The Annual Conversation

ANNUAL CONVERSATION WITH CHAIR

From the Faculty Handbook (III.D.2)

The chair, with at least one other tenured member of the department also present and participating, shall have at least one formal conversation per year with each of the department’s untenured faculty member(s) to discuss in detail performance and progress in teaching, research or creative work, and other contributions to the life of the college.  As to teaching, evidence should include all semester-end evaluations by students with signatures removed, the testimony of colleagues who have observed the untenured faculty member’s teaching, and such course materials as the untenured faculty member sees fit to submit for discussion (voted by the faculty, November 1998; amended, April 2014).  Prior to the annual conversation, the chair shall provide materials documenting the untenured faculty member’s progress to the tenured members of the department and consult with them to reach a shared understanding of what should be conveyed in the annual conversation.  Annual conversations are held each year until the time of the faculty member’s tenure review (voted by the faculty, April 2014).  A sum and substance letter about the conversation should be given to the untenured faculty member and be placed in the records of the department (voted by the faculty, May 1995).  On an annual basis, the chair must notify the provost and dean of the faculty that the annual conversation has taken place with each of the department’s untenured faculty members and that the sum and substance letter has been given to each candidate (voted by the faculty, April 2014).

INFORMING THE OFFICE OF THE PROVOST AND DEAN OF THE FACULTY 

The faculty has voted that, on an annual basis, the chair must notify the provost and dean of the faculty that the annual conversation has taken place with each of the department’s untenured faculty members and that the sum and substance letter has been given to each candidate.