Procedures for the Guidance and Annual Evaluation of

Probationary Faculty Members

Department of Mathematics

University of Wisconsin – Madison

September 30, 2002

1. General Procedures

Upon arrival at UW-Madison, a new probationary faculty member meets with the chair who will discuss with her or him our expectations and procedures for faculty members. A copy of this document will be given to the probationary faculty member. Any subsequent changes in the criteria or department goals stated in this document will be provided to the probationary faculty member. The chair will also assign a faculty mentor whose responsibility it is to provide guidance during the probationary period to help the probationary faculty member meet the high expectations of the Department of Mathematics. The Faculty Affairs Committee acts as the general oversight committee for each probationary faculty member. The membership of the Faculty Affairs Committee is known to all members of the faculty.

Probationary faculty members are required to be evaluated by students in each course taught. At least once a year, the chair will assign a senior faculty member to observe the probationary faculty member's teaching, and to prepare a written evaluation which should include judgments on course content, level of presentation, pedagogy, and organization of material. Course syllabi and other handouts should be made available for the purpose of the written evaluation.

Upon review of the student evaluations and the written evaluation the chair may decide to assign a teaching mentor to the probationary faculty member who will undertake a program of classroom observations and will meet regularly with her or him. At the end of the semester, the teaching mentor shall prepare a written report on the probationary faculty member's teaching.

Near the end of the first year of the initial appointment, the chair will meet with the probationary faculty member in order to discuss, with the advice of the Faculty Affairs Committee, progress during the first year. Only in the case that corrective action is indicated will the faculty member be provided with a written report. Beginning with the second year of the initial appointment of a probationary faculty member, the Faculty Affairs Committee shall appoint a subcommittee (which may include faculty outside of the Committee) to review her/his performance and prepare a written evaluation for discussion and approval by the whole Faculty Affairs Committee and then by the Executive Committee. These reviews normally take place in the second semester of the academic year. With the

help of the chair, the Faculty Affairs Committee shall ensure that the probationary faculty

member's file contains all relevant material for evaluation. The chair shall notify the

probationary faculty member of the performance review in the first semester, and of the

meeting of the Executive Committee at which the probationary faculty member's performance will be discussed at least twenty days in advance of the meeting.

The Executive Committee shall recommend (i) that the probationary faculty member be re

appointed for another year, (ii) that the probationary faculty member be promoted to

Associate Professor with Tenure, or (iii) that the probationary faculty member not be re

appointed or promoted. The chair transmits the Executive Committee's recommendation to

the Dean for approval. Subject to the Dean's approval, and in the case of a recommendation for promotion with tenure, to the approval of the appropriate Divisional Executive Committee, the chair shall notify the probationary faculty member of the decision in writing and provide an approved copy of the evaluation. The chair shall meet with the probationary faculty member and with one or more members of the guidance committee to discuss the expectations and progress toward tenure. The probationary faculty member will be given the opportunity to respond to the evaluation in writing.

2. Criteria for Promotion to Tenure

The Department does not have a definitive set of criteria which, when met, will guarantee a recommendation for promotion to tenure. Rather, the Department seeks a demonstrated record of excellence in achievement and substantial promise for continued excellence. The guidelines of the Executive Committee of the Division of Physical Sciences provide that a recommendation for promotion to tenure of a probationary faculty member should be based on evidence of accomplishments in teaching, research, professional service, and outreach/extension.

Our recommendations for promotion are ordinarily based on high-level accomplishments in research and teaching. Outreach/extension and professional service serve to strengthen a candidate's case. In exceptional cases a recommendation for promotion may be based primarily on truly outstanding research. In exceptional cases with an explicit agreement at the time of the initial hiring, a recommendation for promotion may be based primarily on teaching accomplishments (see below). In all cases, accomplishments must be documented.

Evidence of research accomplishments usually takes the form of research papers published in reputable, refereed journals and published research monographs and books. To substantiate the research accomplishments and evaluate future promise, the department solicits letters of evaluation from established mathematicians outside the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Evidence of teaching accomplishments usually includes yearly written evaluations by senior faculty and by students in courses taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison or elsewhere. Additional contributions to teaching can include educational innovation that affects the nature or content of teaching or advising in our Department or elsewhere, and can include published articles on such matters. The Department may solicit letters of evaluation that address the teaching abilities and contributions of a candidate.

Normally, a faculty member does not supervise graduate students writing Ph.D. dissertations until after tenure is awarded. In those exceptional cases where a probationary faculty member undertakes thesis supervision, this accomplishment would provide further evidence of teaching ability.

The Department of Mathematics does not expect that a probationary faculty member participate in substantial committee work or other departmental service.