Promotion and Tenure Guidelines

Introduction

The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural resources (CAFNR) is dedicated to the maintenance of excellence in resident instruction/extension outreach, research, and service. Faculty excellence is dependent on selection, development and retention, the presence of encouraging and fair approaches to the awarding of tenure and promotions, and the judicious allocation of CAFNR resources. The following guidelines are to be used in the selection of faculty, and the awarding of tenure and promotion.

Part I - Faculty Selection

Part I is a discussion and listing of the major considerations in the selection of candidates for faculty membership for each of the academic ranks.

Assistant Professor
The candidate for an academic position at the rank of assistant professor should hold an earned doctoral degree or have demonstrated equivalent professional competence. The candidate should be self-motivated and have leadership and creative abilities. Evidence of these characteristics is to be demonstrated in the candidate's resume, portfolio/dossier, reference letters, and/or interviews. The candidate must show potential for excellence in the areas appropriate to the position sought.

Resident Instruction and Extension Outreach are partners in this goal. Our faculty must design instructional practices to benefit our diverse audiences. We must evaluate these activities within the context of the needs of the community they serve. Thus, exemplary Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach should exhibit elements such as the following:

A potential for growth and excellence in resident instruction/extension outreach based on the candidate's resume, portfolio/dossier, reference letters and/or interviews.
The ability to communicate clearly and the potential for growth in the communication of complex ideas.
The potential for growth in the ability to produce effective learning support materials in the form of course development, use of appropriate state-of-the-art delivery systems, and curricula development.
An interest in and potential for growth in the advisement of students.
An interest in and potential for growth in the advisement of student organizations.
Evidence of interest in and potential effective work with clientele groups.
Evidence of the potential to understand, evaluate and contribute to the solution of the problems of clients.
Evidence of working with others in the achievement of results.
Educational programs should be current and exhibit appropriate scholarship in the field.
Evidence of quality in research and potential for continued development in research.
Potential to relate research findings to other areas.
Potential for contribution to the productivity of other faculty.
Published and publishable work may be demonstrated in a variety of forms that include: completed theses, articles, audio/video or public presentations, computer programs, or other appropriate delivery channels for quality, scholarly work.
Potential to secure resources to support an independent research program.
Potential to make significant contributions to the profession.
Potential for recognition as a leader in the profession.
Potential to work collaboratively and cooperatively with professional colleagues.
Potential to contribute to the achievement of the goals of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
Interest in serving on division, departmental, college and university committees.

Associate Professor
The candidate for an academic position at the rank of associate professor should hold an earned doctoral degree or have demonstrated equivalent professional competence. The candidate should be self-motivated and have leadership and creative abilities. Evidence of these characteristics is to be demonstrated in the candidate's resume, portfolio/dossier, reference letters and/or interviews. The candidate must show developing excellence in the areas appropriate to the individual's assignment.

Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach
An important part of the mission of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is to facilitate learning among a broad range of students/clients. These include traditional and nontraditional students as well as life-long learners. Indeed, the Land Grant mission can be summed up by a charge "to take the university to the citizens of the state." Resident Instruction and Extension Outreach are partners in this goal. Our faculty must design instructional practices to benefit our diverse audiences. We must evaluate these activities within the context of the needs of the community they serve. Thus, exemplary Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach should exhibit elements such as the following:

Effective resident instruction/extension outreach assessed by appropriate groups including students, clients, regional specialists, and colleagues.
Creative development and use of information delivery systems to support the learning process. These may include new courses, innovative curricula or novel delivery systems. Bulletins, computer programs, guide sheets, Internet publications, manuals, textbooks, and other media are additional examples of learning support materials.
Development and use of high quality educational activities that address the needs of specific learners when appropriate.
Sustained program of scholarship relevant to the demands of the discipline.
Professional development in both discipline specific and general education methodology.
Advising relevant to the clientele. This may include undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, student organizations, individuals, professional, or civic organizations.
Evidence of excellence in research and promise of continued growth.
Published work could be demonstrated in a variety of forms that include: refereed articles, completed theses, articles, books, films, video tapes, audio tapes, computer programs, public presentations, or other appropriate delivery channels for scholarly work.
Demonstrated ability to secure resources to support an independent research program.
Evidence of contributions to the research of colleagues.

Professional

Evidence of state and regional recognition as a leader in the profession.
Evidence of significant contributions to the profession.
Evidence of collaborative and cooperative relations with professional colleagues.
Linkages with international scientists and institutions are desirable.
Record of excellence in contributing to the goals of the CAFNR.
Record of excellence in serving on division, departmental, college and university committees.
Demonstrated excellence in providing information to the public.
Involvement with professional societies.

Professor

The candidate for an academic position at the rank of professor should hold an earned doctoral degree or have demonstrated equivalent professional competence. The candidate should be self- motivated and have leadership and creative abilities. Evidence of these characteristics is to be demonstrated in the candidate's resume, portfolio/dossier, reference letters and/or interviews. The candidate must demonstrate excellence in the areas appropriate to the individual's assignment.

Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach

An important part of the mission of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is to facilitate learning among a broad range of students/clients. These include traditional and nontraditional students as well as life-long learners. Indeed, the Land Grant mission can be summed up by a charge "to take the university to the citizens of the state." Resident Instruction and Extension Outreach are partners in this goal. Our faculty must design instructional practices to benefit our diverse audiences. We must evaluate these activities within the context of the needs of the community they serve. Thus, exemplary Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach should exhibit elements such as the following:

Should be recognized by colleagues and students/clientele as a stimulating, inspiring and effective educator.
Educational programs should be current and exhibit appropriate scholarship in the field.
Should have produced a body of work demonstrating excellence in the production of effective learning support materials which may be in the form of course development, improved resident instruction/extension outreach techniques, use of state-of-the-art delivery systems, curricula development, scholarship, workbooks, guides and/or textbooks.
Should have effectively advised graduate and/or postdoctoral students.
Should have a record of having taken the initiative and involvement in appropriate curriculum improvement.
Should have a record of having applied innovative approaches to educational experiences when appropriate.
A sustained pursuit of excellence in the improvement and development of scholarly competence.
Should have a record of organization advisement, if applicable.
Should have demonstrated the ability to mentor colleagues as they initiate and complete programs that contribute to the solution of problems.

Research

Should be recognized by national and international experts, known for their achievements in the discipline of the candidate, as having produced significant research.
Sustained ability to secure resources to support an independent research program.
Published work could be demonstrated in a variety of forms that include: refereed articles, completed theses, articles, books, films, video tapes, audio tapes, computer programs, presentations, or other appropriate delivery channels for scholarly work.
Should have a record of having contributed to the research of colleagues.

Professional

Nationally recognized expert in a field of specialization.
Active involvement in national or international professional or scientific societies.
Significant record of publication and dissemination of scholarly work.
Sustained record of scholarly productivity and professional contributions.
Evidence of contributions to the professional development of junior faculty.

Service

A record of excellence in contributing to the achievement of CAFNR goals.
A record of excellence in service on departmental, division, college, and university committees.
A record of excellence in providing information to the public.
A record of excellence in cooperation with other agencies meeting public needs.

Part II - Faculty Promotion

Part II is a discussion and listing of the areas of consideration in faculty promotion.

Promotion

The professorial appointee should anticipate and prepare for advancement to full professor at the University of Missouri. To this end, the CAFNR's faculty and administration expect academic appointees to compile evidence of their productivity, creativity and professional development. The review for promotion is one of the mechanisms for demonstrating these achievements.

The duty assignments (appointment allocations) for each professor are agreed to by the division leader and the professor at the time of hiring, documented in writing and reviewed annually. Redefinitions of these assignments will be documented in the annual evaluations by the division leader and in written responses by the professor to these evaluations. It is understood that these duties will include, singly or in combination, assignments in resident instruction/extension outreach, research, and service. The faculty is expected to demonstrate productivity, creativity and professional development in those areas of assigned responsibility.

A faculty member to be considered for promotion should have demonstrated professional excellence in the areas of assigned responsibility.

Evaluation of the candidate's accomplishments in Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach, and Research are of primary importance in the promotion process. However, advising and service, while insufficient in themselves, are necessary adjuncts.

Professional development in the form of a significant renewal experience is strongly recommended prior to promotion to full professor. Appropriate international experience is recommended as a possible component of that renewal process.

The development of criteria and guidelines by which to determine standards of excellence for promotion purposes is the responsibility of the faculty of the department that includes the faculty member's discipline or area of expertise.

The following concerns are highlighted as areas to which departments should give special attention as they review, revise and develop their specific criteria of excellence for promotion considerations.

Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach

An effective educator communicates, stimulates and innovates. A productive educator will actively seek to improve resident instruction/extension outreach methodology, develop new courses or programs where needed, adopt appropriate new media, and demonstrate a sustained effort toward professional development. Professional development includes using relevant instructional techniques and incorporating recent subject matter developments. Examples of scholarship include published workbooks, guides, textbooks, films, video presentations, and/or computer programs.

Advising

An able advisor will have a record of advisement of students as they, in turn, have successfully completed their undergraduate and graduate programs of study.

Research

It is expected that every faculty member will undertake creative effort leading to publication. The quality, quantity and contribution of the creative work to society and professional community is at issue. The body of work should demonstrate a sustained, high quality, scholarly effort. The mature practitioner should have a record of competitive funding if the research is in an area which is funded externally.

Service

A faculty member should have a record of service including department, division, college, university, state and/or national committees. Candidates should be active participants in professional organizations and/or service organizations. Candidates should have participated in efforts to inform the public of the contributions being made by the CAFNR.

In promotion considerations, the total contribution of the faculty member to the mission of the college and university over a sustained period of time is to be taken into consideration.

No rigid timetable is established for promotions since they depend upon individual accomplishments. Promotions to each rank shall be guided by the same criteria used in initial faculty selection for those ranks as detailed in Part I.

Part III - Tenure

Part III is a discussion and listing of the main areas of consideration in the awarding of tenure.

University Context

The Academic Tenure Regulations of the University of Missouri, presently in effect, were approved by the Board of Curators on June 27, 1980.

Tenure is awarded by the Board of Curators based on recommendations by the faculty committees and administrators which are consistent with criteria established by the faculty. It is the current (1988) policy of the University of Missouri to withhold tenure until the end of the maximum probationary period outlined in the Academic Tenure Regulations. According to the regulations, the tenure decision must be made no later than the sixth year of service for instructors and assistant professors, the fourth year for associate professors, and the third year for professors. It is the policy of the CAFNR not to grant tenure to instructors.

Two basic questions should be asked in any case where tenure is at issue. First, is whether the candidate would contribute positively to the overall quality of the department's tenured staff. Second, is whether the candidate is likely to maintain or improve their contributions to the division over the long term period typically involved in a tenured appointment. The department, division, college, and university ought not accept a long-term obligation if there is substantial doubt on either of these points. Because tenure has consequences of long life and great magnitude, it should be awarded only when the best interests of the University of Missouri and the CAFNR is clearly served by doing so. This is the overriding criterion.

Areas of Consideration

Tenure may be awarded to a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in the areas of assigned responsibility.

The areas of resident instruction/extension outreach, and research, singly or in combination, are of primary importance. However, advising and service, while insufficient in themselves, are necessary adjuncts.

Excellence in all areas should be consistent with the established academic standards for each discipline and will be determined according to criteria and guidelines established by the faculty of the department that contains the faculty member's discipline or area of expertise.

The following concerns are highlighted as areas to which departments should give special attention as they review, revise and develop their specific criteria of excellence for tenure considerations.

Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach

An effective educator communicates, stimulates, and innovates. A productive educator will actively seek to improve resident instruction/extension outreach methodology, develop new courses or programs where needed, adopt appropriate new media, and demonstrate a sustained effort toward professional development. Professional development includes using relevant instructional techniques and incorporating recent subject matter developments. Examples of scholarship include published workbooks, guides, textbooks, films, video presentations, and/or computer programs.

Advising

An able advisor will have a record of advisement of students as they, in turn, have successfully com-pleted their undergraduate and graduate programs of study.

Research

It is expected that every faculty member will undertake creative effort leading to advancement of the profession as evidenced by scholarly publications. The quality, quantity, and contribution of the creative work to society and professional community is at issue. The body of work should demonstrate a sustained, high quality, scholarly effort.

Service

A candidate will have a record of sustained, effective service including department, division, college, university, state and/or national committees. Candidates will be active participants in professional organizations and/or service organizations. Candidates will have participated in efforts to inform the public of the contributions being made by the CAFNR.

The granting of tenure gives the faculty member the right to be free from dismissal without cause. Tenure is indispensable to the success of an institution of higher education in fulfilling its obligations to the common good. Therefore, tenure should only be awarded to individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the enhancement of the scholarly activities expected of the faculty of the university.

Part IV - Promotion and Tenure Process

Part IV is a detailing of the steps and approximate dates of the year of application for the promotion and tenure process at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Major Steps

The procedure for tenure and promotion begins with the assignment of responsibility at the time of the initial appointment. The candidates should begin building a portfolio/dossier from that initial date of employment.

All entry-level faculty are required to have a three year review. After being a faculty member in CAFNR for three years, the candidate will prepare a dossier using the same guidelines as those being considered for promotion and tenure. The three-year review process consists of:

A departmental vote on evaluation of the candidate's progress toward reaching the goals of promotion and tenure.
A letter written by the departmental promotion and tenure committee to the candidate and the Division Leader evaluating the candidates potential for promotion and tenure.
A letter written by the Division Leader to the candidate and the CAFNR Promotion and Tenure Committee (CPTC) evaluating the candidate's potential for promotion and tenure.
Consideration by the CPTC.
CPTC writes a detailed letter to the candidate and the CAFNR Dean evaluating the candidates potential for promotion and tenure.
Consideration by the Dean of CAFNR. The Dean informs the candidate on the outcome of the three-year review.

When the time comes for promotion and tenure, the three year review letter written by the CAFNR Dean shall be part of the dossier.

An approximate timetable for the promotion and tenure process is given below. The annual review facilitates the dossier-building process.

About mid-April in the year of a tenure and/or promotion application, the division leader begins to solicit outside letters of recommendation and evaluation on behalf of the candidate. The names are chosen in consultation with the candidate according to the rules established by the Provost.

An important part of the evaluation process is to obtain impartial, external letters of reference regarding the candidate's scholarly performance and professional stature. Each external letter should represent an independent and objective assessment of the candidate's accomplishments relative to explicit criteria for promotion and/or tenure. External referees should preferably:
- Be qualified faculty from Carnegie Research I institutions, peer land grant institutions, government agencies, or research organizations of national or international stature.
- Hold the rank of full professor or equivalent professional stature.
- Be a nationally recognized scholar.
- Not represent a "conflict of interest" in evaluating the candidate (i.e. former advisor, close personal friend, relative, etc.)
Qualifications of the referees must be provided in the dossiers. This is necessary so that committees considering the candidate will have a basis from which to judge statements made by designated referees on behalf of the candidate.
The portfolio/dossier is assembled by the candidate with the advice of the division leader or departmental promotion and tenure committee.

Extension activities will be included under Resident Instruction/Extension Outreach and not listed as a separate section in the candidate's promotion and/or tenure dossier. The transfer of information, whether it be in the classroom on campus or off campus must be of high quality and outcome based. Extension outreach is viewed at the University of Missouri as contributing to the overall resident instruction mission.

It is important to document resident instruction/extension outreach performance. Visits to the candidate's classroom or place of instruction can be valuable, but they should be made by at least two faculty observers for each of several courses or presentations. Visits should be made on more than one occasion to evaluate the candidates effectiveness as a teacher. Surveys or interviews with students, alumni, producers, and others can provide a perspective different from that of persons currently receiving instruction by the candidate. Anecdotal comments from one or two people are generally not perceived as useful for evaluating the candidate. If information in this category is to be developed, it should be based on a method that can provide a legitimate sample of views. Perhaps this information could best be presented in the Division Leader's letter written on behalf of the candidate.

Procedures used to evaluate the impact of learning whether it be in the classroom on campus or part of an extension outreach activity is encouraged. They might include results from surveys which measure the impact and hence the outcome of the resident instruction/extension outreach efforts of the candidate. Other provisions might include exceptional awards or recognition from students/clientele, evidence of students/clientele success, and so on.
The departmental promotion and tenure committee will evaluate the portfolio/dossier, vote on the candidate's worthiness, and prepare a recommendation in writing to become part of the record for the promotion and/or tenure file.
The division leader will prepare a summarizing letter containing those items required by the guidelines and a recommendation concerning tenure and/or promotion. The division leader will inform the candidate of this letter and recommendation in writing.
The complete portfolio/dossier and recommendations from the department are due in the Dean's Office by September 30.
The CPTC begins reviewing the portfolios/dossiers in October. If questions arise, the committee may request the testimony of the division leader. Such testimony may be given with or without the candidate being present. However, the candidate does have the option to be present. The college committee makes its recommendations to the Dean in late November and informs the division and candidate.
If the CPTC reports a negative recommendation back to the department, a request for a hearing may be made to the college committee by the division leader or candidate.
The Dean's recommendations are made to the provost, at which time the candidates receive notification of the Dean's recommendations. The provost refers the divisional recommendation and the complete portfolio/dossier to the Campus Promotion and Tenure Committee.
If the campus committee reports a negative recommendation back to the division, a request for hearing may be made to the campus committee by the Dean, division leader or candidate.
After the campus committee review and recommendation, the provost sends recommendations to the chancellor. The Dean is notified of the provost's recommendations and the Dean, in turn, notifies individual candidates of the recommendations sent forward by the provost.
After review of the portfolio/dossier by the president of the university, the chancellor notifies the provost and the provost notifies the candidate of the final decision.
If granted, promotion and tenure becomes effective on September 1 of the following academic year.

The candidates shall be kept informed of the status of their candidacy during each step of the tenure and/or promotion process. In cases of a negative recommendation, the candidate has the right to a hearing before the body/authority that made the negative judgment. In cases of a continued negative judgment, the candidate has the right to appeal to the next higher authority or body in the tenure and/or promotion process.

Important Dates

April 1 Candidate begins to assemble dossier and division leader submits (year of nomination) names of faculty to be considered for promotion and/or tenure to inform the Dean.
April 15 Division leader/departmental promotion and tenure committee requests supporting letters from peer reviewers.
August 15 Departmental/division review begins.
September 30 Complete dossiers, outside letters, department recommendations and division leader endorsements are due in the Dean's office.
October CPTC organizational meeting to receive their charge from the Dean, elect their chair and receive the portfolios/dossiers.
November 15 CPTC reports their recommendations to the Dean and Division/candidate.
December Dossiers, CPTC recommendations and the Dean's assessment are due in the provost's office to be referred to the campus committee.
September 1 (the following year) New appointments become effective.

Part V - Selecting Materials for the Portfolio/Dossier

Part V is a discussion of how candidates in the promotion and tenure process will be informed of how the system works and major factors to take into consideration in the preparation of portfolios/ dossiers.

Promotion and Tenure Workshop

Each year, the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources holds a general information session on the promotion and tenure process open to all faculty. At that time, faculty who have served on both the college-wide and campus-wide promotion and tenure committees are invited to share their experience with the process.

The primary administrative contact within the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources for promotion and tenure matters is the Dean. The Dean attends this session to provide perspective and advice in the promotion and tenure process. A promotion and tenure workshop, organized by the Dean's office, is held for the candidates and their division leaders. The purpose of this work session is to communicate details of the promotion and tenure process to candidates and answer any questions they may have.

Portfolio/Dossier Documentation

Clarity in the presentation of the portfolio/dossier is critical to the successful completion of the promotion and/or tenure process because the written documentation represents the candidate in the review process at the departmental, division, college and campus levels.

The format for promotion and tenure portfolios/dossiers has evolved through the years. The uniqueness of each candidate is important and, therefore, each candidate's portfolio/dossier will be different. However, there are important features that will be represented in each individual's portfolio/dossier.

The portfolio/dossier represents the candidate. It should be constructed by both the candidate and the division leader and contain evaluations of an individual's performance in the appropriate areas including resident instruction/extension outreach, research, and service, where appropriate to the individual's assignment.
Portfolio/dossiers should not exceed 20 pages. (Letters of reference and qualifications of referees are not included in the 20 pages.)
High value is placed on reliable and objective assessments of the quality of the candidate's performance in his/her assigned areas.
- When requesting these assessments, candidates should avoid former mentors or classmates. The candidate and division leader should select referees of reliable objectivity.
- The division leader/departmental promotion and tenure committee should initiate requests for letters from referees. A copy of each request letter should be placed in the candidate's portfolio/dossier.
- Referees should be encouraged to restrict themselves to concise statements of the significance and quality of the candidate's contributions. These considerations have proven to be particularly useful to those evaluating the portfolio/dossier and, ultimately, the candidate.
- Personal familiarity of referees with candidates and their work is necessary when, for example, detailed descriptions of resident instruction/extension outreach innovations and techniques are at issue.
Candidates will indicate by signature whether they waive the right of access to the letters of recommendation by outside reviewers.
Portfolios/dossiers need to show evidence that the performances being evaluated represent several years of effective and sustained achievement in the candidate's assigned areas of responsibility.
Verification of the professional standing and qualifications of the individuals providing letters of recommendation must be provided. The appendix of the portfolio/dossier is an appropriate place for such information.
The list of publications should indicate:
- Whether or not the publications are refereed;
- Estimated percent of the contribution of the candidate to scholarly activity in the publication;
- The judgment of the division leader's and referees' comments on the stature of the journals and publications in which publications appear; and,
- Whether a paper has appeared in print, or has been accepted (i.e., "in press," documentation of acceptance should be provided in the Appendix).
Updating of publication information should continue as the portfolio/dossier moves through the review process.
Publications, reprints and books are not to be forwarded with the portfolio/dossier for review, but should be available upon request.
Honors and awards should be explained.
- Factors contributing to the candidate's selection for the recognition should be outlined.
- The source of recognition should be given.
- The nature of competition for the recognition should be described.
Innovation and creativity in resident instruction/extension outreach, research, service, and international experiences are highly regarded attributes that distinguish the active, imaginative faculty member from others. Innovative and creative efforts should be documented and described in the appropriate categories within the applicant's portfolio/dossier.

(Guidelines revised April, 1997)
(approved by CAFNR faculty 12/97)