ALTERNATIVE A
UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE RESOLUTION
TO MODIFY FACULTY
HANDBOOK CONCERNING UNIVERSITY PROMOTION AND TENURE POLICY
AND MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR PROMOTION:
WHEREAS, the mission of the University encompasses teaching, scholarship and service, and
WHEREAS,
scholarship, whether in the form of
research, publication, professional development, artistic creativity, or
scholarship related to teaching or service is a significant part of each faculty
member’s contribution to the academic community, and
WHEREAS,
a faculty member’s workload shall be
assigned with the expectation that they will have the opportunity to meet the
criteria for promotion and satisfactory peer review, and
WHEREAS, the ultimate objectives of promotion policies at the University of Delaware are faculty excellence and procedural fairness
Section 4: Personnel Policies for Faculty
Section 4.4
Promotion and Tenure
Section 4.4.2 Minimum
Standards for Promotion
Since
the mission of the University encompasses teaching, scholarship and service,
faculty members should strive for excellence in all three areas. All tenure track and tenured faculty, must pursue some form of
scholarly activity. Scholarship,
whether in the form of research, publication, professional development,
artistic creativity, or scholarship related to teaching or service is a significant
part of each person's contribution to the academic community. How this work is made available to other scholars
obviously depends upon the particular discipline, but promotion requires
evidence that significant achievements have been and will continue to be made.
(Rev. 3/4/08). An
individual’s workload shall be assigned with the expectation that the faculty
member will have the opportunity to meet the criteria for promotion and
satisfactory peer review.
A major
goal of any educational institution is to encourage and to demonstrate
excellence in teaching. Hence, faculty members with teaching responsibilities
must demonstrate, at a minimum, high-quality teaching performance.
Service at
all levels--department, college, University, community, profession, or
nation--is also an integral part of the University's mission and must not be
neglected on the grounds that scholarship and teaching have higher priority.
These
considerations suggest University expectations for promotion to various
academic ranks. Although departments may write specific criteria to fit their
particular circumstances and needs, they must conform to the spirit of these
standards. Unsatisfactory performance in any of the three areas, for example,
precludes promotion. To provide comparability across the University, then, the
following minimum achievements should be met for promotion to these ranks:
Assistant
Professor: Apart
from earning the doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree, the primary
requirement is the demonstrated ability and desire to achieve excellence in
scholarship and teaching and to make positive contributions in all three areas.
For this rank, past achievements are not so important as evidence of future
growth and accomplishment.
Associate
Professor: Inasmuch as promotion within the University to this rank
generally carries tenure--a binding commitment on the part of the
University--the qualifications must be rigorous. At a minimum, the individual
should show excellent achievement in scholarship or teaching and high quality
performance in all areas. Furthermore, there should be unmistakable evidence
that the individual has progressed and will continue to do so. A mere
satisfactory or adequate record as an assistant professor is not sufficient;
there must be very clear indication, based on hard evidence and outside peer
evaluations, that the candidate has in fact attained high levels of
accomplishment.
Professor:
This rank is
reserved for individuals who have established reputations in their fields and
whose contributions to their profession and the University's mission are
excellent. There should be unmistakable evidence of significant development and
achievement in teaching, scholarship and service since the last promotion. Once
again, the candidate's claim to have met these requirements must be thoroughly
and completely documented by outside peer evaluations and other materials.
University
employees with professional contracts who also hold faculty appointments in
academic units are eligible for promotion without tenure and will meet the same
criteria for promotion as do members of the unit who hold academic
appointments.
To Accompany RESOLUTION
TO MODIFY FACULTY HANDBOOK CONCERNING UNIVERSITY
PROMOTION AND TENURE POLICY AND MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR PROMOTION
Section 4: Personnel Policies for Faculty
Section 4.4 Promotion and
Tenure
Section 4.4.2 Minimum
Standards for Promotion
Since
the mission of the University encompasses teaching, scholarship and service,
faculty members should strive for excellence in all three areas. Scholarship,
whether in the form of research, publication, professional development,
artistic creativity, or scholarship related to teaching or service is a
significant part of each person's contribution to the academic community.
Everyone All
tenure track and tenured faculty,must pursue some form of scholarly activity. Scholarship, whether in the form of
research, publication, professional development, artistic creativity, or
scholarship related to teaching or service is a significant part of each
person's contribution to the academic community. How this work is made available to other scholars
obviously depends upon the particular discipline, but promotion requires
evidence that significant achievements have been and will continue to be made.
(Rev. 3/4/08). An
individual’s workload shall be assigned with the expectation that the faculty
member will have the opportunity to meet the criteria for promotion and
satisfactory peer review.
The
University's obligation to scholarship notwithstanding, a A major goal of any
educational institution is to encourage and to demonstrate excellence in
teaching. Hence, faculty members with teaching responsibilities must
demonstrate, at a minimum, high-quality teaching performance.
Service at
all levels--department, college, University, community, profession, or
nation--is also an integral part of the University's mission and must not be
neglected on the grounds that scholarship and teaching have higher priority.
These
considerations suggest University expectations for promotion to various
academic ranks. Although departments may write specific criteria to fit their
particular circumstances and needs, they must conform to the spirit of these
standards. Unsatisfactory performance in any of the three areas, for example,
precludes promotion. To provide comparability across the University, then, the
following minimum achievements should be met for promotion to these ranks:
Assistant
Professor: Apart
from earning the doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree, the primary
requirement is the demonstrated ability and desire to achieve excellence in
scholarship and teaching and to make positive contributions in all three areas.
For this rank, past achievements are not so important as evidence of future
growth and accomplishment.
Associate
Professor: Inasmuch as promotion within the University to this rank
generally carries tenure--a binding commitment on the part of the
University--the qualifications must be rigorous. At a minimum, the individual
should show excellent achievement in scholarship or teaching and high quality
performance in all areas. Furthermore, there should be unmistakable evidence
that the individual has progressed and will continue to do so. A mere
satisfactory or adequate record as an assistant professor is not sufficient;
there must be very clear indication, based on hard evidence and outside peer
evaluations, that the candidate has in fact attained high levels of
accomplishment.
Professor:
This rank is
reserved for individuals who have established reputations in their fields and
whose contributions to their profession and the University's mission are
excellent. There should be unmistakable evidence of significant development and
achievement in teaching, scholarship and service since the last promotion. Once
again, the candidate's claim to have met these requirements must be thoroughly
and completely documented by outside peer evaluations and other materials.
University
employees with professional contracts who also hold faculty appointments in
academic units are eligible for promotion without tenure and will meet the same
criteria for promotion as do members of the unit who hold academic
appointments.