Comprehensive Periodic Evaluation of Tenured Faculty Guidelines
This set of guidelines provides information for faculty undergoing a Comprehensive Periodic Evaluation (CPE). Periodic evaluation of tenured faculty is required by Texas Education Code Section 51.942, Regents’ Rule 31102 and HOP 2.22, all of which establish that the overriding purpose for faculty evaluation is to support tenure and promote faculty development.” These guidelines also provide information for those faculty serving on the Department and College CPE Review Committees (D-CPER and C-CPER, respectively), Department Chair/School Directors, and deans involved in the review process. These guidelines are reviewed annually and updated as needed by Academic Affairs.
The CPE process is a post-tenure review process employed by the university to uphold high standards and expectations for its faculty. UTSA seeks to provide, promote, and sustain a landscape that is conducive to sharing, extending, and critically examining knowledge and values, and to furthering intellectual discourse as also outlined in the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities. It is incumbent upon all who are involved in the review process to read all applicable materials, deliberate the strengths and weaknesses of each faculty member’s performance in good faith with objectivity, and to observe confidentiality concerning the views of others, as revealed during review discussions. A respectful, thorough, and objective review of faculty accomplishments depends upon the conscientious efforts of all participants in the review process. All written materials generated through the review process are available for the inspection of faculty candidates. Questions concerning the university’s procedures for CPE review may be directed to Academic Affairs.
These guidelines are divided into several sections with the following contents:
Overview of Process — a brief description of the timeline for review and the responsibilities of each party at each stage of the process.
Preparation of the Review Packet — a listing of essential and optional elements to include in the review packet prepared by tenured faculty.
Review Process — an outline of the responsibilities of the CPE review committees, Department Chair/School Director, and dean in carrying out the review.
Checklist — a summary of required and optional materials to be submitted for the purposes of CPE review.
Principles for CPE
Tenure is predicated on the same core tenets articulated in the University’s Promotion and Tenure Guidelines – that, is standards for achievements in rank that constitute academic excellence of a national (e.g., Carnegie “Research 1”) research universities. CPE should demonstrate a continued rate of academic achievement relative to prior review period, and have made distinctive contributions to the mission of the university centered in outstanding research, scholarship or creative arts; and are devoted, accomplished teachers who advance student success in and out of the classroom, recognized leaders of their respective discipline or area and citizens of our communities. As such, candidates are expected to have a sustained, consistent record of academic success and to be substantive, intellectual leaders in the national communities of faculty in their respective disciplines or areas.
Schedule for CPE Review
Each tenured faculty member, including those appointed to part-time administrative positions (e.g. chair or associate dean) will undergo a CPE review in the sixth year following the previous comprehensive review, whether that review be the awarding of tenure, the promotion to full professor, or the previous CPE review.
In addition, if a faculty member is scheduled for a CPE review and requests to be reviewed for promotion to full professor, the CPE review is placed on hold until the outcome of the promotion to full professor has been decided. If the promotion to full professor is successful, the CPE will be rescheduled to the next sixth-year period. If the promotion to full professor is not awarded, the Department Chair/School Director and dean will then evaluate the promotion and tenure DFRAC recommendation and provide a succinct evaluation that will serve as the CPE review.
Academic Affairs keeps the official calendar of CPE reviews and notifies the deans each spring of those faculty who are due to undergo review in the following academic year.
