Unit Heads are expected to discuss a promotion plan with PTK faculty members upon their hiring and during their reviews (e.g., annual, merit). The University has not prescribed a timeline for promotion for PTK faculty members. Although details related to the promotion process have been left to individual Units (AEP Guidelines, Section V.C.), no Unit shall prohibit an eligible PTK faculty member, based on unit criteria, from applying for promotion due to budgetary issues, nor shall Units require a PTK faculty member to undergo review.
The Unit Head’s determination of eligibility for promotion is final. In the event that a Unit Head declines a faculty member’s request to go up for promotion, the faculty member may have the right to grieve this decision under the University’s Policies and Procedures Governing Faculty Grievances, II-4.00(A). The Faculty Ombuds can provide additional information.
For those title series that require candidates to have a specific level of experience in order to be eligible for promotion, as set forth in Section II-1.00(A) of the APT policy (e.g., appointees to the rank of Principal Lecturer “shall have…at least 5 years full-time service or its equivalent as a Senior Lecturer [or similar appointment at another institution]”), Units should determine and articulate clearly what qualifies as equivalent experience.
From start to finish, the AEP review process takes about one year (AEP Guidelines, Section V.G.), though candidates should be looking ahead to promotion from the day they begin at the University. While each Unit has its own AEP plan, in general, the case will go forward if the candidate meets all promotion eligibility criteria as articulated in the Unit’s AEP criteria and either the Unit AEP Review Committee or the Chair supports promotion. Cases brought forward by units that do not meet the Unit’s criteria will be returned to the Unit and not receive further consideration.
Because the promotion dossier will be reviewed by individuals who may or may not be familiar with the candidate’s work, the information provided in the dossier should be clearly presented and conform to dossier requirements. The candidate’s mentor(s) can provide advice about preparation of those materials. This candidate-provided information in the dossier must remain the same as it moves from one review level to the next, other than any necessary addenda to the CV.
The Curriculum Vitae
PTK faculty members perform a wide variety of duties at the University. They may focus on any or all of the following functions:
- Research, scholarship, creative and/or professional activity;
- Teaching, advising, mentoring, and curriculum development;
- Service to the unit, campus, and discipline;
- Administration of programs, labs, units or sub-units; and/or
- Extension activity.
The CV should present an accurate portrait of the candidate’s accomplishments in as concise a manner as possible.
The CV, which will be included in each request for internal and external evaluation, must be in the required University format (see the CV template on the Office of Faculty Affairs website); it must be signed and dated, indicating that it is up to date and accurate. Note: the University’s CV template is designed to encompass all fields and disciplines; candidates may modify the template to remove CV categories that are not relevant to their activities.
If there are subsequent changes to the candidate’s credentials, such as additional funding or new publications, they may be recorded as addenda to the CV, which may then be included in the dossier up to the time that the dossier is transmitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs for campus-level review. Any addenda must also be signed and dated.
The Personal Statement
This statement provides candidates with the opportunity to articulate how they merit promotion based upon their record of achievement in one or more of the following areas: research, scholarship, creative and/or professional activity, teaching and mentoring, service, administration and/or leadership. It is incumbent on candidates to show that their work calls upon their academic and/or professional expertise. They must provide evidence that their work satisfies the Unit’s criteria (or modified criteria, if applicable) for excellence; such evidence will vary depending on the candidate’s roles and responsibilities and may address the following (if applicable):
- Impact of research and scholarship;
- Demonstrated excellence in instruction and/or instructional activities;
- Significance/innovation related to their teaching, research and/or service duties;
- Supervision of employees;
- Outreach/community engagement activities;
- Administrative leadership and other support provided to units;
- Creation and/or growth of programs;
- Connections to business, government and non-profit sectors;
- Advising/mentoring roles; and/or
- Professional development including external activities and experience.
If the candidate has been involved in collaborative publications or activities, they should explain the extent of participation and type of contribution to those collaborative efforts.
The personal statement should be relatively short (generally 3-4 single-spaced pages, but no more than 5) and directed toward readers who are not specialists in the candidate’s field. The signed and dated statement must be included in each request for external or internal evaluation letters, if applicable. It may not be changed after it is given to the AEP Review Committee and, if applicable, sent to external or internal reviewers.
Teaching Portfolio
In addition to materials compiled into the promotion dossier, instructional PTK faculty members must prepare a teaching portfolio, according to Unit guidelines, which may include the following types of items: course syllabi; a statement of teaching philosophy; reflective assessments; learning outcomes assessment materials; and mentoring accomplishments, such as placement of advisees in academic and professional positions. More information about the teaching portfolio is included in the Appendix, as shared by the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center (TLTC).
Supplemental Materials
The candidate may wish to include representative pieces of scholarship, descriptions of awards and honors, or media coverage in an optional supplemental dossier. If the materials chosen for inclusion are publicly available, the candidate is advised to include a description of the item and a link, rather than copying the full item into the supplemental dossier.
Candidates are encouraged to view the supplemental materials file as a place for representative scholarship and other extraordinary materials. The candidate should choose items for inclusion carefully. Supplemental dossiers may not exceed 150 pages total.