Promotion Policy and Procedures for Associate Faculty

Promotion Policy and Procedures for Associate Faculty

Promotion to the rank of senior associate faculty is recognition of excellence in teaching in the School of Liberal Arts and a sign of confidence in future high-quality instruction. A candidate for promotion from associate faculty to senior associate faculty is required to show evidence of teaching excellence, including influence on student outcomes and accessibility to students. Convincing evidence will document instruction that has been of high quality and has made important contributions to student learning, using criteria established by the home department or program.

Eligibility
Associate faculty who have taught at least 18 credit hours and for at least four semesters in the School of Liberal Arts are eligible to submit a portfolio for review for promotion.

Benefits
Senior associate faculty will receive the following benefits:

  1. A 10% increase in the rate per credit hour for associate faculty at the time of the next academic year contract.
  2. When appropriate, as determined by the chair or program director, the opportunity to be considered for courses before those holding the rank of associate faculty.
  3. When appropriate, as determined by the chair or program director, the opportunity to be considered for courses for both semesters of the academic year.

NOTE: Per campus policy, the ability of associate faculty to be considered for promotion does not constitute tenure or the right to continuous contracts. Promoted associate faculty members will continue to be considered for future employment based on alignment of their skills with school needs.

Promotion Materials
Candidates for promotion to the rank of Senior Associate Faculty will provide their department with evidence of teaching excellence. Departments have flexibility as to what materials will be provided, but it’s recommended that the materials include such things as student evaluations, peer evaluations, evidence of curriculum development, and evidence of impact on learning.

Review Process
Once associate faculty are eligible for promotion, they may submit their promotion portfolios to the department chair or program director before the end of January. The chair or director will appoint a promotion review committee of at least three members, one member of which may hold the rank of senior associate faculty. The promotion review committee will evaluate the portfolio and make its recommendation for promotion to the chair or director. The chair or director will write his or her recommendation and send it, along with the promotion committee’s recommendation, to the dean for his or her review and decision. If promotion is approved, promotion takes effect the ensuing fall semester.

Appendix 1

The IU Academic Handbook indicates the following with regard to promotion based on
excellence in teaching:

Teaching. The prime requisites of any effective teacher are intellectual competence, integrity, independence, a willingness to consider suggestions and to cooperate in teaching activities, a spirit of scholarly inquiry which leads the teacher to develop and strengthen course content in the light of developments in the field as well as to improve methods of presenting material, a vital interest in teaching and working with students, and, above all, the ability to stimulate their intellectual interest and enthusiasm. The quality of teaching is admittedly difficult to evaluate. This evaluation is so important, however, that recommendations for an individual’s promotion should include evidence drawn from such sources as the collective judgment of students, of student counselors, and of colleagues who have visited other classes or who have been closely associated with his or her teaching as supervisor or in some other capacity, or who have taught the same students in subsequent courses.

[NOTE: This policy will take effect August 2015. Starting that term, all associate faculty, regardless of degree, will be paid at the current PhD rate. Future promotion increases will be based on that rate once candidates have gone through the promotion process.]

Approved by the School of Liberal Arts Faculty Assembly: April 18, 2014