I. General Consideration | ... | II. Responsibilities | ... | III. Types of Appointment and Specific Criteria | ... | IV. Standards and Evaluative Criteria | ... | V. Reappointment and Promotion | ... |
The School of Information and Library Science seeks to advance the profession and practice of librarianship and information science; to prepare students for careers in the field of library and information service; and to make significant contributions to the study of information. Faculty members further these goals by teaching and advisory work; by research and scholarly publication; and by service to the school, the University, the state and the professional community.
All the procedures and policies relating to decisions affecting faculty in the School of Information and Library Science conform with statements regarding these matters set forth in the following University publications. In cases of conflict, the most recent edition of each document takes precedence.
It is important to note that personnel records are confidential. Only the Dean, full professors, other faculty, and student members of the Personnel Committee and all others who need to and are allowed to have access to the records and documents related to candidates' appointment, reappointment, promotion and tenure are required to keep the contents of these records and the deliberations in conducting reviews confidential.
In selecting and promoting faculty, the School of Information and Library Science seeks to demonstrate high standards of teaching and research. Service to the school, the University, and the professional community is also expected.
An earned doctorate or its equivalent is generally required for appointment. The competencies and areas of interest represented by present faculty and by candidates for appointment are considered to assure that a balanced and comprehensive approach is maintained. The individual's potential contributions to the School's mission will be a major consideration.
The School of Information and Library Science is committed to equality of opportunity. Concomitant with this is the tradition of fairness to each individual without prejudice to race, age, sex, creed or national origin. The official policy of the School of Information and Library Science regarding affirmative action is stated in the most recent revision of the Affirmative Action Plan of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The awarding of tenure and promotion are considered recognition of work completed and teaching effectiveness. In no case will these decisions be based on future but unrealized potential. Likewise, a recommendation to award tenure will signify confidence that the faculty member is, has been, and will continue to be a significant contributor toward meeting the long-term goals of the School.
The document, Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides for suspension, diminishment in rank, or discharge for "incompetence, neglect of duty," or "misconduct of such a nature as to indicate that the faculty member is unfit to continue as a member of the faculty."
The person in question is given the opportunity for a hearing before an elected standing faculty committee; has the right to counsel; may present testimony of witnesses and other evidence; may cross-examine adverse witnesses. The standing committee makes a recommendation to the University Chancellor for decision. A decision unfavorable to the accused may be appealed to the Board of Trustees of UNC-CH.
The decision not to reappoint a faculty member upon expiration of a probationary term may not be based on that person's exercise of freedom of speech, on unfair discrimination, or on personal malice. The Trustees Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure document also gives detailed procedures for review of such cases, along with those involving terminations due to reasons of financial exigency or program change.
Faculty grievances may be referred to the University's Faculty Grievance Committee, an elected standing committee, which considers matters related to employment status and institutional relationships--not matters relating to formal suspension or discharge, though it may consider cases on non-renewal of probationary terms.
Individual faculty members should be aware of their dates of eligibility for promotion, reappointment, or tenure. Prior to the promotion or tenure review they must assemble a portfolio that will include the following: an up-to-date AP-2 form; copies of all publications; recent syllabi and other items as listed under IV.B., Teaching section, below; class evaluations (Student Instructional Reports); written evaluations by peer faculty members based on classroom observation, interviews and examination of syllabi and assignments; and a statement of research, teaching and service philosophy, plus such other items as the Personnel Committee may indicate as desirable. In addition, the faculty member being reviewed may add any other documentation which he/she thinks significant.
NOTE: Page numbers are needed for all publications as well as an indication of which articles were "refereed." Only those articles which have been refereed before publication should be designated with the abbreviation "Ref." beside each such article. If the article, book, etc., has not been published, indicate the status, (e.g., submitted for publication, in preparation, etc.), page numbers; even if only typed, page numbers must be given on unpublished material. The dissertation with page numbers should be listed as part of the publication list even if unpublished.
All tenure-track faculty members will be asked to provide a written evaluation of any faculty member being considered for appointment, reappointment, promotion or tenure. Faculty should consider it their responsibility to provide a written evaluation.
All letters of recommendation or evaluation received by the school form a part of the colleague's personnel file and must be sent forward by the appointing school together with the recommendation. Outside reviewers shall be informed that their letters become part of the personnel file and, under state law, are open to the candidate.
The Personnel Committee is charged with collecting and evaluating the evidence and making a recommendation to the Dean in cases regarding both full-time and adjunct faculty appointments, reappointments, promotions, and tenure.
The Personnel Committee is composed of three faculty members, one from each rank (insofar as possible given the composition of the faculty body at the time), and two students, one from the Master's program and one from the Ph.D. program, who are also full voting members of the Committee It is chaired by a tenured faculty member. All members of the Committee are appointed by the Dean, who will take into consideration the ILSSA President's recommendation of a Master's student member, and the resident doctoral students' recommendation of a Ph.D. student member.
The Personnel Committee may also serve as a search committee for new faculty. In some cases this Committee will be augmented by additional faculty or by individuals from outside the School. In carrying out its charge relative to the recommendation for faculty reappointments, promotions, and tenure decisions, the Committee must collect and examine the necessary evidence and documentation described under "Criteria" in this statement. The Committee canvasses students, former students, faculty colleagues, and, in the case of promotion and tenure decisions, outside experts.
It is the responsibility of the Dean to appoint a Personnel Committee. The Dean will consider the composition of the Personnel Committee in light of the person(s) being reviewed and will communicate the names of the proposed committee members informally to the candidate(s) for reappointment or promotion before the committee is finalized. The Dean will take into consideration any concerns the candidate(s) might have about the composition of the committee before making his or her final decision, which will be final.
The Dean will also make final recommendations about appointment, reappointment, promotion, and tenure through appropriate channels to the Chancellor of the University after considering the advice of the Personnel Committee and after consulting with the full Professors assembled.
The Dean notifies each faculty member at least one and a half years in advance of any required personnel action involving reappointment, promotion or tenure and invites the faculty member to assemble his/her portfolio according to guidelines specified here with any additions requested by the Personnel Committee.
Once the Personnel Committee's recommendation has been received, the Dean convenes the full Professors and presents the recommendation to them and chairs a discussion on the merits of the case. The date and time of the meeting of the assembled professors should be stated in writing in advance to the individual professors and the candidate. During that meeting, the dean should encourage as much active discussion of the candidate as is possible to gain the fullest range of advice. The vote advising the dean must be reported to the Provost for the Committee on Instructional Personnel. The Dean is reminded that the advice and that the responsibility for making a final recommendation remains the Dean's.
Retired colleagues may furnish advice to the Dean, but should not vote on personnel matters.
The Dean prepares his/her final recommendation letter which includes the report of the Personnel Committee, reports the vote of the full Professors assembled, and may provide additional justification for the recommendation. The final portfolio is assembled for submission to University authorities in the required format.
The Dean informs the candidate of the final recommendation and provides a copy of the recommendation letter to the Personnel Committee.
The School's ongoing pursuit of excellence entails an active search for a diversity of persons, talents, and backgrounds, based on the School's needs and its long-range goals. Effective contribution to teaching, research and service is expected of all faculty. Personnel actions will take into account the overall mix of faculty contributions and strengths within the School and the individual candidate's unique contribution to the School. The latter aspect presupposes that faculty remain competent to teach courses, advise students, guide student research and conduct their own research in areas that continue to be relevant to the School's mission and programs in a manner that satisfies the conditions of quality specified in the following criteria.
Effective teaching is a fundamental responsibility of each faculty member. Effective teaching involves a number of dimensions: the ability to design a course of study appropriate to the level of instruction and the nature of the subject matter; the ability to present clear, intellectual exciting lectures and to develop meaningful, challenging assignments; the ability to facilitate discussion and debate in a way to encourage students to articulate their ideas and to examine and evaluate other ideas and arguments; the ability to stimulate intellectual curiosity; and the ability to motivate students to work independently and to gain confidence in their skills. Important factors for teaching in a research university are the integration of research and teaching in the instructional process, the inclusion of the latest research findings and professional debates that affect the field, and the ability to balance theoretical aspects with practical applications. An effective teacher is concerned with the progress and well-being of students, is available for individual conferences beyond the classroom environment and grades and evaluates student work according to the highest standards and gives prompt and useful feedback.
Evidence of Effective Teaching
Evaluation for reappointment, promotion and tenure decisions must include the following kinds of evidence to assess the extent to which the candidate has met these criteria:
When making an initial appointment, the Personnel Committee will solicit comments on these criteria from colleagues where the individual has previously taught or studied. A candidate selected to come to campus for an interview will be asked to present his/her current research or another topic of scholarly interest in order to assess his/her ability to present effectively.
It is the obligation of faculty of the School of Information and Library Science to carry out and report on investigations of scholarly topics. Published books and articles and sponsored research projects are the clearest evidence of scholarly activity. Refereed publications are the preferred vehicles for research reports.
In recommending reappointment, promotion and/or tenure, the School will consider:
For new tenure track faculty appointments there should be at least four outside letters supporting a recommendation from an appointing school; these letters should indicate the relationship of the letter writer to the candidate in question.
For reappointment with tenure as an associate professor, for promotion from assistant to associate professor with tenure, or for a promotion to full professor, a minimum of four letters of evaluation from outside the University at Chapel Hill shall accompany any recommendation for tenure and/or promotion. In advance of the review, a candidate will be asked to submit a list of four or more names of colleagues outside the University from which the reviewing committee may make selections. The Committee will identify reviewers from a variety of sources and ask the candidate if any of the selected individuals might be inappropriate. The Committee will consider any evidence of bias the candidate wishes to present, but the final selection of outside peers will remain with the committee. A candidate will be informed when letters of solicitation are placed in his or her personnel file, Reviewers should be requested to emphasize the quality of a candidate's research contributions. Reviewers must be informed that a candidate has the right to read letters of evaluation.
It is assumed that outside evaluators will be asked to review published material of the colleague and any manuscript or other material the school desires to send for evaluation. If not all of the material is sent for review, the candidate will be informed of the items sent.
All letters of recommendation or evaluation received by the school form a part of the colleagues' personnel file and must be sent forward by the appointing school together with the recommendation.
Outside reviewers shall be informed that their letters become part of the personnel file and, under state law, are open to the candidate.
. Faculty members in a professional school have a responsibility to the profession. Additionally, they have a responsibility to the School and the University. Candidates for personnel action will be expected to:
Individuals will be evaluated for reappointment, promotion and tenure on the basis of their achievements in research, teaching and service. Expectations are different at each professorial rank. For instance, to be reappointed as Assistant Professor, an individual must have demonstrated research competence, while to be promoted from Associate Professor to Professor, he/she must have attained national distinction for research. Teaching effectiveness, however, is required at all levels. This section outlines criteria and procedures for reappointment and promotion at each rank.
Not less than twelve months before the expiration of this second term a decision must be made and communicated in writing to the assistant professor as to whether he or she will be reappointed upon expiration of the current term. Reappointment will be contingent upon promotability as an individual will not be appointed for more than two terms, a total of seven years, at the rank of assistant professor. The assistant professor must be considered for promotion to the rank of associate professor at least one and a half years before the expiration of the second term. A review should begin two years before the expiration of the term in order to provide adequate time to conduct the review.
To be recommended for reappointment an assistant professor must have demonstrated research competence as evidenced by refereed publications, teaching competence, and service to the school and profession.
In order to provide adequate time to conduct the review it should be initiated two years before the expiration of the term. The recommendation may be (a) to promote to Professor as described in paragraph V.B.2, with automatic conferral of tenure; (b) to reappoint as Associate Professor with tenure; or (c) neither, in which case the appointment will terminate at the end of the five year term.
To be considered for tenure, a faculty member must have demonstrated research ability, be committed to ongoing research, have a strong teaching record, and be recognized as a helpful and valued colleague, who has conscientiously performed needed service within the academic and professional community. Only those persons showing promise of continuing achievement in all three areas of research, teaching and service will be tenured.
In exceptional circumstances, an individual may be considered for promotion to Associate Professor and tenure at the end of his/her first four-year term. One such circumstance might be a prior tenure-track appointment elsewhere and evidence of scholarly accomplishments well beyond what is expected of an Assistant Professor. Review for early consideration of promotion is done without prejudice or penalty to any later review for promotion.
A full review for promotion to Professor must include collection and consideration of comments from alumni, students, other faculty members, and a minimum of four external reviewers. The candidate must develop a portfolio containing a personal statement regarding teaching, research and service; copies of his/her publications; course syllabi; Student Instructional Ratings on courses taught; and other relevant materials.
An Associate Professor may choose an Internal Review rather than a full review at one or more of the required review periods, although in no case may an internal review be substituted for a full review in two consecutive periods. An internal review consists of all the items included in a full review with the exception of comments from external reviewers. Alumni comments, a personal statement from the candidate, and a quasi-external review by a UNC faculty member or librarian is optional but may be solicited or included if the reviewee so chooses.
Web page - Feb. 9, 2000.