History
In order to earn the endorsement of the department for tenure, the candidate must achieve a strong record in both teaching and scholarship, and he or she must be a good citizen of the department and the College. The candidate’s teaching (as assessed by syllabi, student evaluations, student letters, and reports of class visits by senior colleagues) should be marked by substance, rigor, and inspiration. The department does not favor any particular teaching style and does not regard teaching as a popularity contest. The normal expectation for scholarship is that a successful candidate for tenure will have a completed manuscript of a scholarly monograph at least under review with a reputable publisher. In some cases, several refereed scholarly articles may substitute for a scholarly monograph. In the three-year review, the prospective candidate should inform the department if his or her plans for publication do not include a scholarly monograph. In the interest of clarifying expectations for the tenure review, the tenured members of the department should then accept, revise, or reject their colleague’s proposal for publication. Finally, the successful candidate must contribute conscientiously to advising students and to service within the department.
In order to earn the endorsement of the department for promotion to Professor, the candidate must continue to demonstrate strong teaching, marked by substance, rigor, and inspiration (as assessed by syllabi, student evaluations, student letters, and reports of class visits by full professors). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate that he or she has moved beyond the launching phase of his or her career and become a recognized scholar. The normal expectation is that a successful candidate for promotion will have made significant progress toward the production of a second scholarly monograph, though a combination of different scholarly publications, including articles in major refereed journals, can also suffice. In addition to continued publication, the candidate must be able to demonstrate external recognition of his or her scholarly status. The candidate’s service within the department must be multifaceted and conscientious. The candidate’s service in the college community should normally include at least one major committee, though college service will be regarded in the most flexible terms.
The department notes that these general guidelines are deeply rooted in the department’s culture and have always been tacitly accepted.
No changes made by department. 11/1/19
