Promotion Policy and Guidelines
I. Introduction
The ultimate purpose of the process of promotion in academic rank is to encourage faculty members to achieve their highest potential and to foster their development in teaching, scholarship, and service to the University and the community. Promotion in academic rank signifies that a faculty member has demonstrated accomplishments in teaching, scholarship 1, and service to the University and the community. Promotion in academic rank demonstrates the confidence that the university has in the faculty member's potential for increasing accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, and service to the University and the community.
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1The term scholarship in this document is defined broadly as including research, scholarly activities, and creative activity, which vary from discipline to discipline. Such scholarly work is not limited to traditional forms of expression; it also includes scholarly activities involving digital media, digital methods, and digital form. In addition to encouraging scholarly achievement in the traditional scholarly communication model, the university also encourages achievement by faculty members in digital scholarship. Each academic unit bears primary responsibility for evaluating the quality of scholarship appropriate to the discipline. Further, the University promotes the vision of open access to taxpayer-funded academic research.
Similarly, the university encourages achievement by faculty members in interdisciplinary and collaborative scholarship and in interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching. Tenure and promotion evaluations, and all other faculty evaluations, shall recognize achievements in digital scholarship, achievements in interdisciplinary and collaborative scholarship, and achievements in interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching. These activities enhance competency as a teacher and contribute to the publicly available knowledge in the candidate's academic field.
Approved by Chancellor Furst-Bowe 02/19/2014
Approved by Faculty Senate 02/06/2014, WC#06-13/14
Approved by Welfare Council 11/21/2013
