Purpose

Establish a voluntary incentive review program for tenured faculty holding the rank of Full Professor.

Preamble

The voluntary incentive review program is intended to provide an opportunity for a (1.0 EFT) tenured faculty member holding the rank of Full Professor at Wichita State University for six (6) years to be eligible for salary supplements based on the faculty member's continuing professional work. Any Full Professor, including those holding administrative positions, may apply for the merit award if they feel that they meet the criteria provided in paragraph five below.

Policy

1. The voluntary incentive review program is available to all tenured faculty members who have held the rank of Full Professor at Wichita State University for a minimum of six (6) years (whose appointment is 1.0 EFT) and who have not received an incentive supplement under this policy in the last six years.

2. Eligible faculty members interested in participating in the voluntary incentive review program shall submit their names to the Chair of the department by the 3rd Friday in April of their fifth (5th) year as a Full Professor at WSU, at the same time as faculty seeking promotion to Full Professor as noted in the Tenure and Promotion Calendar. The candidate for the voluntary incentive review will present a primary dossier comparable to a promotion dossier to the department, highlighting work completed since the last review; the candidate may prepare a secondary dossier.

3. Chairs interested in participating in the voluntary incentive review submit their dossiers to the Full Professors of the department for review. Chairs who are candidates for the Full Professor Incentive Review Program do not participate in their own evaluation or in evaluations of candidates in the Full Professor Incentive Review Program, or when the Chair has a conflict of interest. Such cases automatically go forward without prejudice for review at the next level.

4. Salary supplements under this policy are part of the merit pay system, not the tenure and promotion process. The criteria for award of a salary supplement are the same as the criteria for promotion to Full Professor (in effect at the time the candidate files an application for full professor incentive review). In the interests of fairness and to assure comparable standards across campus, the process for review is the same as for promotion to Full Professor, and will process through the stages of the tenure and promotion review process.

   The process of review involves these steps:

   1. Nomination for review.

   2. Departmental review of nominees by the departmental committee* and by the Chair.

   3. In favorable or appealed** cases, college/school/University Libraries review of departmental nominations by the college/school/University Libraries tenure and promotion committee and by the college/schools/University Libraries dean.

   4. In favorable or appealed** cases, University review of college/school/University Libraries nominations by the tenure and promotion committee and by the Provost.

   5. In favorable or appealed** cases, approval by the president of the University.

   *In departments having fewer than three faculty members with appropriate rank, the college/school/University Libraries faculty will develop appropriate review procedures subject to the approval of the college/school/University Libraries dean.

   **Procedures have been established for appeal in the case of an adverse promotion recommendation at the department, college/school/University Libraries and University levels.

5. The requirements for a successful full professor incentive review merit award require that a candidate demonstrate all of the following:

   1. The candidate must have established and maintained a sustained, successful program in research, publication, or creative activity that has led to national visibility as judged by the standards of the discipline. It is the responsibility of the candidate to supply clear and convincing evidence in this area.

   2. The candidate must be able to demonstrate sustained, successful teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level as determined by the mission of the department. It is the responsibility of the candidate to supply clear and convincing evidence in this area.

   3. The candidate must be able to demonstrate sustained, successful service to the University and to the profession commensurate with the rank of professor. It is the responsibility of the candidate to supply clear and convincing evidence in this area.

6. Satisfactory completion of the voluntary incentive review program will result in payment of a salary supplement to the participating faculty member that equals the salary supplement paid to a person promoted to Full Professor at the same time.

Implementation

This policy shall be included in the WSU Policies and Procedures Manual and shared with appropriate constituencies of the University.

The Provost shall have primary responsibility for publication and implementation of this University Policy.