B2.2: Academic Freedom, Tenure, Appointment and Grievance Procedures

Approved by: University Faculty
Effective: November 28, 2017
Responsible Committee: Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee
Office Responsible for Administration: Office of the Provost or the Chancellor for Health Sciences

Applicability

All UNM academic faculty, staff, and administrators.

Policy Rationale

This policy shall provide standards for faculty appointments and for how faculty will be evaluated for promotion, tenure or both at the branch community colleges.

Policy Statement

The principles upon which the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) present Policy on Academic Freedom and Tenure are based shall apply to the branch community colleges as well as to the main campus in Albuquerque, except as noted below.

A. Faculty at the branch community colleges can hold any of the appointments as described in Section B of the Faculty Handbook.

B. Because branch community colleges offer only courses that lead to work-force certificates, Associate's degree, and Bachelor degrees (upon transfer), and since the current UNM accrediting body’s credentialing standards require that faculty members meet minimum credentialing at the Master's degree level to teach such courses, faculty members teaching at a branch community college shall have as a minimum qualification the Master's degree to enter and progress through the tenure-track ranks.

C. For evaluation of faculty for retention and/or promotion, branch community colleges will use the categories described in Faculty Handbook Section B1. The branch community college will utilize consistent implementation and evaluation policies and procedures.

D. Probationary appointments made at a branch community college shall lead toward academic tenure in a particular academic discipline at that branch only.

E. Branch faculty review, or departmental/divisional review when appropriate, shall mirror Faculty Handbook Section B4. Faculty involved at this level of review shall provide a recommendation to the branch community college Dean of Instruction. The Dean of Instruction shall provide a recommendation as described in Faculty Handbook Section B4.3.2 to the Provost’s Branch Tenure Review Committee. Also, from each branch community college, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will also provide a letter of recommendation, with the understanding that the CEO may not be a faculty member and may not have gone through the tenure process. The Provost’s Branch Tenure Review Committee is comprised of one (1) tenured faculty member from each of the branch community colleges. This Committee shall provide recommendation to the Provost.

If at any level in the review process at the branch community colleges, the recommendation is negative concerning tenure or promotion, or in the case of promotion makes no recommendation, an aggrieved faculty member has the right of appeal to the branch community college Chief Executive Officer, the UNM Senior Vice Provost, and the UNM Provost/Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. If this appeal is denied, the faculty member has the right to follow the appeal process as outlined in Section B4 of the Faculty Handbook.

Procedures

No specific procedures required at this time.

Definitions

No specific definitions are required for the Policy Statement.

Contacts

Direct any questions about this policy to the Office of the Provost or Executive Vice President for Health Sciences.

Who should read this policy

• Faculty
• Department Chairs, academic deans and other academic administrators and executives.

Related Documents

UNM Regents’ Policy Manual

• Policy 2.14 “Branch Colleges and Off-Campus Education Centers”

Faculty Handbook

• “Faculty Constitution, Article II”
• Section B

Higher Learning Commission Faculty Credentialing Guidelines

History

• July 1, 2025 - Policy format updated to align with FHB A53
• April 23, 2020 - Approved by Faculty Senate to move to Section B (formerly F90)