The Joint Promotion Committee (JPC) via the Provost’s Office shall publicize the procedures that it employs via email and in the UWL Events Calendar prior to the submission deadline for promotion files.

General Principles

JPC is comprised of 12 full professors plus the four academic Deans and the Provost. The first committee meeting of the academic year will be convened by the Provost. The committee will elect its chair. The Office of the Provost shall provide support for the chair and coordinate all activities related to the promotion process.

Once the portfolio has been forwarded to the Dean, it is closed and cannot be modified.  This does not, however, preclude clarification of material in the portfolio at the Presentation and Discussion Meeting, Reconsideration Meeting, or Appeal Meeting.

In order for a JPC member to be eligible to vote on a candidate at the conclusion of any of the three meetings (presentation, reconsideration or appeals), the JPC member must be physically present at the meeting or participate in the entire meeting via conference call. JPC members absent from any of these three meetings may not submit written statements about candidates under consideration.

 Absolute confidentiality related to written or oral comments, preliminary evaluations, and voting summaries and deliberations in closed session is to be maintained by every member of the JPC. 

The chair is the only spokesperson for the actions of the JPC.

Each JPC member agrees to respect a diverse, informed, and professional subjectivity on the part of all other members of the JPC.

Each JPC member submits the following feedback:

1. Preliminary Ratings: A set of ratings of the candidates using a 0-6 scale in each of the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service prior to the discussion meeting.

2. Initial Ballot: A set of "yes" or "no" votes to promote the candidates, and reasons given for any "no" votes, completed after the discussion meeting.

3. A Reconsideration Ballot: A set of "yes" or "no" votes to promote the candidates under reconsideration, and reasons given for any "no" votes, completed after the reconsideration meeting.

4. An Appeal Ballot: A set of "yes" or "no" votes to promote the candidates under appeal and reasons given for any "no" votes, completed after the appeal meeting (if held).

Preliminary Ratings of Candidates

Prior to the Presentation and Discussion Meeting, each JPC member is expected to review the portfolio of each candidate and to complete and submit “Preliminary Ratings.” Each JPC member shall evaluate each candidate using a scale of 0-6 in each of the categories of teaching, scholarship, and service. This scale may be interpreted as follows:

6 = "highly qualified"

5

4

3 = “qualified"

2

1

 0 = "not qualified"

Summary results of the preliminary evaluations will be shared with JPC members at the Presentation and Discussion Meeting.

Presentation and Discussion Meeting

The JPC will conduct business with at least 14 members present. Separate discussions will be held for each of the ranks–first for candidates seeking the Associate Professor level, and then for candidates seeking the Full Professor level.

Each JPC member (except the Deans and the PVC) will serve as a presenter (not as an advocate) for one to three promotion candidates, which will be randomly assigned to an individual outside the candidate's school or college. JPC members shall not be presenters for candidates from their own departments.

Each presentation is limited to two to three minutes and will summarize the credentials with a general comment as to where the presenter scores the candidate on the scale of 0-6 in each of the categories of teaching, scholarship, and service. In addition, the presenter is responsible for keeping informal notes on the commentary regarding the candidate on whom they presented and reviewing the letter regarding the candidate if he/she is not promoted (see "notification of candidates" below).

When a librarian is under consideration, the Director of the Library will attend the meeting as an ex-officio, non-voting member to address any questions that JPC members may have regarding librarianship and the candidates or candidates’ portfolio(s). At her or his discretion, the Director of the Library may attend some or the entirety of any JPC deliberation meeting(s) regardless of whether or not a librarian is under consideration.

Initial Ballot

Following the Presentation and Discussion Meeting and according to the deadline set by JPC, each JPC member will complete an initial ballot. On that form, members will vote yes or no for each candidate, and reasons will be provided for any no vote. The vote will be submitted electronically. A two-thirds positive vote by those eligible (see above) shall be required for a recommendation for promotion.

Reconsideration Meeting

All candidates receiving less than a two-thirds positive vote will be reconsidered at the mandatory Reconsideration Meeting, which will consist of a discussion of each candidate being reconsidered. A voting summary of all candidates being reconsidered will be shared with JPC members prior to the beginning of the meeting. 

Reconsideration Ballots will be made available to JPC members electronically after the meeting. Each member will vote yes or no for each candidate, and reasons will be provided for any no votes. These ballots will be submitted to the JPC chair by the indicated date. A two-thirds positive vote will result in a recommendation for promotion.

Notification of Candidates

Letters to all candidates will be sent out seven days after the results of the Reconsideration Ballots are determined. Letters to candidates not recommended for promotion will contain reasons for this recommendation, as well as the committee’s vote on the candidate’s application. These letters will be posted to the secure online site for review by the individual’s presenter and Dean, prior to being sent.

At the request of the unsuccessful candidate, the chair (and only the chair) shall meet with the candidate to discuss the reasons for the negative decision.

Appeals

The appeals process is defined by Faculty Senate Bylaws in Appendix A, which proscribes the timeline, process, and the grounds on which an appeal may be made.

The JPC will conduct business with at least 14 members present and a two-thirds positive vote by those eligible to vote shall be required for a recommendation for promotion.

Appeal ballots will be made available electronically and due on the date/time established by the JPC. On that ballot, each member will vote yes or no for each candidate.

Notification of the Chancellor

The chair will forward to the Chancellor a list of all candidates recommended and not recommended for promotion by rank.