DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION
GUIDELINES FOR TENURE AND/OR PROMOTION
At the time of application, candidates for tenure and/or promotion in the Department of Communication
must meet all current regulations concerning eligibility for promotion and/or tenure- such as holding
tenure-track appointments, years in ranks, terminal degree, and so forth.
All candidates for tenure and/or promotion must also meet Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts
(COFA) evaluative criteria and requirements. Departmental evaluative criteria and requirements may be
more stringent, but cannot be less stringent, then COFA criteria and requirements.
Decisions regarding promotion and tenure are among the most important made by a university. Guidelines
for promotion and tenure should address at least three important goals. They should:
1. Promote excellence among members of the faculty.
2. Be explicit enough to insure that faculty members understand the criteria by which they will
be evaluated.
3. Encourage fairness and consistency in the promotion and tenure decision-making process.
Any promotion and tenure system should be based upon an individual’s total contribution to the
department, the university, and the profession. Criteria should reflect the fact that individuals have
differing strengths. However, everyone is expected to contribute in each of the four major dimensions of
performance which are teaching, scholarship/creative endeavors, service and collegiality.
The evidence presented in each category will vary from one individual to the next. Recognized types of
indicators are listed for each of the categories below. It is the responsibility of the individual faculty
member seeking promotion and/or tenure to present substantive evidence within each category to establish
a clear pattern of effectiveness and/or excellence.
For purposes of the Department’s promotion and tenure guidelines and for merit pay considerations,
effectiveness is defined as showing a clear and consistent pattern of productivity and achievement of
personal, departmental, and university goals. Excellence is defined as consistently showing a level of
performance that is above effective; that reflects sustained, high-quality contributions within the
performance dimension; and that is recognized for its excellence within the campus as well as the state,
national, and international professional community.
Teaching and Student Development
Indicators of effectiveness in this performance dimension include, but are not limited to:
1. Course preparation, including the number of preparations, development of course materials,
effective delivery strategies, and evaluation of students.
2. Documentation of teaching effectiveness using instruments and procedures adopted by the
department (student evaluations, peer review, etc.)
3. Lab development and/or maintenance, including setting up a lab, ongoing maintenance of a
lab, number of lab assistants supervised, material ordering flow, etc.
4. Advising, including number of undergraduate and graduate advisees, number of graduate
committees served on or chaired, supervision of internships, supervision of graduate
assistants, sponsorship of a student organization, etc.
5. Course improvement, including use of Web or other computer-enhanced instructional tools,
revision of courses to include emerging technologies, use of field-based experiences, etc.
6. Professional development vis-à-vis teaching, including participating in campus-based
workshops, attending professional workshops of conferences, industry training externships,
etc.
7. Publications of instructional materials, including textbooks, videos, online materials, articles
about innovative instructional practices, etc.
8. Program promotion, including development of web sites, brochures, and other promotional
materials; evidence of recruitment using a variety of strategies.
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9.
Accreditation, including structuring the program to meet accreditation guidelines, assembling
necessary documentation, and successfully achieving and maintaining program accreditation,
where applicable.
Scholarship and Creative Endeavors
Indicators of effectiveness in this performance dimension include, but are not limited to:
1. Research activities leading to demonstrated expertise on topics related to the field of
specialization.
2. Publications in refereed and non-refereed academic journals, books, monographs, technical
reports, etc.
3. Presentation of papers at state, regional, national, or international meetings of the discipline
and related disciplines.
4. Exhibits of creative work, including invited exhibits, juried shows and non-juried shows.
5. Externally funded research and development projects, including grant-writing efforts that do
not result in external funding.
6. Professional development vis-à-vis scholarly and creative work that leads to increased
research, publishing, or creative activity germane to the field of specialization.
7. Editing a refereed academic journal, yearbook, monograph, etc.
8. Serving as a reviewer for a refereed academic journal, grant proposal reviewer, external
program reviewer, juror for exhibits of creative work, external reviewer for promotion and
tenure decisions, etc.
9. Recognition from peers in the field of specialization, including publication awards, research
awards, invitations to serve as a keynote speaker, etc.
10. Professional development through activity that leads to continuing professional licensure in
the field of expertise.
Service
Indicators of effectiveness in this performance dimension include, but are not limited to:
1. Department service, including serving on a variety of committees, participating in department
decision making and shared governance, and assisting with department-wide recruitment and
publicity efforts.
2. Serving on both College and University committees.
3. Active involvement in professional organizations, including election as an officer of a
professional organization, taking a leadership role in accomplishing a strategic goal of the
organization, or providing other core service to the organization.
4. Assisting with University events or initiatives, fund raising, ad hoc committee work, etc.
5. Service activities within the community, including helping to promote or carry out efforts that
enhance the civic, cultural, or environmental health of the community.
Collegiality
Indicators of effectiveness in this performance dimension include but are not limited to:
1. Treats all members of the department with courtesy and respect.
2. Works collaboratively to resolve or minimize disputes.
3. Can disagree on departmental and academic issues without personalizing arguments or
contributing to a hostile environment.
4. Exhibits strong team skills like sharing ideas, assisting others, responsible use and sharing of
departmental resources.
5. Demonstrates ability to think through how an action could affect colleagues
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Associate Professor/ Tenure
Candidates for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor must demonstrate Effective performance in
all of the candidate’s major areas of responsibility and Excellent performance in Teaching and/or Research
(defined as Scholarly and/or Creative Achievements).
Thus candidates for Tenure and/or Promotion to Associate Professor must demonstrate and provide
evidence to support one of the following profiles:
1.) Excellent performance in Teaching and Research and Effective performance in Service and Collegiality.
2.) Excellent performance in Teaching and Effective performance in Research, Service and Collegiality.
3.) Excellent performance in Research and Effective performance in Teaching, Service and Collegiality.
Professor
Candidates for promotion to Professor must demonstrate Effective performance in all of the candidate’s
major areas of responsibility and Excellent performance in at least two areas from among Teaching,
Research (Defined as Scholarly and/or Creative Achievement), and Service.
Thus, candidates for promotion to full Professor must demonstrate and provide evidence to support one of
the following profiles.
1. Excellent performance in Teaching, Research, Service and Effective performance in Collegiality.
2. Excellent performance in Teaching and Research and Effective performance in Service and Collegiality.
3. Excellent performance in Teaching and Service and Effective performance in Research and Collegiality.
4. Excellent performance in Research and Service and Effective performance in Teaching and Collegiality.
Post-tenure Review
For positive consideration in the post-tenure review process, there must be evidence of continuing
effectiveness in each of the four dimensions of performance. Consideration will also be given to evidence
of assisting and mentoring junior faculty members as well as activity in departmental, college, and
university administration.
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