The Special Peer Review process is applicable to all tenured members of the faculty who have been on a continuous contract pursuant to Board of Regents Bylaws 4.4.3 for a period of three years or more. A faculty member shall not be subject to or eligible for a special peer review more than once every four years. This process is the one followed in a post-tenure review. The results of a Special Peer Review are advisory; when the process is invoked for a Post-Tenure Review, more serious consequences or administrative processes may result.
- A faculty member shall be reviewed in accordance with the Special Peer Review process in the following circumstances:
- A faculty member receives (after the third year of being on continuous contract) a written annual evaluation from the Director that identifies a substantial and chronic deficiency in the faculty member's performance and clearly states that if the faculty member does not make substantial, acceptable progress toward remedying the deficiency by the next annual evaluation, a post-tenure review will be initiated,
or - if a faculty member requests a review in accordance with the special peer review process,
or - if at the next annual review, the Director has determined that the substantial and chronic deficiency identified in the previous evaluation has not been remedied. In particular, if a tenured music or dance faculty member receives an “unacceptable” evaluation, indicating a substantial and chronic deficiency, for two consecutive years in the category of teaching or the category of research/creative activity, the Director will initiate a special peer review process that will be designated as a Post-Tenure Review process.
Upon recommendation of the Director and approval of the Dean, a faculty member subject to special peer review or post-tenure review may be exempted or deferred for review if there are clearly extenuating circumstances (such as health problems) and an alternative plan for addressing the problems is adopted.
- A faculty member receives (after the third year of being on continuous contract) a written annual evaluation from the Director that identifies a substantial and chronic deficiency in the faculty member's performance and clearly states that if the faculty member does not make substantial, acceptable progress toward remedying the deficiency by the next annual evaluation, a post-tenure review will be initiated,
- Procedure: The Special Peer Review process is an elaborate one and is spelled out in detail in the College By-Laws. In brief, a file of documentation is prepared and presented to a specially formed Review Committee of tenured faculty from within and outside the unit. After a period of review and consultation, the Committee makes a written report of its findings and recommendations. If the faculty member has requested the Special Peer Review, this report goes exclusively to the faculty member. If the process has been initiated by the Director, then the written report of the Review Committee shall be provided to the Director, the Dean, and the faculty member. If sanctions or other administrative processes are to follow from the report, an appeals process is available to the faculty member. Note that Special Peer Review is not a prerequisite for initiation of those sanctions or other administrative processes.