Section 6: Promotion and Tenure
6.3 Individual Criteria for Promotion
Faculty performance is evaluated in three areas of endeavor: teaching effectiveness, professional activities, and service to the University, the College and department. The first area, teaching, is preeminently important.
6.3.1 Individual Criteria for Promotion to the rank of Senior Lecturer The candidate must:
.1 demonstrate effective teaching by showing that he or she has exhibited effort, skill, reflection, dedication to student learning, flexibility, and current knowledge of the discipline. Effective teaching is, in and of itself, a significant achievement, and the College gives it first priority in evaluating every faculty member’s performance. The candidate must demonstrate a pattern of effective teaching during the evaluation period, as indicated by evidence from multiple sources, including (but not limited to): student feedback, colleagues’ testimonials, quality of syllabi, assignments, and tests. The Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Committee also recognizes the value of substantial contributions to the College’s curriculum, course improvement through revision of content and method, development of new courses, and development of across-the-curriculum courses.
.2 demonstrate a consistent record of advising, continuing contribution to the department, and service to the College.
.3 demonstrate that he or she has engaged in professional activity that goes beyond the expected reading one must do and the conferences and workshops one must attend to maintain currency in one’s profession or discipline. The candidate and his or her department shall provide information about the kinds of activities that have accomplished the professional activity and development appropriate for a faculty member seeking promotion to this rank. Examples of professional activity include but are not limited to: teaching development and/or participation in professional credential development activities; public presentations, exhibitions, and/or performances; active involvement in professional (or performing or scholarly) societies, associations, boards, or groups; consulting activity; and scholarly activity (e.g., publications or book reviews in scholarly and/or professional journals and presentations at scholarly and/or professional conferences).
6.3.2 Individual Criteria for Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor The candidate must:
.1 demonstrate effective teaching by showing that he or she has exhibited effort, skill, reflection, dedication to student learning, flexibility, and current knowledge of the discipline. Effective teaching is, in and of itself, a significant achievement, and the College gives it first priority in evaluating every faculty member’s performance. The candidate must demonstrate a pattern of effective teaching during the evaluation period, as indicated by evidence from multiple sources, including (but not limited to): student feedback, colleagues’ testimonials, quality of syllabi, assignments, and tests. The P&T Committee also recognizes the value of substantial contributions to the College’s curriculum, course improvement through revision of content and method, development of new courses, and development of across-the-curriculum courses.
.2 demonstrate a consistent record of advising, continuing contribution to the department, and substantive service to the College. The candidate must also demonstrate some leadership in the service area, such as: substantial contribution to a committee’s work, organizing college events, holding committee offices, and bringing motions to committees, departments, or the faculty.
.3 demonstrate that he or she has contributed to his or her discipline and/or teaching profession through activities that are directed toward professional peers beyond the campus. The P&T Committee expects to see a pattern of scholarly and professional activity that goes beyond mere attendance at meetings and conferences. Following is a list of examples of the kinds of activities that would be considered significant within the traditional disciplines: conference paper presentations and program participation; holding office in professional organizations; editing a journal; publishing book reviews, journal articles, or other printed works; winning a grant; participating in exhibitions or performances, or equivalent. The P&T committee expects the candidate and his or her department to provide information about the kinds of activities appropriate to the discipline that constitute equivalent professional activity.
6.3.3 Individual Criteria for Promotion to the rank of Professor The candidate must:
.1 demonstrate effective teaching by showing that he or she has exhibited effort, skill, reflection, dedication to student learning, flexibility, and current knowledge of the discipline. Effective teaching is, in and of itself, a significant achievement, and the College gives it first priority in evaluating every faculty member’s performance. The candidate must demonstrate a pattern of effective teaching during the evaluation period, as indicated by evidence from multiple sources, including (but not limited to): student feedback, colleagues’ testimonials, quality of syllabi, assignments, and tests. The P&T Committee recognizes the value of substantial contributions to the College’s curriculum, course improvement through revision of content and method, development of new courses, and development of across-the-curriculum courses.
.2 demonstrate a consistent record of advising, continuing contribution to the department, and substantive service to the College during the evaluation period. The candidate must also demonstrate some leadership in the service area, such as: substantial contribution to a committee’s work, organizing college events, holding committee offices, and bringing motions to committees, departments, or the Faculty. The committee also recognizes the value of lending one’s professional expertise to the community beyond the College.
.3 demonstrate the achievement of recognition within the discipline. The successful candidate for the rank of professor will demonstrate, as well as support with argument and other evidence, that he or she has received such recognition. The candidate will include in the file three or more letters from external evaluators that address this issue of recognition. The P&T committee expects to see a pattern of scholarly and professional activity within the evaluation period. Following is a list of examples of the kinds of activities that would be considered significant within the traditional disciplines: frequent and regular conference paper presentations and program participation; holding office in professional organizations; editing a journal, publishing book reviews, journal articles (especially refereed), books, or other printed works; winning a grant; participating in exhibitions or performances, or equivalent. The P&T committee expects the candidate and his or her department to provide information about the kinds of activities appropriate to the discipline that constitute equivalent professional activity.
6.3.4 Institutional Rank Structure Policy The existing distribution of full-time faculty members by rank shall always be a critical factor in promotion considerations. As a basic policy, not more than seventy percent of the full-time teaching faculty of the College shall comprise the ranks of associate professor and professor (including those with the title of distinguished professor). Only under very exceptional circumstances should consideration be given to exceeding this limitation.