Appointment, Retention, Tenure Progress and Promotion Criteria

Appointment, Retention, Tenure Progress, Tenure,
and Promotion Criteria

Ref: UWC Senate Policy #501

I. Criteria for Appointment of Probation Tenure-Track Faculty

A. The Department of History will seek to employ those faculty who, because of

their academic preparation and other experience, exhibit the potential for

outstanding teaching, scholarly activity, and professional University service. In

addition, since many UW Colleges campuses have a one or two-person

department, and faculty are required to teach a wide range of courses, the

candidate’s academic preparation and experience in the discipline must be broad

as well as deep.

The appropriate degree (s) as well as other minimum academic preparation shall

be determined by the vice chancellor in consultation with the department chair.

Normally the appropriate degree will be the Ph.D. Any exceptions or special

circumstances applicable to an appointment shall be included in an annual report

to the UW Colleges Faculty Professional Standards Committee. The same criteria

shall apply to part-time faculty.

1. Instructor. Probationary appointments at the rank of instructor may be

made for those individuals who have not completed the Ph.D. or other

department requirements. Understandings regarding degree completion

shall be included in the letter of appointment. Progress toward completion

of the Ph.D. shall be included in the third-year tenure-progress review and

shall be considered in annual retention recommendations.

2. Assistant Professor. Probationary appointments at the rank of

Assistant Professor will be made for individuals holding a Ph.D.

3. Associate Professor. Appointments at the rank of Associate Professor

may be made in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the

department Executive Committee and the Vice Chancellor for Academic

Affairs for individuals who have achieved at least that rank at another

accredited college and university.

4. Exceptions to criteria for 1. and 2. above. At times, when the

employment pool is limited, temporary suspension of a department’s

degree standards for suspension of a department’s degree standards for

initial appointment may be required. A request for suspension of the

degree standards, accompanied by supporting evidence, should normally

be made by the chair to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on

annual basis prior to the initiation of the hiring process. The letter of

appointment should clearly state the academic credentials accepted for

initial appointment and additional academic expectations to be met for

retention, tenure, and promotion in rank.

II. Criteria for Retention of Probationary Tenure-Track Faculty.

A. The following criteria shall apply to full and part-time appointments.

1. The individual has made appropriate progress toward meeting the

criteria for Associate Professor.

2. The individual has either made progress toward or received a Ph.D. or

has made progress toward the academic preparation as indicated in the

letter of appointment.

3. Additional Consideration. The requirement of the Ph.D. may be

waived in cases of outstanding professional accomplishment widely

recognized in the history discipline.

III. A. The following criteria shall apply to part-time and full-time faculty unless

stated in the original appointment letter.

1. To Assistant Professor. A faculty member whose initial appointment

was at the rank of instructor may be considered for promotion to the rank

of Assistant Professor if the faculty member is granted a Ph.D. or the

academic preparation as indicated in the letter of appointment is

completed and the individual is evaluated as having demonstrated

satisfactory progress toward the tenure criteria for teaching and either

University or public service.

2. To Associate Professor. A faculty member who was tenured at the

rank of Assistant Professor may be considered for promotion to the rank of

Associate Professor if the faculty member meets all the criteria for tenure.

3. To Professor. A faculty member who holds the rank of Associate

Professor may be considered for promotion to the rank of Professor if they

meet the criteria for Professor.

IV. Criteria for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor.

A. A tenure/promotion decision for each full or part-time probationary

tenure-track faculty member must be made within seven years of the date

of initial appointment. The criteria described below apply to faculty

members who hold or will hold a half-time or more appointment.

B. Criteria for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor.

1. The individual has compiled a record of teaching effectiveness and has

skillfully fulfilled teaching responsibilities for preparation and

presentation of historical information. Consideration will include, but not

be limited to, lecture and discussion section preparation and presentation,

resourcefulness, imagination, and competence in teaching; evidence of

course improvement where the need has been indicated by self- or external

evaluation; and evidence that students have been provided with a sound

foundation in history.

2. The individual has demonstrated evidence of professional development

through any of the following: research, including research on teaching

methods; professional contributions to the discipline through scholarly

publication; presentations of papers at state, regional, or national meetings

of professional associations, active participation in professional meetings

or associations beyond attendance; or other professional contributions

recognized by professional peers external to the UW Colleges.

3. The individual has demonstrated significant achievement in one or both

of the following:

a. University service through contributions at the campus,

department, UW Colleges-wide or all-university service.

b. Public service to the community in areas related to history.

This can include courses and other professional community service

activities provided through Continuing Education Extension.

V. Criteria for promotion to Professor.

A. Criteria for promotion to Professor.

1. Candidates for promotion shall demonstrate sustained effectiveness in

teaching, as described in the criteria for tenure.

2. Candidates for promotion shall demonstrate continued professional

growth since promotion to Associate Professor with evidence of a strong

record of publication or research or other professional contributions

recognized by one’s professional peers external to the UW Colleges.

3. Candidates for promotion must demonstrate achievement in one or both

of the following:

a. Effective leadership within the campus and department, or at a

Colleges-wide or system level.

b. Extensive public service within the community in areas related to the faculty member’s expertise as a historian. This can include courses and other professional community service activities provided through Continuing Education Extension.

4. Candidates must have a Ph.D. except as provided under the provisions

of II, A.3.

Additional Consideration. For all promotions, the requirement for an appropriate degree may be waived in cases of outstanding accomplishment widely recognized in the discipline or in cases, where, at the time of hiring, it was not specified as a requirement for promotion.

Replaces Department Documents: “Promotion, Appointment and Merit Criteria,” Criteria for Promotion to Rank of Full Professor,” and “Criteria for Awarding Tenure to Persons Teaching Half-Time or More.”

Adopted: April 16, 1994

Amended: August 26, 1994

Webpage Updated: April 16, 2005