GSLL Policy Statement on Reappointment and Promotion of Teaching Professors
May 8, 2023
I. Introduction
GSLL explains by means of this policy statement the procedures and standards that it will use in evaluating teaching faculty/instructors for reappointment and promotion.
Our process will comply with policies of the Board of Regents, the University of Colorado Administrative Policy Statement entitled, 鈥Titles, Roles, Appointment, Evaluation and Promotion of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty in Teaching and Librarian Positions鈥 as well as the College of Arts and Sciences policy 鈥Reappointment and Promotion of Non-Tenure Track Faculty.鈥 Also note the College of Arts and Sciences process, as well as the听 GSLL timelines.
II. Criteria for Promotion
Please reference听A&S Reappointment and Promotion of Non-Tenure Track Faculty Faculty for timelines and definition of terms for promotion for instructor levels. See also additional documents at the听A&S site:
Note that there is no expectation that one must go up for promotion. If one goes up for promotion and is not promoted, it does not impact the current position, and one can go up for promotion again.
As excerpted from that policy:
- The criteria for promotion from teaching assistant professor or instructor to teaching associate professor or senior [鈥. Teaching 鈥渆xcellence鈥 typically carries the expectation that the individual has made significant contributions to pedagogy, curriculum,听and student learning in the classroom and for the primary unit.
- The criteria for promotion from teaching associate professor or senior instructor to teaching professor or principal instructor [,,,] should include criteria for a record of distinction. A 鈥渞ecord of distinction鈥 carries the expectation that the individual has made a major impact in the disciplinary unit (e.g., on pedagogy and curriculum) and its students, typically one that extends to considerable impact on the campus generally and a role in national or international discussions related to the individual鈥檚 focus of teaching or related to curriculum and/or pedagogy.听Units can interpret the mix of 鈥渃ampus鈥 and 鈥渂eyond campus鈥 contributions in ways that reflect the nature of the unit or discipline and the work the candidate has been asked to perform.
In GSLL, the following criteria define performance in teaching and service for teaching professors:
Promotion to鈥 | Teaching (Excellent required for promotion) | Service (Meritorious required for promotion) |
Senior Instructor (Teaching Associate Professor) | Excellent: demonstrates competence in teaching as measured by multiple measures of teaching (See measures in听A&S Reappointment and Promotion of Teaching/Clinical Faculty and Quality Teaching Initiative) 听 and 听 engaged in ongoing efforts to improve teaching 听 | Meritorious: demonstrates service听 impact within GSLL according to terms of the contract and, if relevant, the MOU 听 Examples of service impact within the unit include but are not limited to unit and program committee work, student activities, clubs, events, recruitment, placement and outcomes assessments, TA training, as well as program head or other administrative duties. |
Principal Instructor (Full Teaching Professor) | Excellent: demonstrates significant impact beyond GSLL (college, campus, regionally or nationally) for example: via attendance at or presentations at conferences, publications on pedagogy or based on other research and scholarship, hosting workshops or trainings, creating pedagogical materials distributed beyond the unit, participating in public scholarship and public education, outreach and recruitment activities, engaging in efforts to revise curriculum to respond to most recent research on pedagogy; or听otherwise participating in national and international conversations on pedagogy. 听 See also additional documents at the听A&S site. | Meritorious: demonstrates significant service impact both within GSLL and beyond (college, university, regional, national, community, etc) 听(See additional examples in听A&S Reappointment and Promotion of Non Tenure-Track Faculty) 听 Examples of service beyond the unit include but are not limited to activities with regional, national, or international discipline-specific organizations, committee work at the college or university level. 听 听 |
听
Ballots
Internally inconsistent ballots (for example, a ballot that votes for reappointment but votes below excellent in teaching), will be discarded as invalid.
III. Pandemic considerations听
In support of faculty whose professional lives were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the period of consideration, our unit adopts the relevant guidance suggested by the Office of Faculty Affairs document, 鈥Campus Actions to Support Our Faculty During the Pandemic: Guidelines for Faculty and Academic Leaders.鈥
Considerations for Teaching Faculty Preparing Dossiers
- Faculty may include a 鈥減andemic context/impact statement鈥 with their dossier 鈥渢o help reviewers understand how the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected the candidate鈥檚 work, from the outset of the spring 2020 semester鈥 (OFA document, page 3). This optional statement 鈥渃ould focus on what faculty members have done to pivot their teaching or scholarly and creative work during this time; or it could include non-confidential information about pandemic effects (e.g., how they have been challenged, how they have risen to the challenges, what work they could not do because of the pandemic, what opportunities came up due to the pandemic); complexities of establishing laboratories or obtaining specialized equipment or materials; contextual information about work with students such as extra time spent with students who are being given multiple extensions on assignments, the emotional toll of helping students dealing with, for example, physical or mental illnesses, stress, anxiety, oppression, grief, or other support needs; revising course curriculum to more fully engage with anti-racist movements; significant life events; non-confidential personal challenges.
- Faculty may 鈥渋nclude in their dossiers and FRPA: conference papers accepted but not able to be presented; fellowships awarded that could not be accepted鈥 or other 鈥減rojects that could not be completed or executed.鈥 (page 4)
Considerations for the Reviewing Committees:
- The reviewing committee should 鈥渃reate more flexibility, consider more nuance, require fewer direct peer comparisons, focus on quality over quantity, 鈥渃ount鈥 canceled or postponed conference papers or invited lectures, reconceptualize national/ international visibility, etc.鈥 (page 5). The committee may deprioritize 鈥渟tudent evaluations of teaching for Fall 2020 through Spring 2021鈥 while also taking into account 鈥渢he changes and additional duties faculty had to take on in 2020 and 2021鈥 (page 4)
- The committee should 鈥渞ecognize the contributions faculty members have made in various spheres, while considering each person鈥檚 specific working conditions, rather than comparing across faculty who may have different working conditions. For example, increased caregiving responsibilities or lack of access to research facilities as a result of the pandemic should not negatively affect assessments of faculty.鈥
- The committee should 鈥渢ake into consideration the work that went into changing and modifying courses to adapt to various teaching modalities, learning and use of new technologies, additional preparation and coordination, less visible but substantial work supporting students and others, etc.鈥 and account for the fact that 鈥渁 productivity 鈥榮low-down鈥 due to the pandemic is to be expected.鈥(page 4)
IV. Process for promotion:
Process and Timelines
- Teaching Professor Reappointment/Promotion to Associate Teaching Professor
- Promotion to Principal Instructor/Teaching Professor
- GSLL听Timelines and Process documents
V. Advice for demonstrating criteria for teaching excellence
- Format your CV for review, in line with disciplinary norms as well as CU norms (seek feedback from your PUEC chair)
- Multiple measures: Note guidelines on multiple measures from the A&S guidelines.听 The following are strongly recommended:
- Sample syllabi and assignments from one course.
- Evidence that demonstrates all three 鈥渧oices鈥 as required by the College of Arts and Sciences:
- Student voice (e.g. solicited letters from students, interview responses from peer observations. Note: FCQ numerical and qualitative results are required by college)
- Peer voice (recommended minimum of 2 peer observations, other options include other letters from outside colleagues/peers and yearly teaching rubrics)
- Candidate voice (e.g. statements, other materials, etc)
- Impact beyond the unit may be demonstrated in a range of ways, such as: attendance at or presentations at conferences and/or workshops, publications on pedagogy, hosting workshops or trainings, creating pedagogical materials distributed beyond the unit, participating in public scholarship and public education, outreach and recruitment activities, engaging in efforts to revise curriculum to respond to most recent research on pedagogy; or otherwise participating in national and international conversations on pedagogy.
- See also 鈥渋llustrative examples鈥 provided by the A&S guidelines
听
- Note that the materials you submit for annual merit reviews may not be adequate for reappointment and promotion reviews. Please revise your materials appropriately.
- You will be able to submit updated materials at any point until the review process is complete (e.g. you want to update with new accomplishments, and revise cv and materials to include it)
- Levels of earlier review are not required to revise letters for materials submitted after review at that level has been completed, unless the file is returned to that level by a higher level.
VI. Criteria for Reappointment
Successful reappointment for the position of teaching assistant professor is contingent on fulfillment of the terms stipulated in the candidate鈥檚 letter of appointment when hired, any relevant MOUs, and the terms outlined in University of Colorado-糖心Vlog破解版鈥檚 document on听Professional Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Members. In order to be reappointed to their current position, teaching assistant professors must demonstrate excellence in teaching and a meritorious performance of service. The components of a teaching professor鈥檚 evaluation are defined by the annual merit formula in the letter of appointment.
The dean of the College of Arts and Sciences has final authority over the reappointment of teaching professor-rank faculty.
Teaching (Excellent required for reappointment) | Service (Meritorious required for reappointment) |
Excellent:
听
听 听 Meritorious:
听 | Meritorious: 听
听 Below meritorious: 听
|
Ballots
Internally inconsistent ballots (for example, a ballot that votes for reappointment but votes below excellence in teaching), will be discarded as invalid.
VII. Process for Reappointment
Please see the following documents:
- GSLL听Timelines and Process documents
- A&S webpage on teaching professor reappointment
- College of Arts and Sciences_Non-Tenure Track Reappointment Checklist (see "process" links)
Please review听section V above for 鈥淎dvice for Demonstrating Excellence in Teaching鈥
Expedited reappointment:
- If either the chair or the dean see a need for a full review, a full review will be conducted.