RUL 05.67.703 – Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: November 15, 1999. Last Revised: April 28, 2022.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website

Contact Info: Department Head, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry (919-515-5680)

1. Introduction

The Department of Molecular & Structural Biochemistry is committed to the land-grant mission of excellence in teaching, research, and service. The department seeks to enhance its state, regional, national, and international prominence through (1) innovative individual and cooperative research programs to investigate fundamental areas of research of importance to the state, nation and world; (2) undergraduate and graduate education programs designed to provide students with the knowledge and experience to investigate and solve basic problems in life sciences research at the molecular level.

This document describes the standards and procedures for reappointment, tenure, and promotion in the Department of Molecular & Structural Biochemistry. The specific guidelines are congruent with NCSU POL05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure and NCSU RUL05.67.22 – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures.

2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility

Faculty members are expected to be teacher/scholars. In Biochemistry, faculty may have 9-month or 12-month appointments. The distribution of faculty time between research, academic, service, administrative, and other activities vary among faculty members. A faculty member’s individual assignment is documented in their Statement of Faculty Responsibilities.

3. General Standards

3.1. Teaching Performance Standards

The teaching effectiveness of faculty is assessed according to NCSU REG05.20.10- Evaluation of Teaching and NCSU REG05.20.22 – Reporting Teaching Evaluations in RPT Review. Faculty who serve as advisors are evaluated as to their effectiveness in advising students. All faculty are expected to create and maintain an inclusive learning environment.

Faculty with teaching as a primary responsibility are expected to make scholarly contributions that establish their national reputation. These contributions may include but are not limited to such items as articles on educational methods, laboratory methods and manuals, and novel problem-based learning activities. Development of courses, implementation of innovative educational approaches, and contributions to curriculum quality also are components of scholarly achievement in the realm of teaching.

3.2. Research Performance Standards

Faculty having research appointments are expected to establish an independent research program of national and international prominence. Research activities used to evaluate the strength of a research program may include but are not limited to such items as grants submitted and received, publications in significant journals in biochemistry and related fields, research presentations, successful training and mentoring in research, and collaborative intellectual contributions to interdisciplinary research teams.

Faculty with research appointments are expected to publish in refereed journals. There is no specific number of publications required as this will depend upon the nature of the research and the percent of research appointment. A sustained publication record is expected. Both quantity and quality are considered in the assessment of accomplishments.

A sustained record of seeking and securing research grant support from federal agencies and foundations is an essential indicator of research performance. Team grants are included as a performance indicator with the intellectual contribution of the faculty member clearly designated.

Other activities that are indicators of scholarly research accomplishments are publications of review articles, presentation of original research at professional conferences and symposia, and invitations to give external seminars. Attracting graduate students into a specific research program, success of graduate students and other trainees, and establishment of an inclusive training culture are indications of the stature of an individual’s research program.

3.3. Service Performance Standards

3.3.1. Service on Departmental, College and University Committees.

3.3.2. Extramural service including but not limited to science education in the community, fostering infrastructure development to support success of underrepresented minorities, and other outreach activities.

3.3.3. Service on/for editorial boards and granting agency review panels

3.3.4. Participation in professional organizations

3.3.5. Participation in international activities

4. Standards for Reappointment

The CALS Administration requires a statement of justification for reappointment of tenure-eligible faculty, e.g., it is not to be an automatic action. Faculty will have demonstrated ability to conduct and manage a scholarly program in teaching and research with clear potential to achieve the standards required for promotion to Associate Professor with tenure.

5. Standards for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure

Normally, faculty should be in the second year of the second term of their appointment. He/she should have developed program(s) of work that are yielding demonstrably positive results and should be known and respected by local and national peers for their professional competence within the subject matter of the position responsibilities.

6. Standards for Promotion to Professor

Faculty should typically have been in rank at least five years, have a record of achievements that can be quantified and recognized by department faculty and external peers as being quality contributions to the discipline, have demonstrated leadership within the department and externally in the realms of responsibility as appropriate to their Statement of Faculty Responsibilities, and by reason of these accomplishments be recognized as a leader in the department.

7. Procedures for Reappointment or Promotion

7.1. Committee

7.1 The DVF consists of all full-time members of the faculty at or above the rank sought by the candidate. A member of the DVF will be selected as Chair. The charge to the Chair is to assist the faculty members in providing documentation that is of the best possible quality and accurately reflects their accomplishments.

7.1.1 The DVF may be augmented with faculty external to the department to ensure that no candidate’s tenure and promotion committee has less than three members with expertise related to the applicant’s area of teaching and/or research. In such cases, committee composition will be determined by the Department Head in consultation with the DVF.

7.1.2 In the case of joint or interdisciplinary faculty, the DVF or review committee will be determined in accordance with POL 05.20.01 Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure and the faculty member’s plan for review.

7.2. External Evaluations Request

Names of potential external evaluators are solicited from the tenured Associate and Full Professors by the Department Head. The faculty member to be reviewed also recommends external evaluators. The final list of external evaluators is selected by the Department Head in collaboration with the DVF. Typically, at least five letters of evaluation will be provided with the dossier. Of these, approximately half will be from the faculty member’s list and half from the list submitted by the DVF and Department Head.

The Department Head contacts each prospective external evaluator for their consent to participate in this process. Once a positive confirmation is received, a letter of instruction, the dossier, and three to five samples of the faculty member’s publications are sent, in compliance with NCSU REG 05.20.05 Consultation and Written Assessment, Recommendations, and Responses in RPT Reviews. Upon receipt the external evaluation letters are added to the dossier.

7.3. Meeting of the Departmental Voting Faculty

All faculty are expected to be present at the DVF meeting. If a member cannot attend, an absentee ballot may be filed with the Department Head, preferably prior to the DVF meeting or by a date determined by the Department Head which allows the subsequent college deadline to be met.

The mentor of the faculty member traditionally presents the case to the DVF where the faculty member’s credentials are discussed. Votes of the DVF to grant or deny promotion and tenure are submitted through secret ballots and counted jointly by the Department Head and a randomly selected member of the DVF.

7.4. Timetable

By the first Monday of August, for mandatory cases, the faculty member is notified in writing by the Department Head that he/she is due for promotion and given NCSU REG05.20.20 – Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Dossier Format Requirements. The university timeline for evaluation will guide the actual dates for each of the intermediate milestones, but the overall process is typically as follows.

By mid-August, for mandatory and non-mandatory cases, faculty members seeking promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with Tenure or from Associate Professor with Tenure to Full Professor present their dossier along with a list of recommended external evaluators.

By late August, documentation is prepared and requests for outside letters are made.

By October 1, the dossier, including external evaluations, is available to the Departmental Voting Faculty (DVF).

By mid-October, the committee meets to evaluate dossier.

Within five business days after the DVF meeting, the DVF assessment, written by the DVF Chair and approved by the DVF, is added to the dossier. The Department Head prepares his/her assessment and recommendation, adds this to the dossier, and provides access to the faculty member. The candidate has five business days to respond to the written comments of the faculty and the Department Head before the dossier is forwarded to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.