PS-10.A.21 - Lecturer Policy

3.2.2.1 The supervisor, after discussion with and concurrence of the dean, shall request the approval of the provost to fill a lecturer position.

3.2.2.2 Lecturer positions shall be filled by open searches conducted by a Lecturer Search Committee. This committee shall be comprised of a minimum of three full-time relevant academic unit faculty recommended by the supervisor. A member from outside the relevant academic unit may be added at the discretion of the supervisor. Where an academic unit lacks a sufficient number of faculty to establish a search committee, the supervisor shall seek faculty from other academic units to fill the committee.

3.2.2.3 The search committee reviews, at minimum, the candidates' CV, cover letter, and transcripts. Additional application materials may be requested and reviewed based on disciplinary, departmental, and/or accreditation needs. Before any candidate is interviewed, HR must receive a list of candidates so a review may be conducted regarding the diversity of the candidate pool. Top candidates are then interviewed oncampus, via video interviews, and/or via phone interviews.

3.2.2.4 After discussion with the search committee, and the concurrence of the college dean and the provost, the supervisor negotiates with the primary candidate.

3.2.2.5 Upon successful negotiation, the supervisor completes the offer letter and hiring documents. The supervisor forwards the candidate’s folder to the provost’s office for completion of the hiring process.

3.2.2.6 Senior lecturers as defined in PS 10.A.20 shall not be hired with such a title. The title of senior lecturer shall be obtained only via promotion, as provided for in section 3.26 below.

3.2.2.7 Emergency hiring of lecturers is governed by the process detailed in PS 10.A.20.

3.2.3.1 The university and/or academic unit shall provide them orientations on academic unit procedures, evaluation rubrics and other needed information.

3.2.3.2 They shall be provided office space where students seeking face-toface academic assistance have access.

3.3.1.1 Evaluation rubrics written by the relevant academic unit faculty shall be used in the evaluation of lecturers and senior lecturers. In a circumstance where an academic unit lacks sufficient numbers of fulltime relevant academic unit faculty or is comprised entirely of lecturers or senior lecturers, the supervisor shall seek faculty from departments in other colleges for appointment to the rubric writing process.

3.3.1.2 New rubrics shall be submitted to the college dean and provost by December 15, if they are to be used the following year. If rubrics have not been submitted by then, the previous year's rubric shall be used.

3.3.2.1 Lecturers and senior lecturers shall be responsible for consulting the academic unit for specific academic unit guidelines governing the format and content of the annual self-report.

3.3.2.2 They shall submit self-reports to the supervisor at a time determined by the supervisor.

3.3.3.1 The supervisor or their designee shall submit written annual evaluation reports to all lecturers and senior lecturers by the second Monday in April.

3.3.3.2 These evaluations shall rely on all relevant available information sources including, but not limited to, the terms of their contracts, student opinion surveys, syllabi, self-reports, peer observation of teaching reports, and rubric scores.

3.3.3.3 The report shall include, at a minimum, scores in all the rubric criteria, positive contributions, and possible improvements needed.

3.3.4.1 The supervisor or designee shall be available for meetings with individual lecturers and senior lecturers to discuss their evaluations.

3.3.6.1 All relevant academic unit faculty (as defined in the definitions section of this policy) are responsible for participating in the discussion, voting on, and the approval of the criteria for promotion from lecturer to senior lecturer (consistent with section 3.4.3 of PS 10.A.20). Each academic unit shall create its own processes for the development of the criteria. The academic unit shall be mindful of the diversity of activities that lecturers participate in for the academic unit when the criteria are developed. In an academic unit that is comprised entirely of lecturers and senior lecturers or where the academic unit lacks a sufficient number of relevant academic unit faculty to approve criteria, the supervisor of the academic unit in consultation with the dean shall appoint relevant academic unit faculty from other academic units to serve in the criteria approval process. Subsequent to approval by the relevant academic unit faculty, the criteria must also be approved by the dean and the provost. Consideration at the dean and provost levels shall seek to ensure to the extent possible that there is equity in the criteria and rigor across the various academic units in the college and at the university. The criteria shall be re-reviewed and modifications made to the criteria on a timeline that is the same as that of the annual performance review criteria (see PS 10.A.05).

3.3.6.2 All relevant academic unit faculty (as defined in the definitions section of this policy) are responsible for participating in the discussion, voting on, and the approval of the procedures for promotion from lecturer to senior lecturer that the candidate for senior lecturer will follow. The procedure shall at a minimum include 1) what evidence will be submitted in the application material, and 2) the content and length of the candidate’s written statement in support of the application. The length of the relevant period of review is at least equal to the number of years that a candidate must be in the Lecturer position at UHD before applying for Senior Lecturer (5 years). In an academic unit that is comprised entirely of lecturers and senior lecturers or where the academic unit lacks a sufficient number of relevant academic unit faculty to approve procedures for promotion, the supervisor of the academic unit in consultation with the dean appoints relevant academic unit faculty from other academic units to serve.

3.3.6.3 Notice of Intent to Apply. A lecturer who seeks promotion to senior lecturer so informs in writing the supervisor by the first Monday in May of the academic year preceding the academic year that application material will be submitted for consideration. The dean is responsible for verification of eligibility and timely notification to the provost.

3.3.6.4 In a year that a lecturer submits for promotion to senior lecturer, the lecturer provides the application material (as referenced in section 3.2.6.2) based on the Timeline for Applications. The supervisor considers the material and forwards a promotion recommendation, whether positive or negative, to the college dean, consistent with the timeline at the end of this document. The dean makes a recommendation. The recommendations of the supervisor and the dean are detailed written assessments of the candidate’s performance over the review period. If the recommendations of the dean and the supervisor are both negative, the application does not advance out of the college. If one or both of the recommendations of the supervisor and the dean are positive, the application advances to the provost for a decision on the application.

3.3.6.5 A supervisor may not submit a recommendation for themselves for promotion. A supervisor who is a candidate for promotion to senior lecturer must receive the support of the dean or the majority of a committee of at least three relevant academic unit faculty, or both, for the application to advance to the office of the provost. In an academic unit that is comprised entirely of lecturers and senior lecturers or where the academic unit lacks a sufficient number of relevant academic unit faculty to populate a review committee, the dean, in consultation with the office of the provost, appoints relevant academic unit faculty from other academic units to serve.

3.3.6.6 Candidates may avail themselves of the grievance process on the basis of procedural matters or substantive outcome, as articulated in PS 10.A.02.

3.3.6.7 Please refer to the Timeline for Application for Promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer.

3.3.7.1 Lecturers and senior lecturers may or may not be reappointed according to the provisions established in Texas Education Code Section 51.943 which states, "Except as provided in Subsection (c), an institution of higher education that determines it is in its best interest to reappoint a faculty member for the next academic year shall offer the faculty member a written contract for that academic year not later than 30 days before the first day of the academic year."

3.3.7.2 Non-reappointments must conform to the schedule of dates set forth in the UH SAM 06.A.09.

3.3.7.3 Lecturers and senior lecturers are subject to "dismissal" as defined in UH SAM 06.A.09.