Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry
Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures
RUL 05.67.703
Authority: Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
History: First issued: November 15, 1999. Last Revised: October 22, 2004. Additional
History Information.
Related Policies:
NCSU POL05.20.1 - Academic
Tenure Policy
NCSU RUL05.67.706 - College of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences Promotion and Tenure Criteria and Procedures;
NCSU REG05.20.18 - Qualifications
for Rank Regulation,
NCSU REG05.20.19 - Realms
of Faculty Responsibility Regulation,
NCSU REG05.20.27 - Statements
of Mutual Expectations and Plan for Professional Development Regulation,
NCSU REG05.20.2 - Annual
Faculty Activity Reports Regulation,
NCSU REG05.20.9 - Evaluation
of Scholarly Accomplishment Regulation
Additional References: Office of the Provost RPT Website
Contact Info: Department Head, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry
1. Introduction
The Department of Molecular & Structural Biochemistry is committed to
the land-grant mission of excellence in teaching, research, and service. The
department seeks to enhance its state, regional, national and international
prominence through (1) innovative individual and cooperative research programs
to investigate fundamental areas of research of importance to the state, nation
and world; (2) undergraduate and graduate education programs designed to provide
students with the knowledge and experience to investigate and solve basic problems
in biological research at the molecular level.
This document describes the standards and procedures for reappointment, tenure
and promotion in the Department of Molecular & Structural Biochemistry. The
specific guidelines are congruent with the Academic Tenure Policy of
North Carolina State University (http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/employment/faculty/POL05.20.1.php)
and the Promotion and Tenure Collegiate and Departmental Standards and Procedures
of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/employment/rpt/REG05.61.1.php).
2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility
Faculty members are expected to be teacher/scholars. In Biochemistry, with
12-month appointments, the average distribution is 50:50 % (research:academic).
A faculty member's individual assignment is documented in their Statement of
Mutual Expectations.
3. General Standards
3.1. Teaching Performance Standards
The teaching effectiveness of faculty is assessed according to the university
regulations 05.20.10 Evaluation of Teaching and 05.20.22 Reporting Teaching
Evaluations in RPT Review. This includes both student and peer evaluations. Faculty
who serve as advisors are evaluated as to their effectiveness in advising students.
Faculty with teaching as their primary responsibility are expected to make
scholarly contributions. These contributions can be such items as articles
on teaching methods, laboratory methods and manuals, and computer based exercises.
Development of courses and contributions to curriculum quality also are components
of scholarly achievements.
3.2. Research Performance Standards
Faculty having research appointments are expected to publish in refereed journals.
There is no specific number of publications required as this will depend upon
the nature of the research and the percent of research appointment. A sustained
publication record is expected. Both quantity and quality are considered in
the assessment of accomplishments.
A continuous record of securing research grant support from federal agencies
and foundations is considered to be an essential indicator of research performance.
Other activities that are indicators of scholarly research accomplishments
are publications of review articles, presentation of papers at national professional
meetings, and symposiums, and invited seminars. Attracting graduate students
into a specific research program and success of graduate students are indications
of the stature of an individual's research program. Research activities usually
evaluated include seminars given, grants submitted and received, and publications
in significant journals in biochemistry.
3.3. Service Performance Standards
3.3.1. Intramural (traditional departmental) - serve on College and University
Committees.
3.3.2. Extramural (nontraditional and extramural) - participate in science education
in the community, including under represented minorities, and other outreach
activities.
3.3.3. Provide services on/for editorial boards & granting agency review panels
3.3.4. Participate in professional organizations.
3.3.5. Participate in international activities
4. Standards for Reappointment as Assistant Professor
The CALS Administration requires a statement of justification for reappointment
of tenure-eligible faculty at any rank; e.g., it is not to be an automatic
action. Faculty will have demonstrated ability to conduct and manage a scholarly
program in teaching and research with clear potential to achieve the standards
required for promotion to Associate Professor with tenure.
5. Standards for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure
Faculty should be in the second year of the second term of appointment. He/she
should have developed program(s) of work that are yielding demonstrably positive
results and should be known and respected by local and national peers for their
professional competence within the subject matter of the position responsibilities.
6. Standards for Promotion to Professor
Faculty should have been in rank at least five years, have a record of achievements
that can be quantified and recognized by department faculty and external peers
as being quality contributions to the discipline, have demonstrated leadership
in the areas of responsibility and by reason of these accomplishments be well-known
to the CALS Administration as a leader in the department.
7. Procedures for Reappointment or Promotion
7.1. Committee
A tenure and promotion committee consisting of two members of the senior faculty
(tenured Full Professors) will be constructed for each junior faculty member
(Assistant and Associate). A third voting member will be added to the committee
of each faculty member, at promotion time, to insure expertise in the research
area of the candidate(s). The charge to the committee is to assist the faculty
member provide documentation that is of the best possible quality and accurately
reflects their accomplishments.
7.2. External
Evaluations Request
Names of potential external evaluators are solicited from the tenured Associate
and Full Professors by the Department Head. The faculty member to be reviewed
also recommends external evaluators. The final list of external evaluators
is selected at a meeting of tenured faculty and the Department Head. Three
external evaluators are selected from the faculty member's list and three are
selected from the list submitted by tenured faculty members.
The Department Head contacts each prospective external evaluator for their
consent to participate in this process. Once a positive confirmation is received,
a letter of instruction, the dossier, and three to five samples of the faculty
member's publications are sent. Upon receipt the external evaluation letters
are added to the dossier.
7.3. Meeting of the Departmental Voting Faculty
All faculty are expected to be present at the DVF meeting. If a member cannot
attend, an absentee ballot may be filed with the Department Head, preferably
prior to the DVF meeting or by a date determined by the Department Head which
allows the subsequent college deadline to be met.
The mentor of the faculty member traditionally presents the case to the DVF
where the faculty member's credentials are discussed. Votes of the DVF to
grant or deny promotion and tenure are submitted through secret ballots and
counted jointly by the Department Head and a randomly selected member of the
DVF.
7.4. Timetable
By first Monday of August, for
mandatory cases, the faculty member is notified in writing by the Department
Head that he/she is due for promotion and given the university regulation
05.20.20 RPT Dossier Format Requirements. The committee meets with the candidate.
By late August, for non-mandatory cases, faculty members seeking
promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with Tenure or from
Associate Professor with Tenure to Full Professor present their dossier along
with a list of recommended external evaluators.
By September
10, documentation
is prepared and requests for outside letters are made.
By October 20, the dossier,
including external evaluations, is available to the committee and Departmental
Voting Faculty (DVF).
By November 1, the committee meets to evaluate dossier.
Within five business days after the DVF meeting, the
DVF assessment, typically written by the mentor, is added to the
dossier. Then the Department Head prepares his/her assessment and
recommendation and adds these to the dossier and provides to the
faculty member. The candidate has five business days to respond
to the written comments of the faculty and the Department Head before
the dossier is forwarded to the Dean of the College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences.
