SKIDMORE COLLEGE

CAPT OPERATING CODE 2004-2005

Members of CAPT:
Gerald Erchak 2005 (Chair)
William Standish 2005
Barbara Black 2006
Lary Opitz 2006
Peter Stake 2007
John Berman 2007

FUNCTION: To represent the faculty on administrative appointments and reviews and on faculty appointments, promotions, tenure, and termination of service, and to make recommendations on these matters to the appropriate administrative officer. The administration shall consult CAPT to determine which administrative personnel decisions the committee judges to require faculty representation. Special meetings with the President and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty may be called at the request of either of these administrative officers or of the committee. At least one meeting of the joint trustee-faculty committee is held during each academic year. Revisions to some parts of Part One, Faculty Rights and Responsibilities, of the Faculty Handbook are reviewed by the CAPT for its recommendations prior to a faculty vote.

MEMBERSHIP: Six faculty members with tenure, each from a different department chosen from the ranks of professor and associate professor, none of whom is on the Committee on Academic Freedom and Rights, the Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee, and the Tenure Review Board elected to serve three-year terms. Members of CAPT may not participate in the tenure or promotion cases of candidates in their own departments; replacements for such cases will be selected from recent members of CAPT and the Tenure Review Board (or its predecessor, the CAPT Review Committee). The first eligible faculty member will be chosen from a list beginning with the most recent past members of the named groups (eligible replacements must have reviewed at least one case).

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All dates refer to the 2004-2005 Academic Year

TENURE
Candidates are informed of the President's recommendation by December 15. Notice of the decision by the Board of Trustees to grant tenure is given by March 1.
Eligibility

1. Only full-time members of the teaching faculty may be considered for tenure.

2. Members of the teaching faculty, who are at the rank of assistant professor or above and who are in their sixth year of full-time service at Skidmore, shall be candidates for tenure.

2. Faculty members who were appointed initially to the rank of associate or full professor, without prior tenure, may choose to become candidates for tenure in their fifth year of service at Skidmore.

4. Faculty members initially appointed to the rank of associate or full professor with tenure at their previous institution may choose to be considered for tenure as early as the fall term of their second year of service as faculty members at Skidmore.

5. The status of tenure consideration of faculty members appointed initially as Chair will be determined by their rank at the time of appointment and whether or not they had prior tenure.

Procedures for Granting Tenure

1. By May 3, the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty (VPAA/DOF) supplies CAPT with a list of current faculty members and dates pertaining to length of service and status.

2. In April, CAPT will meet with faculty members eligible for tenure. By May 3, CAPT will contact faculty members eligible for tenure, requesting by June 28 names of referees outside the Skidmore community and by September 13 for referees inside the Skidmore community. CAPT states in this letter that it will also consult full-time faculty members (and those with shared appointments) in the candidate's department (in the ranks defined in Part One, IV Categories of Appointments to the Faculty, Topics A, Tenure-track appointments and C.B. Artist or Writer-in Residence) who are in at least their third year of full-time service at Skidmore. CAPT will also contact program directors indicated by the candidates, and other individuals as deemed appropriate.

3. By June 3, CAPT will send letters to referees outside the college community suggested by the candidate requesting their evaluation of the candidates' professional work.

4. By September 13, CAPT will send letters requesting information and recommendations to the persons in the Skidmore community suggested by the candidate requesting their evaluation of the candidate's professional work. Similar letters will also be sent to the chair of the appropriate department and to those full-time faculty members (and those with shared appointments) in the candidate's department (in the ranks defined in Part One, IV Categories of Appointments to the Faculty, Topics A, Tenure-track appointments and C.b. Artist or Writer-in residence, with the exception of those faculty holding full-time administrative appointments) who are in at least their third year of full-time service at Skidmore. Individuals writing letters are directed to Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section V. A., Evaluative Criteria for Continued Service. CAPT informs those persons writing letters that "the candidate may have access to your letter after the tenure decision is made. Members of the Tenure Review Board may have access if the candidate petitions for review of a negative recommendation, and the candidate's advocate may have access in the event that a review of a negative recommendation by CAPT is granted. In addition, the Committee on Academic Freedom and Rights and the Director of Diversity and Affirmative Action may also have access if a charge of violation of academic freedom and rights or a violation of affirmative action policies requires it."

5. By September 13, CAPT will send a list of candidates for tenure to the President
and the VPAA/DOF.

6. By September 13, CAPT will request that the candidate's department chair
provide letters that assess the candidate's credentials from the perspective of both an individual colleague and as department chair. The chair shall provide:
a. Student opinion regarding the faculty member as a teacher, with indication of the procedures by which this information was gathered (Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section VIII. E. 3.f.). A statement and assessment of teaching effectiveness supported by an analysis of student evaluations collected over the years is likely to be helpful to CAPT as well.
b. Faculty opinion regarding the candidate as a teacher, based on class visits, with indication of the procedures by which this information was derived (Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section VIII. E. 3. f)
c. A clear statement of the "extent to which ... [this] candidate's particular abilities will continue to be needed, as far as the department's future can be projected" (Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section VIII. E. 5.d.).

Individuals writing letters of evaluation shall clearly state whether they do or do not recommend tenure, and why, according to the criteria for continued service (as found in Part One Faculty Rights and Responsibilities, Article V Evaluation Criteria for Continued Service, Topic A Tenure-Track Faculty).
CAPT also requests from the VPAA/DOF and the chairs of the departments concerned clear printouts of the all-College teaching evaluation summaries and departmental long form teaching evaluations for each semester and copies of the annual reports of activities.

7. If CAPT deems it appropriate, it will request information from other
faculty members who have been closely associated with the candidate and from administrative officers such as Program Directors, Associate Deans of Faculty, Director of Academic Advising, and Dean of Student Affairs, who may be in positions to offer information about a candidate's participation in interdisciplinary programs, co-curricular activities, and academic advising,

8. Candidates for tenure may submit a letter on their own behalf.

9. The Chair of CAPT will prepare for each tenure candidate a folder containing relevant materials obtained from the candidate's department chair and all letters received from sources referred to above. The Chair of CAPT is responsible for ensuring those folders are complete insofar as the requested information is available. The Chair of CAPT will also create a file for any unsolicited letters. CAPT will treat all such material as confidential, and the Chair will deposit these folders in the CAPT Reading Room with instructions strictly to preserve their security.

10. Within seven days of CAPT's deadline for receipt of the chair's and the
faculty's recommendations, the Chair of CAPT will send the tenure
candidates a list of names of those who have written unsolicited letters about
the candidates.

11. Each member of CAPT will read confidential folders of all candidates for
tenure in preparation for the committee's deliberations.

12. CAPT will consider its recommendations during the period from October
1 through November 30. The committee meets with the President and
VPAA/DOF at least once before the committee votes on the cases and presents its recommendation to the administration. At this meeting, the VPAA/DOF provides his/her perspective; members of the CAPT may ask questions but do not offer opinions. After the President and VPAA/DOF have deliberated about CAPT's recommendations, they may request another meeting, at which time, CAPT, without revealing individual positions, will provide reasons for the committee's recommendations. CAPT may also request an additional meeting.

13. CAPT may also meet with other administrators during its deliberations.

14. CAPT may meet with candidates for tenure and with department members as it deems necessary.

15. CAPT will make its recommendations in writing to the President and send
copies to the VPAA/DOF. The committee makes its recommendations to the President by November 30. In the rare instance in which the President does not concur with the recommendations of the CAPT, the President will meet immediately with the CAPT to offer detailed and compelling reasons for such divergence.

16. On or before December 15, the VPAA/DOF will notify the candidate's department chair of the CAPT's and the President's tenure recommendation. Department chairs will notify the candidates immediately. Candidates who are not recommended may request a meeting with the VPAA/DOF and the Chair of CAPT.

17. The President will report CAPT's recommendations along with his own to the Board of Trustees at its February meeting. The Board makes final decisions to grant tenure.

18. The VPAA/DOF will convey the decision of the Board of Trustees to the candidate and to the candidate's chair on or before March 1.

REAPPOINTMENT

Procedures for third-year reappointment are stipulated in the Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section VII.2.

1. If a department regards the appointee as a candidate for reappointment, it must submit its recommendations on reappointment to the VPAA/DOF by January 14 of the appointee's third year. In such cases, the department must submit its recommendation, positive or negative, with supporting evidence to the VPAA/DOF on or before January 14 of the appointee's third year. This evidence must include a cover letter from the chair and letters from full-time faculty and those holding shared appointments in the department concerned (in the ranks defined in Part One, IV Categories of Appointments to the Faculty, Topics A Tenure-track Appointments and IV C.b. Artist or Writer-in-Residence) who are in at least their third year of full-time service at Skidmore, and (where appropriate) program directors.

2. The VPAA/DOF must decide by February 14 whether to recommend to the
President a further three-year contract or termination of the individual's service. The VPAA/DOF shall base this recommendation on the evidence submitted by the candidate's department, and on the standards of excellence the VPAA/DOF maintains for the faculty as a whole.

3. The VPAA/DOF will report reappointment decisions to CAPT by February 14.

4. If a disagreement occurs between the recommendations of the department and the VPAA/DOF, CAPT will review the candidate's file and make a third recommendation to the President by February 25.

5. The President shall make the decision whether or not to follow the recommendation in all cases presented. The VPAA/DOF will communicate the decision to the candidates and their department chairs. The VPAA/DOF shall offer further three-year contracts to successful reappointment candidates by May 3.
6. A candidate for reappointment to whom a further three- year contract is not offered in the third year shall receive written notice of a terminal one-year appointment from the VPAA/DOF by March 1.

PROMOTIONS

CAPT completes its deliberations by March 31. Promotions are announced after the May Trustee Board meeting.
Recommendation for Promotions
By October 15, CAPT, along with the DOF, will hold a meeting on promotion for chairs and all other interested parties. CAPT will send letters to the VPAA/DOF and all department chairs by November 3, reminding them of the January 31 deadline for recommendations and referring them to the Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section X.A.2, Guidelines for Advancement in Rank, and Section V. A., Evaluative Criteria for Continued Service. Candidates being considered for promotion shall be sent a written notice by the Chair of CAPT stating that they are candidates for promotion. Such notification is due the day that the departments submit the cases.
1. For the rank of assistant professor, the appropriate terminal degree (or its professional equivalent) is generally required. The absence of the appropriate terminal degree is not an absolute deterrent to the advancement to any rank. Other qualifications, however, shall be closely scrutinized by the department and the administration for evidence of extraordinary merit.

2. For the rank of associate professor, the appropriate terminal degree (or its professional equivalent) is generally required. In addition, superior ability to teach courses at both the introductory and advanced levels and significant growth and achievement in scholarly, creative, or professional work must be clearly demonstrated. Participation in college affairs (such as involvement in departmental or faculty governance or in other aspects of extracurricular college life) is also important. This participation is not to be predominantly or exclusively equated with service on faculty committees, which is but one of a variety of service options available to faculty.

2. For the rank of professor, the appropriate terminal degree (or its professional equivalent) normally is required. Promotions to this rank shall be granted to faculty who have shown continuing excellence in teaching (or, in the case of Library faculty, librarianship); concomitant achievement attesting to further growth in scholarship, creative or professional work; and significant involvement in the affairs of the college. When the VPAA/DOF provides department chairs and CAPT with the annual list of those in the Associate rank for seven years or more, CAPT may take the opportunity to ask questions about those who have been in rank for many years.

4. CAPT will consider its recommendations during the period from January 31 through March 31. The committee meets with the President and VPAA/DOF at least once before the committee presents its recommendations to the administration. At this meeting, the VPAA/DOF presents his perspective; members of the CAPT may ask questions but do not offer opinions. After the President and the VPAA/DOF have deliberated about CAPT's recommendations, they may request another meeting, at which time CAPT, without revealing individual positions, will provide reasons for the committee's recommendations. CAPT may also request an additional meeting.

APPOINTMENTS
When CAPT deems it appropriate it will ask to be consulted on certain administrative and faculty appointments. In such cases, CAPT will expect the Search Committee (or whoever is in charge of the search) to provide information that is sufficient to ensure a meaningful consultation.

Endowed Chairs

Endowed chairs are appointed by the President in consultation with the VPAA/DOF,
the CAPT, the Department and any academic Program deemed by CAPT to be
sufficiently relevant. In order to assist CAPT in its consideration of candidates for
endowed chairs:
1. The VPAA/DOF will supply CAPT with the letters of nomination for candidates for endowed chairs.
2. The VPAA/DOF will supply CAPT with the CVs of candidates for endowed chairs and, when CAPT deems appropriate, teaching evaluations.
3. CAPT may also request other information from the VPAA/DOF, the Department or Program, members of the faculty and/or administration.

Senior Academic and Administrative Officers

If CAPT deems it appropriate it will ask to consult with the Board of Trustees, the President, or the VPAA/DOF on the appointments of senior academic and administrative officers.
In the event of the appointment of a President, VPAA/DOF, or other board-appointed officer:
1. CAPT expects that:

a. CAPT will be consulted prior to the formation of a search committee.
b. the search committee will provide CAPT with credentials of all candidates
invited to campus.
c. the search committee will provide credentials of the other candidates on its
"short list" to CAPT in the event that only one candidate is invited to
campus.

2. CAPT will provide the search committee, and, if appropriate, the Board of Trustees with recommendations about the candidates it has considered.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES OF CAPT

1. CAPT calls a meeting of new members of the faculty as soon as possible at the
beginning of the academic year to explain in detail the reappointment and tenure system at Skidmore.
2. CAPT calls a meeting of those faculty who have been reappointed to a second three-year tenure track contract, as soon as possible after March 1, to explain in detail the tenure system at Skidmore.

3. CAPT holds a meeting before October 15 for chairs, faculty eligible for promotion, and other interested parties to review promotion procedures, guidelines, and criteria.

4. CAPT meets with Academic Staff at the close of the academic year to discuss procedures and criteria for tenure and promotion.

5. CAPT reports to the faculty about matters of ongoing concern and as the need to consult or inform the faculty arises.

6. CAPT reviews sections of the Faculty Handbook relating to CAPT
responsibilities when necessary.

7. CAPT meets at least once each year with the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees and at the call of the Board.

8. CAPT conducts an annual review of its Operating Code and Calendar and
distributes it to the faculty and administrative officers at the beginning of the
academic year.

9. CAPT confers with the President, the VPAA/DOF, and the Trustees on matters of common concern, including the granting of honorary degrees.

10. CAPT attends meetings of the Committee on Committees, which are convened regularly by the Committee on Faculty Governance.

11. The Chair (or designated member) of CAPT serves on the Governance
Advisory Council.

12. If CAPT is charged by an individual with a violation of academic freedom and rights, CAPT meets with CAFR and cooperates with CAFR's inquiry and investigation to the fullest extent possible.

13. CAPT makes an annual report, in writing, to the faculty at the end of the academic year.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All committee discussions and documents are strictly confidential. Members of CAPT shall not discuss the committee's deliberations with any member of the faculty or administration except under official circumstances (see Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section III, Academic Freedom and Tenure).