Faculty Handbook - 5. Evaluation and Review
5.1 Evaluation and Review
Approved by Faculty Senate (3/24/98)
Approved by the General Faculty (5/1/98)
Incorporating editing and revisions as approved by
Faculty Senate Executive Board (9/18/98)
Approved by the Faculty Senate (10/13/98)
Approved by University Administration Provost and President (11/2/98)
Approved by Board of Regents (12/3/98)
Note: In this document the term "department" is understood to include any academic unit designated as a "school."
5.1.1. Evaluation of Faculty Members
5.1.1.1. General Policies and Procedures.
For purposes of evaluating performance, Iowa State University uses the following forms of faculty review:
- annual review
- preliminary review of probationary faculty
- promotion and/or tenure review
5.1.1.2. Annual Reviews.
Faculty members are reviewed annually for performance appraisal and development on the basis of their position responsibility statement. (see Position Responsibility Statement) This review may serve as a basis for determining merit salary increases.
Annual faculty reviews are conducted by the department chair. In some departments it may be desirable for the chair to select other persons from the department to aid in this evaluation.
Following the review, the chair discusses the results with the faculty member, thus providing an opportunity for exchange of ideas that would be of benefit to the individual and the department.
Similar procedures apply to faculty holding administrative positions, such as the department chair and dean. These reviews are conducted by their immediate supervisors.
Faculty with part-time appointments will be reviewed on the normal annual review cycle. For purposes of annual review, the percentage of the appointment must be taken into account when considering the appropriate level of achievement in that year.
5.1.1.3. Preliminary Review of Probationary Faculty.
Probationary faculty members are typically reviewed by their departments in the second or third year of their appointments. The purpose of this review is to provide constructive, developmental feedback to probationary faculty regarding progress in meeting departmental criteria for promotion and/or tenure. This review also informs the decision to reappoint during the probationary period. (see 3. Appointment Policies and Procedures)
The review should be based upon departmental criteria and standards used for promotion and/or tenure. The review process must include peer review and an evaluation by the chair. External letters are not normally expected as part of the process. Additional reviews may be conducted at the discretion of the department.
Tenure-eligible faculty members with either non-permanent or permanent part-time appointments will have a preliminary departmental review during their third year of employment. This review includes input from departmental faculty. This is intended to provide feedback to the faculty member early in his/her probationary period. This review also informs the decision to reappoint during the probationary period. A second preliminary review will occur in the sixth year of service, unless a promotion/tenure review will take place in the subsequent year. Thus a part-time tenure-eligible faculty member will likely have two preliminary reviews. No contract for a tenure-eligible faculty member will exceed four years. Each tenure-eligible faculty member who has had a non-permanent or permanent part-time appointment will have his/her schedule of preliminary and tenure review updated each year at annual review.
Approved by the Faculty Senate December 12, 2006
5.1.1.4. Promotion and/or Tenure Review.
The evaluation for promotion and/or award of tenure initially takes place within the department, with review at each administrative level above the department. Review of departmental recommendations at the college level must involve faculty from outside the department concerned. For college procedures related to faculty involvement see the section on College Review in "Procedures for Promotion and Tenure Review." The evaluation procedures for award of tenure are those used for evaluation for promotion. For full descriptions of the standards, qualifications, and procedures see 5.2.2. Standards for Promotion and Tenure, 5.2.3. Qualifications for Academic Rank and Tenure, and 5.2.4. Procedures for Promotion and Tenure Review.
5.1.1.5. Position Responsibility Statement.
It is the policy of Iowa State University that evaluations of tenure-eligible/tenured faculty are based on the position responsibilities of faculty members and other activities that relate to faculty appointments. The results of all reviews must be shared with the individual faculty members.
A position responsibility statement is a tool that allows for a flexible and individualized system of faculty review, particularly within the promotion and tenure process of tenure-eligible/tenured faculty or for advancement of non-tenure-eligible faculty. The position responsibility statement description itself should be general and only include the significant responsibilities of the faculty member that are important in evaluating faculty accomplishments in the promotion and tenure process for tenure-eligible/tenured faculty or for advancement for non-tenure-eligible faculty. The position responsibility statement shall not violate the faculty member's academic freedom in teaching, in the selection of topics or methods of research, or in extension/professional practice.
The statement will be subject to regular review by the faculty member and his/her chair, and allow for flexibility in responsibilities over time and for the changing nature of faculty appointments. The statement should allow both faculty members and their administrative and peer evaluators to understand the basis of the academic appointment and to place that into context with the promotion and tenure criteria. The descriptions should be brief but may include detail important to the department and/or faculty member. The position responsibility statement cannot be changed unilaterally by either the chair or the faculty member. The governance document in each department may specify the procedure by which a position responsibility statement can be changed. The policy for changing the PRS for a non-tenure-eligible faculty member is found in section 5.4.1.2. Henceforth, the statements in this section will relate only to tenure-eligible and tenured faculty.
At the time of appointment or within the first semester of the appointment, the chair and the new tenure-eligible/tenured faculty member will agree on a position responsibility statement that should be based on the job advertisement. This document will be signed and dated by both parties. The signed and dated copy will be on file in the faculty member's personnel file and in the dean's office. This PRS should stand for the first three years of appointment. In most cases, this initial statement will remain in effect until the tenure review, unless the new faculty member is already tenured. Any changes in the expectations for the tenure-eligible/tenured faculty member must be made in consultation between the chair and the faculty member.
When tenure is granted, the faculty member and his/her chair will review the details of the position responsibility statement and make any necessary changes.
At least every five years as part of the annual review process, tenured faculty members will re-evaluate their position responsibilities with their chairs. The statement may be reviewed and/or changed more frequently as part of the annual review process, but this is not mandated. Any changes in the statement must be made in consultation between the chair and the tenured faculty member and signed and dated by both parties. The signed and dated copy will be on file in each faculty member's personnel file and in the dean's office.
In the case of faculty members who have appointments in two departments (or a department and a program), a position responsibility statement will be written by the faculty member and the two chairs and signed and dated by all three parties. Each department and college involved will receive copies of those statements as indicated above.
Department chairs will have a position responsibility statement, written by the department chair and the dean, describing the administrative and other departmental responsibilities of the position.
5.1.1.5.1. Procedure (Mediation Guidelines) to Handle Disagreements Related to the Position Responsibility Statement (for tenure-eligible/tenured faculty only)
When both parties (the tenure-eligible/tenured faculty member and the department chair) agree to the Position Responsibility Statement, it will be signed by both parties and dated. If however one of the parties disagrees with a proposed change to the faculty member's PRS, either party may refer the matter to the PRS Mediation Panel, which will be in place in each department. This panel will consist of one tenured faculty member selected by the faculty member involved in the disagreement and one tenured faculty member selected by the department chair. A third tenured faculty member will also serve, and unless the department decides otherwise, the default policy for obtaining that member will be by faculty election in the department at the beginning of each year1. The elected faculty member must be in place as soon as possible following passage of this change and no later than the end of the following semester. The faculty members selected by the two parties will be selected at the time of the disagreement between those two parties.
The party referring the matter to the PRS Mediation Panel will submit to the panel the faculty member's existing PRS, the text of the proposed PRS, an explanation of why the change is being sought/or is not acceptable, and the faculty member's curriculum vita. The other party should provide a written explanation of why the proposed change is not acceptable/is being sought. The PRS Mediation Panel will review the materials that have been submitted, meet with both parties, deliberate on the issue, and deliver a written opinion in a timely fashion (within two months) on how the disagreement should be resolved. The faculty member and the department chair should then reconsider the matter to see if an agreement can now be reached based on the panel's recommendation. If an agreement between the faculty member and the department chair does not then emerge within ten working days, the matter will be forwarded by the party disagreeing with the proposed change to the faculty member's college where a mechanism, which will be fair and equitable to both parties (e.g., elected group) will be in place for further consideration and resolution. If the issue is not resolved at this level, the matter will be taken to the dean of the college by the party disagreeing with the proposed change.
During the time of this mediation process, the existing signed and dated Position Responsibility Statement will remain in effect.
Approved as amended by the Faculty Senate 2/13/07.
1Departments who desire another method of obtaining the third member may choose one of the following: a) a tenured faculty member who is chair of an elected departmental council; b) a tenured faculty member who has been elected by the department to the promotion and tenure review committee and who chairs that committee; c) a tenured faculty member who has been elected by the department to the post-tenure review committee and who chairs that committee.
5.1.1.6. Joint Appointment.
Evaluation of a person holding rank in more than one department should be initiated and conducted by the primary department, with advice from the secondary department. The individual's Letter of Intent (for new appointments) and the position responsibility statement will specify the primary department. Prior to the review, the two chairs should decide on the role to be played by the secondary department, including the preparation of the documentation from the secondary department and the process for including that documentation in the review. In cases with an equal division of responsibilities, the departments may agree to conduct separate reviews.
5.1.2. Evaluation of Department Chairs
Periodically each department chair is evaluated on the basis of his or her administrative responsibilities and accomplishments. This review is normally initiated by the college dean as part of a reappointment decision. Mechanisms for department faculty input are provided within the evaluation process. Policies and procedures regarding these reviews are contained in college governance documents and may be included in departmental governance documents.
5.1.3. Evaluation of College and Central Administrators
For information regarding the evaluation of a college dean, see Policy for Faculty Involvement in Evaluation.
For information regarding faculty review of central administrators, see 5.6. Evaluation of Central Administrators.
5.2. Promotion and Tenure of Tenured and Tenure-Eligible Appointments
Approved by Faculty Senate (3/24/98)
Approved by the General Faculty (5/1/98)
Incorporating editing and revisions as approved by
Faculty Senate Executive Board (9/18/98)
Approved by the Faculty Senate (10/13/98)
Approved by University Administration Provost and President (11/2/98)
Approved by Board of Regents (12/3/98)
Note: In this document the term "department" is understood to include any academic unit designated as a "school."
5.2.1. General Policies on Tenure
Academic freedom is the freedom to discuss all relevant matters in the classroom, to explore all avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression and to speak or write as a public citizen without institutional discipline or restraint. Academic responsibility implies the faithful performance of academic duties and obligations, the recognition of the demands of the scholarly enterprise, and the candor to make it clear that the individual is not speaking for the institution in matters of public interest.
Tenure is the keystone for academic freedom; it is essential for safeguarding the right of free expression and for encouraging risk-taking inquiry at the frontiers of knowledge. Both tenure and academic freedom are part of an implicit social compact, which recognizes that tenure serves important public purposes and benefits society. The public is best served when faculty are free to teach, conduct research, provide extension/ professional practice services, and engage in institutional service without fear of reprisal or without compromising the pursuit of knowledge and/or the creative process.
In return, faculty have the responsibility of furthering high-quality programs of research, teaching, and extension/professional practice, and are fully accountable for their performance of these responsibilities. Additionally, a well-designed tenure system attracts capable and highly qualified individuals as faculty members, strengthens institutional stability by enhancing faculty members' institutional loyalty, and encourages academic excellence by retaining and rewarding the most meritorious people. Tenure and promotion imply selectivity and choice; they are granted for scholarly and professional merit. The length and intensity of the review leading to the granting of tenure ensures the retention of only productive faculty; periodic performance reviews ensure the continuance of a commitment to excellence.
The system of academic tenure at Iowa State University emphasizes (1) recruitment of the most highly qualified candidates available, (2) creation of an opportunity for scholarly performance in teaching, research/creative activity, and extension/professional practice, (3) continuing evaluation of performance on the basis of areas of responsibilities in the employment agreement, and (4) the positive evaluation of performance resulting in the award of tenure. The awarding of tenure requires an affirmative decision, based upon an explicit judgment of qualifications resulting from continuous evaluation of the faculty member during the probationary period in light of the applicable criteria.
After the award of tenure, faculty members undergo annual reviews and, as appropriate, reviews for promotion. A tenured faculty member may be dismissed only for adequate cause as defined in section 7.2. Faculty Misconduct. Denial of faculty appointment or reappointment, or removal or suspension from office, or censure, or other penalty must not be based upon any belief, expression, or conduct protected by law or by the principles of academic freedom.
Affirmative action and tenure are compatible concepts. Both seek to ensure the hiring and retention of those who are most qualified. In the appointment process, affirmative action operates to ensure that the most qualified available person is identified and is offered the opportunity to join the faculty. After the initial appointment, the affirmative action program ensures that irrelevant considerations, such as race and gender, play no role in tenure, promotion, and salary decisions.
5.2.1.1. Eligibility for Tenure.
All regular full-time continuous A- or B-base appointments to the rank of instructor or higher accrue rights to tenure. Tenure is associated with the faculty appointment in an academic department.
Tenure accompanies appointment to the rank of associate professor or professor unless a probationary period for the new appointee is clearly specified in advance, or unless it is indicated that the appointment does not carry tenure. The latter is used rarely and is limited to instances of term appointments of a special nature or character. For initial appointments at the rank of associate professor or professor without immediate tenure, the departmental recommendation as to tenure specifies the length of the probationary period.
After the awarding of tenure, the appointment is continuous. Except for resignation, retirement, or death of the faculty member, such appointments are terminable only for adequate cause.
5.2.1.2. Tenure for Faculty Members in Administrative Positions.
At Iowa State University, the appointment of an individual to an administrative position does not automatically guarantee tenure in a department.
An individual who has been a faculty member at another institution and who is appointed to an administrative position at Iowa State University may be proposed for rank in an academic department appropriate for his or her area of professional expertise. That department shall, in turn, determine whether that individual should be awarded tenure by a review consistent with the individual's academic rank and previous experience. Thus, the department that agrees to award academic rank to the person must also make a recommendation regarding tenure.
Department-level administrators are encouraged to remain actively involved in professional activities within the department in the interests of administrative effectiveness and ease of return to regular faculty duties at the termination of administrative responsibilities. Similarly, tenured faculty members who are appointed to administrative positions that require full-time service outside their departments are encouraged to continue to be involved in their academic disciplines.
When a person relinquishes a full-time administrative position after substantial absence from the department, every effort shall be made to assign duties within the university commensurate with his or her professional qualifications. Even though the person might be tenured in an academic department, the decision as to whether it would be most appropriate for the person to return to that department as an active faculty member will be mutually decided by the department and the individual concerned, in consultation with other appropriate administrative officials. Where necessary and appropriate, a reasonable period of transition, usually one year or less, may be allowed during which the person can prepare himself or herself to undertake whatever responsibilities have been determined to be most appropriate.
5.2.1.3. Terms of Probationary Service.
The date that a tenure-eligible faculty member actually begins the performance of his or her duties at or on behalf of Iowa State University marks the beginning of the probationary period, except for mid-year appointments. The length of the probationary period must be specified at the time of the initial appointment. The length of the probationary period may exceed seven years only for faculty who have had an extension of the tenure clock or for faculty on part-time appointment for a portion of the probationary period.
In some instances the beginning date of an appointment does not coincide with the beginning of the academic year. In order to give the probationary faculty member the full opportunity to achieve the credentials required for tenure, the full probationary period for a person whose appointment begins during the academic year may extend a few months beyond seven calendar years. The ending date of the probationary period shall coincide with the end of the academic year in the case of B-base appointments, or the end of the fiscal year in the case of A-base appointments, so that the individual's tenure review can take place during a regular review cycle.
Tenure normally is conferred on an individual after seven consecutive years of continuous faculty service in a regular appointment at Iowa State University. A faculty member, therefore, is ordinarily reviewed for tenure in the sixth year. Recommendations for awarding of tenure before the mandatory year require documentation of truly exceptional accomplishments.
Tenure-eligible faculty members with part-time appointments during the probationary period will be reviewed for tenure in the equivalent of the sixth year of full time service during the regular P&T review cycle. The years of full time service during a part-time appointment will be calculated as the summed duration of the part-time appointment in years multiplied by the fraction of the appointment. After summation of the part-time appointment, a remaining partial year less than or equal to 0.5 years of service will be rounded down to zero years, whereas a partial year greater than 0.5 years will be rounded up to 1.0 years. Therefore, faculty members will ordinarily be reviewed for tenure in the year following completion of a sum of calculated full time service no greater than 5.5 years. Recommendations for awarding of tenure before this schedule require documentation of truly exceptional accomplishments. Under no circumstances, however, will a tenure-eligible faculty member be reviewed for tenure later than during his/her tenth year of service. If denied tenure, a faculty member on part-time appointment has only one year of appointment beyond the denial.
A faculty member may request an additional review during the final year of the probationary period if there has been a substantial change in the record.
5.2.1.4. Extension of the Probationary Period
Section 5.2.1.4. was approved by the Faculty Senate on March 26, 2002 and by the administration on April 29, 2002.
Ordinarily the probationary period will provide sufficient time for the faculty member to demonstrate his or her qualifications for tenure. On occasion, however, special circumstances may occur that interfere significantly with the faculty member's opportunity to develop the qualifications necessary for tenure in the time allowed. It is the intent of this policy to describe legitimate circumstances in which a faculty member might be granted an extension of the probationary period.
A faculty member may request an extension of the probationary period based upon such circumstances. The request for an extension should be submitted in writing to the department chair, the dean of the college, and the provost as soon as possible but no later than April 1 before the academic year in which the third-year review or tenure review is scheduled to be conducted. Requests should clearly explain the reasons for granting an extension of the probationary period and will be acted upon promptly. Requests for extension due to the birth of a child or the adoption of a child under age five will be submitted to and approved by the chair, dean of the college, and provost. The chair, dean of the college, and provost, must approve requests based on other circumstances.
If the faculty member requests an extension, the faculty member must acknowledge that tenure cannot be claimed on the basis that the total length of employment has by then extended beyond seven years. A faculty member may be granted only two one-year extensions during the probationary period.
Scholarship accomplished by a tenure-track faculty member during an extension period shall be counted as part of a candidate's record. Standards regarding what constitutes a record deserving of tenure shall not be raised to adjust for any granted extension.
5.2.1.4.1. Extending the Probationary Period for the Birth of a Child or the Adoption of a Child under the Age of Five.
A faculty member who serves as the primary or coequal caregiver will be granted, upon request, a one-year extension of the probationary period if the faculty member becomes a parent during the first three years of probationary service or within two years prior to appointment at the University. If the faculty member has not previously had more than one extension, a request for extension based upon the arrival of a child will be granted.
A faculty member who serves as the primary or coequal caregiver will be granted, upon request, a one-year extension of the probationary period if the faculty member becomes a parent after the third-year review. If the faculty member has not previously had more than one extension, a request for extension based upon the arrival of a child will be granted.
Requests for an extension based upon becoming a parent should be made within two years of the arrival of a child. The faculty member will be granted an extension, upon request, even if he or she does not take leave for the arrival of the child.
5.2.1.4.2. Extending the Probationary Period for Significant Responsibilities Related to Elder, Spousal or Partner, or Dependent Care.
Elder or dependent care may be the care of a spouse, domestic partner, mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, grandparent-in-law, grandchild-in-law, or corresponding relatives of the employee's partner, other persons for whom the employee is legally responsible, and anyone who stood in loco parentis to the employee as a child. Such circumstances are those in which the dependent person is in need of special medical or living assistance.
A faculty member may request an extension of the probationary period when the tenure-track faculty member has significant responsibilities with respect to elder, spousal or partner, or dependent care obligations when those circumstances significantly impede progress of the faculty member toward achieving tenure.
Requests for an extension based upon elder or dependent care should be made within two years of the onset of any condition requiring care, or within two years of the faculty member's becoming responsible for care. The request should contain documentation of any medical or other condition that requires special assistance from the faculty member together with a discussion of the need for that faculty member to provide assistance. The documentation will be maintained in a confidential manner.
5.2.1.4.3. Extension of the Probationary Period for Medical Condition of the Faculty Member.
A faculty member may request an extension of the probationary period for appropriate medical reasons.
Requests for an extension based upon medical condition should be based upon a medical condition arising or reappearing after accepting a position. The request should contain medical documentation of the illness or disability and a description of the effect upon the faculty member's work. The documentation will be maintained in a confidential manner.
5.2.1.4.4. Extension of the Probationary Period for Other Reasons.
- A faculty member may request an extension of the probationary period because of a major shift in the departmental mission or in the faculty member's position responsibility statement. When exceptional circumstances require a major shift in criteria for the awarding of tenure, a department may request an extension of the probationary period for a faculty member who would not otherwise have adequate opportunity to qualify under the new criteria but who has demonstrated the potential to do so.
- A faculty member who requests a leave of absence from Iowa State University during the probationary period may, in appropriate circumstances, also request an extension of the probationary period for the length of the leave of absence.
5.2.1.4.5. Extension of the Probationary Period for Faculty on Part-time Appointment.
For faculty members on part-time appointment, extension of the tenure-clock will not be permitted to take faculty past eleven years of service, with mandatory tenure review no later than year ten.
5.2.1.5. Credit for Prior Service.
When a faculty member with prior experience in a faculty position at another academic institution is appointed on a probationary faculty appointment at Iowa State University, a probationary period is established for the individual as part of the employment agreement. For the faculty member this could result in a total probationary period in his/her discipline that may exceed seven years.
A faculty member's usual probationary period of seven years at Iowa State University may be reduced through credit for prior faculty service at other academic institutions. The amount of time credited will be determined by the specific relevance of the prior service to the needs and criteria of Iowa State University. Evidence of the quality of prior service should be secured from the institution or institutions in which the individual has served.
Up to one year of time served on a visiting appointment at Iowa State University may be credited as probationary time for tenure purposes, provided that service in such visiting status is followed, without interruption, by service in a position for which tenure eligibility accrues.
5.2.1.6. Criteria for Awarding Tenure.
It is the policy of Iowa State University that all faculty of the university shall be clearly informed as to the personnel policies of the institution. Personnel policies of the institution are contained in the Faculty Handbook, the University Policy Manual, http://www.adp.iastate.edu/vpbf/prod/docs/opg/chap3toc.htm and in departmental and college governance documents as well as in additional supplemental information provided to departmental administrative officers. For each faculty member, the conditions of employment, including the length of appointment, shall be clearly stated in writing, along with a statement specifying tenure status and length of probationary period.
Tenure eligible faculty not initially hired on part-time appointment may request the conversion of their position to a non-permanent part-time appointment. At the time these changes are made, the conditions of employment, including the revised length of appointment and the review schedule, shall be clearly stated in writing, along with a statement specifying tenure review status and length of the revised probationary period.
The criteria by which probationary faculty in a department are evaluated for tenure shall be stated in writing as clearly and specifically as possible as part of the department's promotion and tenure document. A central component of each review is a written position responsibility statement for each candidate. Criteria will be consistent with a commitment to excellence in scholarship and apply to the position responsibilities of probationary faculty. Such criteria and position responsibilities must not impinge upon the academic freedom of the probationary faculty.
The criteria by which faculty with part-time appointments are evaluated for tenure shall not differ from the criteria by which full time faculty are evaluated. At the time of tenure review, faculty with part-time appointments will have accumulated an equivalent amount of service to those with full time appointments.
5.2.2. Standards for Promotion and Tenure
5.2.2.1. Introduction.
Iowa State University is a public land-grant institution where liberal and professional education is merged with basic and applied research in pursuit of advancing society's potentials and assisting in solving its problems. The university serves the people of Iowa, the nation, and the world through its interrelated programs of teaching, research/creative activities, and extension/professional practice.
Evaluation of a faculty member for promotion and/or tenure is based primarily on evidence of scholarship in the faculty member's teaching, research/creative activities, and/or extension/professional practice. In all areas of professional activity, a faculty member is expected to uphold the values and follow the guidelines in the Statement of Professional Ethics found in "Professional Policies and Procedures."
A key tool in the promotion and tenure review process is the position responsibility statement, which describes the individual's current position responsibilities and activities in the following areas: (1) teaching, (2) research/creative activities, (3) extension/ professional practice, and (4) institutional service. This statement is used by all evaluators to interpret the extent, balance, and scope of the faculty member's scholarly achievements.
The following sections define and provide examples of scholarship and the four central areas of faculty responsibilities and activities.
5.2.2.2. Scholarship.
5.2.2.2.1. Meaning of Scholarship
All tenured and probationary faculty members are expected to engage in scholarship in their teaching, research/creative activities, and extension/professional practice. Scholarship is creative, systematic, rational inquiry into a topic and the honest, forthright application or exposition of conclusions drawn from that inquiry. It builds on existing knowledge and employs critical analysis and judgment to enhance understanding. Scholarship is the umbrella under which research falls, but research is just one form of scholarship. Scholarship also encompasses creative activities, teaching, and extension/professional practice.
Scholarship results in a product that is shared with others and is subject to the criticism of individuals qualified to judge the product. This product may take the form of a book, journal article, critical review, annotated bibliography, lecture, review of existing research on a topic, or speech synthesizing the thinking on a topic. Also falling under the umbrella of scholarship are original materials designed for use with the computer; inventions on which patents are obtained; codes and standards; art exhibits by teacher-artists; musical concerts with original scores; novels, essays, short stories, poems; and scholarly articles published in non-research based periodicals, newspapers, and other publications; etc. In short, scholarship includes materials that are generally called "intellectual property."
Scholarship generally implies that one has a solid foundation in the professional field addressed and is current with developments in that field. However, it must be noted that significant advances sometimes accrue when a scholar extends her or his scope of topics beyond those traditional to a particular discipline.
The following Table 1 describes the broad continuum of scholarship. It is adapted from Conrad J. Weiser, "The Value of a University - Rethinking Scholarship," draft version; and Ernest L. Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered - Priorities of the Professoriate (Princeton, New York, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1990).
Table 1. The Nature of Scholarship
|
Character of scholarship |
Audiences for scholarship |
Means of communicating scholarship |
Criteria for validating scholarship |
Means of documenting scholarship |
|
Develops and communicates new understanding and insights. Generates, synthesizes, interprets, critically analyzes, and communicates new knowledge, methods, understandings, technologies, materials, uses, insights, beauty and so forth. |
Peers, undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral associates, users, patrons, publics, etc. |
Teaching materials and methods, classes, curricula; publications, presentations, exhibits, performances, patents, copyrights, distribution of materials or programs, etc. |
Originality, significance, accuracy, replicability, scope, applicability, breadth, depth and duration of influence, persistence of influence or use, adoption by peers, impact or public benefits, etc. |
Present evidence that creative intellectual work was validated by peers; communicated to peers and broader audiences; recognized, accepted, cited, adopted, or used by others. In other words, that it made a difference. |
Table 1 describes the parameters to be used when judging the scholarly nature of a faculty member's achievements in all evaluation reviews.
The nature of scholarly work at a diverse university necessarily varies. In the promotion and tenure review process, however, evidence that a significant portion of a faculty member's scholarship has been documented (i.e., communicated to and validated by peers beyond the university) is required of all.
In some fields, refereed journals and monographs are the traditional media for documenting scholarship; in others, exhibitions and performances are the appropriate form. In still other fields, emerging technologies are creating (and will continue to create) entirely new media. Finally, scholarship may be validated and communicated through conference presentations and invited lectures.
Faculty also may submit evidence of scholarship that has not been documented by peers in the discipline, even though this evidence alone would not be sufficient to justify promotion and tenure. Evidence regarding both documented and undocumented scholarship provides a holistic portrayal of the candidate's scholarly work. For example, course materials in and of themselves do not constitute scholarship. However, if an individual's course materials reveal that he/she "communicates new understandings and insights" (Table 1) effectively to students or "synthesizes, interprets, and communicates new knowledge" (Table 1) for students, this material may be submitted as supporting evidence of scholarship, even though it may not have been communicated to peers outside the university.
Scholarship often requires teamwork and other collaborative relationships, particularly because of the growth of interdisciplinary and collaborative programs. When work that is a result of joint effort is presented as evidence of scholarship, clarification of the candidate's role in the joint effort must be provided.
In the promotion and tenure review process, the emphasis is on the critical evaluation of the scholarly nature of the candidate's achievements by professional peers, including peers external to the university. Evidence should be presented as to the impact of the scholarship in terms of its depth, duration, and/or persistence of influence or use (e.g., citations, adaptations or use by others), as well as its public and critical appreciation. Table 1 provides the framework for the evaluation.
5.2.2.3. Teaching
5.2.2.3.1. Scholarly Teaching.
Most faculty have significant teaching responsibilities, and the quality of their teaching is a major factor in evaluating their accomplishments and performances. Teaching is a scholarly and dynamic endeavor and covers a broad range of activities. Some examples of teaching activities include the following:
- presenting resident credit courses, extension and international programs and courses, non-credit seminars and workshops, and continuing-education and distance-learning programs
- directing undergraduate and graduate projects, internships, theses, and dissertations
- serving on masters and doctoral committees
- advising and mentoring undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral associates
Particular expressions of effective teaching vary widely, and teachers may demonstrate their pedagogical skills in a variety of ways. Some may display their pedagogical abilities in organized lectures, others may promote collaborative learning or may improvise in the classroom in response to the dynamics of a specific group, while still others may be adept in facilitating group discussion.
When teaching is part of the faculty assignment, effectiveness is an essential criterion for advancement. Faculty must demonstrate command of their subject matter, continuous growth in the subject field, and an ability to create and maintain instructional environments to promote student learning.
Examples of activities that provide evidence of a faculty member's particular commitment to effective teaching include the following:
- contributions to curricular development, including collaborative courses and programs and service on curriculum committees
- pedagogical innovation, including the incorporation of new technologies and approaches to learning and assessment
- documented study of curricular and pedagogical issues, and incorporation of this information into the classrooms
- development of teaching materials
- pedagogically oriented research
- involvement in student research projects
- contributions to professional societies and organizations that seek to improve teaching
- commitment to advising, which will include knowledge about curricular and extracurricular matters as well as an ability to aid students in using university resources
A portfolio format is used to document faculty teaching activities beyond what is contained in the candidate's vita. The faculty portfolio includes materials such as teaching philosophy, student ratings of teaching, teaching materials and forms of assessment, peer evaluations based on both classroom observations and review of teaching materials, and evidence of student learning.
The effectiveness of the candidate's teaching activities is determined by evaluating the character of the scholarship of these activities using the criteria described in the scholarship section and in Table 1.
The effectiveness of the candidate's teaching activities is determined by evaluating the character of the scholarship of these activities using the criteria described in the scholarship section and in Table 1. The scholarship resulting from teaching is documented through such means as peer reviewed publications, textbooks, videos, software, workbooks, lab manuals, invited lectures and conference papers.
5.2.2.3.2. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
The evolving body of research on learning has fostered new forms of inquiry into teaching. By better informing teaching, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) enhances student learning. Every faculty member with a teaching appointment should engage in scholarly teaching because of its centrality to the university's mission. Table 2 shows a comparison of scholarly teaching and SoTL. SoTL ultimately improves student learning and occurs when “our work as teachers becomes public, peer-reviewed and critiqued, and exchanged with other members of our professional communities so they, in turn, can build on our work, these are the qualities of scholarship.” [This quote is derived from work by the Research University Consortium for the Advancement of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Lee Shulman, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.]
Table 2. Comparison of scholarly teaching and scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)
|
|
Scholarly Teaching |
|
|
Faculty work as teachers is anchored in the literature of teaching and learning. |
X |
X |
|
Faculty work as teachers emphasizes documenting student learning. |
X |
X |
|
Faculty work as teachers is publicly shared with our colleagues and peers. |
|
X |
|
Faculty work as teachers is externally peer-reviewed as scholarship. |
|
X |
|
The evidence of the outcomes of faculty work as teachers is disseminated through professional outlets. |
|
X |
SoTL extends across all disciplines. However, the way that SoTL manifests itself is defined by each discipline. At Iowa State University, SoTL contributes to the discovery of knowledge about teaching and learning in higher education and must be held to the same standards of rigor, relevance, peer review, and dissemination as other forms of disciplinary research and creative activity. While SoTL may be an important part of the promotion and tenure process, it should not displace high quality scholarly teaching in annual performance reviews and in promotion and tenure decisions. Although all faculty should engage in scholarly teaching, not all faculty need to engage in SoTL. Scholarly teaching is part of a faculty member's teaching responsibilities; if a faculty member chooses to pursue SoTL, this work is part of their scholarship/creative activity/research responsibilities.
Approved by the Faculty Senate 4/25/06.
5.2.2.4. Research /Creative Activities.
Faculty members who engage in research/creative activities are expected to make original contributions that are appropriate to their chosen area of specialization and that are respected by peers within and outside the university.
Some examples of research/creative activity include the following:
- conduct of experimental research
- creative performance or exhibition
- conceptualizing and theorizing in an original way
- synthesis, criticism, and clarification of extant knowledge and research
- innovative collection or analysis of empirical data
- seeking and obtaining competitive grants and contracts
- relating research to the solution of practical problems
- leadership in professional societies or organizations
A portfolio format is used to document faculty research/creative activities beyond what is contained in the candidate's vita. The faculty portfolio includes materials such as summaries of completed, current, and future research projects; descriptions of applied use of research; summaries of grants, patents, and inventions; exhibition catalogs and other non-juried creative works.
The effectiveness of the candidate's research/creative activities is determined by evaluating the character of the scholarship of these activities using the criteria described in the scholarship section and in Table 1.
Scholarship resulting from research/creative activities is documented through means appropriate to the specialty, such as peer-reviewed publications, lectures, performances, exhibits, invited lectures, conference papers. Evaluation of scholarship considers its impact as judged by its influence, use, or adoption by peers; its originality, richness, breadth and/or depth of expression.
5.2.2.5. Extension/Professional Practice.
Extension/professional practice distinguishes Iowa State as a land-grant university. Faculty members may engage in extension/professional practice activities by utilizing their professional expertise to disseminate information outside of the traditional classroom to help improve the knowledge and skills of their clientele (i.e., the publics they serve) or the environment in which they live and work. This work should be related to the faculty member's position responsibilities.
Examples of activities that fall within extension/professional practice include the following:
- organizing/leading workshops or training sessions
- engaging in clinical and diagnostic practice
- acquiring, organizing, and interpreting information resources
- engaging in technology transfer
- consulting
- serving on agencies or boards because of individual expertise
- serving as a referee for journals, books, grants, exhibitions, etc.
- serving as an editor for a journal or serving on editorial boards
- leadership in professional societies or organizations
Since extension/professional practice activities vary greatly among departments, it is the responsibility of each department to identify faculty activities that fall under this category and the appropriate evaluation methods.
Faculty who engage in extension/professional practice are knowledgeable about current research and new developments in their discipline and demonstrate an ability to interpret and apply this knowledge to meet their clients' requirements. When appropriate, they develop and maintain professional relationships with their clientele in order to identify and serve their needs. They display leadership and initiative, are creative in the practical application of knowledge, and demonstrate a high level of disciplinary expertise as well as the ability to instruct, inform, and assist clients. In addition, a faculty member's professional practice reputation may be reflected by leadership in professional societies and organizations or by significant editorial-related activities.
A portfolio format is used to document faculty extension/professional practice activities beyond what is contained in the candidate's vita. The faculty portfolio includes materials such as descriptions of appointment responsibilities in extension/professional practice, representative workshop, seminar, and training materials; book reviews; unpublished reports, studies, etc.; newsletters and brochures; peer evaluations or ratings of extension/professional practice effectiveness; and client assessments.
The effectiveness of the candidate's extension/professional practice activities is determined by evaluating the character of the scholarship of these activities using the criteria described in the scholarship section and in Table 1. The scholarship resulting from extension/professional practice activities is documented through means appropriate to the professional specialty, such as peer-reviewed publications, lectures, videos, software, hardware, workbooks, manuals, standards, bibliographies, book reviews, and casebooks. Evaluation of scholarship should consider breadth, depth, and duration of influence or use; public appreciation and benefit; and applicability or adoption by peers.
5.2.2.6. Institutional Service.
Faculty members are expected to play a vital role in the functioning of the university at all levels by participating effectively in faculty governance and in the formulation of department, college, and/or university policies; or by carrying out administrative responsibilities. Therefore, to be promoted and/or tenured, faculty members are expected to have been involved in institutional service. The level and amount of service are expected to be higher for those seeking promotion to the rank of professor. However, institutional service alone shall not serve as the central basis for promotion and/or tenure. As citizens of the university, faculty members may also make other direct and indirect contributions to their departments, colleges, and university communities.
5.2.3. Qualifications for Academic Rank and Tenure
Recommendations for initial appointment and promotion are based on evidence that the individual has met the qualifications for the faculty rank to which he/she is to be appointed or promoted.
5.2.3.1. Assistant Professor.
An assistant professor should have a strong academic record and ordinarily should have earned the accepted highest degree in his/her field. The assistant professor rank is recognition that the faculty member has exhibited the potential to grow in an academic career. Appointment at or promotion to this rank should be based on evidence that the faculty member can be expected to become qualified for promotion to associate professor in due course.
5.2.3.2. Associate Professor and/or Tenure
An associate professor should have a solid academic reputation and show promise of further development and productivity in his /her academic career. The candidate must demonstrate the following:
- excellence in scholarship that establishes the individual as a significant contributor to the field or profession, with potential for national distinction
- effectiveness in areas of position responsibilities
- satisfactory institutional service
Furthermore, a recommendation for promotion to associate professor and granting of tenure must be based upon an assessment that the candidate has made contributions of appropriate magnitude and quality and has a high likelihood of sustained contributions to the field or profession and to the university.
5.2.3.3. Professor.
A professor should be recognized by his/her professional peers within the university, as well as nationally and/or internationally, for the quality of the contribution to his /her discipline. The candidate must demonstrate the following:
- national distinction in scholarship, as evident in candidate's wide recognition and outstanding contributions to the field or profession
- effectiveness in areas of position responsibilities
- significant institutional service
Furthermore, a recommendation for promotion to professor must be based upon an assessment, since the last promotion, that the candidate has made contributions of appropriate magnitude and quality and has demonstrated the ability to sustain contributions to the field or profession and to the university.
5.2.4. Procedures for Promotion and Tenure Review
The following three sections describe the general expectations for promotion and tenure review processes as well as the notification procedures to be followed by departments, colleges, the provost, and the president.
The procedure for mandatory and non-mandatory cases vary slightly. Mandatory cases are those which involve review for tenure in the penultimate year of the appointment. In these cases, the final administrative recommendation is made by the President. Mandatory cases are always sent through the administrative chain to the President to determine whether a positive recommendation for tenure and promotion will be made to the Board of Regents. In non-mandatory cases, the department, the dean or the provost may make a decision not to forward a positive recommendation, and that action is the final administrative action. Reviews which occur in the final year (after denial in the mandatory year) are non-mandatory cases.
5.2.4.1. Voting Procedure
Policy approved by the Faculty Senate on March 7, 2006.
Policy approved by the Provost and President.
Policy amended and approved by the Faculty Senate on 2/13/07.
In order to avoid undue or unfair influence in promotion and tenure decisions, promotion and tenure procedures must ensure that the guiding principle of “one-person—one-vote” is complied with where a vote, or the equivalent of a vote, is defined as a vote, advice, or a recommendation on the specific question of whether or not a candidate should receive tenure and/or promotion. Specifically:
1) If a faculty member votes on a promotion and tenure decision as a member of a departmental promotion and tenure committee, that faculty member may not vote again on the same decision at the departmental, college, or other levels.
2) If a faculty member votes in a promotion and tenure decision at the departmental level, that faculty member may not vote again on the decision at the college or other levels.
3) Since the chair of the department independently evaluates promotion and tenure decisions, he or she may not also vote on the decision at the departmental faculty, college, or other levels.
4) Administrators participating in a promotion and tenure decision can only participate at the appropriate administrative level and are allowed to vote only once on the decision.
In order to promote accountability and avoid undue influence in promotion and tenure decisions, advice by members of advisory committees on whether or not a candidate should receive promotion and/or tenure at any level (departmental, college, and higher) must be considered a vote or the equivalent of a vote, and thus should be the advisory committee members' only opportunity for input in a promotion and tenure decision. Therefore, a faculty member participating in a promotion and tenure advisory committee at any level (and thus voting or providing the equivalent of a vote) may not vote again at any other level on the promotion and tenure decision for that candidate. Votes or advice concerning the process or readiness of a portfolio are not in violation of this policy. For example, advice to a candidate on how to improve their portfolio or advice to the department about the completeness of the portfolio or advice to an associate professor about the timing of a promotion application, etc. are process issues not promotion and tenure decision issues.
See also sections 5.2.4.2.3. and 5.2.4.3.
5.2.4.2. Department Review.
Review for promotion and/or tenure begins at the department level.
5.2.4.2.1. Promotion and Tenure Document.
Each department must have a document that sets forth the standards and procedures governing promotion and tenure of faculty within that department. The department document may specify standards that exceed those of the university or college, provided that they do not conflict with the standards of either, and provided the procedures are consistent with those described in the Faculty Handbook.
The department's promotion and tenure document must, at a minimum, specify the following with respect to the department's review procedures:
- how faculty members are selected for departmental review for promotion and/or tenure
- the composition and means of selection of the department promotion and tenure committee and of any other department committees that may be involved in the review process
- the definition of conflict of interest operative in departmental review
- the procedures to be followed by the department promotion and tenure committee and related committees in conducting the reviews
- the role of the chair in the department promotion and tenure review process
- the process and circumstances under which a review may be postponed
- the types and sources of information that the department review committee will consider in conducting its review
- the means by which persons being considered submit information and documentation for the review process
- the procedures for obtaining any external evaluations used by the department in evaluating the performance of candidates
- the definition of the factual information in the dossier subject to review by the faculty member before it is advanced from the department
- the procedures for the notification of the results of the reviews
The document must be approved by the tenured and tenure-eligible faculty of the department, by the dean, and by the provost.
5.2.4.2.2. Joint Appointment Procedures.
Evaluation of a person holding rank in more than one department should be initiated and conducted by the primary department, with advice from the secondary department. The individual's Letter of Intent (for new appointments) and the position responsibility statement will specify the primary department. Prior to the review, the two chairs, in consultation with department promotion and tenure committees, should decide on the role to be played by the secondary department, including the preparation of the documentation from the secondary department and the process for including that documentation in the review. In cases with an equal division of responsibilities, the departments may agree to conduct separate reviews and forward separate recommendations to the dean(s). A coordinated recommendation will be made at the dean's level with a single recommendation forwarded to the provost.
5.2.4.2.3. Promotion and Tenure Committee.
Each candidate must be reviewed by a promotion and tenure review committee, which will examine information relevant to the evaluation of the candidate for promotion and/or tenure. An individual promotion and tenure review committee may include faculty who are not members of the candidate's department. Any member of the promotion and tenure review committee who has a conflict of interest with respect to a candidate shall not participate in the consideration of that individual or have access to review materials. The chair must inform the candidates in writing of the identity of the members of the department review committee and any other departmental committees that will be involved in the evaluation.
The promotion and tenure review committee reports in writing to the chair the results of its review, including all formal votes.
5.2.4.2.4. Department Chair.
The department chair prepares a Recommendation for Promotion and Tenure form for each person who is recommended by the review committee for promotion and/or tenure. The chair also may prepare a Recommendation for Promotion and Tenure form for a candidate who is not recommended for promotion and/or tenure by the review committee. The form includes the chair's evaluation of the candidate; the votes and reports of all departmental reviews; and the chair's recommendation.
The chair forwards recommendation forms to the college dean and informs the promotion and tenure review committee of his or her recommendations. In addition, the chair must prepare and forward to the college dean negative departmental recommendations for persons for whom tenure decisions are mandatory.
5.2.4.2.5. Notification Procedure.
The chair will inform each candidate in writing before the department's recommendations are submitted to the college, whether a recommendation will be forwarded and, if so, the nature of the recommendation or recommendations. Persons who are not being recommended by either the promotion and tenure review committee or the chair, or both, will be informed by the chair in writing of the reasons. This information should be presented in a constructive manner and, where appropriate, should include guidance for improving performance in terms of the department's criteria for promotion and tenure.
5.2.4.2.6. Right to Review Factual Information.
Each person for whom a recommendation is being forwarded to the college will be given the opportunity to review the factual information therein, and to inform the chair of any ways in which he or she believes this information to be incomplete or inaccurate.
5.2.4.2.7 Treatment of Late-Developed Information
Late-Developed Information is information that becomes available after the departmental P&T recommendation has been sent to the College and that either the candidate or the department chair considers to be of potential relevance (whether favorable or unfavorable) to the case. Such information shall be forwarded by the department chair to the next level in the administrative chain that has not yet made its decision. In the case of unfavorable information, the candidate shall also be notified of its nature and the evidence on which it is based. Transmittal of late-developed information shall include an indication of when the information became available and which evaluators have had access to it. It is the responsibility of recipients of late-developed information to consider it, determine the degree of its relevance and decide upon what weight it ought to have in making their decision.
5.2.4.3. College Review.
Review for promotion and/or tenure continues at the college level.
Administrative faculty members should cast their one vote in a given promotion and tenure decision at the appropriate administrative level. A non-administrative faculty member's one vote in a promotion and tenure decision about a member from their own department should be cast at the departmental level (as a member of a promotion and tenure committee or as part of the department faculty), not at the college or higher levels. Not all departments are equally represented on college or higher level promotion and tenure committees. Thus, to avoid undue influence, only faculty who are members of departments other than that of the promotion and tenure candidate may vote in promotion and tenure decisions at these levels.
5.2.4.3.1. Promotion and Tenure Document.
Each college must have a document that sets forth the standards and procedures governing promotion and tenure of faculty within that college. The college document may specify standards that exceed those of the university, provided that they do not conflict with the standards of the university, and provided the procedures are consistent with those described in the Faculty Handbook. The document must be approved by the tenured and tenure-eligible faculty of the college, by the dean, and by the provost.
5.2.4.3.2. Promotion and Tenure Committee.
A college promotion and tenure advisory committee, composed of faculty members from the college, shall review all positive departmental and/or chair recommendations for promotion and/or tenure. In addition, the committee will review negative recommendations for persons for whom a tenure decision is mandatory. The votes and recommendations of this committee are forwarded to the dean of the college. Selection procedures for committee membership are defined in the college promotion and tenure document. Selection procedures will incorporate input from the faculty or their elected representatives.
5.2.4.3.3. Dean.
Each dean reviews the promotion and tenure recommendations from the departments and from the college committee and presents his/her recommendations to the provost, along with the recommendations and votes of the college and department committees, the chair reports, and supporting material and documentation.
The dean will inform in writing each candidate and the respective chair and the college committee whether a recommendation will be forwarded to the provost and, if so, the nature of the recommendation or recommendations. If the recommendation is contrary to the departmental, chair, and/or college committee recommendations, the dean will summarize in writing the reasons as part of his/her recommendation. The chair will forward the dean's recommendation and summary to the department promotion and tenure committee.
5.2.4.4. University Review.
Review for promotion and/or tenure concludes at the university level.
5.2.4.4.1. Provost.
The provost makes his/her recommendations to the president of the university. The provost will inform in writing each candidate and the respective chair and dean whether a recommendation will be forwarded to the president and, if so, the nature of the recommendation or recommendations. If the provost's recommendation is contrary to the dean's recommendation, the provost will summarize in writing the reasons as part of his/her recommendation. The chair will forward the provost's recommendation and summary to the departmental promotion and tenure committee.
5.2.4.4.2. President.
The president makes his/her recommendations for the university to the Board of Regents. Only positive recommendations will be sent to the Board for action. The president will inform in writing each candidate, the respective chair and dean, and the provost of the whether a positive recommendation is being sent to the Board of Regents. If the presidential recommendation is contrary to the provost's recommendation, the president will summarize the reasons for his/her recommendation in writing. The chair and dean will forward the president's recommendation and summary to the respective promotion and tenure committees.
5.2.4.4.3. Final Notification.
Following the Regents' action, the provost provides official notification to the candidates and their chairs and deans.
5.2.4.4.4. Effective Dates for Promotions.
Promotions in rank for B-base faculty ordinarily take effect at the beginning of the next academic year. Promotions for A-base faculty ordinarily take effect at the beginning of the next fiscal year; exceptions to these dates may be granted by the provost.
5.2.4.4.5. Appeals.
In a mandatory case, following the president's decision not to forward a recommendation to the Board of Regents, a faculty member has the right to appeal through administrative channels or through the Faculty Senate Committee on Appeals. An appeal through administrative channels should be made to the president in the form of a request for reconsideration of his/her decision.
In non-mandatory cases, a decision not to forward a positive recommendation for promotion and tenure may be appealed through administrative channels or through the Faculty Senate Appeals Committee when the chair, dean, provost or president decides not to forward the recommendation. An administrative appeal should be filed with the next person in the administrative chain, except in the case of an appeal of the president's decision, in which case the appeal should be made to the president in the form of a request for reconsideration of his/her decision.
5.3. Documentation Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure
Approved by Faculty Senate (3/24/98)
Approved by the General Faculty (5/1/98)
Incorporating editing and revisions as approved by
Faculty Senate Executive Board (9/18/98)
Approved by the Faculty Senate (10/13/98)
Approved by University Administration Provost and President (11/2/98)
Approved by Board of Regents (12/3/98)
Note: In this document the term "department" is understood to include any academic unit designated as a "school."
The following types of documentation represent what the candidate, the department, and the chair are responsible for within the promotion and tenure process.
5.3.1. Candidate Responsibilities
The candidate is responsible for submitting a promotion and tenure vita; a faculty portfolio, which contains supplementary materials provided by the candidate related to the four areas of faculty activity; the current position responsibility statement and any prior statements for the period under review; and names of potential references, as specified by department and college promotion and tenure guidelines.
5.3.1.1. Promotion and Tenure Vita.
The promotion and tenure vita uses the following format and is based upon the candidate's position responsibilities and faculty activities. This vita is a listing of information about the candidate, the candidate's accomplishments in scholarship, and the candidate's activities and accomplishments in the areas of his/her responsibilities.
5.3.1.2. Candidate Information.
This includes name, current rank, degrees held (when, where), and record of professional experience (including Iowa State University).
5.3.1.3. Scholarship.
This includes a listing of documented activities from the areas of teaching, research/creative activities and/or extension/professional practice. These activities must include appropriate accomplishments such as the following:
- publications (including monographs, textbooks, journal articles, book chapters, etc.)
- exhibits and performances
- creative published literary works
- computer programs, videos, software, hardware
- workbooks, lab manuals, manuals, standards, casebooks, etc.
- annotated bibliographies and book reviews
- invited lectures
- conference papers
In addition, the candidate should list any honors, awards, prizes, etc. received as evidence of his/her scholarship.
5.3.1.4. Areas of Position Responsibilities and Activities:
5.3.1.4.1. Teaching.
This section includes a listing of teaching activities such as the following:
- teaching assignment and responsibilities
- advising activities
- direction of masters and doctoral candidates
- service on masters and doctoral committees
- training and mentoring activities for post-doctoral associates
- curricular development activity
- grant activity
- leadership positions
- service in professional societies, organizations and events
5.3.1.4.2. Research/Creative Activities.
This section includes a listing of research/creative activities such as the following:
- completed projects and programs
- current projects and programs
- future projects and programs
- patent awards and inventions
- grant activity
- leadership positions
- service in professional societies, organizations and events
5.3.1.4.3. Extension/Professional Practice.
This section includes a listing of extension/professional practice activities such as the following:
- relevant accomplishments and activities including consulting; acquiring, organization, and interpreting information resources; and engaging in clinical diagnostic practice
- workshops, seminars, training sessions, etc.
- service on agencies or boards because of individual expertise
- work in the area of technology transfer
- editorial responsibilities for journals (e.g., service on an editorial board or editorship for a journal)
- service as a referee for journals, books, grants, exhibitions, etc.
- grant activity
- leadership positions
- service in professional societies, organizations and events
5.3.1.4.4. Institutional Service.
This section includes a listing of memberships on department, college, and/or university committees and organizations as well as descriptions of responsibilities and leadership roles within these service positions. The candidate's role should be indicated.
5.3.2. Faculty Portfolio
The faculty portfolio includes important and supplemental materials that provide a clear understanding of the candidate's accomplishments within scholarship and his or her areas of faculty activities.
5.3.2.1. Scholarship.
Required for all candidates. This section provides the opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate excellence in scholarship. It begins with an overall statement of the candidate's accomplishments in scholarship as they relate to teaching, research/creative activities, and extension/professional practice. It must include representative scholarly materials that have been validated by peers.
The section also includes material that document peer recognition and impact of the candidate's scholarly accomplishments such as professional reviews, citation counts, use of scholarship by peers, and awards.
5.3.2.2. Areas of Position Responsibilities and Activities.
This section provides the opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate effectiveness in those areas he/she has appointment responsibilities.
5.3.2.2.1. Teaching.
This section may include material such as the following:
- ratings of teaching effectiveness
- peer evaluations (based on classroom observations and a review of teaching materials)
- representative teaching materials and forms of assessment
- evidence of student learning
- candidate's teaching philosophy
5.3.2.2.2. Research/Creative Activities.
This section may include material such as the following:
- summaries of completed, current and future research or creative projects and programs
- summaries of grants and contracts applied for and disposition
- summaries of current grant and contract support
- summaries of potential future grant work
- summaries of patents and descriptions of inventions
- exhibit catalogs
- creative works that are not juried
- laboratory management descriptions
- candidate's research/creative activities agenda
5.3.2.2.3. Extension/Professional Practice.
This section may include material such as the following:
- descriptions of extension/professional practice appointment responsibilities
- representative workshop, seminar, training materials
- unpublished reports, studies, etc.
- representative newsletters, brochures, reviews, journals, etc.
- peer evaluation or ratings of extension/professional practice effectiveness
- client assessments
- candidate's extension/professional practice philosophy
5.3.2.2.4. Institutional Service.
This section includes materials the candidate has written or to which he/she has been a primary contributor. This could include such materials as institutional reports or studies.
5.3.3. Department and Department Chair Responsibilities
5.3.3.1. Letters of Evaluation (provided by the department).
The chair and/or the department review committee solicits letters from qualified reviewers with the understanding that, insofar as possible, access to them will be limited to persons involved in the promotion and tenure decision. All solicited letters are treated as part of the evaluation process and must be forwarded on to college and university review levels.
Solicited Letters of Evaluation from Professionals in the Field, outside the Institution (six maximum). Letters should be solicited from appropriate professionals in the field and chosen for their ability to evaluate the candidate's activities and accomplishments impartially. They should generally be tenured professors at peer institutions or individuals of equivalent stature outside of academe who are widely recognized in the field. Letters should primarily focus on the aspects of the candidate's work that qualify as scholarship. While in some cases this might mean a focus on one area such as teaching or research, in others it might entail a focus on a mixture of scholarship in teaching, research/creative activities and/or extension/professional practice. At least one of the reviewers, but not all, should be suggested by the candidate.
Letters from Co-authors, Co-principal Investigators, etc. In general, reviewers should not be colleagues with whom the candidate has frequently collaborated. When necessary, however, these individuals should be solicited to detail the nature of collaborative projects or to respond to specific questions.
Letters from ISU Department, College, and University Colleagues. Although not required, letters from department, college, and university colleagues may be important. This may be appropriate for activities related to interdisciplinary research and teaching programs, joint projects, and services provided to other colleagues or in cases where a fuller understanding of specific activities is warranted.
5.3.3.2. Evaluations (provided by the department and chair).
Evaluations from each level of review will serve as a summary of the case. They should not be statements of advocacy but should address both the strengths and relative weaknesses in the candidate's record of performance. When appropriate they should summarize the primary points made by external evaluators. The evaluations should include the following:
- evaluation of the candidate's accomplishments in scholarship
- evaluation of the candidate's performance in his/her areas of responsibility: teaching, research/creative activities, extension/professional practice, and/or institutional service
- evaluation of the candidate's prospects for future contributions to the field and department
- assessment of the candidate's role and contributions to department and college missions
5.3.3.3. A Recommendation for Promotion and Tenure Form (provided by the chair)
5.3.4. Implementation Dates
Effective Dates
The implementation dates referred to in this section apply to "Evaluation and Review," Promotion and Tenure," and "Documentation Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure."
Promotion and Tenure.
- An untenured tenure-track faculty member whose appointment began before July 1, 1999 may choose to seek tenure and promotion under the pre-1999 P&T Document (see 1998 Faculty Handbook, http://www.provost.iastate.edu/handbook/1998/person.html#policy) until the tenure decision date specified in his/her Letter of Intent. This decision should be made in consultation with the chair and the appropriate departmental committee. The decision to elect the pre-1999 P&T Document must be conveyed in writing to the chair within 30 days after completion of the Preliminary Review of Probationary Faculty (see 5.1.1. Evaluation of Faculty Members) or, if this review has already been held, by August 1, 1999.
- A tenured faculty member seeking promotion on or after July 1, 1999 may choose the pre-1999 P&T Document (see 1998 Faculty Handbook, http://www.provost.iastate.edu/handbook/person.html#promo) for a review to be completed before July 1, 2002. This choice must be conveyed to the chair in writing by July 1 of the year in which the review process is undertaken. Consultation with the chair and the appropriate departmental committee is expected. If the faculty member does not elect the pre-1999 document, this handbook will apply.
Position Responsibility Statement. A position responsibility statement for each faculty member is to be completed during the annual review process that occurs during the 1998/99 academic year. Beginning July 1, 1999 this statement or its revisions should guide all subsequent reviews (annual, promotion, tenure) regardless of the P&T document chosen.
5.3.5. Post Tenure Review Policy
Approved by Faculty Senate (3/23/99)
Approved by Faculty Vote (4/30/99)
Approved by Board of Regents (6/16/99)
Faculty in each department are charged with developing and implementing a plan for review of each tenured faculty member in the unit. Such review should be done periodically, at least once every seven years, for faculty on full-time or part-time appointment. The review should address the quality of the faculty member's performance in the areas of teaching, research/creative activities, extension/professional practice, and institutional service, consistent with the faculty member's position responsibility statement. Ideally, the review shall result in recommendations for enhancing performance and provide a plan for future development. The review should also discuss the effectiveness of the part-time appointments.
This review does not change the university's commitment to academic freedom, nor the circumstances under which tenured faculty can be dismissed from the university. Grounds for dismissal remain those listed in the Faculty Handbook under 7. Faculty Conduct Policy.
The plan for review should designate the following:
- the review participants
- review procedures and timelines
- materials to be reviewed
- distribution and use of the results of the review including communication beyond the department
- mechanisms for the faculty member to respond
The departmental post-tenure review plan shall be reviewed, approved, and revised in accordance with the collegiate governance approval process that applies to departmental promotion and tenure documents.
5.4. Evaluation, Renewal, and Advancement of Non-Tenure-Eligible Appointments
(For appointment policies of non-tenure-eligible appointments, see section 3.3.2)
Faculty Senate approved this policy on December 11, 2001 and the university Administration approved this policy in April of 2002. Revisions were approved by the Faculty Senate and the Administration in 2003.
5.4.1. Evaluation, Renewal, and Advancement Policies for Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Clinician, Senior Clinician, and Adjunct appointments.
Non-tenure-eligible faculty positions are term appointments eligible for renewal based upon the quality of performance and the continuing need of the unit. They are subject to approval by the Dean and Provost. Individuals appointed to these positions will be evaluated for compensation and advancement using established criteria appropriate to their positions. Evaluations for renewal of appointment will be conducted by an appropriate faculty committee, and recommended by the department chair at the time of reappointment. Additionally performance evaluations conducted by a faculty committee should be completed at least every six semesters of employment for those who will be considered for future re-appointment and shall be based on the individual's PRS. (See 5.1.1.2 for related information on annual reviews.)
Approved as revised by the Faculty Senate on January 15, 2008, and by the President and Provost on January 23, 2008
5.4.1.1. Eligibility Criteria
- Lecturer and Clinician1: a limited term, full- or part-time appointment of from one semester to three years and renewable. After a minimum of six years or the completion of 12 semester FTEs of employment, the individual has the right to be reviewed for advancement by the appropriate departmental committee. Criteria for advancement shall be based on the quality of work relative to the individual's PRS. The three outcomes of this review include: recommendation for advancement to Senior Lecturer or Senior Clinician; continuation of appointment as Lecturer or Clinician; or non-renewal of contract. Individuals who are not recommended for advancement are eligible to reapply in subsequent years. An outcome of the review process should be to provide constructive, developmental feedback to the individual regarding progress in meeting departmental criteria for advancement.
- Senior Lecturer and Senior Clinician1: a limited term, full- or part-time renewable appointment not to exceed five years, requiring a notice of one year of intent not to renew. To be eligible for appointment as Senior Lecturer or Senior Clinician the individual shall have served as a Lecturer or Clinician or its equivalent for a minimum of six years or completed 12 semester FTEs of employment.
- Adjunct appointment: a limited term, full- or part-time renewable appointment not to exceed five years for each appointment, requiring a notice of one year of intent not to renew except when the appointment is for a year or less.
- Professional and Scientific (P&S) non-tenure-eligible appointment: employees on P&S status may be appointed to limited term, renewable appointments, of from one to five years, to carry out faculty duties as specified in 3.3.2.5.
1 Colleges and other administrative units may substitute other descriptors in place of Clinician or Senior Clinician to reflect the usages and norms of their disciplines with approval of the Faculty Senate and the Provost.
2 As specified in 3.3.2.4, the title of "adjunct instructor" is reserved "for persons with DVMs or the equivalent degree, who are performing faculty work as part of a PhD or specialty training program."
Tenured and tenure-eligible faculty shall be responsible for selecting, reviewing, and renewing non-tenure- eligible faculty appointments, consistent with the principles of shared governance, and in accordance with each unit's governance document. This purview includes all personnel carrying out instructional duties providing course credit.
Approved as revised by the Faculty Senate on January 15, 2008, and by the President and Provost on January 23, 2008
5.4.1.2. Evaluation, Renewal, and Advancement Procedures for Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Clinician, Senior Clinician, and Adjunct appointments.
In addition to the above principles established in conjunction with the Faculty Senate, the following practices and procedures shall apply:3
- Since the appointment of Lecturers and Clinicians is for a specified period of time, no special notice of intent not to renew is necessary.
- Persons on appointment as Lecturer or Clinician may be reviewed for advancement to Senior Lecturer or Senior Clinician and may be advanced without a search.
- Persons on adjunct appointment may be reviewed by an appropriate faculty committee for advancement to adjunct associate professor or adjunct professor using established criteria appropriate to the position.
- Persons appointed as Senior Lecturer and Senior Clinician must receive notice by May 15 of the year preceding the end of the term appointment (or at least 12 months in advance of the end of the term appointment when the appointment end date is not May 15) of intent to renew or not renew.
- Renewal of Senior Lecturers and Senior Clinicians or adjunct appointments must be approved by the dean and the provost. Request for approval should include a summary of the review results and a statement regarding the continuing need of the unit.
- Both full-time and part-time non-tenure-eligible faculty will receive annual reviews as well as review by a faculty committee at least every six semesters of employment.
- Review of individuals in these positions will be based on the Position Responsibility Statement (PRS) derived from the advertised position. At each renewal time, the Position Responsibility Statement may change, depending on the continuing and/or changing needs of the unit. The PRS will be discussed and disagreements negotiated at that time as a part of the renewal agreement. The agreed upon PRS will be signed by both parties and dated.
3 For P&
