Introduction
As per the Faculty Handbook, Instructional Faculty must hold the rank of Assistant Professor of Instruction for a minimum period of five years in order to be considered for promotion to Associate Professor of Instruction. Likewise, an individual is expected to spend five years in the rank of Associate Professor of Instructionr prior to being considered for promotion to Professor of Instruction.
The College of Arts & Sciences considers years in rank as an eligibility requirement only, not a criterion for promotion per se.
Instructional Faculty assume a variety of TRS assignments, typically ranging from 100:0:0 to 80:0:20. Evaluations and promotions should be considered according to the range of duties associated with each individual’s appointment. Because research and scholarly activities are not assigned duties of Instructional Faculty (as per Faculty Handbook) these activities may not be used as positive or negative criteria for promotion. An exception to this policy may be considered when the research or scholarly activities pertain to the improvement of service or teaching practice.
Criteria for Promotion to Associate Professor of Instruction
For promotion to Associate Professor of Instruction, the primary criterion will be demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and the facilitation of student learning. Teaching effectiveness and student success may be demonstrated through multiple forms of evidence, including, but not limited to a carefully articulated philosophy of teaching, innovative teaching practices, creative uses of technology, measurement of learning outcomes, peer evaluations, student evaluations, sample teaching materials, samples of student products, student placements, and teaching awards.
Professional development is both expected and required of all faculty seeking promotion in the College of Arts and Sciences. Professional development might include, but is not limited to, attendance at workshops, conferences, or lectures as related to one’s instructional duties, along with active innovation and experimentation with pedagogy. It is incumbent upon the faculty member seeking promotion to make explicit the connection between their development activities and their teaching.
Likewise, service is expected of all faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences, scaled to TRS assignment. Service may take a variety of forms: department, college, university, community, or professional. Service may be documented in a variety of ways and might include, but is not limited to, supervising TAs, leading specialized or interdisciplinary programs (e.g., study away), student group involvement, professionally-related community activities, professional service (e.g., textbook reviewer, peer-reviewed journal referee of a pedagogic paper, executive position in professional society, etc. as related to their workload), and/or participation on a wide variety of department, college, and university committees, as appropriate for Instructional Faculty.
Criteria for Promotion to Professor of Instruction
Promotion to Professor of Instruction connotes a level of performance well above that of Associate Professor of Instruction. Promotion to Professor of Instruction must be accompanied by activities and evaluations that demonstrate excellence in teaching. In addition to demonstrating teaching effectiveness and student success through the same metrics expected for Associate Professors of Instruction, excellence in teaching at the Professor of Instruction level could be demonstrated through pedagogic leadership roles, teaching awards, or other activities and recognitions within the department, college, university, or professional organizations.
Likewise, professional development activities and service activities, within the appropriate TRS framework, are expected to be of a higher caliber and greater extent. Professors of Instruction should be demonstrable leaders in pedagogy and service within their academic department and disciplinary area. Continued evidence of advanced professional development is both expected and required. A broader range of institutional service assignments and responsibilities is also expected.
Reviewed by College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Advisory Committee AY22-23