Promotion and Tenure Standards & Procedures

I. Goals of Standards and Procedures

A. Purpose

The School of Journalism conducts a rigorous and fair evaluation of faculty performance in considering the award of tenure and/or promotion. A candidate’s record of teaching, scholarship and service is evaluated according to the policies of the University and the standards of the School. The review is based on the entirety of the candidate’s record, not on isolated or biased sources of information. In general, successful candidates for promotion and tenure will meet expectations in all categories, and strong candidates will likely exceed expectations in one or more categories.

B. Responsibility

The School’s Promotion & Tenure (herein “P&T”) Committee conducts the review and makes its recommendation to the dean. The P&T Committee comprises all members of the tenured faculty holding the rank of associate or full professor, with the exception of the dean, who is not a voting member. No undergraduate or graduate students, untenured faculty members or unclassified academic staff may be members.

The P&T Committee elects a chair, who assigns to committee members the responsibility for reviewing the candidate’s Teaching, Scholarship and Service. The P&T members conduct their review in complete academic freedom, with concomitant responsibility to exercise this freedom responsibly. As a result, the Journalism P&T Committee’s recommendation to the dean provides a thorough examination of the complete record and the impartial application of standards and procedures.

II. Teaching Standard

A. School Guidelines

The School of Journalism believes teaching is a primary function of the University, which strives to provide an outstanding education for its students. The School values deep knowledge within a field and the ability of a teacher to convey that understanding in clear and engaging ways. In accordance with University guidelines, the School’s Teaching Standard provides the criteria for assessing how a faculty member’s teaching should result in periodic, measurable accomplishment for each rank as follows.

B. Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

For the award of tenure and/or promotion to associate professor, the record must demonstrate effective teaching, as reflected in such factors as:

• Command of the subject matter
• Ability to communicate effectively in the classroom
• Demonstrated commitment to student learning
• Involvement in providing advice and support for students outside the classroom.

The record of an assistant professor who seeks promotion and tenure must demonstrate success in the classroom, as reflected in such factors as:

• A qualitative, quantitative, and contextual examination of student evaluations
• Peer evaluations of teaching by other School P&T members
• Awards or citations of teaching merit

C. Promotion to Full Professor

For promotion to the rank of professor, the record must demonstrate continued effectiveness and growth as a teacher, as reflected in such factors as:

• Mastery of the subject matter, strong classroom teaching skills
• Ongoing commitment to student learning
• Active involvement in providing advice and support for students outside the classroom

The record of an associate professor who seeks promotion must include indicators of success in the classroom and beyond, as reflected in such factors as:

• A qualitative, quantitative, and contextual examination of student evaluations
• Peer evaluations of teaching by other School P&T members
• Awards or citations of teaching merit
• Testimonials of former students who have achieved prominence in the professions or academia
• Major textbooks published in the teaching area (with good reviews and wide acceptance enhancing their status)
• Invitations to lecture or present on teaching techniques
• Published work on teaching in national professional venues
• Published scholarship on pedagogy in national academic venues

III. Scholarship Standard

A. School Guidelines

The School of Journalism believes scholarship is an essential component of the University’s mission as a center of learning. In accordance with University guidelines, the School’s Scholarship Standard provides the criteria for assessing how a faculty member’s scholarship indicates a sustainable program of scholarly activity. This assessment will take into account the candidate’s allocation of effort among scholarship, teaching and service, plus other conditions specified in writing at the time of that individual’s hiring or in subsequent performance reviews.

The evaluation of scholarship requires an understanding of the expectations within specific disciplines, the professional fields of journalism. The School considers scholarship within each field to encompass all products that are accepted according to professional standards and that provide tangible evidence of scholarly or creative effort advancing the discipline. The School recognizes that although the nature of scholarship varies by discipline, the University adheres to a high quality standard for faculty scholarship in all disciplines.

In accordance with accreditation guidelines of the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), the School values both traditional academic scholarship and creative professional activity. We believe honoring both endeavors serves the ACEJMC goal of fostering “a climate that supports critical analysis and the expression of differing points of view.” Consequently the School’s criteria for judging scholarship and creative activity parallel ACEJMC’s standards:

• Quality, prestige and degree of selectivity of venue
• Breadth of exposure
• Impact
• Scholarly research may include activity resulting in publication such as journal articles, books and book chapters. The School considers criteria such as whether the candidate was the lead author, a co-author or fulfilled an essential role in an interdisciplinary research team, particularly when the candidate’s contribution included obtaining external funding. The School recognizes that such projects can span years from the proposal for funding to the publication of research findings.

Evaluation criteria for Scholarship may include:

• Reputation and appropriateness of the journal or the academic press
• Review method, whether blind and/or peer-reviewed
• Audience (in a specific field or interdisciplinary) and scope (national, international)
• Contribution to the body of knowledge
• Sustained trajectory, whether within the candidate’s area of expertise or focus
• Recognition as evidenced by citations, references, testimonials or awards
• Funding source, whether internal (within the School/University) or external
• Outcome, such as effect on industry practice, government policy, law and codes, or public opinion

Evaluation criteria for Creative Professional Activity may include:

• Reputation, whether in respected journalism venues (newspapers, magazines, television, radio, Web sites) or in media serving journalism professionals
• Review method, whether it was judged and selected by respected professionals
• Audience: significance in size and exposure (international, national or regional) or composition (practitioners in the profession)
• Impact, whether it resulted in real-world outcomes or affected public opinion, industry practice, government policy or programs, or law and code changes
• Funding source, whether internal (within the School/University) or external
• Depth and originality, whether it reflects innovation within the field
• In accordance with University guidelines, the School’s Scholarship Standard provides the criteria for assessing how a faculty member’s scholarship should result in periodic, measurable accomplishment for each rank as follows.

B. Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

For the award of tenure and/or promotion to associate professor, the record must demonstrate a successfully developing scholarly career, as reflected in such factors as:

• Quality and quantity of publications or creative activities
• External reviews by respected scholars at the associate level or practitioners in the field
• Candidate’s regional, national and/or international reputation
• Other evidence of an active and productive scholarly agenda

C. Promotion to Full Professor

For promotion to the rank of professor, the record must demonstrate an established scholarly career, as reflected in such factors as:

• Substantial and ongoing pattern of publication or creative activity
• External reviews by eminent scholars at full professor level or practitioners in the field
• Candidate’s national or international reputation
• Other evidence of an active and productive scholarly career

IV. Service Standard

A. School Guidelines

The School of Journalism believes service is an essential part of being a good citizen and an important responsibility that all faculty members contribute to the University’s performance of its larger mission. The nature of service depends on individual faculty members’ allocation of effort and on their interests and abilities.

Service may include:

• Professional service through activity in academic and media organizations
• Leadership of an academic or professional organization, such as chairing a division
• School committees, work groups, and assignments
• Professionally related service outside the University (local, state, regional)
• Professional or scholarly publications about service

Criteria that could significantly enhance the ranking of service include:

• Honors or awards for professional service
• The nature and time commitment of the service
• Administrative assignments and leadership positions in the School, University, professional and academic organizations require a commitment that exceeds typical service.

Examples of administrative assignments include:

• Heading one of the School’s academic tracks
• Chairing a major committee such as Promotion and Tenure
• Managing a national contest

B. Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

For the award of tenure and/or promotion to associate professor, the record must demonstrate a pattern of service to the University at one or more levels, to the discipline or profession, and/or to the local, state, national, or international communities.

C. Promotion to Full Professor

For promotion to the rank of professor, the record must demonstrate an ongoing pattern of service reflecting substantial contributions to the University at one or more levels, to the discipline or profession, and/or to the local, state, national, or international communities.

V. Procedures

A. Purpose

The School of Journalism encourages all faculty members to continue developing as teachers, scholars and service providers throughout their academic career. The School of Journalism abides by University policy in all pre- and post-tenure decisions. Each faculty member annually prepares a three-year plan and has the opportunity to discuss his or her individual goals and allocation of effort with the dean. During this annual review process, faculty members may address possible promotion in rank during the following academic year.

For tenure-track assistant professors preparing for mandatory review, and for associate professors seeking promotion, the following procedures apply.

B. Responsibility

Faculty Development is the responsibility of the associate dean for graduate studies and faculty development. For new tenure-track faculty, the associate dean coordinates with tenured faculty members to form mentoring committees to coach candidates in meeting the School’s Teaching, Scholarship and Service Standards. These committees provide input to the P&T committee and dean for the candidate’s third-year review.

C. Tenure Preparation

Faculty members approaching tenure meet with the dean and P&T chair during the spring of the year before going up. The dean and P&T chair review with the candidate the School’s and University’s procedures and requirements for tenure application and the School’s Timetable (see end of document) with due dates for each step.

D. During Tenure Review

The Promotion & Tenure Committee forms three subcommittees to organize the review by all tenured faculty of the candidate’s Teaching, Scholarship and Service.

The committee as a whole will prevent participation of persons with a clear conflict of interest or persons who would compromise the impartiality of an evaluation or recommendation. Any candidate may petition the committee for recusal of a committee member by sending a letter to that effect to the committee chair by Sept. 1 in the semester of the review. In addition, outside reviewers (see #2 below) will assist in evaluating the candidate’s scholarship and/or creative professional activity.

The entire review process is considered a confidential personnel matter that may not be discussed with anyone outside the P&T committee or dean’s office. Dossiers are kept in a secure location accessed only by members of P&T.

1. Teaching

The candidate’s teaching evaluation is overseen by a P&T teaching committee, consisting of a chair and co-chair. The teaching committee reviews everything the candidate has submitted in the dossier, such as syllabi, course materials, peer and student evaluations, the candidate’s statement of teaching philosophy and goals, public representations of teaching and any other relevant information. The committee organizes classroom visits by P&T members and collects feedback from those visits. The teaching committee prepares and reports a summary of findings and a recommendation to the P&T committee as a whole.

2. Scholarship and/or Creative Professional Activity

In selecting outside reviewers, the School follows the Provost Office’s Guidelines on External Evaluations, Promotion and Tenure Review 2010-2011.

The dean organizes and solicits outside reviewers from peer institutions in consultation with the P&T committee. The candidate may suggest to the dean six outside reviewers and may eliminate two additional names from consideration.

Outside reviewers are told that their work will be held as confidential to the extent permitted by law. Candidates do not have access to outside reviews. No more than three of the candidate’s list of possible reviewers can be selected as reviewers.

The candidate’s scholarship and/or creative professional activity evaluation is overseen by a P&T scholarship committee, consisting of a chair and co-chair. The scholarship committee reviews everything the candidate has submitted in the dossier, and all members of P&T read and assess the candidates’ output. (To ensure an independent evaluation of scholarship, P&T members read the candidate’s scholarship before receiving access to the outside reviewer’s reports.)

The scholarship committee prepares and reports a summary of findings and a recommendation to the P&T committee as a whole.

3. Service

A service chair and co-chair review this section of the candidate’s dossier and prepare a summary and a recommendation for the P&T committee as a whole.

E. Tenure Review Committee Recommendations and the Vote

After reviewing reports and recommendations from the teaching, scholarship and service committees, the committee as a whole votes in each of the three categories, counting the votes in each of the five possible levels: “excellent,” “ very good,” “good,” “marginal,” or poor” as defined by University standards. Then, the P&T committee provides a recommendation to the dean, which the dean considers before making an independent evaluation of the candidate.

1. Dean’s Notification

Upon completion of the review, the candidate will be given a summary of the evaluation, including the recommendation of the committee, its rating of the candidate in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service, and a statement of reasons for those ratings, and whether the committee of the whole concurred in the recommendations. The summary will be prepared by the teaching, scholarship and service chairs, and the P&T committee chair and vice-chair. The dean will communicate the recommendations to the candidate and provide the candidate with a copy of the corresponding evaluation section of the promotion and tenure form.

If the recommendation is positive, the dean will forward the dossier to the University committee for consideration. The dean may choose to write a letter agreeing with the committee’s decision but, in accordance with University guidelines, does not have to do so.

In the event that the committee’s recommendation is negative, the dean will immediately communicate the decision in writing to the candidate, and if the review will not be forwarded, the candidate will be informed that he or she may request that the record be forwarded for further review.

2. Candidate’s Right to Respond

The candidate may submit a written response to a negative recommendation or to a final rating of teaching, scholarship or service below the level of “good.” The written response will go forward with the dossier to the next level of review.

If UCPT sends a request for information to the School, the dean will provide a copy of the request to the candidate and will inform the School P&T committee.

The candidate will have the opportunity to participate in the preparation of the School’s response to the request for information and/or to submit his or her own documentation or comment to the UCPT.

F. Review of Candidates for Full Professor

The School P&T committee and dean conduct this review using the same procedure as for tenure review.

Journalism P&T Approximate Timetable

The timetable provides an overview of “what happens when” and as a result, how things come together in stages. The timeframes are approximate, so that some things can be completed (for the most part) early, removing pressure from the final months. It’s much easier to produce “first drafts” on this timetable and to submit updated versions later – and to add additional materials.

As each candidate enters the review year, this “approximate” timetable should be replaced by an actual one, so that due dates are established and review meetings can be scheduled.

Revised Fall 2010 to reflect University Standards and Procedures. Adopted by Promotion and Tenure Committee vote Sept. 10, 2010. Reviewed 1/2021