General Voting Guidelines
General Eligibility
The UW Policy Directory 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.
Persons holding the following titles are eligible voting members of the faculty:
- Professor (50% appointment or greater)
- Research Professor (50% appointment or greater) **
- Associate Professor (50% appointment or greater)
- Research Associate Professor (50% appointment or greater) **
- Assistant Professor (50% appointment or greater)
- Research Assistant Professor (50% appointment or greater) **
- Instructor (full time) *
- Senior Lecturer, full-time
- Senior Artist-in-Residence (full time)
- Lecturer, full-time
- Artist-in-Residence (full time)
- Retired Assistant Professor, Research Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Research Associate Professor, Professor, or Research Professor during the quarter he/she is serving on a part-time basis
* Note: The title Instructor is no longer an active title.
** Research 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:
- Senior Lecturer
- Senior Artist in Residence
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Professor
- Associate Professor WOT
- Professor WOT
Except as noted above, recommendations concerning reappointment, renewal, tenure, promotion, and salary increases are voted on by those who are superior in academic rank to the person under consideration (this applies to both regular and research faculty), as follows:
- for Teaching Associate -- all voting faculty
- for Lecturer -- Senior Lecturers, Instructors, and Assistant/Associate/full Professors
- for Artist -- Senior Artists, Instructors, and Assistant/Associate/full Professors
- for Senior Lecturer or Senior Artist -- Instructors, Assistant/Associate/full Professors
- for Instructor -- Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Professors
- for Assistant Professor reappointments -- Associate Professors, Professors
- for Associate Professors - Professors
- for Professors - Professors
Eligibility While on Leave
A faculty member on leave is not eligible to vote. Faculty on leave are defined as:
- faculty on a paid professional leave of absence (earnings type PLP), or
- faculty who are on a leave of absence without salary (earnings type LWO) of more than 50%.
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 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 Policy Directory, Faculty Code, Section 24-34, B.8 for more information.
Vote Reporting
All votes need to include the following vote counts:
- Number of faculty eligible to vote
- Total vote in favor of action
- Total vote against action
- Total voters absent
- Total voters abstaining
Voting on Short Term Appointments
A faculty vote is required for short term appointments. The department faculty, by a unanimous vote, may delegate to the chair the authority to make short term appointments without a full faculty vote.
