1

Promotion & Tenure

Process

Thoughts

NFTS Meeting 16 May 2006

2

Probable Flow Chart

Dossier

Dept.Comm.

Dept.Chair

ExternalReviews

Ltrs. ofSupport

Mid-lev.Comm.

CampusComm.

Provost,Chanc.

3

First Hurdle Is Department

• May be most difficult• Material needed here

is needed everywhere• Attention to detail• A wonderful attribute

not described doesn't exist

• Write well

4

External Reviewers: Important

• Play critical role• Usually chosen by

Department Committee or Chair

• You can suggest– People qualified– Areas they should

know

• Need plenty of them

5

Letters Of Support

• Encouraged• Not Decisive• Wide range helps• Co-authors can give

emphasis to impact of research

6

Department Committee Vote

• May be unusual• In final analysis:

– Will vote for you if they feel you are an asset to the Department

7

Note: You Probably Get Tenure &/Or Promotion Because You

Are Mobile!

• If you are attractive to other Universities, you're also attractive to UMR

• Attraction: Primarily research work & grants; reputation of your publications

8

But You Need To Be Effective At Teaching!

• Taken very seriously at UMR

• Let's return to this later

9

Department Committee Advises Department Chair

• Chair's letter can be a big help– Explain things– Emphasize key points

of External Reviewers

• You'd rather, of course, not need any explanations

10

A Mid-Level ReviewIs Probably Next

• Replaces School or College Committee

• Likely to have broader view than Department Committee

• Probably pays more attention to external

• Again, if you'd be wanted by others, OK

11

Campus Committee Is Next

• Take job seriously• Appear to look for "did

candidate exceed the 'expected value'"?

• Very cognizant of publication records

• Careful in examining research & grants

• Strong on teaching

12

Teaching:Help For Low Class Scores

• Inputs from graduates can help

• See things now from more mature view

• Reflect back on what they learned, rather than what they liked

13

Personal Opinion AboutReliance On Student "Scores"

• I think we rely on them too heavily

• Perhaps peer reviews when they are low would help

• I think we need to evaluate what students learn, not what they like - present system may not do this consistently

14

NFTS Program

• NFTS will help you– Contacts– Examples– Ideas

• But what works in one context doesn't always work in others

• Situations are different

15

Service• Haven't said much yet• More like a hurdle than a

big factor?• There is an "expected"

level - Chair sets expectations

• Significant service can be a plus

• Work with Prof. Societies can help in multiple ways

16

Summary• You need Research, Teaching, & Service

to get tenure and/or promotion

• Quality research is hardest to establish, so it often becomes most important

• Teaching is also important -- it really is!– You may be able to do extra well in some

courses

• Service is necessary. Unless exceptionally weak, you'll probably be OK