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Academic Appointments and Promotions Policy |
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| I. | Introduction | ||||
| Academic rank should be assigned only to those individuals whose major responsibilities are instruction, scholarly activity, or public and professional service, as defined herein. | |||||
| Appointment to academic rank is the expression of the professional judgment that the individual appointed is a qualified member of the academic community capable of successfully carrying out the responsibilities of the academic position to which he or she is appointed. It is further based on the judgment that the appointment is in compliance with considerations of institutional, college, and departmental mission, and of fiscal responsibility. | |||||
| Promotion in academic rank is a recognition of past achievement of the faculty member being considered for promotion. In addition, promotion in rank is usually a recognition of future potential and a sign of confidence that the individual is capable of greater accomplishments and of assuming greater responsibilities. It is the policy of Tennessee Technological University to make promotions primarily on considerations of merit, tempered by considerations of institutional mission and fiscal responsibility. In maintaining this policy, promotions are made objectively, equitably, impartially, and as a recognition of merit in accordance with the criteria contained in this policy. | |||||
| This Policy on Academic
Appointments and Promotions is in compliance with the Board of Regents of the
State University and Community College System of Tennessee Guidelines for
Faculty Promotion Recommendations at Universities, Community Colleges, and
Technical Institutes (5:02:02:00) and embodies all provisions, definitions, and
stipulations of the Board policy. This policy is also in compliance with the
relevant sections of the Board of Regents of the State University and Community
College System of Tennessee General Personnel Policy (5:01:00:00), and the
Tennessee Technological University Policies and Procedures Manual: Payroll and
Personnel, 4. Employment Procedures. http://www.tbr.state.tn.us/policies_guidelines/personnel_policies/5-02-02-00.htm http://www.tbr.state.tn.us/policies_guidelines/personnel_policies/5-01-00-00.htm http://www.tntech.edu/adminpandp/perspay/pp4.html |
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| II. | Definitions | ||||
| The following are general definitions of words and terms used in this policy which may not be hereinafter specifically defined; however, the words and terms are subject to further qualification and clarification in the relevant sections of this policy. | |||||
| A. | Academic Appointment: A personnel status (as distinct from an assignment of responsibilities) in an academic department pursuant to which professional services in the areas of instruction, scholarship, and/or public and professional service are retained by the University from a faculty member. Academic appointments shall be made with academic rank, and may be temporary, tenure-track, or with tenure. | ||||
| B. | Academic Department/Academic Unit: An academic organizational unit (e.g., a department or division) or program, including the Library, within the University, generally devoted to the pursuit of a specific discipline, in which a faculty member holds academic appointment. | ||||
| C. | Academic Rank: An element of faculty status limited to individuals who meet the minimum criteria established in this policy, and consisting of the levels of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. | ||||
| D. | Board/Board of Regents/TBR: The Board of Regents of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee. | ||||
| E. | Faculty Member: A member of the academic profession (including professional librarians) who, except where otherwise specified, holds a full-time appointment with academic rank, and whose responsibilities primarily include instruction, scholarly activity, and/or public and professional service. | ||||
| F. | Peers/Departmental Peers: In the context of this policy, the terms "peers" and "departmental peers" refer to those regular, full-time tenured members of the departmental faculty whose professional responsibilities to the University lie in the areas of instruction, scholarship, and/or public and professional service and who hold rank equal to or higher than that for which the faculty member is a candidate; it does not include those whose primary responsibilities are administrative, such as departmental chairpersons, directors of Centers of Excellence, assistant and associate deans, deans, assistant and associate vice-presidents, vice-presidents, the President, and any others in similar situations. | ||||
| G. | President: The President of Tennessee Technological University. | ||||
| H. | University/this Institution/TTU: Tennessee Technological University. | ||||
| III. | Minimum Rank Criteria | ||||
| A. | General Considerations: The nature and relative importance of the criteria for a recommendation for appointment to or promotion in academic rank depend upon the nature, mission, and goals of the University and of the academic department in which the candidate is to obtain appointment or promotion. Recommendations for appointment or promotion, subject to the requirements of this policy, shall devolve from the professional judgment of the peers in the academic department in which the candidate is to obtain appointment or promotion, those departmental peers acting as that segment of the wider community of scholars best qualified to evaluate the potential or actual performance of the candidate in the exercise of his or her professional responsibilities. | ||||
| All full-time faculty members are expected to exhibit collegiality and to engage in instruction, scholarly activity, and public and professional service, but not all are expected to engage in each activity to the same degree. The mission statement of Tennessee Technological University clearly accords the highest priority to instruction, followed by scholarly activity and public and professional service, in that order. However, there is a wide variation in individual academic unit missions and priorities: even within units, faculty assignments may vary substantially with work load assignments and considerations of faculty abilities and interests and University needs. Because individual priorities, the composition of work loads, the level and quality of support services and facilities, disciplinary characteristics, and faculty capabilities and interests are all subject to wide variation within the University, an effective system for evaluating potential or performance must be based upon the professional judgment of the faculty members in the candidate's academic department or comparable academic unit. | |||||
| Evaluation of the appropriateness of the candidate's training, degrees, and prior professional experience shall be made by the departmental peers. Equivalent prior professional experience may include relevant instructional experience, experience as an administrator, counselor, librarian, or the like. In evaluating prior professional experience, the President shall determine, upon the recommendation of the departmental peers, whether prior service at another institution shall be accepted entirely, or shall be discounted in whole or in part. | |||||
| The President is responsible for the master staffing plan of the University. In developing and implementing this plan, the President will consider (1) the fiscal impact of each appointment or promotion recommended to the Board, e.g., resources allocated to the University and distributed throughout the institution for current operations, and (2) the rank distribution in each academic unit to ensure that it is commensurate with the mission of that unit, e.g., level of course offerings and student demand. | |||||
| B. | Criteria for Appointment or Promotion: Following are general criteria which distinguish among academic ranks. Minimum rank criteria must be met in every recommendation regarding appointment to academic rank or promotion in academic rank, except when, in the opinion of the President, an exception is warranted. Exceptions, like appointments and promotions, must be approved by the Board. Promotion and tenure are distinct elements of faculty status. The grant or denial of either has no direct bearing on the other. For tenure considerations, see "Policy on Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Tenure, Tennessee Technological University." | ||||
| 1. | Instructor: (a) potential ability in instruction and/or scholarly activity and/or public and professional service; (b) evidence of good character, maturity of attitude, stable personality, and ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students; and (c) the Master's degree in the instructional discipline or a related area. | ||||
| 2. | Assistant Professor: (a) potential ability in instruction and/or scholarly activity and/or public and professional service; (b) evidence of good character, maturity of attitude, stable personality, and ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students; and (c) an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in the instructional discipline or a related area, OR the Master's degree in the instructional discipline when that degree is the recognized terminal degree in that instructional discipline, OR the Master's degree in the instructional discipline or a related area PLUS 30 semester hours beyond the Master's in the instructional discipline or a related area PLUS appropriate professional experience in the instructional discipline or a related area. | ||||
| 3. | Associate Professor: (a) ability (as distinct from potential alone), as manifested by creative activity in the discipline and as documented in the Procedures section of this policy, in instruction, scholarly activity, and public or professional service; (b) evidence of good character, maturity of attitude, stable personality, and ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students; (c) an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in the instructional discipline or a related area; and (d) the requisite number of years of experience in the instructional discipline or a related area to be considered for promotion, a total of five (5) years of appropriate professional experience in the instructional discipline or a related area including any prior experience. | ||||
| 4. | Professor: (a) ability (as distinct from potential alone), as manifested by continued and sustained creative activity in the discipline, as documented in the Procedures section of this policy, in instruction, scholarly activity, and public or professional service; (b) evidence of good character, maturity of attitude, stable personality, ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students, and a high degree of academic maturity and responsibility; (c) an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in the instructional discipline or a related area; and (d) the requisite number of years of experience in the instructional discipline or a related area to be considered for promotion, a total of ten (10) years of appropriate professional experience in the instructional discipline or a related area including any prior experience. | ||||
| C. | Definitions of Faculty Activities: As noted above, all full-time faculty members are expected to exhibit collegiality and to engage in instruction, scholarly activity, and public and professional service, but not all are expected to engage in each activity to the same degree nor is each individual expected to be engaged in all aspects of each activity. It must further be noted that some overlap among these related activities is to be expected. The departmental peers have the primary responsibility for evaluating the quality of faculty performance relative to appointment to or promotion in academic rank. The following descriptions of these professional activities shall be used as general guidelines in evaluating a candidate's potential (in cases of appointment) or performance (in cases of promotion). | ||||
| 1. | Instruction may consist of a combination of the following professional activities: | ||||
| a. | Classroom and laboratory teaching of credit courses and seminars, including preparation and delivery of lectures, conduct of classes, supervising laboratory work, evaluation of students, and conferences with students regarding coursework. This activity may be conducted on a team basis. | ||||
| b. | Individual instruction, including (1) directed individual studies, i.e., credit instruction on an informal individual basis; (2) private lessons, e.g., private music lessons; (3) supervision of student interns, such as students enrolled in a practicum, practice teaching, or work experience courses, and cooperative education students; including evaluation of student progress, conduct of seminars and critique sessions, and counseling of students; (4) thesis and dissertation supervision, including service as a member or chair of graduate committees; and (5) clinical teaching, as in a health-related field. | ||||
| c. | Academic advisement, including formal and informal counseling with students on academic course or program selection and scheduling, and other matters related to academic progress. | ||||
| d. | Course materials, curriculum, and teaching methodology development, such as development of new approaches, improvement of teaching materials, experimentation with teaching methodologies and assessment methods, and development of structure, content, and sequence of courses. | ||||
| e. | Non-credit instruction in professional non-credit continuing education programs and development of professional instruction programs, which may be on an assigned or overload basis. | ||||
| f. | For librarians, instruction is to be equated with the performance of professional library responsibilities. | ||||
| g. | Faculty development, i.e., formal and informal activities primarily directed to maintaining and enhancing faculty teaching capabilities. | ||||
| 2. | Scholarly Activity includes those professional activities designed to discover, create, or disseminate greater knowledge, appreciation, or understanding of an academic discipline, including, but not limited to: | ||||
| a. | Pure research, seeking new knowledge, investigating realms not covered by current understanding or challenging current understanding. | ||||
| b. | Applied research, the application of known methods or theories to specific circumstances. | ||||
| c. | Pedagogical research, the development of pedagogical techniques and their application in the classroom or laboratory, furthering the dissemination of knowledge. | ||||
| d. | Artistic creativity and performance, the creation and exhibition of works of art or crafts, or the composition and/or performance of plays, music, etc. | ||||
| e. | Faculty development, formal and informal activities primarily directed to maintain and enhance faculty research, scholarship, or creative capabilities or performance. | ||||
| Evaluation of the candidate's scholarly activity should stress the quality of the scholarship documented, and should be based on the professional judgment of peers in the discipline. Documentation of scholarly activities should manifest ability in the candidate's discipline. Some methods of documenting this evaluation include, but are not limited to, publication of articles in refereed journals, publication of books by recognized presses, proprietary research, production of juried artistic works, presentation of refereed papers at professional meetings, obtaining competitive grants from professional agencies, or similar | |||||
| 3. | Public and Professional Services includes those activities undertaken in service to the community, the University, the higher education profession as a whole, and the faculty member's academic discipline, including: | ||||
| a. | Service to students unrelated to credit instruction, such as sponsoring student organizations and extra-curricular activities, and non-assigned tutorial instruction to enhance the academic skills of students. | ||||
| b. | Service to the University, such as service on departmental, college, and University committees, assignments involving student recruitment, institutional development, public relations, and consultation with University offices. | ||||
| c. | Service to scholarly and professional organizations, including participation in such organizations as a member, officer, or committee member, as a member of an editorial board of a scholarly or professional organization, or service to accrediting organizations and agencies. | ||||
| d. | Service to the community, industry, or government, including (1) professional service, i.e., service directly related to the professional expertise of the faculty member, including consulting activities whether for compensation or not; and (2) other contributions to the cultural environment of the community, such as service as an officer or member of boards or committees, service to non-profit charitable organizations, or to governmental agencies. | ||||
| e. | Faculty development, i.e., formal and informal activities primarily directed to maintaining and enhancing faculty capabilities in public and professional service. | ||||
| 4. | Collegiality is required of all faculty members, and is evidenced by good character, maturity of attitude, stability of personality, and ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students, including: | ||||
| a. | Adherence to generally accepted standards of professional conduct in relations with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students. | ||||
| b. | Demonstrated willingness and ability to work effectively with colleagues to support the mission of the University and the common goals both of the University and of the academic department. | ||||
| c. | Rapport with colleagues, including contributions towards assisting colleagues in their instructional, scholarly, and service activities, etc. | ||||
| d. | Rapport with students, including availability for out-of-class consultation, informal student advisement, etc. | ||||
| IV. | Recommendations for Appointment | ||||
| A description of the procedures to be followed relative to appointment are described in Tennessee Technological University Policy and Procedures Manual, Human Resource Services Section, 4. Employment Procedures. http://www.tntech.edu/adminpandp/perspay/pp4.html | |||||
| The determination that a vacant academic position is to be filled, or that a new academic position is to be created, should be made in a cooperative fashion, with the faculty primarily responsible for curricular considerations, the President or his or her designee primarily responsible for budgetary considerations, and both responsible for considerations affecting the mission of the University. | |||||
| Determination of appropriate academic rank for those appointed to faculty or academic administrative positions shall be established in consultation with the departmental peers in the appropriate academic unit and is to be based on the criteria for appointment and promotion described in this policy. | |||||
| Further information related to initial appointments is to be found in the Tennessee Technological University Policy on Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Tenure, Sections III. D-G. | |||||
| V. | Recommendations for Promotions | ||||
| A detailed description of the procedures to be followed in developing a recommendation relative to promotion is included in the Promotion Procedures and Forms List. Below are considerations of several aspects of the process leading to a recommendation relative to a promotion. | |||||
| A. | The Agreement on Responsibilities: Because the responsibilities of individual faculty members may vary in carrying out the mission of his or her academic unit and the University, the Agreement on Responsibilities (Form P4 in the Procedures Packet) is a key document in evaluating faculty performance for purposes of promotion. At the time of initial appointment to academic rank, and as a part of each faculty member's annual evaluation, each faculty member shall enter into an agreement for the current calendar year, arrived at in a cooperative fashion, with the administrator (usually the chairperson of an academic department) who serves as his or her immediate academic supervisor. This Agreement on Responsibilities should reflect the current mission and objectives of the department or other academic unit, the college, and the University. Taking into account those missions and the definitions of faculty activities in Section III.C, this agreement shall set forth those areas in which the faculty member expects to perform most effectively in his or her professional responsibilities to the University and the wider community, and the relative weights to be assigned to the areas of instruction, advisement, research, University service, public service, and administration. Hence, this form specifies those weights and responsibilities by which he or she will expect to be evaluated for purposes of promotion. | ||||
| In the event that any faculty member's Agreement on Responsibilities indicates an unusual amount of responsibility in any one area, to the apparent detriment of the other traditional areas of faculty activity, he or she shall prepare a statement, in cooperation with his or her immediate academic supervisor, describing the circumstances requiring this unusual assignment, giving the reasons therefore, in order that the responsibilities of the faculty member might be clear to those evaluating his or her performance. Deficiencies in one or more area of faculty responsibility should be balanced by superiority in other areas. | |||||
| Each faculty member, and every departmental chairperson or other academic supervisor, is expected to be familiar with the minimum criteria for promotion in academic rank. Should a faculty member and his or her immediate academic supervisor reach an Agreement on Responsibilities which might preclude promotion to the next academic rank, that fact should be noted on the Agreement on Responsibilities. Satisfactory fulfillment of such mutually acceptable agreements does not entitle a faculty member to promotion if minimum rank criteria have not been met. | |||||
| Both the Agreement on Responsibilities and any explanatory statement amplifying it may be revised at any time by mutual consent. The original and revised forms of these agreements shall be kept in the departmental files, and incorporated into a candidate's promotion dossier. | |||||
| B. | Evaluation of Faculty Activities: Promotion in rank is an acknowledgment that a faculty member has achieved the level of professional excellence and ability demonstrated by other faculty members of that rank in the academic discipline and in the department in which the faculty member holds academic appointment. | ||||
| Evaluation of faculty activities for purposes of promotion shall be based on the descriptions of instruction, scholarly activity, and public and professional service contained in Section III.C. of this policy, and on the suitability of his or her character, attitude, and personality, including ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students. The most significant document in the evaluative process should be the Agreement on Responsibilities discussed in Section V.A. above. While all members of the faculty are expected to engage in all areas of faculty responsibility, the weight given each area for an individual candidate for promotion is established in this document. Therefore, evaluation of the candidacy for promotion of a faculty member who meets the minimum criteria for promotion to the next academic rank, as established in Section III.B. above, must be based on his or her satisfactory fulfillment of his or her Agreement on Responsibilities. | |||||
| The President's letter of recommendation to the Chancellor shall be based upon the initial recommendation of the departmental peers of the candidate, reviewed by the departmental chairperson or other immediate academic supervisor, the appropriate academic dean, and the Vice-President for Academic Affairs. This recommendation shall be based on evaluations of the candidate's performance of professional responsibilities under his or her Agreement on Responsibilities, as discussed in detail in the Promotion Procedures and Forms List, and on the suitability of his or her character, attitude, and personality, including ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students. | |||||
| C. | Appeals of Promotion Decisions 1. Should a faculty member be dissatisfied with the decision respecting his or her promotion at any point in the promotion process up to, but not including the recommendation of the President to the Chancellor, he or she may appeal that decision through the Faculty Affairs Committee, and/or the Tennessee Technological University Grievance and Complaint Policy or a committee specifically empowered by the President to handle such appeals. 2. Should a faculty member be dissatisfied with the decision respecting his or her promotion made by the President, the Chancellor, or the TBR Committee on Personnel, he or she may appeal that decision to the next level, culminating in the Board. | ||||
| D. | General Process Requirements: So that the decision process can be as objective as possible, each recommendation shall be accompanied by complete and careful documentation of the candidate's performance in the areas of instruction, scholarly activity, public and professional service, and the suitability of his/her character, attitude, and personality, including ability to interact effectively with colleagues, administrators, staff, and students. After the requisite number of years of appropriate professional experience in rank, a full-time faculty member must be considered for promotion to the next highest academic rank. The departmental chairperson or other immediate academic supervisor shall be responsible for determining when a faculty member will complete the requisite number of years of appropriate professional experience in rank, and shall inform the faculty member at the beginning of the academic year that he or she may be a candidate for promotion. Should the faculty member decline to be a candidate for promotion, he or she must so state in writing, and the written statement must be included in the faculty member's departmental file. Should the faculty member decide to be a candidate for promotion, the chairperson shall then initiate the promotion process on the departmental level. That process is discussed in detail in the Promotion Procedures and Forms List. In the event that a faculty member wishes to be considered for promotion as an exception to the criteria established in this policy, it may be necessary that the faculty member, rather than the departmental chairperson or other immediate academic supervisor, take the initiative to begin the promotion process. The faculty member should request written permission from the President to inaugurate the process and include this permission in the dossier. Permission to seek promotion by exception does not prejudge the outcome of the promotion process, and requests for promotion by exception must conform to all other requirements of this policy and the accompanying procedures. Any faculty member who has declined consideration for promotion, or who has been denied promotion, may be considered for promotion in any subsequent year. After the recommendation of the departmental peers has been reviewed by the chairperson, dean, and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, the candidate's dossier shall be forwarded to the President for either approval and submission to the Chancellor, with the "Institutional Promotion Report," or denial. The Chancellor's recommendation will be forwarded to the Committee on Personnel, and that committee's recommendation will be sent to the Board for final action. | ||||
| [Approved by the General Faculty Fall, 1997; approved by the TBR Summer, 1998; editorially revised by the University Assembly April 20, 2001.] | |||||
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This page maintained by Carol Holley. Last Updated: September 12, 2003 |