Assistant professor of sociology Margo Ramlal-Nankoe’s threat to sue the college because she was denied tenure has sparked debate about what factors play into the tenure evaluation process.

Susanne Morgan, associate professor and coordinator of faculty development activities, said members of the campus community often do not understand the process that occurs before a decision is made.

“Not only do students not understand what happens with tenure, but faculty don’t either because faculty is turning over so quickly,” she said.

All tenure decisions go through several levels, two of which are reviews by faculty peers, students and alumni. The sometimes six-year process begins the day a faculty member signs his or her original employment contract.

Susan Engelkemeyer, the dean of the School of Business, said she and other deans on campus follow similar policies when reviewing for tenure. She said she advises faculty to get a head start on the process once they decide to apply.

“In my own experience, you end up scrambling,” she said. “The best practice would be to start compiling the first day.”

Faculty members that are “up” for tenure inform the dean of their school so the dean can begin the process on the administrative side. In the August they are eligible for tenure, applicants are expected to submit one to three binders of evidence that support their teaching, scholarship, and service.

Included in a professor’s application are a 10-page essay, course materials and personal reflections. All student evaluations from all semesters of a professor’s probationary period or equivalent period when not in a tenure-eligible position are reviewed. A professor also includes letters from academic peers concerning scholarly activity and from alumni concerning teaching. Professors solicit the alumni and peer recommendations but may not see them. However, they may see student evaluations.

When the applications are complete, they are first reviewed by all tenured faculty members in their respective department. In the end, they vote and make recommendations about whether the applicant is suited for tenure.

The file is next given to the department chair if required by department procedures. After making a review, the department chair gives the binder to the dean of the their school.

Engelkemeyer said when she is reviewing an applicant and has a question or concern, she will contact people directly. She said she gives them a chance to clarify certain things in the file.

“I just can’t make a judgment, particularly a negative judgment, if I haven’t talked to them about my concerns,” she said.

After the deans make their recommendations, the All-College Tenure and Promotion Committee, which is made up of select tenured faculty from all five schools, begins its review.

Morgan said the committee decides whether the information in the file displays the person’s eligibility for a tenure position.

“The role of the committee is to answer the question ‘Does the evidence in this file support the recommendation[s]?’” she said.

She said often recommendations in a file do not agree. In this case the committee will ask to speak to faculty who wrote recommendations to better understand discrepancies.

After the committee votes, the provost is the next person to review the tenure applicant. Provost Kathleen Rountree said she reviews applicants by requirements in the College Faculty Handbook.

“To earn tenure, a faculty member must possess the appropriate terminal degree, have a sustained record of teaching excellence, have evidence of significant scholarly or appropriate professional attainment and promise of continued scholarly or appropriate professional development,” she said.

After the provost’s review it is given to the college president for recommendation. The Board of Trustees is the final entity that reviews an application and approves or disapproves tenure.

Morgan said the amount of review that goes into the process is the reason the eight-to-10 month process is so long. She said the tenure procedure is oriented toward the applicant because there are many chances to appeal and clarify.

At any time during this process the applicant is allowed to appeal on accounts of procedural errors. A separate committee then forms to review the appeal. This could delay the process for a couple of weeks.

If a faculty member disagrees with the reasons for not getting tenure he or she can appeal the decision with a lawsuit. Engelkemeyer said a lawsuit could come naturally if applicants feel they have been wronged.

Rountree said the college places a “special emphasis” on teaching, and student evaluations are one of the many parts that document this.

Sometimes the review process deters applicants’ chances of not getting tenure because of office politics, Rountree said.

“Multiple layers of review are designed to ensure that the opinion of a single person is not a determining factor,” she said.