RUL 05.67.406 – Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: August 1999. Last Revised: February 2, 2023.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website

Contact Info: Head, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies (919-515-6103)

1. INTRODUCTION

These standards and procedures aim to implement the NC State policies and procedures on Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure. They are subject to the policies, regulations, rules and procedures of NC State and its College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and they cannot be construed to license or require a violation of them. The source of authority is the NC State University Academic Tenure Policy (NCSU POL05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure). Final tenure approval rests with the Board of Trustees (BOT).

2. AREAS OF FACULTY RESPONSIBILITY

Faculty in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies are expected to devote their time to a combination of teaching, academic research, and service (whether to the department, college, university, discipline, profession, or community). Extension/engagement activities may be included in any of these three categories as appropriate. The standard division of time devoted to these categories is 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service.

In the standard case a 40% teaching load will involve the teaching of sections with combined total enrollments between 120 and 160 per annum, the number of sections and the particular courses taught to be determined by the department head. The enrollments of a faculty member on a 40% teaching load may fall outside the above limits during any given year providing his/her average annual enrollments over a consecutive period of two or three years ending in that year fall within those limits. Reductions in teaching loads may be granted. The head will grant such reductions on a case-by-case basis, consistent with departmental, college, and university guidelines to ensure equity in the distribution of workload.

A functioning research program is an integral part of an academic career, and tenured and tenure-track faculty in the department are assumed to be actively engaged in research. A faculty member devoting 40% of his/her workload to research should demonstrate a commitment to serious ongoing scholarly work, including but not limited to the publication of scholarly articles or books.

Service to the discipline, profession, department, college, and university typically takes the form of refereeing scholarly manuscripts, service to professional societies, committee assignments, student advising, and departmental administrative positions (associate head, advising coordinator, program director, etc.). All faculty are expected to serve in some capacity. A 20% service load will involve committee, administrative, and advising assignments of average weight for regular faculty members, but more experienced faculty members are expected to contribute more.

Extension/engagement activities take faculty expertise out of the university and into the broader community. As indicated above, such activities may count toward any of the three categories of teaching, research, and service as appropriate.

3. GENERAL STANDARDS

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies explicates its general standards for faculty performance in Sections 4-7 below, where the standards for reappointment, promotion, and tenure are specified for various ranks.

4. STANDARDS FOR REAPPOINTMENT AS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

In considering an Assistant Professor for reappointment, the Departmental Voting Faculty examines the candidate’s record in teaching, research, and service. Of paramount importance is that the Assistant Professor has demonstrated that he/she is an effective teacher, with one of the standards for effectiveness being the ability to communicate research and scholarship in the classroom. A demonstration of effective teaching may come from (but is not limited to) student evaluations, peer teaching reviews, participation in teaching workshops, course syllabi and innovations, self-assessments, and other data that might be included in a teaching portfolio. In the area of research, the Departmental Voting Faculty will assess whether the Assistant Professor is proving to be an active scholar and is making progress on producing the significant scholarly contribution that will be required for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. Evidence in this area will normally consist of (but is not limited to) one or more of the following: presentation of research to meetings of professional organizations or other professional audiences; recognition in the profession through prizes, fellowships or grants; submission of scholarly work to publishers or professional journals; identifiable development in drafts of work in progress; scholarly publications (which could be forthcoming). Service can take a variety of forms of active participation in collegial, professional, and community affairs. These include (but are not limited to) service on faculty committees (whether within the department or beyond it), evaluating manuscripts and proposals for publishers or journals, participation in academic governance at any level, involvement in professional organizations, lectures to secondary schools and community colleges, civic groups, and extension programs.

5. STANDARDS FOR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR WITH TENURE

In considering candidates for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor, the Departmental Voting Faculty will employ the following standards in light of the qualifications for the academic rank of Associate Professor specified in POL 05.20.01.

5.1. Research (Scholarship). The candidate’s scholarly work under consideration will include original research that is, taken as a whole, equivalent to five or six substantive sole-author articles that have been published or unconditionally accepted for publication in respected refereed journals.

Substantive sole-author publications of comparable quality that appear in scholarly volumes or are forthcoming in scholarly volumes that are in press, with copy-editing complete, may be substituted for refereed journal articles. Such publications will be judged on their merits. Other scholarly work will also be taken into account on the basis of an evaluation of its merits. Ordinarily, a sole-author scholarly book of sufficient quality, and in press, with copy editing complete, or already published by a respected press, will be sufficient scholarship for tenure and/or promotion to Associate Professor.

Other scholarly work, including co-authored journal articles, invited papers and books, and edited or co-edited collected volumes will be taken into account on the basis of an evaluation of the extent and merit of the candidate’s contribution/s to such works. A reduced output of publications may be acceptable if there is compelling evidence that the scholarly work under consideration is of an extraordinarily high quality or has had an exceptional impact.

Previous work at other educational institutions counts toward tenure and promotion to Associate Professor providing it goes beyond the candidate’s doctoral dissertation. Nonetheless, additional evidence of scholarly productivity at NC State will always be required for tenure and promotion independent of the previous work. Such evidence will normally consist of (but is not limited to) some of the following: presentation of research to meetings of professional organizations or other professional audiences; recognition in the profession through prizes, fellowships or grants; submission of scholarly work to publishers or professional journals; identifiable development in drafts of work in progress; scholarly publications (which could be forthcoming).

5.2. Teaching. All candidates for tenure and/or promotion to Associate Professor must present a commendable teaching record. It must be clear that a candidate for tenure and/or promotion takes teaching responsibilities seriously, is genuinely concerned about and respects students, and treats them fairly. Evidence of commendable teaching may come from (but is not limited to) student evaluations, peer teaching reviews, participation in teaching workshops, course syllabi and innovations, self-assessments, and other data that might be included in a teaching portfolio.

5.3. Academic and Professional Service. All candidates for tenure and/or promotion to Associate Professor must be contributing members of the Department, the university and their professions, and willing to do their share. Such contributions may come in the form of (but are not limited to) advising students, service on academic and professional committees, participation in university governance at any level, evaluating manuscripts and proposals for publishers or journals, service in an official capacity for a professional society, and presentations to secondary schools and community colleges, civic groups, and extension programs.

6. STANDARDS FOR PROFESSOR

In considering candidates for promotion to the rank of Professor, the Departmental Voting Faculty will employ the following standards in light of the qualifications for the academic rank of Professor specified in POL 05.20.01.

6.1. Research (Scholarship). Under normal circumstances, the scholarly work to be considered in evaluating a candidate for promotion to Professor must have been accepted for publication since the date of the candidate’s previous promotion and during the previous eight years. While emphasis should be placed on the period since the candidate’s previous promotion, the Department Voting Faculty may regard a case as nonstandard if, for instance, the candidate had more high-quality publications than necessary to qualify for promotion to (or appointment as) Associate Professor at the time of the previous promotion.

The candidate’s scholarly work under consideration will include original research that is, taken as a whole, equivalent to five or six substantive sole-author articles that have been published or unconditionally accepted for publication in respected refereed journals.

Substantive sole-author publications of comparable quality that appear in scholarly volumes or are forthcoming in scholarly volumes that are in press, with copy-editing complete, may be substituted for refereed journal articles. Such publications will be judged on their merits. Ordinarily, a sole-author scholarly book of sufficient quality, and in press, with copy editing complete, or already published by a respected press, will be sufficient scholarship for promotion to Professor.

Other published works, including co-authored journal articles, invited papers and books, and edited or co-edited collected volumes will be taken into account on the basis of an evaluation of the extent and merit of the candidate’s contribution/s to such works. A reduced output of publications may be acceptable if there is compelling evidence that the scholarly work under consideration is of an extraordinarily high quality or has had an exceptional impact.

Previous work at other educational institutions counts for promotion to Professor. Nonetheless, additional evidence of scholarly productivity at NC State will always be required for tenure and promotion independent of the previous work. Such evidence will normally consist of (but is not limited to) some of the following: presentation of research to meetings of professional organizations or other professional audiences; recognition in the profession through prizes, fellowships or grants; submission of scholarly work to publishers or professional journals; identifiable development in drafts of work in progress; scholarly publications (which could be forthcoming).

6.2. Teaching. All candidates for promotion to Professor must present a commendable teaching record. It must be clear that a candidate for promotion takes teaching responsibilities seriously, is genuinely concerned about and respects students, and treats them fairly. Evidence of commendable teaching may come from (but is not limited to) student evaluations, peer teaching reviews, participation in teaching workshops, course syllabi and innovations, self-assessments, and other data that might be included in a teaching portfolio.

6.3. Academic and Professional Service. All candidates for promotion to Professor must be contributing members of the Department, the university and their professions, and willing to do their share. Such contributions may come in the form of (but are not limited to) advising students, service on academic and professional committees, participation in university governance at any level, evaluating manuscripts and proposals for publishers or journals, service in an official capacity in a professional society, and presentations to secondary schools and community colleges, civic groups, extension programs, etc.

7. PROCEDURES FOR RPT REVIEW

The Department has adopted the following procedures for considering faculty members for reappointment, promotion, and tenure. All discussions, in any form or medium whatsoever, by the Departmental Voting Faculty involving reappointment, promotion, or tenure are strictly confidential. No person other than the Department Head who is not a member of the Departmental Voting Faculty is to receive any information of any sort about the deliberations, except as required by their administrative positions, and any and all communications between the Department and the candidate are to be handled solely by the Department Head.

7.1. Procedures for Reappointment of Assistant Professors

7.1.1. Early in the Fall semester, the Head will schedule dates for the meetings of the Departmental Voting Faculty to consider all mandatory cases of Assistant Professors subject to reappointment, and will announce these dates to the Departmental Voting Faculty.

7.1.2. In consultation with the Head, the candidate for reappointment will assemble the required university dossier and other material to be considered for reappointment. The Head and candidate share responsibility for completeness and appropriateness of the dossier and this other material.

7.1.3. The reappointment dossier and other required material will be ready for review by all members of the Departmental Voting Faculty at least two weeks before their meeting to consider reappointment.

7.1.4. The meeting to consider reappointments will be held before September 24.

7.1.5. All members of the Departmental Voting Faculty who are not on leave are required to attend meetings to consider cases of reappointment.

7.1.6. All members of the Departmental Voting Faculty, including those on leave, are expected to vote on all cases, if necessary by proxy. The Department Head is required to explain all missing votes.

7.1.7. In all other respects, the Department will follow the procedures determined by university policies, regulations, rules and practices and college rules and practices.

7.2. Procedures for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

7.2.1. By March 1 of the first year of the second term appointment as Assistant Professor, the Head will inform the Assistant Professor in writing that he/she will be reviewed for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor during the next academic year.

7.2.2. An Associate Professor appointed to an initial (untenured) probationary term will be notified in writing by March 1 in the academic year two years before the expiry of the initial contract that he/she will be reviewed for tenure during the next academic year.

7.2.3. An untenured Assistant or Associate Professor who desires to be considered for tenure and/or promotion before the penultimate year of a probationary term must submit a request to be considered for an early tenure decision to the Head by January 15 of the calendar year in which s/he seeks consideration.

7.2.4. The Head, in consultation with the candidate and the Departmental Voting Faculty, will invite active scholars who are knowledgeable in the candidate’s area of academic specialization to serve as external reviewers of the candidate’s scholarly work, and will follow the procedures and requirements concerning scholarly evaluations specified in REG 05.20.05.

7.2.5. A scholar who agrees to submit an external evaluation will be provided with copies of a representative selection of the candidate’s recent publications and work in progress relevant to the candidate’s tenure and promotion, as identified by the Head in consultation with the candidate.

7.2.6. The letters requesting evaluations will whenever possible be sent by April 1 of the calendar year in which the consideration occurs and will inform external evaluators that the Head must receive their evaluations by a specified date no later than August 15.

7.2.7. In consultation with the Head, the candidate will assemble the required university dossier and other material to be considered for promotion and/or tenure. The Head and candidate share responsibility for completeness and appropriateness of the dossier and this other material.

7.2.8. Early in the Fall semester, the Head will schedule dates for the meetings of the Departmental Voting Faculty to consider the cases of all candidates for tenure/promotion, and will announce these dates to the Departmental Voting Faculty.

7.2.9. The tenure/promotion dossier and other required material will be ready for review by all members of the Departmental Voting Faculty at least two weeks before their meeting to consider the candidate’s tenure/promotion case.

7.2.10. The meeting to consider a tenure/promotion will be held before September 24.

7.2.11. All members of the Departmental Voting Faculty who are not on leave are required to attend meetings to consider cases of tenure/promotion.

7.2.12. All members of the Departmental Voting Faculty, including those on leave, are expected to vote on all cases, if necessary by proxy. The Department Head is required to explain all missing votes.

7.2.13. In all other respects, the Department will follow the procedures determined by university policies, regulations, rules and practices and college rules and practices.

7.3. Procedures for Tenure and Promotion to Professor

7.3.1. An Associate Professor who desires to be considered for promotion to Professor must submit a request to be considered for promotion to the Head by January 15 of the calendar year in which he/she seeks consideration.

7.3.2. Before February 15, the Head will schedule a meeting with the Departmental Voting Faculty to review requests for promotion to Professor. A majority vote in favor of proceeding with a promotion case suffices for that case to be considered for promotion to Professor.

7.3.3. The Head, in consultation with the candidate and the Departmental Voting Faculty, will invite active scholars who are knowledgeable in the candidate’s area of academic specialization to serve as external reviewers of the candidate’s scholarly work, and will follow the procedures and requirements concerning scholarly evaluations specified in REG 05.20.05.

7.3.4. A scholar who agrees to submit an external evaluation will be provided with copies of a representative selection of the candidate’s recent publications and work in progress relevant to the candidate’s tenure and promotion, as identified by the Head in consultation with the candidate.

7.3.5. The letters requesting evaluations will whenever possible be sent by April 1 of the calendar year in which the consideration occurs and will inform external evaluators that the Head must receive their evaluations by a specified date no later than August 15.

7.3.6. In consultation with the Head, the candidate will assemble the required university dossier and other material to be considered for promotion. The Head and candidate share responsibility for completeness and appropriateness of the dossier and this other material.

7.3.7. Early in the Fall semester, the Head will schedule dates for the meetings of the Departmental Voting Faculty to consider the cases of all candidates for promotion, and will announce these dates to the Departmental Voting Faculty.

7.3.8. The promotion dossier and other required material will be ready for review by all members of the Departmental Voting Faculty at least two weeks before their meeting to consider the candidate’s promotion case.

7.3.9. The meeting to consider a promotion will be held before September 24.

7.3.10. All members of the Departmental Voting Faculty who are not on leave are required to attend meetings to consider cases of promotion.

7.3.11 All members of the Departmental Voting Faculty, including those on leave, are expected to vote on all cases, if necessary by proxy. The Department Head is required to explain all missing votes.

7.3.12. In all other respects, the Department will follow the procedures determined by university policies, regulations, rules and practices and college rules and practices.

8. MATERIAL FOR REVIEW

8.1 The content of the candidate’s reappointment, promotion and/or tenure dossier will be as determined by REG 05.20.20.

8.2 In addition to the candidate’s dossier, the Department Voting Faculty will be given access to the following material:

8.2.1 A full and complete Curriculum Vitae;

8.2.2 All scholarly work sent to the external reviewers;

8.2.3 Other material relevant to the case as agreed between the candidate and the Department Head, including select additional publications, work in progress, and other items that provide evidence concerning the candidate’s performance.

9. THE DEPARTMENTAL VOTING FACULTY

Membership of the Department Voting Faculty is as defined in POL 05.20.01.

Although not a member of the Departmental Voting Faculty, the Head is expected to participate fully in deliberations concerning reappointment, promotion, and tenure cases.