GUIDELINES FOR PROMOTION AND TENURE

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE/CRIMINAL JUSTICE

APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

ADOPTED FALL, 1988

It is recognized that decisions regarding promotion and tenure of faculty are among the most important made by a university. The quality and quantity of efforts of individual faculty members in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service are the fundamental building blocks of the university. Because they are so important, decisions of promotion and tenure should be guided by explicit and generally accepted criteria, so as to insure uniformity and encourage fairness.

Any system for evaluation should be based upon an individual's total contribution to the department and the university. Criteria should reflect the fact that individuals have differing strengths, but everyone is expected to contribute in each of the areas of teaching, scholarship and service. Furthermore, it is recognized that not all areas of activity are equally important, or that these areas are independent of each other. At ASU, teaching is generally accepted to be the most important function of most faculty members. However, teaching and scholarship cannot be completely separated; therefore, it is important that individuals maintain an on-going research agenda to remain current in their chosen fields, and to contribute to our understanding of important problems in government and society. A tertiary function is service.

Given individual differences in skills and interests, and differing stages of career development, individual faculty members reflect differing combinations of contribution to these three major dimensions of performance. The sections that follow are devoted to discussing general guidelines for each of the three dimensions of performance that are consistent with the evaluation criteria developed and approved by the Department in the Spring of 1988. This is followed by brief discussions of the relation between these guidelines and career development, promotion and tenure.

DIMENSIONS OF PERFORMANCE

The three major dimensions of performance are: 1) instruction and student development; 2) service to the institution, the profession and external constituencies; and 3) contribution to new knowledge via scholarship, research and publication. The criteria for each dimension are divided into two categories: "indicators of excellence" and "indicators of effectiveness". In general, these indicators and their relative weights are consistent with those utilized by the Department's Faculty Evaluation Criteria. The list of indicators is not intended to be exhaustive.

• Instruction and Student Development

All faculty members are expected to contribute in the area of instruction and student development, to be effective in the classroom, to continuously strive to improve their teaching effectiveness and to contribute to the development of our instructional programs. Effectiveness in instruction is an important but not sufficient component in promotion and tenure decisions.

Examples of Indicators of Excellence in Instruction and Student Development

• Chairing of Master of Arts thesis committees and Master of Public Administration committees;
• Development of innovative pedagogical methodologies and materials;
• Excellent evaluations of teaching performance as indexed by standardized surveys and other documentation;
• Publication of widely adopted or well-received instructional materials; e.g., readings, books, simulations or videos;
• Contribution to new instructional program development.

Examples of Indicators of Effectiveness in Instruction and Student Development

• Service on Master of Arts thesis/examination committees and Master of Public Administration committees;
• Directing independent student research and independent studies;
• Completing programs/workshops resulting in improved teaching methods;
• Developing a new course(s) or major revisions of existing courses;
• Significant self-developmetn activities leading to enhanced instructional effectiveness;
• Satisfactory evaluations of teaching performance as indexed by standardized surveys and other documentation;
• Effective participation in academic advising;
• Working with student organizations.

• Scholarship, Research and Publication

All faculty are expected to maintain a program of research and scholarly activity. There is no necessary conflict between emphasis on scholarship and emphasis on quality instruction. Scholarship is an integral and necessary part of university education; it is an important activity which keeps the content of classroom instruction current, pertinent and challenging to students and faculty.

Both quality and quantity of scholarship, research and publication are important. However, quality of contribution to the body of knowledge is the more important criterion. Indices of quality include: publication in refereed academic journals of the relevant discipline; peer recognition via research or publication awards; membership on editorial boards; significant external funding for research. Effectiveness in scholarship, research and publication is an important but not sufficient component in promotion and tenure decisions.

Examples of Indicators of Excellence in Scholarship, Research and Publication

• Publications in refereed academic journals of appropriate disciplines;
• Publication of scholarly book(s);
• Publication of often cited book(s) and/or articles;
• Editorship of a refereed academic journal(s);
• Board of Editors of a refereed academic journal(s);
• Recognition from peers in the field; e.g. Fellow, research awards, publication awards;
• Grant reviewer for international or national research organizations; e.g., NSF;
• Significant external funding for research.

Examples of Indicators of Effectiveness in Scholarship, Research and Publication

• Publications in journals and books in appropriate disciplines;
• Publication of textbook(s);
• Publication of technical reports or monographs;
• Presentation of papers at international, national, regional or state meetings of appropriate disciplines;
• Clear contribution to the research of others;
• Significant self-development activities leading to increased research and publication effectiveness;

• Service

All faculty members are expected to contribute in the service area. The amount and nature of the service contribution is likely to differ as a function of individual skills, interests, and stages of career development. Service is an important but not sufficient component in promotion and tenure decisions.

Examples of Indicators of Excellence in Service

• Officer in an international, national, regional or state professional organization
• Program chair of international, national, regional or state meetings;
• Service on a government commission, task force or board;
• Attraction of significant external development support.

Examples of Indicators of Effectiveness in Service

• Committee chair of international, national, regional or state professional organizations or meetings;
• Service on University, College and Departmental task forces and committees

• Advisor to student organizations;
• Presentations at public service programs;
• Administrative roles within the Department and/or College
• Presentations and/or consulting for external organizations;
• Significant self-development activities leading to enhanced service effectiveness.

PROMOTION, TENURE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The nature of faculty contribution is expected to vary as a function of skills, interests and stages of career development. Promotion and tenure is based on expectations of continued growth and the potential for future performance rather than being simply a reward for past accomplishments.

Assistant Professors

Individuals appointed to the rank of Assistant Professor should place primary emphasis on developing effectiveness in instruction and on establishing a productive pattern of scholarship, research and publication in refereed academic journals. Service contributions generally will be focused on Departmental and College academic affairs until scholarly and instructional competencies are well established. Promotion to Associate Professor will be based on assessment of all three dimensions of performance, wtih particular emphasis on effectiveness in instruction, scholarship and publication.

Associate Professors

Individuals appointed or promoted to the rank of Associate Professor should place continued emphasis on effectiveness in instruction. Associate Professors, relative to Assistant Professors, will be expected to contribute in one or more of the areas of service. For Associate Professors aspiring to tenure and Professor, effectiveness in instruction and service must be combined with a record of scholarship, research and publication that demonstrates continuing development and represents a significant contribution to the field as judged by peers.

Professors

Promotion to the rank of Professor is the highest academic honor bestowed in the academy. Professors should be a major source of leadership within the Department. Individuals promoted to the rank must be judged as effective in each area of performance, and in addition, must be judged as having an excellent reputation in at least one of the following: teaching, research or professional service to the University and/or the public.