RUL05.67.605 – Department of Forest Biomaterials Professional Faculty Contract Appointment and Promotion Standards and Procedures

Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: May 15, 2025

Contact: Department Head, Forest Biomaterials (919-515-5321)

Related Policies:

NCSU POL05.20.01 – Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure
NCSU RUL05.67.603 –Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT)
NCSU REG05.20.27 – Statements of Faculty Responsibilities

NCSU REG 05.20.05 Consultation and Written Assessments, Recommendations and Responses in RPT Review
NCSU REG05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments

Additional References:

Office of the Provost RPT Website

CNR Faculty Promotion Standards

 

1. INTRODUCTION

The Department of Forest Biomaterials is committed to fulfilling its roles and obligations as an integral component of the College of Natural Resources and NC State University. 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 lecturer track faculty in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at North Carolina State University (“NC State”). 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. This document builds upon and supplements the university’s procedures for reappointment, promotion, and conferral of tenure in the Academic Tenure Policy, and the college’s rule. It is meant to be helpful to departmental professional track faculty by identifying assignments and duties, and in addition, professional track faculty are expected to fulfill their assignments in compliance with their title, function, and duties according to REG 05.20.34.

2. 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 REG 05.20.27 are: (1) teaching and mentoring students, (2) discovery of knowledge through discipline-guided inquiry (“research”), (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 REG 05.20.34, the Department requires that Professional track 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 professional track faculty who are teaching (including Professors of the Practice) will allocate the bulk of their effort to teaching and mentoring, research faculty will allocate the bulk of their effort to research, and extension faculty will allocate the bulk of their effort to extension and engagement. Exceptions to this expectation may be granted by the Department Head.

3. GENERAL STANDARDS

The general standards for initial contract, subsequent contract, and promotion in the Department of Forest Biomaterials follow those in REG 05.20.34, RUL 05.67.603, and RUL 05.67.602.  Faculty performance will be evaluated in recognition of the weight of percentages assigned to each realm of responsibility on the SFR.

4. STANDARDS FOR LECTURERS AND SENIOR LECTURERS

4.1 There is no mandatory year for promotion to Senior Lecturer provided faculty members meet all of the qualifications outlined by the university and college. 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 throughout their career at the Department. 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 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).

5. STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL FACULTY WITH PROFESSORIAL RANK

The Standards for Professional Faculty in Tracks with Professorial Rank are listed as follows:

5.1 Assistant Professor

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

5.1.2. Potential for directing/managing departmental 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. Associate Professor

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

5.2.2 Demonstrated ability to direct/manage 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 Professor

5.3.1. Distinguished achievement in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility

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

5.3.3 Established record of excellence in the individual’s profession, such as teaching and mentoring, and/or service

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

6. PROCEDURES

6.1 Initial Contract, Subsequent Contracts at the Same Rank, and Promotion

Initial contracts and subsequent contracts at the same rank are initiated by the head of an academic department based upon appropriate documentation. Documentation for initial or subsequent contracts should include a current curriculum vitae and materials that would be included in the dossier section(s) appropriate to the faculty member’s responsibilities as reflected in the SFR (e.g., Teaching, Research, Extension and Engagement, Service). A full dossier is not required for initial or subsequent contracts. Documentation shall be assembled by the Department Head in cases of initial contracts and by the candidate in consultation with the Department Head in cases of subsequent contracts. To receive a subsequent contract at a higher professorial rank, the faculty member must have gone through the promotion process. Decisions regarding initial and subsequent contracts for professional faculty with professorial rank are dependent on recommendations by the Department Voting Faculty (DVF) and Department Head to the Dean. The Dean is responsible for final decisions. Initial and subsequent contracts greater than two years in length cannot be issued without DVF consultation. For promotion cases, the DVF shall meet and vote according to RUL 05.67.602 – Department of Forest Biomaterials Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures.

6.2 Dossier Requirements for Promotion

Prior to consideration by the appropriate Departmental Voting Faculty (DVF) for promotion, a faculty member, with the assistance of the Department Head, prepares a dossier. Candidates will highlight accomplishments in their track by including their SFR. Dossiers for promotion to Senior Lecturer do not require external letters and are not uploaded into RPTOnline. The DVF votes for promotion and subsequent contract at the same time. It is expected that all candidates for promotion should include teaching evaluations and affiliated documentation as additional evidence of their impact in the teaching realm.

6.3 DVF Definition

The DVF for initial and subsequent contracts of professional faculty with professorial rank shall consist of all full-time (.75 FTE and higher) faculty who hold tenured or tenure-track positions at a rank equal to or higher than the rank being considered as well as full-time (.75 FTE and higher) professional faculty in the same track that is under consideration who hold professorial rank equal to or higher than the rank under consideration.

6.3.1. If the number of DVF members is fewer than three (3), the Department Head, in consultation with the existing DVF, the individual being reviewed, and appropriate other Department Heads, shall request that the Dean appoint faculty members from allied departments in such number as to provide a group of three (3) members to serve as the DVF for the case. In these instances, there shall be at least one professional faculty member in the same track as the individual being reviewed appointed to DVF Committee. If no professional track faculty are available, this requirement may be waived.

6.4 DVF Recommendation

The DVF shall have full access to the documentation prepared for each candidate, shall have the opportunity and responsibility to meet as a group with the Department Head to consider the matter confidentially and shall provide a written assessment. In each case a vote shall be taken either by secret ballot or open ballot, with the method of voting to be decided by a majority vote of the DVF. Faculty members who cannot attend the meeting shall be expected to vote. The DVF chair or the entire DVF should have a face-to-face conversation with the Department Head to establish procedures for Department Head consultation and advise the Department Head prior to the completion of the Department Head’s recommendation. All deliberations and communications related to the DVF review of candidates and voting outcomes must remain confidential. No persons other than the DVF, or Department Head pursuant to the procedures established in this rule, may be present during the deliberations and voting. The Department Head shall make a recommendation and report the vote of the DVF, if applicable, to the Dean. Please consult Section (10) of the REG 05.20.34 – Professional Faculty Ranks and Appointments.