RUL 05.67.14 – Prestage Department of Poultry Science Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: June 1999. Last Revised: November 8, 2021.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website
Examples of Scholarly Activity

1. Introduction

The Prestage Department of Poultry Science (PDPS) is committed to fulfilling its roles and obligations as an integral component of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and North Carolina State University. This document provides information regarding the responsibilities of faculty members in the PDPS, including expectations for reappointment, promotion and tenure pursuant to NCSU POL 05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure and NCSU REG05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments.

The criteria, procedures, and other information in this document are intended as guidelines for faculty in the PDPS with regard to reviews for reappointment, promotion in academic rank, and/or for the conferral of tenure. Standards of the PDPS are supplemental to and consistent with the standards of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).

2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility

The vision, mission, goals and objectives of the PDPS are established by the faculty working in collaboration with administrators, stakeholders, and other entities as appropriate through a formal strategic planning session. Strategic planning is conducted every 7-10 years, or on an as-needed basis. Faculty positions are created in the PDPS to meet the collective goals and objectives of the department, college and university. The recruitment and interview processes are designed to attract individuals who can fulfill the duties of the position as described. Each faculty member is employed based on the expectation that she/he is the most suited to the unique set of responsibilities of the position.

As a full-time (FTE> .75) untenured faculty member develops their program, it is expected that the efforts of the faculty member will be consistent with the overall duties and expectations outlined in their letter of offer and the Statement of Faculty Responsibilities (SFR). It is intended that the untenured full-time faculty member will be successful in their position if the individual performs the stated duties and responsibilities of the position in a satisfactory manner.

Scholarly activity, appropriate to the discipline, appointment, and consistent with the SFR, is expected of all faculty, including untenured faculty members, and will be used to assess contributions made by an individual. For a department like the PDPS serving all aspects of a diverse industry, faculty positions can and are diverse in their area of focus; therefore scholarly activity is defined broadly as the creation of new knowledge and transfer of knowledge to others. Acceptable forms of evidence of scholarly activity may vary by candidate, consistent with their SFR (See Examples of Scholarly Activity).

2.1. Scholarly Activity Associated Teaching and Mentoring of Undergraduate and Graduate Students

The act of transmission of knowledge is designated as teaching, and can include activities such as classroom and laboratory instruction, distance education, and advising students. Activities associated with the transfer of knowledge, such as curriculum revision/development, writing books and laboratory manuals, development of lesson plans, and evaluation of students, are also important components of an academic appointment at the land-grant institution. Scholarly activity in the academic area may involve, but are not limited to, creative work such as obtaining grants and publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts, and documentation of knowledge transferred via instruments and activities such as student evaluations, and peer evaluations. Other examples of teaching and mentoring activities include advising of undergraduates, advising graduate students and serving on graduate student committees.

2.2. Scholarly Activity Associated with Discovery of Knowledge through Discipline-Guided Inquiry

A productive research program at a land-grant institution such as NC State has the following components: successful external grants and funding program, peer-reviewed publications, demonstrated impact on the field, a successful graduate education and mentoring program, and presentations at national and international meetings. Other examples of productive research program attributes include, but are not limited to, serving as a peer reviewer of manuscripts and grants, and serving on research related committees at the college, university, national and international levels.

2.3. Extension and Engagement with Constituencies outside the University

While all faculty are expected to contribute to this area of responsibility consistent with their SFR, as a commodity department in CALS, some faculty have official extension appointments, with specific responsibilities associated with the University’s Extension programs. These faculty and their programs are evaluated by the Departmental Extension Leader and the Associate Dean for Extension. The engagement activities of faculty without official extension appointments are not subjected to this additional level of review. Therefore, for the purposes of RPT review in the PDPS, this performance criteria in the SFR is divided into two sections where “Extension” is applicable to faculty with an official extension appointment and “Engagement” is applicable to those without an official extension appointment.

2.3.1 Scholarly Activity Associated with Extension

Faculty with extension appointments are expected to develop and implement a comprehensive extension program to include needs assessment, plan of work, and documentation of efforts and impacts. Program components must be consistent with their area of responsibility (SFR). Program implementation may involve a variety of efforts such as providing technical assistance, conducting applied research, and providing formal or informal education. Scholarly activities in transferring knowledge to adult and youth clientele include, but are not limited to, publications, meetings, distance education, correspondence, consultation, demonstrations, and other creative or innovative work. Goals of an extension program should focus on meeting needs of clientele, including support of the poultry industry and service to poultry organizations. Achieving these goals involves developing partnerships with field faculty, interdisciplinary teams, and attracting extramural funding. Extramural support may be in the form of direct grants, university mini-grants, memoranda of agreements, unrestricted gifts, service agreements, in-kind support, and collaborative efforts.

2.3.2. Scholarly Activity Associated with Engagement

Faculty without a formal extension appointment should contribute to the university’s land-grant mission through engagement with the public consistent with their SFR. Productive engagement of the public includes but is not limited to: talks to the public, active engagement in K-12 education, articles written for the public, science done with the public, involvement in the development of museum exhibits or materials for the public, and the mentoring of undergraduate students, graduate students or postdoctoral researchers in public engagement. Other examples of reputation that emanate from a successful public science program include radio and television appearances, contributions to the discourse (whether at professional meetings or elsewhere) on the role of communication in science, and collaborations that forge new connections between science and the public. Additionally, evidence of public science includes traditional extension activities in which stakeholders are directly engaged by scientists with the aim of increasing the scientific basis of practice, including but not limited to service to private industry, establishment of new start-up ventures, or other activities that provide direct, tangible, impact on job creation and economic development.

2.4. Service in Professional Societies and Within the University

All faculty members are expected to participate in the operation of the department, college, and university by serving in various capacities (for example, on committees, boards, panels, task forces, and commissions). Faculty members are also expected to further their disciplines by providing service to their professional societies by serving as officers or on committees, serving as editors and reviewers for professional journals or other professional publication outlets, and serving on study and review panels for governmental agencies and funding organizations. While service is an important aspect of all faculty’s programs, pre-tenure tenure-track faculty should be counselled to limit these efforts and should work with their mentoring committee and Department Head to establish a service record that is consistent with their SFR.

3. General Standards

The general standards for appointment, reappointment, promotion and tenure in the PDPS follow NCSU POL05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure. The Department also welcomes joint faculty appointments (salary provided by two or more departments), and appointments where the work is “substantively interdisciplinary.” NCSU POL05.20.01 establishes criteria for consultation on initial appointments and RPT decisions for faculty with joint and interdisciplinary appointments and in those cases the procedures described in the policy will be followed.

4. Standards for Reappointment as Assistant Professor

For reappointment as an Assistant Professor there must be demonstrable potential that the candidate will excel in at least one realm of responsibility and perform well in the other assigned realms. Such potential will be evidenced by the faculty member’s involvement in generating new knowledge, conducting creative activities, presentations in scientific and technical journals, books, or comparable publications, consistent with their SFR.

5. Standards for Associate Professor with Tenure

For promotion to Associate Professor with tenure there must be evidence that the faculty member has a strong record of accomplishment in their area of expertise and peer recognition in one realm of responsibility and performed well in all other realms, consistent with their SFR. This is to be evidenced by the faculty member’s involvement in generating new knowledge, conducting creative activities, obtaining competitive extramural funds, presentations in scientific and technical journals, books or comparable publications. Candidates should have a national reputation.

6. Standards for Professor

For promotion to the rank of full professor the faculty member will have demonstrated a record of distinguished achievement in research, teaching, extension, outreach, and service commensurate with their SFR. There must be evidence that the candidate has been involved in the generation of new knowledge, has carried out creative activities, and has made contributions and innovations available to others through teaching, extension, outreach and/or presentations in scientific and technical journals, books, or comparable publications. Success in obtaining competitive extramural funds is further testimony to the faculty member’s reputation outside the university. The DVF must be assured that the faculty member has a national and international reputation for excellence in their field and that they will maintain this reputation through significant contributions to the field.

7. Standards for Professorially Ranked Professional-Track Faculty Members

Promotion is based on the same evidence used to promote tenure-track faculty in the proportions and quality as described above and the faculty member’s SFR. The one distinction is professional-track faculty are typically hired to focus on only one aspect of the PDPS mission (often teaching, research, or extension). As such, their review should be limited to their contributions in only those areas of their appointment, as outlined in their SFR.

8. Procedures for RPT Review of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty

The DVF shall consist of all tenured faculty with equal or greater rank than the position for which the individual is being considered. Consistent with NCSU POL04.20.06 – Interpersonal Relationships, in cases where there is an “amorous” or “familial” relationship, DVF members will be ineligible to participate in discussions and votes. Additionally, DVF members are expected to recuse themselves from voting if there is an actual or appearance of a personal or professional conflict of interest consistent with REG 05.20.05 – Section 1.5. The Department Head will assign one of the Full Professor faculty members to serve as Chair of the DVF. All discussions by the Departmental Voting Faculty, College RPT Committee, and administrators must remain confidential among them with results communicated through written assessments and votes.

8.1. Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure of Tenure-Track Faculty

8.1.1. Appointment of Mentoring Committee

Within six months from the date a faculty member is hired, the full-time faculty member and the Department Head will jointly select a committee of at least three tenured faculty members to serve as a mentoring committee. At least one member shall be from the PDPS, and at least one member shall come from another department at NC State. One member of the committee will be designated as chair and serve as the primary mentor. This committee will guide and assist the faculty member in all facets of becoming a successful academician, including preparation of the reappointment and promotion dossier according to NC State guidelines (NCSU REG05.20.20 – Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Dossier Format Requirements), and to serve as a liaison between the DVF and the candidate as needed. The candidate and the mentoring committee are expected to meet at least once per year. In addition to the mentoring committee meeting, the candidate will be expected to provide a program development report to the full DVF once per year and the DVF will provide feedback to the candidate and the mentoring committee regarding the candidate’s progress.

8.1.2. Development and Timing of Dossier Review

Timing of the reappointment and promotion of assistant professors is dictated by NCSU POL 05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure. For promotion and tenure, starting in early July the Department Head will work with the candidate, the candidate’s mentoring committee, and the DVF to determine the appropriate list of external evaluators by the end of July. The candidate will submit the final draft of their dossier to the online RPT system by July 31st, so that the Department Head can provide the full dossier to the external reviewers in early August, giving them approximately 6 weeks to provide their review. Once the external reviews have been submitted the dossiers with the external reviews will be made available to the DVF. All candidates for reappointment, promotion, and tenure will then be required to present a seminar summarizing their dossier and accomplishments (See Section 8.1.3).

8.1.3. Faculty Seminar

Timing of the reappointment and promotion of assistant professors is dictated by NCSU POL 05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure. When an individual is slated for reappointment or for promotion with conferral of tenure, the evaluation process begins early in the academic year. A faculty member under review for reappointment or promotion will be required to present a seminar. Seminars are scheduled during September. The date of the seminar will be determined in consultation with the DVF and communicated to the DVF prior to August 1 to ensure as many DVF are in attendance as possible.

8.1.4. DVF Review

Documentation supporting reappointment or promotion will be made available to the DVF via the RPT Online (rptonline.ncsu.edu) and in the PDPS administrative office for review by early September. In late September/early October, the Department Head convenes the departmental voting faculty (DVF) to vote on the faculty members under review for reappointment and promotion. The Department Head facilitates the meeting, takes notes and conducts the voting, but does not participate in the discussion. The vote is by secret ballot and will be submitted by the DVF through RPT online system. All votes should be cast by all DVF prior to the end of the DVF review meeting. It is the responsibility of DVF members who cannot attend the review meeting (in-person or remotely) to cast their votes in the RPT online system prior to the review meeting. The outcome of the vote will be counted by the RPT online system and announced to the full DVF. The Department Head then informs the candidate of the DVF vote. The Department Head will appoint 2 members of the DVF, only one of which will be a member of the candidate’s mentoring committee, to write the DVF Assessment. Faculty will be selected to best ensure all views of the DVF are captured. A draft of the DVF Assessment will be made available to all DVF for comments prior to submission to the Department Head to be added to the candidate’s dossier. It is important to note that while the DVF has an opportunity to comment on the assessment, every effort needs to be made to keep this document and the underlying discussions confidential.

The candidate’s dossier, the DVF voting and recommendation, and the Department Head’s recommendation are submitted to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for action.

8.2. Promotion of Tenured Associate Professors

Promotion to the rank of Professor is not acquired solely because of the number of years in the associate professor track. Therefore, it is crucial that the quality of a candidate’s performance be carefully documented.

8.2.1. Submission of Dossier

Associate Professors interested in being promoted should submit a curriculum vitae to the Department Head in early January. The Department Head will then convene the Professors in February for the purpose of providing consultation to the Department Head regarding the promotion of Associate Professors. The discussion at this meeting is conveyed by the Department Head to the individual. If the individual elects to be considered for promotion to Professor, the individual with assistance from the mentoring committee prepares the dossier (NCSU REG05.20.20 – Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Dossier Format Requirements) for submission to the Department Head following the timeline outlined above (7.1.3).

8.2.2. Faculty Seminar

A faculty member under review for promotion to Professor will be required to present a seminar. Seminars are scheduled during September. The date of the seminar will be determined in consultation with the DVF and communicated to the DVF prior to August 1 to ensure as many DVF are in attendance as possible.

8.2.3. DVF Review

Documentation supporting promotion will be made available to the DVF via the RPT Online (rptonline.ncsu.edu) and in the PDPS administrative office for review by early September. In late September/early October, the Department Head convenes the departmental voting faculty (DVF) to vote on the faculty members under review for reappointment and promotion. The Department Head facilitates the meeting, takes notes and conducts the voting, but does not participate in the discussion. The vote is by secret ballot and will be submitted by the DVF through RPT online system. All votes should be cast by all DVF prior to the end of the DVF review meeting. It is the responsibility of DVF members who cannot attend the review meeting (in-person or remotely) to cast their votes in the RPT online system prior to the review meeting. The outcome of the vote will be counted by the RPT online system and announced to the full DVF. The Department Head then informs the candidate of the DVF vote. The Department Head will appoint 2 members of the DVF, only one of which will be a member of the candidate’s mentoring committee, to write the DVF Assessment. Faculty will be selected to best ensure all views of the DVF are captured. A draft of the DVF Assessment will be made available to all DVF for comments prior to submission to the Department Head to be added to the candidate’s dossier. It is important to note that while the DVF has an opportunity to comment on the assessment, every effort needs to be made to keep this document and the underlying discussions confidential.

The candidate’s dossier, the DVF voting and recommendation, and the Department Head’s recommendation are submitted to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for action.

9. Contracts, Review and Promotion for Professional-Track Faculty

Unlike reviews of tenure-track faculty for tenure and promotion from assistant to associate professor, there is no mandatory year or specific timeline for promotions in rank for professional-track faculty members. They may request to be considered based on recommendation from the Department Head and DVF. The appointment, review and promotion of professional-track faculty in the PDPS is consistent with NCSU REG05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments and NCSU RUL05.67.22 – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures.

9.1. Initial Contracts and Appointment

Initial contracts are initiated by the Department Head based upon appropriate documentation, with consultation and the recommendation by the DVF. Documentation should include a current curriculum vitae and materials that would be included in the dossier section(s) appropriate to the faculty member’s responsibilities as reflected in the SFR (e.g., Teaching, Scholarship/Research, Extension and Engagement, Service). A full dossier is not required. Documentation shall be assembled by the Department Head in cases of initial contracts. Initial contracts for all ranks (Teaching/ Research/Extension Assistant, Associate and Professor) in accordance with guidelines established by CALS.

9.2. Performance Review and Subsequent Contracts at the Same Rank

9.2.1 The performance of each professional faculty member will be evaluated on an annual basis by the Department Head consistent with the REG 05.20.03 – Annual Reviews of Faculty Members with input from the Department Extension Leader in the case of professional faculty on the Extension track.

9.2.2 The DVF has authorized the Department Head to recommend to the Dean subsequent part-time or full-time contracts up to two years at the same rank in accordance with guidelines established by CALS.

9.3. Promotion of Professorially Ranked Professional-Track Faculty

Professional-track faculty who elect to be considered for promotion must inform the Department Head in writing before the end of the spring semester preceding the year of the promotion action. The promotion of professional-track faculty shall follow the procedures established for tenure-track faculty within the PDPS with the following exceptions.

9.3.1 Standards for reappointment and promotion will reflect the duties outlined in the SFR for the faculty member.

9.3.2 The DVF for initial contracts and promotion of professional faculty shall consist of all full-time (.75 FTE and higher) faculty who hold tenured or tenure-track positions at a rank equal to or higher than the rank being considered for appointment as well as full-time (.75 FTE and higher) professional faculty in the track in which the appointment is being considered and with professorial rank equal to or higher than the rank being considered. Consistent with NCSU POL04.20.06 – Interpersonal Relationships, in cases where there is an “amorous” or “familial” relationship, DVF members will be ineligible to participate in discussions and votes. Additionally, DVF members are expected to recuse themselves from voting if there is an actual or appearance of a personal or professional conflict of interest consistent with REG 05.20.05 – Section 1.5.

9.3.4 All professional-track faculty of rank equal to or greater than the rank of the individual under consideration will participate in faculty discussions regarding the promotion of professional faculty and will separately vote on their recommendation to the Department Head. In cases where there is an “amorous” or “familial” relationship, professional faculty members will be ineligible to participate in discussions and recommendations and are expected to recuse themselves from voting if there is an actual or appearance of a personal or professional conflict of interest.

9.4. From the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences RPT Rule, external letters are required for all professorially ranked professional-track faculty members being considered for promotion. The candidate is to be involved in the selection of the external reviewers in compliance with Section 5.3.1 of REG 05.20.05.