Presidential
Advisory Committee of
Proposal 20-05
(Voting Units:
Academic Senators)
Transfer of Tenure and Rank Between
Academic Units
Background: Faculty tenure at
Michigan Tech is based in the University and not in a particular academic unit. However, a faculty member needs a designated
home department for administrative purposes. At times, it may be in the best interests of a
faculty member or the University for the faculty member to transfer to another
academic unit in the University. At other times, a transfer may be mandated due
to elimination, consolidation, or creation of academic units. This proposal describes
the central principles associated with the transfer of tenured faculty between
academic units and provides procedures for transfers voluntarily initiated by a
faculty members and for transfers mandated from elimination, consolidation, or
creation of academic units.
Principles
1.
Faculty tenure and rank are based in the university and not
in a particular academic unit. Under no circumstances may a faculty member be
asked to give up tenure or rank before moving to another academic unit or
administrative assignment.
2.
All affected parties must have an opportunity to provide
input into the process of arranging transfers between academic units before a transfer
occurs.
3.
The faculty in the gaining academic unit faculty must provide
input on the acceptability of transfers to its unit.
4.
Deans must work with faculty members desiring to transfer to
other academic units or facing transfer due to the elimination, consolidation
or creation of new academic units.
5.
Any plan to eliminate, consolidate, or create academic units
must indicate where affected tenure and tenure-track faculty members are
proposed to be affiliated.
6.
In the event of transfer due to the elimination,
consolidation, or creation of new academic units, the Provost must resolve any disputes
following a good-faith effort to find a satisfactory solution.
Procedure for a transfer voluntarily
initiated by a faculty member
1.
The responsibility for implementing this procedure is
delegated to the dean of the college in which the tenured faculty member’s
home department currently resides. In case of schools, the provost will appoint
a facilitator who is a person with academic rank. For the remainder of this procedure,
the facilitator refers to the appointed person or the dean of college.
2.
A copy of this procedure will be given to the transferring
faculty member and to department chairs and school deans of the losing and
gaining academic units.
3.
A faculty member requesting a transfer must make a written request
to the dean of his/her current college or school. This request must provide reasons
for his/her transfer, describe how the transfer will benefit the faculty member
and the gaining academic unit, and how it may affect the losing unit.
4.
The facilitator will meet with the faculty member to discuss
the voluntary request for transfer to one or more academic units.
5.
The facilitator will request the gaining unit supervisor to
arrange for a visit of the transfering faculty member to the unit.
6.
Each unit charter must describe the process of accepting a
transferring faculty member in its unit.
7.
If the gaining academic unit declines to accept the
transferring faculty member, the matter is settled. The faculty member may
reapply to the same academic unit under this procedure after 12 months have
passed or to another academic unit after six months have passed.
8.
If the gaining unit recommends acceptance of the
transferring faculty member, then the facilitator will discuss transfer
arrangement with the losing academic unit. The dean’s approval of transfer will be
authoritative for transfers within a College,. Both deans must approve for
transfers between Colleges/Schools. It
is recommended that the transfering faculty member spend one academic year with
shared duties in the losing and gaining academic units before making the
decision final.
9.
The facilitator will inform all parties of the final decision.
All documents related to this transfer process will be forwarded to the Provost’s
office where the records will be maintained.
Procedure for mandatory transfers due to elimination,
consolidation, or creation of academic units
1.
The responsibility
for implementing this procedure is delegated to the dean of the college in
which the tenured faculty member’s home department currently resides or, in the
case of schools, to a facilitator who is a person with academic rank. For the
remainder of this proposal, the facilitator refers to the appointed person or
the dean of college.
2.
The faculty member facing mandatory transfer must be
informed of the proposed transfer in writing in a timely manner.
3.
A copy of this procedure will be given to the transferring
faculty member, department chairs and school deans of the losing and gaining
academic units.
4.
The facilitator shall meet with the transferring faculty
member to identify the academic unit(s) where he/she can contribute. Potential administrative appointments may also
be discussed at this stage. The facilitator and the transferring faculty member
will agree upon list of potential receiving units, which the facilitator will
maintain. The faculty member can request additional units for consideration at
a later date by a written memo to the facilitator.
5.
The facilitator will ask department chairs/school deans of
the potential receiving units to arrange arrange a visit of the transfering
faculty member to their units. The purpose of the visit is to seek as well as
to provide information about teaching and research areas in which the potential
transferring faculty member can contribute.
6.
Each unit charter must describe the process of accepting a
transferring faculty member in its unit.
Each charter must also include a provision that allows the unit’s qualified
faculty (as defined in its charter) to provide a written description to the
unit’s supervisor of the transfering faculty member’s potential contributions
in education, scholarship, and service to the unit. A copy of this description
and any relevant documentation will be provided to the facilitator.
7.
The unit supervisor
will then write a memo to the facilitator that addresses the suitability of the
transfer to the unit’s functions, possibilities of an administrative appointment
(e.g., student counselor, learning center supervisor), if appropiate, and any
resource issues associated with the transfer. This memo as well as the
faculty’s descrption will become part of the transfering faculty member’s procedural
dossier.
8.
After all visits to
the various units are completed, the facilitator will arrange another meeting
with the transferring faculty member to discuss potential appointments. This
appointment could be in a single unit or joint appointments in more than unit.
9.
The affected faculty member will then write a memo to the
facilitator than identifies his/her choice of an appointment in single or
multiple academic units and prioritizes various appointment possibilities. The
memo becomes part this procedural dossier.
10. After receiving the memo,
the facilitator will discuss part time or full time appointment of the affected
faculty member with the supervisor(s) of the losing and gaining units. The unit
supervisor(s) can add additional material to the dossier at this time. The facilitator will attempt to resolve any
outstanding issues in a timely manner.
The facilitator will then forward the transfering faculty member’s
entire dossier to the Provost along with his/her recommendation regarding the
placement of the transferring faculty member
11. In case of conflicting
recommendations, the Provost may establish an ad hoc process to resolve the
conflicts within thirty days. If no resolution can be found, the Provost shall
determine the new home for the affected faculty member. The Provost’s decision shall be be binding.
12. The Provost’s office shall
maintain the final record of transfer decision.