CAPP-E 2006 Professional Development Workshop Getting Promoted to Full Professor Presenters: Jodi Tims, Baldwin Wallace College Susan Williams, Georgia Southern University

Agenda Introductions Overview of institutional perspectives Differences in expectations, processes and guidelines for promotion to full professor Planning activities to increase probability of promotion Challenges and strategies for handling them

Promotion Criteria at Baldwin Wallace Baldwin-Wallace College is very much a mission driven school: Baldwin-Wallace College is an academic community committed to the liberal arts and sciences as the foundation for lifelong learning. The College fulfills this mission through a rigorous academic program that is characterized by excellence in teaching and learning within a challenging, supportive environment that enhances students’ intellectual and spiritual growth. Baldwin- Wallace assists students in their preparation to become contributing, compassionate citizens of an increasingly global society and encourages their pursuit of personal and professional excellence. ( Statement of Mission, October 2000) Teaching effectiveness is the single most important criterion for promotion and tenure. (B-W Faculty Handbook)

Promotion Criteria at Baldwin Wallace Requirements for application Earned Ph.D. is a must for promotion to Full Professor Promotion to Full Professor cannot occur any sooner than six years following promotion to Associate Professor No official distinction is made in regard to criteria for promotion to Full vs. Associate Professor In practice, promotion to full professor requires evidence of a higher level of sustained commitment to the principles addressed by the criteria College-wide policies defer to departmental policies where differences occur

Promotion Criteria in Math/CS Promotion CriteriaHow evaluated Teaching  Single most important criterion for promotion and tenure  Convincing evidence using multiple measures of teaching effectiveness Scholarship and Professional Activity  Accomplishment in one or more of the areas of: Original research Publication including books, articles, and electronic media Directing student research Presentation at professional meetings Interdisciplinary course development Pedagogical development Continuing education within one’s discipline Scholarship that develops the ideals of liberal education Professional consulting Student advising  Meet regularly with advisees  Availability for students in courses  Involvement with student organizations  Mentoring activities

Promotion Criteria in Math/CS Promotion CriteriaHow Evaluated College Service  Committee work for administration or faculty governance  Service within the department or division  Curriculum development efforts  Teaching courses to meet college need outside one’s discipline  Contributions to assessment program General Service  Service to the local community  Participation in non-required College and departmental functions Professional and Ethical Relationships  Pattern of ethical behavior and relationships

Promotion Criteria at Georgia Southern Georgia Southern University is a “balanced” university operating under a “teacher-scholar” model Georgia Southern University is a public comprehensive university devoted to academic distinction in teaching, scholarship, and service. The University’s hallmark is a culture of engagement that bridges theory with practice, extends the learning environment beyond the classroom, and promotes student growth and life success…. Central to the University’s mission is the faculty’s dedication to excellence in teaching and the development of a fertile learning environment…. Georgia Southern faculty are teacher-scholars whose primary responsibility is the creation of learning experiences of the highest quality, informed by scholarly practice, research, and creative activities…. (Excerpts from the Mission Statement approved by the Board of Regents, June, 2004)

Promotion Criteria at Georgia Southern University Guidelines for Promotion Length of service From Assistant to Associate – minimum time in rank is 4 years From Associate to Full – minimum time in rank is 5 years Promotions are based on merit and are not automatic Promotions reflect cumulative past performance Evidence of continuous and steady professional growth is needed Excellence in teaching and creative scholarly activity rank highest among the criteria for promotion. Documented achievement in both is required Specific promotion criteria differ by academic unit

Promotion Criteria at Georgia Southern Promotion guidelines within the College of IT The value of a faculty member depends only partly upon degrees, years of service to the institution, research, publications, scholarly activity, appropriate professional service, and other quantifiable factors. It also depends greatly upon talent, intellectual curiosity, creativity, enthusiasm, attitude, rapport with students and colleagues, the ability to motivate, teaching ability and effectiveness, and many other intangible qualitative factors which cannot be measured quantitatively. (Bylaws, College of Information Technology, Georgia Southern University)

Promotion Criteria in the College of IT Promotion to AssociatePromotion to Full Teaching ● Imaginative, enthusiastic ● Plans carefully ● Widely read in discipline ● Effective leader of classroom discussion Everything for Associate PLUS: ●One of the "best" teachers ● In command of the discipline ● Excellent evaluations from students & faculty ● Demanding yet supportive of students Research ● Systematic plan for creative scholarly activity ● Regular acceptance of journal articles and proceedings Everything for Associate PLUS: ●Research earns respect beyond campus ● Publish frequently in quality journals ● High level of independent functioning ● Well-defined research thrust Service ● Fulfill student support activities and committee assignments effectively ● Earn the appreciation of colleagues Everything for Associate PLUS: ●Commitment to service (internal and external) ● Leadership roles at dept, college, university and beyond Other ● Collegiality ● Ability to function effectively in the Georgia Southern academic community ● Exhibits desired attributes of Georgia Southern faculty Everything for Associate PLUS: ● Continued, steady professional growth and development significantly beyond that expected for promotion to associate ● Leadership by example in all areas ● Direct assistance to junior faculty

Promotion Criteria in the College of IT Teaching includes, but is not limited to: Teaching methodology Course and program development Counseling and advising Classroom performance Methods for evaluating teaching performance: Student ratings of instruction Contents of teaching portfolios (syllabi, exams, assignments, etc.) Peer review Administrative evaluations Performance of students in subsequent courses Superior teaching, which is innovative or demonstrates extraordinary diligence or ingenuity is rewarded

Promotion Criteria in the College of IT Creative scholarly activity includes Basic research Applied research Pedagogical research May also include consulting & maintenance of professional qualifications Methods for evaluating scholarly activity Continuous history of activity is more important than a short period of intense activity A portion of the faculty member’s research must be published in journals of significant quality

Promotion Criteria in the College of IT Service includes Service to the department, college & university Service to the profession Service to the community Methods for evaluating service Documentation of activities

Planning Activities to Increase Probability of Promotion Strive for steady involvement and professional growth in all areas Know the criteria for promotion and address each one Talk often with Full Professors and your Department Chair about expectations Understand the relative importance of various types of creative scholarly and service activities as perceived by the Dean and the Department Chair Stay on top of the criteria… they evolve! Assuming that you can use the ones in effect when you were hired/previously promoted may be incorrect Maintain a balanced approach to addressing all criteria, but never to the detriment of those identified as most important by the institution

Planning Activities to Increase Probability of Promotion Keep a log of activities – documentation is critical Accumulate evidence as soon as possible after you have done something Save everything in an organized fashion You may not include things later, but saying “I wish I had that note from…” or “Where did I put…” as you put together the final portfolio isn’t a good feeling Organize materials in a portfolio to effectively address each criteria Be a keen observer of the P & T process

Planning Activities to Increase Probability of Promotion Assume leadership roles at all levels Chair committees at the department, college and university levels Consider a leadership role in a professional organization or civic group Be willing to take on responsibilities for activities that are valued by the university BUT understand the risks Seek out a mentor

Planning Activities to Increase Probability of Promotion Become a team player Don’t under-estimate (or over-estimate) the value of collegiality Collaborative projects create a synergy that speeds up the professional development process Build in time for activities that foster professional growth If the institution offers workshops on teaching pedagogy or grant writing, participate in some of those activities Choose an arena where your individual strengths can be applied and make a difference

Challenges & Strategies for Handling Them Rushing the process There is no expected timeline Be realistic in your self-evaluation and apply for promotion when you truly believe you are qualified to receive it even if it means delaying a year or two beyond the first eligibility Misunderstanding or misinterpreting expectations Get a clear understanding of changes resulting from changes in Department Chair, Dean, etc. Stay balanced and active in all areas

Challenges & Strategies for Handling Them Promotion review can be a “political” process Get an understanding of the “personality” of the groups involved in the promotion review process – there is a subjective angle to the interpretation of criteria and it is helpful to know if there will be any “spin” that should be addressed Understand the institution’s “balance of power” – administrative input may be far more/less important than peer review input Make sure that the first time those involved in the review process see your name is not while they are reviewing your application for promotion

Challenges & Strategies for Handling Them Working toward full professor can be exhausting Don’t be overzealous – can lead to burnout and a premature attempt at applying for promotion Pay attention to personal health and well-being Don’t sacrifice life beyond work Ask for help if/when needed Create a support network including fellow academicians and non- academicians Learn to say “no” – qualified people get asked to do a lot of things but everyone has effectiveness limits

Challenges & Strategies for Handling Them Heavy teaching loads Show wisdom in the number of new preps you agree to take on Explore opportunities for team teaching when possible Mitigate grading stress Utilize student graders when possible Don’t “over grade” assignments “Over serving” Balancing the service load – recognize service that “counts” and service that doesn’t Be wary of getting side-tracked with administrative duties, grants, curriculum development, & service that may not count, yet be willing to take on responsibilities for valued activities

Challenges & Strategies for Handling Them Losing perspective Pay attention to the institutional/departmental environment, but don’t by overly swayed by “gossip” Don’t lose heart (or face) if denied promotion the first time up Promotion decisions are more often overturned at higher levels than tenure decisions