Senate Bill 12-13-42
| Bill ID: | 12-13-42 |
| Name: | Clarification of University APT Policy Regarding Emeritus Status for Research Faculty |
| Proposed: | 02/11/2013 |
| Sponsor: | Devin Hayes Ellis |
| Proposal: | The provision of the current UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND POLICY ON APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, AND TENURE OF FACULTY regarding eligibility for emeritus status [II-1.00(A).IV.G.1] states the following: "Associate Professors, Professors, Distinguished University Professors, Research Associate Professors, Research Professors, Senior Agents, Principal Agents, Librarians III, and Librarians IV who have been members of the faculty of the University of Maryland at College Park for ten or more years, and who give to their chair or dean proper written notice of their intention to retire, are eligible for nomination to emerita/emeritus status (see I.E.7 Emerita, Emeritus). Only in exceptional circumstances may Professors with fewer than ten years of service to the institution be recommended for emerita/emeritus status." However, in the same policy, Sections 1.B.4 and 1.B.5, the academic rank Research Associate Professor is grouped together with those of Associate Research Scientist, Associate Research Scholar, and Associate Research Engineer; and the rank Research Professor is likewise grouped with the ranks Senior Research Scientist, Senior Research Scholar, and Senior Research Engineer. The descriptive language for each category states: "These ranks are generally equivalent to associate professor," and "These ranks are generally equivalent to professor." The ranks as grouped and defined are consistent with the definitions in University System of Maryland Policy II-1.00 on Appointment, Promotion and Tenure of Faculty. In practice different units across the University of Maryland, College Park, use these titles interchangeably depending on disciplinary norms, long-held practice, and other considerations. Nevertheless, from the standpoint of university policy, the ranks within these categories are nowhere distinguished from one another for any administrative, appointment or personnel purposes. The absence of a listing of these titles in University Policy II-1.00(A).IV.G.1 could be construed by APT committees and administrators at the unit level as creating a distinction between the eligibility of people holding other titles in the same rank category for emeritus status which it is not clear was intended and which is not supported by any other stated University or university System policies. The relevant paragraph [IV.G.1] of University of Maryland Policy II-1.00(A) should be amended to either: a) Include a listing of all equivalent titles in the same rank categories as Research Associate Professor and Research Professor; or b) Include language which clearly indicates that faculty members holding any other titles which are in the same rank category as listed titles are also eligible for emeritus status Amending the policy to this effect would clarify the policy and remove a possible obstacle to the eligibility of certain research faculty for emeritus status which is neither intended nor appropriate |
| Active? | No |
Status
| Status: | Completed |
| Completed On: | 06/08/2015 |
History
| Status: | Complete |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate |
| Received: | 2014-10-02 |
| Decision Date: | 2014-10-09 |
| Decision: | The Senate voted to approve the report with one amendment. |
| Next Step: | Presidential Approval |
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| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2014-09-15 |
| Decision Date: | 2014-09-22 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to send the report to the Senate for review. |
| Next Step: | Senate Review |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Faculty Affairs Committee |
| Received: | 2013-11-25 |
| Decision Date: | 2014-09-11 |
| Decision Due By: | 2014-03-31 |
| Decision: | The committee voted to submit its recommendations to the SEC and Senate for review. |
| Actions: | The Faculty Affairs Committee continued its review of this charge in the spring of 2014. The committee returned to its consideration of this charge in February 2014. The committee discussed NTT titles in light of its recent proposed changes in a related charge, and discussed the various levels of NTT titles and types of title series to determine to which titles emeritus status should apply. In April and May 2014, the committee discussed the costs and benefits of emeritus status, and reviewed data on how many NTT faculty would be eligible for emeritus status if the policy were changed. In fall 2014, the Faculty Affairs Committee received feedback through the joint Senate/Provost APT Guidelines Task Force related to the section of the APT policy on emeritus status, which expressed the view that eligibility for emeritus status should be extended to all research faculty at or above the associate level. In September 2014, the FAC reviewed the comment and determined that it had already addressed the concerns raised in its previous work on the charge. After consideration, the FAC voted unanimously to forward its recommendations to the SEC and the Senate for consideration. The Faculty Affairs Committee completed its work on this charge on September 11, 2014. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review. |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2013-11-18 |
| Decision Date: | 2013-11-25 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to grant the extension request. |
| Actions: | The SEC reviewed the letter of request from the Faculty Affairs Committee at its meeting on November 25, 2013. The SEC voted in favor of granting the extension. The committee's new deadline is March 31, 2014. |
| Next Step: | Faculty Affairs Committee Review |
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| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Faculty Affairs Committee |
| Received: | 2013-02-27 |
| Decision Date: | 2013-12-15 |
| Decision Due By: | 2013-12-15 |
| Decision: | The committee sent a letter of request for a deadline extension. |
| Actions: | The Faculty Affairs Committee reviewed the charge at its meeting on March 28, 2013 and identified the various issues to be determined in the charge. The committee reviewed research on criteria for emeritus status at peer institutions and met with a member of the Emeritus Council at its meeting on April 20, 2013. The committee renewed its discussion of the charge in the fall of 2013. In September 2013, the committee determined that it could not complete its work on the charge until it had a better understanding of non-tenure track faculty titles, and decided to postpone further consideration until it had made more progress on a charge related to non-tenure track faculty titles (Sen Doc # 12-13-55). In November 2013, due to other pressing agenda items, the Faculty Affairs Committee decided to submit a request for an extension on its consideration of this charge to the Senate Executive Committee. The committee was unable to meet its original deadline of December 15, 2013. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
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| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2013-02-15 |
| Decision Date: | 2013-02-22 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to charge the Faculty Affairs Committee. |
| Next Step: | Faculty Affairs Committee Review |
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