FP104 & FP103 Implementation Plan
The revision of FP103 - Faculty Performance Review and FP104 - Awarding Promotion, Tenure, and Mulit-year Appointments has necessitated an implementation plan to operationalize the changes during the 2023-24 academic year. This plan includes sections that articulate a set of guidelines and the processes steps and dates to enact the changes outlined in the policies. The implementation plan is meant as a supplemental guidance to operationalize the policies, not as a replacement to either of the policies and their guidance.
Each section includes a timeline. Timelines may change due to unforeseen circumstances. If changes are made, the Office of the Provost will notify the NLU community of the change and its rationale.
Implementation Plan Principles
- Policy Alignment - Implementation plans and attending guidance will be consistent with approved policies.
- No harm – Any change will not harm a person’s ability to achieve promotion, tenure, or a multi-year appointment.
- Collaborative – Colleges or Units will conduct a collaborative process for assigning faculty to tracks to ensure individual situations are considered. Faculty will have a voice in their track assignment.
- Shared Governance – IPTRC and Academic Cabinet will collaborate on the implementation plan.
- Inclusion – Faculty will be able to provide their thoughts and concerns about the implementation plan, which will be considered by IPTRC and Academic Cabinet
Appointing Non-tenure Faculty to Professional Practice/Teaching Track
Guidelines
- Tenure track faculty will remain on the Tenure track unless a faculty member requests an appointment to either the Teaching track or Professional Practice track.
- The Office of the Provost recommends that faculty without a terminal degree be appointed to the Teaching track - this appointment provides the most upside for promotion.
- Faculty holding a terminal degree will be appointed to the Teaching track or Professional Practice.
- Faculty discuss the track appointment and previous work with their supervisor to determine the track that best represents their focus and contribution to the University to date.
- In some cases, a faculty member might not have evidence of work supporting a Professional Practice track appointment but the faculty and their Dean/Unit Leader are refocusing the faculty member’s priorities.
- The definitions of each track are detailed in FP104 but copied below for convenience.
Professional Practice Track - Professional Practice track faculty engage in teaching excellence; service; and thought leadership (leadership and demonstrated expertise in one’s professional practice and/or clinical practice). Once faculty demonstrate ongoing and consistent contributions in all areas of performance, faculty may be promoted in rank and also awarded multi-year appointments (this track does not award continuous employment).
Teaching Track - Teaching track faculty engage in teaching excellence and service to the University. In some circumstances, they have the opportunity to contribute to thought leadership. Once faculty demonstrate ongoing and consistent contributions in all areas of performance, faculty may be promoted in rank and also awarded multi-year appointments (this track does not award continuous employment).
Office of the Provost - Collaborate with deans to approve the track assignments
Academic Unit Leader/Chair/Dean - Collaborate with faculty and provide a rationale for faculty track assignments to Provost
Faculty - Advocate for track assignment based on past and/or future accomplishments and outcomes
- September - March 15, 2024 - Faculty and Deans’ Offices engage in conversations to determine non-tenure faculty track appointments.
- March 15, 2024 - Dean's Offices submit track appointments to Provost's Office.
- March 15 - April 1, 2024 - Provost’s Office and Dean’s Office discuss track appointments for each college.
- April 1 - May 1, 2024 - Faculty appointments are confirmed with the faculty.
- Any faculty member not satisfied with their track appointment can file a petition to be considered for the Teaching or Professional Practice track.
- Email to Provost Office stating their intent to file a petition by May 15, 2024.
- A petition including a rationale for appointment to either the Teaching or Professional Practice track (no longer than 1000 words) plus evidence supporting the rationale is due June 1, 2024.
- Petitions will be considered by the Dean, Provost, and President and will include a meeting with the faculty member to discuss the rationale.
- The Dean, Provost, and President's decision is final.
- July 1, 2024 - Faculty receive a letter of appointment (LOA) with their new faculty appointment.
Awarding Multi-year Appointments
- AY2023-24 Letters of Appointment (LOAs) will use current policy guidelines for multi-year appointments - 2 and 3 years appointments. The 3 and 5-year appointment model will begin AY2024-25.
- AY2024-25 Letters of Appointment (LOAs) issued on July 1, 2024 articulate the new or renewed multi-year appointment and its duration or the remaining years of a current multi-year appointment.
- Instructors or Assistant Professors currently on a 2-year appointment will be considered for a 3-year appointment.
- Associate Professors and Professors currently on a 2-year or 3-year appointment will be considered for a 5-year appointment if they are in their 2nd or 3rd year of that appointment. If they are in their first year - they received their 3-year appointment on July 1, 2023 - they will be considered for a 5-year appointment during AY2024-25.
- FP104’s articulated eligibility criteria and approval process will be used to guide the award of multi-year appointments.
- A previous multi-year appointment does not guarantee a future multi-year appointment.
- Any non-renewal or termination will use the newly approved FP104 policy.
Office of the Provost - Administer the process and provide training for faculty and supervisors
Academic Unit Leader/Dean or Chair/Supervisor - Provide written feedback to faculty and host 1:1 feedback and next year planning conversations
Faculty - Complete written self-evaluation and participate in 1:1 feedback and planning conversation with supervisor
- January 1, 2024 - University alerts any terminated or non-renewed faculty who have been employed by the University for 2 or more years.
- March 1, 2024 - University alerts any terminated or non-renewed faculty who have been employed by the University for fewer than 2 years.
- March - April 30 - Supervisors and faculty discuss multi-year appointments.
- May 1 - Academic Unit leaders submit submits the college’s multi-year appointments to the Provost Office.
- May 1 - May 30 - Academic Unit leaders and the Provost's Office discuss multi-year appointments.
- June 1, 2024 - Provost Office approves multi-year appointments.
- June 2024 - Academic Unit leaders communicate multi-year appointments to faculty.
- July 1, 2024 - Faculty receive a letter of appointment (LOA) with their annual or multi-year appointment.
AY2023-24 Faculty Performance Evaluation (FPE)
- AY2023-24 Faculty Performance Evaluations (FPE) will be conducted using faculty appointments articulated in the July 1, 2023 letter of appointment (LOA) and goals set during the AY2022-23 FPE cycle.
- AY2024-25 will feature the faculty’s appointment articulated in the July 1, 2024 letter of appointment (LOA).
- Faculty set goals for AY2024-25 using their May 2024 track appointment.
- If a faculty files a petition, they are required to update their AY2024-25 goals after the outcome of their petition.
- Cadence articulated in FP103 will be used starting AY2023-24.
- Associate Professors will not be reviewed AY2023-24, although they will meet with their supervisor to set goals and load plan by June 30, 2024. Associate Professors will be reviewed during the AY2024-25 cycle.
- Professors will not be reviewed AY2023-24 or AY2024-25 although they will meet with their supervisor to set goals and load plan by June 30, 2024 and 2025, respectively. Professors will be reviewed during the AY2025-26 cycle.
Office of the Provost - Administer the process and provide training for faculty and supervisors
Academic Unit Leader/Dean or Chair/Supervisor - Provide written feedback to faculty and host 1:1 feedback and next year planning conversations
Faculty - Complete written self-evaluation and participate in 1:1 feedback and planning conversation with supervisor
- February - March 2024 - Dean's Office provides Provost Office with faculty performance evaluation pairings for the AY2023-24 cycle.
- April 1, 2024 - Provost Office releases instrument and SharePoint folders for AY2023-24 faculty performance evaluations (FPE).
- April 15, 2024 - Faculty and their reviewers schedule their individual timelines and meetings.
- April 15 - June 14, 2024 - Faculty engage in FPE including goal setting and load planning for AY2024-25.
- Faculty will set goals and load plan for their new track appointment.
- June 14, 2024 - Faculty FPEs complete and uploaded to SharePoint.
AY2023-24 Promotion Process
- During AY2022-23 FPE cycle, supervisors are encouraged to engage in conversations with faculty about their promotion timeline.
- Years in rank eligibility will start with AY2023-24 promotion cycle, meaning any faculty member intending to apply for promotion during AY2023-24 will need to meet the years in rank articulated in revised FP104
- Given that faculty have not been appointed to a track, non-tenure track faculty will follow the years in rank for Teaching and Professional Practice track and Tenure track will follow the Tenure track years in rank.
- The new FP104 promotion criteria will be used to evaluate promotion applicants.
- The Provost Office and IPTRC are collaborating on a promotion evaluation tool, which will be made available to faculty by July 1, 2023.
- The promotion evaluation tool will be used by all stakeholders including deans, college committees, IPTRC, Provost, President, and Board of Trustees when evaluating promotion dossiers.
- Promotion dossiers should use evidence of faculty accomplishments that advance the University’s mission and values to argue for the faculty member’s promotion to the subsequent rank.
Board of Trustees - Approve promotion and tenure applicants
President - Provide written recommendations to Board of Trustee on promotion and tenure applicants.
Provost - Provide written recommendations to President on promotion and tenure applicants.
Office of the Provost - Administer the process and provide dossier completion support to faculty applying for promotion and/or tenure
IPTRC - Provide written recommendations to Provost on promotion and tenure applicants.
College Promotion and Tenure Committees - Provide written recommendations on promotion and tenure applicants.
Academic Unit Leader/Dean - Provide written recommendations on promotion and tenure applications
Faculty - Complete promotion and/or tenure dossier to support their application for promotion and/or tenure
- June 2023 - Provost Office solicits candidates for promotion.
- June 15 - Provost’s Office and IPTRC co-host Q&A about the promotion process.
- July 1, 2023 - Faculty intending to apply for promotion during AY2023-24 use the online form to alert their Dean’s Office and Provost’s Office.
- July 1 - October 1, 2023 - Provost’s Office and IPTRC co-host promotion support workshops for promotion cohort.
- October 1, 2023 - Faculty submit their dossier via SharePoint to be considered for promotion.
- November 1, 2023 - Academic Unit leaders submit letters of recommendation to the Provost, who makes the Dean’s letter and all internal and external letters available to the College and Institutional Promotion Committee members for review.
- December 1, 2023 - College committees (CPTC) complete their review of all candidate dossiers and submit formal written recommendations to the Provost, who makes them available to IPTRC.
- February 15, 2023 - IPTRC completes its review of all candidate dossiers and college committee recommendations and submits its formal written recommendations to the Provost.
- March 15, 2023 - The Provost reviews files and may consult the college dean and/or committees for clarification.
- April 1, 2023 - The Provost submits their recommendation and brief rationale on each candidate to the President. The President reviews and, with the Provost, prepares their written recommendation for each candidate for the Board of Trustees.
- June 30, 2023 - The Board of Trustees acts on the recommendations submitted.
Operationalizing Terminal Degree Salary Increase
The salary increase pertains to faculty earning a terminal degree on or after the revised FP104 takes effect - July 1, 2023. Faculty who earn a terminal degree, as defined in FP104, while employed at NLU will receive a $1000 salary increase, which will be retroactive to the date the terminal degree was conferred. The steps must be initiated by the faculty within the calendar year that the terminal degree was earned, otherwise, the University will not retroactive the salary but start the increase on the next July 1. Earned terminal degrees when employed that are conditions of employment and stated as such upon hire are not eligible for the salary increase.
- Faculty member emails the Provost Office (Provosts.Office@nl.edu) to alert them of the earned terminal degree.
- Provost Office responds to the faculty email and instructor the faculty member to have the conferring University send an official transcript of the doctorial degree.
- After receiving the transcript, the Provost Office ensures that terminal degree meets FP104 definition.
- If the terminal degree does not meet FP104 definition, the Provost Office responds to faculty member to alert them that their degree is not recognized as a terminal degree by the University.
- Provost Office alerts payroll that the faculty member should receive $1000 salary increase, and if within the calendar year that the terminal degree was earned, the increase is retroactive to the conferred date on the official transcript otherwise the salary increase will start on the next July 1.
- Provost Office alerts faculty member when the salary increase will begin.
Supplemental FAQ: Track Selection
During the feedback sessions with faculty, questions arose about track selection. As a reminder, a web page with information about the changes to FP104, including information about the tracks, was created during AY 2022-23. Below are additional FAQs related to track appointments that came up during college conversations on the thought leadership indicators and thresholds.
If people make changes in their track appointments (switching from professional practice to teaching practice), would this result in any salary reduction or increase? Similarly, would staying in professional practice result in salary increase or reduction?
A: Choosing the Teaching or Professional Practice track will not impact one’s salary. One’s salary will stay the same regardless of their track selection.
Can you be a full professor in the teaching track if you have a doctorate?
A: A faculty member can achieve the Professor rank on the Teaching track with or without a terminal degree.
What is the expected contract length for each track? Adjustments to salary?
A: The track appointment does not affect a faculty contract duration. All tracks can have the ability to have the following working months during the year: 10-month, 11-month, or 12-month, as well as multi-year appointments.
Will the contracts for teaching track faculty members remain the same (10-month)? Or will it be a 12-month contract? If so, will there be a salary adjustment?
A: The track appointment does not affect a faculty contract duration. All tracks can have the ability to have the following working months during the year: 10-month, 11-month, or 12-month, as well as multi-year appointments.
Are faculty evaluated on the criteria/thresholds in force when they were hired? What would be the process for making changes to criteria/thresholds, and would these be applied to only new hires? (In other words, what is the grandfathering process?) More specifically, if I go up for promotion in three years, will I adhere to the old standards or the new? Or if I want to go up for promotion, should I do it sooner if I want to be under the old standards?
A: An implementation timeline is being developed. The starting point for using the indicators in the FPE process won’t be earlier than the 2025-26 academic year. The implementation timeline for the thresholds will allow all faculty ample time to incorporate them into their planning and work and will also allow for the development of further supports for faculty to enact and disseminate thought leadership, such as workshops and mentor networks. These will be coordinated by the Provost’s Faculty Support team.
While the thresholds won’t be applied immediately, we would like to have them finalized by March 1, 2024 so that they can inform faculty who are selecting tracks in March 2024.
Once current faculty make a decision, is there any fluidity between tracks?
A: Although track changing might be recommended for some faculty during their career at the University, track changing will not be a frequent occurrence and tracking changing will not happen multiple times for a single faculty member.
Current track definitions suggest that the teaching track teaching load will be 24 SH. Would this be a permanent expectation in terms of teaching load? Would the administration increase the course load expectations going forward?
A: All faculty will have a baseload of 27 semester hours and that load will be allocated across the following domains: Teaching Excellence, Service, Thought Leadership, and Academic Administration. Teaching track faculty will not regularly allocate load to Thought Leadership, so typically, faculty on this track will allocate load to Teaching and Service. The typical annual allocation of load for Teaching track will be 24 semester hours of teaching excellence and 3 semester hours of service, and there has not been discussions to increase the load (i.e. 27 hours) for faculty appointed to the Teaching track or any track.
Performance Evaluation Support
For resources to support you as you prepare for your Faculty Performance Evaluation (FPE), please use the button below to view guides, templates, and timelines for the FPE process.
Promotion and Tenure Support
For resources to support you on your Promotion and Tenure journey, please use the button below to view guides, templates, and timelines for the Promotion and Tenure process.
Submit Your Feedback
Please use the survey below to anonymously share your questions or comments regarding the changes to Faculty Policy 104. The survey also provides a space to share thoughts on implementation.
