Standards for the Evaluation of Scholarship

Scholarship is an essential component of University activity. The originality, quality, impact, and value of the candidate’s academic work must be assessed.  To assist this process, the candidate may submit the names of experts in her/his field who he or she considers capable of judging the candidate's work.  Moreover, the candidate must provide the Ad Hoc RTP Committee with ample evidence of his/her scholarly activity. Such evidence shall include copies or reprints of all papers, grant applications, reviews of grant applications, books, book chapters, and other similar academic materials. A faculty member's specific area of specialization is an important factor in determining the appropriate number and size of grants received and the scope and time required for research and the resulting publications. Major theoretical and/or original analytical/descriptive reports in internationally recognized journals will be given precedence in most decisions.

Additional scholarly activities that may be considered in tenure and promotion decisions include but are not limited to service on national grant reviewing bodies, presentations at regional, national, and international professional meetings, and paper presentations before learned societies.  These latter activities should be viewed as complementing primary scholarly publications and grant funded research. Faculty members are expected to hold membership in professional societies, to attend and participate in and/or organize institutes, seminars, and workshops, insofar as such activities enhance their professional competency. However, such activities are again to be considered secondary to those listed above in the previous paragraph. 

All faculty are expected to demonstrate excellence in scholarly activities and the criteria for their assessment are provided in Tables 2A & 2B. During annual reappointment reviews prior to the granting of tenure or completion of the tenure review period, each faculty member seeking  tenure or promotion must provide a formal summary of his/her scholarly record to the RTP Committee and Chair. The candidate should also provide relevant information about journal quality and impact and funding success levels in his/her discipline. The candidate may also provide supplementary materials of any other evidence of scholarship that he/she deems appropriate.  The Department’s Ad Hoc RTP Committee and Chair shall evaluate a candidate’s achievements in light of the Department’s expectations for a successful tenure decision. Reappointment will be dependent upon successful and appropriate progress toward that decision.    

Table 2A. Kent Campus: Evaluation Components for Assessment of Scholarship for Promotion and Tenure

Note: definitions in footnotes below refer to the meaning of “publications,” “grants,” and “recognition” throughout Table 2A.

¹Publications include: articles in peer-reviewed journals of demonstrable quality (usually “A or B” quality journals (See, Table  2B), books, book chapters, and books edited. International Presses of long standing and academic presses shall be the principal acceptable venues for books of all types (e.g., chapter contributed or book edited). Evidence of book quality shall be provided, whenever possible, by reviews of the volume in appropriate venues (journals, national newspapers, etc.). Evaluation of publications will consider quality and impact as well as quantity.  Papers of exceptional quality and impact will be given particular consideration. 

²“Grants” refers to extramural funding where the role of the faculty member in securing the funding is clearly demonstrated (normally PI or co-PI) and which are of sufficient magnitude to fully support research at a level and duration appropriate for the discipline, including funds for supplies, materials and personnel (graduate students, research technicians and/or post-doctoral associates).  For NIH grants, this includes R01s, AREA grants, and others of sufficient magnitude as described herein.  “Seed Grants” are extramural grants that are not of sufficient magnitude to fully support doctoral students or are intramural grants.  "Seed Grants" should be designed to lead to successful applications for “Grants.” Grant monies provided by the university (i.e., “in house”) shall be considered as encouragement to the candidate and not as an accomplishment for reward.  Grantsmanship should be commensurate with the field of research with stipulation that the dollar amounts of awards vary among fields. 

³Recognition from scientific societies may include, for example, election to office, editorial board membership, editorship, etc.  Service to federal/state institutions includes service on federal proposal panels, site visits, and other research related activities.

Table 2B. Journal Ranking for Guidance in RTP Decisions