Promotion and Tenure criteria for Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Business Administration (SBA) faculty are consistent with the established missions and visions of the School, the College, and the University. 

Candidates for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in the School of Business Administration are expected to demonstrate effectiveness in teaching; accumulate a recognized body of scholarship; and perform service using their expertise for the benefit of the School, College, University, larger community, and profession.

For promotion to Professor, candidates must demonstrate significant accomplishments beyond those presented at the time of promotion to Associate Professor. The candidate must show continued effectiveness as a teacher; a level of research and scholarship sufficient to earn a national reputation for excellence; and ongoing performance in service to the College, University, the public, and the profession.

There is more than one way to excel professionally and serve the mission of the School.  Thus, each faculty member’s performance portfolio may develop uniquely as the faculty member excels in his or her professional activities. It is the responsibility of the School Promotion and Tenure Committee to fairly and accurately assess the contributions of individual faculty in support of the School’s mission and vision regarding teaching, research and service. 

Teaching

Teaching duties should include an appropriate mix of undergraduate and graduate classes as well as resident and online instruction based upon the School’s needs and the candidate’s interests. Teaching duties may not only be limited to the classroom. Additional duties also include: the mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students through independent study and research projects, advising, and the supervision of Honors Theses, Masters Papers/Theses, and Dissertations. 

Effective teaching may involve: 

  1. Developing well-designed and challenging courses which present material indicative of the state of knowledge in the fields being taught;
  2. Teaching courses at the undergraduate and graduate level in keeping with the School’s needs and the candidate’s interests;
  3. Teaching courses in resident format and in online format in keeping with the School’s needs and the candidate’s interests;
  4. Supervising independent studies and chairing and/or serving on master’s papers/theses and doctoral committees; and supervision of undergraduate research, including Honors theses;
  5. Demonstrating a commitment to growth and improvement of the craft of teaching, as evidenced by participating in workshops and developing new methods and/or new courses;
  6. Maintaining accessibility to students enrolled in the candidate’s courses as well as to advisees;
  7. Engaging in advising activities;
  8. Participating in curricular and programmatic development for purposes of reaccreditation, improvement, development and/or review;
  9. Immersing students in content in innovative ways, including organization of or involvement in conferences, panels, and field trips; 
  10. Other documented supported activities as deemed appropriate.

The following three indicators will be used to measure teaching performance:

  1. Student evaluations (based on analysis of SRTE scores and the School Director’s analysis of student comments on SRTEs);
  2. Peer review of courses (a minimum of two peer evaluations for each review period, a mix of courses, and a mix faculty across programs). In that event Quality of course material such as syllabi, exams and course presentations;
  3. additional indicators may include portfolio assessment (as outlined in AC-23 Administrative Guidelines).

Research

The SBA values excellence in basic, applied, and interdisciplinary research as well as pedagogical scholarship. The School recognizes the importance of the diverse research philosophies, epistemologies, and methodologies that are represented in its faculty. Programmatic differences between publication norms should be respected and evaluated based upon research areas of the candidate.  

SBA faculty are expected to maintain a sustained record of quality research productivity and to develop an identifiable focus or theme(s) for their scholarly endeavors that contributes to a national reputation of academic excellence. A reputation for excellence in research and scholarship is also judged by peers at comparable or aspirant academic institutions. A balance between the quantity and quality of the candidate’s research publication record is expected. 

The research activity of faculty members may include a combination of the scholarly activities outlined in AC-23, but a combination of the following activities is considered primarily important for the School of Business Administration.

  1. Articles in refereed journals;
  2. Academic books or parts thereof; 
  3. Articles in professional publications;
  4. Peer-reviewed proceedings and abstracts;
  5. Articles in non-refereed journals;
  6. Book and essay reviews;
  7. Textbooks;
  8. Invited presentations and publications;
  9. Research reports to sponsors and technical reports;
  10. A record of continuous productivity in the preparation of papers for professional meetings;
  11. Editing of symposia for refereed journals;
  12. A record of outreach or other activities in which there was significant use of the candidate’s expertise (consulting, reviewer for refereed journals, journal editor, peer review of grants, speaking engagements, services to governmental agencies, professional and industrial associations, educational institutions, etc.);
  13. A record of securing competitive grants and contracts. Successful grant/contract recipients are expected to disseminate the research products of their grants/contracts to the pertinent stakeholders and/or publish their findings in refereed journals, when appropriate.
  14. Other documented activities as deemed appropriate.

Service

In addition to their research activities and instructional responsibilities, faculty members should  make meaningful service contributions through active involvement in committee work and engaged citizenship. The SBA values quality faculty service to units of the University, including the Program and School; to their discipline and profession; and to the broader community to which they belong.  While the relative emphasis in the three areas may vary by individual faculty member choice, some activity in each area is expected. These contributions should increase over the review cycles. 

 Performance is measured by indicators including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. A record of contribution to the success of the program, School, College and the University, through involvement in and leadership of committees and related activities;
  2. Academic, athletic, artistic or active advisory participation with student organizations;
  3. Participation in recruitment and retention activities;
  4. Participation in development/fundraising activities;
  5. Serving on committees in professional organizations;
  6. Offices held in professional or disciplinary associations;
  7. Award and recognition by such organizations; 
  8. Use of expertise to benefit organizations, institutions, governmental agencies communities and society; 
  9. Engagement with the public that makes use of the expertise and interests of the faculty member, including speaking appearances, interaction with the media, working with elementary and secondary schools, and writing outside of scholarly outlets (e.g., op-ed pieces).
  10. Other documented supported activities as deemed appropriate.

Guidelines for Promotion to Full Professor 

In addition to the SBA criteria on promotion and tenure, the following guidelines provide additional requirements for promotion to Full Professor. A Professor should embody the ethical standards of the University. A Professor should continue to be an exemplar in the areas of teaching, research and service. 

A Professor should continue to refine and improve the craft of teaching, be a resource for junior faculty who would like to improve their teaching, offer constructive criticism to colleagues following peer-review of teaching, and/or be actively engaged with undergraduate and graduate students. 

A Professor in the School of Business Administration has established a reputation for excellence in his or her field of expertise; while international recognition is valued, a successful candidate must have earned a national scholarly reputation.  Indicators of national recognition include, but are not limited to, citations of research and personal research impact. 

In addition to regular publication of scholarly research in refereed journals, books and/or trade magazines, a Professor is considered a leader in his or her chosen field of research as shown by editorships and/or memberships on boards, by holding leadership positions in professional and/or academic organizations, and/or holding significant appointments in organizations. An additional indicator of achieving national/international recognition may include securing external competitive state/national/international research grants in one’s area of expertise. A Professor has established and maintained a consistent level of research productivity. A Professor brings the findings of research into current and newly developed courses and programs. 

A Professor provides leadership in program management, mentoring junior faculty, and aiding in students’ professional and/or academic development. A Professor directs undergraduate and graduate students’ research that reflects important research issues associated with his or her field of expertise. Within Penn State, a Professor takes leading roles in faculty governance through service on School, College and University committees. A Professor works with peers to ensure the quality of School, College and University endeavors. 


Approved by Academic Council on September 25, 2020
Revised and approved October 8, 2021