Evaluation of Scholarship and Creative Activity for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

The award of academic tenure requires that candidates shall have made substantial impact upon their chosen subfield within the discipline and that they have achieved success in teaching, as demonstrated by means of the evidences detailed below and by external evaluations.  While faculty interests may develop in new and appropriate directions, the Department expects that faculty will make significant contributions as scholars or creative artists and as teachers that are relevant to the initial appointment.

For tenure the faculty member must meet the criteria for an “Excellent” rating in either scholarship or teaching with at least a “Good” rating in the other category. University service must at least meet the minimum Department criteria as outlined in Table 3.  These same categories and assessment tools apply for promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor.

Table 1.A. Kent Campus: Evaluation Components for Assessment of Scholarship for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor.

Note: definitions in footnotes below refer to the meaning of “publications,” “grants,” and “recognition” in Table 1 A.

¹ Candidates for tenure on the Kent Campus are expected to have developed a sustained and focused research or creative program in their chosen subfield(s), typically evidenced by publication of a scholarly or creative book authored by the candidate or a minimum of six substantial peer-reviewed pieces in scholarly or creative venues appearing in standard bibliographies, where available, in the subfield(s). Evaluation of publication record will include an assessment of quality and impact on the field, as measured by the standing of the press or journal, as well as quantity.  Only work that has been published or formally accepted for publication can be considered for tenure and promotion.  A book contract or conditional acceptance of a manuscript will not be considered as evidence of scholarly achievement in tenure and promotion reviews.  Critical editions with introductory material, notes, and textual apparatus will be considered the equivalent of a single-authored critical work; other editorial work, such as editing a learned journal, special issues of learned journals, or collections of essays, will be weighted according to the scholarly contributions of the editor.  Multiple-authored works will be weighted according to the scholarly contribution of the candidate.

²“Grants” refer to extramural funding, where the role of the faculty member in securing the funding is clearly demonstrated, to support activities related to research (e.g., NEH, ACLS) or teaching (e.g., Fulbrights, FIPSE Grants). 

Table 1.B. Regional Campuses: Evaluation Components for Assessment of Scholarship for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor.

Note: definitions in footnotes below refer to the meaning of “publications,” “grants,” and “recognition” in Table 1 B.

¹Candidates for tenure on Regional Campuses are expected to maintain scholarly or creative activity in their chosen subfield(s) in the discipline, typically evidenced by a minimum of three substantial peer-reviewed publications in scholarly or creative venues appearing in standard bibliographies, where available, in the subfield(s).  Evaluation of publication record will include an assessment of quality and impact on the field, as measured by the standing of the press or journal, as well as quantity.  Only work that has been published or formally accepted for publication can be considered for tenure and promotion.  A book contract or conditional acceptance of a manuscript will not be considered as evidence of scholarly achievement in tenure and promotion reviews.  Critical editions with introductory material, notes, and textual apparatus will be considered the equivalent of a single-authored critical work; other editorial work, such as editing a learned journal, special issues of learned journals, or collections of essays, will be weighted according to the scholarly contributions of the editor.  Multiple-authored works will be weighted according to the scholarly contribution of the candidate.

²“Grants” refer to extramural funding, where the role of the faculty member in securing the funding is clearly demonstrated, to support research activities or teaching (e.g., Fulbright awards).