Note: A signed, official version of this document may be downloaded by clicking this link.

Article I. Role and Scope of Unit

The College of Agriculture is the founding college for Montana's land-grant university, and provides unique educational and research programs in the biological, chemical, physical, and social sciences. The College of Agriculture originated in 1893 with the establishment of the "Agricultural College of the State of Montana" when the Montana Legislature accepted the terms of the Morrill Act of 1862. This Act provided land grants to each state to support the establishment of such colleges.

The Legislature also accepted the Hatch Act of 1887 that provided financial support for the establishment of an agricultural experiment station in each state. The mission of the Agricultural Experiment Station, established by state statute is "to conduct and promote studies, scientific investigations and experiments relating to agriculture, natural resources and rural life and to disseminate information thereby acquired among the people of Montana." The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established the Extension Service whose mission is to provide instruction and practical demonstrations in agriculture and related subjects. The contemporary mission is to:

  • create diverse learning programs that foster student success, support life-long learning, and prepare Montanans for the future,
  • provide leadership in developing ambitious, competitive, and imaginative research activities that create new discoveries, positively impact undergraduate and graduate learning and earn national and international recognition and
  • disseminate new research discoveries and deliver outreach programs that serve Montana in a global

The College of Agriculture and the Agricultural Experiment Station are administered by the Vice President of Agriculture who serves as the Dean of the College of Agriculture/Director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The College has six departments (two departments are joint with the College of Letters and Science) and one division:

Departments:

  • Agricultural Economics and Economics*
  • Animal and Range Sciences
  • Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
  • Microbiology arid Immunology*
  • Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology
  • Research Centers

*joint Departments

Division:

  • Agricultural Education

Cooperative Program:

  • WIMU Veterinary Medicine Regional Program

The College provides educational programs to develop and enhance the ability to apply rules of logic and the principles, methods, and results of science to problem-solving and decision-making. Funding for programs in the College comes from three traditional sources: the teaching budget of Montana State University, the budget of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, and the budget of the Montana Extension Service.

Faculty secure additional funding through grants, contacts, cooperative agreements, and other sources. Undergraduate students focus on departmental curricula and develop an awareness and appreciation of the environment, citizenship skills, scientific curiosity, and skills to become lifelong learners. Graduate students, the professionals and scientists of tomorrow, challenge boundaries to the current body of knowledge and demand an environment that promotes the pursuit of knowledge. Off-campus students not enrolled in degree programs seek further development of their problem-solving and lifelong learning skills through extension and outreach programs.

The function of the Agricultural Experiment Station is to conduct and promote studies and scientific investigations relating to agriculture, natural resources, and rural life and to transfer this information to the people of Montana. The Agricultural Experiment Station also participates in regional and national research programs in concert with the State Agricultural Experiment Station system of the United States Department of Agriculture. Research is conducted in laboratory facilities, the Plant Growth Center, field facilities on the MSU campus, and at agricultural research centers throughout the state. Faculty may also conduct research on private and government lands.

Article II. Appointment and Advancement of Research Faculty

See the Faculty Handbook and appropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Article III. Annual Review Process

See the appropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Annual review assesses the faculty member's performance over the preceding calendar year and is based upon the faculty member's letter of hire (or modified description of duties), role statements, annual assignments, self-assessment, and the department head's evaluation of the individual's performance. Reviews must be completed by April 15 or the date specified by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The annual review with ratings and any written appeals to the review shall be included in the candidate's personnel file.

Article IV. Primary Review Committee and Administrator

Section 4.01 Primary Review Committee-Composition and Appointment

See the Faculty Handbook and appropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 4.02 Primary Review Administrator

The department or division head serves as primary administrative reviewer and shall review all submitted materials, provide any required materials, and conduct an independent and substantive review of the candidate's dossier and make recommendations regarding retention, tenure, and/or promotion. The Evaluation Letter shall include a written rationale. If the administrator's Evaluation Letter does not concur with that of the primary review committee, the administrator's rationale must  explain the point(s) of difference, i.e., the reason for the non-concurrence.

Section 4.03 Identification of responsible entities

  • Establish the Primary Review Committee either by facilitating the election or appointment of the members as described: Primary Review Administrator
  • Select external reviewers and solicit review letters: Primary Review Administrator
  • If internal Reviews are part of the unit's review process, selecting and soliciting Internal Reviews: Primary Review Administrator
  • Assuring the following materials are included in the Dossier:
    • Internal and external reviewer letters of solicitation, letters from the reviewers and, in the case of external reviewers, a short bio-sketch of the reviewer should be included in the Dossier: Primary Review Administrator
    • Applicable Role and Scope Document: Primary Review Administrator
    • Letter of hire, any Percentages of Effort changes, all annual reviews, and all Evaluation Letters from prior retention, tenure, and promotion reviews at MSU: Primary Review Administrator
    • Candidate's teaching evaluations from the review period. If the evaluations are not in electronic format, the unit will provide evaluation summaries. Upon request by review committees and review administrators, the unit will provide access to the original evaluations to review committees and administrators during the review: Primary Review Administrator
    • Maintaining copies of all review committee Evaluation Letters and internal, (if applicable), and external review letters after the review: Primary Review Administrator

Section 4.04 Next Review Level

College of Agriculture Promotion and Tenure Committee

Article V. Intermediate Review Committee and Administrator 

Section 5.01 Intermediate Review Committee - Composition and Appointment 

See the Faculty Handbook.

The College of Agriculture Review Committee will be composed of five tenured faculty at the rank of Professor. Elected members' terms are for three years. Each year near the end of the spring semester, one member will be elected allowing for staggered terms. A total of three members will be elected. The Dean will appoint the fourth member and will also appoint as fifth member a departmentally approved alternate from an academic unit not represented on the committee. Appointed members will serve one-year terms. The college will adopt selection procedures for committee members that will promote membership which is inclusive of the categories protected by the university Non-Discrimination Policy. Committee members and administrative reviewers will take orientation sessions that promote bias-literacy in retention, tenure, and promotion reviews. Before conducting a review, they will attend the bias-literacy training offered by the university for the review cycle. At least twenty-five (25)  percent of the membership of the intermediate review committee  will be female faculty members. If the method for selection does not result in the required proportion of women faculty, the unit administrator may appoint other female faculty members to fulfill the required level of participation. Elected members may not serve consecutive terms and members cannot serve if being considered for promotion. No member can serve on any other promotion and tenure committee while a member of the College Promotion and Tenure Committee. Terms will begin immediately following the spring semester election.

The intermediate review committee shall review all submitted materials, provide any required materials, and solicit and obtain additional materials it deems necessary to make a fair, objective, independent, thorough, and substantive review ofthe  candidate's qualifications commensurate with the candidate's appointment. The committee shall prepare its written Evaluation Letter concerning the retention, tenure, and/or promotion of each candidate. This Evaluation Letter shall include a rationale explaining the reasons for the decision and the vote tally. The Evaluation Letter will be forwarded to the intermediate administrative reviewer with a copy sent to the candidate. The Evaluation Letter becomes a permanent part of the faculty member's personnel files maintained in the department, division, and college offices.

Section 5.02 Intermediate Review Administrator

Vice President, Dean, and Director of Agriculture

The college dean, when serving as the administrative reviewer at the intermediate level of review, shall review all submitted materials, provide any required materials, conduct an independent and substantive review of the candidate's dossier and make recommendations regarding retention, tenure, and/or promotion. The Evaluation Letter shall include a written rationale or statement of concurrence. If the intermediate level administrator's Evaluation Letter does not concur with those of the primary review committee or the primary administrative reviewer, the administrator's rationale must explain the point(s) of difference, i.e., the reason for the non-concurrence.

Section 5.03 Level of Review following Intermediate Review Administrator

University Retention, Tenure, and Promotion Committee

The dean will request nominations for election to a three-year term on the University Retention, Promotion and Tenure Committee. The representative and alternate to the University Retention, Promotion and Tenure Committee must be a tenured full professor whose locus of tenure is with a College of Agriculture department. Nominations will be solicited from tenure-track faculty including department heads. From those nominated, a ballot will be prepared and distributed to tenure-track faculty who will elect one representative and one alternate to the University Retention, Promotion and Tenure Committee. The candidate receiving the majority of votes will be the elected representative; the candidate receiving the second greatest number of votes will be the elected alternate. No representative may be elected if they are a member of another retention, promotion and tenure committee. Terms will begin at the start of fall semester.

Article VI. Review Materials

Section 6.01 Materials submitted by Candidate

See the Faculty Handbook and appropriate Department Role and Scope document. 

Section 6.02 Documentation of Collaborative Scholarly Contributions

See the Faculty Handbook and appropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 6.03 Peer Review Solicitation Procedure

See the Faculty Handbook and appropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Article VII. Applicable Role and Scope Documents

Section 7.01 Retention Review 

Candidates for retention are reviewed under the standards and indicators in the Role and Scope Documents in effect on the first day of employment in a tenurable position.

Section 7.02 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor Review

Candidates for tenure are reviewed under the standards and indicators in the Role and Scope Documents in effect on the first day of  employment  in a tenurable position. Candidates may select a more recent,  approved  Role  and Scope Document by notifying the primary review committee. 

Section 7.03 Promotion to Professor Review

The faculty member will be reviewed using standards and indicators in the Role and Scope Documents in effect two (2) years prior to the deadline for notification of intent to apply for promotion.

Article VIII. Retention Reviews

Section 8.01 Timing of Retention Review

Faculty are reviewed for retention in the academic year specified in their Letter of Hire, unless extended under the Extending Tenure Review Period policy.

Section 8.02 University Standard

The standards for the retention of probationary faculty members are:

  1. effectiveness in teaching, scholarship, and service during the review period, and
  2. integration of no less than two of the following during the review period: teaching, scholarship, and service, and
  3. satisfactory progress towards meeting the standards for tenure by the candidate's tenure review

Section 8.03 Performance Indicators and Weighting

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 8.04 Quantitative and Qualitative Expectations

See the appropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 8.05 Evidence of Performance Indicators

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 8.06 Status of Scholarly Products

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Article IX. Tenure Review

Section 9.01 Timing of Tenure Review

Faculty are normally reviewed for tenure in the academic year specified in their Letter of Hire, unless extended under the Extending Tenure Review Period policy.  

Section 9.02 University Standard

The University standards for the award of tenure are:

  1. sustained effectiveness in teaching and service during the review period, and
  2. integration of no less than two of the following during the review period: teaching, scholarship, and service, and
  3. accomplishment in scholarship. 

Section 9.03 Performance Indicators and Weighting 

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section  9.04  Quantitative  and  Qualitative   Expectations

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 9.05 Evidence of Performance Indicators

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Article X. Promotion to Rank of Associate Professor

Section 10.01 University Standards

The University standards for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor are the standards for the award of tenure. Appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor does not demonstrate, in and of itself, that standards for tenure have been met.

Article XI. Promotion to Rank of Professor

Section 11.01 Timing of Review

Normally, faculty are reviewed for promotion after the completion of five (5) years of service in the current rank, however, faculty may seek promotion earlier if they can establish that they "meet the same standards of effectiveness and accomplishment or excellence used in evaluating candidates after five (5) years in rank."

Section 11.02 University Standard

The University standards for promotion to the rank of Professor are:

  1. sustained effectiveness in teaching and service during the review period, and
  2. sustained integration of no less than two of the following areas during the review period: teaching, scholarship, and service, and
  3. excellence in scholarship. 

Section 11.03 Performance Indicators and Weighting

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 11.04 Quantitative and Qualitative Expectations

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Section 11.05 Evidence of Performance Indicators

See theappropriate Department Role and Scope document.

Article XII. Procedures for Update and Revision of the Unit Role and Scope Document

See the Faculty Handbook.

Each department and college shall develop and annually review a document describing its role and scope, defining its responsibilities and obligations in furtherance of the mission of the University, and setting forth the criteria, standards and procedures for review of faculty members. If the document is not updated annually, the last updated and approved document shall be effective. 

Article XIII. Approval Process

Section 13.01 Primary Academic Unit Role and Scope Document

  1. tenurable faculty and administrator of the primary academic unit;
  2. promotion and tenure review committee and administrator of all associated intermediate units (usually colleges);
  3. University Retention Tenure and Promotion Committee (URTPC); and
  4. Provost.

Section 13.02 Intermediate Academic Unit Role and Scope Document

  • promotion and tenure review committee and administrator of the intermediate unit;
  • University Retention Tenure and Promotion Committee (URTPC); and
  • Provost.

Section 13.03 University Role and Scope Document

  • University Retention Tenure and Promotion Committee (URTPC);
  • Faculty Senate;
  • Deans' Council; and
  • Provost. 

(approved April 2019)