Purpose

The purpose of these promotion criteria is to recognize the cumulative exceptional accomplishments and contributions of regular full-time, non-tenure line faculty within the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education. This promotion is based on consistently demonstrated, outstanding growth and performance related to the individual's assignments in teaching and teaching-related activities, service, and professional development and contributions.

These criteria are intended to supplement Policy AC 21, Definition of Academic Ranks, Penn State Human Resources, version dated May 30, 2018.
Faculty who are eligible for promotion, as defined under the Penn State Harrisburg Guidelines for Non-Tenure Line Faculty Promotions, should meet with their School Director to discuss the promotion review process. The School Director, in consultation with the College Dean, will determine whether a candidate is qualified for review to a higher rank based on meritocracy. Once a candidate receives approval from the School Director, the candidate can prepare for the promotion review process.

Criteria for Promotion – Associate Teaching Professor

The same general principles as those used for tenure-track or tenured faculty shall be used for evaluating qualifications for appointment and promotion of non-tenure line faculty members. These will pertain to the specific duties and responsibilities that have been assigned and will include one or more of the following, as defined in section II of University Policy AC 23, Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations: 

  1. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; 
  2. The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishment; and
  3. The Scholarship of Service to the University, Society, and Profession.

The performance of the candidate for Associate Teaching Professor must consistently demonstrate, as appropriate within his/her professional assignment: 

  1. Excellence in teaching and teaching-related activities: Section Four of Penn State Harrisburg’s guidelines for non-tenure line faculty promotions require each school to develop specific promotion guidelines consistent with the needs of the school. Given the responsibilities that fall under the title Assistant Teaching Professor, the category of excellence in teaching and teaching-related activities is the most important category of the evaluation and should be given greater consideration than service or professional development. Evidence of demonstrated excellence in teaching should include, but is not limited to, Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (SRTE) and written student comments, peer evaluations, and other documentation of participation in curriculum support activities beyond teaching.
    1. SRTE and written comments – cumulative data on teaching performance dating back no more than five years should be evaluated that includes not only average SRTE scores, but also specific student comments. These data will be in the same format as is currently available for the full-time promotion and tenure process. SRTE scores should be considered one component of teaching assessment. Other measures of teaching effectiveness should also be used.
    2. Peer evaluations – evidence from at least two recent (not older than 3 years) documented peer evaluations should be presented. Peer evaluators should be experienced faculty of higher rank than the candidate.  In the event that peer teaching evaluations cannot be conducted in-person, they will be conducted remotely.
    3. Course and program-related advising – evidence of quality advising as related to the individual program and the mission and goals of the school and the university.
    4. Teaching-related activities – there should be evidence of participation in curriculum or teaching support activities that go beyond simply teaching assigned classes and labs. These activities may include, but are not limited to, course development or revision; course hybridization (developing part of the course for online delivery); course coordination; supervision of field placements, independent studies, courses by arrangement, and honors projects; etc.

      In providing evidence of teaching-related activities, the candidate should not just list the activities, but explain the impact. For example, if course coordination is used as evidence, the candidate should briefly describe the specific responsibilities and accomplishments over the last five years.
       
  2. Excellence in engaged scholarship: Candidates for promotion must demonstrate an ability to stay abreast of their academic discipline and/or the art of teaching through regular, active participation in professional development activities.  These can be documented through a variety of scholarly activities such as those presented by the faculty member in the annual Faculty Activity Reports. They may include, but are not limited to:
    1. Active participation in University-sponsored workshops, presentations, or seminars
    2. Active participation in professional meetings, conferences or symposia
    3. Active participation in research activities that support teaching and learning, such as pedagogical research
    4. Active participation in scholarly research, including presentations, publication, and leadership roles in professional workshops or seminars
    5. Creative work and accomplishments, including patents, inventions, grants, and publications
    6. Participation in clinics or camps
    7. Additional education in the primary or related field, which may or may not be directed toward a degree
    8. Grant activity.

      In providing evidence of professional development, the candidate should not just list the activities, but also briefly explain the impact of each activity on the candidate’s growth in disciplinary knowledge or teaching skill.  For example, if participation in a campus-sponsored teaching workshop is used as evidence, the candidate should briefly describe the purpose of the workshop and how the candidate applied the skills obtained to improve his/her teaching. Professional development activities need not be limited to the past five years but may in fact be mentioned in perpetuity.
       
  3. Excellence in service:  Service is valued and considered in the promotion review.  Service can be evidenced in many ways, including (but not limited to): 
    1. Program coordination, recruitment, and retention
    2. Part-time administrative assignments within a program, school, or campus
    3. Participation in committees at the program, school, campus or university level
    4.  Part-time administrative assignments within the program, school or campus
    5. Curriculum assessment activities
    6. Activities to support program accreditation
    7. Judging at university-sponsored, student competitions
    8. Service roles within professional societies (in addition to membership)
    9. Coordination and/or delivery of faculty seminars
    10. Community, regional or national service that brings value to the University and is representative of the University’s mission and values
    11. Coaching athletics
    12. Leading or facilitating camps or clinics
    13. Pro-bono work for non-profit organizations
    14. Organizing off-campus events or activities
    15. University, campus, and school committee participation and leadership.

In providing evidence of service, the candidate should not just list activities, but explain the impact. For example, if membership on a program committee is used as evidence, the candidate should briefly describe the purpose of the committee, its specific accomplishments, and the contributions of the candidate to this effort over an appropriate period of time. Service activities need not be limited to the past five years but may in fact be mentioned in perpetuity.

Criteria for Promotion – Teaching Professor

The same general principles as those used for tenured faculty shall be used for evaluating qualifications for appointment and promotion of non-tenure line faculty members. These will pertain to the specific duties and responsibilities that have been assigned and will include one or more of the following, as defined in section II of University Policy AC 23, Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations: 

  1. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; 
  2. The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishment; and
  3. The Scholarship of Service to the University, Society, and Profession.

The performance of the candidate for Teaching Professor must consistently demonstrate, as appropriate within his/her professional assignment: 

  1. Excellence in teaching and teaching-related activities: Section Four of Penn State Harrisburg’s guidelines for non-tenure line faculty promotions require each school to develop specific promotion guidelines consistent with the needs of the school. Given the responsibilities that fall under the title Teaching Professor, the category of excellence in teaching and teaching-related activities is the most important category of the evaluation and should be given greater consideration than service or professional development. Evidence of demonstrated excellence in teaching should include, but is not limited to, Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (SRTE) and written student comments, peer evaluations, and other documentation of participation in curriculum support activities beyond teaching.
    1. SRTE and written comments – cumulative data on teaching performance dating back no more than five years should be evaluated that includes not only average SRTE scores, but also specific student comments. These data will be in the same format as is currently available for the full-time promotion and tenure process. SRTE scores should be considered one component of teaching assessment. Other measures of teaching effectiveness should also be used.
    2. Peer evaluations – continued evidence of teaching excellence from at least three recent (not older than 3 years) documented peer evaluations should be presented. Two of the peer evaluators should be experienced faculty of equal or higher rank than the candidate. In the event that peer teaching evaluations cannot be conducted in-person, they will be conducted remotely.
    3. Course and program-related advising – continued evidence of quality advising, ascertained through advising records (Starfish, email documentation, etc.), as related to the individual program and the mission and goals of the school and the university.
    4. Teaching-related activities – continued evidence from the previous promotion criteria as well as evidence of leadership in curriculum or teaching support activities that go beyond simply teaching assigned classes and labs. These activities may include, but are not limited to, mentoring and developing junior faculty in the development and teaching of their program-related courses; conducting peer evaluations of junior faculty; fostering the modernization of program curriculum; facilitating co-teaching opportunities in an interdisciplinary context; etc.

      In providing evidence of leadership in teaching-related activities, the candidate should not just list the activities, but explain the impact. For example, if mentoring junior faculty is used as evidence, the candidate should briefly describe the specific responsibilities and accomplishments over the last five years.
       
  2. Excellence in engaged scholarship: A crucial consideration in evaluating the scholarly record of a candidate is whether or not the candidate has stayed current in their field and demonstrated their scholarship expertise in ways that are distinct from those of tenured professors yet are still vital to the mission of Penn State Harrisburg.  Their record of engaged scholarship can be documented through a variety of scholarly activities such as those presented by the faculty member in the annual Faculty Activity Reports. They may include, but are not limited to:
    1. Varied forms of peer-reviewed scholarship, including but not limited to: 1) original research and discovery; 2) the integration of knowledge; 3) the application of knowledge; and 4) the scholarship of teaching and pedagogy. 
    2. Leadership in University-sponsored workshops, presentations, or seminars, as evidenced by designing, organizing, or delivering these forms of scholarship to the campus.
    3. Leadership in professional meetings, conferences or symposia, such as chairing a roundtable discussion or symposium panel, or teaching a pre-convention continuing education workshop at a professional conference.
    4. Leadership in research activities that support teaching and learning, such as pedagogical research that is published in a peer-reviewed journal or book.
    5. Creative work and accomplishments, including patents, inventions, grants, and publications
    6. Leadership in clinics or camps, such as serving as the developer and/or coordinator of a camp or clinic related to one’s discipline.
    7. Attaining additional education in the primary or related field, which may or may not be directed toward a degree, such as obtaining a professional endorsement, license, certification, or certificate in one’s discipline.
    8. Leadership in grant activity by serving as the either the sole or senior author of a grant proposal that has been submitted to a funding source, such as the university or an outside foundation or governmental agency.

      In providing evidence of leadership professional development, the candidate should not just list the activities, but also briefly explain the impact of each activity on the candidate’s growth in disciplinary knowledge or teaching skill.  For example, if leadership in a campus-sponsored teaching workshop is used as evidence, the candidate should briefly describe the purpose of the workshop and how the candidate applied the skills obtained to improve his/her teaching. Professional development activities need not be limited to the past five years but may in fact be mentioned in perpetuity.
       
  3. Leadership in service: Service is valued and considered in the promotion review process. Candidates for promotion to Teaching Professor should provide evidence of leadership at the division, school, campus, and community levels, including but not limited to:
    1. Division & School
      1. Program coordination, recruitment, and retention
      2. Part-time administrative assignments within a program or division
      3. Supporting and mentoring junior faculty in their professional development
      4. Leadership in committees at the program or division level, which is demonstrated by serving as the chair or co-chair of the committee or a related subcommittee, or by taking the lead on a major initiative or project of the committee or one of its subcommittees.
      5. Curriculum assessment activities
      6.  Activities to support program accreditation
    2. Campus
      1. Campus-level committee leadership, which is demonstrated by serving as the chair or co-chair of the committee or a related subcommittee, or by taking the lead on a major initiative or project of the committee or one of its subcommittees.
      2. Leading university-sponsored, student competitions
      3. Leading and coordination of faculty seminars
      4. Coaching athletics
      5. Arranging campus-wide seminars and speakers
    3. Community
      1. Pro-bono work for non-profit organizations
      2. Organizing off-campus events or activities
      3. Leadership and/or service roles within local, state, and/or national professional societies, as evidenced by serving as the chair of a major committee, board member, or senior officer of a professional association 
      4. Community, regional, or national leadership that brings value to the University and is representative of the University’s mission and values
      5. Leading camps or clinics, on or off campus

In providing evidence of leadership service, the candidate should not just list activities, but explain the impact. For example, if leadership on a campus committee is used as evidence, the candidate should briefly describe the purpose of the committee, its specific accomplishments, and the contributions of the candidate to this effort over an appropriate period of time. Service activities need not be limited to the past five years but may in fact be mentioned in perpetuity.

I. Levels of Promotion

  1. For all levels of promotion, excellence in teaching should be the most important determinant. However, because the School of Behavioral Science and Education offers a wide range of courses in multiple disciplines, it is possible for faculty to demonstrate growth and progress in a variety of ways. Because of this, the dossiers of candidates for the same level of promotion may look quite different, as a candidate’s promotion dossier is meant to uniquely reflect his or her professional growth and accomplishments. 
  2. Evaluation for Promotion from Lecturer to Assistant Teaching Professor or Assistant Teaching Professor to Associate Teaching Professor 
    Promotion at these levels will be determined based on the quality of the candidate’s teaching, as well as from a combination of their contributions to their field and to the School, College, University, and society.  Excellence in teaching and robust service are required, and there may be a variety of contributions in terms of research and creative accomplishment. Because of the variety of courses and programs in the School of Science and Education, not all candidates for promotion will follow the same path regarding scholarship.
    1. Teaching: A candidate for promotion at this level must demonstrate excellence in teaching concepts, processes, skills, and information in the classroom, lab, studio, or performance setting; use appropriate pedagogical techniques; and create an environment that is conducive to learning.
    2. Research and Creative Accomplishments: Given the stronger emphasis on teaching for non-tenure-line faculty, the scholarship and mastery of subject matter that a candidate provides may include a broad range of activities that require the use of scholarly expertise. While non-tenure-line faculty are encouraged to publish or display their work professionally, it is not required for promotion.
    3. Service: Candidates must provide evidence of meaningful service to the Program, School, College, University, or profession. Service to the community that makes use of the candidate’s professional expertise will also be considered.  
  3. Evaluation for Second Level of Promotion from Associate Teaching Professor to Teaching Professor
    A candidate for promotion to Teaching Professor (or a candidate with a master’s degree seeking second-level promotion to Associate Teaching Professor) is expected to have demonstrated performance at a level significantly above that of the first level of promotion to Associate Teaching Professor. A candidate should be able to display a pattern of leadership in their teaching, research and creative accomplishments, and service that places them prominently among other teaching professors throughout the university, as well as among other non-tenure-line faculty throughout the state and region. Promotion at this level will be determined based on the quality of the candidate’s teaching, as well as from a combination of their contributions to their field and to the School, College, University, and society. Excellence in teaching and robust service are required, and there may be a variety of contributions in terms of research and creative accomplishment. A candidate for promotion to Teaching Professor must exhibit a pattern of strong leadership.
    1. Teaching: A candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in teaching. For some candidates, that may involve teaching general education courses; for others it may involve teaching at multiple levels for undergraduates and/or for graduate students. Regardless, one should demonstrate mastery of both subject matter and pedagogical techniques. A candidate should provide evidence of their commitment to fostering growth in and sustained mentorship of students. Not all candidates will demonstrate this commitment in the same ways, as opportunities may vary based on program and/or area(s) of expertise. It may come in the form of but is not limited to: work with students as an academic adviser (where possible); as the adviser for a student club, organization, publication, or media platform; as director/conductor for a student performance; through independent studies; and/or as part of an honors, master’s production, or dissertation committee. As non-tenure-line faculty are often asked to teach courses outside their area(s) of expertise, a candidate should provide evidence of course development or preparation, which is sometimes extensive. Candidates should also contribute to and, where possible, take leadership roles in program development and committee, collaborative, and/or interdisciplinary work as it relates to teaching and learning.
    2. Research and Creative Accomplishments: A candidate is expected to not only stay current in their field but also to demonstrate advanced knowledge and mastery. As such, the accomplishments of a candidate in this category may take a variety of forms including but not limited to receiving grants, fellowships, residencies, and/or awards or prizes for scholarly or creative work; articles, chapters, creative writing, or other work appearing in scholarly, literary, trade, or general interest publications; books or chapbooks; exhibits and performances in the fine and popular arts; production of music, theatre, or dance performances; composition, design, direction, management, or other performing arts activity; mass media contributions including research, script development, photography, artistic direction, management, or technical production in radio, television, video, film, or print or online; presentations at other academic institutions, professional meetings, conferences, or civic organizations; being interviewed as an expert in one’s area of specialization for regional, national, or international publications or media platforms. 
    3. Service: A candidate should have a record of service that reflects a willingness to act as a leader and to serve in challenging roles at the program, School, College, and/or University level. As an expert in their field, a candidate may also hold leadership positions in professional organizations and/or may participate in the planning and execution of regional, national, or international conferences. A candidate may also draw on their area(s) of expertise to make civic contributions.

Guidelines for Establishing School Review Committees

  1. The School of Behavioral Sciences and Education will establish a review committee to conduct promotion of non-tenure line faculty members in the school.
    1. Review committees shall have at least three members from the non-tenure line faculty serving within the school. Faculty serving on the college level committee should not serve simultaneously on the school review committee.
    2. Review committees will be determined as follows: The majority of members will be elected by non-tenure line faculty. A minority of members will be appointed by the School Director, with consideration for rank, disciplinary coverage and diversity. 
    3. Only full-time, non-tenure-line faculty members are eligible to serve on and vote for the members of the review committee.  
    4. Elected members will serve two-year terms. Appointed members will serve one-year terms, with possibility of renewal at the discretion of the School Director.
    5. Only faculty of higher rank than the candidate may make recommendations about promotions. To avoid tie votes, it is recommended that committees have an odd number of members.
    6. It is recommended that one or more alternate members are selected in such cases that a selected member cannot be present to make a recommendation.
    7. The School Director will appoint the chair of the committee.
    8. Until sufficient pool of higher-ranked faculty is established through the promotion process, the college dean/chancellor should seek waiver to these requirements from the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.


Approved by Academic Council, September 24, 2020
Revised and approved October 8, 2021