What is a Threshold Case?
These are reviews which looks at materials since the last threshold, not just since the last review. The types of Threshold Cases are: Appointments, Mid-Career Appraisal, Final Appraisal (promotion to tenure), Promotion to Professor, Advancement to Professor, Step VI, and Advancement to Professor, Above Scale.
What is special about Threshold Cases in apbears?
Department Analysts will need to give case access to faculty other than the Department Chair:
- Requesting departmental reviewers, including departmental ad hoc committees and the faculty, to review the case is handled under the Reviewers tab.
- There is an additional Fairness Safeguard step (Candidate Clock) for some threshold cases which allows the candidate to see the confidential materials in the case (redacted versions of the departmental ad hoc committee report and external letters) prior to the departmental faculty meeting and vote.
What should I enter as the Review Period for Threshold Cases?
A threshold case has two components: what has been accomplished since the last threshold and what has been completed since the last review. The former will determine if a promotion or advancement is warranted; the latter determines the step and/or salary advance. In order for reviewers to see what has been accomplished since the last threshold, the dates for the Review Period should encompass the entire period since the last threshold (e.g., an advancement to Step VI case effective July 1, 2016 with a promotion to Full Professor on July 1, 2005, would need a review period of 7/1/2004 through 6/30/2015).
However, final appraisal cases should include everything since appointment, not just since the mid-career appraisal. Within the Departmental Recommendation, it should be clear to campus reviewers what has been completed just since the last review.
How do I give faculty access to the Departmental Recommendation, as provided by APM 220-80-e?
Because of the new flexibility in the system, the Department Analyst can request faculty review the case up until the case is forwarded to the Dean’s Analyst. If the Departmental Recommendation is uploaded, faculty can view it if the case is open to them. Use the Reviewers tab to see who has access to the case and to grant access.
How are Preliminary Assessments handled in the system?
When a Preliminary Assessment letter has been issued by the Vice Provost, the letter is routed to the candidate just like any decision. The 10-day response clock is started. A candidate has the right to request access to all documents. This request must be made to APO (APPolicy@berkeley.edu). Access to the redacted case is handled outside of APBears. All roles will continue to have access to the set of documents they have a right to access in any case.
How does the system handle Reconsiderations?
Once a Final Decision has been shared with the candidate, the case is moved to the Archives. If a unit wishes to make a formal reconsideration request, an email should be sent to the Academic Personnel Office (APpolicy@berkeley.edu) with the name of the candidate, case type, and effective date. Upon receipt of the request, APO will reopen the case to the department. Note that there are unique document names for Reconsiderations.