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On this page, we seek to provide clarification on the promotion and tenure processes as they apply to college laboratory technicians at Brooklyn College. In addition to this, you will find information on professional development.
Upon successful annual reappointment to the fifth year, notices are sent to all eligible college laboratory technicians, informing them that they are candidates for reappointment with tenure. During the spring semester of the fourth year and the summer after, candidates and department chairs/area heads work on updating the personnel files and uploading documents to our P&T Document Site. The review phase of the process begins in the fall semester of the fifth year, starting with the department appointments committee. After the committee reviews the file, there is deliberation and then a vote to recommend or not to recommend for reappointment with tenure.
The next step in the process involves the School Promotion and Tenure Review Committee, whose membership consists of a representative from each department within the relevant school. After reviewing the personnel files and department votes, the committee deliberates and then votes on whether to recommend for tenure. In lieu of the School Promotion and Tenure Review Committee, non-academic college laboratory technicians are reviewed by the Subcommittee on Promotion and Tenure for CLTs in Non-academic Departments.
The process continues to the College-wide Promotion and Tenure Committee, which is composed of all department chairs. At this level, files and prior recommendations are reviewed followed by deliberation and voting.
All votes and files are then reviewed by the president, who makes the final determination on which candidates will be recommended to the CUNY Board of Trustees for reappointment with tenure.
Candidates are notified in writing of each recommendation made during the process.
Promotion in the college laboratory technician series is not based on longevity and seniority in current title nor is it a reward for excellent work. It is based on the development of a new/upgraded position that has met the university’s standard for the title sought and the demonstrated qualities of the candidate as reflected in the personnel file. Unlike professorial promotion, the college must approve a newly developed or greatly expanded job description before the position at the higher rank can be established and a candidate can be considered for promotion.
The criteria that determine eligibility to apply for CLT promotion comes from the CUNY OHRM Code of Practice Regarding Instructional Staff Titles (PDF) document.
To be eligible for promotion, a college laboratory technician must have four years of service in rank “and/or education at a level of competence at least equal to that of a college laboratory technician; appropriate technical skills, and the ability to direct, train and supervise subordinate laboratory personnel.” (Section IV, 8.2)
Senior college laboratory technicians must serve at least four years in rank in order to be considered for promotion. Senior college laboratory technicians with a master’s degree in an area appropriate to the position can use the degree as a substitute for one year of experience, thus becoming eligible for promotion after three years in rank. In addition to time in rank, the senior college laboratory technician must demonstrate “unique expertise clearly above that expected of senior technicians in a department or division.” (Section IV, 9.2)
When a college laboratory technician notifies the college of the intent to be considered for promotion, the appointments committee (or area head in non-academic departments) must determine if a higher rank is needed within the department and whether such a position can be supported. If at this time it is determined that a new higher rank cannot be supported, the process ends.
With the approval of the new rank by the appointments committee, a job description is created and submitted to Human Resource Services and the university. If there is approval at this level, the process continues. However, if Human Resource Services or the university does not approve the job description, the process ends.
All approvals are completed during the spring semester and the review of the personnel file begins at the onset of the following fall semester. The review phase of the process starts in the department with the College Laboratory Technician Promotion Committee, which is composed of all tenured professors in the department. The committee reviews the promotion file, deliberates, and then votes on whether to recommend or not to recommend for promotion. In non-academic departments, this step is completed by the area head.
The second and third steps in the process are similar to the tenure process in that promotion candidates are also reviewed by the School Promotion and Tenure Review Committee (Subcommittee on Promotion and Tenure for CLTs in Non-Academic Departments) and the College-Wide Promotion and Tenure Committee. The difference is in the criteria used to evaluate the personnel file.
All promotion files and prior votes are forwarded to the president, who makes the final determination on which candidates will be recommended to the CUNY Board of Trustees for promotion.
