Voting Guidelines

Source: https://ap.washington.edu/ahr/policies/voting-guidelines/ Parent: https://ap.washington.edu/ahr/academic-jobs/

Voting Eligibility
Exceptions
Eligibility for Specific Actions
Process & Reporting
Special Circumstances
Resources & References

General Eligibility

The University of Washington Faculty Code 21-32 defines the voting members of the faculty and states the requirements for an effective vote, which vary as a function of the type of action to be taken. For specific questions regarding faculty voting guidelines, please contact the UW Faculty Senate.

Persons holding the following titles are eligible voting members of the faculty, excepted as noted in “Exceptions to Voting Eligibility” section below:

Professor
Research Professor
Teaching Professor
Professor of Clinical Practice
Associate Professor
Research Associate Professor
Associate Teaching Professor
Associate Professor of Clinical Practice
Assistant Professor
Research Assistant Professor
Assistant Teaching Professor
Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice
Senior Artist in Residence, full-time
Artist in Residence, full-time
Faculty in the following Emeritus titles during the quarter they are serving:
Emeritus professor (tenured/tenure-track, research, teaching, clinical practice)
Emeritus associate professor (tenured/tenure-track, research, teaching, clinical practice
Emeritus assistant professor (tenure-track, research, teaching, clinical practice)
Emeritus principal lecturer or senior lecturer

Exceptions to Voting Eligibility

Research track faculty may vote on all personnel matters as described in the Faculty Code except those matters relating to the promotion and/or tenure of faculty to the following ranks:

Associate Professor
Professor
Associate Professor WOT
Professor WOT
Associate Teaching Professor
Teaching Professor
Associate Professor of Clinical Practice
Professor of Clinical Practice
Senior Artist in Residence

Teaching track faculty may vote on all personnel matters as described in the Faculty Code except those matters relating to the promotion to and/or tenure of faculty to the following ranks:

Associate Professor
Professor
Associate Professor WOT
Professor WOT
Research Associate Professor
Research Professor
Associate Professor of Clinical Practice
Professor of Clinical Practice

Clinical Practice track faculty may vote on all personnel matters as described in the Faculty Code except those matters relating to the promotion to and/or tenure of faculty to the following ranks:

Associate Professor
Professor
Associate Professor WOT
Professor WOT
Research Associate Professor
Research Professor
Associate Teaching Professor
Teaching Professor
Senior Artist in Residence

Renewals and Reappointments

As outlined in UW Faculty Code Section 24-53, the voting faculty of an academic unit, by majority vote, also may delegate authority to recommend the renewal of affiliate and clinical faculty, or annual or quarterly part-time lecturer appointments to an elected committee of its voting faculty instead of being the responsibility of the full voting faculty.

Except for the above noted exceptions, recommendations concerning reappointments and renewals are voted on by those who are superior in academic rank or title to the person under consideration, as follows:

for teaching associates — all voting faculty
for instructors – all voting faculty
for lecturers and artists in residence — senior artists in residence, and assistant/associate/full professors (tenured, tenure-track, WOT, research, teaching, clinical practice)
for professors of practice – senior artists in residence, and assistant/associate/full professors (tenured, tenure-track, WOT, research, teaching, clinical practice)
for senior artists in residence — assistant/associate/full professors (tenured, tenure-track, WOT, research, teaching, clinical practice)
for assistant professors — associate/full professors (tenured, tenure-track, WOT, research, teaching, clinical practice)
for research associate professors and associate teaching professors– professors (tenured, tenure-track, WOT, research, teaching, clinical practice)
for research professors and teaching professors – professors (tenured, tenure-track, WOT, research, teaching, clinical practice)

Reporting Vote Information

All reports of voting results must include the following 5 elements:

Total number of eligible voters
Total number of favorable votes
Total number of unfavorable votes
Total number of abstentions
Total number of absent voters

Voting Majority

Personnel actions are effective only if passed by a majority vote of all eligible voting members of the unit. A vote of less than or exactly 50% of those eligible to vote does not represent a majority.

Voting on New Annual and Quarterly Appointments

A faculty vote is required for all new faculty appointments. However, the unit faculty, by a majority vote, may delegate authority to an elected committee of its voting faculty to recommend appointments for affiliate faculty, clinical annual faculty, or annual or quarterly part-time lecturers without a full faculty vote (UW Faculty Code Section 24-52 C.1). Academic HR should receive a copy of this documentation annually.

Eligibility While on Leave

A faculty member on leave* is not eligible to vote. Faculty on leave are defined as the following:

Faculty on a sabbatical leave
Faculty who are on a leave without salary of more than 50%

*Faculty on intermittent leave *may* be eligible to vote on the day the vote takes place, based on their leave arrangement. It is the responsibility of the academic unit to determine voting eligibility for faculty.

(Note: Summer hiatus is not considered a leave of absence with respect to voting eligibility.)

Voting as a Joint Faculty Member

A faculty member holding a joint appointment may be awarded voting rights in the secondary unit. When the joint appointment is proposed, voting rights should be determined and documented as part of the appointment process. See the UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 B.10 for more information.

Resources for Voting Eligibility

Reappointment \ Hire/New Appointment \ Retentions\ Merit \ Promotion and Tenure

References


Academic Titles and Ranks	Outlines voting eligibility by academic personnel category
Faculty Code Section 21-31	Establishes “membership in the Faculty” and “voting eligibility based on superior rank”
Faculty Code Section 21-32	Establishes “Voting Membership in the Faculty” 21-32 A: Establishes that a retired assistant professor, associate professor or professor (tenure-track, tenured, WOT, research, or teaching), or a retired principal lecturer or senior lecturer, are eligible to vote during the quarters they are serving on a part-time basis. 21-32 B: Establishes the ranks and titles of those members of the faculty who do not have any voting rights (e.g. clinical, clinical dental pathway, affiliate, acting, visiting).
Faculty Code Section 24-40	WOT faculty members have same rights, responsibilities and obligations as tenure-track and tenured faculty members at those rank.

Voting Matrix

The voting matrix page provides a detailed overview of faculty voting eligibility for promotion actions. It includes the title held by the faculty member prior to promotion, the proposed title after promotion, and the faculty titles eligible to vote on the promotion action. This matrix ensures clarity and consistency in the voting process for faculty promotions.

Glossary

Navigate the key terms and definitions used in promotion and tenure processes with ease using our glossary, designed to clarify policies and procedures. Explore the Promotion and Tenure Glossary page.