Academic Promotion (E-3A)

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Academic Promotion (E-3A)

Original Implementation: October 19, 1978
Last Revision: February 3, 2005

General Provisions
1. Stephen F. Austin State University seeks to maintain the strongest faculty possible. The University thus provides for advancement based upon the faculty member's academic credentials and experience, performance as a teacher and scholar/artist, contributions to the University community and his/her discipline, and service to the general community through his/her professional expertise.
2. The Stephen F. Austin State University Policy Manual establishes a uniform system of procedures to be used for promotion in all academic units of the University. Each college and department of the University shall also establish its own written policy governing its promotion decision-making guidelines, to direct departments where circumstances require or permit flexibility or variation. Each policy must conform to University Policy E-3A and contribute to the mission of the department, college, and the University.
Academic Rank
1. This policy applies to the following ranks (see Policy E-1A):
  1. Professor
  2. Associate Professor
  3. Assistant Professor
  4. Instructor
2. The ranks of Librarian I, II, III, and IV are governed under Policy E-31A.
Promotion Awards
1. In order to assure that faculty recommendations and administrative decisions relative to promotion are equitable, the following procedures are observed.
2. Criteria
  1. The minimum criterion for appointment to the rank of Instructor at the University is a master's degree in the field in which the individual will be teaching.
  2. In order to be promoted to any of the academic ranks, an individual is expected to have completed the highest level course of academic study available in the discipline of his/her primary responsibility. Ordinarily, that would be a doctoral degree or a master's degree that is considered to be a terminal degree in the particular field.
  3. Generally, the tenure and promotion process shall be linked for faculty who have served the full probationary period (see Tenure Policy, E-50A).
  4. Beyond adequate credentials, progress through the academic ranks shall be determined in keeping with the criteria established in this policy and in departmental and college policies. Faculty seeking promotion in rank must meet the minimum criteria for the rank and shall have demonstrated sustained achievement in teaching, research, and service as indicated by administrative evaluations.
  5. To be promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor an individual should demonstrate the capability to teach effectively, produce research/creative works, and provide service to the academic and general communities.
  6. To be promoted to the rank of Associate Professor an individual should have a proven record of effective teaching, research/creative works, and service to the academic and general communities.
  7. To be promoted to the rank of Professor an individual should have a sustained and recognized record of effective teaching, research/creative accomplishments, and service to the academic and general communities.
  8. In order to hold either of the upper two academic ranks, an individual is expected to have some previous teaching experience and to have held a lower rank.
    1. To apply for the rank of Associate Professor, an individual should have held the rank of Assistant Professor for at least five years. This means that the application will profile five complete years in the rank of Assistant Professor.
    2. To apply for the rank of Professor, an individual hired before September 1, 2005, must have completed a minimum of three full years of service at the rank of Associate Professor. This means that the application will profile three complete years in the rank of Associate Professor.
    3. To apply for the rank of Professor, an individual hired on or after September 1, 2005, must have completed a minimum of four full years of service at the rank of Associate Professor. This means that the application will profile four complete years in the rank of Associate Professor.
    4. In exceptional circumstances when warranted by extraordinary performance, faculty members may be reviewed for promotion earlier. The evidence to support early promotion must be unequivocal.
  9. Scholarly leave of absence (those related to reasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Policy E-29A) will count as part of the service in rank unless the candidate and the institution agree in writing to an exception to this provision at the time the leave is granted.
  10. Periods during which a faculty member is on leave of absence for one semester or more due to health related issues (see reason 5 of Policy E-29A and the description of Family Medical Leave and Organ or Bone Marrow Donors in Policy E-29A) or national guard service (see Authorized Training for Duty, Call to National Guard Active Duty by the Governor, and Call to National Duty in Policy E-29A) shall not be counted as part of the service in rank unless the candidate and the institution agree in writing to an exception to this provision at the time the leave is granted.
  11. For purposes of calculating years of service in rank, an “academic year” shall be the approximate nine-month period from September through May. If a faculty member begins service during an academic year, the period of service from the date of appointment until beginning of the following academic year shall not be counted toward years of service in rank, unless the inclusion of that period of service is approved by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  12. In exceptional circumstances, special training in recognized institutions (such as conservatories or research institutes) or the attainment of nationally recognized licenses/certificates may be judged to satisfy the requirement for advanced degrees. Practical experience and/or demonstrable expertise and performance in activities related directly to one's faculty appointment may be judged to satisfy the requirement for advanced degrees and/or years of experience. Similarly, a record of truly exceptional performance in some areas of the basic responsibilities to teaching, scholarship/performance, and service may mitigate against slight contributions in other areas in consideration for promotion, within the performance guidelines established for each rank. The evidence to support promotion based upon exceptional considerations must be unequivocal.
3. Promotion Procedures
  1. A faculty member may be nominated or apply for promotion. A nomination may be initiated by an individual faculty member, the department chair, or other appropriate administrative officer of the University.
  2. An application for early promotion will be approved only if the individual significantly exceeds departmental and college expectations.
  3. The applicant/nominee is responsible for developing and submitting to the department chair a dossier of supporting materials. If the individual is also applying for tenure, only one dossier for both processes should be submitted.
  4. The dossier must be submitted in the fall semester of the appropriate year of service.
  5. The dossier should include a table of contents, a brief narrative highlighting accomplishments since initial appointment or last promotion and explaining persuasively why the individual meets expectations for promotion; a Curriculum Vitae; and annual administrative evaluations since initial appointment or last promotion. The promotion dossier should also include documentation of the following:
    1. teaching effectiveness (i.e., summaries of student evaluations, teaching awards, peer evaluations, innovative teaching approaches)
    2. scholarly or creative activities (i.e., publications, research/creative projects, photographs of artworks, finished pieces of work)
    3. university-related service (i.e., committee responsibilities, leadership roles assumed at department, college, and university level)
    4. contributions to profession (i.e., memberships in professional organizations, offices held, other leadership roles)
    5. general community service related to the profession (i.e., presentations and activities that enhance the professional discipline
  6. Each,dossier will be evaluated by all full-time department faculty members holding rank higher than the candidate.
    1. The chair will make the dossier available for review.
    2. After the appropriate faculty have reviewed the dossier, the chair of the department will schedule a meeting of the department promotion committee, which will consist of all full-time departmental faculty holding rank higher than the candidate. The department promotion committee will meet and elect a member of the group to chair the committee; and carefully consider the candidate’s application in reference to department, college, and university criteria for awarding promotion. The committee’s considerations must be limited to the criteria for awarding promotion.
    3. Administrators who are not involved in the promotion recommendation process at another level are eligible to serve on promotion committees.
    4. In departments with two or fewer full-time departmental faculty holding rank higher than the candidate, the chair of the department and each candidate shall submit separately to the dean of the college a list of three names of full-time faculty members holding rank higher than the candidate from other departments in the university. The dean in association with the Provost shall appoint members from these lists or others, until there are at least three members of the departmental promotion committee.
    5. Following the meeting of departmental promotion committee, each committee member shall submit a written recommendation and supporting comments to the chair of the committee clearly indicating that the candidate be granted or not granted promotion.
    6. The chair of the department promotion committee will collect and transfer to the chair of the department the recommendations and supporting comments of the committee members. The chair of the department promotion committee will also report in writing to the department chair the recommendation of the committee along with supporting comments in summary form. The written recommendation must be reviewed and signed by members of the committee. Dissenting comments may be attached.
    7. The chair of the candidate's department will evaluate the dossier submitted by the candidate, recommendations from the department committee, and other evidence deemed pertinent; the chair will notify the candidate as indicated below.
      1. Within six (6) class days of completion of the evaluation by the faculty from the candidate's department and the chair of the candidate’s department, each candidate will be notified in writing by the chair of the department of the status of his/her application for promotion and the recommendation from the department committee and chair.
      2. Within six (6) class days of being allowed to review the written recommendations and supporting comments, the candidate may attach a letter of response addressing factual errors. Such a letter and any subsequent response will become part of the dossier.
      3. The chair’s recommendation and supporting comments will be submitted to the appropriate college promotion committee, along with the dossier, the recommendations generated at each preceding stage of the evaluation and the candidate’s response(s) if any.
  7. Each dossier, including all supporting materials, recommendations, and candidate responses (if any), will be evaluated by the appropriate college promotion committee with regard to the candidate's credentials and performance as a faculty member.
    1. Two college committees will be formed
      1. The membership of Committee A will consist of Professors, and the committee will consider promotions to Professor.
      2. The membership of Committee B will consist of Associate Professors and Professors, and the committee will consider promotions to Assistant Professor and Associate Professor.
    2. College promotion committees will consist of no fewer than three members. Whenever possible, the committees will include at least one elected representative of each department in the college and may include external representatives in accordance with college policy.
    3. Members shall be elected from and by the full-time faculty of each department/school in the college in an election conducted by the chair of each department.
    4. Only administrators who are not involved in the promotion recommendation process at another level are eligible to serve on promotion committees.
    5. Each committee member will review the dossier.
    6. After the committee members have reviewed the dossier, the dean will schedule an organizational meeting of the committees.
    7. The college promotion committees will meet separately and apart from the dean and elect a member to chair each committee; and carefully discuss and consider the dossier. The committees’ discussion must be limited to the department, college and university criteria for awarding promotion.
    8. Following this discussion, each committee member will submit a written recommendation and supporting comments to the chair of the appropriate committee clearly indicating that the candidate be granted or not granted promotion.
    9. The chair of each college promotion committee will collect and transfer to the dean the recommendations and supporting comments of the committee members. The chair of each college promotion committee will also report in writing to the dean the recommendation of the committee along with supporting comments in summary form. The written recommendation must be reviewed and signed by members of each committee. Dissenting comments may be attached.
    10. The dean of the college will evaluate the dossier submitted by the candidate, recommendations from the department committee, and any other evidence deemed pertinent; the dean will notify the candidate as indicated below.
      1. Within six (6) class days of completion of the evaluation by the college promotion committee and the dean, each candidate and their department chair will be notified in writing by the dean of the status of the candidate’s application for promotion and the recommendation from the promotion committee and dean.
      2. Within six (6) class days of being allowed to review the written recommendations and supporting comments, the candidate may attach a letter of response addressing factual errors. Such a letter and any subsequent response will become part of the dossier.
      3. The dean's recommendation and supporting comments will be submitted to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, along with the dossier, the recommendations generated at each preceding stage of the evaluation and the candidate’s response(s) (if any).
  8. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will review these materials as a basis for making recommendations to the President of the University. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will submit to the President a recommendation to promote/not promote for each candidate and the recommendations made at each step of the review process.
  9. The President of the University will review these materials and recommendations and any other evidence deemed pertinent as a basis for his/her recommendation to the Board of Regents that the candidate be promoted. After the decision of the Board of Regents, the packet of supporting materials prepared by the candidate will be returned to the applicant.
  10. Within six (6) class days of completion of the evaluation by the Provost and the President and before action by the Board of Regents each candidate will be notified in writing by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the status of his/her application for promotion and the recommendation from the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and President.
  11. Promotion in rank is by action of the Board of Regents of Stephen F. Austin State University. Exceptions to the policies and procedures set forth above may be authorized only by the President of the university as authorized by the Board of Regents.
  12. Within the next class day following the action of the Board of Regents each candidate will be notified in writing by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the action of the Board.

Source of Authority: President; Board of Regents

Cross Reference: Policy E-1A; Policy E-31A

Contact for Revision: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Forms: None

Stephen F. Austin State University

Academic Promotion (E-3A)