Department of Consumer Science and Education
Tenure and Promotion Guidelines
Revised December, 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. The Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives of the Department
II. Composition of the Tenure and Promotion Committee
III. Procedures to be Followed by the Tenure and Promotion Committee
IV. Basic University Guidelines in Regard to Tenure and Promotion
V. Specific Evidence as Required by the Departmental Committee
VI. Specific Evaluative Evidence for Faculty Tenure and/or Promotion Recommendation
Information regarding tenure and/or promotion presented in the most recent The University of
Memphis Faculty Handbook takes precedence over the departmental tenure and promotion guidelines.
A major midterm evaluation of untenured faculty in tenure-track positions will be held near the end of
the faculty member's third year and will be conducted by the tenure and promotion committee and the
chair. As faculty members begin year six of a probationary period, they must make application for
tenure and promotion to associate professor if they have not already attained that rank. Candidates for
tenure must meet eligibility requirements for promotion to associate professor or have already
attained that rank.
I. The Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives
Vision: The Department of Consumer Science and Education in the College of Education, Health and
Human Sciences at The University of Memphis empowers individuals and families across the lifespan to
manage the challenges of living and working in a diverse, technological, and global society.
Mission: The mission of the Department is to prepare educational leaders to affect the optimum well
being of individuals and families by:
Developing the knowledge and skills to promote leadership, citizenship, and ethical behavior needed
for successful career development in a multicultural and global community.
Developing critical thinking, interpersonal skills and technological skills to enable individuals to
function effectively within the family, the work environment, and the urban setting.
The Department of Consumer Science and Education's mission is an integral part of the University, the
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, and the urban community. Through teaching,
research/scholarly activities, and service, the Department seeks to improve the quality of individual
and family life. The Department is committed to the essential nature of a common base of appropriate
educational experiences for all students, while regularly refining the preparation of leaders in selected
areas of emphasis.
Goals: The mission of the Department strongly supports the mission and emphases of the University and
the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences as it pursues the following goals:
To provide innovative learning experiences that enable students to become effective, competent,
contributing educational leaders in the urban community and global society.
To promote urban education through the practical application of educationally related research and
scholarly activities.
To emphasize the use of critical thinking/problem solving skills in each consumer science and
education area of emphasis.
To continuously review and refine the total home economics program in relation to the mission of
University and College of Education, Health and Human Sciences related accrediting bodies, the
changing multicultural society and the individual needs of students.
The Department of Consumer Science and Education at The University of Memphis provides educational
opportunities to meet various needs within the urban community as well as approved degree programs.
This mission is consistent with the University's efforts to become a major urban research university
through teaching, research and public service.
Objectives: Undergraduate concentrations in Consumer Science and Education are offered in the areas
of Dietetics, Food Systems Management, Fashion Merchandising, Home Furnishings Merchandising, and
Home Economics Instruction.
A. Dietetics is structured to:
1. Emphasize the importance of food and nutrition in wellness and disease;
2. Present an in-depth study of the science of food;
3. Present the effects of food nutrients on the human body;
4. Qualify students for post-baccalaureate experience towards registration eligibility by the American
Dietetic Association.
B. Food Systems Management is structured to:
1. Prepare students for careers in the area of food management;
2. Emphasize the importance of nutrition, food science, food systems management, and business
administration;
3. Present an in-depth study of the food industry;
4. Provide actual working experiences in the area of food production and service.
C. Concentrations in Fashion Merchandising and Home Furnishings Merchandising are designed to:
1. Give the students a comprehensive background for careers related to merchandising and marketing
of fashion and home furnishings products and services:
2. Provide actual experience working in a retail/wholesale and educational setting.
Career opportunities in fashion merchandising include retail merchandising, textiles, apparel
manufacturing, fashion services, wholesaling, advertising, communications, entrepreneurship, visual
merchandising and education (upon completion of endorsement requirements for teach education
programs).
Career opportunities in home furnishings merchandising include retail merchandising, textiles, space
planning, residential design, and design consultation, manufacturer's representative, visual
merchandising, and entrepreneurship.
D. Home Economics Instruction is designed to:
1. Provide a comprehensive background in all areas within the Home Economics discipline;
2. Emphasize the importance of professionalism and effective teaching-learning styles when working
with a variety of client groups;
3. Offer experiences with Home Economics related educational, business, and government agencies in
the community;
4. Qualify students to apply for post baccalaureate licensure
Career opportunities in Home Economics Instruction include position in secondary school (with
appropriate licensure), adult education, cooperative extension services, business, industry, and
government.
Tennessee Licensure is met through courses in Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Humanities and all
areas of Home Economics and appropriate graduate courses.
E. Graduate education is offered which culminates in:
1. Master of Science Degree in Consumer Science and Education
2. Master of Science Degree in Clinical Nutrition
II. The Departmental Committee on Tenure and Promotion will be selected and function as follows:
A. The departmental tenure and promotion committee shall be composed of all tenured associate
professors and professors with the exception of the departmental chair, any tenured faculty member
applying for promotion, and departmental representative(s) to the college of Education Tenure and
Promotion Committee.
B. One of the departmental tenure and promotion committee members will be elected by the
committee members to serve as the chair of the committee.
C. The departmental committee on tenure and promotion will periodically review the guidelines for
tenure and promotion. Proposed revisions will be reviewed and recommended for approval by the
departmental faculty members.
D. One additional tenured associate professor or professor will be elected by the faculty of the
department to represent the department on the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
tenure and Promotion Committee. This member will not concurrently serve on the Departmental
Tenure and Promotion Committee. This faculty member must have served on the departmental
committee at least one year (when a departmental candidate is applying for tenure and/or promotion)
to be eligible to serve on the COE Tenure and Promotion Committee.
Note: No faculty member can participate or vote in deliberations involving the same individual at more
than one tenure and promotion committee level in a given academic year.
III. The following procedures are to be followed by the Departmental Committee on Tenure and
Promotion:
A. The candidate shall submit a letter indicating eligibility and desire to be considered for tenure
and/or promotion to the Department Chair along with a current curriculum vita and a list of five names
(including telephone numbers, addresses, nature of professional relationship, and brief professional
profile) of potential external reviewers.
B. Faculty members to be considered for tenure and/or promotion must assume responsibility to insure
that all-pertinent information in the areas of teaching, research and service is available to the chair
and departmental committee.
C. The departmental chair and the review committee must not only determine each candidate's
present potential for tenure and/or promotion, but must also consider the potential for each candidate
for development. The appraisal of each candidate must be more than a mere review of his or her
activities in teaching, research and service. The faculty member should be evaluated according to his
or her assigned Teaching Load Equivalent.
D. All University criteria (teaching effectiveness, research and public service) and specific criteria
decided upon by the department should be applied to the candidate's accomplishments before
recommendations are made. In order for a faculty member to receive tenure/promotion in the
Department he/she must show evidence of having fulfilled all the terms stipulated in his/her
employment contract. The departmental committee is the evaluation and advisory body to the
department chair. Its recommendations, whether positive or negative, along with those of the chair are
forwarded to the dean.
E. The specific procedures of the departmental committee are as follows:
1.Schedule (Dates vary annually)
The committee will meet on to determine procedures. All dossiers must be in the hands of the chair of
the department by the date of .
After above date, committee members may check out dossiers from the chair of the department or
through the secretary. Dossiers may not be taken out of the department.
Committee members are particularly requested to look for areas in the candidates' dossiers, which
need additional evidence and support.
The committee will meet as follows:
The final recommendation of the Committee together with reasons and other justification will be
submitted to the chair of the Department by.
2. Dossiers
All dossiers will be considered confidential, kept in the office of the Chair of the Department and will
be available only to members of the Committee.
The candidate's materials should:
a. Be organized according to the University of Memphis Summary Vita;
b. Include a copy of the Faculty Member's contract;
c. Include a letter to the Department Chair indicating eligibility and desire to be considered for tenure
and/or promotion;
d. Include external peer reviewers' letters of assessment (see attached CSED External Peer Review
Policy).
The material will be forwarded to other college and university personnel involved in the process of
awarding tenure and promotion.
3. Deliberations
Each candidate will receive individual consideration for tenure and/or promotion in accordance with
the application. If additional information is required by the Committee, the Committee Chair will so
advise the candidate(s).
All deliberations will be held in strict confidence. No records will be made of the discussions. However,
the Committee Chair will make a final report on the decisions of the Committee to the Chair of the
Department.
Discussions will be objective and will adhere to the consideration of the established criteria for tenure
and promotion.
All members of the Committee must be present for each meeting.
A candidate may be requested to appear before the Committee to speak in his or her own behalf.
Likewise, a candidate may initiate such procedure him/herself. However, in both instances, the
Committee determines the need and makes the decision regarding the personal appearance of the
candidate.
4. Voting
Voting will be by secret ballot.
Approval of an application for tenure or for promotion will require at least 2/3 in favor.
The results of the balloting will be given to the Chair of the Department.
In addition, the Committee will rank the candidates for tenure and those for promotion. A report of
such action will also be given to the Chair of the Department.
Candidates will learn of their status with regard to tenure and promotion at each stage, with the final
notification coming from the President of the University.
IV. The University policy on tenure and promotions is viewed as a general statement upon which
departmental criteria are based. The departmental committee and chair of the Department should
consult The University of Memphis Faculty Handbook for university guidelines relevant to decisions
concerning the awarding of tenure and promotion.
V. Specific Evidence as Required by the Departmental Committee:
A. Teaching Effectiveness
The faculty member must submit evidence of teaching effectiveness as follows:
1. Actual printouts of the currently accepted Faculty-Student Evaluation must be submitted. Such
assessments should cover a two-year period, or the period specified by the faculty handbook.
2. Reports from the Department Chair's current evaluation (Faculty Evaluation and Planning Report) of
the faculty member's teaching effectiveness must be submitted.
3. Evaluation by faculty colleagues (Faculty Evaluation and Planning Report) must be submitted.
B. Research and/or other Scholarly and Creative Activities in Area of Specialization
The faculty member should submit evidence of activities from among the following areas:
1. Publishes or edits books or journals
2. Publishes monographs
3. Publishes articles in refereed journals
4. Serves on editorial boards for professional journals
5. Conducts other scholarly or creative activities, e.g. juried exhibitions, invited or refereed research
presentations, seminars or workshops based on faculty member's research in area of specialization.
C. Service
The faculty member should submit evidence of service in the following areas:
1. Public Service
The faculty member's service to community agencies and organizations as consultant or advisor is to be
evaluated.
2. Institutional Service
a. The faculty member's service to the department is to be evaluated. Service to the department may
include committee chairmanship and membership, program development and/or student organization
advising.
b. The faculty member's service to the college is to be evaluated. Service to the college may include
committee chairmanship and membership.
c. The faculty member's service to the University is to be evaluated. Service to the University may
include committee chairmanship and membership.
VI. Specific Evaluative Evidence for FACULTY TENURE AND PROMOTION RECOMMENDATION
a. Instruction
1.Course and Instructor Survey Results
a. Courses taught
b. Nature of courses taught (seminar, activity, lab, etc.)
c. Composite scores
d. Teaching ability
e. Course demand
f. Student-instructor interaction
g. General evaluation
2.Department Chair's Evaluation (Scores and/or rank)
3.Survey of Recent Graduates (Scores and/or comments)
4.Peer Evaluation (Scores and/or comments)
5.Tenure and Promotion Committee (Score and/or comments)
B. Research, Scholarly Activity and Writing
1. Books published in professional field Number Nature of use
2. Major reports and/or projects Number Nature of use
3. Chapters in books and/or monographs Number Nature of use
4. Articles published in refereed periodicals Number Nature of use
5. Editorship of journal Number Nature of use
6. Juried Exhibitions Number Nature of use
7. Professional Abstracts Number Nature of use
8.Invited and/or refereed Presentations at State, Regional, National & International Meetings Number
Nature of use
C. Service
1. Committee membership/chairmanship Number Nature of use
2. Officer of professional organization Number Nature of use
3. Workshop program planner or director Number Nature of use
External Peer Review Policy
The Candidate shall submit a letter indicating eligibility and desire to be considered for tenure and/or
promotion to the Department Chair along with a current curriculum vita and a list of five names
(including telephone numbers, addresses, nature of professional relationship, and a brief professional
profile) of potential external reviewers. The Chair will add one name to the Candidate's list. The
Candidate's list, along with the name added by the Chair, will be forwarded to the Departmental
Tenure and Promotion Committee. The Tenure and Promotion Committee will rank order the potential
reviewers and forward the list of names to the Chair. Reviewers will be qualified peers who are not
affiliated with The University of Memphis. Every effort will be made to minimize biases for or against
the candidate when selecting qualified reviewers. Letters from doctoral and postdoctoral mentors are
discouraged but if included should be so identified. A minimum of three external reviewers should be
included in the candidate's tenure and promotion file.
The Chair will subsequently write to the top three reviewers (with the remaining three serving as
ranked alternates), requesting a confidential, written assessment of the Candidate's scholarly activity.
A copy of the Candidate's curriculum vita along with the University's guidelines for tenure/promotion
will be included. The external reviewers' letters of assessment will be part of the tenure and promotion
materials at all stages of review.
Departmental Tenure and Promotion Timeline:
March 15 Candidate's letter of eligibility, curriculum vita, and external reviewer information due to the
Department Chair.
April 15 Confirmation of external reviewers' willingness to participate in evaluation process.
September 1 Submission of all credentials for review by the Departmental Tenure and Promotion
Committee.
External Peer Review Policy and Departmental Tenure and Promotion Timeline Approved by CSED
Faculty 12/2/96.