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Promotion Information Session. Tenure- Track Assistant Professors 4 /4/13. Topics. Why we care – what is unique about the tenure process Probationary period Timeline exceptions: short clock, stop the clock Criteria – what counts the most? Scholarship and/or Creative work Teaching
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Promotion Information Session Tenure-Track Assistant Professors 4/4/13
Topics • Why we care – what is unique about the tenure process • Probationary period • Timeline exceptions: short clock, stop the clock • Criteria – what counts the most? • Scholarship and/or Creative work • Teaching • Service • Process • Timeline: Years 1-3; Mid-tenure review; Years 4-6, including Junior Scholar Leave; Tenure Review Year; • Forms, forms, forms… • Use of external evaluations • Life after positive review or negative review • Questions
Probationary Period (Tenure Clock) • Limited period of time before tenure review is set at the initial appointment • The maximum normal period at BU is now 7 years • Extensions (max of 2 are allowed for all reasons) • Situations that severely hamper your ability to fulfill all of your University obligations to conduct scholarly/creative work and/or teach • Your Dean must request on your behalf • Extension is automatic for Childbirth Leave, Workload Reduction • You can always ask for review at the original time, or earlier
Scholarship/Creative Work:what counts the most? • Quality, Impact, Independence, Quantity • How to measure quality? • What are disciplinary expectations? • Department/school expectations? • How to measure impact? • External recognition through prizes, grants, letters • How much is enough? What is the trajectory of your productivity?
Teaching:what counts the most? • Student evaluations • Peer evaluations • Efforts to improve • New courses, innovation in teaching are always a positive • Teaching cannot compensate for significant weakness in Scholarship/Creative work for promotion and tenure at Boston University
Service:what counts the most? • Professional Service – because it is evidence of impact as well as service • Internal service expectations vary widely among departments and schools • If you think you may be doing too much internal service, you very likely are • Don’t be seduced by the rewards of service • Make your service do at least double duty
Years 1-3 • Research and Teaching – which one takes more of your effort depends on conditions and discipline • Start keeping meticulous track of everything you do professionally • Push yourself to become better known • Try to make your (limited) service do at least double duty
Mid-Tenure Review • Formal assessment of progress • May be helpful to fill out Promotion Application Part II as discussion aid/reality check • Each school crafts its own process but it is intended to be constructive, including a chance to discuss what you need to make even better progress • Usually tied in time to appointment renewal • If successful, you may be eligible for JSL
*NEW* Junior Scholar Leave *NEW* Tenure -track Assistant Professors (or Associate Professors in the Law School) who have undergone a formal mid-tenure review and are deemed to be making good progress towards achieving tenure, are eligible to apply to the Dean of the school or college for one semester of paid Junior Scholar Leave, to concentrate solely on scholarly and/or creative work in the final years before tenure review. The leave will be granted if, in the Dean’s estimation, it is likely to strengthen the candidate’s overall application for tenure at Boston University.
Junior Scholar Leave: Timing • Junior Scholar Leave must be completed prior to September of the academic year in which the tenure decision will be made. The semester chosen for the leave should be mutually agreed upon by the faculty member and his or her chair or dean to maximize utility for the faculty member. • Junior Scholar Leave must be completed in a single semester. It cannot be split between two semesters, or used to provide partial salary support for two semesters.
Tenure Review Year • You complete the Promotion Application Part II and provide any additional materials required by your school – usually in the late Spring or early Summer before the academic year in which your tenure decision will be made • Part II is available in our Forms Library: http://www.bu.edu/provost/resources/fas/forms-library/ • Dean will solicit external evaluations
External Letters • Solicited by the Dean and/or Chair – you have no role in this – you may suggest up to 3 names in Part II, but they will be automatically considered “not arm’s length,” so proceed with caution • 10-12 letters will be needed for your case, predominantly arm’s length • All evaluators are asked the same questions about all candidates • We seek evaluations from people at peer+ institutions for your discipline, “un-solicited” letters have no place in our process • All levels see the same letters
External Letters – What We Ask We ask that you begin by describing any relationship you might have with Professor XXXX 1. What is the scholarly and/or creative work that has earned him/her national or international recognition? 2. How does s/he compare to others at similar stages in their careers and to the best [researchers/scholars/artists] in the field when they were at a comparable stage? Specific comparisons are often helpful. 3. How would you rate her/his future promise? 4. We would appreciate your comments on the candidate’s service to the profession at the local, national or international level. 5. Do you have first hand knowledge of the candidate’s effectiveness as a teacher or mentor? If so, we would appreciate your insights on those activities as well. 6. Finally, we would greatly appreciate your candid opinion as to whether Professor XX would be promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, at your institution.
Process once Dossier is Complete Department faculty at rank and above Chair School APT Dean UAPT (cases due by February 1) Provost President Decision by May 15 – how will you hear?
Updates • Send in new information any time during the review year – please let us know if you have a new acceptance, grant, honor of any kind • Contact your Dean’s Office if your update is before Feb 1, or the Provost’s Office (Elaine Bidianos or me) if after Feb 1
Positive Decision • You will hear by May 15; all decisions (positive and negative) are transmitted at the same time • We contact your Dean and send a certified letter to your home address • Depending on your full semesters of full-time service, you may be eligible for a sabbatical leave as early as the next Fall • You will receive an automatic promotion raise of 10%, effective in September (the beginning of the next academic year, when all raises are effective). This is in addition to a normal merit raise.
