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  1. Home

School of Business Administration: Promotion and Tenure Criteria

March 2004

PART I

Preamble

This document develops guidelines for faculty scholarly activities, and suggests standards and performance evaluation measures. The document is expected to assist faculty members in the preparation of their professional development plans and scholarly activities, and to assist those who perform evaluations for the purposes of contract renewals, promotion and tenure recommendations, as well as for annual performance reviews.

Supporting Materials

The Faculty Committee representing all functional areas, ranks, and locations referred to the following documents in the development of the Promotion and Tenure Review criteria.

The mission statement of the School of Business Administration
The UniSCOPE guidelines developed by the University
HR – 23 Policy and Administrative Guidelines

Additionally, extensive consultation and discussions were held within the School.

Guiding Principles

Unified Nature of Scholarship 

The faculty members of the School of Business Administration are in accord with the idea that scholarship is composed of three generic functions:  the discovery and integration, the application, and the transmission of knowledge.  Scholarship so conceived speaks to the unity underlying academic work and helps us to discern the synergies among plans, scholarly activities and outcomes.

Multiplicity of Scholarship  

As faculty members we recognize that scholarship operates in various forms and that no one form of scholarship (i.e., teaching, research, and service) is superior to another. However, this does not mean that the SBA faculty members must allocate equal time to each type of scholarship or performance activity. A faculty member’s professional interests and academic pursuits often change over the his/her professional life. Accordingly, a faculty member may pursue more of a certain form of scholarship than another.

Multiple Pathways to Excellence

While the School collectively seeks excellence in Teaching, Research, and Service; an individual faculty member is expected to serve the mission of the School/ College/University by carefully selecting his/her spheres of influence, and to excel in the chosen areas of scholarship. In other words, it is realized that there is more than one way to excel professionally and serve the mission of the School. Thus, each faculty member's portfolio of performance activities may develop uniquely as the faculty members excel in their chosen areas.

Statement of Overall Expectation

All faculty members have a core responsibility for teaching, research and service. However, each faculty member is not expected to devote equal efforts or to produce equivalent outputs in each area of responsibility. A faculty member must develop a suitable portfolio of activities pertaining to teaching, research and service. The portfolio should reflect a faculty member’s rank, tenure or appointment status, and area of expertise. With respect to these core responsibilities, the portfolio should identify the faculty member's contributions as relating to the discovery, integration, application or educational conveyance of knowledge to our diverse stakeholders.

To elaborate further, activities within the three primary responsibilities of teaching, research and service are classified as either core activities or enhanced activities.  A core activity is a scholarly activity that each SBA faculty member must perform.  These core activities are necessary to meet our obligations towards our stakeholders in a most satisfactory manner, and their fulfillment helps us serve the overall mission of the School, the Capital College and the University.

Fulfillment of core activities, while necessary, is not sufficient to meet our responsibilities. A faculty member needs to engage into enhanced activities of his/her choice within at least two of the three primary areas of responsibility as well. An enhanced activity is one that goes beyond our core responsibilities.  An illustrative list of enhanced activities within each primary area of responsibility of Teaching, Research, and Service is provided in the Appendix.

In summary, each faculty member must perform core activities within each of the primary responsibilities of teaching, research, and service, and must also demonstrate additional performance by carefully selecting some of the enhanced activities consistent with the standards of the School.

Evaluation

For promotion and tenure purposes, faculty performance would be judged using the University’s accepted scale, ranging from excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory.

For annual performance reviews, the rating categories are exceeding expectations, meeting expectations, and in need of improvement.

The assessment of a faculty member’s performance is determined by the impact and relevancy of the faculty member’s activities in teaching, research and service scholarships.  Impact is defined by the influence of the faculty member’s scholarship on the School, College, University, students, other stakeholders, and the profession.  Relevancy is determined by the relationship of the scholarly activity to the missions of the SBA, Capital College, and University.  Faculty members are encouraged to demonstrate the impact and relevancy of their activities.

PART II

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

The School of Business Administration values excellence in the development and delivery of business courses, curriculum, and academic programs to a wide variety of audiences including undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, and other seekers of education.

Core Activities

Each faculty member shall teach courses, advise students, supervise student work, and participate in curriculum development efforts.

Standards

The Standards for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning may include:

  1. Competency in classroom instruction
  2. Currency in course content
  3. Use of appropriate instructional technology

Please note that core activities ought to be performed by each faculty member. Further, the faculty member is expected to choose some combination of enhanced activities to demonstrate fulfillment of performance expectations. An illustrative list of enhanced activities is provided in the Appendix. This list is not inclusive and an individual faculty member may choose other appropriate activities.

The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishments

The School of Business Administration values excellence in basic, applied, pedagogical, and interdisciplinary research.  The research output may come in various forms such as publications, presentations, technical assistance, and application of faculty expertise to meet the needs of our internal and external stakeholders.

Core Activities

Each tenured and tenure track faculty member shall publish scholarly papers in refereed journals and other similar publications appropriate to a faculty member’s tenure status.

All faculty members are expected to maintain currency of their knowledge by attending academic conferences/workshops, presenting research, and providing their expertise to external stakeholders.

Standards

The Standards for the Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishments may include:

  1. Relevancy in research
  2. Currency in areas of research topics
  3. Consistency in research productivity
  4. Use of appropriate methodology
  5. Focused research agenda

Please note that core activities ought to be performed by each faculty member. Further, the faculty member is expected to choose some combination of enhanced activities to demonstrate fulfillment of performance expectations. An illustrative list of enhanced activities is provided in the Appendix. This list is not inclusive and an individual faculty member may choose other appropriate activities.

Service and the Scholarship of Service to the University, Society, and the Profession

The School of Business Administration values active participation of its faculty members in applying their expertise to improve the school, college and university, the profession, as well as business, community, and other stakeholders. 

Core Activities

Each faculty shall participate in a) academic governance at the School/College/University level, b) academic advising of students, and c) activities of professional and learned societies.

Additionally, faculty members are expected to respond to the community and government needs.

Standards

The Standards for the Scholarship of Service may include:

  1. Effective participation
  2. Applications of expertise
  3. Effective mentoring

Please note that core activities ought to be performed by each faculty member. Further, the faculty member is expected to choose some combination of enhanced activities to demonstrate fulfillment of performance expectations. An illustrative list of enhanced activities is provided in the Appendix. This list is not inclusive and an individual faculty member may choose other appropriate activities.

APPENDIX

Sample List of Core and Enhanced Activities

Below is a list of core and enhanced activities under each of our primary responsibilities of teaching, research and service. Core responsibilities are expected to be performed by every faculty member. Additionally, a faculty member must select enhanced activities from at least two of the three areas of primary responsibilities of Teaching, Research, and Service.

Please note that all of the below listed enhanced activities need not be performed nor the selection of enhanced activities is limited to the ones listed below.

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Core Activities:

Each faculty member shall teach courses, advise students, supervise student work, and participate in curriculum development efforts.

Enhanced Activities (Application of Knowledge)

  • Supervising student projects, internships, independent studies, master papers, and dissertations
  • Advising student clubs
  • Participating in Continuing Education programs, seminars, and workshops
  • Professional training courses and workshops
  • Including current instructional technology (e.g., Canvas, appropriate discipline specific software, web based material) in course delivery

Enhanced Activities (Discovery of Knowledge)

  • Including innovations in development of new courses
  • Adopting course improvements and new methods of teaching established courses
  • Developing of case studies, software, experiential exercises, and innovative course material
  • Conveying insights from coursework
  • Participating in seminars and workshops to enhance teaching skills
  • Conveying insights from graduate thesis and dissertations

Enhanced Activities (Integration of Knowledge)

  • Engaging in cross-disciplinary teaching
  • Engaging in multi-disciplinary teaching
  • Teaching integrative courses
  • Delivering special topics courses
  • Delivering conceptual courses
  • Engaging students in problem solving
  • Engaging in students critical thinking

Possible Outcome Measures for Evaluation of Teaching Scholarship

The following are some of the outcome measures that might be used by the committees to evaluate a candidate’s performance in teaching and learning scholarship. Some of these measures, as indicated below, are quantitative and others are qualitative in nature.

Quantitative Measures

  • SRTE scores: means and variance relative to SBA scores.
  • Distribution of teaching (SRTE) scores (percent of each score)
  • Variability of SRTE scores
  • Improvement of teaching (trend in scores)
  • Number of preparations
  • Number of graduate papers supervised
  • Number of memberships on graduate degree candidates’ committees
  • Number of independent studies supervised.
  • Number of different courses taught per semester.
  • Number of new preparations
  • Number of students in class
  • Number of new courses developed
  • Number of student projects supervised

Qualitative Measures

  • Pedagogy (restructuring, incorporating new developments, integration of technology, new teaching methodology, case method, etc)
  • Types of courses (e.g. subject matter, required vs. elective, etc.)
  • Levels of courses (e.g. graduate vs. undergraduate)
  • Peer review of teaching performance
  • Student comments (most liked, least liked)
  • Number of students advised and its quality
  • Methods of evaluating student performance (e.g., rigor of exams and assignments, cases, collaborative learning techniques and other forms of evaluation)
  • Other appropriate quantitative and qualitative measures

The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishments

Core Activities

Each tenured and tenure track faculty member shall publish scholarly papers in refereed journals and other similar publications appropriate to a faculty member’s tenure status.

All faculty members are expected to maintain currency of their knowledge by attending academic conferences/workshops, presenting research, and providing their expertise to external stakeholders.

Enhanced Activities (Application of Knowledge)

  • Publishing refereed proceedings (where applicable)
  • Publishing books or monographs
  • Publishing parts of books or monographs
  • Publishing articles in non-refereed journals
  • Publishing articles in-house organs (e.g. Working Paper Series, SBA Link)
  • Submitting research reports to sponsor
  • Preparing manuscripts in progress
  • Publishing reviews of books and articles
  • Engaging in other publications
  • Developing software and manuals
  • Engaging in creative accomplishments
  • Speaking at meetings
  • Participating in seminars and workshops

Enhanced Activities (Discovery of Knowledge)

  • Engaging in research projects, grants, contracts
  • Producing original works

Enhanced Activities (Integration of Knowledge)

  • Utilizing multidisciplinary & integrative research
  • Participating in cross-disciplinary teams
  • Integrating of creative works from several fields

Enhanced Activities (Transmission of Knowledge)

  • Supervising student laboratories
  • Supervising thesis and dissertation research
  • Delivering technical reports
  • Pursuing further academic studies and degrees achieved
  • Participating in continuing professional education

Possible Outcome Measures for Research Scholarship Evaluation

Quantitative Measures

  • Number and type of publications (e.g., journals, proceedings, working papers, books, book chapters, others)
  • Number and type of presentations (e.g., technical, professional society, workshops, in-house)
  • Number, type and quality of grants and reports to sponsors

Qualitative Measures

  • Focused research (concentrations in well-defined subject areas)
  • Quality of publications (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, proceedings articles, citations, translation of work into other languages)
  • Quality of presentations (e.g., peer-reviewed selection process)
  • Consistency of productivity (publication over an extended period)
  • Development of working papers and proceedings into scholarly publications
  • Development of research skills (e.g., workshops attended, editor comments)
  • Other outcomes of research scholarship
  • Receiving honors or awards for scholarship

Service and the Scholarship of Service to the University, Society, and the Profession

Core Activities

Each faculty shall participate in a) academic governance at the School/College/University level, b) academic advising of students, and c) activities of professional and learned societies.

Additionally, faculty members are expected to respond to the community and government needs.

Enhanced Activities (Application of Knowledge)

  • Engaging in peer-review activities (e.g.. Textbook grant proposals, manuscript reviews for journals and conferences)
  • Editing of journals and professional publications

Enhanced Activities (Discovery of Knowledge)                      

  • Participating in task forces, think tanks, and other problem solving activities
  • Conveying creative, theoretical, or conceptual insights as a result of service to society

Enhanced Activities (Integration of Knowledge) 

  • Assisting to corporations, government, and communities in ways that involves integration across disciplines
  • Providing assistance in one’s field to the public
  • Engaging in academic administration and providing assistance to academic administration

Enhanced Activities (Transmission of Knowledge) 

  • Advising student activities and organizations
  • Mentoring students
  • Mentoring peers
  • Giving service to media and community organizations
  • Supervising internships
  • Supervising service learning
  • Giving expert testimony, and performing consulting, and advisory services
  • Securing grants and contracts for training programs

Possible Outcome Measures for Service Scholarship Evaluation

  • Type, level, number and quality of contribution of committees participated in
  • Leadership and quality of leadership of committees
  • Type, number and quality of contribution of editing of journals, books, etc
  • Type, number and quality of contribution to professional societies
  • Type, number and quality of contribution to businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations
  • A record of contributions (aside from membership alone) to the committees, task forces, and goal teams of (a) the School of Business Administration, (b)  College and (c) University; evidence of results and effectiveness of such efforts
  • Awards for services rendered
  • Work with student associations
  • Outreach activities demonstrating applied scholarship including School’s contractual and consulting projects
  • Participation in college and/or University-wide governance bodies and related activities
  • Participation at conferences as chair, discussant, reviewer, panel organizer, and panel member
  • Record of administrative support work
  • Record of contributions to enhance equal opportunity and cultural diversity
  • Participation in community affairs as a representative of the University
  • Record of service to governmental agencies, industry and public and private organizations
  • Active participation in professional and learned societies, e.g., offices held, committee work, and other responsibilities
  • Record of supervising and evaluating internships
  • Number of talks to the public
  • Service as expert witness

 

Unanimously approved by the School of Business Administration Faculty on Friday, March 26, 2004

Academic Guidelines and Policies

  • A-1. Management of Special Courses
  • A-2. Final Examination Policy
  • A-3. Obtaining Approval for Simultaneous [Concurrent] Degrees and Multiple Majors [With Sample Form]
  • A-4. Establishment and Management of Centers, Institutes, and Consortia
  • A-5. Moving, Sharing, Acquiring, Offering, and Proposing University or College Majors and Minors at Capital College
  • A-6. Management of First Year Seminar
  • A-7. Administration of the First-Year Seminar Requirement at Penn State Harrisburg, the Capital College
  • A-8. Limitations on Registering for More Than 19 Credits per Semester
  • A-9. Hybrid Courses
  • A-10: Online Courses
  • A-11. Graduation Requirements
  • C-1. Selecting the Capital College Faculty Commencement Marshal
  • C-2. Governing Commencement Ceremony Practices at Capital College
  • C-4. Cancellation of Classes Unrelated to Weather
  • C-5. College Operations during Periods of Inclement or Dangerous Weather Conditions or Other Weather-Related Emergencies
  • C-6. Inviting and Receiving Short-Term (Six Months or Less) International Scholars to Penn State Capital College
  • C-7. Academic Integrity Policy - Penn State Harrisburg, the Capital College Implementation
  • F-1. Implementation of the AC-40 Extended Review
  • F-2. Summer Compensation for Teaching Faculty
  • F-3. Compensation for Faculty Performing Non-Teaching Duties During Summer Sessions
  • F-4. Governing Overload Compensation for Faculty
  • F-5: Use of the Penn State Global Funds
  • F-6. Internship Compensation during Summer Session
  • F-7. Faculty Consulting Agreements
  • F-8. Capital College Faculty Teaching at Other Penn State Locations
  • F-9. Course Release for Faculty Senate Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Senate Officers
  • F-10. Processing New Adjunct Faculty (FT2)
  • F-11. Faculty Workload Policy
  • F-12. Academic Policies and Forms for Graduate Programs
    • Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Student Processes
  • F-13 A. Promotion and Tenure Criteria for Penn State Harrisburg, The Capital College
    • School of Behavioral Sciences and Education: Promotion and Tenure Criteria
    • School of Business Administration: Promotion and Tenure Criteria
    • School of Humanities: Promotion and Tenure Criteria
    • School of Public Affairs: Promotion and Tenure Criteria
    • School of Science, Engineering and Technology: Promotion and Tenure Criteria
  • F-13 B. Guidelines and Criteria for Promotion for Full-Time Non-Tenure Line Faculty
    • School of Behavioral Sciences and Education: Promotion for Full-Time Non-Tenure Line Faculty
    • School of Business Administration: Promotion for Full-Time Non-Tenure Line Faculty
    • School of Humanities: Promotion for Full-Time Non-Tenure Line Faculty
    • School of Public Affairs: Promotion for Full-Time Non-Tenure Line Faculty
    • School of Science, Engineering and Technology : Promotion for Full-Time Non-Tenure Line Faculty
  • F-14. Faculty Salary Supplements
  • R-1. Guidelines Governing the Submission, Administration, of Grants and Contracts at Capital College
  • S-1. Submission of Petitions to the University Faculty Senate
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