3E-02 Award of Tenure and Evaluation of Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty

POLICY: 6Hx28:3E-02
Responsible Executive: Provost/Vice President, Academic Affairs
Policy Contacts: AVP, Talent Mgmt./Total Rewards
Specific Authority: 1001.64, F.S.
Law Implemented: 1001.64, F.S. 6A-14.0411 FAC
Effective Date: 07-16-2013
Date of Last Policy Review: 12-15-2022

Policy Statement:

It is the policy of the District Board of Trustees to award continuing contracts to full-time faculty in accordance with the law and procedures to be developed and approved by the President or designee, in consultation with the Faculty Council. Tenured and tenure track faculty will be evaluated according to procedures approved by the President or designee in consultation with the Faculty Council. Tenure shall be awarded only by the affirmative vote of the District Board of Trustees, as decided in its sole discretion, and tenure shall never be awarded in the absence of the affirmative vote of the District Board of Trustees for any reason, including without limitation, by default or procedural deficiency(ies).
Any employee holding a continuing contract who accepts an offer of employment at the College in a capacity other than that in which the continuing contract was awarded may be granted an administrative leave of absence pursuant to the College's procedures.
For the purpose of this policy, the word "tenure" shall refer to the condition of "continuing contract" as described by rule of the State Board of Education. Whenever the terms "continuing contract" and "tenure" appear in this policy or any of its implementing procedures, they shall be construed identically. Tenure shall be further defined as a professional status conferred upon faculty members who have been judged to have demonstrated scholarship and teaching ability or other skills sufficient to warrant recognition of their achievement of predetermined standards of professional competence.
The achievement of tenure indicates responsible professional performance at Valencia and carries with it an ongoing contract of employment with the institution, which shall entitle the employee to continue in a faculty position at the College without the necessity for annual

nomination or reappointment and which can be terminated only in accordance with law and rules of the State Board of Education and policies, procedures and contracts of the District Board of Trustees.
In order to become eligible to be considered for the award of a continuing contract, a full-time faculty member must prepare and submit a Portfolio determined to be acceptable by the College in accordance with standards, requirements and procedures established for the College's Teaching and Learning Academy.
In order to become eligible for the award of a continuing contract, a full-time faculty member must:
1. Complete at least five (5) years of satisfactory service at Valencia College, based on the criteria established by the College, during a period not in excess of seven (7) years.
2. Receive the recommendation of the President and approval by the District Board of Trustees for a continuing contract based on successful performance of duties, demonstration of professional competence pursuant Valencia policies and procedures, and the needs of the College.
Criteria that must be met by a full-time faculty member before a continuing contract may be awarded shall include:
1. Quantifiable measured effectiveness in the performance of faculty duties;
2. Continuing professional development;
3. Currency and scope of subject matter knowledge;
4. Relevant feedback from students, faculty and employers of students;
5. Service to the department, College, and community;
6. Relevant student success results, as appropriate, for the particular field of learning and the individual faculty member; and
7. Other criteria determined by the College and specified in procedures adopted to implement this policy.
In order to contribute to the continual growth and development of faculty, Valencia College requires periodic post-award performance reviews for all faculty under continuing contract, which shall use, at a minimum, the criteria set forth in Section (IV) of this policy.
Valencia College adopts the transition periods to the extent set forth in Rule 6A- 14.0411(10), F.A.C., for the application of time requirements and performance criteria.

Policy History:

Formerly 6Hx28:5-07; Amended 12-11-74; Amended 1-19-83; Amended 10-23-91; Amended 11-18- 92;

Amended 07-17-01; Amended 07-16-13

Procedures:

Reasons and Principles for the Award of Tenure
1. Valencia College recognizes the following principles as underlying the award of tenure by the college.
  1. Tenure is one of the instruments by which standards of excellence are maintained in the academic community.
  2. Tenure provides significant protection for academic freedom. Academic freedom is essential for maintaining social and political freedom in a democracy.
  3. Professors sometimes choose to discuss controversial issues. It is recognized that some individuals could be offended in the process. Tenure protects faculty from capricious and arbitrary retribution which might otherwise result from such controversy.
  4. Tenure, applied wisely, gives dignity, recognition, and stability to worthy members of the profession.
  5. Tenure is a positive and important factor in attracting and recruiting talented faculty.
  6. The body of tenured faculty gives stability and continuity to an institution and inspires confidence, pride, and recognition of the institution within the
    
    community and provides accountability to external accrediting and funding agencies.
2. The tenure decision-making process should be:
  1. Informed by formal input from tenured faculty;
  2. Based on dean, peer, and student observations to the record;
  3. Public, but with details of individual decisions treated with discretion, subject to law;
  4. Formative, helpful, encouraging, supportive, non-adversarial;
  5. Collaborative and inclusive;
  6. Transparent and clear to all: candidates, peers, administrators;
  7. Competency & performance-based, with candidates demonstrating abilities/capabilities of professional, learning-centered faculty;
  8. Fair and consistent in application;
  9. Based upon literature examining best practices in teaching/learning; and
  10. Tied to candidate's scholarship of discipline, academic/performance standards, and evidence of student learning.
3. The induction process should:
  1. Foster trust and respect;
  2. Be a mentored experience;
  3. Create on-going communication with the candidate and faculty peers, deans, and others at the college;
  4. Nurture long-term commitment to institutional goals;
  5. Be developmental and support individual growth;
  6. Be flexibly tailored and provide adequate resources for learning; and
  7. Feature clear and consistent procedures and criteria for evaluation.
4. These procedures may be amended from time to time by the President or designee in consultation with the Faculty Council.
5. It is intended that the procedures adopted under this policy shall be complied with fully and in good faith; provided, however, that the policy on Award of Tenure and Evaluation of Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty and these implementing procedures shall not become part of any contract of employment or create any property right or establish any procedural or substantive due process requirement unless specifically so provided herein.
Criteria for the Award of Tenure
1. To become eligible for consideration for tenure, a candidate must submit a Faculty Portfolio showing completion of an approved Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) to their ILP/Portfolio Review Panel by the established deadlines, and that portfolio must be deemed at a minimum, "Acceptable" by the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel.
2. The candidate must complete five (5) years of satisfactory service at Valencia during a period not in excess of seven (7) years with such service being continuous except for leave duly authorized and granted. Sick leave not related to FMLA or ADA accommodation is excluded.
3. The candidate must successfully demonstrate practice of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator, in accordance with applicable laws, rules, policies, and procedures, as evidenced by the following, without limitation:
  1. Formal/informal evaluations: classroom and laboratory performance (as appropriate); student conferences (as appropriate); division/department/discipline participation; curriculum development; service on councils and committees; service to program, department, and College; counseling and guidance (as appropriate); continuing professional development; and service to the community (as appropriate)
  2. Classroom/work observations
  3. Relevant feedback and/or evaluations from several sources, including without limitation, deans, program chairs, area coordinators, administrators, faculty, students, and employers of students who have graduated.
4. Other criteria that must be met by all full-time faculty member before a continuing contract may be awarded include:
  1. Quantifiable measured effectiveness in the performance of faculty duties;
  2. Currency and scope of subject matter knowledge;
  3. Student success resulting from the efforts of the faculty member, as appropriate for
    
    the particular field of learning and the individual faculty member, evidenced by timely and relevant data including:
    1. demonstrated or documented learning gains;
    2. course completion rates;
    3. graduation and/or certification pass rates;
    4. continued process in subsequent and additional courses or educational pursuits;
    5. job placements in the appropriate field;
    6. other student success factors, including student learning outcomes, as measured through unit, course, and program outcomes;
    7. successful term completion in good academic standing;
    8. maintenance or restoration of good academic standing status;
    9. maintenance or restoration of financial aid satisfactory academic status
  4. Educational qualifications, efficiency, compatibility, and character;
  5. Capacity to meet the educational needs of the community;
  6. The length of time the duties and responsibility of this position are expected to be needed; and
  7. Development and assessment of student learning outcomes relevant to the discipline.
5. The weight afforded each criterion may vary, depending on factors unique to the each candidate's specific faculty line. At the outset of a candidate's tenure track employment at the College, the candidate's dean shall inform the candidate of such unique factors.
6. The candidate must receive a positive recommendation from the College President and approval by the District Board of Trustees for continuing contract, based on successful performance of duties and demonstration of professional competence in accordance with the requirements and criteria set forth in Procedures Section II. C. above, adopted pursuant to Board policy and the needs of the College.
Procedures for Pre-Tenure Evaluations/Valencia's Tenure Process Components:
1. General
  
  These general procedures should promote appropriate uniformity and consistency of the tenure and evaluation processes among campuses and among departments within each campus, including, but not limited to, the use of uniform assessment and evaluation forms. Any reference to the position of dean in these procedures shall include directors.
2. Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) Faculty Portfolio
  1. An Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) is a tenure candidate's professional development plan. The ILP is written by the candidate, in consultation with the dean. The ILP spells out what the faculty member wants to learn,
    
    achieve, or accomplish during the pre-tenure process. The ILP should be based on genuine need and desire to improve teaching, counseling or librarianship, keeping in mind division and College needs. The ILP includes 2-3 specific Faculty Learning Outcomes (FLOs). The FLOs should be directly connected to the candidate's professional practice, considering both pedagogy and discipline. To that end, the FLOs explore the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator. All ILPs also must include an Action Research Project. All ILPs should involve comparable effort and quality of outcome in spite of their unique, individualized nature. ILP work is demonstrated in a Faculty Portfolio, which is reviewed at least twice formatively and once summatively by the tenure candidate's ILP/Portfolio Review Panel.
  2. Infrastructure for Assessment of the Individualized Learning Plan (ILP)
    1. Deans will assemble ILP/Portfolio Review Panels for tenure candidates by the end of September of the candidates' second tenure-track year.
    2. Deans will work with the Teaching/Learning Academy each November to plan and schedule ILP and Portfolio review team training. All review panel members, including selected faculty and deans, will participate in mandatory ILP and Portfolio review team training before they begin their work with tenure candidates. The Teaching/Learning Academy will make every effort to provide training opportunities.
    3. Each year's ILP and Portfolio review team training will result in a pool of tenured faculty prepared to provide formative assessment and summative evaluation of ILPs and Portfolios. Faculty must participate in the full training at least once every three years and in norming/leveling training at least once every two years. The pool should expand each year until it includes an appropriate number of faculty. Training will be open to all tenured faculty. Supplemental training will be provided as deemed appropriate.
  3. Assessment of the ILP/Portfolio
    1. The ILP/Portfolio Review Panel is appointed by the dean, who chairs the Panel, and provides formative feedback periodically on the candidate's growth in the Essential Competencies and achievement of the FLOs. ILP work is documented, with artifacts that are assessed and eventually evaluated by the ILP/Portfolio Review Panels according to criteria established in the Portfolio Rubric, which includes the Valencia Standards of Scholarship. Each IL/Portfolio Review Panel should be made up of the dean, one tenured colleague from the candidate's discipline and campus, one tenured colleague from the candidate's discipline but from another campus, and one tenured
      
      colleague from a different discipline on any campus. Flexibility in membership is acceptable, for reasons including without limitation the availability of personnel, departmental diversity and specialization.
    2. Annual on more frequent review of ILP/Portfolio progress (formative feedback) is conducted by the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel and the dean. ILP/Portfolio reviews will take place on a Valencia campus. Unless otherwise authorized by the College, written ILP/Portfolio reports following ILP and subsequent Portfolio reviews shall be available to tenure candidates within two weeks of the review. The ILP/Portfolio Review Panel provides a formative commentary on ILP completion to the record. One unified report should be sent to the tenure candidate by the dean after the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel meetings. The report should reflect the consensus of the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel with the full balance of findings, including the strengths and areas needing improvement.
    3. To the extent possible, the membership of each ILP/Portfolio Review Panel should be constant over time. Adjustments in membership may be necessary due to personnel changes or unforeseen circumstances.
    4. Portfolios documenting completion of the ILP may be submitted in paper, digital or mixed media formats according to the wishes of the candidate. Content must be equivalent across formats; guidelines are established by the College and adherence to the guidelines is determined by the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel as appropriate, based on the candidate's project and discipline.
    5. Each major element of the portfolio must be present:
      1. Goals
        
        ILP
        
        Philosophy, and
        
        Professional Background
      2. Documentation of the Faculty Learning Outcomes
        
        Adequate Preparation
        
        Appropriate Methods;
        
        Significant Results; and
      3. Reflective Critique analyzing all seven Essential Competencies
        
        However, if one element is not at the acceptable level, the overall review of the portfolio can be but is not necessarily unacceptable.
    6. The final portfolio will be ranked "unacceptable" or "acceptable", with comments included to express exemplary performance or substantial concerns.
    7. A report that synthesizes ILP/Portolio Review Panel findings on the final portfolio will be prepared for each tenure candidate. One unified report should be sent to the tenure candidate by the dean after the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel meeting. The report should reflect the consensus of the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel with the full balance of findings, including the strengths and areas needing improvement.
    8. A final portfolio will be considered unacceptable only if a majority of the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel members considers the portfolio as a whole (summatively) to be unacceptable. A portfolio that is considered acceptable by at least three out of four panel members will be considered acceptable.
    9. Each ILP/Portfolio Review Panel (and each panelist) will base assessments on the standard Portfolio Rubric. The final portfolio will be assessed holistically according to the standards set in the Portfolio Rubric.
    10. Completion of a portfolio is intended to be a four-year process, with the fifth year focused on advanced practice and the tenure recommendations. However, if a candidate receives "acceptable" or "exemplary" on all portfolio elements in the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel Report, the candidate will not be required to modify the portfolio for the summative evaluation.
    11. All deadlines established for the orderly administration of the ILP/Portfolio review process shall be observed by candidates. Failure to observe deadlines may result in immediate rejection of the portfolio or may otherwise hinder a candidate's eligibility to be considered for tenure or receive a recommendation of tenure. An extension of time for submission of the final portfolio may be recommended by the dean to the respective Campus President/Vice President with all of the following stipulations met:
      1. Documentation of good progress toward completion,
      2. Extraordinary extenuating circumstances, and
      3. Timely appeal to the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel
    12. A request for an extension of time for submission of the final portfolio may be granted through the following process:
      1. A candidate or ILP/Portfolio Review Panel may request an extension of the tenure process to the respective dean specifying the reasons for the requested extension.
      2. The dean shall review the request and make a recommendation for approval or disapproval to their respective Campus President/Vice President.
      3. The respective Campus President/Vice President, in consultation with the Vice President, Organizational Development and Human Resources, and the Director of the Teaching/Learning Academy, shall make a decision to either amend the timeline for completion or maintain the current timeline in place.
      4. If an amended timeline is approved, the amended timeline will be created and maintained by the Teaching/Learning Academy in partnership with the candidate, respective dean, campus president, and as appropriate, the ILP/Portfolio Review Panel.
    13. Completion of an "acceptable" portfolio is a necessary prerequisite to become eligible for consideration by the College to receive a continuing contract. If a candidate's final portfolio is considered "unacceptable" by their ILP/Portfolio Review Panel, the candidate may appeal to the appropriate Tenure Review Committee, which would refer the matter to a second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel for further consideration and review. The second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel should be selected by the Tenure Review Committee from the pool of trained Portfolio reviewers. The second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel should be made up of the dean, one tenured colleague from the candidate's discipline and campus, one tenured colleague from the candidate's discipline but from another campus, and one tenured colleague from a different discipline on any campus. Flexibility in membership is acceptable, for reasons including without limitation the availability of personnel, departmental diversity, and specialization. None of the members of the candidate's original ILP/Portfolio Review Panel are eligible to serve on the second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel. The second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel consult all primary sources, including the original panel's final report. The second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel should assess the portfolio holistically, taking into consideration the original panel's final report. If the second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel finds the candidate's portfolio to be "acceptable", then the prerequisite for further tenure consideration would be considered met. Therefore, a portfolio deemed unacceptable by the second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel disqualifies the candidate and renders him or her ineligible for consideration for tenure. Regardless of the final decision, the candidate's official record will
      
      include both the original ILP/Portfolio Review Panel's report and the second ILP/Portfolio Review Panel's report.
  4. Professional Performance
    1. Tenure-track teaching faculty members will receive classroom observations by the dean at least once during each Fall and Spring term during tenure-track employment. More frequent or other classroom observations may be conducted during any year of the tenure-track period, as deemed appropriate by the dean. Tenure-track counselors and librarians will receive work observations at least once during each term during tenure-track employment, or more frequently during the tenure track period as deemed appropriate by their supervisor. These observations will be planned in advance with evaluation criteria provided to tenure-track faculty member beforehand. A post-observation meeting between the dean and the tenure-track faculty member is required within two weeks of the classroom/work observation. As part of this meeting, a formal report will be prepared and given to the tenure-track faculty member stating specific strengths as well as concerns and detailed suggestions for improvement.
    2. The College administers Student Feedback on Instruction (SFI) surveys for each class section taught at the College. For tenure-track faculty members, SFI surveys will be administered, at a minimum, following the normal schedule, or more frequently at any time during the tenure track period as deemed appropriate by the dean. SFI data will be provided to the tenure-track faculty member. Similar procedures with appropriate evaluative instruments will be followed for tenure-track librarians and counselors.
    3. At a minimum, deans will evaluate tenure-track faculty members using annual performance benchmarks at the end of each year, during the tenure-track period, or more often, including summer terms, during the tenure track period as deemed appropriate by the dean, to determine the levels of overall performance in each applicable area. The levels of performance will vary in each of the benchmark categories. Evaluation reports will be provided to the tenure-track faculty member and kept as part of division records. In the second year and fifth year of a candidate's pre-tenure period, campus presidents, in collaboration with Human Resources, shall collect written feedback from the campus community. A synopsis of this feedback will become part of the candidate's year-2 and year-5 performance evaluation, and be forwarded to the Tenure Review Committee for consideration.
    4. In the event of a determination of below-acceptable performance on the part of the candidate, the dean will make specific
      
      recommendations for improvement, using a performance improvement or other documented means, and may include recommendations that the candidate work with TLA facilitators to improve performance and/or the quality of the ILP/Portfolio. The dean will continue evaluations and or observations, including post- observation meetings and formal reports, each term until an acceptable level is achieved or until it is determined that reappointment will not be recommended.
  5. A Tenure Review Committee (TRC) will be created for eligible tenure candidates.
    
    The TRC examines information related to a candidate's pre-tenure performance. TRC members must participate in the appropriate training offered by Human Resources. The composition of a TRC is determined as follows:
    
    Campus Divisions
    
    In each campus division, for eligible tenure candidates, two tenured faculty members are elected annually by the division's tenured faculty to serve as members of the TRC in an advisory role to the dean in making that year's tenure recommendations.
    
    Collegewide Divisions
    
    Only for the purposes of this procedure, counselors and librarians are considered to serve in divisions that are not campus-based, but collegewide in scope. In each collegewide division, for eligible tenure candidates, two tenured faculty members are elected annually by the division's tenured faculty to serve as members of the TRC in an advisory role to the dean in making that year's tenure recommendations.
    
    The TRC determines whether each candidate has successfully demonstrated the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator and met the other criteria for the award of tenure as set forth in sections II C. and
    
    D. above, and may examine relevant information including without limitation:
    1. Formal/informal evaluations, classroom and laboratory performance (as appropriate); student conferences (as appropriate); division/department/discipline participation; curriculum development; service on councils and committees; service to program, department, and college; counseling and guidance (as appropriate); continuing professional development; and service to the community (as appropriate)
    2. Advanced Practice Reflection;
    3. Student Feedback on Instruction data, and other student feedback on professional practice data, as applicable;
    4. Classroom/work observation forms and reports, as applicable;
    5. Written synopsis of feedback from several sources, including without limitation, deans, directors, program and department chairs, coordinators, administrators, students, employers of students who have graduated, and faculty; and
    6. ILP/Portfolio Final Report(s). (The Tenure Review Committee does not evaluate the acceptability of the ILP artifacts/portfolio.)
      1. The dean will make a recommendation to the Campus President regarding tenure. In case of counselors, the dean will make recommendations to the Vice President of Student Affairs.
      2. Campus Presidents will make recommendations regarding tenure to the College President. In the case of counselors, the Vice President of Student Affairs will make recommendations regarding tenure to the College President. Tenure may be awarded by the District Board of Trustees upon the positive recommendation of the College President.
      3. Presentation of tenure to professors, counselors, and librarians will be acknowledged by the College and the department in an appropriate manner.
      4. When faculty members enter the final year of pre- tenure employment and are not performing acceptably, the College may notify them in writing that they will not be recommended for tenure at the end of the fifth year; however, the failure to give such notice shall not entitle the faculty member to receive a continuing contract.
Procedures for Post-Tenure Evaluations
1. At a minimum, tenured faculty will be formally evaluated by their respective deans on an annual basis.
2. Tenured faculty shall be evaluated on the following criteria:
  1. quantifiable measured effectiveness in the performance of faculty duties;
  2. continuing professional development;
  3. currency and scope of subject matter knowledge;
  4. relevant feedback from students, faculty, deans and other administrators, and employers of students who have graduated;
  5. service to the department, college, and community; and
  6. student success resulting from the efforts of the faculty member, as appropriate for the particular field of learning and the individual faculty member, evidenced by:
    1. demonstrated or documented learning gains;
    2. course completion rates;
    3. graduation and/or certification rates;
    4. continued success in subsequent and additional courses or educational pursuits;
    5. job placements in the appropriate field; and
    6. other student success factors, including student learning outcomes, as measured through unit, course, and program outcomes.
  7. educational qualifications, efficiency, compatibility, character;
  8. capacity to meet the educational needs of the community;
  9. other criteria including the year's accomplishments and challenges in terms of classroom and laboratory performance, student conferences, student development, curriculum development, counseling and guidance, as applicable, and development and assessment of student learning outcomes.
3. The annual performance evaluation process will include a performance self- assessment prepared by the faculty member and an annual review of performance prepared by the dean, both of which shall address the criteria set forth in Section B of this procedure.
  1. The dean's assessment of performance will reflect information from a variety of sources including the faculty member’s self-assessment and related documentation, student feedback on instruction and classroom observations (face-to-face and online, as appropriate), among other
    
    sources. The performance evaluation as prepared by the dean will address any performance and/or conduct issues, challenges, or concerns along with recommendations and any requirements for the resolution of such.
  2. The annual performance evaluation, including the faculty member’s performance self-assessment, performance improvement plans, Essential Competencies Improvement Plans, and any other relevant documentation of faculty conduct and/or performance concerns will be shared with the faculty member, the campus president, or the vice president of student affairs, as appropriate, and will be collected, reviewed, and filed by Human Resources in the employee personnel record.
4. Conduct/Performance Issues, Excluding Demonstration of Mastery of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator Issues, challenges, or concerns with respect to conduct or performance of essential job functions or relative to the other established evaluation criteria (excluding demonstration of mastery of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator) may be addressed within a performance improvement plan in addition to the annual performance evaluation process. Depending on the severity or nature of the performance or conduct issues or if improvement is not timely realized, other provisions of college policy/procedure may apply, which may lead to or result in more serious employment action, up to and including termination (which is eligible to be reviewed through the college’s grievance process).
5. Failure to Demonstrate Mastery of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator
  
  Beginning in the 2015-16 academic year, issues, challenges, or concerns with respect to performance of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator may be addressed in an Essential Competencies Improvement Plan. If improvement is not realized, further provisions of college policy/procedure may apply, which may lead to more serious employment action, up to and including termination (which is eligible to be reviewed through the college’s grievance process). The Essential Competencies Improvement Plan process is as follows:
  1. Through the regular annual performance review process, if a dean determines that a tenured faculty member is not adequately demonstrating or implementing one or more of the Essential Competencies of a Valencia Educator, then the dean may determine that the faculty member should proceed to an Essential Competencies Improvement Plan as a developmental process designed to focus the faculty member’s development in the area(s) of concern. If the dean and faculty member disagree about the need for an Essential Competencies Improvement Plan, the faculty member is encouraged to engage the informal dispute resolution process to resolve the concern.
    
    a. The Essential Competencies Improvement Plan Committee supports the faculty member in developing and implementing a year-long development plan to address gaps in demonstration of the essential competency(ies). The final Plan must identify what evidence will demonstrate satisfactory completion of the outcomes and a rubric for assessing the results. The dean must approve the final Plan before the implementation begins, and the Plan should be approved/in place as soon as possible in a given academic year.
  2. If the faculty member needs additional assistance in developing or fulfilling the Essential Competencies Improvement Plan, he/she may request that the committee assist in finding a mentor and/or consult with the Faculty/Instructional Development office for support.
  3. The Essential Competencies Improvement Plan Committee will meet with the faculty member at the beginning of the academic term following the implementation of the Plan to review progress on the Plan and to make recommendations to the faculty member for continued improvement.
  4. The Essential Competencies Improvement Plan Committee will meet prior to the annual performance review process and as otherwise deemed appropriate by the dean to assess the faculty member’s work toward the completion of the Essential Competencies Improvement Plan, using the parameters defined previously, and inform the dean as to the faculty member’s progress on the Plan.
  5. At the end of the period designated for the faculty member’s implementation of the Essential Competencies Improvement Plan (as may be extended), the dean, informed by the Committee:
    1. May deem the implementation of the Essential Competencies Improvement Plan by the faculty member to be acceptable and close the faculty member’s Essential Competencies Improvement Plan, or
    2. May, if sufficient progress has been made by the faculty member toward the achievement of the Essential Competencies Improvement Plan goals but implementation of the Plan is not yet acceptable to the dean, deem the implementation of the Plan by the faculty member to be unsatisfactory but grant an extension of time during which the faculty member may continue to work (with continued advisory assistance from the Committee) on implementation of the Essential Competencies Improvement Plan, or
    3. May, if sufficient progress has not been made by the faculty member toward the achievement of the Plan goals, deem the work of the faculty member on the Essential Competencies Improvement Plan to be unacceptable and proceed with formal disciplinary action.
Administrator or Executive Employee Return to Continuing Contract - An eligible employee, defined as a faculty member holding a continuing contract who accepted an offer of administrative employment and worked at the College in an administrative/executive capacity other than the faculty position for which the continuing contract was awarded, may submit a request to the Office of Organizational Development and Human Resources (ODHR) to end the administrative leave and return to their continuing contract; or in the alternative, the College can choose to initiate the process to reappoint the respective employee to a continuing contract in the absence of a request. The following procedures shall apply:
1. The eligible employee must submit their request to terminate their administrative leave and return to their continuing contract to ODHR. The request must be submitted one year in advance of the academic year they plan to return to their continuing contract (by the start of the Fall term). In the alternative, the College may initiate the process to terminate the employee’s administrative leave and return them to their continuing contract, as may be deemed appropriate by the College.
2. If the request is submitted by the eligible employee, the eligible employee is encouraged to consult with ODHR to clarify the process for the employee to return to continuing contract status. The College President shall then evaluate the request and either approve or deny the request. The request may be denied if the eligible employee’s administrative contract is terminated for cause, or if any professional development requirements established by the College for return to instructional duties are not satisfied by the eligible employee before such return. If the request is approved or if the College initiates the return to continuing contract process:
  1. A search process for the replacement of the vacating administrative or executive position may commence in collaboration with ODHR.
  2. The College shall evaluate college-wide tenured faculty position vacancy needs and determine an appropriate campus assignment for the returning faculty member.
  3. Once a campus assignment has been determined, the returning faculty member shall meet with the respective dean to:
    1. discuss the faculty member’s reinstatement process to a continuing contract; and
    2. collaboratively determine immediate professional development needs to prepare the faculty member to effectively resume their instructional duties. The professional development needs, as may be required by the College to be satisfied by the returning faculty member, shall be completed by the returning faculty member prior to the end of the administrative leave and reissuance of the continuing contract.
  4. Upon the written approval to return to a continuing contract status, the eligible employee’s Contract of Employment for Executive/Administrative Personnel of Valencia College on Administrative Leave from Continuing Contract shall be allowed to expire or shall be terminated, the administrative leave shall be terminated, and the continuing contract shall resume and be in force and effect.

Procedure History:

Adopted 1-19-83; Amended 10-23-91; Amended 11-18-92; Amended 7-17-01; Amended 4-17-07;

Amended 1-21-11; Amended 7-16-13; Amended 1-27-15; Amended 9-19-18; Amended 2-24-20; Amended 12-15-22; Formerly 6Hx28:08-10

Date of Last Procedure Review: 12-15-2022

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3E-02 Award of Tenure and Evaluation of Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty

POLICY: 6Hx28:3E-02
Responsible Executive: Provost/Vice President, Academic Affairs
Policy Contacts: AVP, Talent Mgmt./Total Rewards
Specific Authority: 1001.64, F.S.
Law Implemented: 1001.64, F.S. 6A-14.0411 FAC
Effective Date: 07-16-2013
Date of Last Policy Review: 12-15-2022

Policy Statement:

Policy History:

Related Documents/Policies:

Procedures:

Procedure History:

Date of Last Procedure Review: 12-15-2022

Deleting...

Updating...

3E-02 Award of Tenure and Evaluation of Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty

POLICY: 6Hx28:3E-02 Responsible Executive: Provost/Vice President, Academic Affairs Policy Contacts: AVP, Talent Mgmt./Total Rewards Specific Authority: 1001.64, F.S. Law Implemented: 1001.64, F.S. 6A-14.0411 FAC Effective Date: 07-16-2013 Date of Last Policy Review: 12-15-2022

Policy Statement:

Policy History:

Related Documents/Policies:

Procedures:

Procedure History:

Date of Last Procedure Review: 12-15-2022

Deleting...

POLICY: 6Hx28:3E-02
Responsible Executive: Provost/Vice President, Academic Affairs
Policy Contacts: AVP, Talent Mgmt./Total Rewards
Specific Authority: 1001.64, F.S.
Law Implemented: 1001.64, F.S. 6A-14.0411 FAC
Effective Date: 07-16-2013
Date of Last Policy Review: 12-15-2022