Department of Graphic Design
Faculty Promotion and Tenure Policies and Procedures
Approved by the School of the Arts Promotion and Tenure Committee: April 28, 2010
Mission Statement
The Department of Graphic Design offers educational programs designed to address the
complexities and diversities of professional visual communication practice.
The primary goal of our curriculum is to educate students capable of integrating form and
information for the purposes of effective visual communication. The department encourages the
exploration of diverse problem-solving methodologies, innovative investigations, and creative
research in all forms of communication.
The department is dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship, academic and creative
research, and professional practice. The department provides an undergraduate and graduate
education stressing creative and intellectual thinking, awareness of individual, social, cultural, and
communicative issues, the integration of new technology, and a concern for ethical implications
and the natural environment.
The department actively contributes to the school, university, local, state, national, and
international communities through its scholarly and creative activities, educational programs, and
service efforts. The department values and encourages interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
collaboration with colleagues, within the community, and within the profession.
2.3 Departmental and School Criteria Graphic Design. These criteria shall be considered by all
involved parties in the formulation of their recommendations and will serve as guidelines for the
School of the Arts Promotion and Tenure Committee, the chair, and the dean in review of
department recommendations.
2.3.1. Appropriate Credentials and Experience
The Master of Fine Arts degree is the terminal degree for faculty in the Department of Graphic
Design. While the MFA is desired, certain equivalencies may be substituted. Significant creative
and professional accomplishments in communication arts are sometimes identified as equivalent
to work done in an advanced degree program. Candidates for faculty positions who have strong
professional credentials may be hired by this department. A graduate degree other than the MFA
may be acceptable. For example, a graduate program in related communications, studio art, or
education, sometimes represents an appropriate alternative to the MFA in light of department
needs for the individual faculty member’s research expertise. When faculty without terminal
degrees are considered for hiring, equivalencies are determined by the search committee, the
department chairman, a caucus of the tenured faculty, and the dean. The determination of
equivalency shall be documented at the time of hiring and the document shall be placed in the
faculty’s permanent file.
Professional experience is usually required of faculty in the Department of Graphic Design.
Faculty hired without acceptable professional experience are expected to structure their research
activity toward an achievement of mastery of the discipline beyond what might be assumed by
academic preparation.
2.3.2 Teaching
Excellence in teaching shall be measured by the objectives stated in the Departmental Statement
of Philosophy and Objectives:
Departmental Statement of Philosophy and Objectives
a. To the maximum extent possible, faculty shall structure courses to cultivate the development of
students’ research skills, problem solving abilities, and strong visual orientation.
b. Faculty will communicate to students a sense of mission about the positive contribution that
professional visual communicators can make to society’s social, cultural, and economic life.
c. Faculty will maintain high standards in the evaluation of students’ aesthetic decision-making,
communication effectiveness, and technical and presentation skills.
d. Faculty will reassess the relative effectiveness of personal teaching methods and course
content on a regular basis. This will often result in development of new courses, content, and
methods.
e. Faculty will assume responsibility for each course taught, including:
- coverage of assigned course content
- achievement of course objectives
- interface of each course with other curriculum components
f. Faculty will maintain flexibility in teaching methods and the curriculum to acknowledge
individual student needs and goals.
The Peer Review Committee shall choose the most appropriate sources of information for the
assessment of the quality of each candidate’s teaching. Cumulative student evaluations are
viewed as representing merely one viewpoint on the quality and clarity of ideas and information
conveyed. Student growth as evidenced by the cumulative review of examples of work is always
a valuable means for assessing the quality of studio teaching. Course materials, student
performance, and Peer Review Committee visitation may also be considered in the evaluation of
teaching. The committee may solicit written evaluations from present and former students and
may include names supplied by the candidate. Written evaluations by a candidate’s advisees
would be examined to ascertain the soundness and accuracy of advising.
The candidate should be encouraged to submit data concerning descriptions of and contributions
to the total instructional process, including innovations, curriculum development, advising, etc. If a
sample of present and/or former students is polled, due attention should be given to sampling
questions, including no response. This may be done by mail or interview, and all responses must
be signed. Any poll should be for the purpose of evaluation, and a recommendation for or against
tenure should not be requested.
2.3.3 Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth
Faculty are expected to maintain a program of research that is consistent with the mission and
departmental philosophy statements and the faculty research policy. The research policy, which
shall be used in the evaluation for faculty, follows:
Faculty are responsible for three areas of professional activity: Teaching, Continuing Scholarship
and Professional Growth, and Service. In a university environment characterized by academic
freedom and individual autonomy, it is the responsibility of each faculty member to establish and
maintain an individual research program. It is not the prerogative of the university, school, or
department to place limitations or definitions upon the creative and/or scholarly directions
explored by each faculty member within his or her discipline.
In formulating research directions, faculty members should consider the following factors: 1) the
need to remain current in his or her teaching areas; 2) the goals, objectives, and philosophy of
the program; 3) the need to act upon individual needs for personal growth; and 4) the need to
respond to problems and issues facing visual artists and designers today.
In recognition of the richness and diversity of curriculum offerings and faculty backgrounds,
faculty research areas in the Department of Graphic Design include, but are not necessarily
limited to, development of art/design theory, scholarly inquiry and publication, creative exploration
in studio art/design, research and study that contribute to the dissemination or application of more
effective teaching techniques, course development and the educational process, and types of
continuing research necessary to remain current in relation to new developments in the faculty
member’s discipline. Often, research activity culminates in presentations through means such as
publication, lecturing, or exhibition. Professional practice in the Department of Graphic Design is
considered creative studio research. When professional assignments are executed for the nonprofit sector without remuneration and/or the candidate does not designate them as research,
they shall be listed under Service.
Since faculty are required to report their research annually as part of the university’s merit
evaluation and annual report process, the candidate should make available to the Peer Review
Committee all possible evidence of research activity, both published and unpublished.
Professional Practice and Consultation for Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth
and Service
The Department of Graphic Design allows the professional practice of design and design
consultation to be included in a candidate’s vitae in either one of two ways. Commissions may be
undertaken for the university, school, department, community and other organizations, corporate,
or business clients. When these commissions require problem solving abilities beyond merely
technical or production assistance, they shall be classified as “Continuing Scholarship and
Professional Growth.” Those commissions requiring solely technical and production skills shall be
classified as “Service.” It is the responsibility of the candidate to decide the appropriate category
under which such work is included. The work can be included in one category only.
2.3.4 Service
Expectations for service by faculty in the Department of Graphic Design are consistent with the
statement in the School of the Arts Promotion and Tenure Policies and Procedures. Service
encompasses but is not limited to participation on university, school, and department committees,
other assigned duties, contributions to the larger community, and holding office or membership in
professional bodies.
Basic Criteria for Promotion and Tenure
The following specific criteria establish departmental expectations at each rank. (NOTE: Peer
review committees are advised to consider the totality of contributions a candidate makes in each
rank. For each candidate, it is a balance of the whole of accomplishments that should be
reviewed and evaluated.)
APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION TO ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Promotion to Assistant Professor requires a terminal degree or its equivalent with suitable
preparation and experience in the discipline, satisfactory performance of all academic duties, and
demonstrated potential for further professional development in Teaching, Continuing Scholarship
and Professional Growth, and Service.
1. Demonstrated growth and quality in teaching. (Written student and peer evaluations will be
examined and analyzed to determine the progress, effectiveness, and strengths of a candidate’s
teaching and advising performance).
2. Research and/or scholarship contributions indicating a potential for professional leadership.
(An examination and appraisal of a candidate’s documented record of studio and/or scholarly
investigations, explorations, and attainments and/or publications, exhibitions, awards, and recommendations will be assessed/evaluated).
3. Satisfactory service in committee assignments and other assigned duties and potential for
continued service contributions. (Written peer evaluations will be consulted to ascertain a
candidate’s deportment on committees and the range of his/her contributions.)
For promotion to Assistant Professor, the candidate must be: satisfactory in Appropriate
Credentials and Experience; in Teaching, Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth, and
Service, the candidate must be satisfactory in two categories and very good in one. In addition,
the candidate must demonstrate potential for future professional development.
APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Promotion to Associate Professor requires a terminal degree or its equivalent and a sustained,
demonstrated pattern of accomplishments in the areas of Teaching, Continuing Scholarship and
Professional Growth, and Service.
1. Accomplishments in teaching that represent high standards of merit for the department and
discipline. (The application of high professional and pedagogical standards to the achievement of
course objectives leading to progress and advances in the professional outlook, responses, and
realizations of students; innovative and effective use of departmental, school, university and/or
community resources; innovation and flexibility in teaching methods.) A continued record of
sound and responsible advising.
2. Research accomplishments which represent meaningful creative and/or scholarly contributions
to the discipline. (Involvement with changes occurring within the discipline; strengthening and/or
expanding previously attained levels of professional excellence; consolidating, amplifying and/or
refining specific areas of the discipline; involvement with local and/or regional agencies or institutions leading to public dissemination through publications, lectures, symposia, or exhibitions.)
3. A strong record of service to the department, school, and university. Service to the community
and/or profession will also be considered in evaluation of faculty for promotion to the rank of
Associate Professor.
For promotion to Associate Professor, the candidate must be: satisfactory in Appropriate
Credentials and Experience; in Teaching, Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth, and
Service, the candidate must be very good in two categories and excellent in one.
APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION TO PROFESSOR
Promotion to Professor requires a terminal degree or its equivalent. Promotion to this rank is a
significant achievement that demonstrates exceptional contributions in Teaching, Continuing
Scholarship and Professional Growth, and Service. Promotion to Professor shall be reserved for
those who have been recognized nationally by their peers for their professional achievements.
In the Department of Graphic Design encompasses such measures of recognition as national or
curated juried exhibitions, lectures, and papers to national professional audiences, research
awards from national funding sources, publication of articles, books and/or chapters with national
distribution, publication of faculty work in national publications, and service to national
professional or educational organizations through committees, boards, and offices, etc.
1. Teaching contributions that serve to establish standards of excellence for the department and
discipline. (Fuller development and strengthening of previously attained levels of
accomplishment. Significant contributions might include: development of new courses and/or
innovations in existing courses; guidance and leadership in graduate individual research projects;
conducting and/or participating in advanced undergraduate and graduate seminars; contributions
to the development or further enrichment of departmental programs.)
2. Scholarship accomplishments which represent important contributions to the discipline. (A sustained record of active involvement and achievement that intensifies, extends, or expands previously attained levels of professional excellence; dissemination of this activity to broad and diverse
audiences and/or specialist audiences is encouraged and respected by the department.)
3. Service that makes significant contributions to the department, school, university, community,
and profession over an extended period of time. (Evidence of leadership in committee work,
advising, and other assigned duties; effective advocacy and implementation of the department’s
philosophy.)
For promotion to Professor, the candidate must be: satisfactory in Appropriate Credentials and
Experience; excellent in two of the three areas of Teaching, Continuing Scholarship and
Professional Growth, and Service, and very good in the other.
3.2 Probationary (Tenure-Eligible) Appointments
In the third year of the probationary period for a tenure-eligible faculty member whose initial
appointment was at the rank of assistant professor, a review will be conducted to evaluate
progress toward tenure.
Before the end of the fall semester of the faculty member’s third year, the department chair will
appoint a third-year review committee consisting of three of the department’s tenured faculty
members. By January 15 of that academic year, the faculty member being reviewed will forward
to the committee an up-to-date curriculum vitae following the approved School of the Arts
promotion and tenure format, plus other materials that he or she deems useful as documentation
of work completed or in progress. The faculty member should outline his or her research plan for
the remainder of the probationary period as a part of a Narrative Statement at the end of the
curriculum vitae. In addition to the curriculum vitae, the committee may collect materials including,
but not limited to the following:
a. Individual work plans and annual evaluations
b. Signed student evaluations of instruction
c. Signed evaluations by departmental faculty
The committee may employ other means of gathering information as needed, including direct
observations of teaching.
The committee will conduct an examination of the faculty member’s progress toward meeting the
criteria for promotion and tenure as stated in the school’s Faculty Promotion and Tenure Policy
and Procedures and in this document, and will prepare and deliver a written report on its findings
to the department chair by April 30. Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the committee
review. The committee’s report will address separately the criteria of Appropriate Credentials and
Experience, Teaching, Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth, and Service, with
particular attention to any specific areas of deficiency that may exist. The report may also include
a recommendation either for continued probation or for termination, indicating the numerical vote
for this recommendation.
The committee’s report will become part of the faculty member’s permanent file. The department
chair will share the report’s findings with the faculty member and will make use of it in counseling
the faculty member regarding his or her progress.
3.3 Collateral (Non-tenure) Appointment
Collateral faculty are promoted based on the same written guidelines as tenure eligible faculty,
except a collateral faculty’s efforts shall be weighted by the special mix of duties assigned to the
specific collateral faculty member.
If the duties of a collateral faculty member change, upon renewal of the contract, annually or at
the end of a multi-year contract, any changes will be agreed upon in writing by the collateral
faculty member, department chairperson, and the Dean of the School of the Arts.
3.4 Continuing Review of Faculty
In accordance with the University Faculty Roles and Rewards Policy, the Department of Graphic
Design provides flexibility through the use of individual work plans.
Continuing faculty review, through the University Faculty Roles and Rewards Policy, is an integral
part of the promotion and tenure process. Faculty members in the Department of Graphic Design
are evaluated annually in keeping with the University’s Roles and Rewards Policy and the
School’s Faculty Promotion and Tenure Policy and Procedures. At the end of each academic
year, each faculty member develops an individual work plan with the assistance of the
department chair. The individual work plan allows the faculty member flexibility in distributing
efforts among the traditional work categories of Teaching, Continuing Scholarship and
Professional Growth, and Service while still providing for collective support of department, school,
and university missions. The work plan establishes basic criteria for the evaluation of the faculty
member’s work for the given academic year. Evaluation of the faculty member’s performance in
relation to the individual work plan shall take into consideration not only the faculty member’s accomplishments, but also the weight assigned to each work category by the work plan. Both
qualitative and quantitative factors will be considered in evaluating faculty work. The evaluation
process for the individual faculty work plan is addressed in the department’s roles and rewards
document.
The annual evaluation is in writing and provides a rating of excellent, very good, satisfactory,
needs improvement, or unsatisfactory in each work category and also an overall summative
conclusion.
7.1.1 Peer Evaluation
Each spring the department chair shall appoint an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Promotion to
assist the department chair in identifying faculty for recommendation as candidates for promotion
for the forthcoming academic year. The committee shall meet with the chair, review the faculty
roster, and formulate a list of promotion candidates. All faculty shall have an opportunity to make
written recommendations to the ad hoc committee and the department chair.
Committee Membership and Process
The department chair shall initiate the review process in accordance with the School of the Arts
Faculty Promotion and Tenure Policies and Procedures. For promotion and tenure reviews,
and/or promotion reviews, a Peer Review Committee shall be appointed by the department chair
and shall have three tenured department faculty, one tenured non department faculty, and one
department student as members. The student member will not be enrolled in classes taught by
the candidate while the review is in progress. All members shall be voting members. The
candidate has the right to challenge the appointment of any member of this committee by writing
to the chair within five working days following the date the candidate is notified of the composition
of the committee.
The department chair appoints the Peer Review Committee chair and charges the committee with
its responsibilities. At the first Peer Review Committee meeting, the committee chair shall
oversee the election of a secretary to record the minutes and document all committee proceedings. The committee chair reviews the candidate’s materials, and discusses the need for
confidentiality, and develops a schedule of meetings and a timetable for the review process
including assigning tasks and establishing deadlines.
The Peer Review Committee shall conduct a substantive evaluation of the candidate’s record and
performance and submit in writing a record of its proceedings, including a recommendation
regarding promotion and/or tenure, the rationale for such recommendation, and the vote held by
secret ballot. The candidate’s curriculum vitae and other documentation will be made available to
faculty.
Meetings should be called regularly, a work schedule agreed upon, and minutes kept.
Subcommittee reports should be made in writing and discussed with the entire committee, with
constant questions as to whether more substantiation is needed.
The committee may interview the faculty and/ or the candidate to gain a better understanding of
the candidate’s qualities and performance in each of the four areas of evaluation. The purpose of
such interviews is to obtain and substantiate relevant information only. The candidate may
request an interview with the committee for purposes of presenting his or her qualifications.
All proceedings are confidential. Members of the committee are charged not to discuss the proceedings outside the committee meetings.
Candidate Materials
In preparation for evaluation by the Peer Review Committee, the candidate, with assistance from
the department chair, will develop a file that may include, but not be limited to:
Curriculum vitae
Personal statement (optional)
List of contacts and addresses (for Teaching, Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth,
and Service)
List of suggested external evaluators
Review materials for all external evaluators (3 copies)
Verification of post-doctoral training or special experiences
Annual individual work plans
Annual evaluations (optional)
Documentation of Teaching
Course information and responsibilities
Syllabi, outlines, project statements, objectives, handouts, tests
Examples of student work
Documentation of Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth
Publications
Examples of professional and personal work
Documentation of Service
External Evaluation
In the case of review for tenure and/or promotion to associate professor or professor, “the candidate’s research and/or service will be evaluated independently by external evaluators.” A
minimum of three evaluators will be selected from a list compiled by the Peer Review Committee.
If the external evaluator is an educator, their academic rank should be the same or higher than
the candidate. The list should include names of potential evaluators recommended by the
candidate. Once the candidate has been notified of the selection, the candidate has the right to
object to the choice of an external evaluator by notifying the committee in writing, within five
working days, of the reasons why an evaluator should be excluded. As specified in the School of
the Arts Promotion and Tenure Policies and Procedures, the Peer Review Committee and
department chair will summarize the qualifications of evaluators in their final reports.
The candidate shall prepare separate packets of materials to be sent to each of the external
evaluators. Each packet should include the candidate’s curriculum vitae and documents pertinent
to the reviewer’s assessment of the professional accomplishments and/or service activities.
Professional accomplishments and activities that constitute external review could include, but are
not limited to juried competitions of professional significance, exhibition of work in
museums/galleries which results from careful review of the candidate by professionals in the field,
invitational exhibitions, scholarly inquiry, review of the candidate’s work in national publications,
and the publication of a candidate’s research as a book or as articles in national journals. In the
case of juried exhibitions and publications being used as evidence of external evaluations, the
qualifications of jurors/editors/critics/curators and the relative merit of the exhibitions/publications
must be established in the Peer Review Committee’s and chair’s reports.
In all instances, external evaluators will be asked to evaluate only Continuing Scholarship and
Professional Growth, and/or Service, not to make recommendations for or against tenure and/or
promotion.
Committee Recommendations
In reaching a recommendation, the committee will consider an evaluation of “satisfactory” in any
of the four criteria as the lowest acceptable performance. It is expected that tenured faculty will
perform at “very good” levels in at least two of the three areas of Teaching, Continuing
Scholarship and Professional Growth, and Service specified under criteria for evaluation.
However, the recommendation must be based on a balanced evaluation of all factors and
consistent with the rationale given in the report.
The report must discuss fully all criteria, putting them into perspective in the candidate’s particular
discipline. It must state the evaluation, give a full discussion of the reasons, and report the vote
on the committee’s assessment in terms of each criterion. The report must record a secret ballot
with an anonymous count of the committee’s final vote and must be signed by all committee
members. All views must be stated in the report; if there is a minority report, it should be
circulated to all committee members before submission. A unanimous vote is not required. The
committee should make a definitive recommendation if possible; however, genuine divergence
should be reported.
The report shall be forwarded to the department chair, who will make his or her own evaluation
and recommendation. Both evaluations and recommendations and the candidate’s file will be
forwarded to the School of the Arts Promotion and Tenure Committee.
The department chair, School of the Arts Promotion and Tenure Committee, and/or dean may return the report to the Peer Review Committee for clarification or additional information.
Final Report
The Peer Review Committee report shall include the following:
Cover sheet with final vote and vote count in each category recorded on it
Introduction
Summation of the review, evaluation of the candidate, and recommendation for promotion and/or
tenure
Signature sheet with names of committee members and ranks
External Evaluation
Credentials of external evaluators
Evaluations of the candidate
Committee summary
Candidate’s curriculum vitae
Department promotion and tenure guidelines
Peer review sub-committee reports
Appropriate Credentials and Experience
Teaching
Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth
Service
Documentation of national recognition (if appropriate)
Approved minutes of all meetings
Appendices
Sample letters and/or evaluation forms sent out for assessment of candidate
(external evaluators, students, university peers, professional associates,
alumnae, and others)
Responses to letters and forms
Student evaluation tabulation forms
Student evaluations for each semester of teaching
Candidate’s support materials
Other pertinent material
11.2 Post-Tenure Review
All tenured faculty, including administrative faculty, are evaluated annually, using the established
guidelines of the university, the School of the Arts, and the Department of Graphic Design. The
department annual evaluation examines the faculty member’s performance in light of expected
contributions as established previously using the university’s Roles and Rewards Policy, and
contains a summary rating of excellent, very good, satisfactory, needs improvement, or
unsatisfactory.
On this scale, the appropriate rating for a tenured faculty member whose overall performance in
previous years has been satisfactory or better, but whose current overall performance is not
satisfactory, is “needs improvement.” If a faculty member’s previous overall performance was
rated “needs improvement” and the current overall performance has not met the conditions for
improvement, the appropriate rating is ”unsatisfactory” and the University and School of the Arts
Post-Tenure Review process is initiated.
11.24 Improvement Plans
All university and school guidelines shall be addressed.
12.0 Procedures for Review and Amendment of This Document
Any faculty member can propose an amendment to this document by forwarding the proposed
amendment to all members of the department at least 15 days before the next faculty meeting
and asking the department chairman to place the proposal on the agenda for said meeting.
When university or school policy changes, requiring alteration to this document, or if the
department chairman desires a revision, the chairman shall appoint an ad hoc committee to
prepare a proposal for revision to submit to the faculty as designated above.
A majority vote of the full-time departmental faculty is required to amend this document.
A review of the guidelines shall occur every five years.
Amended: February 2008 to reflect departmental name change.
Amended: December 1996 / April 1997 / October 14, 1997
Revised: June 1997 / October 1997
Original Draft: September 1988