What should a faculty member do who disagrees with the Chair’s evaluation?
Faculty and Chairs are expected to engage in a “mutual exchange” during annual review, the Chair having consulted other tenured faculty in the case of non-tenured faculty; however, faculty “evaluations are ultimately the Chair’s decision” (Faculty Handbook VI.B.3.). Faculty members and Chairs who disagree on the faculty member’s evaluation should clarify their disagreement during the “mutual exchange” required in the annual review. Sometimes patient discussion dissipates disagreement at this stage. If there continues to be a disagreement over the draft of the Chair’s letter, the faculty member and Chair should strive to arrive at a common formulation and resolution of the issue in the Chair’s letter. If this does not succeed, the faculty member may turn in to the Chair and the Dean a rejoinder to the Chair’s letter; this will be attached to the Chair’s letter in the faculty member’s file.
