« Back to Chairs Handbook

• Definitions
• Forms
• General Principles
• Permissions to Appoint
• Search Timelines
• Appointment Processes
  • Assistant Professor candidates
    
  • Associate and Full Professor candidates
    
  • Professor of the Practice
    
  • College Park Professor
    
  • Emeritus Professors and Associate Professors
    
  • Research Faculty (all levels)
  • Retiring Professors Appointed as Research Professors
    
  • All other faculty positions
    
• Promotion Timelines
  • Professorial Cases
    
  • Timeline for Research Promotions
    
• Three Year Reviews
• APPENDIX A: Dossier Preparation Table
• APPENDIX B: Pre-Approval and Complete Approval for Hires
  

Definitions:

ADFP = Assistant Dean for Finance and Personnel (Dean Kitchen; dkitchen@umd.edu)

ADFA = Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (Paul Smith, pjs@umd.edu)

EXAA = Executive Admin Assistant (Chris Fuller; cfuller@umd.edu)

ITO = Information Technology Officer (Jeanine Worden; jworden@math.umd.edu)

Research Faculty = Assistant, Associate and Senior Research Scientists, Assistant and Associate Research Professors, Research Professors (except for retiring tenured professors), and Assistant, Associate and Senior Research Scientists

State funded = Salary paid all or in part by State funds

CV = Curriculum Vitae. ALL CV’s must be certified with the following language:  “I have read the following and certify that this curriculum vitae is a current and accurate statement of my professional record.  Signature________        Date_________”

Forms:

• CMNS Resource Plan for Proposed Professorial and Research Faculty
• Faculty Startup Budget Detail (spreadsheet required by the provost for a startup request)
• New Faculty Information Form (required by provost for all dossiers for tenured appointments)
• Referee Worksheet (contains proposed referees for APT committee cases, their qualifications, and any conflict relationships with the candidate)

Note: A tabular summary of dossier preparation is provided in Appendix A.  Pre-approval and complete approval processes are summarized in Appendix B.

General Principles

1. As specified in unit plans of organization, appointments at all levels involve major faculty participation: this is central to the decisions made by unit heads, deans and the president.
2. For State-funded positions the dean must approve the terms of the offer.
3. For all positions the ADFP must approve all offer letters and contracts in advance.
4. All permissions and approvals must be in writing (normally by email).

Back to Top

Permissions to Appoint

(Permissions to search are included in the descriptions below. Note that the campus has occasionally required that the provost approve some searches; this is not the case at present.)

• Target of opportunity (applies to rare cases of a major senior appointment where typically there has not been a search)
• Approval of unit head, dean and president.

• College Park Professor (for very distinguished senior candidates who are engaged with the campus on an unpaid basis while holding a permanent position elsewhere-no search involved)
• Approval of unit head, dean and president.

• Professor of the Practice (treated like a target of opportunity with no search involved)
• Approval of unit head, dean and president. (Appointments may be for as long as 5 years and contracts are renewable.)
• Reappointment requires presidential approval based on letters of endorsement. from the unit head and dean in the year prior to the terminal year.
• No department vote or solicitation of outside letters is required for reappointment.

• Assistant Professors and State funded Research Faculty
• Permission to search by dean.
• Approval of permanent search and screen plan by the campus equity officer.
• Approval of candidate by chair and dean.

• Tenured Faculty
• Permission to search by dean.
• Approval of permanent search and screen plan by the campus equity officer.
• Approval of candidate by unit head and dean.
• Approval of candidate by the president.

• Other State funded positions
• Permission to search by dean
• Approval of permanent search and screen plan by the campus equity officer.

• Grant funded Research Faculty
• Approval of temporary (blanket) search and screen plan by the campus equity officer.
• Approval of unit head and dean.

• Retiring Professors Appointed as Research Professors
• Approval of unit head and dean.

• Emeritus Professors (Associate and Full)
• Approval of unit head, dean and president.

• All other grant-funded or non-salaried faculty titles (e.g. adjuncts, affiliates, FRA’s RA’s)
• Approval of temporary (blanket) search and screen plan by the campus equity officer in the case of paid appointments.
• Approval of unit head.

Back to Top

Search Timelines

May-June: Unit heads submit their temporary (blanket) search and screen plans to ADFP.
 
July-August: Unit heads propose to the dean their permanent search plans for the upcoming fiscal year, providing: 

• A rationale for each search—including the level and how the field is essential to the directions planned for the department.
• For Tenure/Tenure Track and Professor of the Practice positions: the College Resource Form estimating salary and startup costs, and proposed sources. (For joint appointments these form should be cosigned by all participating unit heads.) The first two lines will be TBD.
• Following dean approval ADFP obtains campus approval of permanent search and selection plans, notifies units, and search begins.

 
Toward the end of the search process for Tenure/Tenure Track and Professor of the Practice cases:

• The unit head submits a minimal packet (normally at least a CV and 3 letters) to EXAA for one or more finalists for review by the ADFA and the dean, and the unit head discusses the candidate(s) with the dean. Note that the minimal packet must be accompanied by an informal email from the unit head stating the name of the candidate(s), proposed rank, and primary and secondary (if any) unit name. Moving forward with a candidate at any level requires the dean’s conditional approval at this stage.
• For associate and full professor cases, and for professor of the practice cases the dean must interview the candidate.  This may be scheduled in advance, but the meeting will only take place after a dean-unit head discussion.
• For assistant professor candidates, if the file is complete as described in the next section, then the dean may give final approval at this stage.  Assistant professor and research faculty candidates are not interviewed by the dean.

Back to Top

Appointment Processes

After completion of all unit processes the following applies:

Assistant Professor candidates:

• The unit sends  a complete file to the EXAA which normally includes
• a letter from the unit head assessing the teaching and research of the candidate. In the case of joint appointments this letter should indicate the support of the other unit hrads.)
• the CV (this need not be in UM format, and publications need not be annotated).
• teaching and research statements from the candidate.
• at least three external letters assessing the research of the candidate.
• data and analysis of prior teaching experience, if any.
• The file is reviewed by the ADFA and the dean and after a discussion with the unit head the dean makes a decision whether or not to go forward.
• If the decision is to go forward the unit head obtains the dean’s approval for the terms of the offer and the funding sources, via an email of a (possibly) revised College Resource Form.
• The unit head proceeds with an offer either with a pre-approved letter or verbally. 
• If subsequent negotiations lead to changes in the terms the unit head emails a revised College Resource Form to the dean and the ADFP and obtains the emailed approval of the dean. In the case of joint appointments this form must be cosigned by the other unit heads.
• When the final terms are known:
• the unit emails the (possibly) revised College Resource Form and the Faculty Startup Budget Detail Form to the ADFP and the dean.
• the unit sends a pre-approved final letter to the candidate.
• The unit informs the dean, the ADFA and the EXAA by email whether or not the offer has been accepted.
• Upon acceptance, the unit sends the candidate a pre-approved contract.
• The unit copies the signed letter and contract to the ADFP and the EXAA.

Associate and Full Professor candidates:When the unit has selected a final candidate:

• The unit sends the Referees Worksheet to the ADFA and the EXAA and modifies it in light of the ADFA's comments, and sends the revision to the ADFA and the EXAA.
• The unit follows its APT processes including the building of a full dossier in accordance with campus rules and format.  The dossier should also include the candidate’s personal statement on teaching and research.  The research statement should describe the research accomplished by the candidate and directions for future research. For joint appointments letters from the secondary unit heads are required. If the secondary units are proposing a permanent appointment then a vote of the secondary unit is also required.
• The unit  informs the EXAA (copied to the ADFA and ITO) of:
• the name of the candidate(s), the proposed rank, the tenure home.
• the names of the presenters for each candidate.
• The unit (for each candidate):
• uploads the dossier to the college APT website.
• sends the New Faculty Information Form to the EXAA.
• distributes "points for presenters" to the presenters.
• The EXAA schedules a meeting of the college APT committee.
• The EXAA checks that the format meets campus standards, informing the ADFA if changes are required.
• If the college APT committee has any issues with a case the dean, as a member of the committee, is invited to join the meeting.
• When significant questions of fact arise from the dossier or when the vote would otherwise lead to a negative recommendation by the committee, the Committee shall request the Associate Dean to invite the unit head and unit-level APT Chair to a subsequent meeting on the case. The dean attends this meeting. The Committee Chair must submit a list of questions to the Associate Dean, who will provide these to the departmental chair at least three days in advance of the meeting. This ensures that there is adequate time for him/her to prepare for detailed questions specific to the case (i.e., it avoids “sandbagging” the chair).
• After review by the college APT Committee and the ADFA the dean makes a decision.
• If the dean's decision is negative the case stops.
• If the dean's decision is positive:
• The dean's office sends the dossier with the dean's recommendation to the provost's office, accompanied by the New Faculty Information Form.
• The unit head obtains the dean’s emailed approval for the terms of the offer and the funding sources, via an email of a (possibly) revised College Resource Form.
• The unit head may then make that offer, contingent on presidential approval. If the offer is in writing the ADFP must approve the letter in advance.
• If subsequent negotiations lead to changes in the terms the unit head emails a revised College Resource Form to the dean and the ADFP and obtains the emailed approval of the dean. In the case of joint appointments this form must be cosigned by the other unit heads.
• When the final terms are known:
• The unit emails the (possibly) revised College Resource Form, the Faculty Startup Budget Detail form, and a revised New Faculty Information Form to the ADFP.The unit sends a corresponding pre-approved contingent letter to the candidate.
• The dean uses the Faculty Startup Budget Detail form to request startup support from the provost.
• The ADFP informs the provost’s office of any revisions to the New Faculty Information Form.
• The unit informs the dean and the ADFA and the EXAA by email whether or not the offer has been accepted.
• If the president fails to approve the case stops.
• If the president approves the unit sends a final pre-approved (non-contingent) letter and contract to the candidate and the unit informs the dean and the ADFA, the ADFP and the EXAA by email whether or not the offer has been accepted.
• The unit copies the signed letter and contract to the ADFP and the EXAA.

Professor of the Practice

• No Referees Worksheet is required.
• The unit follows its APT processes including the building of a full dossier in accordance with campus rules and format.
• The material needed for Professor of the Practice is the same as for any new
  appointment except that teaching evaluations may not be available.
• It is important that letters from the unit head and dean address the professional credentials of the candidate and the candidate’s role in fulfilling the mission of the unit.
• The unit sends the dossier and the New Faculty Information Form to the EXAA
• After review by the ADFA (the college and campus APT committees are not involved) the dean makes a decision.
• If the dean's decision is negative the case stops.
• If the dean's decision is positive:
• The dean's office sends the dossier with the dean's recommendation to the provost's office, accompanied by the New Faculty Information Form.
• The unit head obtains the dean’s emailed approval for the terms of the offer and the funding sources, via an email of the College Resource Form.
• The unit head may then make an offer contingent on presidential approval, either by pre-approved letter or verbally.
• If subsequent negotiations lead to changes in the terms the unit head emails a revised College Resource Form to the dean and the ADFP and obtains the emailed approval of the dean.
• When the final terms are known:
• The unit emails the (possibly) revised College Resource Form, the Faculty Startup Budget Detail form, and a revised New Faculty Information Form to the ADFP.
• The unit sends a corresponding pre-approved contingent letter to the candidate.
• The ADFP informs the provost’s office of any revisions to the New Faculty Information Form.
• The unit informs the dean and the ADFA and the EXAA by email whether or not the offer has been accepted.
• If the president fails to approve the case stops.
• If the president approves the unit sends a final pre-approved non-contingent letter and contract to the candidate and the unit informs the dean, the ADFA and the EXAA by email whether or not the offer has been accepted.
• The unit copies the signed letter and contract to the ADFP and the EXAA.

College Park Professor

• The unit head submits a minimal packet (normally CV, 3 letters) to EXAA for the candidate for review by the ADFA and the dean, and the unit head discusses the candidate with the dean to obtain the dean’s conditional approval.
• The process is then identical with that of Associate/Full Professor candidates except that no interview is required and there is no salary or startup. In particular, the Referees Worksheet is the only form which applies.

Emeritus Professors and Associate Professors

• The unit follows its APT process.
• The unit head submits the dossier to the EXAA for review by the ADFA and the dean (the college and campus APT committees are not involved).
• The dean’s office forwards the dossier with the dean’s recommendation to the provost's office.
• The dean informs the ADFA, the ADFP and the EXAA of the President's decision.

Research Faculty (all levels):

• The unit submits a file in PDF format to the EXAA for review by the ADFA and the dean.
• Normally the file will contain at least:
• a letter from the unit head assessing the research of the candidate (and, if the position is for a research professorship at any level, the additional required qualifications).
• the CV (this need not be in UM format, and publications need not be annotated).
• If the candidate does not hold an equivalent position at a USM institution then the following items are also required:
• External letters assessing the research of the candidate area also required (at least three for assistant-level candidates and at least six for all other levels).
• a brief evaluation by the unit APT Committee (including the vote).
• a personal statement from the candidate.
• If approved by the dean:
• If the position is grant funded then the unit sends a pre-approved offer letter and contract to the candidate and informs the dean, the ADFA, the ADFP and the EXAAby email if the offer is accepted.
• If the position is State funded the unit head obtains the dean’s approval for the terms of the offer and the funding sources, and then proceeds as above.
• The unit copies the signed letter and contract to the ADFP and the EXAA.
• Research Assistant Professors are limited to three years, but are renewable.  Research Associate Professors and Research Professors are limited to five years, but are also renewable

Retiring Professors Appointed as Research Professors

• The unit head sends the CV and a letter of justification for the appointment to the EXAA for review by the dean.
• Normally for this appointment the faculty member will be expected to be engaged in significant grant funded research.
• The decision is then made by the dean, who informs the ADFA, the ADFP and the EXAA, the candidate and the unit head.

All other faculty positions:

• The ADFP must approve the offer letter and contract.
• If State funded the dean must approve the terms of the offer and any changes.
• The unit informs the ADFP and the EXAA if the offer is accepted.
• The unit copies the signed letter and contract to the ADFP and the EXAA.
• With these exceptions the process is internal to the unit.

Back to Top

Promotion Timelines

Professorial cases

Mid July: 

• The unit sends the ADFA (copied to the EXAA) the name of candidates for promotion at both professorial levels. 
• The unit sends the Referees Worksheet to the ADFA and the EXAA and modifies these in light of the ADFA's comments.
• The unit then follows its APT processes including the building of a full dossier in accordance with campus rules and format.

October:

• The unit informs the EXAA (copied to the ADFA and ITO) of:

• the name of the asst→assoc candidate(s), the proposed rank, the tenure home.
• the names of the presenters for each candidate.

• The unit then for each asst→assoc candidate:

• uploads the dossier to the college APT website.
• distributes "points for presenters" to the presenters.

• The EXAA schedules a meeting of the college APT committee.
• The EXAA checks that the format meets campus standards,informing the ADFA if changes are required.

November-December:

• The college APT committee meets on Associate Professor cases.
• If the committee has any issues with a case the dean, as a member of the committee, is invited to join the meeting.
• When significant questions of fact arise from the dossier or when the vote would otherwise lead to a negative recommendation by the committee, the Committee shall request the Associate Dean to invite the unit head and unit-level APT Chair to a subsequent meeting on the case. The dean attends this meeting. The Committee Chair must submit a list of questions to the Associate Dean, who will provide these to the departmental chair at least three days in advance of the meeting. This ensures that there is adequate time for him/her to prepare for detailed questions specific to the case (i.e., it avoids “sandbagging” the chair).

November:

• The unit  informs the EXAA (copied to the ADFA and ITO) of:
• the name of the assocàprof candidate(s), the proposed rank, the tenure home.
• the names of the presenters for each candidate.
• The unit then for each assocà prof  candidate:
• uploads the dossier to the college APT website.
• distributes "points for presenters" to the presenters.
• The EXAA schedules a meeting of the college APT committee.
• The EXAA checks that the format meets campus standards,informingthe ADFA if changes are required.

December-January: 

• The college APT committee meets on Full Professor cases.
• If the committee has any issues the dean, as a member of the committee, is invited to join the meeting. As needed, the dean will invite the ADFA to attend the meeting to advise on technical issues and will keep the ADFA abreast of decisions by the dean on interpretation of policy.
• When significant questions of fact arise from the dossier or when the vote would otherwise lead to a negative recommendation by the committee, the Committee shall request the Associate Dean to invite the unit head and unit-level APT Chair to a subsequent meeting on the case. The dean attends this meeting. The Committee Chair must submit a list of questions to the Associate Dean, who will provide these to the departmental chair at least three days in advance of the meeting. This ensures that there is adequate time for him/her to prepare for detailed questions specific to the case (i.e., it avoids “sandbagging” the chair).

January-February:
 

• The dean reviews the dossiers for all professorial promotion cases, including the recommendations of the college APT committee.
• The dean’s office sends the dossiers, with the dean’s recommendations to the provost’s office. If either the recommendation of the College APT Committee or the dean is negative the dean, after consultation with the chair of the College APT Committee, informs the candidate by certified mail with a summary of the basis for the negative recommendation, and copies this to the unit head.
• In all cases the president makes the final decision.

Timeline for Research Promotions:

Ongoing throughout the year:

• The unit submits a file in PDF format to the EXAA for review by the ADFA and the dean.
• Normally the file will contain at least:
• a letter from the unit head assessing the research of the candidate (and, if the position is for associate research professor or research professor, the additional required qualifications).
• a brief evaluation by the unit APT Committee (including the vote).
• the CV (this need not be in UM format, and publications need not be annotated).
• personal research statement from the candidate.
• at least six external letters assessing the research of the candidate.
• The dean makes the final decisions and informs the ADFA, the ADFP and the EXAA. The ADFA informs the candidate and the unit head.

Back to Top

Three Year Reviews

Mid-April:

• Units upload minimal dossiers for all three-year reviews of assistant professors, consisting of:
• Unit head’s letter assessing the four areas below, with an explanation of the basis for these assessments, and a recommendation for or against the renewal of the contract for an additional 3 years:
• Research
• Teaching – including a summary of course evaluations and results of classroom visits.
• Mentoring
• Service
• A CV in university format, with annotated publications.
• If the candidate is jointly appointed in a secondary unit the chair of the tenure home will offer to the head of the secondary unit the opportunity to provide a letter as input to the three-year review process. This input is optional, not required.
• After review by the ADFA and the dean, and where appropriate a dean-unit head discussion the dean informs the ADFA, the ADFP, the EXAA and the unit head whether the contract renewal is approved. The dean may require that certain remedial steps be taken with the candidate as a condition of renewal.
• If renewal is not approved the dean informs the candidate by certified mail, and the candidate receives a one year terminal extension of the contract.

Back to Top

APPENDIX A: Dossier Preparation Table

Uploaded dossiers should be bookmarked using the headers below (including the numbers):

*For joint appointments, two letters should be included under 4a—one from the secondary unit head addressed to the primary unit head, and one from the primary unit head to the Dean of the college.

1. Unit head’s letter should assess research, teaching, mentoring and service, with an explanation of the basis for these assessments, including a summary of course evaluations and results of classroom visits.
2. Unit head’s letter for research faculty should assess research, teaching (for research professors) and mentoring.
3. The evaluative report for Research Faculty should include including the unit-level vote.
4. CV for research faculty and professorial appointments need not be in university format; publications need not be annotated.
5. Personal statement describes candidate’s research questions, progress in addressing these questions, and directions for future research; a teaching statement should also be included for professorial faculty.  Note: Although the campus does not require a personal statement for new professorial appointments this is a college-level requirement.
6. Three letters are required for assistant-level professorial and research faculty, and at least six are required for all other levels of professorial and research faculty.
7. Provide a tabular data analysis on teaching evals (not raw data).  Note: A pointer to page in APT report suffices.

Notes: (1) Emeriti only require 1, 4a, 5a, and 7 above.  No pre-approval is required; (2) College Park Professor Appointments do not require 14a,b,c.

Back to Top

APPENDIX B: Pre-Approval and Complete Approval for Hires

Pre-approval process: Toward the end of the search process for Tenure/Tenure Track and Professor of the Practice cases, the unit head submits a pre-approval packet to the EXAA consisting of 7 (fn. c above), an informal email from the unit head stating the name of the candidate(s), proposed rank, and primary and secondary (if any) unit name, and three external letters.

Complete approval: Complete college-level approval of a hire requires the following inputs:

• Assistant Professor: 4a (fn. a above), 7 (fn. d above), 9 (fn. e above), 13 (fn. f above), 14a (fn. g above), 14b, and/or 14c.
• Assoc/Full Professorial Faculty: Referees worksheet (except Professor of the Practice) and full APT approval.
• Research Faculty at all levels: 4a (fn. b above), 5b (fn. c above), 7 (fn. d above), 9 (fn. e above), 13 (fn. f above).

Back to Top