Advisory Subcommittee
Optional subgroup of voting-eligible faculty members who gather information for the review, and who may author the AEP Review Committee Evaluative Report, which they sign.
AEP Appeals Committee
An ad-hoc committee appointed by the Office of Faculty Affairs or Dean’s Office that will be charged with reviewing denials of promotions. This committee will be composed of tenured professors and PTK faculty members at the highest rank in diverse roles. It will have at least five, but no more than nine members, the majority of whom will be PTK faculty members at the highest rank. The level of appointment and departmentalized status of the College will determine whether an appeal is requested of the Dean or Provost.
Criteria
A unit’s defined performance standards and metrics that articulate faculty member expectations for initial appointment and promotion.
Instructional Faculty
Faculty members with primary responsibilities in teaching, advising, and/or clinical instruction.
Next Level Administrator
The administrator to whom the Unit Head reports (e.g., Dean or Provost).
Peer Evaluation
In the context of AEP promotion reviews, Peer Evaluation refers to a method of assessing a portfolio of information pertaining to the teaching-related activities of an instructor under review.
Promotion Dossier
A file containing detailed records about a faculty member seeking promotion.
PTK Faculty
For the purposes of this document, Professional Track (PTK) Faculty are faculty members in promotable title series (see Table 1) with non-tenure-eligible appointments equal to or greater than 50% full-time equivalent (FTE). All PTK Faculty require contracts that define duties and terms of employment. Note: Instructional faculty appointed below 50% FTE are governed by USM and UMD policies for Adjunct Faculty. (II-1.07, II-1.07(A)).
Quorum
Number of eligible voting members needed to conduct a valid vote on matters related to appointment or promotion, based on codified methods of operation. Quorum is calculated based on the Unit’s plan of organization, which should also include information on how absences affect the quorum.
Unit
In departmentalized Colleges and Schools, this can refer to a department, University recognized Institute or Center with an approved AEP Plan, or Dean’s Office.
In non-departmentalized Colleges and Schools, this refers to the College/School or a University recognized Institute or Center with an approved AEP Plan.
Unit Head
In departmentalized Colleges and Schools, this can refer to a Department Chair or School Director, or a Director of a University recognized Institute or Center with an approved AEP Plan.
In non-departmentalized Colleges and Schools, this refers to the Dean or the Director of a University recognized Institute or Center with an approved AEP Plan.
Votes possible for deciding to award appointment or promotion based on criteria
- Yes
- No
- Abstention (two types):
- Mandatory: a faculty member who has a conflict of interest (e.g., a family member or partner of the candidate, thesis advisor), or who has already voted at a lower level. Mandatory abstentions are not counted against quorum.
- Voluntary: a faculty member who chooses not to vote (this should be explained in summaries and letters). Voluntary abstentions are considered a non-positive vote. Voluntary abstentions count toward quorum.
- Absent: not present in person or via teleconference (if the latter is allowed by the Unit’s plan of organization)