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Home > Faculty > Promotion and Tenure : Guidelines for Promotion & Tenure Dossiers

Guidelines for Promotion & Tenure Dossiers - 2012/13

Questions about the promotion and tenure process in the College of Liberal Arts should be directed to the Office of the Associate Dean for Faculty.

Primary Material

Primary material is made available to the CLA Promotion and Tenure Review Committee, the dean and associate deans, and the senior academic administrator.

Primary material must be submitted electronically by unit administrators, via the CLA project drive established for faculty processes that occur annually.

Primary material must be subdivided into sections, as set forth below. Each section will comprise its own pdf file. Individual sections and pdf files may include one document or multiple documents.

Each candidate will have a separate folder under the department folder on the projects drive labeled CLA, LAST NAME, RANK. Within each candidate's folder on the projects drive, each section of the primary material must have its own doc or pdf file.

Example:

  • WORLD EVENTS
    CLA, Churchill, Assistant
    Section I - Cover Page (doc)
    Section II - Table of Contents (pdf)
    Section III - Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
    Section IV - Teaching (pdf)
    Section V - Research (pdf)
    Section VI - Service (pdf)
    Section VII - Annual Appraisals (pdf)
    Section VIII - Reports (pdf)

Pagination & Bookmarks

Within each section, pages should be numbered consecutively. Each page should include both the section and page number, for example:

  • II-1, II-2-, II-3, II-4, etc.
  • IV-1, IV-2, IV-3, IV-4, etc.
  • VIII-1, VIII-2, VIII-3, VIII-4, etc.

Within each section, individual documents should be book marked, for example:

  • Section III - Reports
    • Unit Procedures and Vote
    • Exceptional Participation & Voting
    • Majority Report
    • Minority Report
    • Chair's Report
    • Candidate's Response
    • List of Materials in Supplementary File

Required Materials

Section I - Cover Page
(one doc)

Section II - Table of Contents
(one pdf)

  • Separate Tables of Contents should be prepared for Sections III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII.
  • In Section II, include all of the Tables of Contents for Sections III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII.
  • Within each section, pages should be numbered consecutively, with each page including the section and page number, e.g., IV-1, IV-2, IV-3 or VIII-1, VIII-2, VIII-3, etc.
  • Pages should be numbered in the upper right-hand corner of the page, leaving a minimum ½" margin.
  • Tables of Contents should be sufficiently detailed so that the reader can readily find specific elements of the dossier, e.g., a letter from a particular external reviewer.

Section III - Curriculum Vitae
(one pdf)

Candidates for tenure and/or promotion must follow a curriculum vitae template developed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs in consultation with the colleges.

Section IV - Teaching
(one pdf)

A. Teaching Narrative

  • Must be prepared by the candidate.
  • In no more than 750 words, describe the candidate as an undergraduate and graduate teacher.
  • Items which may be included: a statement about the candidate's approach to teaching; a statement describing past accomplishments and goals for the next three to five years; a self-evaluation of teaching in classes of different types, sizes, and levels; a description of steps the candidate has taken to improve teaching over a period of years.
  • Sample - Components of a Teaching Narrative (pdf)

B. Chart Representing Teaching Responsibilities

  • Include term and year taught, course title, course level, enrollment and course format.
  • Indicate course-releases, fellowships, leaves.
  • Indicate name of preparer.
  • Sample - Teaching Responsibilities Chart (xls)

C. Comparative Data on Teaching Evaluations

  • Include data comparing student evaluations over several years, and comparing candidate's scores with departmental faculty averages.
  • Indicate name of preparer and source of data.
  • Sample - Comparative Data on Teaching Chart (xls)

D. Internal Evaluators

  1. Include peer evaluations of teaching by tenured faculty from same or other units who have observed candidate's teaching.
  2. Include letters solicited from former UMN students (do not use or solicit letters from current UMN students).
  3. Include a list of internal evaluators and statement of how internal evaluators were selected.
  4. Include sample letter(s) of solicitation.

E. Summary of Teaching Effectiveness

  • Should be prepared by the faculty, not the candidate. Include a statement on how the summary was prepared and indicate name of preparer.

Section V - Scholarly Research/Creative Work
(one pdf)

A. Scholarly Research/Creative Work Narrative

  • Must be prepared by the candidate.
  • In no more than seven hundred fifty words, describe the development and direction of the candidate's professional career.
  • Discuss research or creative activity and publications, performances and exhibits.
  • Discuss current work and projects, and plans for the next three to five years.
  • Sample - Scholarly Research/Creative Work Narrative (pdf)

B. Description of the Relative Stature of Journals/Book Publishers/Outlets for Creative Work

C. Evidence of Forthcoming Work

  1. Include in this section letters from publishers, book contracts, readers reports, or other evidence of forthcoming works listed in the CV.
  2. Specify stage of production at the time dossier is submitted (e.g., in copy-editing, in galley, etc) and provide supporting documentation.

D. External Evaluations

  1. Include a list of external evaluators and a description of their qualifications.
  2. Six to eight letters from external evaluators are recommended. At least half, and no fewer than four, of the external reviews must be obtained from individuals with no direct professional or personal interest in the advancement of the candidate's career.
  3. Include a statement of how the external evaluators were selected and a list of materials provided for review.
  4. Include sample letter(s) of invitation and confirmation of participation.
  • Appraisals of the candidate's work should be sought from persons suggested by the candidate and from other recognized scholars in the field.
  • External evaluators must be told that that their evaluations will not be held confidential because state law permits the candidate to inspect them (Minnesota open-file law).
  • External evaluators must be told if and when a candidate has extended the probationary period and for how long ("stop the tenure clock"). External evaluators are not told the reason for the extension, but should be advised to allow for reduced productivity during these periods.
  • Evaluations from external evaluators (provide original and translation when not in English).
  • Sample - List of External Evaluators and their Qualifications (pdf)
  • Sample - Letter of Solicitation to External Evaluators (doc)
  • Sample - Guidelines for External Evaluators (doc)

E. Reviews and Evaluations

  • When available, include published reviews or other formal evaluations of performances, exhibitions, publications.

Section VI - Service
(one pdf)

A. Summary of Service Contributions

  • Should be prepared by the faculty, not the candidate. Include a statement on how the summary was prepared and indicate name of preparer.

Section VII - Probationary Appraisals
(one pdf)

A. Annual Appraisals of Probationary Faculty

  • Probationary faculty only.
  • Include appraisals for current and all previous years.

Section VIII - Reports
(one pdf)

A. 7.12 Statement and MOU

  • A copy of the applicable 7.12 Statement and Memorandum of Understanding from the Office of the Senior President for Academic Affairs and Provost must be included.

B. Department Report

  • Must be signed and dated by the faculty member(s) who prepared it.

1. Statement of Unit Procedures

  • Written authorization for all exceptional participation and voting must be included.

2. Unit Recommendation to the Dean

3. Report of Unit Vote

  • Question to be voted upon.
    • For tenure-track candidates being considered for tenure and promotion to associate professor the question to be voted upon is:
      "Shall (the candidate) be recommended for tenure?"
    • For tenured candidates beging considered for promotion to professor the question to be voted upon is:
      "Shall (the candidate) be promoted to professor?"
  • Unit vote. Indicate the number of votes:
    • YES
    • NO
    • ABSTAIN
    • NOT VOTING
  • Provide the name(s) and explanation(s) for faculty eligible to vote but not voting.
  • Provide the names of faculty participating in the discussion and vote.

4. Majority Evaluation

  • Scholarship/Creative Work
  • Teaching
  • Service

5. Minority Evaluation

  • Scholarship/Creative Work
  • Teaching
  • Service

C. Unit Head Evaluation & Recommendation

  • Must be signed and dated.

D. Candidate Response

  • Must be signed and dated.

E. List of Material in the Supplementary File

  • All supplementary materials must be clearly identified and labeled.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is held in the Office of the Associate Dean for Faculty for review by the CLA Promotion and Tenure Review Committee, the dean and associate deans, and the senior academic administrator.

Required Materials

A. List of Material in the Supplementary File

  • Same document as VIII.D. in the primary material.
  • All supplementary materials must be clearly identified and labeled.

B. Administrative Procedures

  • Complete record of the unit's promotion and tenure procedures, including dates of meetings and summaries of activities related to the case.
  • List of materials available to voting faculty and candidate prior to discussion of candidacy.

C. Publications and Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Include scholarly and creative works published, performed, or exhibited.
  • Include works that have been accepted for publication, performance or exhibition; are forthcoming or under review; or are readers’ copies or working papers, etc.
  • Include evidence of creative activity (cds, dvds, tapes, videos, photographs, slides, scores, exhibition catalogs, etc).
  • Include all versions of publications and work (e.g., manuscripts, drafts, etc) that have been reviewed at any stage of the promotion and tenure review process. Indicate which versions of materials were available to whom and when.

D. Curricula Vitae of External Reviewers

E. Course Syllabi and Teaching Materials

F. Student Evaluations of Teaching

  • Raw evaluations are in the supplementary file.
  • Summaries and comparative data are placed in the primary file.
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