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2,515: Guidelines for Faculty Promotion

Revised: August 2012

Academic Faculty

Promotion

Upon promotion from one rank to another, academic faculty will receive a 10% increase in salary or the minimum starting salary for the higher rank, whichever is greater. See Section 2,721 - Criteria in Recommending Tenure and Promotion for more information.

A post-doctoral scholar who was hired through a competitive search may be promoted to a research scientist or research assistant professor position.

Internal Search

In general, academic faculty may not be promoted or hired through an internal search process. There are situations when an internal search may be conducted for academic faculty.

Post-Doctoral Scholars

A post-doctoral scholar, who was hired through a competitive search, may be considered for a non-tenure track research assistant professor position through an internal search process. The following process will be used in such recruitments.

1. The chair of a department can request through the dean and the Executive Vice President & Provost approval for an internal search for a research assistant professor within the department.
2. All eligible post-doctoral scholars are eligible to apply and will be notified through internal communication. Applicants will apply via the mechanism prescribed by Human Resources.
3. The search will be open for two weeks, before a review of applicants begins.
4. The department chair in consultation with the department faculty will make a recommendation to the dean.
5. Successful applicants must meet the minimum qualifications and possess the required credentials for the position.

A post-doctoral scholar who was hired as a grant-named exception may not be promoted through an internal search. Letter of appointment faculty and graduate assistants are not eligible to compete in an internal search.

Medical Residents

Medical residents and clinical fellows may participate in, and be hired through, an internal search process for clinical faculty. The following process will be used in such recruitments.

1. The chair of a clinical department can request through the dean and the Executive Vice President & Provost approval for an internal search for an assistant professor(s).
2. All eligible residents and fellows are eligible to apply and will be notified through internal communication. Applicants will apply via the mechanism prescribed by Human Resources.
3. The search will be open for two weeks, before a review of applicants begins.
4. The department chair in consultation with the department faculty and Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education, will make a recommendation to the dean on residents and fellows that should be considered for faculty positions.
5. Successful applicants must meet the minimum qualifications and possess the required credentials for the position.

Academic Administration (Range 1-7)

Internal searches for positions within academic administration (assistant and associate deans, vice provosts, etc.) may be conducted.

1. The dean may request through the Executive Vice President & Provost approval for an internal search for an assistant or associate dean within the college.
2. All eligible faculty (generally tenured faculty) may apply and will be notified through internal communication. Applicants will apply via the mechanism prescribed by Human Resources.
3. The search will be open for two weeks, before a review of applicants begins.
4. The dean will make a recommendation to the Executive Vice President & Provost.
5. Successful applicants must meet the minimum qualifications and possess the required credentials for the position.

Administrative Faculty

An administrative faculty promotion is an increase in range based on a faculty member assuming significantly greater responsibilities and duties relative to their current position. Administrative faculty promotion can occur four ways:

1. Through reevaluation of an existing Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ)
2. Promotion from one position to another approved PDQ at a higher range
3. Through an approval Line of Progression PDQ
4. Through a competitive search

The following guidelines apply:

• The faculty member must hold the appointment for a minimum of one year prior to reevaluation or promotion and the faculty member must meet the minimum qualifications of the position associated with the additional duties performed.
• A faculty member who receives a promotion (through position reevaluation, promotion into another position, lines of progression, or competitive search) is not eligible for merit in the same fiscal year unless the promotion occurs on or before September 1^st. Up to a 10% increase or at least the minimum of the new range is granted for promotional increases (except in the case of a competitive search). All salary considerations should be reviewed in the context of equity with similar positions in the immediate unit and across the University.

Promotion by Reevaluation

A request for a promotion of an existing PDQ (reevaluation) is submitted to the Administrative Faculty Salary Placement Committee (AFSPC) for review and recommendation to the executive vice president & provost for approval. The greater responsibilities and duties should meet the requirements of the next level range of the salary schedule (more of the same type of work does not qualify for a promotion).

When a promotion is evaluated and recommended by the AFSPC and approved by the Executive Vice President & Provost, the administrative faculty member is eligible for an increase in salary of 0% to 10% of base salary or at least the minimum of approved higher range is granted. The effective date of an approved reevaluation promotion will be the first day of the month of receipt of the revised PDQ by Human Resources. The submitting office may request a different date which may be granted with approval from the Provost's Office.

Where the new duties and responsibilities are determined by the AFSPC not to be significantly different from those of the current position, the position remains at the same level. A hiring authority who believes that a position has been placed within an inappropriate salary range may appeal in writing to the Provost's Office through the appropriate administrative channels.

Promotion to an Approved PDQ

An appointment may be approved to promote an individual within the unit, department, or division where the individual currently serves in the next lower range position into an existing PDQ at the next higher level range. If more than one individual is similarly situated (positions at the next lower range) all individuals shall be considered for the promotion. A request to promote a person from one position to another approved PDQ is submitted directly to the Provost's Office, through the appropriate administrative channels, to include justification for the selection, where other similarly situated individuals exist. If the position is more than one range above an open search is required. Promotion will not be approved into Range 6 or 7 positions. In those cases, a competitive search is expected.

Internal Search

An internal search for an administrative faculty position may be conducted. The following process will be used in such recruitments.

1. The department manager/director/dean can request through the appropriate vice president or dean and upon approval of the Assistant Vice President, Human Resources an internal search for an administrative faculty position.
2. All eligible administrative and academic faculty and classified employees are eligible to apply and will be notified through internal communication. Applicants will apply via the mechanism prescribed by Human Resources.
3. The search will be open for two weeks, before a review of applicants begins.
4. The department manager/director/dean will make a recommendation to the vice president or dean.
5. Successful applicants must meet the minimum qualifications and possess the required credentials for the position.

Letter of appointment faculty and graduate assistants are not eligible to compete in an internal search.

Range 6 and Range 7 positions in administrative units may not be filled through an internal search process.

A salary increase for an internal administrative search is limited to a 10% increase.

Competitive Search

Promotion may also occur through a competitive search whereby an existing employee applies for an open position at a higher range. Internal candidates (either classified or faculty) may negotiate a starting salary if offered a new position in the same or a higher range as the result of an open competitive search. The offer is not to exceed Q2 of the salary range, unless approved by the Provost's Office.

Lines of Progression

A Line of Progression identifies a series of job titles through which an administrative faculty member may be promoted from one range to the next higher range within the series. The positions within each Line of Progression must be clearly established and listed on each PDQ within the series. The knowledge, skills, and abilities within the Line of Progression are generally similar. Each higher range within a Line of Progression has a demonstrated increase in complexity of work, functional responsibility, and/or impact.

Movement from one range to the next is not an entitlement or a function of seniority within a position. Lines of progression are subject to available funding. Departments have a finite number of positions at each range within the progression.

The following rules are applicable to a Line of Progression:

1. The series of positions within the Line of Progression must be within the same organizational unit.
2. All applicable positions within a Line of Progression must be reviewed and approved by the AFSPC prior to an administrative faculty member being promoted.
3. Promotion from one range to the next within a Line of Progression is neither automatic nor "time in the position" dependent. The following are required to advance to the next range in the Line of Progression:
   1. Commendable or better job performance rating in the most current evaluation,
   2. Acquisition of additional knowledge, skills and abilities
   3. More complex duties
   4. Increased scope of responsibility and/or impact, and
   5. Recommendation of the immediate supervisor
4. The highest range for a Line of Progression position is Range 4.

The guidelines listed under Administrative Faculty Promotions are applicable for promotions within Lines of Progression.

Temporary Salary Adjustment

A temporary salary adjustment, up to 10%, may be granted if an incumbent has assumed duties that are in a higher range (an increase in scope and complexity in work). A Temporary Salary Adjustment may not be granted for additional responsibilities that are within the same salary range. If an employee is to assume all responsibilities of a higher level position, the faculty member should meet the minimum requirements for the higher level position.

Temporary assignment of additional duties to an administrative faculty and the adjustment that accompanies the additional duties cannot be effective for more than a one-year period unless reviewed again by the AFSPC and approved by the Provost's Office. When the Temporary Salary Adjustment terminates, the faculty member is returned to their former salary base plus any COLA and merit awarded. The COLA and merit amounts are applied to the former base salary.