotion to a higher ranking within their classification. This minimum can be waived at the recommendation of the dean/director and with the approval of the President’s office. For promotion to salary grade 3 or higher, the candidate must possess a master's degree.

Factors: The same criteria apply as with the Annual Review and Employment Security Status: primary consideration is given to job performance, with secondary attention given to professional achievement and service to the university and community. Scholarship can be considered only if the candidate so chooses. Each unit is to develop a factor statement specifying the particular measures of job performance and professional achievement relevant to the mission of that unit.

Application: The applicant requests from his/her administrator an application instruction packet that includes a list of materials required in the application and the order in which to assemble the application. The contract allows an individual to use the same packet of materials to apply for both promotion and ESS.

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Evaluation: An elected unit committee of academic staff holding ESS or tenure status shall evaluate candidates for promotion and insure the proper application of criteria; the appropriate dean/director or his/her designee will chair the committee without vote. A two-third’s affirmative vote is required for the committee’s recommendation to be forwarded to the dean/vice president. No member of the committee shall vote on a promotion recommendation to a rank higher than his/her current rank. The dean/vice president will forward both the committee’s recommendation and his/her recommendation to the President’s office. The President or his/her designee can seek the counsel of the elected university-wide academic staff committee for tenure and promotions, but must consult this committee when he/she has decided against promotion. If the committee by a two-thirds vote disagrees with the decision to deny promotion, its recommendation will be forwarded to the President for his/her consideration.

Appeal: Candidates for promotion can appeal a negative recommendation and appear before the unit promotion committee and/or dean/vice president/director, accompanied by an academic staff member holding tenure or ESS. If the negative recommendation is upheld, the candidate can forward his/her application for promotion directly to the President’s office.

Grievances: If the candidate and the union believe that a negative recommendation was based on violation of due-process or the candidate’s exercise of his/her constitutional rights, a Step One grievance can be filed. If the grievance goes to Step 2 and the arbitrator finds such violations occurred, the case will be submitted to the elected university-wide academic staff committee for tenure and promotions, and to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for their consideration and recommendation to the President. The President’s decision is final and not subject to further appeal or grievances.

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