Dean's & Library Director's Advisory Committees Guidelines

Dean’s Advisory Committee (DAC)
Revised Spring 2022

Membership

  1. In accordance with the policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, Dean's Advisory Committees have been established to facilitate personnel deliberations on term renewals for the schools within Academic Affairs.
  2. Terms and membership for the DAC are defined by the 2022 Faculty Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion Policy. The Dean’s Advisory Committee consists of five elected faculty members who have received continuing appointment and promotion,
  3. A Dean's Advisory Committee consists of five elected faculty members who have received continuing appointment and promotion.
  4. Faculty members of each school will, within the first two weeks of the spring semester of each academic year; nominate candidates for membership for vacant positions on the DAC to the appropriate dean/library director. The dean/library director will evaluate the candidates based on eligibility, which is primarily but not limited to continuing appointment and promotion and present the slate of individuals for confirmation vote by simple majority of the votes cast by eligible faculty within the school holding academic rank of assistant professor or above.
  5. Faculty members elected to any Dean's Advisory Committee serve staggered three-year terms. No department may have more than one member serving on a Dean's Advisory Committee, except in the case of a school that has fewer than five departments. In a school with fewer than five departments, each department must have at least one representative.
  6. It is understood that only tenure track faculty from within a particular school may be nominated for that school’s DAC election as well as vote in said election
  7. It is further understood that faculty may not simultaneously serve on more than one committee referenced the RTP Agreement.
  8. Those employees elected for membership on a Dean's Advisory Committee will be notified by the Provost's Office via email as soon as practicable after receiving final and verified election results from the College Senate Business Committee. Election results will be published, announced to the SUNY Oneonta community, and posted publicly by the Provost's Office via email as soon as practicable following notice to the elected members.
  9. Any committee vacancy will be filled through appointment of an eligible tenure track faculty member by the Dean. Such appointments will continue only until the end of the academic year following the nearest election. At the nearest election, the remainder of the term will be filled through the election process to preserve the staggering of terms. Vacancy appointments will be published, announced to the SUNY Oneonta community, and posted publicly by the Provost’s Office via email.
  10. See the 2.3.2022 Implementation of Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP) Agreement for further election details.
  11. A Chair to be elected by the DAC at the first DAC meeting of each academic year. Dean to call first meeting; Chair to arrange all others with support from Dean’s office. (See III.2, below.)
  12. Meetings for AY to be timed/arranged in concert with Dean’s office and the Academic Affairs master calendar for RPT.

Guidelines

  1. Background
    As mandated by SUNY Oneonta policy and materials promulgated by the Office of the Provost and the Academic Deans and in accordance with the policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, Division Advisory Councils (DACs) are to facilitate personnel deliberations on term reappointments for the academic schools within Academic Affairs.

    These guidelines serve to clarify the role and practices of the DAC as that body discharges this crucial function. DAC members also are referred to the Policies of the Board of Trustees for the ultimate overarching criteria related to personnel deliberations. Furthermore, nothing in these guidelines shall contradict or supersede the Policies of the Board of Trustees or campus policies articulated in writing by the campus President or Provost. The Office of the Dean will periodically update these guidelines as needed.
  2. Charge and Function
    1. The DAC is charged with making positive or negative recommendations on term contract renewals of faculty within the school. This is a vital responsibility not only for the candidates and departments involved but also for shaping the academic future of SUNY Oneonta and its students. For faculty on tenure track appointments, meaningful and constructive DAC recommendations regarding professional development also serve to guide the candidates and departments as they anticipate making cases for continuing appointments. Accordingly, the DAC must function in the context of these guidelines.
    2. The Dean shall meet with the DAC at least once early during the semester when the membership has been constituted and cases for consideration have been prepared. The Dean will review the group's charge and acceptable practices as articulated in these guidelines. The Dean also will inform the group of the names of the faculty whose cases will be coming before the DAC so the group can plan its schedule.
    3. Annually, the DAC will select a Chair from among its members. The Chair shall call meetings, foster timely deliberations, and draft written recommendations (subject to review and approval by the DAC) reflective of the deliberations and conclusions reached by the group.
    4. The Dean will not sit with the DAC during its confidential deliberations on term contract renewals, nor will the Dean attempt to influence the deliberations of the DAC. The only written materials resulting from these deliberations will be the DAC’s formal written recommendations. Criteria and process related to these deliberations are specified below.
    5. The Dean will meet with the DAC once it has completed its deliberations on all cases and is readying itself to prepare formal, written recommendations. The Chair of the DAC will schedule that meeting once deliberations are finished, but before any letters are finalized. The purpose of the meeting is to review cases collectively and to address questions or concerns, especially patterns that emerge that may require attention from departments regarding the preparation of candidates and files.
  3. Deliberations and Written Recommendations
    1. Fair and equitable performance evaluations are essential to faculty peer review. Thus, the DAC will adhere to the following guidelines concerning its formal deliberations and ultimate written recommendations for all cases under its purview.
    2. DAC members must review thoroughly all materials and supporting documentation as defined by the five criteria for review found in Board of Trustees policy, Article XII.A.4; the Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion (Full-Time Faculty) page on the SUNY Oneonta website; and the approved specific departmental guidelines available from the chair.
    3. DAC members who are closely associated with the applicant (a department colleague, e.g.) should make themselves available for questions related to department policy, the context of scholarship and intellectual or creative activity as valued within the department or program, etc. Members reviewing applicants from their home departments will recuse themselves from voting but may engage in clarifying discussion of the candidate’s file.
    4. DAC members will not save any personal review notes of any contract renewal material, and certainly not on any computer, personal or state owned. All paper notes and drafts relevant to discussions or letters are to be shredded at the end of the review period, after letters are finalized.
    5. Although face-to-face deliberations are preferred, members may meet in a digital environment that is supported by the campus (currently TEAMS) at the chair’s discretion, but members will not use email or other electronic platforms for deliberations or transmission of personnel issues. Verbal deliberation only occurs during meetings led by the chair.
    6. Cases must be reviewed solely relying on the files submitted by the candidate/department. DAC members will not solicit additional information or conduct investigations of any kind to supplement the official materials submitted to the DAC.
    7. DAC members will not consider factors external to the materials submitted as part of their deliberations or criteria. Personal or other anecdotal knowledge of the individual must not be considered by DAC members.
    8. The DAC will not consider late materials from candidates or departments. The quality of materials submitted will be a factor in the deliberations. Seriously incomplete materials will be considered as a significant negative factor.
    9. Upon completion of review and discussion of the cases, the DAC will take a formal vote on each candidate. Possible votes include renewal for one or two years (based on progress toward tenure and strength of the evidence), nonrenewal, or abstention. For the DAC to endorse renewal, the candidate must receive a majority vote of the full non-recused DAC membership. In the case of a tie vote, the DAC will record the case as a tie vote, write an appropriate letter with specific suggestions for professional development (discussed in further detail below), and make no recommendation to the dean regarding renewal or term of renewal.
    10. After the Dean consults with the DAC and after careful consultation with the DAC membership, the DAC Chair will either prepare a written recommendation on behalf of the group or assign members letters to draft. Letters will reflect the substance of the group’s deliberations, whether a clear consensus or divided result, and in the case of recommended renewal, constructively articulate specific appropriate suggestions (if any) for the candidate’s professional development and/or department consideration. All members of the DAC will have an opportunity to see and approve the letter before it is finalized.
    11. Names of DAC members can (but need not) be specified on the letter. Nor is the membership required to sign the letter except in the case of a tie vote or if stipulated by the Dean. DAC members should be aware that DAC membership lists are public information if candidates or other campus individuals inquire about the membership.
    12. Upon finalization, the DAC’s letter of recommendation is made available to the Dean, candidate, and candidate’s department chair through the approved campus process (e.g., through an approved digital workflow system). The DAC recommendation then becomes part of the renewal case file and will move forward with the candidate’s materials and the Dean’s letter of recommendation to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
    13. The DAC will not reconsider a specific case once it provides a final recommendation on that case. This includes situations where DAC recommendations are disputed for any reason(s) by the candidate(s) and/or department(s). The original recommendation stands.

DAC Recommendation Letter Template


TO: XXXX, Dean, School of XXXX

FROM: Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC)

DATE: XXXXX (use date due to dean’s office for all letters)

SUBJECT: Term contract renewal recommendation for <applicant name>


<carefully worded intro paragraph, e.g., In reviewing the contract renewal materials for <name>, the members of the DAC found <insert carefully chosen noun(s)> in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service with qualifications and professional development infused throughout.> [Include comments on suggested professional development in each area as appropriate.]

<paragraph on teaching>

<paragraph on scholarship>

<paragraph on service>

<modulated conclusion, e.g., In light of these considerations, a majority [or all] of the DAC members are pleased to support the Department of XXXX’s recommendation that Dr. XXXX’s contract be renewed for another two years.>

OR

In light of these considerations, the DAC vote for renewal was tied.

Signature lines for all members.

cc: <applicant name, no degree specified>
<applicant’s department chair>
Dean’s Advisory Council Members

Library Director’s Advisory Committee (LDAC)
Revised Spring 2022

Membership

  1. In accordance with the policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, the Library Director's Advisory Committee has been established to facilitate personnel deliberations on term renewals for the James M. Milne Library.
  2. Terms and membership for the LDAC are defined by the 2022 Faculty Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion Policy.
  3. The Library Director’s Advisory Committee consists of five elected faculty members who have received continuing appointment and promotion, including one faculty member from the library and four teaching faculty.
  4. Faculty/faculty librarian members of each school and the James M. Milne Library will, within the first two weeks of the spring semester of each academic year; nominate candidates for membership for vacant positions on the LDAC to the appropriate dean/library director. The dean/library director will evaluate the candidates based on eligibility, which is primarily but not limited to continuing appointment and promotion and present the slate of individuals for confirmation vote by simple majority of the votes cast by eligible faculty within the school holding academic rank of assistant professor/senior assistant librarian or above.
  5. Faculty/faculty librarian members elected to any Library Director’s Advisory Committee serve staggered three-year terms.
  6. No department may have more than one member serving on a Library Director’s Advisory Committee, except in the case of a school that has fewer than five departments.
  7. In a school with fewer than five departments, each department must have at least one representative.
  8. It is understood that faculty/faculty librarians may not simultaneously serve on more than one committee referenced the RTP Agreement.
  9. Those employees elected for membership on the Library Director's Advisory Committee will be notified by the Provost's Office via email as soon as practicable after receiving final and verified election results from the College Senate Business Committee. Election results will be published, announced to the SUNY Oneonta community, and posted publicly by the Provost's Office via email as soon as practicable following notice to the elected members.
  10. Any committee vacancy will be filled through appointment of an eligible tenure track library faculty member by the Library Director. Such appointments will continue only until the end of the academic year following the nearest election. At the nearest election, the remainder of the term will be filled through the election process to preserve the staggering of terms. Vacancy appointments will be published, announced to the SUNY Oneonta community, and posted publicly by the Provost’s Office via email.
  11. See the 2.3.2022 Implementation of Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP) Agreement for further election details.
  12. A Chair to be elected by the LDAC at the first LDAC meeting of each academic year. Library Director to call first meeting; Chair to arrange all others with support from Library Director’s office. (See III.2, below.)
  13. Meetings for AY to be timed/arranged in concert with Library Director’s office and the Academic Affairs master calendar for RPT.

Guidelines

  1. Background
    As mandated by SUNY Oneonta policy articulated in the Faculty Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion Policy (Policy) and the Faculty Guidelines and Criteria for Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion at SUNY Oneonta, and materials promulgated by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Academic Deans and Library Director, and in accordance with the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, Dean's Advisory Committees (DAC) have been established to facilitate personnel deliberations on term renewals for the schools within Academic Affairs.

    The Library Director’s Advisory Committee (LDAC) has similarly been established to facilitate personnel deliberations on term contract renewals in Milne Library. These guidelines serve to clarify the role and practices of the LDAC as that body discharges this crucial function. LDAC members are referred to the Policies of the Board of Trustees for the ultimate, overarching criteria related to personnel deliberations. Furthermore, nothing in these guidelines shall contradict or supersede the Policies of the Board of Trustees or campus policies articulated in writing by the campus President or Provost whether in the Faculty Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion Policy and the Faculty Guidelines and Criteria for Renewal, Continuing Appointment, and Promotion at SUNY Oneonta or otherwise distributed. The Office of the Library Director periodically updates these guidelines as needed.
  2. Charge and Function
    1. The LDAC is charged with making positive or negative recommendations on term contract renewals of librarians within the Milne Library. This is a vital responsibility that serves the candidate(s) and library. Through its work, the LDAC will help to shape the academic future of SUNY Oneonta and its students. For librarians on tenure track appointments, meaningful and constructive LDAC recommendations also serve to guide the candidate(s) and library as they anticipate making future case(s) for continuing appointment. Accordingly, the LDAC must function in the context of these guidelines.
    2. The Library Director shall meet with the LDAC at least once early during the semester when the membership has been constituted and cases will need attention. The Library Director will review the group's charge and acceptable practices as articulated in these guidelines. The Library Director also will inform the group of the names of the librarians whose cases will be coming before the LDAC so the group can begin to plan its schedule.
    3. At the end of each academic year, the LDAC will select a Chair from among its members to serve for the following academic year. As in IV-4, below, “If a LDAC member happens to have formal appointment within the same library department as a renewal candidate, that member will recuse from the final vote on renewal or non-renewal . . .” while acting as Chair. The Chair shall serve to call meetings to foster timely deliberations and draft written recommendations (subject to review and approval by the LDAC) reflective of the deliberations and conclusions achieved by the group.
    4. The Library Director will not sit with the LDAC during its confidential deliberations on term-contract renewals. The only written materials resulting from these deliberations will be the LDAC's formal written recommendations. Criteria and processes related to these deliberations culminating in written recommendations are specified in Section V.

      The Library Director will meet with the LDAC once it has completed its deliberations on all cases and is readying itself to prepare written recommendations. The Chair of the LDAC will schedule that meeting once deliberations are finished, but before any letters are finalized. The purpose is to review cases collectively and to address questions or concerns, especially patterns that emerge that may require attention regarding the preparation of candidates and files.
  3. Deliberations and Written Recommendations
    1. Fair and equitable performance evaluations are essential to faculty peer review. Thus, the LDAC will adhere to the following guidelines concerning its formal deliberations and ultimate written recommendations for all cases under its purview.
    2. LDAC members must review thoroughly all materials and supporting documentation as defined by the five criteria for review found in Board of Trustees policy, Article XII.A.4; the SUNY Oneonta website; and the approved specific departmental guidelines available from the chair.
    3. LDAC members who are closely associated with the applicant (a library colleague, e.g.) should make themselves available for questions related to library policy, the context of scholarship and intellectual or creative activity as valued within the library or program, etc.
    4. If the library faculty member is from the same library department as the applicant being reviewed, the member will recuse from voting but may engage in clarifying discussion of the candidate’s file.
    5. LDAC members will not save any personal review notes of any contract renewal material, and certainly not on any computer, personal or state owned. All paper notes and drafts relevant to discussions or letters are to be shredded at the end of the review period, after letters are finalized.
    6. Although face-to-face deliberations are preferred, members may meet in a digital environment that is supported by the campus (currently TEAMS) at the chair’s discretion, but members will not use email or other electronic platforms for deliberations or transmission of personnel issues. Verbal deliberation only occurs during meetings led by the chair.
    7. Cases must be reviewed solely relying on the files submitted by the candidate/department. LDAC members will not solicit additional information or conduct investigations of any kind to supplement the official materials submitted to the LDAC.
    8. LDAC members will not consider factors external to the materials submitted as part of their deliberations or criteria. Personal or other anecdotal knowledge of the individual must not be considered by LDAC members.
    9. The LDAC will not consider late materials from candidates or departments. The quality of materials submitted will be a factor in the deliberations. Seriously incomplete materials will be considered as a significant negative factor.
    10. Upon completion of review and discussion of the cases, the LDAC will take a formal vote on each candidate. Possible votes include renewal for one or two years (based on progress toward tenure and strength of the evidence), nonrenewal, or abstention. For the LDAC to endorse renewal, the candidate must receive a majority vote of the full non-recused LDAC membership. In the case of a tie vote, the LDAC will record the case as a tie vote, write an appropriate letter with specific suggestions for professional development (discussed in further detail below), and make no recommendation to the dean regarding renewal or term of renewal.
    11. After the Library Director consults with the LDAC and after careful consultation with the LDAC membership, the LDAC Chair will either prepare a written recommendation on behalf of the group or assign members letters to draft. Letters will reflect the substance of the group’s deliberations, whether a clear consensus or divided result, and in the case of recommended renewal, constructively articulate specific appropriate suggestions (if any) for the candidate’s professional development and/or department consideration. All members of the LDAC will have an opportunity to see and approve the letter before it is finalized.
    12. Names of LDAC members can (but need not) be specified on the letter. Nor is the membership required to sign the letter except in the case of a tie vote or if stipulated by the Library Director. LDAC members should be aware that LDAC membership lists are public information if candidates or other campus individuals inquire about the membership.
    13. Upon finalization, the LDAC’s letter of recommendation is made available to the Library Director, candidate (e.g., through an approved digital workflow system). The LDAC recommendation then becomes part of the renewal case file and will move forward with the candidate’s materials and the Library Director’s letter of recommendation to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
    14. The LDAC will not reconsider a specific case once it provides a final recommendation on that case. This includes situations where LDAC recommendations are disputed for any reason(s) by the candidate(s) and/or library. The original recommendation stands.

LDAC Recommendation Letter Template


TO: XXXX, Director of Libraries

FROM: Library Director’s Advisory Committee (LDAC)

DATE: XXXXX (use date due to library director’s office for all letters)

SUBJECT: Term contract renewal recommendation for <applicant name>


<carefully worded intro paragraph, e.g., In reviewing the contract renewal materials for <name>, the members of the LDAC found <insert carefully chosen noun(s)> in the areas of librarianship, scholarship, and service with qualifications and professional development infused throughout.> [Include comments on suggested professional development in each area as appropriate.]

<paragraph on librarianship>

<paragraph on scholarship>

<paragraph on service>

<modulated conclusion, e.g., In light of these considerations, a majority [or all] of the LDAC members are pleased to support the Library Personnel Committee’s recommendation that XXXX’s contract be renewed for another two years.>

OR

In light of these considerations, the LDAC vote for renewal was tied.

Signature lines for all members.

cc: <applicant name, no degree specified>
<applicant’s department chair>
Library Director’s Advisory Committee Members

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