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SP 3-20a – Peer Review Process

Colorado Community College System / System Procedure

SP 3-20a

EFFECTIVE: September 9, 1989
RETITLED: September 14, 2000
RETITLED: August 25, 2001
REVISED: June 12, 2024
RETITLED: June 12, 2024
EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2024

REFERENCE(S): Board Policy (BP) 3-20, Due Process for Faculty

APPROVED:

/ Joseph A. Garcia /
Joseph A. Garcia, Chancellor

Application

This procedure applies to all regular Faculty Members within the Colorado Community College System, including its Colleges (CCCS or System) as that term is defined in BP 3-10, Administration of Personnel.

Basis

When a Faculty Member requests a peer review in accordance with BP 3-20, this procedure applies.

Procedure

Timelines:
Timelines may be extended or modified by written mutual consent of the parties. The College may elect to count faculty non-working days in order to convene a hearing over the summer and will make arrangements with the Faculty Member and peer review committee in those cases.

Peer Review Panel:
Each College shall have an elected peer review panel of thirteen members, plus at least two alternates. Faculty at each College shall elect the peer review panel in September of every even-numbered year. Distributed representation across disciplines is encouraged. In the case of a College that has less than fourteen Faculty, the panel shall consist of all Faculty at the College. The College President shall be notified at the time of election, of the names of all members on the peer review panel.

Peer Review Process:

  1. Request for Review
    • A Faculty Member who wishes to request a peer review must submit a request for a review within ten (10) calendar days of service of notice of the action. Upon receipt of a timely request for a review, the President shall notify the Chancellor or their designee, who shall arrange legal counsel for the peer review committee.
  2. Establishment of Peer Review Committee
    • A peer review committee of five members shall be chosen from the College’s established peer review panel. In the case of a College which has less than thirteen persons on its panel, the peer review committee shall consist of three members.

      The President shall ascertain whether the full panel of thirteen members is available. In the event that a member is unable to serve, or if the Faculty Member requesting peer review is on the panel, an alternate will be used to create a full panel.

      Within three (3) working days after receipt of a request for peer review and when a full panel is established, the President shall strike four names from the list of panel members and will forward the condensed list to the Faculty Member. Within three (3) working days of receipt, the Faculty Member shall strike four additional names and return the list to the President. If the Faculty Member fails to strike names, the President shall strike a sufficient number to reduce the list to the appropriate number of committee members. In instances of a peer review committee of three members, the number of names struck by the President and the Faculty Member shall be equal, and if the number of names to be struck is odd, the final strike shall be conducted by random drawing. The committee members whose names remain on the list shall constitute the Peer Review Committee for that particular peer review. 

      The selected peer review committee members may not decline to participate unless extenuating circumstances exist as approved by the President. After the peer review committee is established, if a member is unable to complete their duties, the President shall select a replacement from the elected peer review panel by random drawing or by another method mutually agreed upon by the President and Faculty Member.
  3. Notification to Committee
    • The President shall notify the Peer Review Committee in writing that they have been selected. The notice shall designate one member to convene the committee and include a copy of these procedures. The designated convener shall call a meeting of the committee and conduct the election of a chair prior to the start of the hearing.

      The committee shall keep confidential all information received during their participation in the process that is specific to the Faculty Member, the hearing, the committee recommendation, and the President’s decision. The peer review committee may be asked to sign confidentiality agreements, which will be retained with the peer review hearing record.
  4. Hearing
    • The committee chair shall give written notice of the time and place of the peer review hearing, which must begin within ten (10) working days of the President’s notification to the peer review committee members.

      The committee chair, in consultation with the President or their designee, shall make arrangements for the hearing, which may be virtual. The committee chair shall be responsible for keeping the record that shall include all documents submitted by the parties.

      A full audio and/or video recording of the hearing will be taken by the committee and thereafter made available to the Faculty Member and maintained as part of the peer review hearing record.

      The President shall assign support staff, as appropriate, to assist in the compilation of exhibits/evidence submitted by the parties and the recording of the hearing.

      The committee shall conduct a full and fair hearing on the issues presented by the parties. Each party shall have the right to present relevant documents, to present witnesses who have relevant information, to question all witnesses as to relevant facts in order to support their positions, and to have advisory or legal counsel. Each party shall pay their own costs.

      If multiple days are necessary, the hearing shall be completed within ten (10) working days of convening, or as soon thereafter as is possible and the parties shall be notified of any delays.
  5. Committee Recommendation
    • The Peer Review Committee shall submit to the President a written recommendation, including the rationale and the record of the proceedings. A copy of the recommendation shall be provided to the Faculty Member. The committee’s recommendation and the record shall be submitted within ten (10) working days after the completion of the hearing.
  6. College President’s Decision
    • The President shall render a decision, including rationale for the decision, in writing to the Faculty Member within five (5) working days after receiving the committee’s recommendation. If the President and the review committee agree, the decision is final.
  7. Appeal to the Board
    • If the President does not agree with the Peer Review Committee, the Faculty Member may submit a written notice of appeal to the Board. The notice shall state all errors the Faculty Member claims in the decision or in the decision-making process. Such notice shall be directed to the Chancellor and must be submitted within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of notice of the President’s decision.
  8. Board Review
    • Upon receipt of a notice of appeal, the Chancellor shall request the President respond to the Faculty Member’s claims of error and to forward the complete record of the hearing.

      After receipt of the response from the President, the Chancellor shall arrange for the matter to be considered by the Board no later than ninety (90) calendar days from receipt of the notice of appeal to the Board, unless more time is needed to complete the review, in which case the parties will be notified in writing of the extension.

      The review by the Board shall be limited to a review of the record of the hearing, the Faculty Member’s written appeal, and the President’s written response.
  9. Board Decision
    • The Board shall give written notice of its decision, and the Chancellor shall serve a copy of the Board’s decision to all parties.

Revising this Procedure

CCCS reserves the right, after consultation with the State Faculty Advisory Council, to change any provision or requirement of this procedure at any time and the change shall become effective immediately.