Department of Adult and Higher Education Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Criteria and Procedures

RUL 05.67.200

Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure
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Authority: Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

History: First Issued: September 26, 1983. Last Revised: April 2, 2008. Additional History Information.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website

Contact Info: Department Head (919-513-3706)

1. Introduction

This rule describes the standards and procedures for Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) in the Department of Adult and Higher Education and is supplemental to and consistent with the college rule and university Academic Tenure Policy.

The Department of Adult and Higher Education's program orientation and research mission serve as the context for reappointment, promotion, and tenure decisions. The needs of the department are those of the faculty and students within the department and reappointment, promotion, tenure, and performance evaluation recommendations and decisions will be made within this framework.

The mission of the Department of Adult and Higher Education is to advance the scholarship, research, and practice of adult and higher education with a commitment to the preparation of professional practitioners, scholars, and researchers. The Department of Adult and Higher Education adheres to the land-grant university mission that includes teaching, research, and service. As a unit within a Research Extensive University, the department also seeks to enhance prominence regionally, nationally, and internationally through rigorous and recognized research and practice in our professional communities. These expectations will guide decisions on the recruitment, evaluation, and retention of faculty.

2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility

The faculty value the following realms of professional responsibility:

2.1. Research and Scholarly Inquiry. Examples of this might include publishing in refereed journals, presenting at professional societies, and performing empirical or action research in various academic and non-academic settings.

2.2. Teaching and Mentoring Graduate Students. Examples of this might include effective teaching as assessed by peers and students, developing innovative instructional materials or new courses, serving as the chair or reader on thesis or dissertation committees, and working collaboratively with graduate students on research, teaching, or community-based projects.

2.3. Engagement and Service. Examples of this might include participation on departmental-, college-, and university-level committees and task forces, engagement with people and organizational constituencies outside the university, and committee work in professional societies at the regional, national, and international level.

3. General Standards

The Department of Adult and Higher Education encourages and supports collaboration among scholars. In addition, as described in detail throughout this document, the department seeks to support and encourage

3.1. Exemplary research and scholarly inquiry.

3.2. Exemplary performance in the areas of teaching and graduate student supervision.

3.3. Strong levels of performance in the areas of departmental, college, and university service.

3.4. Strong levels of performance in the areas of professional service and public service.

4. Standards for Reappointment as Assistant Professor

The role of Assistant professor in the Department of Adult and Higher Education carries the expectation that individuals at this rank will place priority in conducting a clear, sustained research agenda and make demonstrable progress in fulfilling that agenda by conducting methodologically-sound research and reporting on their research in peer-reviewed scholarly journals. They will also be expected to place priority on developing competence and effectiveness in their instructional, course development, and graduate student supervision. Additionally, Assistant professors are expected to disseminate their research findings at meetings of their professional associations. In service, Assistant professors are expected to contribute to department and program as well as college governance. Engagement, which may include service within the university, community, state, or nationally, does not generally play a significant role in the activities of Assistant professors and is usually expected to follow research and teaching commitments.

Reappointment as Assistant professor requires that the individual is making satisfactory progress towards meeting the standards for promotion to the rank of Associate professor with tenure. Individuals will be expected to exhibit the following:

4.1. An exemplary level of accomplishment in research and scholarly inquiry as measured against the contributions of peers in the professional field and status in Research Extensive Universities.

4.2. An exemplary level of accomplishment in the areas of teaching and graduate supervision as measured by students, peers, example teaching materials, and self-evaluations. In addition, curricular development/revision, innovative teaching practices, and student advising are valued. It will be expected that Assistant professors participate in chairing graduate committees and engage in effective graduate student advising. Assistant professors are normally expected to have attained Full Graduate Faculty status within the first two years in this position.

4.3. An adequate level of accomplishment in the areas of professional service, public service, and department/college/university service as measured by leadership roles, collaborative contributions, and impact on the professional or lay community in relation to departmental goals.

4.4. Professional conduct conducive to a professional work environment that will advance the interests of the department, the college, the university, and the profession.

4.5. An area of specialization germane to the programs of the department.

4.6. Evidence indicating a commitment to maintain the level of competence and productivity in research and graduate instruction expected of a tenured faculty member; and

4.7. Evidence of emerging status as a national or international authority in an area of expertise, as noted by publications, invited scholarly presentations, and/or other indicators of national or international recognition.

5. Standards for Associate Professor with Tenure

The role of Associate professor in the Department of Adult and Higher Education carries the expectation that individuals at this rank will make demonstrable contributions to their field of study at the national or international level, through continued development in a sustained pattern of inquiry, knowledge production, and publication. The role is characterized by continued competence and effectiveness in their instructional, course development, and graduate student supervision.

In addition, Associate professors, as compared to Assistant professors, will exhibit increased contributions in service to the department, college, key professional communities of practice, and professional societies.

Promotion to the rank of Associate professor will be based on cumulative assessment of research publication, instruction, and service. This cumulative assessment will be judged by both departmental peers and external scholars representing the faculty member's area of research, and demonstrated through scholarly publication, the pursuit of grants , and peer-reviewed presentations.

Associate professors will demonstrate a level of achievement that warrants national or international recognition. Individuals will be expected to exhibit characteristics noted in the Assistant professor listing in addition to the following:

5.1. An exemplary level of accomplishment and national or international recognition in a field of emphasis and the likelihood of maintaining that status through publications, presentations, and professional service.

5.2. Continued exemplary effectiveness in teaching and advising, as well as leadership in program and curriculum development.

5.3. A high level of accomplishment in supervision of graduate student dissertation research and dissertations.

5.4. Evidence of service, including program, department, college or university service, as well as national or international service.

6. Standards for Professor

Faculty appointed to full professor status will demonstrate a level of achievement that warrants national or international recognition. The role of professor in the Department of Adult and Higher Education holds the expectation of continued accomplishment and leadership through maintained contributions to the body of professional knowledge, development and dissemination of knowledge in collaboration with graduate students, pursuit of external grants, and national, departmental, college, and university leadership. Professors will provide leadership in instructional program development and innovative approaches to instruction. In addition, professors will provide substantive contributions to departmental operations and leadership, as well as providing leadership in the socialization and professional development of non-tenured faculty. Professors will also continue to provide leadership in service to professional groups, related practitioner groups, and units within the university.

Individuals will be expected to exhibit characteristics noted in the Associate professor and Assistant professor categories in addition to the following:

6.1. An exemplary level of accomplishment and national or international recognition in a field of emphasis and ongoing status through publications, presentations, and professional service.

6.2. Continued exemplary effectiveness and leadership in teaching, advising, and in program and curriculum development.

6.3. A high level of ongoing accomplishment in supervision of graduate student dissertation research and dissertations.

6.4. Continued evidence of service, including program, department, college, and university service, in addition to established national and/or international service. Public service which includes community, state, national, or international outreach may comprise part of the service component.

7. Procedures for RPT Review

The Department Committee responsible for reappointment, promotion, and tenure is referred to as the Department Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Review Panel Departmental Voting Panel (DRPTRP) or the DVF. The DVF will elect a Chairperson from among its members on an annual basis.

7.1. Assistant professor procedures.

The DVF will make an interim judgment about the faculty member's potential for promotion and tenure in the department. Strengths and weaknesses should be identified, and criteria for reappointment, promotion, and tenure that remain to be satisfied should be clearly articulated in writing.

If the Assistant professor is reappointed for three years, he or she will be expected to follow the written guidance of the DVF, the department head, the College's Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) Committee, and the Dean, and to meet the expectations stipulated in the review.

Assistant professors who choose to be candidates for tenure and promotion to the Associate professor rank prior to the mandatory time ("early review") should consult with both the department head and the DVF. Normally, Assistant professors would be expected to provide a compelling rationale that supports "early review." If denied promotion or tenure during an "early review" by the DVF, Assistant professors must then adhere to the customary timelines if they want to be candidates a second time.

7.2. Associate professor procedures.

The University guidelines do not specify a minimum of years to be served in the Associate professor level before requesting consideration for promotion to professor. Normally, when faculty are promoted from Assistant professor rank, they will serve a minimum of four years in the Associate professor rank before their candidacy as a professor. Associate professors considering candidacy for professor would customarily consult with the department head and faculty at the professor rank regarding their potential for promotion.

7.3. Faculty duties.

Faculty are responsible for being knowledgeable about the department reappointment, promotion, and tenure rules, as well as the college- and university-related processes. Each faculty member is encouraged to maintain systematic records and support documentation on an on-going basis, following the university RPT dossier guidelines.

7.4. Department Head duties.

7.4.1. During the spring semester each year, the department head will issue a memorandum requesting, faculty who are required to participate in mandatory promotion and/or tenure review or who wish to be considered for promotion or promotion and tenure to notify both the department head and the DVF of intentions to participate in the RPT process.

7.4.2. The department head, each fall, will be responsible for establishing deadlines, in accordance with college- and university-stated timelines, for submission and review of materials and for a meeting of the DVF for discussion and voting on each reappointment, promotion, and tenure file.

7.4.3. Upon receipt of the DVF vote and written assessment, the Department Head will review and present an independent written assessment of the candidate. If the Department Head's recommendation differs from that of the DVF, the Department Head will meet with the DVF to discuss differences and to give a rationale for the alternative recommendation.

7.5. Departmental Voting Faculty (DVF) duties.

7.5.1. The DVF will conduct their assessments, discussions, and voting on each candidate in strict confidentiality. No information from these discussions or the voting by its members will be revealed to outside members of the department or college, beyond the official written documentation. The DVF will engage in the review and assessment process based upon current department, college, and university guidelines. All appropriate faculty are expected to be present at the meeting and to take part in the discussion and voting process unless extreme circumstances warrant a faculty member's absence. Faculty members who are unable to be present at the meeting will be expected to review each candidate's credentials and to submit a vote for each candidate to the DVF chair prior to the meeting. Within the constraints of college and university deadlines, the Department Head will provide for absentee votes by DVF members who unexpectantly are not able to attend the meeting.

7.5.2. At the option of the DVF, the individual may personally appear before the DVF.

7.5.3. Each DVF will conduct its assessments related to the criteria noted in this document. It is recognized that the review process is based upon best assessments and judgments of the faculty member's RPT dossier and on recognized standards of the department, college, and university.

7.5.4. One member of the DVF will be assigned primary responsibility for developing a departmental written assessment of the candidate for reappointment, promotion, or tenure consideration. This individual will be selected by the DVF, based on familiarity with the candidate's professional work. The written assessment will present the DVF's key findings and evidence of the candidate's accomplishments in relation to the department and college rules, and university policies and regulations. If there is a split vote of the faculty, it is the responsibility of the designated presenter for the candidate to discuss both perspectives in the written assessment. This individual will consult with the other members of the committee to verify that the written assessment accurately reflects the discussions and voting of the DVF.

7.5.5. The faculty assessment will be forwarded to the department head. This document will identify the members of the DVF and become part of the written assessments on the candidate.

8. Revision of Departmental Procedures

Regulations and procedures for appointment, reappointment, promotion, tenure, and review of faculty, or related decisions affecting a faculty member's standing or status in the department will be reviewed and discussed by the tenure-track faculty. Any modification of these procedures will be approved by a vote of all tenure-track department faculty and requires a majority vote of support.

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