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Policy 2113 Tenure and Promotion

Revision Date: 1/7/2021
Last Review: 1/7/2021
Original Effective Date: 8/1995
Responsible Office: Provost
Reference: University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors Board Bylaws & Rules:  Chapter III.XI

Policy:

The uniform provisions for tenure provide that the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors has the ultimate responsibility for hiring academic personnel and for awarding or denying tenure to academic personnel within the colleges and universities under the jurisdiction of the Board. The precise terms and conditions of every appointment shall be stated in writing and be in the possession of both institution and employee before the appointment is consummated. Yearly operational budgets shall show tenure status of each employee.

Louisiana Tech University has adopted the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors’ policy on tenure (Board Bylaws & Rules III.XI).

Eligibility for Tenure

The probationary period for tenure consideration in the Board of Supervisors system is six years. A tenure-track faculty member may apply for tenure during the sixth year. (For the purposes of determination of years of service for tenure eligibility and final data of tenure action, the following rule applies. Faculty members who begin employment with the University in a tenure-track appointment before January 1 of a given academic year will count that year toward the total number of years. Those who begin employment after January 1 of a given academic year will not count that year towards the total allowable.)

Recommendation for Tenure

Recommendation for tenure of individuals who have completed the probationary period shall originate in the various structural units, with tenured faculty and unit heads initiating the recommendations. The recommendation shall be submitted to the institution President for his or her consideration. His or her action shall be submitted to the System President. Final authority for granting or denying tenure shall rest with the Board of Supervisors. Under no circumstances shall tenure status be achieved without specific action of the Board of Supervisors.

Notification of Tenure Decision

At the end of the probationary period, the result of each individual’s evaluation shall be provided to that individual. In the event tenure is to be denied, 12-month advance written notice of termination shall be given. If tenure is to be awarded, the affected faculty member shall be informed in writing, and tenure will be effective with the next letter of appointment.

Early Awarding of Tenure

In certain unusual cases, the institution may award tenure to faculty members of extraordinarily high merit prior to the end of the sixth probationary year. Any academic unit’s recommendation, with faculty input whenever possible, to award tenure before the end of the usual probationary period should be accompanied by an accounting of compelling reasons for this action.

Decision Not to Grant Tenure

If the decision is made not to grant tenure in the sixth year, it shall result in a terminal appointment for the seventh year. The notice of terminal appointment shall be made in writing to the faculty member prior to concluding the sixth year.

Credit for Prior Service

For the purpose of the probationary period, credit may be given for prior service at other institutions with the mutual consent of the individual institution and the Board of Supervisors.

Faculty Initially Appointed as Professor or Associate Professor

Faculty members initially employed at the rank of professor may be granted tenure upon appointment or, at the discretion of the institution, may be required to serve a probationary period not to exceed four years. Faculty members initially employed at the rank of associate professor shall serve a probationary period of at least one year, but no more than four years.

Limitation of Tenure

Tenure shall be limited to persons in the faculty ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Administrators shall not earn tenure except as members of an academic discipline and only for a nine-month appointment.

Duration of Tenure

Tenured faculty shall retain their status until they retire, resign, or are terminated for cause or as a result of financial exigency. Tenure shall be granted and held only within an academic discipline that is offered at the institution and assures renewed appointments only within that discipline.

Termination for Financial Exigency

Termination is at the institutional level, as determined by procedures which include faculty participation.

Policy

  • This tenure policy shall supersede all existing policies with the following exceptions:
  • All persons holding tenure on the effective date of this policy shall retain their tenure.
  • Any person in the employment of an affected institution on the effective date of this policy (August 1993) shall be eligible to earn tenure under the terms and conditions of the policy in force and in effect at the time of that person’s employment at that institution.
  • This policy shall in no way affect any rights acquired by any person employed by an institution prior to the effective date of this policy.

Definitions:

Indeterminate tenure, hereafter referred to as tenure, is intended to ensure and enhance faculty members’ academic freedom and job effectiveness. Tenure assures the faculty member that employment in the academic discipline at the institution will be renewed annually until the faculty member resigns, retires, or is terminated for cause or financial exigency.

Faculty members shall not be eligible for tenure at the instructor level. (Faculty members shall be on annual appointment at the instructor level.)

Each recommendation by an institution to grant tenure to a faculty member shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors at a time designated by the System President, which shall be no later than the date to submit annual budgets for approval.

Procedures:

The awarding of tenure to a faculty member is the most critical point in the process of selection and reward for achievement that maintains and improves the quality of the faculty. The review of candidates for tenured appointment, beginning at the Departmental level and moving through the channels to the University level, must at all levels be careful, deliberate, and searching if the standard of excellence to which we aspire is to be attained. The following University-wide procedures for tenure and promotion applications have been developed with the purpose of providing each faculty member and administrator with a comprehensive outline for submission and review of tenure and promotion applications.

Initial Employment

In the letter offering employment in a tenure-track position, the maximum time to be allowed to achieve tenure will be specified. This initial employment letter shall include references to the tenure and promotion procedures and policies outlined in the Louisiana Tech University online Policies and Procedures Manual. The letter will clearly identify the academic year in which the faculty member, if continuously employed, would complete the probationary period for tenure. The letter will also include the notification that a decision of non-reappointment can be made before that time.

During the fall of each year, the Dean of the College will convene a meeting which must be attended by all tenure-track faculty hired since the previous fall. At that meeting, tenure and promotion guidelines will be reviewed, and the components of the dossier to be used as part of the application for tenure and promotion will be described. The Dean will also ascertain that each new faculty member is made aware of the Policies and Procedures Manual on Tech’s website.

Timetable for Application and Consideration for Tenure and/or Promotion

Faculty members will ordinarily be considered for tenure in the final year of their probationary period in accordance with the specific schedule of dates, as provided. If the faculty member does not elect to apply in his/her final year, he/she will automatically be considered as non-renewed and so notified in writing.

Tenure-track faculty members who are experiencing personal circumstances that can reasonably be anticipated to impede progress towards tenure may request an extension of the probationary period. The “Request for Extension” form must be submitted within 90 days of the relevant event and prior to the deadline for submission of a tenure dossier. The request will be reviewed, and the faculty member will receive a written notification of the decision within 30 days of receipt. Faculty members who receive an extension to the probationary period will not be subject to any additional expectations of scholarly productivity due to the granting of that extension period. The departmental Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be notified of any extensions granted and revocations of extensions as well as the revised probationary period. A tenure-track faculty member must understand that he/she will not have a claim on tenure if no action is taken on the promotion/tenure status by the newly-established penultimate year. Extensions of the probationary period for any reason are limited to a total of two years.

Modifications to the Probationary Period for Tenure

For clearly stated substantive reasons, a tenure-track faculty member may request a one-year extension of the probationary period. Such an extension must be agreed to by the academic Unit Head, the academic Dean, the Provost, the President of the University, and the faculty member making the request for the extension. Faculty members who have been previously notified on non-reappointment or are in the final year of the probationary period are ineligible to submit a request for extension or to request revocation of an extension.

Routine Extensions:

A one-year extension of the probationary period will be granted for the following reasons:

  1. The birth or adoption of a child
  2. The death of the faculty member’s spouse or child

Discretionary Extensions:

A tenure-track faculty member may request a one-year extension of the probationary period for extraordinary circumstances beyond his or her control that would not fall under the ‘Routine Extension” category and that could significantly impede progress toward tenure. Any appeals of a denial of a Discretionary Extension should follow the normal Grievance procedures outlined in Policy 1413.

Revocation of the Probationary Period Extension

Tenure-track faculty members who have been granted an extension may request to revoke the extension prior to the final year of the probationary period with consent from both the faculty member and the University. Faculty members who have been previously notified of non-reappointment or are in the final year of the probationary period are ineligible to submit a request for extension or to request revocation of an extension.

In the case of an application for promotion from a tenured faculty member, the faculty member, usually in consultation with the Unit Head, can choose to apply when the faculty member feels that the necessary credentials for promotion have been achieved. The schedule for such applications is the same used for tenure decisions, as provided.

Schedule of Dates (Guidelines)

Date

Event

Second Week of the Fall Quarter

Dean ensures that the College Tenure and Promotion Committee is named 

Third Week of the Fall Quarter

College Committee promulgates the specific schedule for the year.

October 1

Submission of dossiers to the Unit Head.

December 1

Deadline for final receipt of peer review letters, as applicable to college review process.

December 1

Unit Head submits materials to Departmental committee.

February 1

Department completes action and reports vote; Unit Head recommends to College Committee.

March 1

College Committee completes action and reports the vote to the Dean.

March 15

Dean recommends to Provost.

April 15

Provost forwards recommendation to President.

Prior to end of appointment period

Final decision by President; faculty notified of decisions.

Tenure and Promotion Dossier

Introduction

The collection/submission of dossier materials is the responsibility of the faculty member; the dossier must be presented in accordance with this outline and any other applicable policies. Each faculty member’s complete/entire Tenure and Promotion Dossier is limited to one 3-inch binder or bound document. Materials requested from the faculty member must be concise and factual in nature rather than being matters of opinion or interpretation. Different Colleges and/or Departments may emphasize selected components of this outline, based on the mission of the administrative unit. However, all items in the outline must be addressed. The outline below is followed by amplification of some items, as noted.

Material to be Included by the Faculty Member:

  • Completed Form A and Form B.
  • Documentation of annual goal setting, self-evaluations, and administrative evaluations for each of the preceding five years, as reflected in the annual planning documents.
  • A detailed professional vita reflecting the faculty member’s instruction, research, creative and performing arts, and services.
  • Evidence of teaching effectiveness. (See Amplification A.1.)
  • Evidence of scholarly or creative activity. (See Amplification A.2.)
  • Evidence of services. (See Amplification A.3.).

Amplifications

A.1. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness

Effective teaching is an essential requirement for faculty at Louisiana Tech University. Effective teachers are characterized by their command of subject matter; ability to organize material and to present it with strength and logic; capacity to stimulate an awareness of the relationship of the specific subject taught to other fields of knowledge; spirit and enthusiasm which vitalize learning and teaching; ability to arouse curiosity and cause critical thinking and creativity; availability and effectiveness in advising and mentoring students; and directing research (theses, dissertations, creative works, etc.)

The following materials are to be used to document teaching effectiveness:

  • Form B and Faculty Activity Survey forms for the past five years. (A proposed revision to the Faculty Activity Survey form will serve as a replacement for Form B at some point in the future).
  • A statement concerning, and examples of, any innovative curricula or new course developments–to also include specific advances in teaching methodology, technology, or use of media. (Lecture notes are not to be included nor any course materials not specifically developed by the faculty member.)
  • A statement regarding office hours and accessibility to students.
  • A statement concerning special teaching responsibilities and related assignments; for example, teaching workshops, seminars, or honors courses; supervised research and supervised teaching; number of master’s and/or doctoral committees on which the candidate has served as Chair; number of master’s and/or doctoral committees on which the candidate has served as a member; names of master’s and/or doctoral degree recipients for which the candidate has served as major professor or co-major professor, including name of the theses or dissertation, degree earned, and date of graduation; public or professional recognition for teaching excellence and selection criteria.
  • Student evaluations of the faculty member for the preceding five years of teaching (numeric evaluations only).
A.2. Scholarship

For the purposes of assessing scholarship, three kinds of data are appropriate: Publications, creative productions in the arts, and performances of critical importance to the candidate’s area of expertise. Evidence of scholarship will be evaluated, not merely counted, in order to assess the relevance of the scholarship to assigned duties, the continuity and effectiveness of the faculty member’s scholarly efforts, and the quality and significance of the results of the scholarship. The tenure or promotion dossier should include complete data on each work listed. Scholarly activity should be addressed under one or more of the following categories:

  • Published Books: Include scholarly monographs and books; textbooks; edited and/or translated books; bibliographical books; books of readings or casebooks; any of the above co-authored or with multi-authors, in descending order.
  • Publication Source: Identify publisher (University, scholarly, commercial press, in house organ, vanity, or subsidy press).
  • Details of publication: Include book reviews, or, if not available, the referee’s report. Include any citations of the book in published works of other investigators and writers. Note if the book has been reprinted or translated into a foreign language. If possible, document the research effort required and the number of copies printed.
  • Articles in Journals: Submit bibliography citation and copy of article. Note if the article is co-authored or multi-authored, listing the names and affiliation of the other authors. Discuss whether the journal is refereed and is local, regional, national, or international in its circulation in the field. Also, give the number of pages of the article. If possible, document the research effort that supported the writing of the article.
  • Articles in Other Published Works: List publications in anthologies, the proceedings of conferences or symposia, technical reports, original articles of semi-popular nature having as their purpose the dissemination of technical or scientific information, book reviews, encyclopedia articles, and abstracts. With each entry, note the type of publication (as in the above list) and the number of pages covered by the work.
  • Related Scholarship: List papers read at national or international professional meetings; papers read at regional professional meetings; discussion or Chairing roles at conferences and symposia; invited lectures; editorship, service on Board of Editors; and editorial positions on boards of regional, national and international journals; professional awards for scholarship; grants; roles as referees of manuscripts, journals, and grant proposals, consultant to a Federal agency, University, or national foundation; consultant to a foreign University or government agency; visiting appointment reflecting scholarship or postdoctoral research program; grant proposals submitted and proposals funded (e.g. government, University, international, regional, etc.); consultation resulting in scholarly publication. Please explain fully enough that the nature and importance of the scholarship will be clear.
  • Scholarship Specific to the Discipline: In disciplines where scholarship is expressed in performance, exhibits, or works of a creative nature, documentation of achievement should be as complete and in keeping with the established norms for the discipline.
A.3. Service

In addition to the duties directly associated with teaching and scholarly activity, a member of the academic faculty is expected to accept service responsibilities which contribute to the effective conduct of the affairs of the Department, College, and University. Such service duties include the following:

  • Membership on Departmental/College/University committees essential to operation of the respective units
  • administrative duties for the Department/College/University, even on a temporary basis
  • activity in professional (local, regional, national) groups beyond simple dues paying membership (role as officer, committee member, etc.)
  • service to students through individual advising on academic matters and acting as faculty advisor for student organizations
  • non-funded professional advisory service to community, civic, governmental, religious, or social groups (periodic consultant, speaker, workshop leader)
  • non-funded service to government, industry, public organizations and other off-campus groups as a valuable resource in efforts to foster economic development
  • representative of Department/College/University at professional meetings
  • testimony on professional matters to legislative bodies

Service should incorporate contributions which are not considered teaching and scholarship but which enrich one’s teaching and scholarly work; service can range from assisting individual students to working with national organizations; faculty at the junior level are expected to offer service more at the local and/or regional level; senior faculty, at both those levels and at the national level. No Department should recognize service only in the area of committee work since the opportunity for such service varies among Departments; rather, service should be evaluated so that weight is given to leadership, time, effort, and breadth of the service.

Withdrawal of Application

If the faculty member wishes at any point in the Department/College consideration process to withdraw the application, he/she must notify, in writing, the next person scheduled to receive the dossier (Unit Head/Dean, etc.). Once the application has been forwarded to the Provost, it cannot be withdrawn. An exception to the withdrawal procedure will occur in the consideration for tenure in the final year of eligibility. In that case, the dossier will continue to be forwarded through all steps in the process unless the faculty member submits a letter resigning his/her position. This procedure will be followed to assure the fullest possible consideration of each final-year application.

Summary of Responsibilities

Individual/Unit

Responsibilities

Faculty Member

·       Provide list of peer reviewers when requested

·       Prepare dossier 

Unit Head

·       Notify faculty of decision dates

·       Notify faculty of dossier due date

·       Request peer reviewer nominations from candidate

·       Check dossier for completeness

·       Select peer reviewers and solicit peer reviews

·       Designate Departmental committee

·       Provide dossiers and peer reviews to Departmental committee

·       Meet with Departmental committee after receiving vote

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

·       Forward recommendation to Dean along with dossier and vote of Departmental committee

·       Report Committee vote and his/her recommendation to candidate

Departmental Faculty Advisory Committee

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

College Dean

·       Ensure that all newly hired faculty receive orientation to tenure and promotion guidelines

·       Appoint College Tenure and Promotion Committee in accordance with timeline

·       Ensure that each non-tenured faculty member is reviewed for renewal each year

·       Oversee insertion of materials, such as teaching evaluation, not included in dossier submitted to peer reviewers

·       Forward dossier and Departmental materials to College Tenure and Promotion Committee

·       Meet with College Tenure and Promotion Committee after receiving vote

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

·       Forward recommendations plus dossier and all accumulated votes and recommendations to the Provost

·       Report College Committee vote and his/her recommendation to candidate (copy to Unit Head)

College Advisory Committee

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

 

Final Disposition of Applications for Tenure and/or Promotion

After the review process is completed, the Provost forwards his/her recommendations and documentation of tenure and promotion applicants to the President.

After the Provost forwards his/her recommendations to the President, he/she will notify the appropriate Dean of the recommended actions.

The President considers the recommendations and documentation as forwarded by the Vice President. After the President acts on the recommendation from the Provost, the faculty member and the appropriate Dean are notified of the actions taken.

University decisions recommending faculty for tenure and for promotion are submitted by the President to the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors for approval before actions granting tenure and promotion are final.

The following are downloadable forms in Adobe Acrobat format:

 

Policy 2113 Tenure and Promotion

Revision Date: 1/7/2021
Last Review: 1/7/2021
Original Effective Date: 8/1995
Responsible Office: Provost
Reference: University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors Board Bylaws & Rules:  Chapter III.XI

Policy:

The uniform provisions for tenure provide that the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors has the ultimate responsibility for hiring academic personnel and for awarding or denying tenure to academic personnel within the colleges and universities under the jurisdiction of the Board. The precise terms and conditions of every appointment shall be stated in writing and be in the possession of both institution and employee before the appointment is consummated. Yearly operational budgets shall show tenure status of each employee.

Louisiana Tech University has adopted the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors’ policy on tenure (Board Bylaws & Rules III.XI).

Eligibility for Tenure

The probationary period for tenure consideration in the Board of Supervisors system is six years. A tenure-track faculty member may apply for tenure during the sixth year. (For the purposes of determination of years of service for tenure eligibility and final data of tenure action, the following rule applies. Faculty members who begin employment with the University in a tenure-track appointment before January 1 of a given academic year will count that year toward the total number of years. Those who begin employment after January 1 of a given academic year will not count that year towards the total allowable.)

Recommendation for Tenure

Recommendation for tenure of individuals who have completed the probationary period shall originate in the various structural units, with tenured faculty and unit heads initiating the recommendations. The recommendation shall be submitted to the institution President for his or her consideration. His or her action shall be submitted to the System President. Final authority for granting or denying tenure shall rest with the Board of Supervisors. Under no circumstances shall tenure status be achieved without specific action of the Board of Supervisors.

Notification of Tenure Decision

At the end of the probationary period, the result of each individual’s evaluation shall be provided to that individual. In the event tenure is to be denied, 12-month advance written notice of termination shall be given. If tenure is to be awarded, the affected faculty member shall be informed in writing, and tenure will be effective with the next letter of appointment.

Early Awarding of Tenure

In certain unusual cases, the institution may award tenure to faculty members of extraordinarily high merit prior to the end of the sixth probationary year. Any academic unit’s recommendation, with faculty input whenever possible, to award tenure before the end of the usual probationary period should be accompanied by an accounting of compelling reasons for this action.

Decision Not to Grant Tenure

If the decision is made not to grant tenure in the sixth year, it shall result in a terminal appointment for the seventh year. The notice of terminal appointment shall be made in writing to the faculty member prior to concluding the sixth year.

Credit for Prior Service

For the purpose of the probationary period, credit may be given for prior service at other institutions with the mutual consent of the individual institution and the Board of Supervisors.

Faculty Initially Appointed as Professor or Associate Professor

Faculty members initially employed at the rank of professor may be granted tenure upon appointment or, at the discretion of the institution, may be required to serve a probationary period not to exceed four years. Faculty members initially employed at the rank of associate professor shall serve a probationary period of at least one year, but no more than four years.

Limitation of Tenure

Tenure shall be limited to persons in the faculty ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Administrators shall not earn tenure except as members of an academic discipline and only for a nine-month appointment.

Duration of Tenure

Tenured faculty shall retain their status until they retire, resign, or are terminated for cause or as a result of financial exigency. Tenure shall be granted and held only within an academic discipline that is offered at the institution and assures renewed appointments only within that discipline.

Termination for Financial Exigency

Termination is at the institutional level, as determined by procedures which include faculty participation.

Policy

  • This tenure policy shall supersede all existing policies with the following exceptions:
  • All persons holding tenure on the effective date of this policy shall retain their tenure.
  • Any person in the employment of an affected institution on the effective date of this policy (August 1993) shall be eligible to earn tenure under the terms and conditions of the policy in force and in effect at the time of that person’s employment at that institution.
  • This policy shall in no way affect any rights acquired by any person employed by an institution prior to the effective date of this policy.

Definitions:

Indeterminate tenure, hereafter referred to as tenure, is intended to ensure and enhance faculty members’ academic freedom and job effectiveness. Tenure assures the faculty member that employment in the academic discipline at the institution will be renewed annually until the faculty member resigns, retires, or is terminated for cause or financial exigency.

Faculty members shall not be eligible for tenure at the instructor level. (Faculty members shall be on annual appointment at the instructor level.)

Each recommendation by an institution to grant tenure to a faculty member shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors at a time designated by the System President, which shall be no later than the date to submit annual budgets for approval.

Procedures:

The awarding of tenure to a faculty member is the most critical point in the process of selection and reward for achievement that maintains and improves the quality of the faculty. The review of candidates for tenured appointment, beginning at the Departmental level and moving through the channels to the University level, must at all levels be careful, deliberate, and searching if the standard of excellence to which we aspire is to be attained. The following University-wide procedures for tenure and promotion applications have been developed with the purpose of providing each faculty member and administrator with a comprehensive outline for submission and review of tenure and promotion applications.

Initial Employment

In the letter offering employment in a tenure-track position, the maximum time to be allowed to achieve tenure will be specified. This initial employment letter shall include references to the tenure and promotion procedures and policies outlined in the Louisiana Tech University online Policies and Procedures Manual. The letter will clearly identify the academic year in which the faculty member, if continuously employed, would complete the probationary period for tenure. The letter will also include the notification that a decision of non-reappointment can be made before that time.

During the fall of each year, the Dean of the College will convene a meeting which must be attended by all tenure-track faculty hired since the previous fall. At that meeting, tenure and promotion guidelines will be reviewed, and the components of the dossier to be used as part of the application for tenure and promotion will be described. The Dean will also ascertain that each new faculty member is made aware of the Policies and Procedures Manual on Tech’s website.

Timetable for Application and Consideration for Tenure and/or Promotion

Faculty members will ordinarily be considered for tenure in the final year of their probationary period in accordance with the specific schedule of dates, as provided. If the faculty member does not elect to apply in his/her final year, he/she will automatically be considered as non-renewed and so notified in writing.

Tenure-track faculty members who are experiencing personal circumstances that can reasonably be anticipated to impede progress towards tenure may request an extension of the probationary period. The “Request for Extension” form must be submitted within 90 days of the relevant event and prior to the deadline for submission of a tenure dossier. The request will be reviewed, and the faculty member will receive a written notification of the decision within 30 days of receipt. Faculty members who receive an extension to the probationary period will not be subject to any additional expectations of scholarly productivity due to the granting of that extension period. The departmental Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be notified of any extensions granted and revocations of extensions as well as the revised probationary period. A tenure-track faculty member must understand that he/she will not have a claim on tenure if no action is taken on the promotion/tenure status by the newly-established penultimate year. Extensions of the probationary period for any reason are limited to a total of two years.

Modifications to the Probationary Period for Tenure

For clearly stated substantive reasons, a tenure-track faculty member may request a one-year extension of the probationary period. Such an extension must be agreed to by the academic Unit Head, the academic Dean, the Provost, the President of the University, and the faculty member making the request for the extension. Faculty members who have been previously notified on non-reappointment or are in the final year of the probationary period are ineligible to submit a request for extension or to request revocation of an extension.

Routine Extensions:

A one-year extension of the probationary period will be granted for the following reasons:

  1. The birth or adoption of a child
  2. The death of the faculty member’s spouse or child

Discretionary Extensions:

A tenure-track faculty member may request a one-year extension of the probationary period for extraordinary circumstances beyond his or her control that would not fall under the ‘Routine Extension” category and that could significantly impede progress toward tenure. Any appeals of a denial of a Discretionary Extension should follow the normal Grievance procedures outlined in Policy 1413.

Revocation of the Probationary Period Extension

Tenure-track faculty members who have been granted an extension may request to revoke the extension prior to the final year of the probationary period with consent from both the faculty member and the University. Faculty members who have been previously notified of non-reappointment or are in the final year of the probationary period are ineligible to submit a request for extension or to request revocation of an extension.

In the case of an application for promotion from a tenured faculty member, the faculty member, usually in consultation with the Unit Head, can choose to apply when the faculty member feels that the necessary credentials for promotion have been achieved. The schedule for such applications is the same used for tenure decisions, as provided.

Schedule of Dates (Guidelines)

Date

Event

Second Week of the Fall Quarter

Dean ensures that the College Tenure and Promotion Committee is named 

Third Week of the Fall Quarter

College Committee promulgates the specific schedule for the year.

October 1

Submission of dossiers to the Unit Head.

December 1

Deadline for final receipt of peer review letters, as applicable to college review process.

December 1

Unit Head submits materials to Departmental committee.

February 1

Department completes action and reports vote; Unit Head recommends to College Committee.

March 1

College Committee completes action and reports the vote to the Dean.

March 15

Dean recommends to Provost.

April 15

Provost forwards recommendation to President.

Prior to end of appointment period

Final decision by President; faculty notified of decisions.

Tenure and Promotion Dossier

Introduction

The collection/submission of dossier materials is the responsibility of the faculty member; the dossier must be presented in accordance with this outline and any other applicable policies. Each faculty member’s complete/entire Tenure and Promotion Dossier is limited to one 3-inch binder or bound document. Materials requested from the faculty member must be concise and factual in nature rather than being matters of opinion or interpretation. Different Colleges and/or Departments may emphasize selected components of this outline, based on the mission of the administrative unit. However, all items in the outline must be addressed. The outline below is followed by amplification of some items, as noted.

Material to be Included by the Faculty Member:

  • Completed Form A and Form B.
  • Documentation of annual goal setting, self-evaluations, and administrative evaluations for each of the preceding five years, as reflected in the annual planning documents.
  • A detailed professional vita reflecting the faculty member’s instruction, research, creative and performing arts, and services.
  • Evidence of teaching effectiveness. (See Amplification A.1.)
  • Evidence of scholarly or creative activity. (See Amplification A.2.)
  • Evidence of services. (See Amplification A.3.).

Amplifications

A.1. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness

Effective teaching is an essential requirement for faculty at Louisiana Tech University. Effective teachers are characterized by their command of subject matter; ability to organize material and to present it with strength and logic; capacity to stimulate an awareness of the relationship of the specific subject taught to other fields of knowledge; spirit and enthusiasm which vitalize learning and teaching; ability to arouse curiosity and cause critical thinking and creativity; availability and effectiveness in advising and mentoring students; and directing research (theses, dissertations, creative works, etc.)

The following materials are to be used to document teaching effectiveness:

  • Form B and Faculty Activity Survey forms for the past five years. (A proposed revision to the Faculty Activity Survey form will serve as a replacement for Form B at some point in the future).
  • A statement concerning, and examples of, any innovative curricula or new course developments–to also include specific advances in teaching methodology, technology, or use of media. (Lecture notes are not to be included nor any course materials not specifically developed by the faculty member.)
  • A statement regarding office hours and accessibility to students.
  • A statement concerning special teaching responsibilities and related assignments; for example, teaching workshops, seminars, or honors courses; supervised research and supervised teaching; number of master’s and/or doctoral committees on which the candidate has served as Chair; number of master’s and/or doctoral committees on which the candidate has served as a member; names of master’s and/or doctoral degree recipients for which the candidate has served as major professor or co-major professor, including name of the theses or dissertation, degree earned, and date of graduation; public or professional recognition for teaching excellence and selection criteria.
  • Student evaluations of the faculty member for the preceding five years of teaching (numeric evaluations only).
A.2. Scholarship

For the purposes of assessing scholarship, three kinds of data are appropriate: Publications, creative productions in the arts, and performances of critical importance to the candidate’s area of expertise. Evidence of scholarship will be evaluated, not merely counted, in order to assess the relevance of the scholarship to assigned duties, the continuity and effectiveness of the faculty member’s scholarly efforts, and the quality and significance of the results of the scholarship. The tenure or promotion dossier should include complete data on each work listed. Scholarly activity should be addressed under one or more of the following categories:

  • Published Books: Include scholarly monographs and books; textbooks; edited and/or translated books; bibliographical books; books of readings or casebooks; any of the above co-authored or with multi-authors, in descending order.
  • Publication Source: Identify publisher (University, scholarly, commercial press, in house organ, vanity, or subsidy press).
  • Details of publication: Include book reviews, or, if not available, the referee’s report. Include any citations of the book in published works of other investigators and writers. Note if the book has been reprinted or translated into a foreign language. If possible, document the research effort required and the number of copies printed.
  • Articles in Journals: Submit bibliography citation and copy of article. Note if the article is co-authored or multi-authored, listing the names and affiliation of the other authors. Discuss whether the journal is refereed and is local, regional, national, or international in its circulation in the field. Also, give the number of pages of the article. If possible, document the research effort that supported the writing of the article.
  • Articles in Other Published Works: List publications in anthologies, the proceedings of conferences or symposia, technical reports, original articles of semi-popular nature having as their purpose the dissemination of technical or scientific information, book reviews, encyclopedia articles, and abstracts. With each entry, note the type of publication (as in the above list) and the number of pages covered by the work.
  • Related Scholarship: List papers read at national or international professional meetings; papers read at regional professional meetings; discussion or Chairing roles at conferences and symposia; invited lectures; editorship, service on Board of Editors; and editorial positions on boards of regional, national and international journals; professional awards for scholarship; grants; roles as referees of manuscripts, journals, and grant proposals, consultant to a Federal agency, University, or national foundation; consultant to a foreign University or government agency; visiting appointment reflecting scholarship or postdoctoral research program; grant proposals submitted and proposals funded (e.g. government, University, international, regional, etc.); consultation resulting in scholarly publication. Please explain fully enough that the nature and importance of the scholarship will be clear.
  • Scholarship Specific to the Discipline: In disciplines where scholarship is expressed in performance, exhibits, or works of a creative nature, documentation of achievement should be as complete and in keeping with the established norms for the discipline.
A.3. Service

In addition to the duties directly associated with teaching and scholarly activity, a member of the academic faculty is expected to accept service responsibilities which contribute to the effective conduct of the affairs of the Department, College, and University. Such service duties include the following:

  • Membership on Departmental/College/University committees essential to operation of the respective units
  • administrative duties for the Department/College/University, even on a temporary basis
  • activity in professional (local, regional, national) groups beyond simple dues paying membership (role as officer, committee member, etc.)
  • service to students through individual advising on academic matters and acting as faculty advisor for student organizations
  • non-funded professional advisory service to community, civic, governmental, religious, or social groups (periodic consultant, speaker, workshop leader)
  • non-funded service to government, industry, public organizations and other off-campus groups as a valuable resource in efforts to foster economic development
  • representative of Department/College/University at professional meetings
  • testimony on professional matters to legislative bodies

Service should incorporate contributions which are not considered teaching and scholarship but which enrich one’s teaching and scholarly work; service can range from assisting individual students to working with national organizations; faculty at the junior level are expected to offer service more at the local and/or regional level; senior faculty, at both those levels and at the national level. No Department should recognize service only in the area of committee work since the opportunity for such service varies among Departments; rather, service should be evaluated so that weight is given to leadership, time, effort, and breadth of the service.

Withdrawal of Application

If the faculty member wishes at any point in the Department/College consideration process to withdraw the application, he/she must notify, in writing, the next person scheduled to receive the dossier (Unit Head/Dean, etc.). Once the application has been forwarded to the Provost, it cannot be withdrawn. An exception to the withdrawal procedure will occur in the consideration for tenure in the final year of eligibility. In that case, the dossier will continue to be forwarded through all steps in the process unless the faculty member submits a letter resigning his/her position. This procedure will be followed to assure the fullest possible consideration of each final-year application.

Summary of Responsibilities

Individual/Unit

Responsibilities

Faculty Member

·       Provide list of peer reviewers when requested

·       Prepare dossier 

Unit Head

·       Notify faculty of decision dates

·       Notify faculty of dossier due date

·       Request peer reviewer nominations from candidate

·       Check dossier for completeness

·       Select peer reviewers and solicit peer reviews

·       Designate Departmental committee

·       Provide dossiers and peer reviews to Departmental committee

·       Meet with Departmental committee after receiving vote

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

·       Forward recommendation to Dean along with dossier and vote of Departmental committee

·       Report Committee vote and his/her recommendation to candidate

Departmental Faculty Advisory Committee

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

College Dean

·       Ensure that all newly hired faculty receive orientation to tenure and promotion guidelines

·       Appoint College Tenure and Promotion Committee in accordance with timeline

·       Ensure that each non-tenured faculty member is reviewed for renewal each year

·       Oversee insertion of materials, such as teaching evaluation, not included in dossier submitted to peer reviewers

·       Forward dossier and Departmental materials to College Tenure and Promotion Committee

·       Meet with College Tenure and Promotion Committee after receiving vote

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

·       Forward recommendations plus dossier and all accumulated votes and recommendations to the Provost

·       Report College Committee vote and his/her recommendation to candidate (copy to Unit Head)

College Advisory Committee

·       Assess applicant’s performance in instruction, research, service, and collegiality

·       Complete appropriate section of the University Promotion and Tenure Report Form

 

Final Disposition of Applications for Tenure and/or Promotion

After the review process is completed, the Provost forwards his/her recommendations and documentation of tenure and promotion applicants to the President.

After the Provost forwards his/her recommendations to the President, he/she will notify the appropriate Dean of the recommended actions.

The President considers the recommendations and documentation as forwarded by the Vice President. After the President acts on the recommendation from the Provost, the faculty member and the appropriate Dean are notified of the actions taken.

University decisions recommending faculty for tenure and for promotion are submitted by the President to the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors for approval before actions granting tenure and promotion are final.

The following are downloadable forms in Adobe Acrobat format: