SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
TENURE AND PROMOTION CRITERIA, GUIDELINES
FOR CREATIVE, PROFESSIONAL, SCHOLARLY ACHIEVEMENT
INTRODUCTION: PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
Because the School of Communication requires both professional and scholarly expertise
from its faculty, it is important for tenure track faculty and tenured faculty seeking
promotion to understand what is considered adequate creative, professional, scholarly
performance. The following guidelines, summarizing priorities for each of the School’s
three Divisions, are intended to aid faculty by representing our best understanding of
standards important both for the School and for the University.
The guidelines are intended to be useful to faculty in setting their creative, professional,
scholarly agenda and in judging how to present and highlight their work in their annual
report and file for action.
Performance is assessed not only in terms of creative, professional, scholarly criteria but
also in teaching and service, both within the University and beyond. A faculty member’s
creative, professional, scholarly agenda should make him/her a stronger teacher, a better
resource for students, faculty, and the community, and keep him/her current in their field.
Faculty are expected to develop and pursue well-defined, ambitious agendas for creative,
professional, scholarly achievement that enable them to be productive continuously.
Faculty are expected to produce innovative, relevant work within the landscapes of
knowledge and practice in their fields, explain how that work advances their fields, and
demonstrate promise for continued growth. While each division/discipline identifies
specific benchmarks and measures of success, there are cross-cutting themes that define
tenure and promotion in the School of Communication, which values professional
achievement and innovation as well as scholarly research. Contract work is common for
professionals and payment does not affect its status as research; the decisive feature is
creative control. Faculty are encouraged to apply for external funding, but receipt of such
funding is not required for tenure.
SOC expects its faculty to be effective teachers, allowing students to acquire knowledge,
develop critical thinking skills, and become active participants in the learning process.
Faculty should be leaders in their fields, participating in conferences, associations, and
professional networks.
Engagement in the School and the University in the form of service is required of all
faculty, who must demonstrate a willingness to advance the academic agenda of the
Division, the School, and the University. In SOC, faculty are expected to attend regular
meetings of the appropriate Division, School-wide Council meetings, the annual retreat,
and events that showcase the School, its students, or its faculty. SOC faculty are expected
to attend University events, including Commencement and the annual Convocation.
At the time of tenure review, evaluation of the candidate’s performance, excellence, and
standing in the field will include letters from senior faculty at peer universities in the
candidate's field of specialization and, as appropriate, letters from prominent professional
practitioners, creative artists, and public scholars/intellectuals.
Each Division has developed and approved its own guidelines. The guidelines for the
Public Communication Division are presented below:
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
Public communication as an academic discipline is a rapidly expanding field built on
broad professional expertise, extensive research, deep scholarly insight, and a diversity of
backgrounds and interests. To ensure that the faculty of the Public Communication
Division of the School of Communication fully reflects this breadth, depth, and diversity,
the Division has developed tenure and promotion criteria that encompass the varied
scholarly and professional paths that its faculty members pursue. These criteria are built
on two equally valid and substantive models of accomplishment. One focuses on
scholarly activity, which our Division defines broadly to include both traditional
academic scholarship and public scholarship, each of which involves original research
and publications. The other model focuses on professional activity and achievement,
which can include innovative and substantial professional work as well as a public role in
shaping the practice of strategic communication. Candidates may adhere to one model or
to a combination of the two, drawing from any part of each model to establish a record of
accomplishment. Regardless of which path faculty pursue, successful candidates for
tenure and promotion in the Public Communication Division are expected to present a
record that includes significant and original contributions to any or all of the following:
academic research, public understanding of issues in our field, and professional
advancement and innovation.
Scholarly Achievement
Engaging others is at the heart of public communication, and faculty within our discipline
who extend the knowledge they create and the ideas they develop are highly valued in
our field. Whether their scholarship reaches traditional academic audiences through
journals and conferences or a broader opinion leader audience through mainstream media
outlets, publications, reports, and books, candidates for tenure should have an emerging
reputation for making original, new, and consequential contributions to the body of
knowledge related to our field. Scholars in the Public Communication Division should
aim to be considered thought leaders in the academic, professional, intellectual, policy,
political, or media worlds.
Scholars in this field typically will contribute to knowledge about the nature, uses, and
influence of media, communication technology, and strategic communication in society.
Subject areas include communication processes related to elections, politics, public
policy, and advocacy; science, health, and the environment; marketing, advertising, and
public relations; children and families; race, ethnicity, and gender; public diplomacy and
cross-cultural interaction; norms and attitudes in society and culture; the economy and
business; and media and communication policy. This scholar might be an expert at
detecting trends, discerning media developments, and analyzing the effect that strategic
messages and campaigns have on the field of public communication as well as related
areas and disciplines such as politics, public policy, journalism, culture, the economy,
and society at large. Scholars in the field might also develop and apply advanced research
methods to their areas of interest, including public opinion and media content analyses;
case studies and comparative histories; formative and evaluative research of campaigns;
and organizational strategy. Often this research will help us understand how people
communicate, why communication strategies succeed or fail, how strategic
communication affects society, and how media and technology influence communication
processes.
For Faculty Pursuing A Traditional Academic Scholarship Path:
Faculty pursuing a traditional academic scholarship path should have an emerging
academic reputation for scholarly inquiry that makes a unique contribution to knowledge
in a defined subject or subfield of public communication. Accomplishment in this area of
scholarship usually involves a combination of several or all of the following practices:
●
Conducting research with appropriate methods and rigor;
●
Conceptualizing and theorizing in an original and useful way;
●
Synthesizing, critically analyzing, and clarifying existing knowledge and
research;
●
Developing innovative and useful methods for conducting scholarly inquiry;
and/or
●
Conducting research related to the solution of practical communication problems
of professionals, groups, organizations, or institutions.
Evidence of performance, excellence, and standing within the field should be
demonstrated primarily through peer-reviewed journal articles and/or scholarly books;
chapters published in edited volumes as well as articles in non-peer reviewed journals are
also an important contribution to the body of knowledge in our field, but they alone are
not sufficient to demonstrate standing as an academic scholar. At the time of tenure
review, evaluation of the candidate’s performance, excellence, and standing in the field
will include letters from senior faculty at peer universities in the candidate's field of
specialization.
Peer-reviewed journal articles should appear in flagship or top-tier journals in the field,
although public communication scholars also are likely to publish where relevant at
leading inter-disciplinary journals, examining questions at the intersection between
communication and social sciences or humanities disciplines, or exploring the
relationship between communication strategy and areas such as health, social policy,
politics, history, the arts, business, the environment, or science, among others.
Examples of field-related flagship and top-tier journals include Journal of
Communication, Communication Research, Communication Theory, Political
Communication, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Communication
Yearbook, International Journal of Press/Politics, Health Communication, Science
Communication, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and Public
Understanding of Science. Examples of interdisciplinary journals include Public Opinion
Quarterly, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, Journal of Marketing,
Journal of Marketing Research, Media Psychology, Risk Analysis, Science, Political
Behavior, American Journal of Public Health, and Society and Natural Resources. It is
not beyond the scope of our field for faculty to publish in journals related to history,
political science, sociology, psychology, marketing, American studies, or international
relations, among others. Collaboration with other scholars in writing these articles is
welcomed, but the candidate must demonstrate his or her significant individual
contribution to any collaborative efforts (co-authorship with a graduate school mentor
will be reviewed with additional scrutiny). While the Public Communication Division
expects its academic scholar candidates to be productive in their publishing and
scholarship, we believe that quality and significance are more important than mere
quantity, so we do not require them to produce a specific number of publications per year
or before tenure.
Additional indicators of performance, excellence, and standing include:
●
Reviews and other evaluations of the scholar’s publications and manuscripts;
●
Citation of the work in the peer-reviewed literature, in books, or major
reports;
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Research awards, grants, and proposals;
●
Papers selected for presentation at professional meetings, invitations to join
panels at professional meetings, invited lectures at other universities or
government agencies, and testimony before governmental or other official
committees;
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Editorial positions with major journals;
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Professional honors, awards and consultations;
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Service on expert advisory committees; and
●
Authorship of government, foundation, or organizational reports.
For Faculty Pursuing A Public Scholarship Path:
Faculty pursuing a public scholarship path should have an emerging national reputation
for developing and contributing original knowledge and ideas about the way public
relations and strategic communication influence politics, public policy, institutions,
culture, society, international relations, and the economy, as well as the media and
communication industries. These scholars typically communicate in intellectual
mainstream media venues, the goal being to shape or influence public conversation,
debate, knowledge, or awareness. Venues for their work might include outlook and
opinion sections of major newspapers, professional trade magazines, consequential online
publications, books and reports. Influential professionals in the fields of public relations,
philanthropy, journalism, politics, business, marketing and advertising, among others,
often cite the public scholar’s writing and scholarship.
Because the public scholar practices in the public sphere, visibility in that sphere is
essential. Evidence of performance, excellence, and standing within the field should be
demonstrated through a mix of significant publications or activities that can include
books, monographs, book chapters, edited publications, public testimony, magazine
articles, longer-form newspaper essays, opinion editorials and columns, book reviews,
and/or work published in significant online publications; media appearances where the
public scholar discusses his/her research or provides analysis that helps explain the
impact of communication on society also make a contribution to public knowledge, and
the Division respects this contribution, but they alone are not sufficient to demonstrate
standing as a public scholar. At the time of tenure review, evaluation of the candidate’s
performance, excellence, and standing in the field will include letters from prominent
public scholars/intellectuals and senior faculty at peer universities in the candidate’s field
of specialization or in other disciplines where the candidate has had influence.
Examples of media venues include traditional or mainstream media such as major
newspapers, weekly or monthly magazines (e.g. The Atlantic or The New Republic), and
newsletters; publications that cover trends in the media and communication field, such as
Columbia Journalism Review, AdWeek, or the online journal Flow; and consequential
digital media outlets with a wide or influential readership, such as Salon, Slate, Politico
and History News Network. Insofar as social media such as blogs reach a wide and
informed audience, they too should be considered an important part of the mix. Serving
as a regular analyst or commentator in the broadcast news (television or radio) also fits
into the public scholarship model and can be part of the faculty member’s record of
accomplishment.
While the Public Communication Division expects its public scholar candidates to be
productive authors, analysts, and commentators, we believe that quality and significance
are more important than mere quantity, so we do not require them to generate a specific
number of publications or initiatives per year or before tenure. What we do require,
however, is originality of thinking, the development of new ideas, and the expansion of
existing knowledge in our field; mere synthesis or translation of what others say will not
be sufficient for tenure and promotion.
Additional indicators of performance, excellence, and standing include:
●
Reviews and other evaluations of the public scholar’s publications and
manuscripts;
●
Citation of the public scholar’s work or ideas in books, reports, news stories,
and articles;
●
Research awards, grants, and proposals;
●
Lectures, presentations and panel discussions at professional conferences,
universities, trade associations, and public events, and testimony before
government or other official committees;
●
●
●
Professional honors, awards and consultations;
Service on expert advisory committees; and
Authorship of government, foundation or organizational reports.
Professional Achievement
As a Division that prepares students for professional careers, the professional experience
of our faculty is deeply valued. It is often in professional practice that innovations and
trends in our field first appear, and professionals who orchestrate strategic
communication campaigns, develop new public relations techniques, or research public
attitudes often create the original content that scholars study and cite in their publications
about the field. Candidates for tenure and promotion with significant, substantive
professional experience and a proven record of excellence and innovation qualify for
tenure and promotion under this model. The approach is similar to that used for creative
disciplines where the creative activity itself – the demonstrated application of one’s
knowledge and accomplishments – is evaluated.
Candidates who use the professional model may demonstrate achievement at the highest
level of the profession in the following ways:
●
Consistently high quality, long-term performance of public communication
activities (including designing, supervising, implementing, and/or evaluating
strategic communication campaigns; developing, conducting, and analyzing
opinion surveys and focus groups; speechwriting and other professional writing
activities; effecting media and social media campaigns; and other public
communication activities);
●
Recognition or demand by significant/well-regarded organizations for whom the
public communication activities are performed (this is akin to peer review –
professional work is usually achieved through a competitive process and those
assigned the work are recognized by organizations to be most capable of
performing the work and providing thoughtful, relevant results);
●
Work in salient communication areas (including corporate, international, crisis,
social marketing, non-profit, government, and political communication, among
others), or work in a range of industries (e.g. health, financial, education,
technology, consumer goods, services), or work that reaches a range of target
audiences; and
●
Creation or development of new techniques, approaches, or initiatives that
advance the profession and contribute to the development of a new standard of
practice in the field.
To achieve tenure and promotion, candidates need to demonstrate a range of depth and
breadth in their professional work as well as show significant impact on the profession or
society as a whole. For example, a faculty member involved in a media outreach
campaign must demonstrate his or her involvement in developing the strategy behind that
campaign, effecting social change through the campaign, or producing innovative
methods or concepts that advance the profession. Collaboration with others on these
types of professional projects and campaigns is often the norm and is therefore
encouraged, but the candidate must demonstrate a significant role in or contribution to
any collaborative efforts. While the Public Communication Division expects its
professional candidates to be productive in the field, we believe that quality and
significance are more important than mere quantity, so we do not require them to
participate in a specific number of professional initiatives per year or before tenure.
Professional activity on a national or international level (as an indication of peer
recognition comparable to what we expect of our academic and public scholars) may be
viewed more favorably than regional or local activity, but other factors may also be
considered. For example, the communication challenge posed in a local situation may
lead to an innovative solution that could then be applied in other areas or in other types of
activities.
The work of a candidate seeking tenure or promotion through professional activity must
have impact, but that impact may be judged differently than in other fields or even in the
scholarly model in the Public Communication Division. Visibility is not the only or even
an important standard of evaluation. Unlike journalism or film, for example, whose work
is by its very nature intended to be public, meaning that the author or producer will gain
public recognition through his or her work, much of the work of the professional in
public communication is proprietary, behind-the-scenes, and therefore not public (this is
especially true in certain parts of the field, such as work in the highly competitive
corporate and political arenas, in speechwriting, or in virtually all professional research
activities). The outcomes of the professional activity – i.e. the visible campaign materials
– are usually public, but the process to get to those outcomes is not usually seen. It is the
process of the development of the campaign, which shows the planning, strategies,
creativity, and innovations in methodology or practice, that is the true reflection of the
professional activity.
The professional achievement of the candidate will be judged in terms of its excellence,
originality, and impact on the public communication discipline, the industry, and/or
society in general. To this end, candidates seeking tenure or promotion through the
professional achievement model will prepare a portfolio or case study compilation of
her/his work, one that documents the significance of what they have accomplished and its
impact on the public communication field. At the time of tenure review, evaluation of the
candidate’s performance, excellence, and standing in the field will include letters from
prominent professionals and senior faculty at peer institutions who have extensive
knowledge or direct experience in the profession.