4.5 Evaluation of Faculty for Merit Salary Increase
4.5.1 Procedures
4.5.1.1 Flow of Information
Information in this category flows from the Department Chair to the Dean of the College or School and then to the Provost and the President.
4.5.1.2 Initiation of Procedures
Consideration of an individual for merit salary increase will be initiated in the Department. The review for merit rating will focus upon the previous evaluation period and will conform to College or School policies specific to merit review.
4.5.1.3 Departmental Procedures
- In accordance with approved Department policy, reviewed and accepted by the Provost, documentation for merit rating consideration will be assembled by each faculty member;
- A departmental faculty committee will review the documentation submitted by each faculty member and make a recommendation to the Department Chair. Composition and selection of any faculty committee will be determined by College or School procedures as specified below;
- The Department Chair will review the documentation and the committee's merit rating recommendation for each faculty member. The Department Chair will forward the merit rating recommendation, the committee's recommendation, and the faculty member's documentation to the Dean.
4.5.1.4 College Procedures
- The Dean will review each faculty member's file, arrive at a merit rating, and notify the faculty member of this rating in a dated, written memorandum;
- If the faculty member elects to appeal the Dean's recommended merit rating, the faculty member must notify the Dean in writing within ten (10) work days of the date on the memorandum. This appeal will be referred to a College merit rating appeals committee for review as outlined below. Merit rating recommendations that are not appealed will be forwarded to the Provost;
- The Appeals Committee will comprise of faculty and/or administrators, as determined by College or School procedures approved by the Provost;
- The Appeals Committee will review the documentation and the merit rating recommendations of the Department Chair, the Dean, and any department faculty committee. The faculty member, Chair, and/or Dean may address the Appeals Committee. After deliberation, the Appeals Committee will formulate a recommendation. This recommendation will be sent to the Dean. The Dean will notify the faculty member of the recommendation of the Appeals Committee;
- The Dean will review the recommendation of the Appeals Committee in conjunction with the previous information and recommendations, and will arrive at a merit rating recommendation to be submitted to the Provost.
4.5.1.5 University Procedures:
- The Provost will review the Dean's recommendation;
- If the Provost agrees with the Dean's recommendation, it will be forwarded to the President;
- If the Provost does not agree with the Dean's recommendation, it is returned to the Dean for further consideration. The Dean may consult with the faculty member, the Department Chair, and/or the College Appeals Committee. Following re-consideration, the merit rating and justification are resubmitted to the Provost.
4.5.2 Documentation for Merit Rating
4.5.2.1 Each faculty member shall prepare and submit a faculty activity form or updated vita.
4.5.2.2 The following materials will be on file in the department office for review by appropriate administrators and committees:
- Material related to teaching and advising, e.g., student and/or peer evaluations, syllabi, examinations;
- Copies of all publications listed in the vita update or faculty activity form;
- Copies of any relevant unpublished work, e.g., preprints, technical reports, presentations at meetings;
- Information related to department, college, University, professional, and community service.
4.5.3 Criteria
In accordance with approved College or School policy, reviewed and accepted by the Provost, factors to be considered for a merit rating shall include, at a minimum, those basic duties of faculty members listed in 4.3.2. Criteria noted in 4.4.5.5.3 and 4.4.6 above may also be relevant. Each College or School will develop and distribute criteria specific to the faculty members affected.
4.5.4 Merit Evaluation in Special Cases
4.5.4.1 Faculty members whose appointment is not recommended for renewal will not be evaluated for a merit rating. They may still receive across-the-board faculty salary increases that may occur during the final year of their appointment.
4.5.4.2 First-year faculty members are not eligible for a merit salary increase; however, they will receive the average salary increase for their rank in the case of an across-the-board faculty salary increase.
4.5.4.3 Faculty members returning from leaves of absence will be evaluated and assigned a merit rating on the basis of their activities while on leave and the value of these activities to the University, Department, or profession.
4.5.4.4 Non-tenure-track faculty:
- Faculty members in non-tenure-track positions will not be assigned a merit rating, however they may receive across-the-board faculty salary increases upon reappointment;
- The performance of faculty members in non-tenure-track positions will be evaluated on a regular basis;
- The results of the evaluations of faculty in non-tenure-track positions will be considered in decisions regarding possible reappointment.
4.5.5 Evaluation of Faculty with Non-Teaching Appointments
UTEP is committed to regular, substantive reviews of its administrators with input from faculty members, staff, students, and where appropriate alumni, community leaders, and other sources in accordance with Regents’ Rule 31101.
4.5.5.1 Evaluation of Faculty Members with Part-Time Administrative Appointments
Department Chairs, Program Directors, and Assistant and Associate Deans are faculty members with part-time administrative service appointments. They continue to have faculty responsibilities for teaching and research and are evaluated for annual merit on their performance in those dimensions as stated in 4.5 above. As administrators, they will be evaluated by the responsible administrative officer who may consult with appropriate faculty members and other University officers with whom they work.
4.5.5.2 Evaluation of Faculty Members with Full-Time Administrative Appointments
Faculty members with 100% administrative appointments are evaluated through a combination of: an annual work-plan and performance assessment program, directed by their supervisor, which may include input from faculty members, staff, students, and others where appropriate. Their evaluations may be further informed by a biennial faculty evaluation through the Faculty Senate process.