• Department of Interdisciplinary Arts (DIA) faculty members constitute report to the Department Chair for the purposes of course assignments, Annual Faculty Reports, 3rd-Year Review, and evaluations for tenure/promotion-related actions, etc.
• Each DIA faculty member is also explicitly allied with a TCVPA School (Art, Music, or Theatre/Dance) according to disciplinary background and job duties. DIA faculty should participate in faculty meetings and the like of that School.
• Service activities across the college's units, the college, the university, community organizations, and/or professional societies are monitored and assigned by the DIA Chair, sometimes in consult with an allied School's Director.
• A 3-person Guidance Committee will be assigned to each DIA faculty member upon hire.
• A larger ad hoc "Interdisciplinary Arts" Faculty body comprised of the DIA faculty, plus representatives from the college's Schools, will function as the DIA's faculty voting assembly for the purposes of major personnel actions (tenure, promotion, continuing appointment, and the like).

A guidance committee of 3 members from DIA faculty and other TCVPA Schools will be assigned to monitor the Interdisciplinary Arts faculty member annually, to formally evaluate at 3rd-Year review, and again at the time of tenure and promotion. Should any additional guidance committee member(s) be desired to round out the appropriate interdisciplinary perspective for a given candidate, any committee members not drawn from TCVPA faculty will not have voting rights, although they will have the satisfaction of performing an important service to candidate and college.

The guidance committee member(s) will conduct class room observations of the tenure-track faculty member's teaching each academic year. The guidance committee can determine whether a single committee member or all members will present reports on teaching.

The guidance committee members will collaborate on a written annual evaluation, provided to the DIA Chair, regarding the tenure-track faculty member's progress in teaching, research, and service. This document becomes a part of the annual departmental faculty review. At the 3rd-Year Review and when the candidate applies for tenure and promotion, committee members write an overall summary of the candidate's performance during that entire period of consideration.

In order to provide a representative unit faculty for consideration of DIA faculty positions, this faculty body will consist of: all DIA faculty members of suitable rank; 2 members from each of the DIA faculty member's non-allied Schools; and 3 members from the designated allied School. Membership may vary with time, as does any faculty; however, the percentage of representation above remains constant. This Interdisciplinary Arts (I/A) Faculty body considers the candidate's qualifications for graduate faculty status and evaluates the candidate's performance at the time of midterm and final reviews for tenure and promotion. As with the Guidance Committee, additional non-TCVPA members of this faculty are permitted to round out the appropriate interdisciplinary perspective for a given candidate, but will not have voting rights.

Choices for membership in the Interdisciplinary Arts Faculty body balance such considerations as concrete interest in interdisciplinary scholarship related to the position; academic, performance, and studio representation; associate and full professor ranks; etc. Reasons for changing membership in the I/A Faculty include inter alia exits from TTU employment and specific needs (e.g. advancement to rank of Professor). Additional faculty hires in the DIA would result in Interdisciplinary Arts Faculty bodies specific to those positions to be appointed. Membership in those faculties would account for the nature of the position, including the possibility of I/A Faculty from home units within another college. For each position, however, the balance of representation among unit faculties will be maintained.

(Guidelines herein are equivalent to those used at a School or Department level; references to TCVPA procedures refer to College policies that apply to all faculty in the Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts.)

Following are the stages of evaluation and guidance provided by the DIA for its tenure-acquiring faculty: 

During the first year of service of a tenure-track appointment, each faculty member will be assigned a minimum three-member guidance committee of tenured faculty, as outlined above. This Guidance committee will follow the tenure-track faculty member's career throughout the duration of the tenure-track process, providing advice, guidance, and evaluation in the areas of teaching, research, and service.

The DIA Chair will meet periodically with the tenure-track faculty member to outline the process of evaluation and to discuss research and service commitments and opportunities.

The Guidance Committee will conduct annual reviews and formulate written reports of the tenure-track faculty member's teaching, research, and service. These reports will be provided to the DIA Chair for use in completing the faculty member's Annual Faculty Review.  These annual committee and departmental reports will keep the tenure-track faculty member informed on his or her progress toward meeting the criteria for Interdisciplinary Arts faculty, as well as those of the College and University leading to tenure and promotion. These reports will also become part of the faculty member's dossier for 3rd-Year Review, Tenure, and/or Promotion actions. Standards for these assessments will match those articulated in relevant University OPs and the TCVPA tenure and promotion guidelines.

When Tenure and/or Promotion are undertaken, the faculty member bears primary responsibility for preparation of the dossier, with major assistance to be provided by the DIA Chair.

The guidance committee does not vote as a committee for the purpose of tenure & promotion; rather, its members vote as part of the larger I/A Faculty body.

1. During the Spring prior to the tenure and promotion evaluation year, the candidate files an intent form with the DIA Chair.
2. During the Spring, the candidate develops a list of approximately 10 external reviewers in consult with the DIA Chair; the Chair will solicit reviews from this list to ensure that at least five are completed for inclusion in the dossier.
3. By late Spring, the candidate delivers a complete dossier (less external letters, and departmental and college-level letters) to the DIA Chair, for the purpose of rating research items and distributing to external reviewers.  General contents and formatting guidelines can be found here.
4. The dossier container external reviewers' letters will be delivered to the Guidance Committee in early Fall.  This Committee reviews, meets, and votes; the Committee chair prepares a letter summarizing the Committee's findings and reporting its vote. 
5. The Guidance Committee letter, along with the candidate's dossier, is distributed to the Interdisciplinary Arts faculty body that the DIA Chair has assembled for the purpose.
6. A meeting of this faculty body is convened and led by the Guidance Committee Chiar; the DIA Chair is not present. The Guidance Committee's findings are discussed and a vote taken.
7. The DIA Chair records the faculty vote on the dossier Ballot Count sheet, writes a letter reporting on the faculty vote and process as well as his or her own review of the candidate's materials, and adds that and the Guidance Committee's letter to the dossier for delivery to the college.
8. The TCVPA's Personnel Actions Committee reviews, meets, discusses, and votes on the dossier, and reports to the TCVPA Dean.
9. The Dean records the TCVPA PAC vote on the dossier Ballot Count sheet, writes a letter reporting on the TCVPA PAC vote and his or her own review of the candidate's materials, adds it to the dossier for delivery to the Provost.
10. At each stage of items being added to the dossier, the candidate is provided a copy thereof.