FAC.01.01
September 18, 2000
Tenure Decisions 6 Salary Inequity 6 Administrative Action 4 Promotion Decisions 1 Academic Misconduct 1 Third-Year Review 1 Rollback Decisions 1 Appointment 1 TOTAL 21At the time of writing, six consultations have been completed, seven are no longer active, and four remain active on the Committee's docket. Four of the inquiries listed above were taken on as formal cases; the Committee has completed its investigations of these and has issued its findings. In two of the cases, FAC recommended administrative action by Provost Herman. In one instance, the Provost offered an alternative action, which was accepted by both the FAC and the complainant, and we await his response to the second case. In the other two cases, the Committee was unable to find sufficient grounds to support the complainant's appeal. Archives. In conjunction with the University Archivist, the Committee formulated a retention policy for FAC files. Briefly, Committee records and case files are maintained in the FAC Office for twenty years. After that time, files are transferred to the University Archives where they remain closed for an additional ten years. Access to files, for research purposes, may be granted upon written application to FAC. Researchers must adhere to applicable access and non-disclosure provisions. Case files involving active members of the University community will not be released. At the Committee's request this year, the UIUC Senate changed rules to limit membership on FAC to tenured members of the faculty. The principal reasons for this change are that 1) tenure cases constitute a significant portion of FAC's work, and participation of probationary faculty members in such cases is inconsistent with campus policy and 2) the issues discussed by FAC are best considered by people having much experience at UIUC. As an adjunct to its problem-solving role, FAC has provided representatives to serve on the following campus committees: the Provost's Sexual Harassment Education Committee, the Campus Conduct Implementation Committee, and the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program Advisory Committee. Issues The work of the Committee brings to light organizational problems of the campus that deserve attention. We use the opportunity of the Annual Report to put these matters before the faculty. Many of the issues discussed here do not qualify as news, rather they are ongoing issues that-at least in some units-have not yet been resolved. Unit Appeals Committees. It is vital for the health of units-and the University-that effective and consistent appeals procedures be in place in each unit. Grievances should first be heard and dealt with in a timely manner by people who are close enough to the problem to be able to make qualified judgments. We ask that college bylaws contain adequate procedures for review and appeals of faculty grievances. Each unit should have an elected appeals committee that is empowered to deal with grievances. Further, an annual report should be provided to the faculty of each college summarizing the number and nature of cases and the outcome of these reviews. Independent Appeals Committees. FAC continues to be concerned about the composition of promotion/tenure appeals committees. Fairness-and the appearance of fairness-demand that appeals of adverse decisions be considered by an independent review committee. According to Communication No. 10, an appeals committee at the departmental or college level may be either the original decision-making body or a committee constituted specifically to reconsider the case. (At the campus level, a special reconsideration process is used involving two members of the Campus Committee on Promotions and Tenure and two faculty members who are qualified to judge the merits of the case, but who have not previously been consulted about it.) Specifically, FAC asks that an individual who has participated in a decision to deny promotion or tenure, who likely already has formed an opinion, should not be involved in an appeal. Units should, if possible, avoid making decisions as a Committee of the Whole, for then there is no independent 'reserve pool' available for an appeal. Information for an Appeal. In two promotion and tenure cases, complainants did not have sufficient information upon which to base an appeal. The Guidelines and Procedures for Notice of Nonreappointment for Nontenured Faculty Members (Communication No. 10) state that the Letter of Notification must provide the reasons for the decision to recommend that a Notice of Nonreappointment be issued. However, sample Letters of Notification that are provided offer such general statements as "your overall performance is not sufficient." An aim of reconsideration is to ensure that relevant information concerning the reasons for nonreappointment have been fully and fairly reviewed. FAC believes that, in order to effectively contest a nonreappointment decision, an appellant should be advised of specific weaknesses. Promotion Procedures. Questions arose in a case about the deliberations and vote of a unit's promotion committee. The FAC calls for those faculty members who are going to participate in promotion decisions to be present for discussion of the candidate so as to be able to make the most informed decision possible. Moreover, to prevent mistakes, unfair practices, or appearance of impropriety, votes should be by secret ballot taken and tallied at the meeting by those present. Mentoring. In several cases of denial of tenure in recent years the FAC found inadequate monitoring and mentoring of junior faculty. Expectations for obtaining tenure were not clearly communicated in some cases; in other instances, probationary faculty members were given little or no warning that they were at risk, because annual reviews did not adequately point out problems. In most of these cases, the faculty member claimed or the FAC investigation determined that little guidance was provided by senior members in the unit. Based upon these experiences, FAC feels that mentoring of junior faculty members is an issue deserving of continued attention by the Administration and all units. Integrity Policies. FAC discovered a potential for conflict of interest in the Policy and Procedures on Academic Integrity in Research and Publication. According to Section IV.B.2., the dean of the college of the Respondent decides whether or not sufficient evidence exists to pursue an inquiry. Moreover, no further appeal is permitted, save direct appeal to the President of the University on the basis of procedural improprieties. In cases involving faculty members of different colleges, the dean could arguably be biased in favor of the Respondent, a member of his/her own faculty, and stop the investigation. FAC has discussed with Provost Herman possible ways to eliminate this potential for bias. The Committee proposes that an amended policy be considered for cross-college cases in which a party external to the colleges of both the Complainant and Respondent makes the initial determination of whether to proceed to the inquiry stage; and that the policy include a provision for appealing the decision. FAC's primary concern is that an inquiry not be stopped by a dean who has an interest in the Respondent. Mediation Services. A few years ago, the FAC made several referrals to the University mediation and dispute resolution program, which were successfully resolved at that level. The Committee recently inquired about mediation services and discovered that the program is no longer in operation at UIUC. The Committee believes that some conflicts can better be resolved through mediation, without initiating a formal appeal, and it proposed that a conflict resolution office be established to handle such disputes. Provost Herman has suggested that a comprehensive list of potential mediators be compiled and posted as a resource for faculty. Last words The Committee is most fortunate again to have had Christa Pritchard as its administrative assistant. The 1999-2000 Faculty Advisory Committee expresses thanks to Christa for her great help in carrying out its work on behalf of our academic community. In closing, we remember former FAC Chair and member, Associate Professor Martha Friedman of the Library, who passed away on June 21. Between 1972 and 1992, Marty served four three-year terms on the FAC-a record for membership on the Committee-and she chaired the Committee during the 1988-89 and 1989-90 academic years. She claimed that membership on FAC had been one of the best committee experiences she had known. She appreciated the melding of people from all over the campus, who serve on the Committee and work together to reach consensus with good will. We will long remember her abiding commitment to the University of Illinois and devoted service to its faculty.
1999 - 2000 Committee 2000 - 2001 Committee Harold G. Diamond, Chair Jeffrey O. Dawson, Chair Roger E. Cannaday Roger E. Cannaday Jeffrey O. Dawson Gerald J. Janusz Janet S. Gaffney Carl J. Jones Carl J. Jones Herman Krier Herman Krier Laurien Laufman Lynn Barnett Morris Lynn Barnett Morris Nancy P. O'Brien Mary P. Stuart Stanley Wasserman Stanley Wasserman