Marywood University Policy & Procedure Information

Promotion of Faculty Members

Policy Statement

The Rank and Tenure Committee gives careful consideration to applications for elevation in rank and makes recommendations for promotion. While it is the responsibility of the Rank and Tenure Committee to evaluate relevant data and documentation, it is the responsibility of the applicant to establish its validity and significance.

It is of utmost importance, therefore, that faculty members familiarize themselves fully with the standards in effect for promotion before submitting their cases for consideration.

The attainment of each successive elevation in rank must be the result of an increase in, rather than merely a continuance of, a person’s value to the department and to the total University. A new promotion is not granted on the same merits that justified a previous one.

Each elevation in rank must be earned by the precise fulfillment of the specified requirements for the rank, with each succeeding rank’s requirements more demanding than the one before. Promotion depends on the blending of two principal factors, cumulative time and cumulative accomplishment. Just as an accumulation of years of service at a fixed level of performance cannot be a valid reason for successive promotion, neither can an unusual level of accomplishment unaccompanied by the requisite years of service to the University result in a premature promotion. Promotion depends, also, on the demonstration of commitment to work jointly with faculty, students, administrators, and staff for the growth and welfare of the University.

Advancement in rank occurs by action of the President of the University.

Definitions

This revised Promotion of Faculty Members policy is effective July 1, 2016. Faculty members whose date of hire as full time is before July 1, 2016, may choose the policy in effect prior to that date if they wish.

Procedures

The person requesting elevation in rank should apply the following procedures rigidly in order to avoid dismissal of the application on mere technical grounds. If the candidate decides to withdraw the application, he/she must do so by October 17 or February 21.

Applicants for Associate Professor or Clinical Associate Professor may apply in their fifth year of service to Marywood or its administratively approved equivalent. Applicants for full Professor or Clinical Professor may apply in their fifth year after earning Associate Professor or Clinical Associate Professor.

In applying these procedures for promotion of faculty librarians, the Director of Library Services acts in place of both dean and department head. If the candidate decides to withdraw the application, he/she must do so by October 17 or February 21.

If a due date below falls on a weekend or a holiday, the due date becomes the next business day.

1. By September 1 or January 10, the faculty member initiates the process by submitting a Notification of Application for Promotion in Academic Rank form to the Chair of the Rank and Tenure Committee. The Chair will then be responsible for informing the Provost, the appropriate dean, and the head of the applicant’s department.

2. By September 21 or January 28, the applicant submits a paper and an electronic copy of the Application for Promotion in Academic Rank form, together with an up-to-date curriculum vitae and a narrative not to exceed an equivalent of 50 printed pages in 12-point font to the head of the applicant’s department and the appropriate dean. The candidate may submit supplementary materials in the form of appendices. The application must be structured based on how the promotion criteria section of the Faculty Handbook is organized. The document must be numbered sequentially, include definitions of terms related to one’s discipline, and carefully proofread. Appendices are limited to teaching evaluations and evidence for scholarship as well as 12 letters of support.

3. By October 7 or February 14, the department head submits to the applicant and the dean of the appropriate college a recommendation letter that is based on a thorough review of the application materials in both paper and electronic format as well as the application materials in both formats.

If a candidate for promotion is the chair of a department, the most senior member of the department (who must not be the candidate) acts as chair during the process. This senior member must hold at least the rank to which the candidate aspires. If no appropriate senior faculty member is available, the Rank and Tenure Committee, in consultation with the appropriate dean and the candidate, chooses a senior faculty member from another department to act as chair. This faculty member must also hold the rank to which the candidate aspires.

4. By October 17 or February 28, the appropriate dean or the Director of Library Services reviews the evaluation of the department head when applicable and submits a recommendation letter and all application materials to the Chair of the Rank and Tenure Committee in both paper and electronic format. The recommendation letter is to be based on a thorough review of the application materials.

5. The Rank and Tenure Committee evaluates the application and submits its recommendation, vote, and materials upon which the recommendation was based to the Provost in both paper and electronic format.

6. Having received all materials by November 21 or March 27, the Provost evaluates the application with its accompanying documents, and submits a recommendation with the materials upon which it is based to the President of the University. This includes the Rank and Tenure Committee’s recommendation and vote, all other recommendations, and all application and evaluative documents in paper and electronic format.

7. Having received the documents by January 10 or April 22, the President of the University reviews them and renders a final decision. The President or the Provost informs the faculty member of the status of the application, including the recommendations of all reviewing bodies. In the case of a negative decision, the criteria not met are communicated to the applicant.

All materials submitted by the applicant will be returned at the conclusion of the process.

Criteria
Assistant Professor/Clinical Assistant Professor

For elevation to the rank of Assistant Professor, a tenure track faculty member possessing a doctoral degree or the terminal degree in the appropriate discipline must provide evidence of having completed at least one year of consistently effective full-time teaching or librarianship at Marywood University as described in The Teaching Responsibility or The Librarianship Responsibility, and attested to by the evaluation procedures of the University. Clinical Faculty members who aspire for elevation to the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor must possess a terminal degree and, if applicable, certification necessary for clinical or professional practice in their discipline and provide evidence of having completed at least one year of consistently effective teaching at Marywood University as described in The Teaching Responsibility and attested to by the evaluation procedures of the University. The requirement of one year's full-time teaching or librarianship at Marywood would not apply in the case of initial appointments.

For elevation to the rank of Assistant Professor or Clinical Assistant Professor, a faculty member not holding a doctoral degree must hold a master’s degree and provide evidence of

having attained the terminal degree and, if applicable, certification necessary for clinical or professional practice in the appropriate discipline.
In each case, the credits for professional credentials must have been attained before the date of application for advancement, and must enhance the individual’s contribution to teaching or librarianship at Marywood.
having served for three academic years as an Instructor with effective teaching or librarianship ability as described in The Teaching Responsibility or The Librarianship Responsibility, and attested to by the evaluation procedures of the University; or having completed a minimum of three years of experience demonstrated to be relevant to the applicant’s University performance. This requirement must include at least one academic year at Marywood. Graduate fellowships and summer teaching do not satisfy the full-time teaching requirement.

Associate Professor/Clinical Associate Professor

For elevation to the rank of Associate Professor or Clinical Associate Professor, a faculty member must

hold the rank of Assistant Professor or Clinical Assistant Professor;
have completed a minimum of five years of consistently effective full-time teaching or librarianship (a candidate whose initial appointment was at the Assistant Professor level may apply during the fifth year of Assistant Professorship at Marywood University; a candidate whose initial appointment was at the instructor level must complete a minimum of four years at the Assistant Professorship at Marywood University prior to applying for promotion to Associate Professor or Clinical Associate Professor);
have earned a doctoral degree from an institution with regional accreditation or, in exceptional cases, present evidence of doctoral equivalency as described in the University’s statement on Doctoral Equivalency, or for Clinical Assistant Professor have earned the terminal degree and, if applicable, certification necessary for clinical or professional have given evidence of performing in a collegial manner and of continued professional growth and value to the University by declaring and submitting documentation of significant achievement in all of the criteria below.

Academic and Clinical Faculty

1. Teaching Expectations

Teaching expectations follow from Marywood University’s mission, which “roots itself in the principle of justice and a belief that education empowers people.” Faculty members are required to develop their courses according to these ideals in alignment with expected student learning outcomes.

Accordingly, faculty must develop courses that create a positive learning environment, one in which students can discover and enhance the inherent love of learning. In addition, where relevant, students should confront the moral and ethical issues that courses raise. A constructive learning environment enables students to grow as persons and to develop special competencies for responsible leadership and service in meeting human needs. The teacher serves to facilitate the growth and development of students through engaging lectures and active learning strategies. Teachers as facilitators recognize that education is both a process and an outcome that meets general and professional education goals, including the student’s ability to comprehend, reason, analyze, create, communicate, lead, and work with others.

More specifically, all faculty members will be expected to

develop and evolve academically rigorous and challenging courses;
plan, organize, and deliver instruction clearly and coherently;
communicate ideas effectively;
present material accurately and substantively;
create interest in subject matter;
devise appropriate assignments;
instill in students critical thinking skills;
encourage active learning;
create environments that foster independent and creative learning;
demonstrate, whenever possible, the relationship between subject matter and the human condition;
assess student needs and progress;
encourage and supervise independent student research, mentor and work cooperatively with students to nurture research potential;
model the research and quest for knowledge paradigm;
advise students with commitment and dedication;
show genuine concern for students;
be flexible and responsive to student feedback;
be available during scheduled office hours;
relate effectively and positively to students;
demonstrate an awareness and respect for informed views other than their own;
remain current in their discipline;
engage in self-evaluation of teaching. The individual faculty member is a student leading other students in the process of continued study and research.

The above expectations of teaching effectiveness will be used for promotion and tenure. Toward these ends, it is suggested that faculty members will be evaluated according to several methods, including course evaluations, evaluations from the department chair, peer review, and self-evaluation.

2. Service and Leadership

Faculty service is essential to the University’s success in serving its mission, and is a responsibility of all faculty members. The amount of service is correlated with academic rank, with senior faculty members expected to provide the greater amount of service and to provide leadership.

The activities shown as examples in each of the following service areas are not intended to be all inclusive, nor are they intended to exclude other relevant service or leadership activities.

Ongoing service to the University Department includes contribution to the effective functioning of the department within the University in such ways as:

serving in the critical role of department chair;
developing curricula;
authoring materials for accreditation reports and evaluation;
taking responsibility for developing and administering curriculum areas within the department;
screening prospective faculty members;
producing instructional materials;
serving as departmental liaison to the Library;
service to students such as acting as faculty moderator for clubs, groups, organizations, and field trips;
contributions furthering diversity within the University through participation in recruitment, retention and mentoring of new faculty members and students;
and, in general, contributing to the growth of the department.

Ongoing significant service to the University community’s academic, cultural, administrative, and student affairs and ongoing involvement in community service related to the mission, goals or core values of the University to include activities such as:

representing one’s department as chair within the context of the college and university;
chairing and/or serving on College, University Standing, or ad hoc committees;
service in faculty governance;
serving in the critical role of President of Faculty Senate;
designing and/or teaching courses outside one’s department;
participating in the planning and development of new programs;
sharing professional expertise;
organizing or presenting workshops or institutes sponsored by Marywood University;
conducting in-service institutes and training sessions;
providing consultation to community groups relative to one’s discipline or field;
making presentations to community groups and organizations;
serving on boards or community advisory groups;
preparing limited circulation, non-published materials;
consulting;
developing websites or software programs (when such does not satisfy criteria for scholarship);
publishing in popular magazines or newspapers;
participation in organizations that serve the community.

Ongoing academic service to one’s discipline-field includes activities such as:

holding a key leadership position in an international/national/regional/state academic, professional organization;
serving on evaluating and accrediting bodies in one’s discipline or field.

When documenting service to the discipline field or to the community, it is advisable to clarify, if possible, how that service enhances the academic reputation of the institution or contributes to the mission of the University (e.g., by documenting the esteem of an organization within the discipline).

Library Faculty

1. Librarianship

Consistently effective librarianship ability as characterized by qualities described in The Librarianship Responsibility, and attested to by the evaluation procedures of the University.

2. Service and Leadership

Faculty service is essential to the University’s success in serving its mission, and is a responsibility of all faculty members. The amount of service is correlated with academic rank, with senior faculty members expected to provide greater amount of service and to provide leadership.

The activities shown as examples in each of the following service areas are not intended to be all inclusive, nor is it intended to exclude other relevant service or leadership activities.

Ongoing service to the Library includes contribution to the effective functioning of the Library within the University, in such ways as demonstrating competence and good professional judgment in

assisting library users in locating information;
instructing users on the effective use of library resources;
producing relevant instructional materials for information literacy;
selecting library materials in whatever format is appropriate to support the current needs and long-range goals of the Library;
establishing and maintaining procedures for the effective and economical acquisition of Library resources;
instituting and managing bibliographic systems that effectively organize and control the Library resources;
facilitating and streamlining user access to Library collections and resources, and to the collections and resources of other colleges and universities;
using and evaluating automated systems that support the principal activities and services of the Library;
directing, guiding and developing Library employees;
screening of prospective faculty librarians;
serving as a Library liaison to academic departments;
service to students such as acting as faculty moderator for clubs, groups, organizations, and field trips;
furthering diversity within the University through participation in recruitment, retention and mentoring of new faculty and students;
and, in general, contributing to the growth of the Library.

chairing and serving on College, University Standing, or ad hoc committees;
service in faculty governance;
serving in the critical role of President of Faculty Senate;
effectively communicating knowledge of Library organization, policy and goals, and maintaining positive working relationships with academic departments and programs;
participating in the planning and development of new Library initiatives;
sharing professional expertise;
organizing or presenting workshops or institutes sponsored by Marywood University;
conducting in-service institutes and training sessions;
providing consultation to community groups relative to one’s discipline or field;
making presentations to community groups and organizations;
serving on boards or community advisory groups;
preparing limited circulation, non-published materials;
consulting;
developing websites or software programs (when such does not satisfy criteria for scholarship);
publishing in popular magazines or newspapers;
participation in organizations that serve the community.

Ongoing academic service to one’s discipline-field includes activities such as

holding a key leadership position in an international/national/regional/
state academic, professional organization;
serving on evaluating and accrediting bodies in one’s discipline or field;
editing a professional journal or newsletter, or serving as a peer reviewer for a professional journal.

3. Scholarship/Creative Activity/Clinical Activity

As part of the review process, each tenure track candidate for promotion and tenure must articulate a well-defined and focused scholarly/creative agenda.

Because non-tenure track clinical faculty are practitioners or field experts, scholarship for advancement to Clinical Assistant and Associate Professor may be supplanted by professional practice, contributions to the professional discipline, contributions to policy making and valuable developments in the profession. These substitute activities will not be sufficient to advance to Clinical Full Professor.

All members of the faculty must be persons of scholarly ability and attainments. Their qualifications are to be evaluated on the quality of their published work and the depth and breadth of their intellectual accomplishments. Attainment may be in the realm of scientific investigation, in the realm of constructive contributions, or in the realm of the creative arts.

Scholarship/creative activity, an important component of effective teaching/librarianship, enables faculty members to share with students new methodologies and recent advancements in the disciplines.

Scholarship/creative activity refers to knowledge production that has been subjected to an external, peer-refereed screening process prior to being made public. Scholarship/creative activity can take many forms depending on the academic discipline. These forms may include: books; scholarly articles; book chapters; creative writing; musical scores; book reviews; conference proceedings; monographs; works of art; recordings; translations; editing a book or a scholarly journal; conference presentations; addresses/lectures at other institutions; artistic performances; published research studies in print or electronic format and grant applications (funded and unfunded); reviewing and writing textbooks; development of websites or software programs (when such can be distinguished from service); conducting workshops for local, state or national organizations. Sample evidence for assessing achievement may include citations; reprints; reviews of published work, performances, or exhibitions; patents; prestigious grants; awards and prizes; adoption of work by others; membership on an editorial board of a scholarly publication; invited presentations by state, regional, national, or international organizations.

In case of multiple authorship or shared creation of scholarly/creative productions, documentation must include a detailed description of the involvement by the faculty member. Disciplines differ in how they list authorship; the candidate should address this. Documentation of scholarly/creative productions must also specify the nature of the review process (e.g. journal acceptance rates). Faculty members have the final responsibility for documenting the importance of their work in the areas described above.

Academic Departments

Appropriate levels of achievement in scholarship/creative activity vary by discipline and specialization, as do the kinds of evidence of success. Candidates for promotion and tenure will be evaluated based on approved department standards for defining scholarship/creative activity/or continuing clinical expertise, which must be consistent with the University-wide standards as established within this section. Though both are germane, quality of achievement is more important than quantity; candidates should show a track record that indicates promise of continued contribution in their field.

Each academic department must identify the kinds of scholarship its discipline(s) encourages. This description should be grounded in each discipline’s literature, and it must be mindful of Marywood’s mission and the missions of the college and the department.

Each department must also create guidelines that indicate how a faculty member succeeds in attaining an appropriate level of Achievement in scholarship/creative activity/continuing clinical expertise. The guidelines should be weighted to take into account the discipline’s valuing of evidence of achievement. Each department may want to list these guidelines in order of importance. In shaping their guidelines, departments should use language that is understandable to people in other disciplines.

Professor/Clinical Professor

For promotion to the rank of Professor or Clinical Professor, a faculty member must

hold the rank of Associate Professor or Clinical Associate Professor;
have completed a minimum of five additional years of consistently effective full-time teaching beyond the time of promotion to Associate Professor (a candidate may apply during the fifth year of Associate Professorship at Marywood);
have attained a doctoral degree from an institution with regional accreditation or, in exceptional cases, present evidence as described in the University’s statement on Doctoral Equivalency, or have earned the terminal degree and, if applicable, certification necessary for clinical or professional practice;
have given evidence of performing in a collegial manner and of continued professional growth and value to the University by demonstrating ongoing fulfillment of all the criteria listed under Associate Professor. This evidence must reveal significant cumulative progress since the time of application for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor or Clinical Associate Professor.

Related Policies

Related Committees

History

07/01/89 - Reaffirmed with publication of Faculty Manual, 2.5
07/01/03 - Editorial changes made to reflect academic restructuring
04/17/04 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University to include faculty librarians
12/02/05 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University.
09/11/07 - The word "consistently" was inserted in the first line under Professor
01/19/08 - Amended to reflect that decisions on tenure and promotion of faculty members are made by the President of the University.
05/02/08 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University
05/22/08 - Revision approved by the President of the University to clarify requirement for elevation to the rank of Assistant Professor for applicants not holding a doctoral degree.
06/24/09 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Executive Committee of the Policy Committee of the University
09/09/09 - Change in Procedure No. 3 recommended by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and approved.
05/04/10 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Executive Committee of the Policy Committee of the University.
05/16/13 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University.
12/04/13 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University.
10/09/14 - Revision approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University.
05/10/16 - Revision to dates were made to reflect the later start of second semester and to coincide with tenure dates. Revision was approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University.
10/12/16 - Revision to reinsert the Professor/Clinical Professor section which was inadvertently deleted on the previous proposal approved during the May 2016 Policy Committee Meeting was approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University.