Opinion ID: 1161665
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Written Documentation of Faculty Evaluations.

Text: An employee manual in an employment at will situation only provides specific obligations if the language of the manual is specific. Drobny v. Boeing Co., 80 Wash. App. 97, 101, 907 P.2d 299 (1995). It is a question of fact as to whether an employment policy manual ... contains a promise of specific treatment in specific situations.... Burnside v. Simpson Paper Co., 123 Wash.2d 93, 104, 864 P.2d 937 (1994). However, if reasonable minds could not differ in deciding this issue, it is proper for the trial court to decide [it] ... as a matter of law. Burnside, 123 Wash.2d at 105, 864 P.2d 937. Trimble argues the Faculty Manual mandates written documentation from the tenured faculty members of Trimble's Department. The Faculty Manual provides: [r]egular annual reviews, as set forth below, shall be conducted to advise and direct progress toward tenure or, if for adequate cause, to terminate employment. Evaluations of non-tenured faculty members are to be conducted at the departmental level at least once a year. These are to involve all tenured faculty members, and student evaluations are to be included where applicable. The tenured members of the unit are expected to establish how the evaluation is to be accomplished (for example, in an open meeting, in written evaluations submitted directly to the department chair, or by other appropriate means ). Faculty Manual at 37 (Clerk's Papers vol. II, at 220) (emphasis added). While all tenured faculty members are to be involved in the annual evaluations, the emphasized clause vests discretion as to the manner of evaluation with the tenured members of a department. The clause does not promise that tenured faculty members will give their input in writing. At best, written documentation is to be provided if the tenured faculty members believe it is appropriate. As this is a discretionary decision to be made by the tenured faculty, specific treatment was not promised. Therefore, no breach of the Faculty Manual was committed as a matter of law.