Tenure Faculty Track

According to the Faculty Handbook (Appendix A, Section F):

Changes in the criteria for tenure may be applied to those faculty members who are already on the tenure track only if the individual agrees in writing to be considered under the new criteria. For changes in the criteria for promotion, a grace period of at least three academic years from the start of the academic year in which the changes are implemented should be allowed. During the grace period, faculty members already on Tenure Track contracts in the department may opt-in writing to be considered under the old or new criteria. Newly hired faculty members and those promoted during the grace period would immediately come under the new promotion criteria.

This means that when P&T guidelines are revised or faculty members are relocated to a unit with different guidelines, the pre-tenure candidate can choose to be considered under the guidelines under which he or she was hired, or the current guidelines. In either case, the candidate must specify, in writing, which guidelines will apply to their case, write their dossier to meet those guidelines and include them in that dossier where required.

Eligibility for Promotion and Tenure

Individuals who expect to be promoted and tenured must provide clear documentation of achievements supporting DSPH expectations of past and continued performance and growth. The quality and productivity of a faculty member's teaching and advising, scholarly endeavors, and service during the probationary period are regarded as strong predictors of the individual's future contributions. Promotion and tenure are reserved for candidates whose performance across these three categories has served the DSPH, CHSP, and Ohio University well in the past, and based on such accomplishments, can reasonably be expected to continue in the future. While promotion and tenure are discussed separately in the ensuing sections it should be noted that a single vote of the Promotion and Tenure Committee for or against both promotion and tenure will be taken. It is not possible to gain promotion without also gaining tenure.

Promotion through the ranks from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor to Professor is in recognition of the strong and continued performance and achievements of an individual faculty member. Although minimum periods in a given rank are specified below, promotion is based upon merit and it is not guaranteed or given simply due to the completion of a particular number of years of service.

Assistant Professor to Associate Professor

Faculty members who are appointed as Assistant Professors with a terminal degree are expected to meet the requirements for both promotion and tenure to Associate Professor by the end of the probationary period. Expectations that differ will be specified in the letter of appointment from the CHSP Dean.

To be promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure, an individual must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. Earned terminal degree in appropriate area(s). 
2. Minimum of three (3) years of full-time employment as an Assistant Professor in a Tenure Track faculty position at Ohio University 
3. A record of effectiveness as a teacher and an advisor. 
4. A record of high-quality, focused, and peer-reviewed scholarly productivity that has contributed to the candidate's discipline. 
5. Any stipulations or conditions communicated to the candidate in their appointment letter. 
6. A record of service appropriate to the profession, the DSPH, the CHSP, and Ohio University. 
7. A simple majority vote of the eligible members of the PTC.

Associate Professor to Professor

To be promoted from the rank of Associate Professor to Professor, an individual must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. Minimum of five (5) years of full-time employment as an Associate Professor in a Tenure track faculty position at Ohio University. 
2. A continued record of effectiveness as a teacher as evidenced by peer and student evaluations. A record of advising, coaching, and/or mentoring students is also required and mentoring of other faculty members is highly encouraged; 
3. A continued record of high-quality, focused, and peer-reviewed scholarly work that has contributed to the candidate's discipline and earned the individual national and/or international recognition. 
4. A continued record of service appropriate to the profession, the DSPH, the CHSP, Ohio University, and the profession at large. It is expected that this service will include evidence of multiple leadership roles in a variety of settings and formats. 
5. A simple majority vote of the eligible members of the PTC.

Tenure

Tenure is the most important decision that a university makes regarding a particular faculty member. A positive tenure decision is the institution's statement that the member's accomplishments in teaching and advising, scholarly endeavors, and service have added value at all levels of the university and that future contributions are expected to do the same.

Earning tenure requires the candidate to meet the criteria for seeking promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. In addition, candidates must exhibit collegiality, demonstrate the promise of continuing exemplary contributions as a University citizen, show dedication to continuing excellence and productivity in scholarly and teaching endeavors, and establish their potential for continued significant service to the University and profession. According to the Faculty Handbook (II.C.6.a.): "Tenure is awarded to those individuals whose records indicate that they are likely to continue to make significant positive contributions to the academic life of the University throughout their professional careers."

Evaluative Criteria for Tenure Track Faculty

The principal criteria for the awarding of promotion and tenure are 1) teaching, advising, and mentoring; 2) scholarly and creative activities; and 3) service. Demonstrated contributions in these categories are crucial to the mission of the DSPH. It is expected that the candidate for promotion and/or tenure will demonstrate classroom expertise in content and presentation, will produce high-quality scholarship and creative works, and will have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the relationship between the mission of the DSPH and its programs. In addition, faculty are encouraged to be involved in interdisciplinary activities as they can be evaluated on these to the extent such activities are documented in the dossier.

Teaching, Advising, and Mentoring

Teaching, advising, and mentoring are important activities and responsibilities in terms of the mission of the DSPH. As per the CHSP Promotion and Tenure Policy “a record of effectiveness as a teacher as demonstrated by peer evaluations, student evaluations, and a self-reflective narrative in the dossier” is expected. All candidates seeking promotion and/or tenure are expected to demonstrate growth and effectiveness in teaching by submitting a teaching portfolio in addition to their dossier. A teaching portfolio is an effective way for candidates to demonstrate and document teaching effectiveness. For a further description and specification of the teaching portfolio, refer to Attachment A. Additional criteria are found in the criteria for instructional and clinical faculty below (IV.C.1).

Research and Scholarly Accomplishments

1. As stated in the CHSP Promotion and Tenure Policy “Excellence in research and scholarship which is supported by evidence of development and active engagement in research with 1) demonstration of effort to secure external funding, 2) a record of sustained publication in peer-reviewed journals, and 3) presentation at professional forums on national and/or international levels. Interdisciplinary activities are highly valued. In most cases, these scholarly products will be published, peer-reviewed journal articles with the candidate as first or senior author.” Candidates for promotion and tenure in DSPH should demonstrate scholarly endeavors (focused and thematic) that: (a) add to and integrate knowledge within a scientific discipline or that integrate theories and methods among scientific disciplines; (b) improve practice and/or instruction; (c) expand our understanding of the world; and/or (d) enhance the scholarship of teaching. 
2. All candidates seeking promotion and tenure are expected to demonstrate growth and effectiveness across these areas by including in their dossier relevant and appropriate scholarly information and materials.
3. The quality of the scholarly work, the influence the work produces, and the levels of contribution to a discipline's body of knowledge are the critical issues that will be evaluated for tenure and/or promotion. It is further expected that such scholarship will be regular, continuous, and focused or interdisciplinary. It is up to the candidate to build a case for the quality of the scholarship and to fully document the impact that their work has on advancing the discipline.
4. In addition, the quality of scholarly work is to be reviewed by a group of peers and judged to meet (or not meet) the criteria established for the specified purpose. Peer review means that experts within a particular discipline or content area have had an opportunity to review and assess the work in terms of determining its merit in contributing to a unique body of knowledge. Examples of peer-reviewed scholarship include journal articles, presentations, abstracts, and grant proposals. The candidate must provide evidence of peer review of all scholarly endeavors that will be evaluated by the PTC for promotion and/or tenure.

Service

Service is broadly defined as a contribution to a larger group or entity. The expectations for service within the DSPH are consistent with the requirements identified in the CHSP Promotion and Tenure Policy “A record of service to the unit, college, and the profession at large is required. University service is highly valued.” Faculty members serve through active participation on DSPH, CHSP, and Ohio University committees (institutional service), as well as on disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or professional associations, and private or community groups. Institutional service contributes to the growth, development, and work requirements of the DSPH, CHSP, and Ohio University. Disciplinary or professional contributions assist the organization or association in accomplishing its work. Interdisciplinary service includes contributions to academic units outside of DSPH. Private or community contributions involve the application and use of a faculty member's professional expertise to the betterment of our communities locally, regionally, and globally. All candidates seeking tenure and/or promotion are expected to demonstrate growth and effectiveness across these areas by including in their dossier relevant and appropriate service information and materials.

External Review

External review is an important part of the promotion and tenure process. While the PTC will generally follow the external review guidelines provided in the Policy for Seeking External Reviewers for Promotion and Tenure of the CHSP Promotion and Tenure Policy, the complete process is described below.

Four external reviewers will be chosen at the discretion of the DSPH Chair, of which at least two (3) must be faculty members. Candidates will submit the name, title, institution, address, phone number, and email of six (6) persons (at least four [4] of whom must be in faculty positions) external to Ohio University who are qualified to evaluate their scholarly achievements. Unless a written exception is noted to the contrary by the DSPH Chair, for an academic reviewer to be considered qualified he or she must be at the rank above the level of the candidate being reviewed. The candidate should submit this list of objective and knowledgeable individuals to the DSPH Chair. The DSPH Chair, in consultation with the PTC, will select three (3) reviewers from the list submitted by the candidate, and they will also identify 1 additional reviewer(s) not on the list submitted by the candidate, drawing possible names from accreditation organizations, professional associations, and personal contacts at other universities.

External reviewers are contacted by the Chair of the DSPH and will be asked to submit a copy of their curriculum vitae or a brief biography. There should be a uniform format to the request letter, specifically noting that the reviewer's submission may be subject to disclosure to the candidate under Ohio Open Records legislation. They should be provided with a copy of the CHSP Promotion and Tenure Policy, these DSPH Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure Review, the candidate's curriculum vitae, and three published scholarly works selected by the candidate. 

Reviewers will be asked to submit a written assessment of the quality, significance, and impact on the profession of the candidate's scholarly work. In particular, they will be asked to address the following questions:

1. How long have you known the candidate and in what capacity?
2. What is the magnitude of the candidate's contribution to their professional field in terms of scholarly endeavors?
3. What is the quality and significance of the candidate's scholarly products?
4. Is the candidate's work worthwhile? Does it add to the research or scholarship base?
5. What are the accomplishments of the candidate relative to others who are at a similar stage of their professional career?

Once received by the DSPH Chair, external reviewer materials should be forwarded to the PTC for their review. While the assessments of external reviewers will be given serious consideration in the review process, such assessments are advisory only and the PTC has the final responsibility for evaluating candidates for promotion and tenure. It should be understood that the PTC is not abdicating its responsibility for independent judgment and that external reviewers' opinions are non-binding on the PTC.

Assessments of candidates by external reviewers shall be returned to the Chair of the DSPH along with the dossier and the PTC's recommendations. All of these materials will come forward to the Dean of the CHSP along with the DSPH Chair's recommendation.