RUL 05.67.301 – Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: August 16, 2002. Last Revised: August 22, 2022.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website

Contact Info: Department Head (919-515-2331)

1. Introduction

This rule describes the standards and procedures for reappointment, promotion and tenure (RPT) in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and is supplemental to and consistent with the college (RUL05.67.308) and university rules (POL05.20.01).

The mission of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, and North Carolina State University includes education, research, innovation, extension and service as defined in Section 2.

2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility

The six realms of faculty responsibility are given by NCSU REG05.20.27 – Statements of Faculty Responsibilities (SFR) and include: (1) teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students (referred to hereafter as education), (2) discovery of knowledge through discipline-guided inquiry (referred to hereafter as research), (3) creative artistry and literature, (4) technological and managerial innovation (referred to hereafter as innovation), (5) extension and engagement with constituencies outside the university (referred to hereafter as extension), and (6) service to the profession, community and within the university (referred to hereafter as service). The manner in which various faculty members may demonstrate their contributions in these realms may vary widely. Thus, an assessment of a particular faculty member’s individual combination of contributions will be evaluated as described in sections 3 – 6 of this rule.

3. General Standards

3.1 Evidence of contributions in education, consistent with the candidate’s SFR, must accompany each positive recommendation for promotion.

3.2 The department recognizes that collegiality and the ability to cooperate with other faculty, staff, and/or students are factors that can affect a faculty member’s ability to meet the standards for their ranks and realms of responsibility. While collegiality in and of itself is not a performance standard, a lack of collegiality may be acknowledged in an evaluation process to the extent that it served as a factor negatively affecting the faculty member’s productivity in their realms of responsibility.

4. Standards for Reappointment

4.1 Assistant Professor (Tenure Track)

Reappointment as Assistant Professor requires that the individual is making satisfactory progress towards promotion to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure (Section 5).

5. Standards for Promotion to Associate Level Rank

5.1 Associate Professor with Tenure

Promotion to Associate Professor with tenure will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member’s contributions in education, research, innovation, extension and service as delineated in their SFR. In general, the expectation is that a faculty member will have demonstrated the potential to achieve national or international recognition for the faculty member’s contributions in education, research and service.

5.2 Teaching Associate Professor (Professional)

Promotion to Teaching Associate Professor will be evaluated based on a faculty member’s contributions in education and service to the department, institution and profession as delineated in their SFR. In general, the expectation is that a faculty member will have demonstrated the potential to achieve campus level recognition for the faculty member’s contributions in education.

5.3 Research Associate Professor (Professional)

Promotion to Research Associate Professor will be evaluated based on a faculty member’s contributions in research, education, and service to the department, institution and profession as delineated in their SFR. In general, the expectation is that a faculty member will have demonstrated the potential to achieve national or international recognition for the faculty member’s contributions in research.

6. Standards for Promotion to Professor level Rank

6.1 Professor with Tenure

Promotion to Professor will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member’s contributions in education, research, innovation, extension and service as delineated in their SFR. In general, the expectation is that a faculty member will have demonstrated leadership in one or more of the realms described in the SFR and achieved national or international recognition for the faculty member’s contributions in research. However, for promotion to Professor, cumulative outstanding leadership within the university, over an extended number of years, that contributes to the national or international recognition of university programs may be heavily weighed in lieu of the faculty member’s individual national or international recognition for research and leadership.

6.2 Teaching Professor (Professional)

Promotion to Teaching Professor will be evaluated based on a faculty member’s contributions in education and service to the department, institution and profession as delineated in their SFR. For promotion to Teaching Professor, the expectation is cumulative outstanding teaching and service within the department, college, and university. Contributions to all aspects of the department’s mission including, but not limited to, academic advising, serving on and leading departmental committees, instructional coordination and management, engagement in scholarly activities, and/or outreach activities to support institutional initiatives, will be evaluated.

6.3 Research Professor (Professional)

Promotion to Research Professor will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member’s contributions in education, research, innovation, extension and service as delineated in their SFR. In general, the expectation is that a faculty member will have demonstrated leadership in one or more of the realms described in the SFR and achieved national or international recognition for the faculty member’s contributions in research. However, for promotion to Research Professor, cumulative outstanding leadership in research over an extended number of years that contributes to the national or international recognition of university’s research programs may be heavily weighed in lieu of the faculty member’s individual national or international recognition in research.

7. Procedures for Reappointment and Promotion Review for Tenure-Track and Professional Faculty

7.1 Definitions

7.1.1 The DVF for promotion and tenure of tenure-track assistant professors and for tenure of untenured associate professors includes all tenured associate and full professors.

7.1.2 The DVF for promotion of tenured associate professors includes all tenured full professors.

7.1.3 The DVF for promotion of professional faculty with professorial rank includes all tenured/ tenure-track faculty at or above the rank being sought and all full-time professorially ranked professional faculty who are in the same track (i.e. teaching, research, etc.) as the candidate under review and at or above the rank being considered.

7.1.4 The Department’s Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee (RPTC) is appointed by the Department Head at the start of each academic year.

7.1.5 Ad hoc committees are appointed by the Department Head to prepare cases for a vote of the DVF. Ad hoc committees typically consist of three DVF members. Upon the request of the Department Head, emeriti faculty may serve in a supporting role but do not participate in DVF deliberations and do not vote.

7.2. The Role of the Ad Hoc Committee

The Department Head appoints an ad hoc committee for all promotion cases. The ad hoc committee works with the candidate to facilitate preparation of the candidate’s dossier and supporting information. However, final preparation of the dossier and supporting information (except for the external review letters) is the candidate’s sole responsibility. External letters are required for all promotion cases with the exception of promotion of Professional faculty from teaching assistant to teaching associate professor.

7.3 Ad Hoc Committee Formation

The DVF reviews all faculty below the rank of Professor for possible reappointment, promotion and tenure (RPT) in the Spring of each academic year in one or more annual review meetings. Prior to the DVF meeting(s), the RPTC reviews all faculty below the rank of Professor and presents a draft evaluation for discussion by the DVF and Department Head. The evaluation may include a recommendation for formation of an ad hoc committee to consider promotion and/or tenure. In addition, a recommendation to form an ad hoc committee can come from any DVF member before or during the annual review meeting(s). In both cases, the DVF would then vote on whether to form an ad hoc committee for a faculty member. A positive vote by 2/3 of the DVF members who submit votes is needed to form an ad hoc committee. In addition, individual faculty members may decide to undergo a review for promotion under university guidelines in which case an ad hoc committee would be formed without a vote. Mandatory cases follow the university schedule (that is the schedule prescribed in each faculty member’s offer letter coupled with subsequent revisions approved by the Provost.)

To facilitate voting by all DVF members, in cases where the RPTC has a recommendation to form an ad hoc committee, they will make it known to the DVF at least two business days in advance of the first scheduled annual review meeting. In such cases, the DVF will vote at a scheduled annual review meeting and votes will be accepted until 5 PM on the day of the vote. In other cases, a need for a vote may arise during the annual review meeting. In the latter case, the vote will take place two business days after the need for a vote is determined, or on the last day of scheduled annual review meetings for the Spring semester, whichever comes later. The need to vote will be announced by email to the DVF so that all DVF members have an opportunity to vote.

7.4. In cases where external letters are required, the ad hoc committee consults with the candidate to identify the names of appropriate reviewers in accordance with REG05.20.05. The candidate is permitted to suggest up to five outside reviewers unless more are requested by the ad hoc committee. The ad hoc committee members work with the Department Head and possibly other members of the DVF and emeriti faculty to identify additional outside reviewers. The department head asks the candidate to provide the head with a list of individuals that the candidate believes may be in conflict. The number of outside reviewers will be chosen to meet the guidelines of the Provost’s office (REG05.20.05). The outside reviewers will be asked by the Department Head to assess the candidate’s scholarly contributions, generally following a letter request template provided by the Provost’s office.

7.5 The ad hoc committee reviews the candidates’ dossier and their contributions in the realms described in the SFR. The ad hoc committee typically provides an overview of the candidate’s contributions to initiate the DVF discussion. The ad hoc committee, however, is not to make a recommendation regarding the action being considered.

7.6 In all cases involving external letters, the letters will be made available for review by the DVF prior to and during the DVF discussion. If some letters have not yet been obtained prior to the discussion, the DVF may choose to delay the discussion or the vote until more letters are received. In any case, all letters received before the DVF vote are made available for review by the DVF. Letters received after the DVF vote will not be included in the dossier when it is sent to the COE RPT committee.

7.7. A given case is discussed during one or more DVF meetings until the DVF is ready to vote.

7.8. When the DVF votes on a personnel action, voting is conducted online through rptonline. Eligible voters log in through the rptonline website in a window that starts after the discussion of a case is concluded and closes at 5 P.M. two business days after the window opens (e.g., if a window opens at 3 P.M. on Thursday, it would end at 5 P.M. on Monday). Online voting is anonymous. The system only records who has voted and when. The department head or their designee will send an email to eligible voters announcing the voting window. Any DVF member who cannot be present for the personnel action discussion is expected to become sufficiently familiar with the case before voting. The outcome of the vote is announced as soon as possible after the window closes. Any DVF member who does not cast an online vote is recorded as missing. With online voting, there is no option of proxy or absentee voting. Conditions under which a faculty member must recuse themselves from a case are described in REG 05.20.05. Faculty should notify the Department Head in writing or by email 5 days in advance if they plan to recuse themselves from the discussion on a particular candidate.

Ultimately, the vote reflects the collective judgment of the departmental voting faculty (DVF) in consideration of the standards presented in sections 3 to 6.

7.9. The ad hoc committee drafts a written summary assessment that captures the DVF discussion. The draft is made available to all members of the DVF so that they may review and comment over a period of approximately 2 to 3 days. The ad hoc committee then finalizes the DVF written summary assessment that becomes part of the dossier. The dossier remains available for review by any DVF member until the RPT process is concluded.

7.10. The Department Head writes an assessment and makes their recommendation.

7.11. The DVF assessment and the Department Head’s assessment and recommendation are provided to the candidate who, following the regulations of the Provost’s office, may write a response for inclusion in the package sent to the Dean and College of Engineering RPTC (POL05.20.01, REG05.20.05, REG05.20.20).