Mathematics & Statistics
Considerations for Scholarship
As noted in a 2014 statement by the American Mathematical Society, publication of research in mathematics differs from that in natural sciences in several ways. Most scholarship appears in refereed journals, rather than conference proceedings or monographs. The time between submission and publication of an article tends to be longer. Rates of publication can vary across different subdisciplines, but a study of mathematicians who won significant prizes showed that most of them published no more than two papers per year in the five years preceding their awards. For faculty at an undergraduate liberal arts institution that values teaching as highly as research, expectations of rates of publication must be adjusted accordingly.
A separate 2015 statement by the same organization noted that collaborative work has become the norm in mathematical research. The majority of publications in professional journals have multiple authors; in most cases, contributions by individual authors cannot easily be differentiated or ranked in terms of quantity or importance. It is therefore customary in these cases to list authors in alphabetical order. The department values single-author and multiple--author papers equally.
First Reappointment
Teaching
As prescribed in the Faculty Handbook, the criteria for effective teaching include the ability to convey enthusiasm for the subject, set high standards for student work and evaluate students fairly and constructively. We expect candidates to challenge students while also supporting and encouraging them, with equal attention to and respect for students having different levels of facility with the subject. Course materials should set clear expectations regarding the organization of the course and the manner in which students will be assessed. We expect candidates to display thoughtfulness and intentionality in evaluating their own teaching, and to be responsive to feedback from students and colleagues.
The primary instruments for evaluating teaching are self-evaluation, reports from colleagues and feedback from students. Evaluation of teaching by senior faculty will be based on information about the candidate’s approach to teaching garnered from course materials, classroom observations and collaboration in teaching multi-section courses. New contributions to the department’s curriculum and pedagogical publications and presentations, if any, may also contribute to a candidate’s teaching profile. The chair will work with the candidate to coordinate classroom visits by senior members of the department, ensuring that at least one observation occurs per semester. The candidate will share relevant information to provide context for the class observation. The class observation will be followed by a meeting between the junior and senior department members to process and discuss the observed class. The senior member will then write a short response to the visit and share it with the candidate. The junior faculty member will have the opportunity to respond in writing to the visitor’s written report. This response is encouraged, but not required.
Scholarship
The department expects that, by the time of the first reappointment, the candidate has begun to establish a research program that extends beyond work done prior to arrival at Hamilton. The primary evidence of this is publication of peer-reviewed work, but, at the time of reappointment, work in progress and manuscripts in preparation are examples of factors that might also signal a developing scholarly program. In addition, we would normally expect that the candidate has presented, or intends to present, work at conferences, seminars, or colloquia.
Service
By the time of reappointment, we expect the candidate to participate fully in the life of the department and to begin to explore avenues for college-wide service. In particular, he or she should have begun serving as an engaged academic advisor. Examples of departmental service include activities such as organizing the Putnam Exam, administering the Tompkins Prize Exam, working with colloquium organization and scheduling, coordinating student participation in undergraduate conferences, and helping to provide students with information on summer or pre- and post-graduate opportunities.
Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure
Teaching
By the time of the tenure decision, we expect that all evaluation measures will point to an engaged, skilled, influential classroom teacher who is also committed to supporting students and has demonstrated effectiveness in teaching both introductory and upper-level courses or seminars. Any areas that, at the first reappointment, were noted to require improvement, should have been addressed and resolved. By this time, all tenured members of the department should have first-hand knowledge of the candidate’s teaching, as detailed in the teaching section under the first reappointment.
Scholarship
The candidate should present evidence of a fully launched research program that shows promise of continuing into the post-tenure years. Published work is the best attestation of this. Normally, we expect that, at this stage, a candidate will have three articles representing affiliation with Hamilton College that have either appeared or been accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. In addition to the quantity of published work, we will also consider its quality and that of the journals in which it appears. We also expect the candidate to have established a record of public presentations of their scholarly work.
Service
A candidate standing for tenure should have continued his or her active role in the department as well as assumed a role in wider campus governance. Professional involvement in regional and national organizations, refereeing or reviewing articles for journals, for example, would be evidence of service to the wider mathematics and statistics community.
Promotion to Professor
Teaching
The candidate’s teaching record should indicate sustained excellence and continued growth since tenure. Other factors contributing to the teaching component of the file might include pedagogical work in the form of running workshops or writing textbooks, continued contributions to the departmental curriculum, and mentorship of junior colleagues.
Scholarship
A sustained, active scholarly record is expected. Again, the best evidence of this is continued publication. We expect that the candidate will have published at a rate commensurate with that before tenure, with indications that such productivity will continue. A wide variety of research profiles could meet our standard. A short paper that solves a long-standing unsolved problem, for example, a monograph that helps unify an area of mathematics or statistics, or a new textbook in an emerging area, might contribute as much to the field, and to the quality of the candidate's portfolio, as several longer papers with a narrower focus. We expect publications to be complemented by presentations at conferences, seminars, and colloquia.
Service
The level of service for promotion should be elevated beyond mere committee membership to leadership roles in College governance or in the wider mathematics and statistics community. This might include leadership positions in College committees or the department, serving as an external reviewer in another college’s departmental review, or playing a leadership role in regional or national organizations.
Revised Fall 2021
