Supplement to the College Tenure and Promotion Policy — College of Education
Approved by FPC on February 24, 2020
Overview
Full-time non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty in the College of Education at the University of Florida share all of the rights and responsibilities of tenure-track faculty members, but are not eligible for tenure. NTT faculty perform teaching, scholarship, and service functions associated largely — but not exclusively — with schools, grants, or programs.
This document supplements the College Tenure and Promotion policies and procedures to provide clarification regarding criteria and procedures for promotion of full-time NTT faculty. University guidelines state that criteria for promotion “shall be relevant to the performance of the work that the faculty member has been employed to do and his/her performance of the duties and responsibilities expected of a member of the university community” (Rule #6C1-7.003). NTT faculty in the COE are typically assigned duties in teaching, scholarship, and professional service (a portion of which may include program administration) in accordance with their position description, and will be evaluated for promotion based on these specific assignments.
Criteria for Promotion
Overall Criteria
Promotion of NTT faculty is based on demonstration of distinction in the area of primary assignment and acceptable performance in all other assigned areas. Distinction is characterized by performance that is well above the expected, typical performance of a candidate of similar rank and assignment in the candidate’s field. NTT faculty are expected to engage in scholarship, which may include the scholarship of teaching and service. Quality of performance will be judged more important than quantity in evaluating contributions.
- Promotion to the next higher rank (first promotion): The candidate is expected to have demonstrated distinction in the primary assigned area, and at least emerging leadership with respect to other assigned duties.
- Promotion to the next higher rank (subsequent promotion): A previously promoted candidate is expected to demonstrate a continuing level of productivity that merits distinction in the primary assignment, as well as a high level of leadership in the other area(s) of assigned duties.
Major Sources of Evidence
Teaching
Depending on the nature of the candidate’s teaching assignment, possible sources of evidence to demonstrate distinction in teaching may include, but are not limited to:
- Evidence of self-reflection, study, and development/improvement of teaching performance
- Publications related to teaching and professional practice
- Student, peer, and chair evaluations of teaching and advising indicating exemplary performance
- Nomination or receipt of awards for teaching and/or advising
- Evidence of exemplary development of new courses, instructional materials, technological innovations, and syllabi
- Evidence of providing exemplary professional development for practicing professionals, with appropriate follow-up support beyond delivery
- Exemplary contributions or leadership on committees related to teaching
- Evidence of exemplary collaboration with UF faculty to translate traditional university-based coursework to job-embedded programs
- Evidence of professional mentoring of students, novice or developing teachers, graduate students, and/or colleagues
- Evidence of leadership roles related to teaching in one’s discipline
Scholarship
Depending on the nature of the candidate’s research assignment, possible sources of evidence to demonstrate distinction in scholarship may include, but are not limited to:
- Annual performance evaluations or other evaluative evidence indicating exemplary performance in research/scholarship
- Leadership roles in appropriate research-oriented professional associations
- Evidence of development of a research line
- Established regional, national, or international reputation based on research and/or expertise
- Awards for scholarly activity
- Publications appropriate to the candidate’s field, such as articles in peer-reviewed periodicals, books, monographs, chapters, bibliographies, catalogs, abstracts, reviews, media releases, creative works, activities, patents, copyrights, and other miscellaneous publications (e.g., non-refereed publications)
- Lectures, speeches, workshops, or papers presented at state, regional, national, or international meetings
- Documented leadership roles (e.g., PI, Co-PI, Co-Investigator, Director, Coordinator, Co-Author, Project Manager) on grant proposals submitted and funded
Service
Depending on the nature of the candidate’s service assignment, possible sources of evidence to demonstrate distinction in service may include, but are not limited to:
- Program evaluation reports, technical reports, monographs, and accreditation reports
- Presentations/publications about service activities or programs
- Evaluative evidence indicating exemplary performance in service
- Evidence of efforts for continued professional development and improvement in service/administrative performance
- Awards for service
- Evidence of exemplary service or consultation to public schools, department, college, or university committees; community-based organizations; and the profession
- Leadership roles in shaping educational policy at the local, state, and/or national level
- Leadership roles in professional organizations as evidenced by election or appointment to offices or committees
- Demonstrated service in an editorial capacity for the profession (e.g., journals, textbooks)
Procedures for Promotion of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
Promotion procedures for full-time NTT faculty parallel those of tenure-track faculty. Candidates determine the timing of promotion applications in collaboration with their school director or the Dean of the College. Accomplishments required for promotion are typically achieved across six or more years of continuous, in-rank, full-time service, similar to tenure-track faculty promotion.
- Similar procedures apply to NTT faculty seeking promotion as for tenure-track faculty seeking promotion to the next rank. University procedures, including packet preparation and deadlines, are followed with exceptions noted in this document.
- NTT faculty seeking promotion will present a case using the University of Florida tenure and promotion packet. While all sections of the packet must be completed, the assigned activities of the faculty member dictate the criteria applied and which portions of the packet receive greatest attention.
- Percent assignments shown in the packet should accurately reflect the candidate’s actual assignments and activities over the period of employment. For example, a candidate assigned to teach, advise, develop courses, administer programs, and engage in faculty governance should not show a 100% instructional/research assignment if service was also assigned. If the assignment has in fact been 100% instructional/research, indicate “Not Applicable” (not 0%) in areas not applicable on the summary table.
- Letters of evaluation by faculty of superior rank in the candidate’s field are required:
- The College expects 5 (five) letters of evaluation from internal and external (i.e., outside the University of Florida) sources. The candidate may suggest writers, but final selection is determined by the school director or Dean.
- The school director or Dean will follow the same guidelines for soliciting evaluation letters and preparing bio sketches of reviewers as is done for tenure-track faculty.
- Evaluators should be informed about the candidate’s primary assignment duties and the College’s criteria for NTT faculty.
- Evaluation letters should provide an assessment of the candidate’s accomplishments in the primary area(s) of assigned responsibility (i.e., teaching or research).
- All letters received will be used in the packet.
- Peer evaluation(s) of teaching, including class visitations and review of syllabi, examinations, and other instructional materials, are required for candidates with a teaching assignment. Frequency of peer evaluations is determined by the chair based on the faculty member’s teaching assignment.
- College and school policies regarding mentoring programs shall also apply to NTT faculty.
- Annual evaluation of NTT faculty should be conducted by the school director. Additionally, a mid-cycle review (or pre-promotion review) should occur toward the end of the third or fourth year using the same process as pre-tenure reviews, to provide the NTT faculty member with feedback on progress toward promotion.
- Faculty voting on promotion of NTT faculty:
- Promotion from Assistant to Associate: Voting by faculty of superior rank in the unit, i.e., Senior and Master Lecturers, Associate and Full Scholars, and Associate and Full Professors.
- Promotion from Associate to Professor: Voting by faculty of superior rank in the unit, i.e., Master Lecturers, Full Scholars, and Full Professors.
- Senior faculty members are defined as any faculty member of a higher rank than the candidate.
- NTT faculty promotion cases may be discussed at the same faculty meeting in which other tenure and promotion cases in the school unit are discussed, and voting by secret ballot may proceed in the same way.
- NTT faculty promotion cases shall be forwarded to the COE Promotion and Tenure Committee for review.