Promotion of Full-Time Faculty

The purpose of promotion is to encourage teaching effectiveness in addition to incorporating best practices, professional development, educational growth, collegiality, and productive activity for the College other than instruction. It is expected that Faculty who advance in rank as well as those who achieve tenure maintain a level of excellence commensurate with those expectations for which they earned rank and tenure. Promotion to Professor encourages and rewards teaching excellence, continued professional development, and leadership at the College and/or in a relevant professional organization.

The principal purpose of tenure is to recognize a higher level of commitment by the College and the Faculty member. Full-time Faculty who earn tenure may not be terminated without just cause, and the Faculty member shall work effectively and respectively with fellow employees to further the success of students and the College. Tenure shall remain in force with annual agreements regarding status and salary.

• • Portfolio Template (doc)
  • Promotion Tenure Committee Template (doc)
  • Classroom Observation Sample (PDF)
  • Holistic Student Feedback Guidelines and Sample (PDF)

Procedure for Promotion and for Earning Tenure

1. 1. Eligible Faculty shall initially submit a Letter of Intent to apply for promotion/tenure consideration to their respective Associate Dean within the time frame outlined in this article below.
      
      
   2. The Associate Dean shall confer with the applicant to review eligibility and readiness for promotion/tenure, and to discuss the candidate’s Promotion/Tenure Committee. The Associate Dean shall confirm eligibility in writing and indicate to the candidate support or concerns on readiness. If eligible for promotion/tenure, the candidate may move forward through each part of the process until the President’s final decision. The candidate may also withdraw candidacy at any point in the process.
      
      
   3. Candidate Promotion/Tenure Committee      
      The Candidate Promotion/Tenure Committee will consist of at least three (3) Faculty members. This committee will appoint a chair. One member will be chosen by the Faculty’s supervisor or designee, one by the Faculty member, and the remaining member(s) by those two committee members. At least one committee member must be from outside the candidate’s academic division.
      
      The committee will review the eligible candidate’s progress on the criteria outlined in the Promotion/Tenure Portfolio Report. The committee will present their analysis to the candidate’s academic division in November or December.
      
      
   4. Associate Dean Review and Response to Candidacy
      The Associate Dean will review the Promotion/Tenure Portfolio Report and, provide thecandidate with a written response regarding candidacy, including a summary of feedback from the Faculty member’s annual evaluations.
      
      
   5. Division Review of Promotion/Tenure Portfolio Report
      The Associate Dean will arrange and chair a meeting or meetings of the division Faculty to consider each candidate. Within one week after the conclusion of the meeting(s), a recommendation will be determined by a vote of the division Faculty and Associate Dean. A positive recommendation will require at least a two-thirds majority of those casting positive and negative votes; otherwise the recommendation will be negative. Each member will vote privately, but will legibly sign their voting ballot. For promotion, Faculty will be permitted to vote on all candidates excluding themselves. For tenure, only tenured Faculty and the Associate Dean will be permitted to vote. The candidate will be notified in writing of the decision.
      
      
   6. College Promotion/Tenure Committee Review of Promotion/Tenure Portfolio Report
      The College Promotion/Tenure Committee will consist of five (5) elected Full-time tenured Faculty members (one (1) member from each academic division), the five (5) Associate Deans of the academic divisions, Dean of Career Education and Learning Partnerships (DCELP), Dean of Teaching and Learning (DTL), and the Chief Academic Officer. All 13 members will vote.
      
      The chair of the Candidate Promotion/Tenure Committee will present the candidate to the College Promotion/Tenure Committee. The chair of the Candidate Promotion/Tenure Committee may attend committee deliberations, but shall observe and not vote.
      
      The College Promotion/Tenure Committee will make a recommendation, decided by a simple majority-rule vote.
      
      A written recommendation from the College Promotion/Tenure Committee will be forwarded by the Chief Academic Officer to the College President for final decision. The President’s decision will be communicated to the candidate.
      
      
   7. The College President will make the final Promotion/Tenure decision
      Once the promotion review process has been initiated, each candidate’s Promotion/Tenure Portfolio Report will proceed to  the College Promotion/Tenure Committee for review and vote, unless the candidate elects to withdraw their packet at any point in the process.