RUL 05.67.302 – Department of Computer Science Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: September 4, 2002. Last Revised: March 1, 2005.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website

Contact Info: Department Head (919-513-0348)

1. Introduction

This rule describes the standards and procedures for reappointment, promotion, and tenure in the Department of Computer Science and is supplemental to and consistent with the college rule and the university Academic Tenure Policy.

2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility

The realms of responsibilities include: teaching and mentoring students, discovery of knowledge, technological and managerial innovation, extension and engagement with constituencies outside the university, and service in professional societies and within the university itself. The manner in which various faculty members may demonstrate their contributions in these realms may vary, and the individual’s Statement of Faculty Responsibilities describes the realms in which the faculty member will focus and on which he/she will be evaluated.

3. General Standards

Reappointment, promotion and tenure will be evaluated for each department faculty member with an appropriate and individual consideration across their responsibilities and with due consideration to total and effective service to the institution. Evidence of good teaching and research must accompany each positive recommendation for reappointment, promotion and tenure.

3.1. Evaluation based on performance of assigned responsibilities as described the Statement of Faculty Responsibilities.

Each faculty member must progress from the potential (for promotion to Associate Professor) to the achievement (for promotion to Professor) of national or international recognition based on the faculty member’s contributions in their assigned responsibilities as stated in their Statement of Faculty Responsibilities, scholarship and leadership. Reappointment, promotion and/or tenure will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across their assigned responsibilities, including effective service to the institution. Also, at each rank, the department requires evidence of appropriate quality of scholarship and leadership in those realms of responsibility.

3.2. Good teaching, research and collegiality required.

Evidence of good teaching and research must accompany each positive recommendation for reappointment, promotion and tenure. In addition to positive performance in their assigned responsibilities, each faculty member is expected to work in a collegial manner.

For promotion to Professor, cumulative outstanding leadership within the university 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 scholarship and leadership

3.3. Research and Scholarly Achievements

Scholarship is the total of the faculty member’s activities that contribute to knowledge or application of knowledge. Scholarly activities include publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals, publishing monographs or textbooks, contributing chapters to edited works, presenting contributed and invited presentations at technical meetings and workshops, transferring technology to industry, filing patent applications, and all other activities aimed at generating, contributing to or disseminating knowledge.

3.4. Leadership and Professional Engagement

Leadership is the ability to inspire, influence, or guide others. Leadership activities include membership and activity in professional societies; service on institutional, regional, national, and international committees and panels; developing new courses; writing proposals and successfully competing for external support; organizing workshops and conferences; and supporting and directing graduate students to successful completion of advanced degrees.

Evidence of service in, and recognition of this service by, professional societies and within the university must accompany each positive recommendation for promotion.

3.5. Focus on quality of contributions

In reviewing a recommendation for reappointment, promotion and tenure, the focus is on quality of contributions. Evidence for quality of scholarship can include awards and honors (e.g., outstanding paper awards), numerous citations of publications by peers, wide adoption of a textbook, invited papers and talks (especially at the national or international level), successful patents, adoption of methods by peers in industry or at other universities, strong demand for high-level consulting services, external support through peer-reviewed proposals, and strong letters of recommendation from persons able to judge significance and quality of contributions. Activity and quantity are also important, but primarily to the extent that they have resulted in a body of work subject to peer review.

Evidence of quality of leadership can include election or appointment to positions of responsibility or prominence in professional societies and in technical conferences; receipt of relevant professional awards and honors; service as editor of a respected journal; chairmanship of institutional, regional, national, and international committees, boards, and panels; peer evaluations of impact on engineering education and practice; outstanding teacher awards; substantial external research support; and outstanding service in an administrative position.

4. Standards for Reappointment as Assistant Professor

Reappointment at the rank of assistant professor requires that the individual is making satisfactory progress towards meeting the standards for promotion to the rank of associate professor with tenure.

5. Standards for Associate Professor with Tenure

Promotion to associate professor may only occur with tenure and will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member’s contributions relative to the faculty member’s negotiated Statement of Faculty Responsibilities. 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 scholarship and leadership.

6. Standards for Professor

Promotion to the rank of professor will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member’s contributions relative to the faculty member’s negotiated Statement of Faculty Responsibilities. In general, the expectation is that a faculty member will have achieved national or international recognition for the faculty member’s contributions in scholarship and leadership. 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 scholarship and leadership.

7. Procedures for RPT Review

The tenured faculty in the Department of Computer Science shall review its non-tenured faculty each year to determine which individuals should be considered for reappointment, or promotion and tenure. The full professors shall review the tenured associate professors to determine which individuals should be considered for promotion to full Professor. The department shall identify those individuals for whom a decision is mandatory and shall determine which other individuals should be officially considered for any of the above personnel actions. Individual faculty members may also request that they be reviewed.

Department procedures will be consistent with the college and university procedures. The schedule of deadlines for dossier submission and DVF meetings will be set and communicated by the Department Head.

8. This Document/Rule

This document/rule is subject to periodic review and amendment by the CSC faculty.