Rank Promotion and Tenure

The rank promotion and tenure process involves peer and administrative review. The ultimate decision is made by the President. Information regarding promotion and tenure criteria can be found in the appropriate section of the current SCEA Agreement. Per the agreement, it is important to note that educational criteria are minimums only. Faculty members must provide evidence of achievement in terms of performance criteria.

The tenure decision date is noted on your appointment form and is determined at the time of hire. Service requirements for promotion are set by the  2021-2023 SCEA Agreement .

This page provides information about the Peru State College policies and procedures for obtaining tenure and promotion. Tips for building your portfolio are included below.

Please note that while this information is provided as guidance, the final decision of the RPT Committee and Administration will be based on the language in the 2021-2023 SCEA Agreement

Additionally, you may wish to consult the Teaching and Research & Creative Work pages for additional information on those areas of evaluation.

Relevant Policies

Relevant Resources


Tips for Submitting Your Annual Professional Activities Report (PAR)

  • The PAR and PDP (see template link above) is due for most faculty on January 30 of each year. Faculty meet with the Deans prior to April 1 to review the PAR and evaluation. Second year faculty are evaluated in December of their second year and the PAR and PDP is due by November 15.
  • The PAR is based on the previous calendar year. Include only items in the PAR from that year. If you are continuing projects from the previous year, include those but note which work is most current.
  • Be sure that your PAR responds to the past year's evaluation and student evaluations of teaching. If there are concerns that have been expressed by your Dean or students, you should respond in some way in your PAR.
  • Likewise, provide an update on your plan (PDP) from the previous year. If a project has been completed, be sure to note it. If a project has stalled and you will not be pursuing it further, explain that. For projects that are still in progress, note the work you have done and be sure to not let those projects linger for multiple years.
  • Provide supporting evidence (e.g. research papers presented, IRB approvals, sample course syllabi, documentation of service activities) to your Dean as part of your PAR. This will help to start building your portfolio for the tenure and promotion process.


Overall Tips for Building Your Tenure and Promotion Portfolio

  • Be sure your portfolio is complete, well done and free of typographic errors.
  • Be sure to review the requirements for the supporting materials. Some deviation from the format is expected as applicants adapt the format for particular disciplines (e.g., you may not use all categories and you might need to modify some sections in order to adequately present your material). Be sure to include all the necessary elements, however, such as teaching evaluations, contracts and Dean evaluations.
  • Rank promotion and/or tenure decisions are based on the language in the faculty contract. If you have questions regarding the inclusion or exclusion of documentation or information refer to the current faculty contract for guidance. Please be concise.
  • The supporting documents file is flexible and open to contain what you think supports your application more completely.  For example, the interpretation of "all" does not always mean every.  For courses taught, past and current syllabi can be included to document improvements made to teaching those courses. For research and supporting academic activities, "all" could include work you have done on projects before you started at Peru State if they were continued or developed during your time here.  If your publications and presentations documents section would be excessive, you have the flexibility to include only those from your last promotion or summarize the record in an appropriate method as to your discipline.
  • This file is an opportunity for applicant to build an argument as to why they should move from their current rank to the next rank. For some applicants who want to stress how their program has changed and developed under their responsibility, this may mean a timeline of how courses and programs have changed. Other applicants will want to stress research and how their contribution to that area has benefited from their efforts and how their efforts were continued over their time of service.


Overall Tips for Building Your Teaching Portfolio

Your portfolio regarding teaching may include:

  • Course syllabi, particularly those that document improvements based on previous evaluations or changes in curriculum or current research.
  • Sample exams, assignments and student work.
  • Teaching evaluations from students.
  • An overall statement about recent changes or improvements to teaching since your last promotion or initial employment at the College.
  • Be sure to include documentation of the other items noted in the SCEA Agreement under the teaching category, including:

    • knowledge of subject matter;
    • effectiveness in communicating such knowledge;
    • assisting students to think critically and creatively;
    • encouraging continued study;
    • mentoring and advising students in the academic major; and
    • supporting student participation in field activities and professional activities.

You may wish to consult the information below as you are considering your teaching portfolio.


Tips for Building Your Scholarly/Creative Portfolio

Your portfolio regarding scholarly and creative work may include:

  • Published books or treatises and publication in professional or scholarly journals;
  • Copies of works submitted for publication or evidence of research in progress leading toward scholarly publication;
  • Copies of articles in publications in trade, popular, or regional periodicals;
  • Images or reviews of exhibition of creative works;
  • Show and performance credits when they are appropriate to the field of study (examples of,but not limited to: exhibiting at an art show, conducting a choral clinic, symphony performances);
  • Classroom research (examples of, but not limited to: student academic performance and achievement, pedagogy, course and curriculum development, assessment of student learning);
  • Courses or curriculum developed;
  • Copies of presentations made to professional organizations, such as papers or slides;
  • Documentation of other types of work with professional organizations, such as participating on panels at professional conferences, serving as program chair for a professional conference, serving as an officer of a professional organization, serving as Editor/Guest Editor, or on the Editorial Board, of a professional publication appropriate to the field of study, or serving as chair or chair/critic for professional presentations);
  • Documentation of grants, contracts or similar financial support obtained from external sources for scholarly purposes;
  • Applications for such grants, contracts or similar financial support;
  • Evidence of consulting activities, such as translating documents for school districts or other service agencies, consulting with a school board to prepare district policies and procedures manuals, conducting workshops for businesses, schools, or agencies, authoring/co-authoring/editing state curriculum guides for the State Department of Education, review of art exhibit, safety consulting for industry, scientific consulting, reviewing grants);
  • Sponsoring and directing student research projects that lead to publication and/or presentation by the student and faculty member in professional venues;
  • Acquiring a degree other than the required minimum degree at the time of the initial appointment;
  • Acquiring an appropriate professional certificate; and
  • Continued involvement in professional organizations.

You might find the link below useful as you consider your research agenda.


Tips for Building Your Service Portfolio

The SCEA Agreement provides a wide range of activities which can count under Service. They include:

  • Serving on department and College committees; and in other faculty leadership positions;
  • Having responsibility in accreditation and re-accreditation activities;
  • Advising student organizations;
  • Working with civic, municipal or state government agencies, public schools in the State, or community groups in areas related to the faculty member’s primary area of assignment;
  • Fostering and sustaining collegial relationships in the College, community, and profession;
  • Membership in and contributions to professional organizations; and
  • Mentoring and advising students outside faculty member’s assigned area.

Appropriate documentation of service work can include:

  • Memos of appointment to committees.
  • Documentation of role as faculty advisor to student organizations.
  • Lists of meetings attended with civic, municipal, or state government agencies or schools.
  • Demonstration of collegial relationships.
  • List of memberships in professional organizations.
  • Documentation of mentoring and advising activities.

 

For Further Reading

  • A Junior Faculty Member's Journey to Tenure (Williams, 2017)"What follows are a few things that I wish someone -- senior faculty members, senior administrators or newly minted tenured faculty members -- would have whispered in my ears as I prepared for tenure. They are just a few indicators on how to avoid self-sabotage -- or as Yeats would say, a “vexed to nightmare” movement on the way toward tenure."
  • Faculty to Faculty Mentoring (Lundquist and Misra, 2017)
    "Mentorship means different things to different people. In this essay, we define mentors as those at various stages of our careers who have believed in us, shared their knowledge, helped strategize solutions to problems and listened to us when we needed them. Social support is important in all careers, but it is crucial in academe."
  • I Got Tenure: Now What? (Rockquemore, 2017)
    "While no ceremony took place, you’ve gone from dating to marriage with your campus. That implies a deeper shift from the “me-centric” perspective that is both strategic and highly functional when you’re on the tenure track to a “we-centric” perspective that’s appropriate for a permanent member of your campus community. That doesn’t mean you should sacrifice all your needs and desires for the collective good. On the contrary, developing clarity about who you are how you’ll contribute creates the healthy interdependence that thriving campus communities rely upon."