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

RESOLVED,         that the existing University policy on Minimum Standards for Promotion in the Faculty Handbook (modifications to current policy are shown in Attachment 1) be revised to:

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.

ATTACHMENT 1

To Accompany RESOLUTION TO MODIFY FACULTY HANDBOOK CONCERNING UNIVERSITY PROMOTION AND TENURE POLICY AND MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR PROMOTION

Existing Policy in the Faculty Handbook (strikethrough text to be deleted; underlined text to be added)

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.