The Road To Success as a Faculty Member

1. The Road To Success as a Faculty Member Frances K. McSweeney Regents Professor Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

2. Themes • Having a world-class faculty is the key to having a world-class university • We try to develop that world-class faculty.

3. Themes (continued) • You were hired to be successful. • Your department has a big investment in you. • Time, money and energy recruiting • Start up funds • Mentoring

4. Examples of Faculty Policies • Stopping the tenure clock • Modified duties • Reasonable Accommodation • Partner Accommodation • Professional leaves • Phased retirement Faculty.wsu.edu

5. Themes (continued) • The faculty review process assists with faculty development • The process is detailed and thoughtful. • Tenure and promotion should follow logically from prior performance reviews - No surprises

6. Themes (continued) • The probability of success is high. • More than 95% of those who stand for tenure receive tenure, but 45% of those hired drop out before tenure.

7. The Bottom Line • Know the procedures and standards for tenure and promotion in your department and college. • Don’t obsess about it.

8. Resources • Faculty Manual – University web page • Provost’s Instructions for Tenure and Promotion – Provost’s web page

9. More Resources • Provost’s Instructions for Annual Review – Provost’s web page • A Guide to WSU’s Policies and Procedures for Evaluating Faculty Members – Provost’s web page • Workshops on: • performance reviews • promotion to professor - Human Resource Services home page

10. Still More Resources • Your department chair • Your mentors • E-mail (fkmcs@wsu.edu) or call (5-5581) me.

11. You Should Have: • A mentor or mentors • Date for: • Intensive Pre-tenure Review • Tenure and Promotion Review

12. You Should Have (continued) • Guidelines from department, college, and university. • Specific job responsibilities • If none, assume 40% teaching, 40% research & 20% service

13. Annual Review • Conducted yearly for all faculty by the chair • Performance during the last calendar year entered on WORQS • You can respond to your review • Used for raises

14. Annual Review (continued) • Rated on a 5-point scale • >3.0 = exceeds expectations • 3.0 = meets expectations • <3.0 = falls short of expectations

15. Progress Towards Tenure Review • Yearly for pre-tenure faculty • Differences from annual review • Cumulative performance • All senior faculty participate • Results must be discussed with you

16. Intensive Pre-tenure (Third-year) Review • Usually in spring of third year • Dry run for tenure - Same procedure except no external letters

17. Third-year Review (Continued) • Results in one of three evaluations: • Progress Satisfactory • Improvement Required • Unsatisfactory – Usually leads to non-renewal

18. Tenure and Promotion • Very thorough • Usually after 6 years (really 5) • Same procedure is used for promotions

19. Tenure and Promotion (continued) • Decision should be consistent with prior reviews when possible. • Exact procedures vary by college and department

20. Tenure and Promotion Procedures • The faculty member assembles a file (May?) • Curriculum vitae • Teaching portfolio (limited to 5 pages) • Context statement (limited to 2 pages) • Exhibits

21. External Letters • At least 4 external letters are solicited (summer?) • Optional for clinical track faculty (check department and college) • Candidate and chair suggest names • Writers are distinguished professors (e.g., editors). • No personal relationship with the candidate.

22. Departmental Review (August – September?) • The Department considers the file. • Consults with the regional campus when appropriate. • The senior faculty vote to grant or deny tenure. • The chair votes and summarizes the case after consulting the branch campus official.

23. College Review (October-November?) • The Dean’s Advisory Committee votes. • The Regional Campus Chancellor is consulted. • The Dean votes and interprets the case for those outside of the college. • A vote that is inconsistent with the department must be explained.

24. The Provost’s Review(December – January?) • Can disagree with the prior decisions, but rarely does • Formal consideration ends.

25. If Tenure and/or Promotion is Granted • The candidate receives a letter and a 10% raise effective in the fall. • The candidate is recognized at the Celebration of Excellence Banquet at Showcase.

26. If Tenure is Denied • Resign within 90 days with no record of the denial and (usually) one more year at WSU. • Appeal to the Faculty Status Committee (FSC) within 30 days. • Inadequate consideration • Violations of academic freedom • Substantial procedural irregularities • Not: Merits of the case

27. Standards for Tenure and Promotion • Standards must be met in teaching, scholarship, and service. • Weight depends on job description • Judgment of the senior faculty is critical.

28. Tenure Myth • Tenure is a right. I will receive tenure if I do a reasonable job. • Tenure is a long-term commitment for the University. • The University expects better than average performance.

29. Tenure Myth • Getting tenure is tough. Most faculty will not receive tenure. • Faculty are hired on the assumption that they will receive tenure. • More than 95% of those who come up for tenure and/or promotion receive it. • Some faculty members leave the University before standing for tenure.

30. Tenure Myth • Only research and grant funding count. • Performance in teaching, scholarship, and service all count. • The exact factors and their weights vary by department. • Learn about your department.

31. Tenure Myth • A majority vote leads to tenure. • Tenure is based on many factors (e.g., external letters, summaries of dean and chair). • The faculty ballots are advisory only. • Thoughtful ballots carry more weight. • Some faculty ballots count more than others.

32. Tenure Myth • If one faculty member votes against me, I won’t get tenure. • Negative ballots may not be decisive. • Many successful faculty members receive negative ballots.

33. Tenure Myth • If you’re well liked, you’ll receive tenure; if not, you won’t. • Academics tolerate eccentric behavior. • Tenure will not be granted if your behavior interferes with the functioning of your unit. • Faculty members who are well-liked may have an easier time

34. Tenure Myth • I’ll get tenure if I have x papers. • Teaching and service count. • Quality counts. • Level of contribution counts. • Other factors contribute to scholarship (e.g., grant funding).

35. Tenure Myth • If Professor X got tenure, I’ll get tenure. • Cases are judged on their merits relative to standards, not in comparison to others. • You may not know everything about Professor X. • Standards change over time.

36. Frequently Asked Questions • Can the tenure clock be stopped? • Yes • by giving birth (up to 2 years) • by serious illness • by family emergency • by taking leave without pay • All requests must be made to the Provost by September 1.

37. FAQS (continued) • Is early promotion and/or tenure permitted? • Performance must be exceptional, not just meet our standards. • Only with the Provost’s prior approval

38. FAQS (continued) • Can excellence in one area mitigate lesser performance in another area? • Yes, but no tenure-track faculty member can omit one of the areas teaching, scholarship, and service.

39. The End