The purpose of this document is to establish the criteria for promotion for full-time, non-tenure-line faculty in the School of Humanities at Penn State Harrisburg.

  1. The Promotion Committee
    1. The Non-Tenure-Line Promotion Committee shall consist of five members from the non-tenure-line faculty serving within the School. In the event that five Associate Teaching Professors or Teaching Professors are not available to serve on the committee, the committee may consist of three faculty members at the rank of Associate Teaching Professor or higher.
    2. Faculty serving on the committee should have attained at least the rank of Associate Teaching Professor, and only faculty of a higher rank than the candidate should make recommendations regarding promotion. If there is an insufficient number of higher ranking non-tenure-line faculty, exceptions may be permitted by the Executive Vice President and Provost at the request of the College. 
    3. Faculty serving on the College-level committee cannot serve simultaneously on the School review committee.
    4. A majority of the committee will be elected by the School, and a minimum number will be appointed by the School Director.  In the event that the School requires three Teaching Professors to serve (because a candidate is applying for promotion to Teaching Professor) but none or an insufficient number are elected, the School Director will appoint additional Teaching Professors to serve to meet the minimum requirement of three Teaching Professors. The School Director will also appoint the committee chair annually. Each member elected member will serve a two-year term and may serve consecutive terms. Each appointed member will serve a one-year term, but may serve consecutive terms if needed. Non-tenure-line faculty will also select an alternate committee member in a separate election.
    5. Committee duties are: 
      1. Review School, College, and University guidelines regarding non-tenure-line appointments and promotions 
      2. Examine candidates’ dossiers and evaluate the contributions of the candidates in light of the guidelines  
      3. Deliberate and submit recommendations
  2. Eligibility
    1. Positions above the rank of Lecturer should be considered promotion opportunities. In accordance with University Policy AC21, all promotions will include a promotion raise. Promoted faculty members will be considered for multi- rather than single-year contracts. 
    2. Candidates are nominated for promotion by the School Director at his or her discretion. Becoming eligible for a promotion does not guarantee a nomination for promotion. 
    3. New non-tenure-line faculty will become eligible for promotion to the next higher rank after five years in rank from the original date of hire. Candidates may compile their promotion dossier during the fifth year.
    4. Non-tenure-line faculty who hold a terminal degree and whose title was changed from Lecturer or Instructor to Assistant Teaching Professor during the 2017-2018 academic year will be eligible for promotion to the next higher rank five years from their original hire date. For example, someone hired as a Lecturer with a hire date of August 1, 2014, and whose title changed to Assistant Teaching Professor during the 2017-2018 academic year will be eligible for promotion to Associate Teaching Professor on August 1, 2019.
    5. Faculty with many years of employment may, in some cases, be eligible for accelerated promotion. Such a candidate must proceed through each academic rank, may not skip ranks, and must hold a rank for at least one year before applying to be promoted to the next rank.
    6. Application for promotion from Associate Teaching Professor to Teaching Professor should not be based on a fixed time period and should instead be based solely on the candidate’s merit.
  3. Time Schedule and Procedures
    1. The schedule for the School of Humanities reviews for promotions will be determined by instructions from the School, College, and University administration.
    2. All non-tenure-line faculty promotions require the assembly of a non-tenure-line promotion dossier. See Section VIII of Penn State Harrisburg’s Guidelines for Non-Tenure-Line Faculty Promotion for guidance on assembling the dossier.
  4. Criteria for Promotion
    1. 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 
    2. Excellence in teaching- and learning-related activities: This is the most important category of evaluation. Evidence of demonstrated excellence in teaching should include, but is not limited to, Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (SRTE) and written comments, peer evaluations, and other documentation of participation in curriculum support activities beyond teaching. The candidate’s supplemental dossier may also include sample teaching materials (syllabi, assignments, graded papers, etc.).
      1. Peer evaluations: Evidence of documented, recent peer evaluations should be presented (at least two reviews). Peer reviewers should be non-tenure-line faculty of a higher rank. If there is not a sufficient number of higher-ranking non-tenure-line faculty, the candidate may recommend to the School Director several tenure-track or tenured faculty to serve as peer evaluators and the School Director will choose the evaluators. In the event that peer teaching evaluations cannot be conducted in-person, they will be conducted remotely.
      2. SRTE and written comments: Because of limitations in the SRTE instrument, SRTEs should not be the sole indicator of excellence in teaching. Cumulative data that includes not only average SRTE scores from the previous five years but also specific student comments should be evaluated. The School Director will summarize comments from the most recent five years’ SRTEs; the candidate may include additional data older than five years. A candidate may also include up to five letters of support from current or former students as part of the supplemental promotion dossier. 
      3. Teaching-related activities: Evidence of participation in curriculum or teaching support activities that go beyond teaching assigned classes should be presented. A candidate for promotion may discuss activities including but not limited to (not in order of importance): 
        1. Course development, revision, or certification 
        2. Development of honors courses or additional assignments for honors sections of cross-listed (honors/non-honors) courses or students who honorize a course 
        3. Program development or revision 
        4. Course hybridization (developing part of the course for online delivery) or redevelopment of a course to be delivered online
        5. Academic advising 
        6. Development and teaching of travel courses
        7. Development and teaching of service learning courses or courses with a community outreach component
        8. Course coordination and coordination of nontraditional academic functions (such as art exhibits, music performances, and theatrical events)
        9. Short- or long-term coverage of one or more of another faculty member’s courses in his or her absence
        10. Service as a tutor when there is no course or subject tutor available through the Learning Center (such as, serving as a foreign language tutor)
        11. Contributions to non-classroom activities that enhance or enrich students’ academic experience (internships; clubs, student publications, and organizations; music, visual arts, and theatrical events; etc.) 
        12. Mentoring of graduate assistants, adjuncts, and/or full-time faculty new to a program or who are teaching a course for the first time 
        13. Attendance or presentation at college-sponsored pedagogy seminars
        14. Attending or presenting at statewide, regional, national, or international teaching conferences 
    3. Excellence in engaged scholarship: Candidates for promotion must demonstrate an ability to stay current in 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. Additionally, non-tenure-line faculty are encouraged to make contributions in their academic discipline through research and creative work. These contributions should be viewed in light of the teaching load of non-tenure-line faculty. The candidate’s supplemental dossier may include samples of published/performed/ displayed work or one or more letters from professionals in the candidate’s field who can help to put the candidate’s work in a larger context for committee members who may lack in-depth knowledge of the field.

      A candidate for promotion may make contributions including but not limited to (not in order of importance): 
      1. Projects, grants, commissions, and contracts 
      2. The publication, exhibition, installation, or production of original creative works 
      3. The performance of original or repertory works of the performing arts 
      4. Conference presentations, posters, and readings from creative work
      5. Presentations or readings from creative work in faculty seminars or colloquia at the College or University 
      6. Blogs, databases, online editions (such as open access publications or teaching materials), or significant versions (e.g., 1.0, 2.0, etc.) of software and online tools 
      7. Books, textbooks, chapbooks, or monographs 
      8. Publication of articles on teaching 
      9.  Print or online journal articles, book chapters, stories, essays, poems, photographs, visual art pieces, or other electronic media
      10. Outreach activities, engaged scholarship, and/or public scholarship that makes use of professional expertise 
      11. Authorship of opinion pieces, book reviews, performance and media reviews, or reference works 
      12. Editing of a collection of work by others 
      13. Reports to government agencies, community organizations, cultural institutions, and/or sponsors 
      14. Service on the editorial board of a journal or as a peer reviewer for a journal, publisher, press, or granting agency 
      15.  Mentoring of undergraduate and/or graduate student research or creative activity 
      16. Honors or awards received for research and creative accomplishments 
      17. Judging of or participating in local, statewide, regional, national, or international contests related to the candidate’s field of expertise 
      18. Engagement in other activities that make use of or demonstrate professional experience 
    4. Excellence in service: Service is valued and considered in the promotion review. Service requirements and opportunities for non-tenure-line faculty are similar to those of tenure-track faculty.
      Service can be evidenced in many ways, including but not limited to (not in order of importance):
      1. Participation in committees at the Program, School, College, or University level(s) 
      2. Part-time administrative assignments within the Program, School, or College 
      3. Curriculum assessment activities 
      4. Activities to support program accreditation 
      5. Judging of university-sponsored student competitions 
      6. Acting as an advisor for student organizations, publications, or honor societies 
      7. Coordination of speaking events, lecture series, or other activities on campus 
      8. Organization of and/or chaperoning for study tours and other student trips 
      9. Service roles within professional societies (not just membership) 
      10. Coordination and/or delivery of faculty seminars 
      11. Community, regional, national, or international service that brings value to the University and is representative of the University’s mission and values
  5. Levels of Promotion
    1. For all levels of promotion, excellence in teaching should be the most important determinant. However, because the School of Humanities 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 Humanities, 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.

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