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Non-Tenure Eligible Faculty Contract Renewals

PPD-1304

PPD Number: 1304
Title: Non-Tenure Eligible Faculty Contract Renewals
Responsible Office: Dean & Director
Effective Date: This is a working PPD. It is not yet fully approved by William & Mary's Personnel Policy Committee. (10/1/2025)
Last Updated:

I. Scope

This policy and procedure document (PPD) applies to all Non-Tenure Eligible (NTE) faculty (as defined in PPD 1302 and the William & Mary (W&M) Faculty Handbook) with a primary appointment within W&M’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences (Batten School) & Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)

II. Purpose & Policy Statement

As outlined in the W&M Faculty Handbook, all NTE faculty at the Batten School & VIMS shall have a clearly defined, specified-term contract. This PPD outlines the contract lengths typically utilized at the Batten School & VIMS and the procedures governing the renewal process for renewable contracts.  Although these positions do not rest upon a presumption of continuation, the intent of this policy statement and associated contracts is to provide security of position to NTE faculty at the Batten School & VIMS through long-term contracts with the potential for successive renewals. 

All NTE faculty contracts and the renewal process must follow the W&M Faculty Handbook in addition to this PPD.

III. Contract Term-Lengths

Full-Time NTE Faculty are positions intended to provide stability and career growth and will typically be issued initial renewable contracts of up to 3 years. Subsequent contracts will typically have a range of up to 5 years.

  • Faculty at the Assistant Professor rank may receive additional renewable contracts of 1-3 years.
  • Faculty at the Associate Professor or Professor rank may receive renewable contracts, typically of 1-5 years.

Full-Time Visiting NTE Faculty will be issued contracts with term lengths necessary to complete the specific work they were hired to complete. These appointments are presumed to be non-renewable and therefore notice of non-renewal is not required.

Part-Time NTE Faculty (also called Adjunct Professor) will be issued contracts with term lengths necessary to finish the work they were hired to complete; typically these appointments will be for one semester or one year. These appointments are presumed to be non-renewable and therefore notice of non-renewal is not required.

Post-doctoral Fellows will be issued contracts with term lengths as deemed appropriate by their supervisor. The term length will take into consideration the time requirements to finish the work for which the Post-doctoral Fellow was hired and the security of funding sources. Contracts will typically be for at least one year and are not expected to renew. Per Faculty Handbook Section III.B.1.b. Post-doctoral Fellows should not exceed five years of employment at the Batten School & VIMS. 

IV. Notification of Renewal of Contract

For NTE Faculty on renewable contracts of two or more years in length, notification of renewal or non-renewal shall be provided at least one year before the end of the current term. For NTE Faculty on renewable contracts of one year, notification of renewal or non-renewal shall be provided no later than March 1. For NTE Faculty on renewable contracts of less than one year, notification of renewal or non-renewal shall be provided at least 3 months before the end of the contract.   

V. Procedures and Criteria for Contract Renewal

Full-Time NTE Faculty

  1. As stated in the Faculty Handbook Section III.B.1.b renewals of contracts for Full-Time NTE Faculty will be based on satisfactory performance, institutional needs, and resource availability.
  2. Approximately six months before the end of the penultimate year (i.e. the second year of a 3-year contract or the fourth year of a 5-year contract) the Dean & Director will initiate a review for contract renewal. This review will include:
    1. Consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean for Research & Advisory Services regarding the institutional need for the position. Institutional need for Teaching Faculty will be determined based on the curricular needs of the academic program, while the institutional need for Research Faculty will be based on the need for expertise in certain areas associated with advisory service mandates and priorities, and/or the need for expertise in certain areas associated with research initiatives and priorities.
    2. A review of the faculty member’s annual work plans and associated evaluations that took place during the contract current term. If the faculty member has substantially met expectations over the course of their contract based on their annual evaluations (as defined by PPD 1303), and if criteria listed in 2a (above) are met, then they are eligible for renewal. The Dean & Director will consult with the faculty member’s Section Chair, and supervisor if different than the Section Chair, regarding their annual evaluations.
    3. Consultation with the Chief Financial Officer to assess whether funding for the position can no longer be demonstrated or secured.
  3. By the contract renewal deadline as noted in Section IV above, the Dean & Director will notify the faculty member in writing of their decision to renew or not renew the contract. The faculty member will be provided with a new contract to sign if renewal is approved.
  4. Faculty that receive notice of non-renewal are eligible to follow the grievance process as outlined in the Faculty Handbook.

Post-doctoral Fellows

  1. Renewals of contracts for Post-doctoral Fellows are approved/denied by the Fellow’s supervisor and may be based on satisfactory performance, need for the position, and resource availability.
  2. Approximately three months before the end of the penultimate year (i.e., the first year of a 2-year contract), or approximately 3 months before the end of a 1-year or shorter contract, the Dean & Director’s office will notify the supervisor in writing of the need for renewal.
  3. The supervisor will notify the Dean & Director’s office in writing of their desire to renew or not renew the contract. If they choose to renew, they must provide confirmation that the funding for the position is secure through the length of the contract.
  4. By the contract renewal deadline as noted in Section IV above, the Dean & Director’s office will notify the Post-doctoral Fellow in writing of their supervisor’s decision to renew or not to renew the contract. The Post-doctoral Fellow will be provided with a new contract to sign if renewal is approved.
  5. Post-doctoral Fellows that receive notice of non-renewal are eligible to follow the grievance process as outlined in Faculty Handbook.