RUL 05.67.305 – Department of Materials Science and Engineering Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: September 4, 2002. Last Revised: November 30, 2007.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website

Contact Info: Department Head (919-515-3568)

1. Introduction

This document presents the standards and procedures for reappointment, promotion and tenure (RPT) in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and is supplemental to and consistent with the college rule and NCSU POL05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure.

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) administers B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. programs. The mission of the MSE Department is to provide students with a sound engineering education, advance the understanding and application of scientific principles, enhance economic development, and improve the quality of life of our citizens through teaching, research, and extension programs. In addition to ensuring that our students are exposed to modern materials science and engineering principles and have access to modern equipment and technology to support their educational experience, the Department seeks to create a team-oriented environment throughout our academic enterprise. Our goal is to produce well-rounded materials scientists and engineers who function effectively in the technical arena and possess the skills to assume leadership roles in industry, academia, and government.

Hereafter in this rule, “senior faculty” refers to tenured full professors, and “junior faculty” refers to tenured or tenure track assistant professors and tenured or tenure track associate professors.

2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility

Faculty responsibilities include: (1) teaching and mentoring of students; (2) discovery of knowledge through discipline guided inquiry; (3) creative artistry and literature; (4) technological and managerial innovation; (5) extension and engagement with constituencies outside the university; and (6) service in professional societies and within the university. 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.

The assessment of a particular faculty member’s individual combination of contributions will be evaluated using the standards described in Sections 3-7.

3. General Standards

3.1. Evidence of good teaching must accompany each positive recommendation for promotion.

3.2. Each faculty member is expected to work in a collegial manner and support the development of teaching and research programs within the department.

3.3. The judgment of individual department voting faculty (DVF) members is the most critical factor in an evaluation of a candidate against the standards presented in Sections 3-7. A strong positive DVF vote is supportive of a positive departmental recommendation for reappointment, promotion and/or tenure. In rare occasions, the department head may make a recommendation inconsistent with the DVF vote.

3.4. Scholarship refers to activities that contribute to knowledge or application of knowledge. Scholarly activities include publishing papers in peer-reviewed archival 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.

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.

3.5. Leadership refers to ability to inspire, influence, or guide others. Leadership activities include membership and activity in professional societies and technical conferences; 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 quality of leadership can include election or appointment to positions of responsibility in professional societies; 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 support; and outstanding service in an administrative position.

3.6. A successful recommendation for reappointment, promotion, or tenure, must present evidence that the candidate has met or exceeded appropriate qualifications and must address quality of scholarship and leadership appropriate to the recommended action. Activity and quantity are also important, but primarily to the extent that they result in a body of work subject to peer review.

4. Standards for Reappointment as Assistant Professor

Reappointment for a second term as Assistant Professor requires that the individual is making satisfactory progress towards meeting the standards for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure described in Section 5.

5. Standards for Associate Professor with Tenure

Promotion to tenured Associate Professor will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member’s contributions in teaching, research and extension with due consideration to effective service to the institution. Generally, it is expected that the faculty member will have demonstrated the potential to achieve recognition at the national or international levels for scholarship and leadership.

6. Standards for Professor

Promotion to Professor will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member’s contributions in teaching, research and extension with due consideration to effective service to the institution. Generally, it is expected that the faculty member will have achieved national or international recognition for the faculty member’s contributions in scholarship and leadership. 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 the 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 department head will annually review all faculty below the rank of Professor for possible reappointment, promotion and tenure decisions. The department head will identify those individuals for whom a decision is mandatory and will determine which other individuals should be officially considered. Individual faculty members may also request that they be reviewed.

The department head will identify names of appropriate external reviewers following the university procedures. Within these procedures the candidate assists in identifying outside reviewers. The department head may select a senior faculty member to coordinate assembling the RPT dossier.

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.