Handbook

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH GUIDELINES FOR PROMOTION

The following guidelines for promotion set forth the minimum qualifications for consideration. Quality of performance, taking into account teaching consistency and cumulative service and publication, will be the most important factor in the Tenure-Promotion Committee's and Chair's deliberations. Time in rank will be a consideration, with promotion before four years in the rank of associate professor or six years in the rank of assistant professor requiring evidence of exceptional performance.

The departmental guidelines for promotion are as follows:

1. Promotion from instructor to assistant professor ordinarily requires completion of the terminal degree and regular appointment.
2. Promotion from assistant professor to associate professor ordinarily requires "Quality" or above in one area (teaching, scholarly and creative activity, or service) and "Satisfactory" in the other two.
3. Promotion from associate to full professor ordinarily requires "Quality" or above in two areas (one of which must be research or creative activity) and "Satisfactory" in one.

Definitions of "Satisfactory" and "Quality" in teaching,scholarly and creative activity, and service are as follows (also see "Guidelines for Evaluation"):

1. "Satisfactory" ordinarily requires satisfactory teaching evaluations by the Chair and the appropriate evaluation committee.
2. "Quality" ordinarily requires consistency in achieving quality teaching evaluations by the Chair and appropriate evaluation committee.

The following guidelines are ordinary and general. Quality of a faculty member's publications, as well as time elapsed between publications, of course, plays an important role; short notes, addresses to learned societies, book reviews, and the like also influence decisions to promote. All research and creative activity shall be evaluated as part of her/his record. As in the "Guidelines for Evaluation," acceptances will ordinarily be counted as publications.

1. Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor
   1. "Satisfactory" ordinarily means publication of a minimum of two substantial articles in refereed journals, or the equivalent.
   2. "Quality" ordinarily means publication of a minimum of three substantial articles in refereed journals, or the equivalent.
2. Promotion for Associate to Full Professor
   1. "Satisfactory" ordinarily means publication, at the associate rank, of three substantial articles in refereed journals, or the equivalent.
   2. "Quality" ordinarily means publication, at the associate rank, of a book or four substantial articles in refereed journals, or the equivalent.

Service

1. "Satisfactory" ordinarily means a record of acceptable service on departmental, college, or university committees. Faculty with release time for administrative duties must satisfactorily perform required duties.
2. "Quality" ordinarily means that a faculty member has observably and repeatedly influenced the work of the department, college, or university. Faculty members with release time for administrative duties must, of course, demonstrate contributions well beyond satisfactory performance of duties.