1/11/2019 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs ABOUT TENURE AND PROMOTION AT RIT Dr. Christine Licata, Senior Associate Provost Spring 2018 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs 2 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs WHY TENURE? Academic freedom – Tenure preserves ability of faculty to academic freedom teach, research/create by protecting faculty or communicate ideas member from retaliation / Limitations: controversial topics; / Exceptions: unrelated to topics gross professional misconduct; financial exigencies; program Most important: Tenure is predicated on a healthy discontinuance peer-review process shared by faculty and administration Why tenure? 3 1
1/11/2019 Division Division of of Academic HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS OF Academic Affairs Affairs INTEREST Reasons for tenure to be revoked 1800s – de facto tenure; donors and boards had power (Policy E 23) to remove faculty Persistent incompetence 1900 – Harvard, Columbia, Documented dishonesty U of Chicago began formal Documented & persistent neglect tenure policies of duty AAUP “declaration of principles” 1915 Willful failure to perform Watershed: AAUP’s 1940 responsibilities Statement of Principles on Violation of University Policy Academic Freedom and Tenure; Falsification of information on see aaup.org/report/1940- employment application or other statement-principles-academic- employment materials freedom-and-tenure Why tenure? 4 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs BASIC CHARACTERISTICS Basic Characteristics 5 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs FACULTY CLASSIFICATIONS Classification Ranks Notes Tenure-track faculty Assistant professor, associate professor, (full) Primary responsibilities are professor teaching, scholarship, and service Non-tenure track: Lecturer, senior lecturer, principal lecturer Primary responsibilities are Lecturers teaching and service; annual or multiple year contracts Non-tenure track: Assistant research professor, associate Primary responsibility is research Research faculty research professor, research professor and must be funded by external funding Non-tenure track: Visiting lecturer, visiting assistant professor, Limited to 3 years; primary Visiting faculty visiting associate professor, visiting professor responsibility teaching, scholarship, and service Non-tenure track: Clinical instructor, assistant clinical professor, Practitioners with clinical Clinical faculty associate clinical professor, clinical professor responsibilities in organizations with a formal affiliation with RIT Non-tenure track: Adjunct professor Primary responsibility is teaching; Adjunct part-time Non-tenure track: Emeritus/emerita associate professor or Reserved for full or associate Emeritus/emerita faculty Emeritus/emerita professor professors when they retire or leave Basic characteristics 6 2
1/11/2019 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs NUMBERS OF LECTURERS, TT, T Affairs 2017-2018 Non-Tenure-Track Faculty 346 32% (Principal/Senior/Lecturers) Tenure-Track Faculty 169 15% Tenured Faculty 574 53% Total 1,089 100% Basic characteristics 7 Division Division of of Academic BASIC CHARACTERISTICS: Academic Affairs Affairs TT FACULTY Tenure is housed in All faculty have a the colleges or GIS letter of offer, contract, plan of Faculty are hired with work, and annual a ‘tenure appointment’ evaluation typically as an assistant professor Assistant professors have statement of Faculty are assigned expectations to an academic unit, e.g., department While pre-tenure, faculty have 1-year contracts Basic characteristics 8 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs TT FACULTY WORK Work is defined in 3 main Scholarship : includes dimensions: teaching, research, creative work, scholarship, and service innovation / Top priority is to enhance the It is important to note that only education of our students and RIT’s Teaching (from current policy) TT faculty have the expectation reputation “The view that teaching is the to do all 3 dimensions; lecturers / Must be documented, disseminated, foremost activity of the RIT and peer-reviewed are expected to teach and do faculty is deeply rooted in the / RIT accepts Boyer’s taxonomy of service; research faculty are university’s traditions. While scholarship: expected to only do research. teaching will continue to be a Discovery, Integration, Application, and Pedagogy, hallmark of RIT, scholarship is Engagement of significant importance, and service is also central to the Service : Values all kinds of academic endeavor.” service in support of the mission of the university – committee, advising, engagement with the community on behalf of RIT Basic characteristics 9 3
1/11/2019 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs TENURE PROCESS SUMMARY During During Tenure Tenure Time of hire Time of hire probation probation Outcome Outcome review review period period • Letter of offer • 6 years • Documentation • Tenure • Statement of including year takes months to awarded in fall of review prepare; review following tenure expectations takes about 7 decision • Annual Review: • University months tenure progress criteria • Mid-tenure • College review occurs requirements in year 3 • College tenure • Provides home; preliminary department feedback re: assignment progress toward tenure Processes 10 Division Division of of Academic Academic TENURE AND PROMOTION TO Affairs Affairs ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PROCESS Tenure review Tenure review is a shared This Occurs in 6 th year / process between faculty and requirement / 4 external letters*: scholarship administration was eliminated / Process Mid-tenure review* beginning Faculty documentation fall 2015 Occurs in 3 rd year Department chair, / faculty letters / 2 external letters*: scholarship College tenure committee / Full process Dean review Provost review Faculty documentation University committee o Department chair, review* faculty letters President decision Positive: College tenure committee / Promotion to associate automatic* Dean review / Tenure + base Provost review Negative: Terminal contract in 7 th year / * New since 2008 Processes 11 Division Division of Academic of HOW PEER-REVIEW PLAYS Academic Affairs Affairs INTO TENURE DECISION Processes 12 4
1/11/2019 Division Division of of Academic CRITERIA FOR TENURE AND Academic Affairs Affairs PROMOTION University Criteria, College University Criteria follows AAUP guidelines and is consistent across most major Expectations, Statement of Expectations universities: – uniform across RIT (Policy E5.0) / Service: Expected but minimal at first Criteria or expectations are set by policy / Teaching: –university policy such as E5.0 and Ability to convey key expertise college policy / expectations. and knowledge recognizing / President approves university policy, needs of learners which is approved by Academic / Scholarship: Senate (AS) Documented, disseminated, / Provost approves college policy but peer-reviewed college policy is voted by the tenured Disciplinary and interdisciplinary faculty Boyer: 5 types / College expectations for tenure RIT has regularly updated its tenure approved by AS policies 13 Division Division of of Academic CRITERIA FOR TENURE AND Academic Affairs Affairs PROMOTION The University Standard: “The RIT tenure policy is designed to encourage and reward excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service and to promote the atmosphere of critical inquiry and creative expression that is vital to the academic and cultural life of the university. Tenure is earned by demonstrated achievements and ongoing pursuit of advancements in teaching , scholarship , and service , guided by concern for students' and colleagues' personal worth and advancement.” A comment about collegiality: RIT follows AAUP guidance in that collegiality should NOT be considered as a 4 th criteria but rather how it undergirds all three 14 Division Division of of Academic Academic Affairs Affairs POLICY E04.0 “The university recognizes the importance of a constructive and cooperative environment (more generally referred to as "collegiality") in order for faculty to fully achieve success in teaching, scholarship, and service. The university expects all faculty to exhibit the qualities of collegiality and to uphold the principles outlined in the university's Honor Code (P3.0), Core Values (P4.0), Diversity Statement (P5.0), and Commitment to Environmental Sustainability (P6.0). This is not intended to be used to violate the principle of academic freedom but to encourage civil discourse.” 15 5
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