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One Bear Place #97116
Waco, Texas 76798
1-888-710-1859
Phone: (254) 710-1121
Fax: (254) 710-1096 |
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The following is the text of President John Lilley's message to faculty and staff regarding the tenure process.
News and Notes from the Office of the President
May 14, 2008
Report on the Conclusion of the Tenure Process
Yesterday, Randall O'Brien and I concluded the reconsideration portion of the tenure decision process. Having communicated the results of our work to those candidates who had requested reconsideration, I should like to provide you with information that I had indicated previously I would make available at the conclusion of our process.
As a result of new evidence submitted in the reconsideration process, this year twenty-five of the thirty faculty who applied for tenure will receive it.
There were significant differences between the documents Randall and I reviewed initially and the documents we saw for reconsideration. Those differences permitted a larger number of favorable tenure decisions.
Our policy statement says that the standard for tenure is conclusive evidence that the faculty member has earned it. As I have said previously, we were pleased to see that all tenure candidates provided conclusive evidence about their teaching and student mentoring.
Some of the faculty tenure files we reviewed, however, initially did not make a conclusive case for the quantity and quality of a candidate's research. In the reconsideration process, we permitted faculty to add to their tenure files any new articles that had been accepted since their initial submission.
In two cases, this allowed faculty members to demonstrate stronger publication records. In addition, candidates who had fewer publications than their tenure-track peers provided impact assessments that demonstrated a superior quality of publication, addressing concerns associated with their lower quantity of publications.
External letters about the quality and placement of the research in the initial review were also improved in some notebooks. More credible evaluators from higher-quality universities spoke specifically to a candidate's credentials.
Randall and I met with the University tenure committee yesterday afternoon to share the results of our work, and they are pleased. They will join Randall and me in addressing together our tenure process questions at the Academic Summit in June.
Members of the Tenure Committee, department heads, deans, and senior faculty scholars, will also be present. We are pursuing a meeting with the executive committee of the Faculty Senate and look forward to having this conversation with them as well.
Randall and I regret the recent characterizations of our work on tenure. This was a difficult year of transition as we dealt with the first class of 2012 faculty with reduced teaching responsibilities. Randall and I had a burden this year that we hope we never must bear again.
I also want to comment on two elements of the news reports today. Since my return to Baylor as President, I have tried to stay in the middle of the broadest and highest road possible as I have worked toward Baylor's future in carrying out its mission of academic excellence and Christian commitment in a caring environment.
I have tried to keep us focused on a future, leaving behind the disagreements of the past while building on the great inheritance that is Baylor. All of us must succeed at that for Baylor to realize its full potential.
Many of us are working tirelessly to prepare for our upcoming comprehensive fund-raising campaign. Many of us are working equally hard to resolve any differences between the University and the Alumni Association. Both tasks are challenging, but they will pay great rewards for the Baylor family if we are successful. I hope all of you will join in the effort.
I am grateful for all you have done to help lead Baylor to the conclusion of another successful academic year. I hope to see many of you at commencement exercises this weekend.
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