The official policies and procedures at Stephen F. Austin State University concerning tenure and promotion are described in the following documents from the Policies and Procedures Manual: Tenure (E-50A), Tenure Awards (E-51A), Academic Appointment Titles (E-1A), Academic Promotion (E-3A), Faculty Evaluation, Merit Pay, Promotion and Tenure (E-20A), Performance Evaluation of Tenured Faculty (A-48), and Grievance and Appeals (E-25N). This document consolidates many key provisions of the above documents and clarifies their implementation in the College of Business. Policies specific to the College of Business are also added via the indicated sections. "Appointments" are discussed in conjunction with "promotion" from the perspective that criteria for appointment to a given rank are generally the same as for promotion to that rank. Should there be any conflict between this document and the university policies and procedures listed above, the university policies and procedures will take precedence.
Academic tenure is a status that is granted to college faculty members after a probationary period in the profession. It protects them against involuntary suspension or termination of employment except upon stipulated grounds and in accordance with specified procedures. Such protection is intended to safeguard the faculty's freedom to pursue truth and to enunciate that truth as they deem correct and proper. Accordingly, this freedom enables the university to develop and maintain a faculty of the highest possible quality for the purposes of enlarging, refining, preserving, applying, and transmitting knowledge. Thus, tenure is essential to fulfilling the university's responsibility to conduct itself for the common good as an instrument of a democratic society. A decision to accord tenure to an individual means that the appropriate tenured faculty members have determined that the candidate has a high probability of making long-term contributions to the goals of the university and the profession, as indicated by explicit evidence accumulated during the probationary period.
Awarding of tenure to faculty of the College of Business must take into account the overall mission and objectives of the college and university. Each faculty member is expected to achieve a high level of performance in teaching and classroom skills. An individual faculty member is also expected to be productive in the areas of scholarly activity and service. With respect to granting tenure, each faculty member will be evaluated on the basis of overall performance, past contributions, and expectations for continuing performance in the future. Breadth of contribution as well as quality and depth, will be considered important.
Long-term success in fulfillment of the missions and priorities of the college is dependent on the individual and collective quality of its faculty. Assessment of the quality of the faculty will take into account:
The granting of tenure normally requires completion of the highest level course of academic study available in the discipline of the candidate's primary responsibility (a "terminal degree").
Beyond academic preparation, significant relevant experience is considered to be important. Prior experience and continuing efforts to obtain, update, and expand that experience will be taken into account in evaluating the candidate for tenure. Faculty members are encouraged to continue to gain relevant experience through faculty internships, fellowships, or exchanges with business and government organizations and through consulting activities and professional practice within the faculty member's field and through participating in faculty development activities. It is expected that these experiences will be transformed effectively into useful applications in the classroom, contributing to the teaching effectiveness of the candidate. Where new concepts or applications result from these experiences, published documents or articles addressed to students or some other relevant audience are encouraged. Thus, significant relevant experience will be considered in conjunction with academic preparation for faculty in the College of Business. The effects of this experience are assumed to be reflected in the following performance criteria.
Sustained quality performance is expected in the three university missions of teaching, research, and service with the expectation that the candidate will achieve a high level of performance in teaching and an adequate level of performance in both research and service (publication of refereed articles in scholarly journals is expected). In no case will outstanding performance in research or service compensate for poor performance in teaching. Documentation of performance is the responsibility of the candidate and should begin with the annual report and curriculum vitae.
In evaluating candidates for tenure, a wide range of activities and contributions are relevant. Included below are examples of what will be considered and assessed for each performance category. These examples should be construed only as suggestions and should not be construed as applicable in all cases. The activities listed are not intended to be all-inclusive, in any order of ranking, or specific in terms of what constitutes sufficiency. Evaluation of specific activities and cumulative assessment of overall past performance as well as the prospect for future performance must be made on a case-by-case basis by those tenured faculty members charged with making the recommendation. Note that this document partitions the traditional "research" category into "intellectual contributions" and "intellectual development" to facilitate correlation with accreditation standards.
The successful candidate for tenure will demonstrate a high level of performance in teaching and conducting classroom activities, continually striving for excellence and giving evidence of continuing development as a teacher. In evaluating teaching effectiveness, the recommending body may accept evidence related to the following areas.
Examples are:
Contributions to one's own knowledge and to the knowledge of one's academic field through scholarly activities are considered a significant part of the role of faculty members in the college. Whenever possible, scholarly efforts (research) should result in dissemination of results through publication or in a form otherwise accessible to academic colleagues and/or practitioners. These activities may include (1) basic scholarship (discipline based scholarship), (2) applied scholarship (contributions to practice); or (3) instructional development (learning and pedagogical research) these terms are defined precisely in the current annual report directions, which are available from the Dean's Office). While particular consideration in this area is given to refereed journal articles, other research contributions will be considered.
Examples are:
As distinguished from intellectual contributions above, these are activities that either have not (yet) produced contributions of verifiable quality or are activities that primarily serve to develop teaching or research abilities.
Examples are:
Faculty members have frequent opportunities to provide service to students, the university, their academic or professional fields, the business community, and the civic community. Through service to such groups and organizations, faculty members make available their professional knowledge and expertise beyond that provided through teaching and scholarly activities.
The balanced nature of the mission of the College of Business, with its encouragement of theoretical and practical application of knowledge to specific business practices, makes faculty activities in this area more significant than is typical across the university. National service activities may be weighted more heavily than similar regional activities, which may be weighted more heavily than similar local service activities. Also, university service activities may be weighted more heavily than similar college activities, which may be weighted more heavily than similar service activities at the academic unit level.
Examples are:
Any other activities listed in the current annual report directions.
According to Tenure Policy (E-50A), the probationary period, commencing with full-time appointment to the rank of instructor or higher, "will not exceed six years at this institution, including within this period credit granted for appropriate full-time service in all institutions of higher education."
At SFA, tenure recommendations will normally be made during the candidate's sixth year of full-time contractual service at this institution, to take effect at the beginning of the next contract year. The tenure packet or dossier will be submitted in the fall semester of the sixth year of probationary service unless permission is granted by the Provost for earlier submission.
The probationary period must be continuous except for scholarly leave of absence or approved long-term medical leave of absence. In the case of scholarly leave of absence, the absence may be counted as continuous full-time contractual service if it is for one year or less and the purpose is professional enhancement. In the case of formal medical leave of absence, the absence may temporarily suspend accumulation of full-time contractual service. When the employee is re-instated, accumulation of full-time contractual service will resume.
In certain cases, faculty appointments may include credit for prior professional experiences in one or institutions of higher education. In those circumstances, the precise conditions will be stated in writing at the time of appointment at Stephen F. Austin State University. These at the conditions must be approved by the President of Stephen F. Austin State University, upon the the recommendation of the chair of the academic department, the dean, and the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. Such credit will not be awarded routinely and should be recommended only when the candidate can demonstrate performance that is consistent with the tenure requirements of the university. In such cases, credit for prior experience will not normally exceed three years.
Beginning with faculty hired in fall 2004 and beyond, pre-tenure reviews will occur at least twice during the probation period. Policy E-50A outlines the terms of the pre-tenure review. The candidate will use the tenure guidelines to formulate their pre-tenure dossier. The dossier will proceed through the department, the college, the dean, and the Provost office. “Positive reviews” indicating progress made toward tenure or “negative reviews” indicating lack of sufficient progress made toward tenure will be issued to the candidate in accordance with the tenure candidate notification guidelines. l
The candidate will compile a dossier of relevant information and support documents to be submitted with his or her request for consideration for tenure. In the case of tenure and promotion to Associate Professor, the candidate need only submit one application and simultaneous application is encouraged. A similar dossier is required for promotion, described in Part Two of this document, and only one dossier need be prepared for a candidate simultaneously pursuing tenure and promotion. Current content specifications for the dossier are listed in Appendix A. The method of presentation of this material is left to the discretion of the candidate, but care should be taken to ensure that it can be handled relatively easily by persons involved in the evaluation process. The candidate's department chair will inspect the dossier for completeness before beginning the review process.
The dossier will be made available to all tenured faculty from the candidate's department. Tenured faculty of the department will form the department tenure committee, and will meet, elect a chair and consider the candidates application. Each tenured faculty member will submit a written recommendation to the committee chair that the candidate be granted or not granted tenure, with supporting comments. If there are no tenured members in the candidate's department or less than two, a departmental committee will be formed from faculty names submitted by the candidate and the department chair in accordance with University Policy E-50A.
The chair of the candidate's department will review the dossier and the recommendations from the tenured faculty in the candidate's department. The chair will prepare a recommendation with supporting comments and send it to the College of Business Dean along with the dossier and the recommendations of the tenured faculty of the department.
A college tenure committee will evaluate the candidate's credentials and performance as a faculty member. The committee will consist of one tenured member from each department in the college. The committee member from a given department should not be the department chair. The committee will consist of elected representatives of each department in the college and may include external representatives. The committee will elect a member to chair the committee. The college tenure committee will meet and discuss and consider the tenure packet/dossier. Following this discussion, each committee member will submit a written recommendation and supporting comments to the chair of the college tenure committee clearly indicating that the candidate be granted or not granted tenure. The committee chair shall collect and transfer to the dean the recommendations and supporting comments of the committee members and provide a summary of their comments. Dissenting comments may be attached..
The dean of the college will evaluate the dossier and will review the recommendation of the department chair, the recommendations of the tenured faculty of the candidate's department, and the recommendations of the college tenure committee as a basis for his/her recommendation to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. The dean's recommendation that the candidate be granted or not granted tenure and supporting comments will be submitted to the Provost/ Vice President for Academic Affairs, along with the packet of materials prepared by the candidate and a summary of the recommendations generated at each preceding stage of the evaluation. The dean of the college will notify the candidate of the progress of the application in accordance with University Policy E-50a.
Recommendations for tenure will typically be processed according to the following schedule (the dean will notify each candidate of the exact dates):
Each candidate will submit the dossier to the chair of the academic department for subsequent consideration at the academic unit level during September or early October.
The chair of the academic department will transmit the dossier, Promotion/Tenure Recommendation Forms, his/her recommendation with supporting comments, and the tenured faculty recommendations and supporting comments to the dean during November.
The College Tenure Committee will transmit promotion/tenure materials along with individual recommendations and committee summary of individual recommendations and group discussion to the dean during December.
The dean will transmit promotion/tenure materials, recommendation and supporting comments, and a summary of the recommendations generated at each preceding stage of the evaluation to Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs during January.
Applicants will be notified of final disposition in April or May. In the case of a negative ruling, the candidate may appeal according to University Policy E-25N - Grievance and Appeals.
Tenured faculty will be evaluated in accordance with University Policy Index A-48, Performance Evaluation of Tenured Faculty.
Promotion simply means assignment to a higher faculty rank. Such advancement signifies recognition of accumulated past achievements and the high probability of continuing success. It implies an increasing measure of professional maturity, with promotion to professor representing attainment of high professional status. Promotions constitute one of the principal elements of reward and commendation in the university.
Appointment means new employment at a faculty rank, not necessarily higher than the rank previously held (if any). University policy concerning academic appointments is described in index E-2A (Academic Appointments) in the Policy and Procedure Manual. Appointments are discussed here because the criteria for appointment to a given rank are generally the same as for promotion to that rank.
As with the granting of tenure, faculty appointments and promotions must be consistent with the mission and objectives of the college. Also, as indicated in Part One, assessment of faculty for appointment or promotion in rank will take into account the following elements:
In evaluating candidates for new appointments or promotion in rank, consideration will be given to performance and contributions in the full range of activities as indicated in Part One, Section III. General criteria for each rank are specified below and represent basic qualifications to be met by each candidate. However, evaluation of specific activities and cumulative assessment of overall past performance as well as the prospect for future performance must be made on a case-by-case basis by those charged with making the recommendation.
The following are general criteria to be used for appointment or promotion to particular faculty ranks. Where used, the term "terminal degree" means completion of the highest level course of study available in the discipline of the candidate's primary responsibility:
The rank of lecturer is not considered a tenure-track appointment and will be granted on a year-by-year basis. It is used for temporary appointments for a semester or a full academic year. Not more than three years of experience at this rank will be applied toward tenure for the faculty member who subsequently becomes eligible for a tenured appointment.
Candidates for the instructor rank will have a master's degree relevant to the subject area to be taught and show evidence of high standards for teaching and conducting classroom activities. Significant practical experience is desirable.
The rank of instructor is considered a tenure-track appointment and will be granted on a year-by-year basis subject to the tenure procedures described earlier in this document.
Appointment or promotion to the assistant professor rank generally requires a terminal degree as described above. Candidates who have completed all residence work toward a terminal degree and expect to complete that degree within a reasonable period of time may be appointed at the assistant professor rank. Normally such an appointment will be accompanied by a time-line indicating expected completion of the terminal degree. Non-completion may be cause for termination.
Candidates should demonstrate the promise of effective performance in teaching and classroom skills and commitment to continued development of scholarly and service activities.
Appointment or promotion to associate professor requires a terminal degree as described above. Demonstrated competence and effectiveness in teaching and classroom skills are also expected. In addition, evidence of productivity in, and continuing promise of scholarly and service contributions should be present.
Appointment or promotion to the rank of professor requires a terminal degree as described above, fulfillment of all of the qualifications for associate professor, and recognition for scholarly activities. There is the expectation that the candidate will be productive in teaching, scholarly activity, and service, with contributions to knowledge that are substantial and are recognized beyond the confines of the local campus to be of high quality.
The dossier should be organized into a standard size three-ring binder, with spine no thicker than 4 inches and materials organized into six sections separated by dividers. The applicant's name and the action (e.g., tenure, promotion to associate professor, promotion to professor) must be indicated clearly on both the front cover and spine of the binder. (Documents in the binder must be easily removable so that copies can be made. Spiral binding should not be used.) The dossier should contain:
Section A--Promotion/Tenure Application Form
Section B--current vitae. If the candidate desires to preface this material with a letter that highlights certain special accomplishments, such a letter may be inserted in front of the vitae.
Section C--devoted to teaching and should contain summaries of teaching assessment from students. Other information on teaching effectiveness may also be included.
Section D--devoted to scholarly activities and should contain such items as reprints of journal articles, copy of cover pages of book chapters and successful grant applications, summary of citations, etc.
Section E--devoted to service and professional development activities.
Section F--administrative evaluations since the candidate's last promotion (or date of hire, in the case of tenure).