Resources
UWL is currently staffed with essential personnel with all other employees telecommuting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please email provost@uwlax.edu with questions or comments. Or, you may call 608-785-8042. Phone calls will be returned within 24 hours on business days. Thank you for your understanding.
Academic Deadlines Calendar
Administrative Deadlines Calendar (Chairs/Deans/ADAs)
Academic Department Handbook
Academic Department Handbook
Annual Reports (due July 1 to Dean's Office)
Digital Measures instructions for annual reports
Inclusive Excellence Report guidelines upload to Digital Measures following the guidelines
By-Laws
By-Laws Template for all Academic Departments (Faculty Senate approved)
College of Business Administration Departmental By-Laws
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Departmental By-Laws
College of Science and Health Departmental By-Laws
School of Education (Department of Educational Studies) By-Laws
Murphy Library (Library Department) By-Laws
Chair Development Resources
OneDrive folder associated with chair workshops (required NetID)
Agenda for Fall/Spring workshops
List of current department chairs - quick glance of chairs/ADAs also available from HR.
Tools for responding to concerns
Grants
Fringe Benefits Guide
Personnel Review Calendar
Faculty and IAS Review Calendar
Post Tenure Review
UWL Post Tenure Review Policy
Post Tenure Review Flowchart
PTS Policy Clarification
Instructional Academic Staff (IAS) Resources
IAS are integral members of UWL's commitment to high quality teaching and student learning. In terms of many personnel-related processes and outcomes, IAS are grouped with other academic staff rather than with the processes associated with the review of ranked faculty (faculty hired into tenure-track positions). However, in many other ways, IAS are more similar to ranked faculty in terms of review criteria and professional development opportunities. Workload expectations differ for IAS compared to faculty, with faculty review reflecting expectations for active scholarship. Unfortunately, this "dual status" leads to a complex set of personnel outcomes and more complicated access to resources. The material below delineates some of the most frequent topics of interest.
Contacts
Ryan Friesen serves as the IAS liaison to the Provost and is familiar with the many aspects of IAS review and resources at UWL. In addition, each academic unit has an individual serving as a point of contact.
Lisa Caya, Liberal Studies
Scott Doberstein, Science and Health
Rafael Ramirez, School of Education
Laura Godden, Murphy Library
Laurie Miller, College of Business Administration
IAS Contracts and Personnel Review
Contracts: IAS are contracted to teach for a semester, an academic year (Fall/Spring) or, in some situations associated with very stable funding and longevity, a 2-year contract. Human Resources is the source of information on contract type. When possible, IAS contracts are issued in the Spring. Departmental and Dean review, enrollment patterns, and the academic unit's fiscal situation determine contract renewal.
Pay Plan Eligibility: IAS hired into teaching lines with a dedicated budget line ("Redbooked") are eligible for any statewide pay plan increase presuming they are reviewed as "meets expectations" by their home department. In addition, Redbooked IAS are eligible for IAS promotion (see below).
Annual Review - depending on departmental by-laws, IAS are reviewed by either a committee or the department chair. In some departments, IAS participate in merit reviews in a process more parallel to faculty review. Merit results ultimately inform the annual review designation of meeting expectation needed for pay plan eligibility for Redbooked IAS. Departments have no later than Dec. 15th to submit annual reviews based on the prior year.
IAS Personnel Review Form - A specific review form has been developed for IAS review and should be the form used by departments as approved by Faculty Senate.
Digital Measures
IAS who have taught a course or are teaching a course(s) who are on contract at UWL have access to Digital Measures (DM) and will have their courses automatically added to the software. IAS must use DM if they wish to be considered for promotion. All IAS are encouraged to use Digital Measures annually and are likely to be required to use DM for departmental annual review. The development of narratives and use of forms of evidence reflecting quality of teaching, professional development, and service are dependent on departmental requirements and/or university-wide promotion requirements. Questions about the use of DM can be addressed to Department Chairs, individual mentors, and the IAS liaison to the Provost.
Representation
IAS are considered faculty for the purpose of governance representation and are eligible for serving on Faculty Senate and on most of the senate committees. Furthermore, two committees are expressly associated with IAS - the IAS Promotion Committee and the IAS Committee (policy). The IAS Liaison to the Provost serves as an ex-officio member of the latter.
Faculty Development Opportunities
Faculty Development opportunities for IAS include Academic Staff Grants as well as Faculty Development Grants. Given the parameters of the program and relative paucity of the number of sabbaticals, IAS are not eligible for sabbaticals at UWL.
Promotion
Faculty and IAS promotion portfolio development resources: Here you will find tips and best practice information for developing your best promotion portfolio, as well as links to the most current schedules, policies, guidelines and forms that are housed on HR's website.
Faculty Review Resources
New Faculty Handbook
Digital Measures
Digital Measures: Digital Measures is the required portfolio management software for retention, promotion, annual review, and post-tenure review. Links to tutorials, FAQs, and instructions for using e-portfolios.
Retention & Tenure (Tenure-Track Faculty)
Retention at UWL: Description of retention portfolio materials and how to generate.
Unclassified personnel rules: Link to policy and procedures of the University of Wisconsin System (UWS) and those with further specific definitions to UW-La Crosse (UWL). Chapter 3 pertains to tenure-track faculty appointments.
Post-Tenure Review
Promotion
Faculty and IAS promotion portfolio development resources: Get tips and best practice information for developing your best promotion portfolio and links to the most current schedules, policies, guidelines and form that are housed on HR's website.
A thumbnail overview of hiring related issues for tenure-track (ranked faculty).
- RANK - unless specifically indicated otherwise in the advertisement for the position, UWL hires at the rank of assistant professor. When a faculty member is hired into a tenure-track position but is not yet tenured, they are referred to as "probationary" and/or "junior" faculty.
- OFFER - in most cases the offer is made by the Dean (occasionally by the department chair after the Dean has confirmed the details of the offer). The offer will include the salary, the length of the tenure clock, and the number of years of service granted towards promotion.
- SALARY - starting salaries for all positions at UWL are based on CUPA data and reflect rank and discipline as benchmarked by peer institutions.
- Faculty contracts are traditionally 9-month contracts starting one week prior to the start of classes and ending when grades are due after the Spring semester. J-term (wintersession) and summer teaching is optional and reflected in overload pay.
- Faculty members who are ABD traditionally are hired at a salary 90% of the target salary. The salary is adjusted upon completion of the degree (contact HR).
- TENURE & PROMOTION - it is crucial for hires to understand that tenure and promotion are separate processes at UWL.
- Tenure is a decision of the department and the Chancellor with a recommendation from the Dean and the Provost serving as the Chancellor's designee. The UW System Board of Regents approves the final list. There is no salary adjustment associated with tenure.
- Promotion is a decision of the department, a campus-wide committee, and the Chancellor. A base-salary increase is associated with successful promotion.
- TENURE - the vast majority of faculty at UWL are hired with a "7-year tenure clock." A 7-year clock actually indicates that if awarded, tenure will go into effect in the faculty member's seventh year at the university.
- A seven-year clock means that faculty will be reviewed by their department in their sixth year of service (usually in the Fall and no later than early Spring semester) on the 5 years of service completed at UWL.
- Generally speaking, it is best for the candidate and the department for the tenure-clock to be 7-years as it allows for an appropriate amount of time to review faculty progress in the position in terms of teaching, scholarship, and service. If a faculty member comes to UWL with a substantial level of previous higher education experience, the Dean (with approval from the Provost) may offer a shorter tenure clock.
- Faculty are traditionally hired with a 2 year contract, receive a review at the end of the first year, a formal contract-review in their second year and 1 or 2 year contracts until the time of the tenure review. The formal contract reviews are referred to as retention reviews and are based on departmental, school/college, and university criteria.
- Although a department can request an early tenure decision for a candidate, it is very unusual and will only be considered by the provost under extraordinary circumstances.
- PROMOTION - at the time of offer, the Dean will indicate the number of years the candidate has been granted towards promotion. The number of years of service is determined by these guidelines. All promotion candidates for associate professor must have completed 3 years at UWL and 5 years of service overall (including the time at UWL). Unlike tenure, promotion eligibility merely indicates the "earliest" that a faculty member may be considered for promotion. In addition, if a faculty member is unsuccessful at promotion, there is no limit on the number of attempts. Complete information about promotion is available here; however, generally speaking, the Provost recommends that most junior faculty do not need to familiarize themselves with the criteria or process until after their first formal retention review within their departments.
- Additional contract information for most new faculty hires will include start-up costs (if applicable) and any arrangements associated with completion of the doctorate (if not yet completed).
Interested in starting a new academic program (major, graduate program, minor, emphasis, concentration and/or certificate)?
There are three steps:
STEP 1: Consult with the Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Sandy Grunwald (sgrunwald@uwlax.edu).
STEP 2: Submit an overview of the idea for review by one of three deadlines: October 1: March 1: or May 20.
STEP 3: Develop a "notice of intent" and guide it through UWL's governance process.
Please follow the complete guidelines available at: https://www.uwlax.edu/academic-affairs/resources/new-program/.
Interested in establishing a new center or institute?
Please contact the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Sandy Grunwald (sgrunwald@uwlax.edu) and note the: New Centers or Institutes Proposal Template
Academic programs at UW-La Crosse undergo an Academic Program Review (APR) on a regular cycle as one component of our commitment to academic excellence. Coordinated by the Faculty Senate's Academic Program Review Committee, the review process provides an opportunity for program faculty to reflect on curriculum, assessment, new initiatives, personnel, and support for achieving the goals of the program.
Programs that have external accreditation participate in UWL's APR the year following their accreditation review. Programs without external accreditation participate in the process, which includes an external review, every seven years. Free standing minor programs go through an abbreviated process every seven years.
The Academic Program Review Committee is the governance body responsible for maintaining and updating the procedures and criteria used to review academic programs at UWL. The APR Committee is also responsible for scheduling and conducting, in consultation with the Provost/Vice Chancellor, the audit and review of academic programs.
Academic programs are reviewed according to the Program Review Schedule.
Program Review Process and Timeline:
- for Undergraduate & Graduate Accredited Programs
- for Undergraduate & Graduate non-Accredited Programs
Self-Study Report Guidelines:
- Undergraduate Programs Self Study Report
- Graduate Program Self Study Guidelines
- Collaborative Programs - Supplemental Guidelines
- Free-standing minors
- Initial Program Review Guidelines
Other Pertinent Documents
- Absence request (Deans and Academic Affairs Directors Only. Tutorial Video.)
- Administrative Backfill Policy
- Associate/Assistant Dean Hiring
- UWLEX - Academic Unit Revenue Sharing Policy
- Clarifications regarding post-tenure review procedures.
- Concurrent Tenure Lines for Administrative Positions
- Cross Division Unit Funding Requests
- Determining Years of Service Towards Promotion
- Director/Dean Administrative Review
- Faculty Position Request Guidelines
- Fringe Rate Benefits Overview (ORSP)
- GQA budget and expenditure guidelines
- GQA position justification criteria
- IAS Rank - Hiring Guidelines
- Indirect cost recovery distribution model
- J-term policies and procedures
- Personnel review for faculty with appointments/assignments outside of their departments
- Policy on overload payments for faculty and staff
- Summer school policy and procedure
- Travel pre-authorization for faculty & IAS
The Center for the Advancing of Teaching and Learning (CATL)'s Teaching Improvement Guide that provides excellent guidance including recommended syllabi templates.