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CVPA Guidelines for Tenure and Promotion

I. Introduction
II. Procedures at the Departmental Level
III. Procedures at the College Level
IV. Standards for Academic Rank
V. Standards for Tenure
VI. Declaration Form
VII. Curriculum Vitae Format

I. Introduction

The "College of Visual and Performing Arts Guidelines for Tenure and Promotion" is one of four documents governing the granting of tenure and promotion of Visual and Performing Arts faculty. The other three documents are:

  1. the Texas Tech University Tenure Policy, which is currently a supplement to the Faculty Handbook,
  2. O.P. 32.01, and
  3. the individual department's or school's tenure and promotion guidelines and criteria.

Unit guidelines must be consistent with those of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and any revisions must be submitted for the approval of the Dean by July 1 of the year in which they are to be put into effect. By fall 2007, unit guidelines shall include, for each of the unit's areas having distinctive means of evaluation, guidelines for ranking creative/research activity which correlate to the 5-point scale in the attachment to OP32.01.

Chairpersons or Directors must provide access to these documents to any candidate for tenure and promotion. A signed statement by the candidate stating that he or she has seen these documents or received a copy of the dossier must accompany the promotion and/or tenure dossier.

The College and the University view the probationary period for tenure-track faculty as an essential time for determining whether the faculty member will be able to sustain a strong and continuous record of effective teaching, significant research and creative activity, and service to the unit and the profession. Thus, the College of Visual and Performing Arts normally will not recommend candidates for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor prior to their sixth year of service unless a compelling reason for doing so is advanced by the unit and/or the candidate. If a candidate wishes to be considered prior to the end of the normal probationary period, he or she should notify the chairperson or director, and the chairperson or director should consult with the Dean. See also OP32.17, Faculty Appointments and Titles.

Faculty members who seek promotion or tenure at a time other than the mandatory (6th) year must declare an intent to do so by March 15 of the preceding year in order to arrange for responsible preparation and to allow scheduling of committees.

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II. Procedures at the Departmental Level

Evaluation at the departmental level begins in the first year of a tenure-track faculty member's service at Texas Tech. This evaluation is to be conducted in accordance with the guidelines provided in Part III of this document and in the College of Visual and Performing Arts "Procedures for the Midterm Review of Faculty in Tenure-Acquiring Positions."

It is the responsibility of the chairperson or director to notify the faculty of the department or school deadlines for applying for tenure and promotion. These deadlines must be sufficiently early to permit a thorough evaluation of each candidate's teaching, research, and service achievements and to enable the chairperson or director to submit originals and copies of a well-organized dossier to the Dean's Office by the third Friday in October (timing varies annually). A total of 10 dossiers is required: one original (filed at the college) and 9 copies (1 for unit, 7 for college use, 1 for Provost).

View Dossier Preparation PowerPoint

The version of the dossier to be forwarded ultimately to the Provost should conform to O.P. 32.01. The basic form is as follows and should be presented in a three-ring binder with the sections indicated marked by tabbed dividers (see Format Checklist):

  1. Dean's letter
  2. Chairperson's or Director's letter
  3. Vita (with chairperson's/director's ratings of publication or creative activities)
  4. Letters of evaluation solicited on behalf of the candidate (as in item 10 on College Format Checklist)
  5. Basic information (parts 1-9 of item C, pp. 4-6 of Attachment A to OP 32.01)
  6. Teaching effectiveness (as in item 11 on College Format Checklist)
  7. Research and creative activities (as in item 11 on College Format Checklist)
  8. Service activities (as in item 11 on College Format Checklist)

Pages should be consecutively numbered within these 8 sections (i.e., 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc.). As appendices to the original dossier (filed with the College of Visual and Performing Arts) and copies for the college committee only (not in the copy for the Provost), the following materials should be added under separate tabs, with pages numbered consecutively within sections:

  1. Ballot comments (but not the ballots)
  2. In chronological order, annual faculty reports with chair's/director's assessments, Midterm Review in appropriate position, and, if available, annual peer evaluations. (Midterm Review to contain review report, chair's letter, ballot report.)
  3. Unit procedures governing Tenure and Promotion.

The appendices can be presented as hard copy or CD.

Table of Contents and section title pages are provided for your convenience.

In working with the candidate in preparing the dossier, the chairperson or director should keep the following points in mind:

  1. A candidate who does not receive a majority vote from the department or school faculty and/or the support of the chairperson or director may elect to have his or her dossier sent forward to the Dean's Office. However, in such circumstances the candidate should be made aware of the fundamental importance of peer evaluation and of the need for an exceptionally strong dossier and/or rationale to receive favorable recommendations at the higher levels of review.
  2. The candidate's dossier should contain a comprehensive summary of peer and student teaching evaluations. The chairperson or director, who is responsible for compiling it, should sign the summary of student evaluations.
  3. The candidate's dossier should contain evidence of the comparative quality of the publications and/or creative activities of the candidate. This is to be done by the chair rating the outlets in accordance with the guidelines in O.P. 32.01. This rating is to be done on the vita. Chairpersons or Directors and faculty should independently assess the candidate's publications and/or creative activities prior to voting rather than depending only on the reputation of the outlets.
  4. Outside letters of recommendation must be solicited on behalf of the candidate and included in the dossier. As OP32.01 implies, letters that are evaluative in nature provide the strongest case for meaningful external review.
  5. Ballots should be submitted unsigned by the voting faculty to the chairperson or director, who, in the presence of one other faculty member of the same unit, will tally them and record the tally on the form to be forwarded to the Dean's Office. The chairperson or director will indicate in writing to the Dean the name of the other faculty member who witnessed or assisted in the counting.
  6. Faculty members should be encouraged to explain fully the reasons for their votes. These unsigned comments should be typed, rather than handwritten. They are to be collected, separate from the ballots, and forwarded by the chairperson or director to the Dean's Office appended to the dossier.
  7. The Chairperson's or Director's letter should clearly state his or her recommendation and the reasons for this recommendation. A copy of this letter must be given to the candidate at the time the dossier is forwarded to the Dean's Office.
  8. The candidate must have access to the dossier in accordance with departmental/school procedures incorporating provisions of the Open Records Act; however, he or she does not have to approve it. Letters of rebuttal from candidates are not accepted as part of the dossier.
  9. The unit administrator or designated representative is responsible for ascertaining that the dossier conforms to the formats required of college’s and provost’s copies prior to sending them forward, since no changes are permitted after the college formally accepts the dossiers. For basic form and various appendices, see also Format Checklists Compared. See also final checklists for Candidate, Format Checker, and Administrator of the unit.
  10. Seven copies of the dossier plus the original are to be submitted to the Dean's Office. One copy, not the original, is to be placed in a three-ring binder for subsequent submission to the Provost.
  11. Any exceptions to these procedures must be documented in writing and conveyed to the Dean or his/her representative.

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III. Procedures at the College Level

An independent review is conducted during the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ own tenure and promotion deliberations. Chairpersons or Directors should inform candidates that this review is not a mere formality. A favorable vote from the department or school and a favorable recommendation from the chairperson or director do not guarantee that the ultimate recommendation from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and later from the Graduate Dean, the Provost, and the President to the Board of Regents, will be favorable. Likewise, unfavorable departmental or school votes are not always upheld.

At the College level, the Visual and Performing Arts Personnel Actions Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Dean on all tenure and promotion applications. Comprising two members from each of three units, the Personnel Actions Committee is appointed by the Dean or his/her designee. Committee members do not vote on tenure and promotion applications from their own departments or schools. A Tenure and Promotion sub-Committee is comprised of the four PAC members not from a candidate's home unit. A non-voting witness from the home unit, ordinarily that unit's most recent "alumnus" PAC member, attends the tenure and promotion meeting but exits prior to the committee's vote; the non-voting member, like voting members, is charged with maintaining complete confidentiality. Following careful deliberations, the Tenure and Promotion sub-Committee takes a formal vote, which is recorded on the Consideration of Tenure and Promotion Form. The Dean does not vote at this stage.

Following careful deliberations, Tenure and Promotion sub-Committee members rely primarily on the evidence contained in the applicant's dossier. For this reason it is important that the dossier be complete and compiled in a neat, professional manner. The Committee may, however, ask for additional information. Miscellaneous questions may be directed to the non-voting member from the home unit, or to the unit's chair or directors, who shall remain on call for the duration of scheduled meetings. In all cases in which there is a serious question about the desirability of recommending tenure for a candidate in his or her mandatory year for consideration of tenure, the candidate and the department chairperson or school director will be asked to meet individually with the Committee. At the discretion of the Dean, other individuals may be asked to meet with the Committee as well.

Following the deliberations and decision of the Tenure and Promotion sub-Committee, the Dean makes his/her own independent recommendation. This review is not a mere formality. A favorable recommendation from the chairperson or director and a favorable vote from the Tenure and Promotion sub-Committee do not guarantee that the Dean’s recommendation will be favorable. Likewise, unfavorable votes or recommendations are not always upheld. The Dean of the college will at this point inform the candidate of his/her decision, permitting the candidate to decide whether or not he or she wishes to have the dossier sent on for further evaluation.

Any deviations from these procedures must be documented in writing and conveyed to the Provost or his/her representative.

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IV. Standards for Academic Rank

  1. Assistant Professor: For promotion from the rank of Instructor to Assistant Professor the candidate must have the ability to teach effectively and hold the terminal degree (or its equivalent) as defined by the academic unit as appropriate to the position of Assistant Professor. In addition, the candidate must show promise for growth in teaching, research, and service.
  2. Associate Professor: Promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor requires that the candidate have
    1. a demonstrated record of effectiveness as a teacher,
    2. a record of peer-evaluated publication or creative activity which has contributed to the discipline or field of study, to the candidate's intellectual and artistic development, and to the quality of his or her academic unit,
    3. a demonstrated record of significant contributions to the university's graduate programs through such activities as teaching of graduate courses, service on thesis or dissertation committees, or supervising graduate students;
    4. a record of promise for growth in service.
  3. Professor: For promotion to the highest academic rank, the candidate's academic achievement and professional reputation must be superior. The candidate is expected to demonstrate a clear and continuing record of significant involvement in the university's graduate programs through such activities as teaching of graduate courses, service on thesis or dissertation committees, or supervising graduate students. This rank can be earned only by a candidate who has demonstrated continued growth in, and has a cumulative record of, teaching effectiveness, substantial peer-reviewed publication or creative activity, and professional contributions and service.

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V. Standards for Tenure

A favorable tenure decision requires that the candidate have

  1. a demonstrated record of effectiveness as a teacher,
  2. a record of peer-evaluated publication or creative activity which has contributed to the discipline or field of study, to the candidate's intellectual and artistic development, and to the quality of his or her academic unit
  3. a demonstrated record of significant contributions to the university's graduate programs through such activities as teaching of graduate courses, service on thesis or dissertation committees, or supervising graduate students,
  4. a record of promise for growth in service.

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VI. Declaration Form

Download Declaration Form, T&P

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VII. Curriculum Vitae Format

The CVPA Tenure & Promotion committee, Provost, President, and Board of Regents know a candidate primarily through presentation of the curriculum vitae (“life’s education” or “the course of one’s life”). When going up for tenure and promotion, the c.v. must convey relative weights of responsibilities, changes over time, consistency of achievement, and so on.

General principles

Sections

  1. Personal information, education, and employment history.
  2. Teaching
    • List courses taught, by semester, with number of students
    • Service on graduate thesis and/or dissertation committees
    • Activities that your unit considers to be related to teaching
  3. Creative / Research
    • (Sub-categories vary according to discipline)
    • Unit administrator will rank each achievement by number
  4. Service
    • University
    • Department/School
    • Professional
    • Community