Substantial Scholarship in English and Humanities:
Criteria, Evidence, and Assessment
Required Documentation:
Substantial scholarship may be demonstrated through the sources of evidence listed in the table below.
Similar sources of information not listed here may also be used if appropriate. It is not intended that
each candidate for promotion include each of the listed pieces of evidence.
Please note that per the 2012-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement (Article 14, Section 3, pages 14-5
and 14-6), application for promotion must include the following pieces of information (which may be
used to help demonstrate outstanding scholarship):
 A cover letter
 A detailed and current curricula vita
 A letter of support from the chairperson of the candidate’s department
 Three (3) letters of reference or support from professional and/or academic colleagues
 For candidates seeking the rank of associate professor, a copy of the promotion and tenure plan
(including reviews)
 A narrative describing the candidate’s substantial achievements in scholarship supported by
appropriate documentation. Please note that it is important to discuss the significance, rigor,
and value of scholarship within the narrative.
Many of these required items have been integrated into the table below.
Evidence used to support the candidate’s application for promotion should be limited to pieces of
information regarding the candidate’s scholarly activity within the review period (the review period is
defined as the period since hire or previous promotion, whichever is more recent), and that evidence
should include information gathered throughout the full scope of the review period.
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Substantial Scholarship in English and Humanities:
Criteria, Evidence, and Assessment
To demonstrate substantial scholarship, promotion candidates in English,
Communications, Linguistics, Foreign Languages, and Creative Writing must meet
Criteria 1, 2, and 3.
Criteria
Source(s) of Evidence
1. Sustained Scholarly
Activity: Scholarly
activities are based on
lines of inquiry
consistently conducted at
Shawnee State University
throughout the review
period or within the past
five years
Given that there are different levels of prestige in scholarly
activities, candidates will choose one of the two options
listed as A and B below.
Assessment
*Note: Candidates may opt to mix and match their yearly
activities from A and B within their given promotion/tenure
runs. (e.g. one year a candidate may opt for B and another
year choose A, etc.)
A. Average a combination of two of the following scholarly
activities in each academic year at SSU:
1) Presentations given to academic organizations at state or
regional conferences
2) Presentations given to the campus community
3) Published book reviews (or having these accepted for
publication)
4) Reference entries published in scholarly professional
books or journals (or having these accepted for publication)
Met
Not Met
5) Offices or positions held in professional academic
organizations or on scholarly editorial boards (not used as
evidence of service)
7) Organized and chaired sessions at state or regional
conferences
8) Invited address at academic gatherings
9) Obtaining external grants or similar financial support for
research or scholarly activity
B. Average one of the following scholarly activities in each
academic year at SSU:
1) Presentations given to academic organizations at
competitive prestigious national or international conferences
2) Published book chapters or conference proceedings with
respectable academic presses (or having these accepted for
publication)
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Substantial Scholarship in English and Humanities:
Criteria, Evidence, and Assessment
3) Published articles or essay reviews in scholarly
professional journals or books (or having these accepted for
publication)
Met
Not Met
4) Invited or keynote addresses to prestigious academic
gatherings
*Note: A book publication with a reputable academic press
or having a book in press with a reputable academic press
automatically demonstrates outstanding scholarship
*Note: If specialization is Creative Writing, then the
activities reflected above will be used along with the
additional following activities. The level of prestige of the
venues will determine how they are counted.
1) Invited public readings
2) Published creative works in reputable journals and
magazines (or having these accepted for publication)
2. Currency: Scholarship has Candidates will demonstrate their awareness of current
been engaged while
developments and research appropriate to their scholarship in
employed at SSU and
referencing the scholarly activities indicated in Criterion 1
demonstrates an awareness
of current criticism, trends,
and research in the
candidate’s given field(s)
of inquiry
3. Significance of
Scholarly Activity:
Scholarship is of
significant academic value
as understood by peers
within the candidate’s
discipline
Met
Not Met
1) Scholarly activity not included in Criterion 1
2) Statements from faculty, department chairpersons, or
academic professionals outside of SSU attesting to the
quality of the candidate’s scholarly contributions and
activities
3) Reviews of published works
Met
Not Met
4) Awards or honors for scholarly activities
To demonstrate substantial scholarship, promotion candidates in Philosophy must meet
Criteria 1, 2, and 3.
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Substantial Scholarship in English and Humanities:
Criteria, Evidence, and Assessment
Criteria
Source(s) of Evidence
Assessment
1. Sustained Scholarly
Activity: Scholarly
activities are based on
lines of inquiry
consistently conducted
at Shawnee State
University throughout the
review period or within the
past five years
Candidates will have averaged one of the following scholarly
activities in each year at SSU:
1) Giving scholarly presentations to academic organizations
at the regional, national, or international level
2) Publishing articles and/or essay reviews in peer-reviewed
professional journals or books (or having these accepted for
publication)
Met
3) Holding offices or positions in professional academic
organizations or on scholarly editorial boards
Not Met
4) Organizing and chairing sessions at academic conferences
5) Being an invited speaker at an academic gathering
*Note: Of the scholarly activities demonstrated in Criterion
1, three of the activities must be either:
1) Giving scholarly presentations at regional, national or
international conferences
Met
and/or
Not Met
2) Publishing scholarly articles and/or essay reviews in peerreviewed professional journals or books (or have these
accepted for publication)
2. Currency: Scholarship has Candidates will demonstrate their awareness of current
been engaged while
developments and research appropriate to their scholarship in
employed at SSU and
referencing the scholarly activities indicated in Criterion 1
demonstrates an awareness
of current criticism, trends,
and research in the
candidate’s given field(s)
of inquiry
3. Significance of
Scholarly Activity:
Scholarship is of
significant academic value
as understood by peers
within the candidate’s
discipline
1) Statements from faculty, department chairpersons, or
academic professionals outside of SSU attesting to the
quality of the candidate’s scholarly contributions and
activities
2) Reviews of published works
Met
Not Met
Met
Not Met
3) Awards or honors for scholarly activities
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Substantial Scholarship in English and Humanities:
Criteria, Evidence, and Assessment
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