Eligibility
The specific promotion status of new faculty members may be determined at the time of first appointment and specified in the appointment letter. The PSU/KNEA Agreement also generally establishes that
- Instructors are eligible to apply for promotion in their third year in rank
- Assistant Professors in their fifth year in rank
- Associate Professors in their seventh year in rank.
To be eligible for promotion, a faculty member
- shall be tenured or hold a tenure-earning appointment
- shall have earned the appropriate terminal degree
- shall have served (when applicable) the requisite number of years in rank
- shall be able to present documentation of appropriate professional accomplishments.
These accomplishments shall be of such recognizable merit, in the professional judgments of Department and University evaluators, as to justify the granting of promotion to the next higher academic rank.
Process
Names of faculty eligible for promotion are published near the end of the academic year prior to the year in which they are eligible to apply. Faculty use the summer and early fall to prepare the promotion dossier,
according to models available through the English Department or the Office of Academic Affairs.
When applying for promotion, the candidate shall select one of the three categories, Teaching, Scholarly/Creative Activity, or Service, as the primary basis for nomination. In the promotion dossier, the candidate shall present evidence of excellence in the primary area and evidence of substantial professional accomplishments in the other two areas. Candidates are not required to submit evidence of excellence in all three areas.
The English Department follows the promotion procedure outlined in the PSU/KNEA Agreement.
Criteria
The English Department subscribes in full to the promotion guidelines set forth in the Office of Academic Affairs Memorandum 80–4 (Rev.) of May 21, 1984 ("Academic Promotion Guidelines and Procedures"), the PSU/KNEA Agreement, and the "Unclassified Personnel Handbook," or their current equivalents. The Performance Appraisal section of the Department "Policies Manual" lists specific professional activities relevant to the promotion process. Faculty members are responsible for making themselves fully aware of the contents of these documents and for engaging in those professional activities in Teaching, Scholarly/Creative Activity, and Service that form the basis of a successful application for promotion to the next
higher academic rank.
Teaching. Teaching refers to the broad area of student/faculty interaction for educational purposes. A faculty member who excels in teaching:
- receives generally consistent positive student response to classroom instruction from approved course/instructor evaluations for all classes taught
- receives generally consistent positive student response to academic advisement as indicated by approved advisement evaluations
- maintains scholarship through sustaining breadth and depth of knowledge facilitates the learning of students.
The applicant who selects Teaching as the primary basis for promotion maintains a consistent trend on Annual Performance Appraisal ratings of Above Satisfactory in Teaching, with no rating below Satisfactory, and with clear potential for Highly Satisfactory ratings in the judgment of evaluators.
Scholarly/Creative Activity. The emphasis in this category is on the presentation of data substantiating the continuing scholarly or creative development of the faculty member in a particular discipline. A faculty member who excels in this area of endeavor conducts scholarly or creative work appropriate to the area of specialization and shall be able to document such accomplishments as:
- publications (papers, monographs, textbooks, book reviews, poems, stories, novels, etc.), at least some of which are the result of a selective process (e. g., by an independent editor, editorial board, or selection committee)
- lectures, papers, speeches, readings presented at meetings or other educational institutions
- attendance at institutes, short courses or seminars related to the faculty member's discipline
- grants and awards received
- evidence of regional, national, or international recognition
- current research, scholarly activity, and/or creative projects in progress.
The applicant who selects Scholarly/Creative Activity as the primary basis for promotion maintains a consistent trend on Annual Performance Appraisal ratings of Above Satisfactory in Scholarly/Creative Activity, with no rating below Satisfactory, and with clear potential for Highly Satisfactory ratings in the judgment of evaluators.
Service. A faculty member who excels in the area of service makes notable contributions in one or more of the following service categories:
- institutional (university, college, department)
- community
- professional.
To be considered, service contributions must be relevant to the faculty member's professional role and competencies at the University. Such service contributions generally demonstrate:
- leadership or active committee membership in academic and other major University affairs
- service as an officer of a professional or scholarly society at the state or national level
- service as a consultant to government and industry.
The applicant who selects Service as the primary basis for promotion maintains a consistent trend on Annual Performance Appraisal ratings of Above Satisfactory in Service, with no rating below Satisfactory, and with clear potential for Highly Satisfactory ratings in the judgment of evaluators.
Academic Ranks
The three levels of academic rank may be thought of as a continuum of performance from potential to actual--potential at the Assistant Professor level to actual at the Professorial level. Following are definitions of
each rank:
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Professor
Assistant Professor. Promotion to Assistant Professor is based upon potential for professional development. Candidates for promotion to this rank should have the appropriate terminal degree and a strong academic record. According to the professional judgments of the appropriate evaluators, candidates shall clearly exhibit the aptitudes of the successful faculty member who will grow in stature and eventually qualify for the rank of Associate Professor.
Associate Professor. Promotion to Associate Professor is based upon actual performance, as well as upon potential for future professional development. Candidates shall have met all the requirements of the Assistant Professor rank before applying for promotion and shall be able to document accomplishments, as defined above, that demonstrate, according to the professional judgments of the appropriate evaluators, both that they are well on their way toward becoming productive members of the academic community and that they clearly exhibit potential for further professional development. Only professional accomplishments achieved since promotion to Assistant Professor will be considered.
Professor. In general, faculty members holding the rank of Professor are responsible for an important area of instruction, are recognized by professional peers for outstanding scholarly/creative contributions in a field of specialization, and are recognized by associates and students for outstanding contributions to the Pittsburg State University educational community. Candidates shall have met all requirements of the Associate Professor rank prior to applying for promotion and shall also be able to document accomplishments, as defined above, that demonstrate, according to the professional judgments of the appropriate evaluators, that the candidate is deserving of promotion to Professor. Only professional accomplishments achieved since promotion to Associate Professor will be considered.
Promotion Committee
The English Department Promotion Committee consists of three tenured faculty from at least two different academic ranks. Committee members are elected by the department faculty for a one-year term. The Committee chairperson is elected by the members of the promotion committee. Normally, faculty will not serve on the Promotion Committee for two consecutive years. The departmental chairperson makes independent
promotion recommendations and therefore does not participate in the deliberations and recommendations of the Promotion Committee.
