RUL 05.68.34 – Department of Biomedical Engineering Post Tenure Review Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: March 24, 2010. Last Revised: August 4, 2023.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website
NC State Guide on Peer Review of Teaching

Contact Info: Department Head (919-515-0724 or 919-488-8886)

1. INTRODUCTION

This rule describes standards and procedures of the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering for post tenure review of faculty. This rule clarifies and makes consistent NC State University’s Academic Tenure Policy and Regulation on Post Tenure Review of Faculty and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine’s Post Tenure Review Policy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College of Arts and Sciences’ Post Tenure Review Policy with respect to the review of faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The Department Chair/Head is responsible for assuring that the procedures as set forth in NC State’s REG 05.20.04, UNC’s Policy, and this Rule are followed.

POST TENURE REVIEW COMMITTEE (PTRC)

2.1 Selection

2.1.1 The departmental PTRC shall consist of four tenured professors from outside of BME. This departmental PTRC is a joint faculty review committee with representation from each of BME’s three governing entities (the UNC School of Medicine, the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, and NC State College of Engineering) and replaces what would normally be the department-level faculty review for each of these entities. One of these committee members will be selected by the BME Department Chair/Head in consultation with the Chair of the SOM PTRC from basic science faculty members serving on the UNC School of Medicine Post-Tenure Review Committee. The remaining three committee members will be selected by the Department Chair/Head with two coming from non-BME NC State College of Engineering faculty and one from non-BME UNC College of Arts and Sciences faculty. PTRC members will serve one-year terms. If a PTRC member leaves the committee prior to end of term, the BME Department Chair/Head in consultation with the Chair of the SOM PTRC or the Dean from the NC State College of Engineering or UNC College of Arts and Sciences will appoint a replacement based on the vacant PTRC position.

2.1.2 The School of Medicine Post-Tenure Review Committee is formed at the beginning of each academic year, when each UNC Department Chair/Head selects one faculty member from the Department to serve for one year as set forth in UNC SOM’s Post-Tenure Review Policy. This member may not be selected to serve on the Departmental PTRC (see 2.1.1.) but at the Department Head’s discretion can provide guidance to the Departmental PTRC.

2.1.3 The Department Chair/Head will select the chair of the departmental PTRC committee annually. The departmental PTRC Chair should familiarize himself or herself with the applicable policies and regulations and this rule.

2.2 Meeting Schedule

The departmental PTRC Chair will meet with the Department Chair/Head early in the fall semester to learn who will be reviewed during that year and what the schedule will be. The main review will be held in the spring after the Department has assembled the required materials from each faculty member to be reviewed, as set forth in section 5.2 of NCSU REG 05.20.04 or UNC SOM’s Post-Tenure Review Policy as applicable.

The PTRC Chair will schedule all meetings, coordinate with the Department Chair/Head, and prepare and transmit reports from the committee to the Chair and to the faculty members reviewed.

DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED TO THE PTRC

The documentation and documentation format provided to the departmental PTRC will be that of the university at which the faculty member has his/her primary appointment and are set forth in section 5.2 of NCSU REG 05.20.04, UNC_SOM’s Post-Tenure Review Policy Attachment A, or section V.

ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES REQUIRED BY DEPARTMENT

4.1 Faculty Ratings by the PTRC

The committee shall rate the overall performance of each faculty member according to the rating scale specified below. The committee will make a written assessment and report to the BME Department Chair/Head, or the Chair of the SOM PTRC a rating of “Acceptable” (for A-C) or “Development Plan Recommended”. The latter is equivalent to UNC-CH’s and NC State’s ranking of “does not meet” expectations. For individual faculty members with a rating of “Development Plan Recommended”, the university to which the faculty member has his/her primary appointment will be responsible for tracking progress on the development plan. The development plan will be developed by the department chair in consultation with the faculty member.

BME Departmental PTRC Faculty Performance Rating Scale:

A) Outstanding (equivalent to UNC-CH’s and NC State’s “exceeds expectations”)
B) Commendable (translates to UNC-CH’s and NC State’s “meets expectations”)
C) Productive (translates to UNC-CH’s and NC State’s “meets expectations”)
D) Development Plan Recommended (equivalent to UNC-CH’s and NC State’s “does not meet”)

In the case of tenured joint appointments, the process will follow guidelines of the faculty member’s tenure home.

4.2 Faculty Ratings by The Department Head

The Department Head will make an independent overall determination of whether the faculty member’s performance meets or does not meet expectations, prepared in a letter format.

4.3 After department-level review is completed by the BME PTR committee and the department head, the PTR process follows the respective school/college guidelines of the faculty member’s tenure home.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

5.1 Standards for Associate Professor

Associate Professors are to be evaluated to determine if they are performing the realms of responsibility set forth in their Statement of Faculty Responsibilities at the Associate Professor standard as set forth in the Department’s Rule on Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures. To meet expectations (commendable/productive), they must present evidence that they are maintaining the standards for promotion to associate professor as set forth in the Academic Tenure Policy and college and departmental reappointment, promotion and tenure rules.

5.2 Standards for Professor

Professors are to be evaluated to determine if they are performing the realms of responsibility set forth in their Statement of Faculty Responsibilities at the standard set forth in the Department’s Rule on Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures. To meet expectations (commendable/productive), they must present evidence that they are maintaining the standards for promotion to full professor as set forth in the Academic Tenure Policy and college and departmental reappointment, promotion and tenure rules.

5.3 Standards for Exceeds Expectations or Outstanding at All Professorial Levels

Expectations of faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering are extremely high and difficult to exceed. Faculty exceeding expectations would be excelling in areas of academic scholarship, teaching, and service, and also demonstrating additional exemplary performance. Examples of exemplary performance might include multiple highly prestigious awards from professional societies, governments, or journals, or multiple substantial leadership roles in major center or training grants, conferences, journals, professional societies, government, or at the University.

6. RIGHT OF APPEAL

6.1 Faculty members may grieve or appeal matters related to post-tenure review following the respective school/college guidelines of their tenure home.