Faculty Manual - COST Home Page - Texas Southern University

C. Merit increase appeals
Merit increase procedures are set out in Section 4.12 of this Manual. The faculty
person shall have the right to appeal the dean’s merit increase recommendation to the
Provost within thirty days of notification of the merit raise. Within ten days of receipt
of the merit raise appeal, the Provost shall provide the faculty person an opportunity
to present his or her appeal directly to him/her, or in the alternative, the Provost may
delegate this review process to the University Rank, Tenure, Promotion and Salary
Committee to hear the appeal, make a finding of facts, and render a binding decision
to uphold, or overturn the decision of the dean. If the decision is overturned, the
Provost and the faculty person shall work together to determine an appropriate level
of merit compensation, using as a guide, where applicable, compensation awarded
other faculty in similar circumstances. To that extent, comparative information
relating to other faculty in like circumstances shall be made available to the faculty
person during the appeal process.
Documentation in the form of student evaluations (if available) and peer evaluations
of teaching, research, and scholarship must accompany the merit compensation
recommendations. Other evidence of research, scholarship, public, and university
service such as letters of appreciation, news articles, reports, publications, video
publications, awards, commendations, etc., shall also be forwarded with the
recommendations and made a part of the record.
If the Provost denies an appeal for a merit compensation award, and does not submit
it to the University Rank, Tenure, Promotion and Salary Committee, then the faculty
person shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Provost to the University
Rank, Tenure, Promotion and Salary committee within thirty days of such denial.
The University Rank, Tenure, Promotion and Salary committee shall have thirty days
to complete the appeal and forward a report to the Provost. If the committee
recommends reversal of the appeal and the Provost does not concur with the
recommendation of the committee, the recommendations of both the Provost and the
Committee shall be forwarded to the President, who shall make a final decision
within ten (10) days.
All decisions related to merit compensation shall be based solely upon the record as a
whole. The record in merit compensation reviews shall be the written documentation
evidenced by the annual review, activity reports and other substantiated and
corroborated information and data as described and made a part of the record by the
process and procedures contained herein and followed in the actual review. All
hearings shall be conducted in accordance with formal due process procedure, and a
written record or audio recording thereof shall be maintained and retained in the
faculty person’s file.
D. General Grievances
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