Preamble
In support of its mission, Capital College shares the knowledge and expertise of its faculty with the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world.
The College serves Penn State’s mission by:
- offering a wide range of programs from associate through doctoral levels
- serving the continuing and adult education needs of the region
- delivering the highest quality professional and pre-professional programs in cooperation with other Penn State campuses/centers
- demonstrating a special sensitivity to the individual needs of its students
- engaging in the discovery and application of knowledge through teaching, research, and service scholarship activities
- participating in global networks and alliances to generate new knowledge to enrich the lives of students and citizens of the Commonwealth, and,
- strengthening links with the College’s alumni through programs and services that encourage life-long commitments to Penn State.
This document describes the promotion and tenure criteria common to all academic units within the college and is intended to supplement the criteria provided by each academic unit consistent with the provisions of HR-23 Policy, the Administrative Guidelines for HR-23, and the mission statement of each School/Unit of Capital College.
Faculty Expectations
The primary criteria for promotion and tenure are:
- the scholarship of teaching and learning,
- the scholarship of research and creative accomplishment, and,
- the scholarship of service to the University, society, and the profession.
Faculty members are expected to develop a balanced portfolio of scholarly activities that integrate teaching, research and creative accomplishment, and service. Such a portfolio should reflect a faculty member’s rank, stage in academic career, tenure or appointment status, discipline-specific requirements and scholarly or artistic expertise, and his/her professional interest.
For tenure and promotion to Associate Professor/Associate Librarian, a record of high quality teaching/librarianship is expected; significant productivity in the areas of research and/or creative accomplishment commensurate with the accomplishments of faculty members at comparable institutions must be achieved; and evidence of service appropriate to the rank and scholarly or artistic expertise of the faculty member.
For promotion to Full Professor/Librarian, a continuing record of high quality teaching/librarianship must be evident. Achievements in research and/or creative accomplishment must be significantly beyond those presented at the time of promotion to Associate Professor/Associate Librarian; and appropriate levels of service, including leadership positions appropriate to their senior rank must be demonstrated. Such accomplishments should earn the candidate a national and/or international reputation as attested in evaluations by outside experts.
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Capital College faculty are expected to excel in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Expectations for teaching effectiveness include the use of a variety of pedagogical approaches appropriate both to the subject and the range of students within the academic programs of the College. The effectiveness of academic advising and service to students outside of the classroom is an essential part of the scholarship of teaching and learning.
When evaluating the teaching performance of faculty, three factors should be considered: effectiveness in the classroom, currency in the subject area taught, and active mentoring of students through advising and related activities. The following must be considered in the candidate’s evaluation: student ratings of teaching effectiveness; participation in seminars/workshops to enhance teaching effectiveness; peer classroom evaluations; school director’s classroom evaluation and summary of student comments; review of course syllabi; receipt of teaching or advising awards; faculty direction of student internships, research, and projects; and any other means that will attest to the candidate’s teaching and advising effectiveness.
The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishment
A faculty member is expected to establish and sustain a program of superior research and/or creative accomplishment appropriate to his or her discipline and rank. The overall objective of research and creative accomplishment is to address conceptual, theoretical, applied, and social challenges or opportunities and to enhance the quality of life in society. A favorable recommendation for tenure and promotion depends on the presentation of clear and consistent evidence of a significant contribution in the scholarship of research and/or creative accomplishment.
Evidence of the scholarship of research and/or creative accomplishment should originate from an active program that leads to a portfolio of high quality work as recognized by the individual academic disciplines. The record of accomplishment may include refereed publications, juried artistic contributions, consulting or contracted work, and other examples of scholarly or creative achievement.
Service and the Scholarship of Service
The College values a record of service as an indication of commitment to the mission and values of the Schools/Units, the College, and the University. Faculty members are expected to contribute to the vitality and development of the College and the University, foster the intellectual growth of their students outside the classroom, and share their expertise with society and the professions.
Evidence of service and the scholarship of service should demonstrate sustained activity, a record of effective activity related to the advancement of University, and a balance in contributions to the School, College, University, profession, and society commensurate with the rank and subject expertise of the faculty member.