Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure Dossiers - 2008/09

Questions about the promotion and tenure process in the College of Liberal Arts should be directed to the Office of the Associate Dean for Faculty and Research, at 612-624-9839.

Primary Material

Primary material is copied and distributed to all CLA Promotion and Tenure Committee members; copies are also made for the CLA dean and associate deans, and the senior academic administrator.

Primary material must be submitted on 8.5"x11" white paper, single-sided, not-stapled, and in clear type which will duplicate well. All pages must be numbered consecutively in the upper, right-hand corner of each page, leaving a ½" margin.

Required Materials

A. Cover Page

• The cover page is the first page of the dossier.
• A cover page must accompany all dossiers submitted for promotion to professor, tenure and promotion to associate professor, and non-reappointment.

B. Table of Contents

• Every page of the primary material must be numbered in the upper right-hand corner of the page, leaving a minimum ½" margin.
• Should be sufficiently detailed so that the reader can readily find specific elements of the dossier, e.g., a letter from a particular external reviewer.

C. Curriculum Vitae

1. Biographical data
• Name, education (include all degrees with date and institution), previous academic appointments (with job titles, dates and institutions), and all other professional employment.
2. Scholarship/Creative activity
• Indicate whether scholarly works have been refereed or invited and whether presentations of creative work have been juried or refereed.
• Provide specific information about publication status (under review, forthcoming, accepted for publication, in-press, etc.).
• Indicate publications and activity prior to and since last promotion. Include dissertation title and director.
• Include reviews of books written by the candidate.
• Provide page numbers of articles.
• If co-authored, indicate order of authorship and relative contribution.
3. Teaching
• List courses and levels taught, including dates.
• Provide specific information on involvement in graduate advising.
4. Service
• Provide a detailed listing of service contributions, including dates, role and contribution.
5. Grants, contracts and awards
   • Include the dollar amounts, dates and funding source

D. Research/Creative Activity Narrative

• Must be prepared by the candidate.
• In no more than seven hundred fifty words, describe the development and direction of the candidate’s professional career.
• Discuss research or creative activity and publications, performances and exhibits.
• Discuss current work and projects, and plans for the next three to five years.

E. Description of the Relative Stature of Journals/Book Publishers/Outlets for Creative Work

• Must be prepared by the faculty, not the candidate, and/or drawn from published sources.
• Indicate name of preparer.
• Include in this section letters from publishers, book contracts, or other documentation of forthcoming works listed in the CV.
• Specify stage of production at the time dossier is submitted (e.g., in copy-editing, in galley, etc.) and provide supporting documentation.

F. Supporting Material Regarding Scholarship/Creative Activity

1. External Evaluators
   1. List of evaluators (at least four–four to six are recommended) and their qualifications.
   2. Statement of how evaluators were selected and a list of materials provided for review.
   3. Sample letters of solicitation (including statement about the Minnesota open-file law).
   4. Evaluations from external evaluators (provide original and translation when not in English).
2. When available, include published reviews or other formal evaluations of performances, exhibitions, publications.

G. Teaching Effectiveness

1. Teaching Narrative
• Must be prepared by the candidate.
• In no more than seven hundred fifty words, describe the candidate as an undergraduate and graduate teacher.
• Items which may be included: a statement about the candidate’s approach to teaching; a statement describing past accomplishments and goals for the next three to five years; a self-evaluation of teaching in classes of different types, sizes, and levels; a description of steps the candidate has taken to improve teaching over a period of years.
2. Chart Representing Teaching Responsibilities
• Include term and year taught, course title, course level, enrollment and course format.
• Indicate course-releases, fellowships, leaves. Indicate name of preparer.
3. Comparative Data on Teaching Evaluations
• Include data comparing student evaluations over several years, and comparing candidate’s scores with departmental faculty averages.
• Indicate name of preparer and source of data.
4. Internal Evaluators
   • Peers (tenured faculty from same or other units who have observed the candidate’s teaching) and former UMN students.
1. List of internal evaluators (do not use current UMN students)
2. Statement of how internal evaluators were selected
3. Sample letters of solicitation
4. Peer evaluations of teaching and letters from former students.
5. Summary of Teaching Effectiveness
   • Include a statement on how the summary was prepared and indicate name of preparer.

H. Summary of Service Contributions

• Include a statement on how the summary was prepared and indicate name of preparer.

I. Annual Appraisals of Probationary Faculty

• Probationary faculty only.
• Include appraisals for current and all previous years.

J. Department Report

• Must be signed and dated by the faculty member(s) who prepared it.

1. Brief Statement of Unit Procedures for the candidate
• Written authorization for all exceptional participation and voting must be included.
2. Unit’s Recommendation to the Dean
3. Report of Unit Vote – report each motion and vote separately
   • Votes on promotion and tenure should be treated as separate motions, with separate votes.
1. Statement of each motion voted upon
2. Unit vote on each motion (numbers): YES, NO, ABSTENTIONS, and NOT VOTING
   (Give name and explanation for those eligible to vote but not voting.)
3. List of faculty participating in the discussion and vote
4. Majority Evaluation
   1. Scholarship/Creative Activity
   2. Teaching
   3. Service
5. Minority Evaluation
   1. Scholarship/Creative Activity
   2. Teaching
   3. Service

K. Unit Head Evaluation and Recommendation

• Must be signed and dated.

L. Candidate Response

• Must be signed and dated.

M. Detailed List of Material in the Supplementary File

• Same as item N in the supplementary material.
• All supplementary materials must be clearly identified.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is not copied. Supplementary material is held in the Office of the Associate Dean for Faculty and Research for review by the CLA Promotion and Tenure Committee, the dean and associate deans, and the senior academic administrator.

Required Materials

N. Detailed List of Material in the Supplementary File

• Same as item M in the primary material.
• All supplementary materials must be clearly identified.

O. Administrative Procedures

1. Complete record of the unit's promotion and tenure procedures, including dates of meetings and summaries of activities related to the case.
2. List of materials available to voting faculty and candidate prior to discussion of candidacy.
3. Copy of the unit’s 7.12 statement

P. Copies of Publications and Scholarly/Creative Work

• Include scholarly and creative works published, performed, or exhibited; and those works that have been accepted for publication, performance or exhibition; are forthcoming or under review; or are readers’ copies or working papers, etc.
• Include evidence of creative activity (tapes, photographs, music scores, exhibition catalogs, slides, etc.).

Q. Curricula Vitae of External Reviewers

 

R. Syllabi and other Teaching Materials Developed by the Candidate

 

S. Student Evaluations

• Raw evaluations are in the supplementary file.
• Summaries and comparative data are placed in the primary file.

Last updated 10 April 2008

College of Liberal Arts
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus
101 Pleasant Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

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