III. Promotion and Tenure
A. The College of Arts and Sciences
1. General Policy
The College of Arts and Sciences of Washburn University wishes to maintain the highest possible standards of teaching, scholarship and service; to ensure every faculty member full academic freedom; to render every qualified faculty member secure in his or her profession; and to enable the College of Arts and Sciences to rely on the continuous employment of an able faculty. It is, therefore, the policy of the College of
Arts and Sciences to provide stability and continuity of employment for the faculty in an atmosphere of academic integrity and mutual confidence.
The basic responsibilities of the College of Arts and Sciences are to preserve, augment, criticize, and transmit knowledge and to encourage creativity. Thus the College of Arts and Sciences should appoint, develop and retain distinguished faculty members with outstanding qualification. Tenure and promotion within the College of Arts and Sciences are consistent with general University policy in emphasizing the importance of teaching, scholarship, and service by its faculty.
Appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor normally requires a record of success in teaching, scholarship, and service. Appointment or promotion to the rank of Professor normally requires outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service.
Promotion and tenure in the College of Arts and Sciences at Washburn University are never automatic. They must be earned.
2. Minimum Requirements for Consideration for Promotion and Tenure
a. Education
Granting of tenure and appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor or higher normally requires completion of professional education in most fields marked by the Ph.D. or other recognized terminal degree.
b. Experience
Beginning with appointment to the rank of full-time assistant professor or a higher rank, the probationary period at Washburn University shall not exceed six years. At least three of these six years must be at Washburn as a full-time assistant professor or higher rank. Up to three years credit may be granted for full-time teaching at Washburn or other institutions of higher education.
For promotion to Associate Professor, the candidate must have completed six years of full-time college-level academic experience, the last three of which must have been at the Assistant Professor rank. If the candidate is eligible for promotion during the year of the tenure decision, then one petition and one departmental committee may be used for both. Where a department employs different standards for tenure and for promotion, the relevant set of standards must be met for each. A candidate for Associate Professor whose petition for tenure is denied may not be promoted.
For promotion to Professor, the candidate must have completed ten years of full-time college-level academic experience, four of which must have been at the Associate Professor rank.
c. Teaching
Effective teachers are essential to the College of Arts and Sciences. The quality of instruction must be judged by its intrinsic purposes: to transmit and preserve knowledge, to encourage critical and creative thought, to foster a lively interest in learning, and to stimulate a continuing commitment to inquiry.
Among the criteria of teaching effectiveness are student perceptions and opinions, the performance of students, and the informed judgment of colleagues.
d. Research and Scholarship
Scholarly activity is the obligation of all tenure-track members of the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences. A faculty member's scholarship must be judged by his or her contributions to knowledge through research and publication. It is reflected both in his or her reputation among other scholars and in the performance of his or her students.
Scholarly activities include publication of books, articles and reviews of a scholarly nature and the presentation of professional papers, the directing of productive work by advanced students, the conducting of professional workshops, the receipt of awards and fellowships, memberships on boards and commissions devoted to inquiry, and the judgment of professional colleagues. Scholarship may also be judged by significant achievement in an art related to a faculty member's work, such as musical performance or composition, creative writing, or juried or invitational art exhibits.
e. Service
Service to the department, to the College of Arts and Sciences, to the University, to the profession, and/or to the community is the responsibility of each faculty member. Among service activities are active participation in committees, administrative leadership, sponsorship of student organizations, and serving as a representative of the University where professionally appropriate. Community service draws upon professional expertise.
3. Procedures for Recommendation for Promotion
a. In the fall of the initial year of eligibility, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will forward to the chairperson of each department the names of all tenured and non-tenured members of its faculty below the rank of Professor who will have met the minimum educational and experiential requirements for promotion in academic rank by the end of that academic year.
b. The department chairperson will inform the candidates, invite them to submit the appropriate form and to supply whatever other materials they desire to substantiate their qualifications, and oversee the election of a departmental committee of at least five (5) tenured members of higher academic rank than the candidate. The department chairperson will not be a member of this committee, nor will any other candidate for promotion, nor will members of the College Committee on Promotion and Tenure. The department chairperson will not serve on the College Committee for Promotion and Tenure during the time in which the department has a candidate for promotion.
c. If the department lacks the necessary five members, the candidate will submit to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences a list of higher ranking members of other college departments. The list shall be at least twice that number lacking in the candidate's department. The Dean, in consultation with the College Promotion and Tenure Committee, then will select the final members of the committee.
d. The candidate may choose which of the committee members he or she wants to chair the committee.
e. All department members are encouraged to submit recommendations on promotion to the department promotion committee. These recommendations become part of the candidate's file and are submitted with the file to the Dean.
f. If there is a negative decision by the department committee, its chairperson will promptly inform the candidate, and the file will be forwarded to the Dean only at the candidate's request.
g. If the department committee determines that a recommendation for promotion is in order, that recommendation together with supporting materials will be forwarded to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences through the department chairperson.
h. The department chairperson will submit his/her recommendation to the Dean.
i. The Dean will distribute the materials to the College Committee on Promotion and Tenure for its consideration. The College Committee on Promotion and Tenure will provide copies of its recommendations to the candidate at the time it submits the recommendations to the Dean of the College. Upon receipt of the College Promotion and Tenure recommendations, the Dean will also submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs his/her recommendations together with the recommendations of the College Promotion and Tenure Committee, the department chairperson, and the departmental committee.
4. Procedures for Recommendation for Tenure
a. In the fall of each year, the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University distributes to the dean of each major academic unit a list of faculty members whose tenure status must be reviewed before the end of the current academic year. In academic units with departments, the deans then will inform the appropriate department chairs.
b. The department chairperson will inform the candidates, invite them to submit the appropriate form and to supply whatever other materials they desire to substantiate their qualifications, and oversee the election of a departmental committee of at least five (5) tenured members of the department. The department chairperson will not be a member of this committee, nor will members of the College Committee on Promotion and Tenure. The department chairperson will not serve on the College Committee on Promotion and Tenure during the time in which the department has a candidate for tenure.
c. The department chairperson will submit the names of the committee members to the Dean.
d. If the department does not have five tenured members, the candidate will submit to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences a list of tenured members of other University departments. The list shall be at least twice that number lacking in the candidate's department. From it, the Dean, together with the CCPT, will make the final selection.
e. All department members are encouraged to submit recommendations on tenure to the departmental tenure committee. These recommendations become part of the candidate's file and are submitted with the file to the Dean.
f. The decision of the departmental committee will be forwarded to the Dean of the college through the department chairperson, who will also transmit his/her recommendation.
g. The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will make available all submitted material to the College Committee on Promotion and Tenure for its consideration. The College Committee on Promotion and Tenure will provide copies of its recommendations to the candidate at the time it submits its recommendations to the Dean of the College. Upon receipt of the College Promotion and Tenure Committee recommendations, the Dean will submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs his/her recommendations together with the recommendations of the College Promotion and Tenure Committee, the department chairperson, and the departmental committee.
h. In cases where candidates are awarded tenure but do not earn the rank of Associate Professor, the faculty member, in collaboration with the department chair, dean, and/or Vice President for Academic Affairs, will work in a consensual process to help the faculty member reach the professional level where promotion may be obtained.
B. School of Business
1. General Policy
The guidelines for appointment, tenure and promotion for the School of Business are consistent with the appointment, tenure and promotion policies of Washburn University and reflect the criteria for accreditation by AACSB-International and the Higher Learning Commission. Performance review criteria for evaluating faculty for appointment, tenure and promotion will be applied to portfolios of teaching, research and service compiled by the individual faculty member.
The first commitment of a faculty member should be to high standards of teaching effectiveness. Each faculty member is also expected to maintain a pattern of professional and intellectual development consistent with the mission of the School.
Faculty members are encouraged to continually evaluate themselves, utilizing the guidelines as development tools.
2. Minimum requirements for appointment, tenure and promotion
a. Education
The doctoral degree in the area within which the individual teaches is the normal prerequisite to appointment at the rank of (tenure-track) Assistant Professor and above. This qualification includes individuals holding the JD degree who teach business law or legal environment of business and individuals who teach taxation holding (1) LLM (in Taxation) / CPA, or (2) JD with an accounting master's degree. Candidates who have completed all of the work for the doctorate except the dissertation and have made substantial progress on the dissertation may be considered for appointment as Assistant Professors.
b. Experience
i. To be considered for tenure, normally five years of full-time experience at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher, three of which will have been at Washburn, are required. Consideration of a petition for tenure will occur no later than in the sixth year of full-time service at Washburn University.
ii. To be considered for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor, five years of full-time teaching experience, including three years of full-time service after the attainment of the appropriate doctoral (or equivalent) degree, are required.
iii. To be considered for promotion to the rank of Full Professor, ten years of service, including at least three years of service as an Associate Professor, are normally required.
A faculty member may petition for early consideration for tenure and/or promotion. Deferral or denial of a petition at any time is not prejudicial toward consideration in subsequent years.
c. Teaching
Individual members of the faculty are responsible for:
i. currency in their instructional field(s),
ii. delivery of effective instruction,
iii. accessibility to students consistent with the School's expectations.
Teaching includes academic program planning, curriculum and course-work development, classroom instruction, and student advisement.
Quality of instruction is assessed by peer, student and dean evaluations of classroom teaching and by dean and peer review of other activities relevant to teaching objectives.
d. Research and Scholarly Activity
All faculty are expected to engage in research and scholarly activity, resulting in published intellectual contributions in any of three major areas:
i. Basic or discovery scholarship : adds to the theory or knowledge base of the faculty member’s field.
Outputs from basic or discovery scholarship activities include, but are not limited to, publication in refereed academic journals, research monograph, scholarly books, chapters in scholarly books, proceedings from scholarly meetings, papers presented at academic meetings, publicly available research working papers, and papers presented at faculty research seminars.
ii. Applied or integration/application scholarship : influences professional practice in the faculty member’s field.
Outputs from applied or integration/application scholarship activities include, but are not limited to, publication in refereed professional journals, professional presentations, public/trade journals, in-house journals, book reviews, publicly available research working papers, and papers presented at faculty workshops.
iii. Teaching and learning scholarship : influence the teaching-learning activities of the disciplines.
Outputs from teaching and learning scholarship activities include, but are not limited to, textbooks, publication in pedagogical journals, written cases with instructional material, instructional software, and publicly available material describing the design and implementation of new courses. All three categories of scholarship are valued. The quality of research and scholarly outputs, not merely the quantity, is the primary determinant in measuring the level of intellectual contribution. Maintaining the SA (scholarly academic) status as outlined by the school’s FSAP (Faculty Scholarly Activity Policy) is required, 2014.9.30 Approved by FPC, SOBU Faculty, Dean
e. Service
Each faculty member is expected to provide service to the university, to the academic unit, to the profession and to the external communities served by the School. Examples of service include, but are not limited to:
- serving on school and university committees and task forces; active participation in university and school governance; providing leadership in the development of special projects or grants; active participation in professional and business organizations; conducting research studies for business or government agencies; providing leadership for student organizations; serving on committees of professional associations and organizations; appointments to professional or civic boards; providing services to community groups; and teaching in non-degree, executive education programs.
Performance is gauged in terms of the quality of the service, not just the number of committees or organizations involved.
3. Performance criteria for tenure and promotion
Faculty performance in teaching, research, and service is assessed in terms of three ratings: “above the standards”, “at the standards,” and “below the standards.” The standards are specified in this document and other school policies, most importantly the FSAP.
For tenure and/or promotion to Associate Professor, the rating of “at the standards” in teaching, research and service represents the minimal requirement.
For promotion to Full Professor, an “above the standards” rating in teaching and “at the standards” ratings in both research and service are normally required. The standards for promotion to
Full professor are higher than those for promotion to Associate professor. Also, continued accomplishments and leadership since promotion to Associate Professor are required.
4. Procedures for Tenure
a. The Dean shall provide written notice to each faculty member to be evaluated prior to the beginning of the formal review process. Such notice shall contain an invitation for the faculty member to submit such materials as s/he chooses to be considered in the evaluation.
b. The candidate’s tenure committee will consist of all tenured faculty members in the candidate’s discipline area. If the discipline area does not have five tenured members, the candidate will submit to the Dean a list of tenured members in cognate disciplines. The list shall include twice the number of names as the number lacking in the candidate's discipline. From the list, the Dean, together with the committee, will make the final selection. The committee will select a chairperson.
c. The committee will evaluate the materials submitted by the petitioner and determine if the candidate has achieved the necessary level of performance to justify the granting of tenure. After careful and deliberate
consideration, the committee will provide its recommendation to the Dean in the form of a written report from each individual committee member.
d. All tenured school faculty members are encouraged to submit written recommendations on tenure to the discipline tenure committee. These recommendations become part of the candidate's file and will be submitted with the file to the Dean.
e. Upon receipt of the committee recommendations, the Dean will submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs his/her recommendations together with the recommendations of the discipline committee. In addition, these recommendations will be shared with the candidate in a way that retains the anonymity of the evaluators.
f. All written correspondence from individual faculty members and from members of the committee will remain confidential.
5. Procedures for Promotion
The procedure for promotion shall follow the procedure for tenure with the following exceptions:
a. The candidate’s promotion committee will consist of a minimum of three and no more than five faculty members in the candidates discipline area holding a higher rank. If the discipline area does not have three members holding the higher rank, the candidate will submit to the Dean a list of higher-ranked faculty members in cognate disciplines. The list shall be at least twice that number lacking in the candidate's discipline. A petitioner may also request that an outside member be added to the committee. From the list, the Dean, together with the committee, will make the final selection.
b. All school faculty members holding higher rank are encouraged to submit written recommendations on promotion to the discipline promotion committee. These recommendations become part of the candidate's file and are submitted with the file to the Dean.
C. School of Law
1. Standards for Faculty Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion
In determining whether a faculty member's appointment shall be renewed or whether such member be tenured or promoted, the Committee shall consider the following:
a. For renewal of appointment -- Demonstrated competence in teaching and satisfactory performance of service obligations.
b. For promotion to or renewal of appointment as Associate Professor -- Above average teaching ability, evidence of scholarly potential sufficient to indicate the likelihood of a career as a productive scholar, and significant performance of service obligations. Research in progress is sufficient to demonstrate scholarly potential.
c. For tenure or promotion to Professor -- Substantially above-average teaching ability, a substantial contribution to scholarship, and significant performance of service obligations.
d. Definitions:
i. Teaching: Quality of teaching will be evaluated by students, the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Dean, and when feasible by a law teacher from another school. Student evaluation of whether the faculty member meets the above average standard will be based upon the terminology of regularly administered evaluation forms. The standards used by faculty peers or the Dean to evaluate quality of teaching will be based upon their knowledge of and experience with legal education both at Washburn and elsewhere. The evaluation by each of the evaluating entities will receive substantial weight in judging quality of teaching.
ii. Scholarship: A substantial contribution to scholarship normally consists of at least two significant law review articles or a book of similar or greater magnitude, accompanied by other less significant contributions. Those other contributions may include but are not limited to publications of notes and reviews, the preparation of unique teaching materials, and drafting of legislation. A judgment of the quality of scholarly activities will be made by the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Dean, and, when appropriate, by professionals from outside of the Law School with relevant special expertise. The evaluation by each of the evaluating entities will receive substantial weight in judging quality of scholarly activity.
iii. Service: Significant performance of service obligations includes fulfilling customary administrative and committee responsibilities, and may include responsible activities in local, state, or national bar associations, service for local, state, or federal government agencies, community service, or legal pro bono service.
e. Scholarly contributions by faculty on twelve-month contracts who have substantially greater than normal administrative duties: Eligibility for promotion to Associate Professor will depend primarily upon quality performance of their duties other than scholarship. For tenure and
promotion to Professor there is an expectation of significant contribution to scholarship. However, the sufficiency of the scholarly contribution will be measured in light of the demands of the additional administrative responsibilities.
2. Minimum Degree and Years of Service Requirement
a. Tenure requires a probationary period not to exceed six years. Three years at another institution of higher learning may count toward the six years if agreed upon at the time of the initial contract.
b. The following are minimum requirements for the School of Law, and achievement of them will not automatically result in promotion.
1) Assistant Professor. Appointments to the faculty of the School of Law are normally made in the rank of Assistant Professor where the appointee has no prior Law School teaching experience and less than three years of law practice. Minimum qualifications include the J.D. or equivalent, and appointments without post-degree professional experience would be rare. Appointment in appropriate cases may be made where the appointee's degree is in a discipline other than law.
2) Associate Professor. Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor may be earned upon three years service in the rank of Assistant Professor. Factors considered in the promotion decision include demonstrated teaching effectiveness, performance of faculty duties other than teaching, and scholarly publications or other contributions to the profession.
3) Professor. Promotion to the rank of Professor may be earned upon three (3) years service in the rank of Associate Professor, if the initial appointment was as Assistant Professor, or upon six (6) years of service, including years of service at another institution that count toward the probationary period, if the initial appointment was as Associate Professor.
3. Procedures
a. The Committee on Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (hereinafter called the Committee) for the School of Law shall consist of all tenured members of the Law School faculty except ex-officio members. In any year in which he or she will personally be considered by the Committee for promotion, a tenured member of the faculty shall not consider promotion of any other member of the Committee.
b. The Dean of the School of Law shall be the convening authority and serve as chairperson of the Committee, but shall in no case vote as a member of the Committee. In the event of the inability of the Dean to serve, the senior serving member of the Law School faculty shall act in this capacity and shall be entitled to vote as a Committee member.
c. In any year in which any member of the faculty is eligible to be considered for reappointment, promotion, or tenure under the University Bylaws or Personnel Policies, the Dean shall convene the Committee for consideration of such matters at a date sufficiently early that the Committee's work may ordinarily be concluded by October 15. Where appropriate, the Committee may defer reappointment decisions until any later date consistent with University policy on notice of non reappointment, and shall notify the faculty member concerned of the date upon which the matter will be considered.
d. At the time of convening the Committee, the Dean will notify each faculty member eligible to be considered, and will request each such faculty member to submit to the Committee such information or materials as he or she may wish the Committee to consider in reaching a decision on the standard forms determined by the CPT. Notice shall also be given to all faculty of those faculty members under consideration for reappointment, promotion, or award of tenure.
e. The Committee shall have available to it the faculty member's file, which shall include at least the faculty information form and summaries of student evaluations of the faculty member under consideration.
f. Upon call by the convening authority, the Committee shall meet and, having due regard for the standards established hereunder and by University policy, shall determine whether to recommend the faculty member under consideration for reappointment, promotion, or tenure. The affirmative vote by secret ballot of a majority of the full Committee shall be required for favorable recommendation. Anything less, including a tie vote, shall be deemed a determination that the faculty member under consideration should not be recommended for reappointment, promotion, or tenure. Two-thirds (67%) of the Committee members shall constitute a quorum, and no absentee voting shall be permitted.
g. Upon reaching a determination in any case, the Committee shall make its recommendation to the Dean who shall immediately advise the faculty member concerned of the recommendation of the Committee and proceed thereafter in accordance with University policy.
D. School of Nursing
1. General statement
The guidelines for tenure and promotion for the School of Nursing are consistent with the tenure and promotion policies of Washburn University and reflect the criteria for accreditation of baccalaureate and higher degree programs in nursing. The guidelines for awarding of tenure and promotion represent minimal criteria, the achievement of which will not automatically result in tenure or promotion. The process of tenure and promotion is designed to provide for stable and continuous employment of faculty who demonstrate educational qualifications and a pattern of excellence in teaching, scholarship and service to the University, School, profession and community.
Nursing is a profession with both theory and practice components, and as such, requires of faculty not only the academic credentials for teaching, scholarship and service, but also expertise in a clinical nursing specialty. The minimum of a graduate degree in nursing is required for teaching in both didactic and clinical nursing courses. The doctoral degree is required for promotion to associate professor and professor ranks. Faculty members are expected to hold membership in professional nursing organizations and are required to maintain registered nurse (RN) licensure in the state of Kansas.
2. Procedure for third-year review of tenure-track faculty
a. Purpose
During the third year of a tenure-track appointment, non-tenured faculty in the School of Nursing will undergo a preliminary evaluation designed to evaluate progress toward the award of tenure. This review can serve as validation for re-appointment or non re-appointment. The faculty member being reviewed is expected to submit materials patterned after those in a petition for tenure. Guidelines for the preparation of the materials to be submitted are attached. For those faculty who have received one year of prior service credit, the review will be done during the fourth year of their credited service, which will be their third year at Washburn. For those who receive two years of prior service credit, the review will also be done during the fourth year of the credited service, which will during their second year at Washburn. Faculty who have received three years of prior service credit will not have a third-year review.
b. Procedure
The materials for review are to be submitted by the faculty member to the chairperson of the School of Nursing Committee on Promotion and Tenure at the time designated in a timeline provided by the Dean by August 31 of the respective year.
The Dean will make available to tenured faculty in the School of Nursing all submitted materials.
The chairperson of Committee on Promotion and Tenure (CPT), in consultation with the CPT faculty will evaluate all faculty members under Third-Year-Review.
The chairperson will fill out the form entitled "Third-Year Review of Tenure-Track Faculty" for each faculty member being reviewed. Under the three major headings of "Teaching", "Scholarship" and "Service" the chairperson will summarize and evaluate the contribution of the faculty member. Supporting materials assembled by the faculty member being evaluated will be attached.
In the event of a minority opinion among the committee members, the chairperson will inform the faculty member(s) voicing this opinion of their right to submit their opinion in a signed, written statement to the chairperson. Any such statement will be forwarded by the chairperson, along with the evaluation form.
The chairperson will recommend each faculty member being evaluated either for retention or non-retention.
i. If the recommendation is for retention, the chairperson will indicate either that the person is making satisfactory progress toward tenure, or that the person needs to accelerate his/her progress toward tenure.
ii. If the recommendation is for non-retention, the chairperson will indicate that the faculty member is not making satisfactory progress toward tenure and that non-retention is recommended.
The chairperson will discuss the completed evaluation, as well as any minority report(s) if any, with the faculty member. The faculty member will then sign the Third-Year Review of Tenure-Track Faculty form in the chairperson's presence, indicating that he or she has seen the evaluation and has had an opportunity to discuss it with the chairperson.
The chairperson will forward the evaluation form, along with any additional documentation and/or minority report(s), to the Dean for consideration, action and signature.
The School of Nursing will adhere to the procedure for notice of non-Reappointment.
The original copy of the evaluation form will be kept in the faculty member's file.
3. Procedures for recommendation of promotion and tenure candidates
a. Candidates shall submit to the CPT written petitions and supporting documentation illustrating achievement of the School of Nursing criteria for tenure or promotion. Late petitions will be considered at the discretion of the committee. No changes may be made to the petition once it has been submitted.
b. The chairperson of the CPT is responsible for receiving the petitions and calling meetings of the CPT to review petitions of candidates for tenure or promotion.
c. After careful deliberation and consideration of all available information, a vote shall be taken by the CPT. A three-fifths majority vote is required for recommendation of candidate by the CPT. Any dissenting vote must be documented in writing.
d. The determination of the committee which results from the review shall be communicated in writing to the Dean, and the original petition and all supporting documentation shall be forwarded to the Dean.
e. The chairperson of the CPT shall notify the candidate in writing of the decision of the committee.
f. A candidate whose petition is not supported by the committee has the option to decide whether to submit the petition to the Dean and the University.
g. The Dean shall prepare a separate recommendation relative to each candidate's promotion and tenure.
h. The Dean shall submit his/her recommendation and that of the CPT, together with the supporting documentation, to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for review and recommendation.
4. Minimum requirements for consideration for tenure and promotion
a. Education
Granting of tenure requires the candidate to have completed a minimum of a graduate degree in Nursing and to have successfully completed 12 hours of doctoral study related to one's area of teaching or clinical practice.
Appointment or promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor requires the minimum of a graduate degree in Nursing. Faculty candidates with the
appropriate doctoral degree are eligible for appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor without meeting any length of service requirement.
Appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor requires the candidate to have completed a doctoral degree in nursing or a related field.
b. Experience
To be considered for tenure, the candidate must have completed a probationary period of not less than five years as a full time college level faculty member, and usually not less than three years as a full time faculty member at Washburn. Up to three years as a full time college level faculty member, other than as a graduate or teaching assistant, at another accredited institution of higher learning, may be counted toward the minimum probationary period if agreed upon at the time of the initial contract. In no case shall one's probationary period exceed six years as a full time faculty member at Washburn University.
To be considered for promotion to Assistant Professor the candidate must have completed an appropriate length of time as a full time college level faculty member, usually a minimum of three years.
To be considered for promotion to Associate Professor the candidate must have completed at least six years as a full time college level faculty member, four years of which must have been at the Assistant Professor rank.
To be considered for promotion to the rank of Professor the candidate must have completed ten years as a full time college level faculty member, four years of which must have been at the Associate Professor rank.
c. Teaching
The School of Nursing faculty are expected to be committed to excellence in teaching. Teaching encompasses advising, academic program planning, curriculum development, classroom instruction, clinical instruction, and evaluation. Faculty strive to make application of the content and skills of the discipline to the health care needs of society.
Academic program planning and curriculum development are evaluated by the completeness and relevance of the course syllabus to the subject area and to the overall program plan and organizing framework; the relationship of the course objectives to the total curriculum; and the achievement of educational outcomes through assigned student learning activities.
Student academic advisement is assessed by self and dean evaluations of faculty member's availability for meetings with students outside the classroom and by the knowledge of program requirements and accuracy of information the faculty member brings to the advising situation. The quality of advising is evaluated by the development of an appropriate educational plan for achievement of educational goals, monitoring of student progress toward attainment of goals and the frequency of personal interactions with students to permit attainment of educational goals.
Self reflection and analysis of evaluation data trends in teaching must be included.
The quality of instruction is assessed by students, self, peer and dean evaluations of classroom teaching, including resources, methods and strategies used and, by students, self, and peer evaluations of clinical instruction. The quality of clinical instruction may also be assessed by agency staff.
d. Scholarship
Scholarly activity is the obligation of all faculty members in the School of Nursing. The nature of the discipline of nursing requires that faculty members be knowledgeable in both the theoretical and practice aspects of the profession. It is an expectation that nursing faculty be clinically competent in the specialty area they are teaching. Excellence in faculty practice is demonstrated through professional certification.
It is expected that all faculty will be engaged in scholarly activity. Examples of scholarly activity include: professional writing and publishing; conducting research; presenting scholarly papers; presenting professional workshops, seminars or conferences; appointments to editorial boards of refereed journals; offering continuing education programs for professional peers; or educational endeavors.
Faculty practice is a valuable contribution and is considered scholarship when completed in the area of expertise. The emphasis given to research, publication, professional presentations and other expressions of scholarly activity may vary from year-to-year for individual faculty members according to their role in the School of Nursing, their educational experience and their annually identified goals.
Substantial activity in Scholarship shall require the faculty member to have published or have accepted for publication a minimum of two manuscripts in peer-reviewed professional journals or a chapter in a nursing text and to have several other contributions as listed previously. The mere number of scholarly and creative products is not a sufficient condition for granting tenure or promotion. The quality of the candidate's products and an established pattern of scholarship over time are essential factors in determining whether tenure and promotion should be granted.
e. Service
Service to the University/SON, profession and community is the responsibility of each faculty member. Examples of service to the University/SON include: serving on University and School of Nursing committees; student academic advising, mentoring, career counseling and formal recruitment activities; assuming delegated administrative responsibilities; providing leadership in development of special projects or grants that will benefit the University or the School of Nursing; making financial contributions to the University or School; conducting institutional studies for the University and/or School; and providing leadership in faculty, student, or School organizations or functions. Faculty provide exceptional service to the University/SON with supervision of independent study, Washburn transformational experience projects, and honors projects, mentoring international students, and serving as members of graduate thesis and project committees.
Service to the profession is expected. This is demonstrated through membership, leadership and/or offices held on committees of professional associations and organizations at the local, state, regional, national or international levels.
Service to the community is demonstrated through community based activities related to the professional discipline. Examples of service to the community include: appointments to professional or civic boards; providing professional consultation services to community groups, government, business or industry; providing community based professional lectures; conducting workshops or seminars; and contributing to community service publications.
The assessment of a faculty member's record of service for tenure and/or promotion considerations should include an analysis of the person's commitment in that service, the relatedness of the service to the discipline of nursing, the effectiveness of the service given and the relation of the service to the general welfare of the University.
5. Assessment of teaching, scholarly activity and service in relation to tenure and promotion considerations
a. Tenure
Excellence in Teaching and Service, and substantial Scholarship is required.
b. Promotion
For promotion to Assistant Professor, excellence in Teaching and Service and a beginning pattern of substantial Scholarship is required.
For promotion to Associate Professor, excellence in Teaching and Service, and a pattern of substantial Scholarship is required.
For promotion to Professor, excellence in Teaching, Scholarship and Service in required.
6. Process of review of standards and criteria
The guidelines and criteria for tenure and promotion shall be reviewed every third year or as requested by the Dean of the School of Nursing, the Academic Vice President or a member of the School CPT.
7. Nursing committee on promotion and tenure (CPT)
a. Membership
i. The School of Nursing CPT shall consist of five full time, tenured members of the faculty holding the rank of Associate Professor.
ii. If there is an insufficient number of eligible faculty to comprise the CPT, the Dean, in consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs, will select other tenured faculty to serve on the committee.
iii. The chairperson shall be elected annually from among the committee members and shall be a non-administrative faculty when possible.
iv. No member of the committee shall participate in the deliberations or voting on his/her own promotion recommendations.
b. Functions
i. Mentor petitioners and respond to concerns of faculty regarding promotion and tenure.
ii. Complete third year review process as outlined.
iii. Receive written petitions for promotion and tenure submitted by eligible candidates. Late petitions will be considered at the discretion of the committee.
iv. Review all data available regarding qualified candidates in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the School of Nursing and approved by the Board of Regents.
v. Vote on recommendations of candidates.
vi. Submit in writing the determination of the vote and the results of the committee action to the Dean of the School of Nursing, together with the original petition of the candidate, and all supporting documents. No changes may be made to the petition once it has been submitted.
vii. In cases where candidates are awarded tenure but do not earn the rank of Associate Professor, the CPT will recommend that the faculty member, dean, and/or Vice President for Academic Affairs will work collaboratively in a consensual process to help the faculty member reach the professional level where promotion may be obtained.
viii. Notify candidates of results of the committee action in writing by the chair of the CPT committee.
ix. Review and make recommendations for revision of promotion and tenure criteria as provided for the in the School of Nursing or University guidelines.
Revised May 2006/APC 05/12/06 Revised March 27, 2009/APC May 8, 2009
E. School of Applied Studies
1. General Policy
The School of Applied Studies is one of the major academic units at Washburn University. The School is administratively responsible for a variety of professional Master's Degrees, Baccalaureate Degrees, Associate Degrees, and one-year certificates.
The basic responsibility of faculty in the School of Applied Studies is to preserve and transmit knowledge and skills in their fields and to be responsive to the needs and interests of the community they serve. Within these programs, the School seeks to provide qualified faculty members with the right to teach in an atmosphere of intellectual inquiry commensurate with institutional regulations and subject to the constraints of federal and state legislation.
In sections 2. "Tenure" and 3. "Requirements for Appointment and/or Promotion in Rank", the basic criteria are outlined for achieving the accomplishment of tenure or promotion. It should be noted that while quantitative criteria are specified, a qualitative factor is inherent in the evaluation process. The significance of contributions cited by candidates for tenure or promotion weighs heavily in the evaluation process.
2. Tenure
The awarding of tenure rests on the individual faculty member's professional qualifications, as judged by students and peers, and must be special and appropriate for the applied and career orientation of the School.
Tenure within the School of Applied Studies is consistent with general University policy in emphasizing the importance of teaching, service, and scholarship by the faculty. Tenure may be earned, but it is not a right and should never be assumed to occur automatically. After an appropriate probationary period, as defined by the University Bylaws, a faculty member who has completed the appropriate professional education and holds the rank of assistant professor or higher may petition for the award of tenure pursuant to the criteria listed below.
However, it should be noted that the criteria for tenure may change and until tenure is granted, faculty are considered probationary employees. If the criteria for tenure change during the non-tenured faculty member's employment, the candidate will be expected to meet the new and current criteria at the time of tenure application.
a. Completion of professional education. The granting of tenure in the School's baccalaureate and master's degree programs ordinarily requires the completion of the doctoral degree. The minimum requirement for tenure in all School programs is a Master's degree plus at least 12 additional post Master's degree credits in a relevant field. What constitutes a relevant field can be determined through negotiation with the department chair and the approval of the Dean. In addition to educational requirements, some departments may require professional licensure, registration or certification. The official Letter of Appointment will outline for new faculty any expectations in degree, licensure, certification or registration expected of the tenure track faculty person in order for tenure to be granted. These requirements may be specific to the position and determined at the time of appointment to meet School, academic program or departmental needs.
b. Classroom teaching effectiveness. The effectiveness of teaching will be documented through student evaluations, peer evaluations (including classroom visitations), quality of syllabi, student performance on standardized entrance and exit examinations in courses, sequences, or overall curriculum, the effective use of innovative or "best practice" techniques, and any other information deemed appropriate by the faculty and approved by the Dean. A combination of all appropriate information will be used to give sufficient evidence for an overall judgement of teaching effectiveness.
c. Service. Two areas of service are recognized. These areas are service to the institution and service to the community. Service to the institution is demonstrated through active participation in University/School committees, quality of academic advising, level of cooperation with colleagues in fostering development of program and University goals, quality and quantity of curriculum development, formal recruitment efforts approved by the Dean, quality of administrative or program grant writing and grant acquisition (professional research and demonstration grants are considered under the category of Scholarly Activity), willingness to accept program work assignment, speed and efficiency of execution of work assignments, and any other data deemed appropriate by the faculty and approved by the Dean. Service to the community is demonstrated through community based activities related to the professional discipline. Such activities as memberships and/or offices held in professional organizations, community based professional lectures, consultations and/or advising, conducting workshops or seminars, community service publications, community service recognition or awards, leading and/or assisting with organizing continuing education activities and other service deemed appropriate by faculty and approved by the Dean.
d. Scholarly activity, research and creative productivity. Demonstration of scholarly activity includes publication in books, book chapters, papers, monographs, articles in refereed or select edited publications, and book reviews; delivering papers at national, regional, state or local professional meetings; participation in scholarly panels; invitational lectures or presentations; participation in editorial boards of professional publications; editing or co-editing professional publications; awards and/or recognition for scholarship, development and application of research/demonstration grants, acquisition of research/demonstration grants, development of experimental programs; and any similar scholarly productivity deemed appropriate by the faculty and the Dean. The mere number of scholarly and creative products is not a sufficient condition for granting of tenure. The quality of the candidate's products is an essential factor in determining whether tenure should be granted.
To receive the award of tenure, the petitioner must demonstrate through documentation a pattern of performance that suggests the applicant will continue to perform as a highly desired and valued member of the academic unit. In addition to meeting the degree requirements of the discipline, documentation must indicate excellence in teaching and service as well as substantial accomplishment in the area of scholarly activity, research and creative productivity.
A person in the rank of lecturer is not eligible for tenure. Only those faculty in rank of assistant professor or higher are eligible for tenure.
3. Requirements for Appointment and/or Promotion in Rank
The Dean will appoint faculty members to the ranks as indicated below provided candidates already fully meet the minimum requirements.
a. Assistant Professor
i. Appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor typically requires a completed doctorate. The minimum requirement would be a Master's degree. The determination of which tenure track positions will require a doctorate is made by the Dean in consultation with the Department Chair. In addition, and where applicable, professional licensure, registration or certification is required.
ii. Candidates with the Doctoral degree are eligible for the rank of Assistant Professor without meeting any length of service requirements.
iii. Candidates with the Master's degree must have completed at least three (3) years of full-time teaching or have the equivalent of four (4) years of part-time teaching and a minimum of five (5) years of professional experience.
iv. The candidate for promotion to Assistant Professor will be evaluated for teaching effectiveness by means of:
a. Student evaluations.
b. Faculty colleague (peer) evaluations
c. Program Director's/Department Chair's evaluation.
v. The candidate for Assistant Professor must demonstrate service contributions to the department/program, School and to the University by fulfilling at least two (2) of the criteria listed under "c. Service" for institutional service and at least two (2) of the criteria listed under "c. Service" for community service in the section under "2. Tenure" of this document. The significance as well as the quantity of the contributions
presented as argument for promotion is of vital importance in the evaluation of a candidate's merit.
vi. The candidate for Assistant Professor must demonstrate satisfactory professional growth and scholarly achievement as documented by accomplishment of at least two (2) or more of the criteria listed under "d. Scholarly activity, research and creative productivity" in the section describing "Tenure" requirements. The significance as well as the quantity of the contributions presented as argument for promotion is of vital import in the evaluation of a candidate's merit.
For promotion or appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor, documentation must demonstrate performance which is considered good in the area of teaching. Performance which is considered good also must be demonstrated in the area of service. In the third area, some scholarly activity must be demonstrated by the candidate.
b. Associate Professor
i. Appointment to the rank of Associate Professor typically requires the doctorate. The minimum requirement will be the Master's degree plus 12 credits beyond the Master's. The determination of which tenure track positions require a doctorate for promotion is made by the Dean in consultation with the Department Chair.
The candidate must also have (8) years of full-time college level academic experience or four (4) years of full-time college level teaching and five (5) years of professional experience directly related to the academic discipline. Four (4) years of teaching experience must have been at the rank of Assistant Professor.
ii. The candidate for promotion to Associate Professor will be evaluated for teaching effectiveness by means of:
a. Student Evaluations
b. Faculty colleague (peer) evaluations
c. Program Director/Department Chair Evaluation
iii. The candidate for Associate Professor must demonstrate above average service contributions to the School, department/program and University by fulfilling a minimum of three (3) or more of the criteria listed under "c. Service" for institutional service and three (3) or more of the criteria listed under "c. Service" for community service in the section under "2. Tenure" of this document.
iv. The candidate for Associate Professor must demonstrate substantial evidence of professional growth and scholarly achievement as documented by evidence from multiple areas listed under "d. Scholarly activity, research and creative productivity" in the Tenure section of this document. Excellence should be demonstrated in two or more areas for rank advancement at this level.
For promotion or appointment to the rank of Associate Professor, documentation of teaching effectiveness must demonstrate excellence. Above average performance also must be demonstrated in the area of service. In the area of scholarly activity substantial evidence of accomplishment must be present. However, the demonstration of excellence in scholarly activity and substantial performance in the area of service may be considered sufficient for meeting the criteria for promotion to Associate Professor.
c. Professor
i. Appointment to the rank of Professor will require the doctoral degree. This qualification includes individuals holding the Juris Doctor degree for the Legal Studies program. The determination of which other doctoral degrees that may be required for promotion to Professor in other departments is made by the Dean in consultation with the Department Chair. The candidate must have ten (10) years of full-time college level academic experience or a combination of eight (8) years of full-time academic experience and five (5) years of professional experience directly related to the subject being taught. At least four (4) years of teaching experience must be as an Associate Professor.
ii. The candidate for promotion to Professor will be evaluated for teaching effectiveness by means of:
a. Student Evaluations
b. Faculty Colleague (peer) evaluations
c. Program Director/Department Chair's evaluation
For appointment to the rank of Professor evaluations of teaching should be outstanding. iii. The candidate for Professor must demonstrate outstanding service contributions to the Department/Program, School, and University by addressing with strength most of the criteria listed under "c. Service" for institutional service and for community service in the section under "2. Tenure" of this document.
iv. The candidate for promotion to Professor must demonstrate outstanding professional growth and scholarly achievement as documented by significant accomplishment in multiple areas of the criteria listed under "d. Scholarly activity, research and creative productivity" including areas of publication and research.
For promotion to the rank of Professor the candidate should be excellent in all areas. However, special accomplishment and excellence of the highest calibre in the area of either service or scholarly activity may allow candidates to achieve the rank of Professor with substantial performance in the other.
4. Procedures: Committee on Promotion and Tenure
a. The School of Applied Studies Committee on Promotion and Tenure shall consist of five full-time tenured faculty members with a rank of Associate or Full Professor appointed from the School and/or the University at large by the Dean of the School of Applied Studies. The majority of members of the committee shall be selected from eligible faculty who have appointment within the School of Applied Studies. However, if it is not possible to appoint a majority of faculty from the the School of Applied Studies, the Dean will appoint a committee using all eligible SAS faculty and faculty from outside the School. A committee considering promotion petitions for the rank of Professor must have the majority of its membership at the rank of Professor.
b. The Chairperson of the committee shall be elected annually by the members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee. The Dean of the School of Applied Studies is responsible for calling for petitions and convening the CPT.
c. No member of the committee shall participate in the deliberations or voting on his/her own promotion recommendations.
d. Candidates eligible for consideration for promotion and/or tenure shall be notified by the Dean of the School of Applied Studies that they are eligible to petition.
e. Candidates may submit names of three qualified faculty to the Dean for consideration and the Dean will appoint at least one of these individuals to the committee.
f. The Dean will notify the candidate of the proposed committee membership. The candidate will have the right to submit a confidential memo to the Dean (within 5 days) if there is a concern about a conflict with a committee member. Replacement of a committee member remains at the discretion of the Dean.
g. Candidates shall submit to the Committee written petitions and supporting documentation illustrating achievement of School criteria for promotion or tenure. Documentation should be thorough and specifically relate to each criteria, and be as current as possible.
h. After careful deliberation and consideration of all available information, a vote shall be taken by the committee as to whether or not each candidate shall be recommended for promotion or tenure. A three-fifths majority vote is required for recommendation of candidate by the Committee.
i. The determination of the Committee which results from the review shall be communicated in writing to the Dean of the School via the School Form and the original petition and all supporting documentation shall be forwarded to the Dean. In addition, the Chair of the department in which the faculty member applying has appointment shall submit to the Dean an independent recommendation.
j. The Dean shall prepare a separate recommendation of the concurrence or non-concurrence relative to each candidate's recommendation by the committee and shall notify each candidate of the results of the review.
k. The Dean shall submit the recommendation of the Committee and the Dean's recommendation, together with the supporting documentation, to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
l. In cases where candidates are awarded tenure but do not earn the rank of Associate Professor, the faculty member, in collaboration with the department chair, dean, and/or Vice President for Academic Affairs will work in a consensual process to help the faculty member reach the professional level where promotion may be obtained.