04.02.20 Tenure and Promotion

01. PURPOSE

01.01             This College Policy and Procedure Statement sets forth criteria and guidelines for tenure and promotion of tenure track faculty and promotion of non-tenure line faculty in the College of Health Professions. These criteria are based on the following sources:

a.        AA/PPS No. 04.01.01: Faculty Hiring

b.        AA/PPS No. 04.01.22: Clinical Faculty Appointments

c.        AA/PPS No. 04.01.23: Faculty of Practice Appointment

d.        AA/PPS No. 04.02.01: Development/Evaluation of Tenure-Track Faculty

e.         AA/PPS No. 04.02.20: Tenure and Promotion Review

f.         American Association of State Colleges and Universities, The Core of Academe

g.         Faculty Handbook, Texas State University

01.02             The faculty of the College of Health Professions view teaching, scholarly and/or creative activity, and service as essential to achieving tenure and promotion.

01.03             At the core of the College's philosophy and of relevance to the performance evaluation of faculty are collegiality, professional and ethical behavior, honesty and integrity, collaboration, and contributions to the missions of their respective Academic Units, the College, and the University. Collegial faculty members are expected to contribute to the positive functioning of the Unit, the College, and the University (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

02. DEFINITIONS

02.01              For the purpose of this document, the following definitions apply (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20):

a.         Programs, Departments, or Schools constitute Academic Units.

b.         The Unit's Voting Personnel Committee is made up of tenured faculty who: 1) hold academic rank in a department at a rate of 50% or more and who do not hold an administrative appointment outside of their College, 2) have at least one year of service at Texas State since the official start date of the faculty appointment, and 3) have taught eight sections of courses at the college/university level. Tenured faculty who meet only the first provision will serve as non-voting members of the Personnel Committee until they have met all three requirements. In addition, Academic Units may include one non-tenure line faculty as a non-voting member of the PC, where applicable. ((AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

c.           Schools and Programs that are equivalent to tenure-granting Departments have all the rights and obligations noted for tenure-granting Departments, and their Directors have all the rights and obligations noted for Department Chairs.

d.           A Unit's recommendation includes the recommendations of both the Personnel Committee and the Academic Unit Leader.

e.           A College recommendation includes the recommendations of both the College Review Group and the Dean.

03. TENURE TRACK CANDIDATES FOR TENURE AND/OR PROMOTION

03. 01           Criteria for Appointment 

a.            A terminal degree and related work in the appropriate academic unit or related field is required and varies according to the academic unit's faculty qualifications policy. (See unit policy for approved terminal degree list and faculty qualifications). If an individual does not have the recognized terminal degree, the maximum rank that will normally be attained will be assistant professor. Exceptions may be considered only for those individuals with exceptionally long service who have established a record of teaching, scholarly activities and service that clearly exceeds the requirements for promotion (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

b.            In accordance with University policy, an untenured faculty member whose rank is below associate professor must apply for tenure at the same time he or she applies for promotion. It would be expected that a faculty member who meets the criteria for tenure would also meet the criteria for promotion to associate professor (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

c.             Typically, the probationary period prior to the awarding of tenure is six years so that when tenure is granted it becomes effective with the next year's contract. In exceptional cases, faculty members who have truly outstanding records may apply for tenure without prejudice before the end of the six-year probationary period (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

d.             At the end of the sixth year, the faculty member must either be awarded tenure or be terminated with one year's notice.

e.            Faculty members in tenure-track positions may not move to non-tenure track status and then back to tenure-track status unless this change in status resulted from independent searches for non-tenure and tenure-track positions.

f.             Leaves of absence and part-time appointments do not count as part of the probationary period. According to University policy (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20), a written agreement, mutually satisfactory to the candidate and to the university, must be made at the time of initial appointment to a tenure­ track position whether to credit or to exclude previous years of full-time teaching experience toward the probationary period.

g.             The evaluation of faculty being considered for tenure may consider all the candidate's accomplishments but should emphasize the time period from the initial date of full-time employment at Texas State University to the time of consideration, to include time granted towards tenure where applicable. Full time appointment is made at the start of the academic year in the fall semester.

h.             A faculty member may not be tenured by default or because of failure to recognize that the time for tenure or termination has arrived. Lecturers, senior lecturers, clinical, practice, research and part-time faculty members are not eligible for tenure consideration, although academic administrators may be an exception to the part-time rule (see Faculty Handbook).

i.             Tenure-track faculty may request to suspend (or toll) the tenure clock in order to accommodate one or more of the following exigencies or hardships: a) childbirth or adoption; b) dependent care (including children, parents, spouses, or other dependents); c) the faculty member's own illness or other personal emergency; and/or d) the inability of the institution to provide agreed upon facilities for the faculty member's research (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

j.             The evaluation of faculty for promotion to full professor will emphasize activities since the candidate's last promotion and while at Texas State University (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

k.             Faculty normally spend five (5) years in rank prior to promotion eligibility. The year in which the promotion is reviewed will count as one of the years in rank (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20). Exceptions to this policy should be specifically addressed and justified during the promotion process (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

l.             The Academic Unit Leader and personnel committee will develop a policy for tenure and promotion, after consulting the voting faculty. The policy should specify the level of performance expected and clarify the requirements for documenting performance in essential areas, including expectations for collegial contributions to the university community. The essential performance areas and accompanying documentation for consideration for tenure and promotion are: Teaching, Scholarly and Creative Activity, and Service.

m.             Candidates must provide documentation that supports quality of teaching, scholarly/creative activity and leadership/service as defined in Unit and College criteria. This documentation should be arranged and presented in the order of categories prescribed by the Texas State Vita (University Form IA) (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20). The Texas State Vita (Form IA) must document all achievements since the initial date of full-time employment and highlight those activities which apply to the probationary period or time period since the last promotion (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

04. PROCEDURES FOR CLINICAL/PRACTICE APPOINTMENTS (NON-TENURE LINE FACULTY)

04.01             Search and hiring procedures for faculty of clinical/practice appointments are described in AA/PPS No. 04.01.01, Faculty Hiring.

04.02             Faculty of clinical/practice may be appointed at any academic rank as long as the faculty member fulfills the requirements. All appointments will recognize the individual's professional background and contributions as well as the potential to provide education, scholarly and professional engagement, and service in relevant areas of professional clinical/practice or management.

04.03             A faculty member on appointment as faculty of clinical/practice is eligible for all benefits except tenure. AA/PPS 04.01.22, Clinical Faculty Appointments, and AA/PPS 04.01.23, Faculty of Practice Appointments, describe clinical faculty and faculty of practice titles eligible for promotion.

04.04             Faculty of clinical/practice appointments are annual appointments subject to annual performance and reappointment review and contingent on continuity of funding and departmental need.

a.         A lecturer of clinical/practice may be appointed for a specific term, not to exceed three years or, if for a lesser period of time, the time period specified, subject to annual reappointment review.

b.        An assistant professor of clinical/practice, associate professor of clinical/practice, or professor of clinical/practice may be appointed for a term not to exceed five years or, if for a lesser period of time, the time period specified, subject to annual reappointment review.

c.         A faculty member may be reappointed in the clinical/practice track for one or more additional terms, contingent on satisfactory performance review, continuity of funding, and departmental need.

04.05             Faculty of clinical/practice may be appointed to graduate faculty status by following the same departmental guidelines used for faculty in that particular department. Faculty of clinical/practice members typically do not direct graduate thesis and dissertations but may serve on thesis and dissertation committees as appointed (see AA/PPS No. 04.01.30, Nomination and Evaluation Procedures for Graduate Faculty for guidelines and procedures for obtaining graduate faculty status).

04.06             If a current faculty of clinical/practice at Texas State pursues a tenure-track appointment at Texas State, years of service in the clinical/practice role will not be considered in the determination of the initial rank of appointment and probationary period for tenure or promotion purposes. If a current tenure-track faculty member at Texas State pursues a clinical/practice appointment, years of service in the tenure-track role will not be considered in the determination of the initial rank of appointment or eligibility for promotion.

05. PROCEDURES FOR CLINICAL/PRACTICE PROMOTION REVIEWS

05.01             Procedures for promotion to academic ranks for faculty of clinical/practice appointments are described in AA/PPS No. 04.02.20, Tenure and Promotion Review.

05.02             Three areas of activity are important in the evaluation of individuals for promotion in the faculty of clinical/practice track:

a.         Effective Teaching- classroom, laboratory, and supervision of students;

b.        Scholarly and Professional Engagement - peer-reviewed and published contributions, or equivalent, that enhance knowledge, skills, and clinical/practice in education or relevant disciplines (e.g., reports, presentations, publications, performances); and

c.         Service - outreach activities to external entities, committee membership, program coordination, or related activities.

05.03             As applicable, each Academic Unit will develop a policy for the promotion of faculty of clinical/practice. The policy should specify the level of performance expected and clarify the requirements for documenting performance in teaching, scholarly and professional engagement, and service. Workload assignments for faculty of clinical/practice should align with the performance expectations.

05.04             Typically, faculty of clinical/practice spend five years in rank before being eligible for promotion. The year in which the promotion is reviewed will count as one of the years in rank.

06. BASIS FOR RECOMENDATIONS

06.01             The tenure and/or promotion process is a continued process of cumulative feedback and achievement that starts at the Unit level. Academic Unit Leaders are responsible for guiding faculty members through the tenure and promotion process, including providing faculty with guidance about their development.

06.02             Recommendations for promotion and/or tenure are based on professional judgments about the faculty member's contributions and performance in: a) Teaching, b) Scholarly and/or Creative Activity, and c) Service to the Department/School/Program, College, University, Profession, and the Community. These recommendations are based on the guidelines/expectations set forth in the Unit policy.

06.03             This College policy sets forth minimal requirements for consideration of tenure and/or promotion. Each Unit will further define what constitutes the specific criteria for each of the areas of evaluation, i.e., Teaching, Scholarly/Creative Activity, and Service. The requirements are minimal College criteria that may be exceeded by individual Units. Attainment of these minimal required levels of performance only allows, but does not obligate, the reviewers to recommend tenure and/or promotion. All recommendations are based on professional judgments and the criteria are designed to inform those judgments.

06.04             Criteria for recommendations:

a.         Teaching:

1)        In accordance with The Core of Academe, the four components of teaching including academic program planning and development, instruction, evaluation, and student academic advisement are of importance in evaluating this area. The College expects its faculty to be good teachers and to work continually to improve their teaching and their courses. Teaching in the College of Health Professions is inclusive of the classroom, personalized instruction, online & hybrid instruction, internship and preceptorships, therapeutic settings, supervision of client and patient care, and across a variety of settings such as hospitals, community service, and public and private sector organizations. At a minimum, evaluation of teaching must involve the students, Personnel Committee, and the Academic Unit Leader. Each Unit will develop its own standards and items to be measured for the consideration of tenure and/or promotion in this area. High quality teaching is necessary but not sufficient achievement upon which to base tenure and promotion.

b.        Scholarly and/or Creative Activity

1)        It is expected that all faculty will be engaged in scholarly and creative activity. A range of activities define scholarly and creative endeavors including such activities as the completion of peer-reviewed journal articles, books, chapters, scholarly presentations, workshops, invited lectures, grants and other related external funding, and other such scholarly endeavors. Both quality and quantity of the faculty member's efforts and success will be considered for tenure and promotion. All candidates for tenure and promotion must provide a documented record of sustained peer-reviewed scholarly/creative activity. Therefore, collaborative work is encouraged but not sufficient to obtain tenure and/or promotion; a demonstration of leadership in this area is required including first authorship, originality, and a significant body of contributions. Faculty should provide necessary documentation for this determination to be made. All faculty are expected to participate in peer-reviewed and published contributions, or equivalent, that enhance knowledge, skills, and clinical/practice in education or relevant disciplines (e.g., reports, presentations, publications, performances) for success for promotion

2)        Related to quantity and quality, each Unit in the College of Health Professions will define specific criteria relating to such factors as number, type, and contribution of publications and presentations within the scholarly and creative activity for their discipline. However, Units and their Academic Unit Leaders must be mindful of meeting university expectations in this area and equity across Units must be insured by the Dean.

3)        Funding beyond budgeted allocations is the means by which faculty support their research, teaching, and service. It is expected that all tenure-track and tenured faculty will be engaged in sponsored program proposals to support their work. Both quality and quantity of the faculty member's efforts and success will be considered. Faculty should provide necessary documentation for this determination to be made. Each Unit in the College of Health Professions will define criteria relating to funding for their academic unit.

4)        Academic Unit Leaders should develop, with input from their Personnel Committees, faculty and the Dean, annual evaluation criteria that guide faculty towards meeting university tenure and promotion criteria.

c.         Service

1)        In accordance with The Core of Academe, service manifests itself in three areas: (a) institutional service, (b) professional service, and (c) service to the community.

2)        Leadership in service increases in importance as faculty become candidates for associate professor and is considered essential for promotion to full professor. Each Unit will develop its own standards and items to be measured for the consideration of promotion and/or tenure.

3)        Services performed for external remuneration (outside employment) refers to professional services performed due to faculty expertise for which a consultation or service fee is paid over and above the faculty member's base salary. Faculty should follow the rules of the University regarding outside employment (UPPS 04.04.06). In addition, professional services may also be performed on a volunteer basis without remuneration. When such activities are related, and enhance the University, the College, the Unit, and the faculty member's development, these activities can be counted as additional service activities. Faculty must submit documentation to substantiate this contribution.

d.        Quality and Quantity of Performance

1)        Academic Units must define what constitutes quality and quantity of performance in each of the three areas - teaching, scholarly/creative activities, and leadership/service, including expectations for collegial contributions to the university community considered for tenure and promotion. Quantity and quality are both considered important, and each faculty member must provide documentation for a judgment to be made in this determination.

07. REVIEW PROCESS FOR TENURE AND PROMOTION

            07.01             Unit Personnel Committee and the Academic Unit Leader

a.         The Personnel Committee and Academic Unit Leader make independent, separate recommendations on each candidate for promotion and/or tenure. The Personnel Committee prepares their recommendation for the Academic Unit Leader. The Academic Unit Leader then reviews the Personnel Committee's recommendation prior to his/her review. In order to be forwarded to the next level of review, either the Personnel Committee or the Academic Unit Leader must recommend the candidate. Normally, within three (3) workdays of the completion of action by the Personnel Committee and the Academic Unit Leader, each candidate will be notified by the Academic Unit Leader of the status of his/her application for tenure and/or promotion (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

            07.02             External Reviewers

a.         Candidates must be reviewed by at least two qualified peers (at the rank the candidate is seeking) outside the University selected by both the candidate and the unit Academic Unit Leader. The outside reviewers will be acceptable to the faculty member's contributions and performance in: a) Teaching, b) Scholarly and/or Creative Activity, and c) Service to the Department/School/Program, College, University, Profession and the Community. External review will begin prior to the time of the Personnel Committee's review of the candidate's material. In the event external reviewers meeting the above criteria cannot be located/are not available/does not exist, the candidate may be evaluated by a qualified faculty (at the rank the candidate is seeking) outside the candidate's College but in a related field (pending Dean/Provost approval).

            07.03             College Review Group and College Dean

a.         The College Review Group and College Dean make independent, separate recommendations on each candidate for promotion and/or tenure. The College Review Group first reviews and submits their recommendation to the Dean. The Dean then prepares his/her recommendation taking the College Review Group's recommendation into consideration. In order to be forwarded to the next level of review, either the College Review Group or College Dean must recommend the candidate.

b.        Within three (3) days of the completion of action by the College Review Group and the College Dean, each candidate will be notified by the College Dean of the status of his/her application for promotion and/or tenure (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20).

            07.04             Provost, President, Chancellor, and Board of Regents

a.         The Provost will consider all candidates for promotion and/or tenure who are forwarded from the College Review Group and College Dean. After consultation with the College Dean, the Provost will make recommendations to the President of the University. The President will make the final recommendations to the Chancellor and Board of Regents.

08. TIMELINE FOR THE TENURE AND/OR PROMOTION PROCESS

08.01             The timeline set by the university will make allowances for weekends, by moving due dates to the next business day when relevant (AA/PPS No. 04.02.20). For the specific dates regarding each year's tenure and promotion calendar, see the Faculty and Academic Resources webpage.

08.02             By May 1, the Academic Unit Leader will submit to the Department faculty and the College Dean a list of faculty members eligible for promotion and tenure review.

08.03             By June 1, eligible faculty members must notify the Academic Unit Leader in writing of their intention to apply for tenure and/or promotion. Faculty who fail to inform the Academic Unit Leader by that date will not be considered in the year's cycle. For a tenure and promotion calendar, see the Faculty Records webpage.

08.04             By June 1, the Provost will publish the calendar for the tenure and promotion cycle for the coming academic year.

08.05             The Academic Unit Leader and faculty member in consideration for tenure and/or promotion should inform external reviewers regarding the timeline. For example, a specific range of dates should be given to the external reviewers to allow time for completion of the candidate's packet by October 13th (due date for faculty submission of documentation).

08.06             By September 15, the Academic Unit Leader will send a copy of the list of candidates to the Personnel Committee and College Dean.

08.07             By September 22, the Dean will provide a list of all candidates for tenure and/or promotion in the College to the Provost.

08.08             By October 13, the candidate must complete and submit an up-to-date Texas State Vita and a promotion and/or tenure form to the Academic Unit Leader. The candidate should also submit documentation of teaching, scholarly/creative activity and leadership/service as defined in Departmental/School and College criteria. Additional supporting material, dated appropriately, may be submitted before the formal meeting of the review group. Faculty who do not submit material by October 13 will not be considered during the cycle.

08.09             By November 17, the Personnel Committee will have a) reviewed each candidate's application and documentation, b) voted, and c) submitted recommendations to the Academic Unit Leader.

08.10             By December 1, the Academic Unit Leader will submit his/her recommendations, along with those of the Personnel Committee, to the Dean.

08.11             By February 1, the College Review Group and the Dean will have completed the review of all candidates, and the Dean will submit his/her recommendations, along with those of the review group, to the Provost.

08.12             By April 30, the Provost will notify candidates of the President's tenure and promotion recommendations to the Board of Regents.

09. PROCEDURES FOR APPEAL

09.01             Candidates denied promotion and/or tenure are referred to AA/PPS No. 04.02.32 and AA/PPS No. 04.02.20.

09.02             Accountability of Individuals Participating in the Review Cycle

a.         All individuals involved in the tenure and promotion process must be ethical, responsible, accountable, and maintain strict confidentiality in dealing with career decisions of others that is beyond question of bias or self-interest. Reviewers are responsible for being familiar with the tenure and promotion criteria and policies and procedures for their respective levels of review. Reviewers will be accountable for their evaluations and are expected to have adequately reviewed the candidate's portfolio prior to making decisions. Each person in the review and evaluation process has a professional responsibility to treat information that evaluates another person's work as confidential.

10. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CHP/PPS

10.01             Major responsibilities for routine assignments associated with this PPS include the following:

a.         The Dean of the College of Health Professions shall review this PPS E2Y.