DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL GUIDELINES
7.2.5. Department of Geography and Land Studies (Approved by COTS 12/07)
Tenured and tenure track faculty members are reviewed for reappointment, tenure,
promotion, award of merit, and for ongoing professional development after tenure. The
process and schedules for each type of review are specified in the collective bargaining
agreement (CBA Article 20.2), the Academic Affairs policy manual, and the Academic
Affairs annual calendar. The required materials are detailed on the COTS cover sheet
appropriate to each type of review. The office of the provost maintains the official copy of
the Professional Record for COTS faculty. Notification of required periodic review
follows the timelines laid out in the annually published academic affairs calendar.
An understanding of geography is integral to an educated person’s ability to live and act
effectively in today’s world. By its nature, geography involves the understanding, and
practical application, of the cultural, physical, historical, natural and technological factors
shaping our planet. In our department, we speak often of our expectations that faculty
members are “doing geography” and “being geographers.”
In conformance with university standards, review of tenured and tenure-track faculty
centers on the three required performance areas: instruction, scholarship, and service.
Geography is a life pursuit; no geographer should expect to excel in his or her career
without fully meeting these three required performance areas.
All work performed is expected to meet professional standards including collegiality,
which is experienced in a number of ways, including: internal peer review of colleagues’
scholarly work; an ongoing demonstration of courteous and professional behavior toward
colleagues, students and staff; an ongoing sharing of ideas and information; an ongoing
demonstration of mutual support and the shared teamwork of the department; an
ongoing demonstrated commitment to the good of the department, university and
discipline taking on necessary tasks with minimal complaint and supervision; an ongoing
demonstration of acknowledging strengths and supporting areas of need of individuals
and of the department; and demonstrating a commitment to the essential role of diversity
in our academic enterprise, while encouraging and celebrating it among colleagues in all
its productive permutations.
Non-tenure track faculty and phased retirees are evaluated for instruction; other duties
are evaluated when they are part of their contract.
7.2.5.1. Instruction: Standard and Evaluation
7.2.5.1.1. Effective instruction is the central element of geography faculty work.
7.2.5.1.2. Effective instruction requires thoughtful and responsive course design,
development of appropriate instructional techniques, articulation of student learning
objectives, assessment of student learning, and maintenance of each faculty member’s
expertise in geography. Effective teaching is shaped by a passion for geography,
measured by formal and informal evaluation and enhanced with ongoing professional
development.
7.2.5.1.3. The department values a diverse set of instructional modes and approaches.
Students learn in field, laboratory, research, classroom, internship, introspective and
other settings and contexts. The delivery and evaluation of instruction must reflect this
diversity.
7.2.5.1.4. The administration of the Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEOI) is required
in all courses with five or more students. Individual faculty may develop their own
instruments and means of teaching evaluation to complement but not to replace the
SEOI.
7.2.5.1.5. The department will retain summaries of SEOI including transcription of written
comments, using the university’s SEOI forms and other evidence of teaching
effectiveness, in accordance with university, college and department policies.
7.2.5.1.6. Geography faculty are evaluated using multiple methods that typically include
student evaluation, peer evaluation through team teaching and classroom observation,
review of syllabi and/or course materials, self-reflection, and assessment of student
learning objectives. The instruments and results of evaluation are included in the
personnel file.
7.2.5.1.7. Non-tenure track geography faculty are expected to maintain effective
teaching, as demonstrated through such evaluation.
7.2.5.1.8. Candidates for reappointment shall demonstrate concrete evidence of
effective teaching and professional growth.
7.2.5.1.9. Candidates for tenure must present a pattern of productivity that demonstrates
effectiveness in teaching and promises sustained productivity throughout their career.
Additionally, all tenure-track geography faculty are expected to be mentoring graduate
and/or undergraduate students.
7.2.5.1.10. Candidates for promotion are evaluated in accordance with the University
Faculty Performance Standard. Promotion to Associate Professor requires
demonstrated effective teaching (see 7.2.5.1.6, above) and progressive professional
growth. For promotion to the rank of Professor, a geographer must present evidence of
teaching that consistently exceeds expectations and commands the respect of peers
and students.
7.2.5.2 Research and Scholarly Activity: Standard and Evaluation
7. 2.5.2.1. Research and scholarly activity are essential duties of geography faculty, and
are valued for their contribution to instruction, service, professional development, and
the advancement of knowledge. We expect geographers to annually participate in
meetings, presentations and/or field trips sponsored by professional organizations
aligned with their interests. We expect faculty to achieve and sustain an available (hard
copy and/or digital) research agenda which is integrated with teaching and service. We
expect members to seek internal and external financial support for their research and for
students. Scholarship takes many forms and is characterized by validation of rigor
through external peer review and dissemination outside the university.
7.2.5.2.2. University and accreditation standards recognize publication in regional,
national and international peer-reviewed venues as an essential form of such validation
and dissemination for all faculty members. Principal authorship of geographic research
and scholarly activity is demonstrated with such products as: refereed journal articles;
research monographs; scholarly books or chapters; textbooks; an externally peerreviewed body of scholarly work (geographic technologies, maps, field discoveries,
technical reports, analyses and papers); and funded peer-reviewed external research
grant (as the lead principal investigator).
7.2.5.2.3. Other forms of faculty scholarship enrich the intellectual lives of geographers,
the students, and the university. These “other products” include: peer-reviewed
conference proceedings; peer-reviewed article in a trade journal; chapter or article in a
research monograph; textbook chapters; conference presentations; book reviews;
externally-published study guides; publicly-available research/technical papers;
submitted proposal for peer-reviewed external research grant (lead principal
investigator); co-investigator or co-principal investigator on funded external peerreviewed research grant; and principal investigator on other grants and contracts.
7.2.5.2.4. Except as noted above, The Department of Geography has not established
any discipline-specific scholarship standards at this time.
7.2.5.2.5. Candidates for reappointment must demonstrate clear evidence of progress
toward scholarly contributions to the body of geographic knowledge.
7.2.5.2.6. Candidates for tenure must demonstrate a pattern of productivity that includes
substantive scholarly contributions to geography and a commitment to sustained careerlong productivity. Additionally, geography faculty members are encouraged to mentor
students in research.
7.2.5.2.6.1. This record should include regular contributions of products described above
(7.2.5.2.2 and 7.2.5.2.3).
7.2.5.2.6.2. Among the regular contributions, it is expected that the candidate will
produce an average of one of the “university and accreditation standards” products (see
7.2.5.2.2) every two years. At least one of these shall demonstrate the candidate’s
ability to initiate scholarly geographic work at CWU and lead it to peer-reviewed
dissemination. Additionally, these contributions shall include at least two products from
7.2.5.2.3, above.
7.2.5.2.6.3. A pattern of productivity is further substantiated by evidence of geographic
projects (see 7.2.5.2.2 and 7.2.5.2.3) in different stages of development.
7.2.5.2.7. Candidates for promotion must provide evidence of regular and substantive
contributions of peer-reviewed scholarly work (see 7.2.5.2.2). These products shall be
complemented by other scholarly activities (see 7.2.5.2.3). Additionally, geography
faculty members are encouraged to be mentoring students in research.
7.2.5.2.8. Upon post-tenure review, tenured geography faculty are expected to
demonstrate sustained scholarly activity, including evidence of regular contributions of
products described above (7.2.5.2.2 and 7.2.5.2.3). The balance of instruction,
scholarship, and service is expected to evolve throughout an individual’s career and
performance expectations in each category are established through the annual workload
plan that is assigned by the department and approved by the dean.
7.2.5.2.9. When the department requests evaluation of scholarship by external experts
as part of the tenure, promotion, or post-tenure review consideration, special procedures
for soliciting and handling external evaluations apply, as detailed in section 7.2.5 of the
Central Washington University Policy Manual.
7.2.5.3. Service: Standard and Evaluation
7. 2.5.3.1 Service is an essential element of faculty life; faculty service contributes
expertise and effort first to the Department of Geography and professional communities
of scholars, and then to the university and the general public.
7. 2.5.3.2. University service is assigned in accordance with university policy. The dean,
in consultation with the geography department chair, assigns college level service. The
department chair assigns department level service.
7. 2.5.3.3. Service activities are defined in Article 13.3.3 of the Collective Bargaining
Agreement and may include participation in university governance, public lectures,
service as chair or program director, unremunerated consultancies, community activities
related to geography, advisement of student organizations, service to professional
organizations, and contributions to department of geography operations and activities.
Geographers are especially encouraged to mentor and collaborate with students in
community service.
7.2.5.3.4. Faculty members are responsible for providing documentation of service
activities and contributions in their professional files.
7.2.5.3.4.1. Candidates for reappointment shall demonstrate progressive growth toward
appropriate service contributions.
7.2.5.3.4.2. Candidates for tenure shall demonstrate a pattern of productivity that
includes appropriate contributions in service and promises sustained productivity
throughout their career.
7.2.5.3.4.3. Candidates for promotion are evaluated in accordance with the University
Faculty Performance Standard, which requires a substantive contribution to university,
professional and/or community service for promotion to Associate Professor, and
sustained contributions to university life, and increasing service to professional
organizations and/or the community for promotion to Professor.
Approved:
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Department Chair, Geography
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Date
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Dean, College of the Sciences
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Date
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Provost
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