Minimum Educational Preparation, Experience, Years in Rank, and Achievement for Promotion Eligibility for Associate Professor and Full Professor at UWL

Associate Professor

• Earned doctorate degree or accepted terminal degree in the field.
• To be eligible for the rank of Associate Professor the faculty member should have a minimum of 5 years of full-time college-university teaching, or other appropriate, experience.
• A minimum of three (3) years completed in rank as an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse shall be required for eligibility for promotion to Associate Professor.
• A faculty member who is well respected within the department for excellence in teaching Faculty member with an established and growing scholarly program who has taken an active role in service to the department and participates in university and professional service.

Professor

• Earned doctorate degree or accepted terminal degree in the field.
• To be eligible for the rank of Professor the faculty member should have a minimum of 10 years of full-time college-university teaching or other appropriate experience.
• To be eligible for the rank of Professor the faculty member should have tenure (for Fall 2020 hires and later).
• A minimum of three (3) years completed in rank as an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse shall be required for eligibility for promotion to Professor. (Fall 2024 hires and later)
• Promotion from Associate to Full Professor depends upon demonstrating a sustained record of accomplishment in teaching, a mature and ongoing program of scholarship, and substantial and sustained service to the university, school/college, or profession. Evidence of leadership is a UWL or professional role is expected. 

Notes

1. Minimum standards and guidelines governing rank and promotion of faculty members are prescribed by the Board of Regents and by the Chancellor, with advice from the Faculty Senate. (See Board Resolution No. 3650 adopted on September 11, 1970, and minutes of the Faculty Senate for February 15, 1968; November 13, 1969; May 2, 1974; September 15, 1994; and March 19, 1998.)

2. Non-Discrimination Clause. Race, national origin, sex, age, handicap, religion, creed, and political views will not be considered pertinent factors in the formulation of recommendations for promotions.

3. Promotion Criteria. Promotion is not automatic when requirements for minimum experience and training are met. 

4. Education and experience as well as other requirements must be fully met prior to the formulation of recommendations for promotions.

5. The number of years of service (experience) applicable to promotion is determined at the time of hire and noted in the initial contract letter.

6. In accordance with a Faculty Senate recommendation, faculty who have completed the highest degree in his/her academic area would be rated as terminally qualified and eligible for the promotion.

Policies for Promotion

I. Requirements for Determining Eligibility for Promotion in Addition to Minimum Standards

A. The current academic year is not countable as experience toward eligibility requirements.

B. Faculty members who are on terminal appointments shall not be eligible for the promotion. 

C. In order to be eligible for promotion to Professor, an individual must be tenured by UWL at the time of consideration for promotion.

II. Additional Policies

A. Promotion is a privilege based upon qualifications meeting established criteria and is recommended by an informed collective peer judgment. All concerned should understand clearly that eligibility status and departmental or office recommendation for promotion does not assure or imply that the recommended promotion will be made.

B. Promotions shall be considered effective once approved by the UW System Board of Regents at a summer meeting. Approval must precede salary adjustment actions for the following academic year, at which time promoted faculty members shall be grouped with those in their recommended ranks.

Procedure and Promotion: Notification of Eligible Faculty

Human Resources is the official source of promotion eligibility information for faculty and is responsible for annually informing individual faculty (and department chairs and deans) of where to access up-to-date information regarding eligibility status. 

Department Procedures for Promotion

I. Each department may develop written criteria for promotion eligibility that are more demanding than university minimum standards as indicated in UWL and/or UW System policy. These departmental criteria must be a component of departmental By-Laws and filed with the appropriate Dean.

II. Each department, in consultation with the appropriate Dean, shall develop criteria for judging the performance of its members as they pertain to the formulation of a recommendation for rank advancement.

A. The criteria must address themselves to teaching, research, professional and public service, and contribution to the University. Each department, in consultation with its Dean, shall determine the relative importance of each of these categories.

B. The criteria shall be documented and filed with the appropriate Dean.

III. Each department shall develop procedures for promotion consideration and for promotion recommendation as a component of departmental by-laws that should include the following: 

A. A faculty member, who meets minimum university time in rank for promotion eligibility shall be given 20-days written notice, by the department chairperson, of the deadline for submitting promotion materials to the departmental promotion review committee.

B. For those candidates recommended by the department for promotion, the department chairperson shall transmit in writing the recommendation and the reasons to the appropriate Dean. A copy of the letter shall be provided to the candidate at least one day prior to the submission of the promotion file to the respective Dean and within seven days of the departmental decision. The candidate must be provided access to all departmental level components of the promotion file upon request (e.g., TAIs, etc.).

C. When a candidate is not recommended by a department or unit, no further consideration shall occur, nor shall the candidate's file be forwarded to the Dean.

1. The promotion candidate shall be given written notification of the negative decision and written reasons for a negative decision within seven days.

2. A departmental appeal process must be articulated. Within seven days of receiving the written reasons for a negative decision, the candidate may indicate the desire to appeal the decision. An appeal review shall take place within 14 calendar days of the filing date. Faculty members appealing a decision must provide their written appeal electronically to the department chair by noon two days in advance of the appeal review meeting. Written notice of the results of the appeal shall be transmitted to the candidate within seven calendar days.

3. Each promotion candidate has the right to appeal a negative reconsideration decision in a grievance filed with the Complaints, Grievances, Appeals, and Academic Freedom (CGAAF) Committee. Rules and procedures for filing a grievance are specified in UWS 6.02 and UWL 6.02. The CGAAF Committee shall forward its recommendation to the Chancellor (see UWS 6.05).824

Responsibilities of the Dean

I. The Dean shall provide a letter indicating support or lack of support for the candidate's file by the deadline established by JPC. 

II. If the Dean supports the file for promotion, the Dean will write a basic level of support without further embellishment utilizing the following format:

The XYZ Department has recommended ABC for promotion to XX Professor. I concur with the department that the file should be given full consideration by JPC.

The letter will be provided to the candidate, the department chair, and uploaded for JPC.

III. If the Dean does not support the file for promotion, the Dean shall write a letter to the candidate indicating the Dean's reason(s) for concern regarding the portfolio.  The Department Chair is copied on this letter.  After receiving the Dean's letter, the candidate has up to seven calendar days to withdraw their file from consideration by JPC.  JPC has no knowledge of portfolios that are not supported by a department or are withdrawn from consideration after a Dean's recommendation.  If the candidate does not withdraw their portfolio, the Dean's letter is uploaded for JPC with the candidate's file. 

IV. As the Dean's recommendation is not a decision, there is no reconsideration or grievance option at this stage of the promotion process. 

The Appeal of Negative Joint Promotion Committee Appeals

Each promotion candidate has the right to appeal a negative Joint Promotion Committee appeal decision in a grievance filed with the Complaints, Grievances, Appeals, and Academic Freedom (CGAAF) Committee. Rules and procedures for filing a grievance are specified in UWS 6.02 and UWL 6.02. The CGAAF Committee shall forward its recommendation to the Chancellor (see UWS 6.02).

Responsibilities of the Chancellor

The Provost, as the Chancellor's designee for faculty promotion review, notifies candidates following the guilelines indicated in Appendix C.

ENDNOTES

Department: Wherever "department" is used "or office" is also to be understood along with reference to its administrative supervisor at appropriate places in the paragraphs.

Scholarly Activity: Scholarly activity can vary from department to department. Each department, with the approval of the appropriate Dean, shall formulate definitions of scholarly activities. These definitions shall be forwarded with the promotion materials of each candidate.

Professional Service: Professional service includes sharing professional expertise with the community or one's professional organizations.