RUL 05.67.604 Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources Professional Faculty Contract and Promotion Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: April 2, 2025

NCSU RUL05.67.603 –Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT)

Additional References:
Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost RPT Website
CNR Faculty Promotion Standards

Contact Info:Department Head, Forestry and Environmental Resources (919-515-2893)

INTRODUCTION

This rule provides the standards and procedures for initial contracts, subsequent contracts, and promotion of professional faculty with professorial rank, including teaching, research, extension, and of the practice, and for lecturers, in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources (“DFER”) at North Carolina State University (“NC State”). This rule is supplemental to and consistent with university and college rules on professional faculty. Only professional faculty appointed at 0.75 FTE and above are eligible for promotion. The department recognizes that the specific activities upon which professional faculty are evaluated will vary.

AREAS OF FACULTY RESPONSIBILITY

NC State specifies contributions in six (6) Realms of Faculty Responsibility as the principal standards for decisions about faculty promotion and subsequent appointment. The six realms of faculty responsibility listed in NCSU REG05.20.27 Statements of Faculty Responsibilities are: (1) teaching and mentoring 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 itself. Except as provided by NCSU REG05.20.34 Professional Track Faculty Ranks and Appointments, the department requires that professional faculty distribute their efforts to some combination of these realms as outlined and proportioned in their Statement of Faculty Responsibilities (SFR). The expectation is that teaching track faculty will allocate the largest share of their effort to teaching and mentoring, research track faculty will allocate the largest share of their effort to discovery of knowledge, and extension track faculty will allocate the largest share of their effort to extension and engagement.

The general standards for initial contract, subsequent contract, and promotion in the DFER follow those in NCSU REG05.20.34 Professional Track Faculty Ranks and Appointments and NCSU RUL05.67.603 Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) . Faculty performance will be evaluated in recognition of the weight of percentages assigned to each realm of responsibility on the SFR.

DFER values each realm of responsibility in many forms. Appropriate evidence for evaluation of the realms may include, but is not limited to the examples given in the table at this link: https://cnr.ncsu.edu/internalresources/faculty-resources/reappointment-promotion-and-tenure/

GENERAL STANDARDS

Depending on their SFR, professional faculty are expected to demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, technological and managerial innovation, extension and engagement, and/or appropriate service to both their profession and the institution.

3.1 Statement of Faculty Responsibilities

Guiding the overall evaluation of each faculty member is the SFR. The SFR shall be developed in accordance with university procedures. The SFR describes the realms of responsibility applicable to the faculty member and the percentage of effort expected for each applicable realm. The SFR is a dynamic document and expectations may change at different stages of a faculty member’s career.

STANDARDS FOR LECTURERS AND SENIOR LECTURERS

4.1 There is no mandatory year for promotion to Senior Lecturer. Typically, promotions are considered after the faculty member has established a record of teaching excellence at the university level over several years. There is no requirement that Lecturers pursue promotion, and Lecturers can remain at the rank of Lecturer indefinitely. Promotion to Senior Lecturer may occur during a current contract or at the time of issuing a subsequent contract.

4.2 Lecturers are encouraged to have frequent discussions with their Department Head as they progress towards a promotion.

4.3 Standards for promotion include excellent performance in the realms of teaching and service which should include consistently strong student and peer evaluations of teaching, engagement with curriculum development and/or course design, and a record of professional service in the discipline and/or additional contributions to the department, college, or university (such as service on committees or as a program coordinator).

STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL FACULTY WITH PROFESSORIAL RANK

The standards for initial and subsequent contracts and promotion of professional faculty holding a professorial rank should be appropriate to the titles of such faculty (i.e., Teaching, Research, Extension or of the Practice), and align with their statements of faculty responsibility (SFR).

5.1 Standards for Initial and Subsequent Contract as Assistant Professor in a Professional Track

For professional faculty initial and subsequent contracts, the following will be evaluated:

5.1.1 Ability or definite promise in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility

5.1.2 Potential for directing activities in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility

5.1.3 Ability and willingness to participate in department, college and university activities

5.1.4 A doctor’s degree, an equivalent degree, or equivalent professional experience

5.2 Standards for Promotion, Initial Contract and Subsequent Contract as Associate Professor in a Professional Track

For promotion to or a contract as Associate Professor, the following will be evaluated:

5.2.1 Recognized ability and potential for distinction in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility

5.2.2 Demonstrated ability to direct activities in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility

5.2.3 Demonstrated ability and willingness to participate in department, college and university activities

5.2.4 A doctor’s degree, an equivalent degree, or equivalent professional experience

5.3 Standards for Promotion, Initial Contract, and Subsequent Contract as Professor in a Professional Track

For promotion to or a contract as Professor, the following will be evaluated:

5.3.1 Distinguished achievement in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility

5.3.2 Demonstrated ability to direct activities in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility

5.3.3 Established reputation in the individual’s profession or field of scholarly or germane creative activity

5.3.4 Demonstrated ability and willingness to participate in department, college and university activities

5.3.5 A doctor’s degree, an equivalent degree, or equivalent professional experience

PROCEDURES

6.1 Initial Statement of Faculty Responsibilities

During the process of recruiting new faculty before an employment contract is signed, the candidate and Department Head shall discuss the responsibilities of the faculty member and the desired expectations for promotion along with the resources that will be provided. The employment contract should reflect these considerations and is generally expected to be issued for three years, or the same length as a first term assistant professor on tenure track, with subsequent contracts generally expected to be issued for five years. Upon employment and following NCSU REG05.20.27 – Statements of Faculty Responsibility, the new faculty member, in consultation with the Department Head, will develop an appropriate SFR. SFRs are evolving and must be reviewed, changed if appropriate, and recertified annually by the faculty member and the Department Head.

6.2 Dossier Requirements

Prior to consideration by the appropriate Departmental Voting Faculty (DVF) for promotion, a faculty member, with the assistance of the Department Head, should prepare a dossier as stipulated in NCSU REG05.20.20 – Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Dossier Format Requirements. Dossiers for promotion to senior lecturer do not require external letters and are not uploaded into RPTOnline. In those instances where a candidate’s application for promotion and subsequent contract consultation occurs simultaneously, the DVF votes for promotion and subsequent contract at the same time.

Prior to consideration by the appropriate DVF for a subsequent contract at the same rank, the faculty member, with the assistance of the Department Head, prepares a dossier following the guidelines in NCSU RUL05.68.51 – Section 5. The dossier is expected to provide evidence only for the realms of responsibility to which effort is allocated. Dossiers for subsequent contracts of professional faculty do not require external letters and are not uploaded into RPTOnline.

6.3 DVF Recommendation

6.3.1 DVF Definition:

The DVF for professional faculty is defined in university policy NCSU REG05.20.34- Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments When there are no professional faculty in DFER in the track in which the appointment is being considered with professorial rank equal to or higher than the rank being considered, the DVF may consult with professional faculty in DFER in other tracks with professorial rank equal to or higher than the rank being considered; by inviting them to participate in the discussion.

6.3.2 Based on procedures approved by the DVF, the Department Head is authorized to recommend to the Dean part-time or full-time initial and subsequent contracts of up to a total of two (2) years to professional faculty who meet the qualifications for their rank. The Department Head shall report to the DVF on such contracts issued to professional faculty.

6.3.3 For promotion cases of professorially-ranked faculty, the DVF shall meet and vote according to NCSU RUL05.67.600 – Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures, specifically:

(a)The department head appoints a Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) Committee, consisting of four Professors and two Associate Professors and may appoint a professional faculty member from each track with a candidate for promotion. The RPT Committee (with one member designated as chair) evaluates the dossier submitted by each candidate faculty member in detail. The RPT Committee prepares a written evaluation for consideration by the entire DVF and the Department Head.

(b) All members of the DVF read and evaluate the credentials of each person being considered for action. The DVF meets with the Department Head, hears the RPT Committee recommendations, and makes its recommendation to the Department Head. Any decision reached regarding a faculty member must be supported by a recorded vote of the full DVF. Members of the DVF not present at the meeting are given an opportunity to review the RPT Committee recommendation before casting their ballot.

6.3.4 For all initial and subsequent contracts and for the promotion of lecturers to senior lecturers, the DVF will meet with the Department Head to discuss and vote on the cases one year prior to the end of the current contract. Every effort should be made to ensure all DVF members are in attendance at this meeting. Voting will take place anonymously. The DVF vote and Department Head’s recommendation will be reported to the Dean, who decides on both initial and subsequent contracts consistent with NCSU REG 05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments and NCSU RUL 05.67.603 – Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT).