The Dossier

What the Committee
Looks for:
• I nnovation
•
I nitiative
• I mpact

We Also Look for:
• Well-defined purpose and clear goals?
• Goals consistent with unit mission?
• An effective librarian?
• Definite continuing program of professional development?
• Effective service?
• Meets the criteria?

Organization of the
Dossier
1. General Summary
2. Performance
3. Professional Development
4. Service
5. Supporting Documentation
• Consider adding a Table of
Contents

Contents
1 General Summary
1.1 Checklist
1.2 Vita
1.3 Candidate’s Summary Statement
1.4 Department Head’s Summary Statement
1.5 Campus Mission Statement
2 Performance
2.1 Position Description
2.2 Summary of Performance Activities
3 Professional Development
4 Service
5 Supporting Documents
5.1 Supporting Documents for Performance
5.2 Supporting Documents for Professional Development
5.3 Supporting Documents for Service

Summary Statements
• Opportunity to speak directly to
P&T Committee
• Presents logic of the case
• Highlights evidence that proves the case

Summaries: What to
Include
• Be clear and concise
• Write four summaries:
1. General Overview (candidate’s summary statement)
2. Performance
3. Professional Development
4. Service

Candidate’s Summary
Statement
• Your opening statement
• Executive summary
• Tell us your secondary area of emphasis!
• Make a case for:
– Excellence in performance
– Continued improvement beyond satisfactory (Secondary area)
– Satisfactory achievement (3 rd area)

Summary Dos & Don’ts
• DON’T: simply repeat dossier contents
• DO: Supply salient details missing elsewhere in dossier

Where do I put this?
• Consult job description
• Activities in job description are
Performance
• All others are
Professional
Development or
Service
• Get advice & feedback!

Performance
• Innovative procedures
• Guides, handouts, web pages etc.
• Syllabi (if teaching is in your job description)
• Evaluations by colleagues, users, students

Professional
Development
• Post-MLS education
• Publications (refereed?)
• Conference papers or lectures given
• Document panel participation at conferences
• New lectures or courses developed
• Fellowships, awards, honors

Publications
• Is the journal refereed?
• What is the circulation?
• Who reads it?

Teaching
• Did you develop the curriculum or syllabus?
• Any co- teachers?
• Part of your job description?
• Is it a credit class?

Web Sites
• Supply the URLs
• Did you develop the content?
-- Create the design?
-- Supply technical expertise?

Service
• List committee offices held
• Divide into national, local, campus, libraries, community, etc.
• Describe your contribution to committees
• Teaching activities outside of job description
• Professional consulting

Joint Projects &
Committees
• What was your role?
• What was your impact?
• Relationship to the mission?

Listservs
• Are you the moderator or just list owner?
• How many subscribers?
• Is the membership limited?

Documentation: How to
Do It
• Less is more!
• Arrange in a logical order
• Highlight salient parts
• Explain impact/significance in summary

Documentation--
What is it Good For?
• Goal: Not to prove what you have done, but to show
SIGNIFICANCE
• Be selective!

Documentation
• Divide into Performance,
Professional Development, & Service
• Consider adding Table of Contents for each section.
• Use ToC to identify/explain
• ToC serves as overview

Sample Table of Contents for Documentation
Table of Contents
I.
Service to the Libraries a) IULFC P&T Committee:
• Workshop presentation (Powerpoint handout)
• Thank you letter from Andrea Morrison, committee chair b) IUPUI Library Faculty Nominating Committee
• Thank you letter from Randall Halverson, committee chair
II.
Service to the University a) Etc.

Supporting Letters
1. Formal:
• Solicited by third party
• Candidate does not see in advance
• Required in some cases
2. Informal:
• Solicited by candidate
• Include at your discretion
• Less significant

Formal Solicited Letters
• Requested by third party
• You choose letter writers in consultation with director or supervisor
• You do not see letters before they are added to dossier
• All solicited letters go into dossier

Letters:
Promotion to Full
• At least 4 formal solicited letters required
• Solicited by the Dean
• Should be from people OUTSIDE of your campus and outside of IU

Letters:
Tenure/Promotion to
Associate
• Formal solicited letters not required
• But, they are a good idea
• Especially persuasive to campus P&T committees
• Solicited by head of department