Date:
To:
From:
Re:
May 17, 2004
Robert H. Hoar
Chair, Faculty Senate
Elizabeth J. Hitch,
Provost and Vice Chancellor & Chair, Joint Promotion Committee
Annual Committee Report to Senate
The Joint Promotion Committee has completed its work for the 2003-2004
Academic Year. I would like to share an overview of the committee’s
activities and accomplishments.
Candidate Information Sessions were held in October and again in
April. These sessions provided an opportunity for faculty considering
promotion to review the promotion calendar as well as to discuss
procedures and guidelines with members of the JPC. These informal
sessions were well attended.
From December 19, 2003- January 6, 2004 members of the JPC read the
candidates’ files in a secure location. During this period, each
member of the committee was assigned one or two candidates whose
portfolio they were to present to the committee during the
presentation and discussion meeting.
On January 8, 2004 the JPC met to review and discuss candidate files.
The ballots were then received in the Provost/Vice Chancellor’s office
no later than January 16, 2004.
On January 23, 2004 the JPC held its automatic reconsideration hearing
and the ballots from the reconsideration hearing were due by January
26. On February 2, 2004 letters were sent out to candidates not
recommended for promotion with reasons for this recommendation and
with the notice that they have a right to appeal the negative
decision. These candidates were invited to meet with the Provost/ Vice
Chancellor to discuss the negative decision. During the fourteen-day
appeal period, several candidates did meet with the Provost/Vice
Chancellor to discuss the negative recommendation.
On February 20, 2004 the JPC conducted the appeals meeting. Because of
an extraordinary situation with one candidate, the committee agreed to
hold a special appeal session. I believe the JPC’s willingness to
consider this appeal indicated the committee’s pro-faculty attitude in
promotion matters. They certainly did not have to agree to this
additional meeting and it speaks well of them that they gave every
candidate every possible consideration and opportunity to make her or
his case.
The JPC recommended 10 candidates for promotion to professor and 12
for associate professor.
Following these meetings to consider promotion files, the JPC agreed
to continue meeting in order to revise the guidelines. These
extraordinary sessions were most productive and the revised guidelines
as well as the JPC calendar for 2004-2005 have been posted on the
UW-La Crosse website.
One major problem that confronted the JPC this year was the sudden
resignation of a member from the committee just before the January 8,
2004 presentation/discussion meeting. This resignation altered the
number of votes available for promotion and also removed a faculty
perspective from the discussions. The JPC feels strongly that the
Senate needs to alert faculty that membership on the JPC is a serious
responsibility not to be taken lightly. The JPC calendar posts dates
for the coming year so that JPC members and candidates will know when
these meetings are taking place in order that all possible conflicts
might be removed. The JPC must be able to count on full participation
of members if candidates for promotion are to be given a fair hearing.
I believe that we have completed a very successful year.
Office of the Provost and
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
145 Graff Main Hall, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608)785-8007, Fax: (608)785-8046
An affirmative action/equal opportunity employer
Robert Hoar
Mathematics Department
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
(608) 785-6617
hoar.robe@uwlax.edu