TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE
PROCEDURES
A33.02 Faculty Promotion
Effective
Revised November 2000; April 2005
Supplements System Policies 01.03 and 12.06
Supplements System Regulation 33.99.04
1. For the purposes of promotion, the faculty are
categorized into four ranks as follows:
Instructor
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
Professor
2. Suggested academic training and experience requirements should be as follows for each rank:
a. Instructor: Master's degree (or unique qualifications*) in the field in which the faculty member is teaching.
b. Assistant Professor: Earned doctor's degree (or appropriate terminal degree or unique qualifications*) in the field in which the faculty member is teaching. A faculty member with a master's degree and a minimum of 30 semester hours in the teaching field may be considered for promotion with a minimum of three years full-time teaching experience in higher education.
c. Associate Professor: Earned doctor's degree (or appropriate terminal degree or unique qualifications*) in the field in which the faculty member is teaching, and normally a minimum of five years full-time teaching experience in higher education. (The guideline regarding number of years of experience is not to be construed as prohibiting a candidate of substantial accomplishments from earlier promotion.)
d. Professor: Earned doctor's degree (or appropriate terminal degree or unique qualifications*) in the field in which the faculty member is teaching, and normally a minimum of ten years full-time teaching experience in higher education. (The guideline regarding number of years of experience is not to be construed as prohibiting a candidate of substantial accomplishments from earlier promotion.) In addition, to be considered for a promotion to full professor, a member of the faculty should have demonstrated outstanding research or other scholarly and creative activities in his or her field.
3. Minimum qualifications for promotion at any level shall be effective teaching and current (within last five years) research or other scholarly and creative activities. Additional supportive criteria, which may be considered in making recommendations for promotions in rank are as follows:
*The term "unique qualifications" has reference to persons serving the institution in academic capacities, which make them extremely valuable for highly specialized reasons. Such persons may be considered for promotion without the usual accumulation of academic degrees.
a. Student advising and/or counseling
b. Committee work
c. Public service
d. General educational worth to the institution
e. Professional standing and leadership
4. Criteria
for promotion will be based on a candidate’s departmental plan for
faculty evaluation (see Texas A&M University-Commerce procedure # A.12.20).
A department’s plan will identify how evaluations of teaching, RSCA, and
service areas will be conducted in terms of
various criteria and measures. These shall be published by each department,
after having been approved by the department head, college dean and provost,
and shall be regularly updated when necessary. They shall be distributed by the
department head among current and new faculty.
5. The department head will initiate an annual call for promotion applications. Applicants for promotion should be given a minimum of three (3) weeks to prepare the paperwork necessary for promotion consideration. The faculty member shall prepare two copies of the Faculty Service Report and submit one to the department head and one to the College Promotion Review Advisory Committee (refer to Procedure A12.01, Academic Freedom, Tenure and Responsibility for committee details). The Faculty Service Report may be accompanied by evaluations from others qualified to comment on the faculty member's performance (including people from other universities in the same field as the candidate).
6. Upon receipt of a completed Faculty Service Report, the department head shall appoint a departmental faculty promotion committee, which shall consist of every member of the department faculty with rank equal to or higher than the rank to which the candidate is applying and may include faculty with rank equal to that of the candidate, with these exceptions:
a. the applicant.
b. the department head.
c. any faculty member who has received official notice of non-reappointment (this shall not be taken to exclude retiring faculty, or faculty approved for a University sanctioned leave of absence).
d. any person who is also applying for the rank to which the candidate is asking promotion.
The departmental promotion committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. If other restrictions limit eligible members to fewer than three, the applicant for promotion shall be allowed to designate one additional committee member from among departmental members otherwise ineligible, and the department head shall appoint additional members if necessary. Chairperson of departmental promotion committee shall be elected (i.e., agreed upon) by the promotion committee.
The committee shall vote by secret ballot. It shall attach its recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale to the front of the Faculty Service Report and shall submit such data to the department head. In addition, the departmental promotion committee shall prepare an anonymous summary of explicit comments and committee recommendations regarding the applicant. A copy of this summary and the committee's recommendation shall be made available to the candidate at the same time it is sent to the department head.
7. The primary responsibility for evaluating the teaching effectiveness of a candidate for promotion shall rest on the members of the departmental faculty promotion committee and the department head. The faculty member may include with the Faculty Service Report additional evidence of teaching effectiveness. Candidates shall be notified of the meeting date of the departmental promotion committee and shall have the option of appearing before this committee. However, the candidate is not obligated to appear, nor shall failure to appear constitute official basis for rejection.
8. The department head shall review the recommendation and summary of comments of the departmental faculty promotion committee and the Faculty Service Report and prepare a recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale that identifies weakness for candidates not supported for promotion. These recommendations, along with the Faculty Service Report, shall be forwarded to the appropriate academic dean. A copy of this recommendation shall also be provided in writing to the candidate for promotion and the College Tenure and Promotion Review Advisory Committee.
9. For each candidate for promotion, the College Tenure and Promotion Review Advisory Committee shall review all available data (including all materials submitted by the candidate for promotion; a copy of the anonymous summary of explicit comments of the departmental faculty promotion committee and the committee votes, and the department head's comments and recommendation) and prepare a recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale that identifies weakness for candidates not supported for promotion. The tenure and promotion committee in each college shall take into consideration the departmental plan (see Texas A&M University-Commerce procedure # A.12.20) for the faculty under consideration or promotion before making its recommendation. The voting in the committee shall be by secret ballot. All deliberations within the committee shall be confidential. Recommendations shall be forwarded to the college dean. A copy of this recommendation with an explanation for its decision (including areas of weakness if recommending NOT to support the candidate) shall also be provided in writing to each the candidate for promotion and department head.
9. The college dean shall review all available data and prior recommendations and prepare a recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale that identifies weakness for candidates not supported for promotion. All recommendations and the Faculty Service Report, along with supporting data, shall be forwarded to the vice president for academic affairs. A copy of the dean's recommendation will be provided to the candidate, the department head, and the College Promotion Review Advisory Committee simultaneously.
10. The provost/vice president for academic affairs will review all available data, prepare a recommendation for or against promotion with appropriate rationale that identifies weakness for candidates not supported by promotion and forward the recommendation with all data to the president for action. Prior to preparing a recommendation, the provost/vpasa shall request advice from the Deans Council. A copy of the provost/vice president for academic affairs' recommendation will be provided to the candidate, department head, College Promotion Review Advisory Committee and dean simultaneously.
11. A candidate shall have the option to withdraw the application for promotion from further consideration at any time. Once withdrawn, applications cannot be resubmitted the same academic year.
12. After reviewing all available data for candidates for promotion, the president shall prepare and submit positive recommendations to the Chancellor and The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents for final action. Whether the decision is for or against promotion, the President will notify each candidate of his/her intention as soon as it is decided. In the case of non-support, the notification shall include an explanation for that decision.
13. Each candidate for promotion will receive written notification from the president of the university of the action of the A&M System Board of Regents.
References: Prior ETSU Policies II N 10.1 and D-33; approved
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CONTACT FOR INTERPRETATION: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
FACULTY SERVICE REPORT FOR FACULTY PROMOTION
(Month, Year) through (Month, Year)
(From time of last promotion or appointment to present rank)
In order to standardize input and facilitate decisions made about promotion, faculty members will use the general format that follows in providing evidence of their professional performance. The Faculty Service Report for Promotion will be reviewed and evaluated by the department's faculty promotion committee, the department head, the college dean, the College Promotion Review Advisory Committee, the vice president for academic affairs, and the president.
Provide to your department head no later than March 1:
1. A report of your professional performance (Faculty Service Report for
Promotion), applicable to the period indicated above, and
2. An updated vita.
Name ______________________________ Highest degree
held ___________
Present rank _________________________________________________
Number of years in present rank (including current academic year)______________
Tenured _____Yes _____No
Number of years teaching experience
At Texas A&M University-Commerce __________
(include current academic year)
At other universities __________
Total __________
At levels other than university __________
Rank applied for _________________________________________
Assigned Duties.
Provide a statement of assigned duties, with the portion of time designated for (1) teaching, (2) research or other scholarly and creative activities, (3) service, and (4) other assignments.
I. TEACHING
A. Courses Taught. List undergraduate and graduate courses taught by term and location.
B. Teaching Effectiveness.
1. Course Syllabi. Provide a syllabus for each course taught during the past
year in an appendix to your report. The syllabus should include objectives,
grading procedures, various writing and reading assignments, etc.
2. Pedagogical Approaches. Indicate examples of especially innovative and/or effective teaching techniques.
3. Student Evaluations. Provide a summary of data on student evaluations of all courses taught during the past two years.
4. Other Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness. Examples may include but are not limited to teaching portfolios, videos of class presentations, etc.
II. RESEARCH OR OTHER SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
A. Research. Identify all funded (amount) and non-funded research activities over the last five years.
B. Scholarly Publications. (List refereed and non-refereed articles separately.)
1. Give full bibliographic references to books, articles, and monographs published.
2. Identify works in progress; provide tentative title, publisher, and publication date.
C. Creative Activity. Describe creative activities engaged in during the period of this report but not published. Give specific details for activity in creative fields, i.e., dates and locations of juried art shows, music recitals, concerts, etc.
D. Evidence of Other Scholarly and Creative Activities. Describe the amount and type of scholarship in professional activities, e.g., speeches (including papers presented), critical discussants, workshop presentations, and media appearances. Include the date, subject, and location of these activities.
E. Grants. Describe (non-research) grant proposals written, indicating funded (amount) and non-funded proposals.
III. SERVICE
A. Service to the University, College, and Department.
1. List your service to the University, college, and department. You should include a statement indicating evidence of productivity and involvement.
2. Describe and document involvement in the development of courses and/or programs for the preparation of professionals.
B. Service to and Evidence of Involvement in the Community. Describe the amount and type of your involvement in professionally related community service activities. Include the date, type of service, and location of these activities.
C. Service to and Evidence of Membership and Involvement in Professional Associations. List your membership in professional associations (including offices held) and describe the amount and type of your involvement.
IV. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RECOGNITION
A. Professional Development. Identify activities engaged in to further your professional development, i.e., attendance at off-campus learned and professional conferences, workshops, additional course work, etc. Include special earned certificates as C.P.A., Registered Professional Engineer, etc.; indicate dates awarded.
B. Recognition. List honors and awards received; indicate whether each was for teaching, research or other scholarly and creative activities, or service. Indicate dates and categories (international, national, or regional).
V. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Individuals who feel that the Faculty Service Report does not adequately reflect their responsibilities are encouraged to supplement the report with additional information.