Guidelines for Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure, and Post Tenure Evaluation

Centenary College has rigorous standards for faculty members. They are expected above all to strive for excellence in the classroom. They are to place student advising among their most important tasks, and they are both encouraged and expected to grow professionally. Professional growth is evidenced by traditional scholarly research within a discipline and by the exploration of issues relating to pedagogy. These academic enterprises may take the form of scholarly publications, participation in professional organizations, public performances, and other creative accomplishments. The scholarly work of the professorate (as defined by Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered, Priorities of the Professorate, 1990)] might be thought of as having four separate, yet overlapping functions. These are: the scholarship of discovery; the scholarship of integration; the scholarship of application; and the scholarship of teaching. In the area of scholarship, emphasis is placed on activities that involve external exhibition and peer-review, such as publication in peer-reviewed journals or books, creative activities reviewed by field-appropriate reviewers, external grants awarded or recommended for funding through competitive processes, selection to creative opportunities through competitive or juried processes, and other similar activities. Scholarly activities will vary by discipline, and academic departments are encouraged to discuss these distinctions in the context of Boyer’s model of scholarship.

I. Guidelines for Appointment in Rank and Promotion

Rank at the time of appointment is dependent upon degrees or equivalents, and experience in college teaching or professional service. Faculty appointments are either per course, part-time, or full-time, and are either non-tenure track or tenure track. Normally, faculty advancement through the full-time ranks listed below is sequential. The issue of tenure at the College is a separate consideration, discussed in section II, C. Full-time artistic, business, or professional experience may be counted toward promotion on a pro-rata basis, provided that the amount of credit has been agreed upon by the prospective faculty member, the department chair, the Faculty Personnel Committee, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and the President at the time of initial appointment.

A.TENURE-TRACK/TENURED POSITIONS

1. Instructor
   • Shall hold at least a master’s degree from an accredited graduate school with concentration in the appropriate subject area. In exceptional cases, a bachelor’s degree and notable accomplishments in the creative arts or the business community may substitute for the higher academic degree.
   • Shall have evident ability as a teacher with substantial promise for successful career development.
   • Shall demonstrate a commitment, a plan, and the potential to obtain an appropriate doctorate or terminal professional degree.
2. Assistant Professor
   • Shall hold the appropriate earned doctorate or professional degree from a recognized graduate school or have accomplishments that are recognized equivalents in the higher education community (e.g. artist-in-residence who has a national reputation).
   • Shall have evident ability as a teacher.
   • Shall provide substantial evidence of professional and broad usefulness to the College and commitment to its basic goals and objectives.
   • Shall demonstrate scholarship in the subject-matter field as well as other substantial professional achievements.
3. Associate Professor
   • Shall hold the appropriate earned doctorate or professional degree from a recognized graduate school or have accomplishments that are recognized equivalents in the higher education community (e.g., artist-in-residence who has a national reputation).
   • Shall have demonstrated excellence in teaching.
   • Shall provide substantial evidence of professional and broad usefulness to the College and commitment to its purposes with significant promise of increasing worth.
   • Shall have demonstrated strength in the areas of scholarly research and publication, public performance, or other creative accomplishment.
   • Shall normally have a minimum of six years of full-time teaching at the rank of assistant professor (or less for exceptional candidates who meet criteria #1-4 listed above). Full-time service is defined in Section 7, paragraph 2. The President of the College, with the counsel and recommendations of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the department chair, recommends advances in rank to the Board of Trustees for action.
4. Professor
   • Shall hold the appropriate earned doctorate or professional degree from a recognized graduate school or have accomplishments that are recognized equivalents in the higher education community (e.g., artist-in-residence who has a national reputation).
   • Shall have demonstrated superior teaching.
   • Shall have demonstrated faculty leadership and dedicated service to the College and profession.
   • Shall have a substantial record of scholarly publications or other scholarly and creative activities that have earned recognition within the profession.
   • Shall normally have a minimum of six years of full-time service at the rank of associate professor (or less for exceptional candidates who meet criteria #1-4 listed above). Full-time service is defined in Section 7, paragraph 2. The President of the College, with the counsel and recommendations of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the department chair, recommends advances in rank to the Board of Trustees for action.
5. Faculty Emeritus/Emerita
   This rank may be assigned to faculty who have limited or terminated their responsibilities as a faculty member for valid reasons (e.g., retirement, illness) after twelve or more years of full-time distinguished service to the College. Faculty emeriti/emeritae are so designated and appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Faculty emeriti/emeritae are accorded the privileges of the regular, ranked faculty, except for tenure, and will have their names recorded at this rank in the college catalog during the remainder of their lifetime. No compensation accrues by virtue of this rank unless, by mutual agreement between the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and the individuals, they are offered a part-time or a temporary full-time contract to teach or fulfill other duties. In such cases, supplementary benefits, if any, will be set forth in the contract.

B. NON TENURE-TRACK FACULTY

• may have less than a full-time teaching load;
• usually have no other faculty duties and responsibilities, except those listed below;
• should meet or exceed the criteria listed below for the appropriate title;
• are selected in the manner set forth below.

1. Lecturer

• Lecturers are selected by the department chair in consultation with the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Lecturers are hired to teach specific courses for a fixed term. The position does not lead to or count toward tenure, or lead to promotion to the regular academic ranks.
  
  Selection of lecturers should be consistent with the academic standards of Centenary College.
  • Shall hold at least a master’s degree from a recognized graduate school with concentration in the appropriate subject area. In exceptional cases, a bachelor’s degree and notable accomplishments in the creative arts or the business community may substitute for the higher academic degree.
  • Shall have evident ability as a teacher with substantial promise for successful career development.

Lecturers have the same freedom and responsibility in the management of courses as tenure-track faculty members. Lecturers are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

2. Adjunct Faculty

• Adjunct Faculty teach at the College on a per-course basis and develop courses in consultation with the department chair as needed.
• Adjunct Faculty are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

3. Artist-in-Residence

• This is an honorary title assigned to individuals who have distinguished themselves in the fine arts and are serving Centenary College in capacities appropriate to their fields. A recommendation for the assignment of this title usually originates with the department chair or dean. The recommendation and written documentation in support of the recommendation are given submitted to the Faculty Personnel Committee and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for consideration and recommendation to the President. Selection of artists-in-residence should be consistent with the highest artistic standards in a particular field.
  
  Artists-in-Residence have the same freedom and responsibility in the management of courses as tenure-track faculty members. Artists-in-Residence are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

4. Visiting Faculty

This title is assigned to individuals who are appointed to teach or to teach and pursue other duties at Centenary College for a limited period of time. Such time is to be agreed upon in writing between the visiting faculty and the President. The College recognizes their academic standing and accords them the usual privileges of ranked faculty. Visiting faculty are appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the department chair or dean, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

Visiting Faculty have the same freedom and responsibility in the management of courses as tenure-track faculty members. Visiting Faculty are expected to be available for a reasonable amount of time (approximately 1 or more hours per week for each course taught) to counsel students regarding their course work.

Transition of Visiting Assistant Professor to Tenure Track Assistant Professor

Faculty hired as a Visiting Assistant Professor as part of a national search, and who have terminal degrees in their field, can directly transition (i.e., without another job search) into a tenure track position through the following procedures.

This transition process is initiated when the associated academic department/chair submits a letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and FPC that: a) requests this shift; b) demonstrates a departmental need for this more permanent position; and c) describes how the transitioning faculty member meets the specific departmental and collegiate needs and d) specifies the semester of academic year for transition. This letter should be submitted no later than January 15. The transition candidate will be notified by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost in writing of the transition request.

Pending administrative approval of this transition request, the Visiting Assistant Professor then has “transitional” status and is guaranteed a second-year contract. The candidate will undergo a performance review to determine whether the shift to a tenure track position is warranted. This review should commence immediately after transitional status is granted to allow the candidate, department, and college time to consider all options.

To complete this performance review, the Transitional Visiting Assistant Professor, in
collaboration with the department chair, will submit a performance review to FPC and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The department chair and tenure track candidate will also participate in an interview with FPC to discuss the performance review.

To complete this performance review, the department chair and the Visiting Assistant Professor should compile and submit the following materials to FPC:
1) A letter from the department chair assessing teaching and discussing the candidate’s research agenda and potential for service.
2) A letter from an FPC member that includes a teaching observation.
3) An updated curriculum vitae.
4) All teaching evaluations from courses taught at Centenary.
5) Three student letters, two of which must be from Centenary students. The third letter can be from a student at any other institution.
These materials must be submitted to FPC and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost no later than February 15.

At the conclusion of the review procedure, and no later than March 15, FPC will make a recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost about the transition.

Pending satisfactory review, and in consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the now tenure track faculty member has the option to set their tenure “clock” to include their review year (first year) or to start it the next academic year. Once this “clock” has begun, these faculty follow the review schedule detailed in Section 12 of the Faculty Handbook and have the same responsibilities and privileges as other tenure track faculty.

Timeline
January 15: Department chair letter submitted to FPC and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
February 15: Materials submitted to FPC
At the conclusion of the review, and no later than March 15, FPC will make a recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the candidate summarizing the Council’s assessment and transition status.

II. Guidelines for Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion

1. Purpose: To provide on-going feedback for all full-time untenured faculty, probationary and non-probationary, not undergoing the third-year review or tenure review.
2. Procedure: Department chairs (or deans) will provide the Faculty Personnel Committee with a brief evaluation of all full-time untenured faculty members in their department (or school) who are not undergoing third-year or tenure review. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the review functions of the chair. The chairperson will visit the classrooms of these untenured faculty members. The Committee encourages unannounced visits. After visiting the classroom, the chairperson will submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office responses to a questionnaire and accompanying letter primarily designed to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of the untenured faculty member. The questionnaire and letter also solicits comments regarding the candidate's scholarly and service activities. After the first year, the chairperson will also submit a current curriculum vitae for the candidate. In addition, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplemental material from the candidate's personnel file.
3. Schedule: For full-time untenured faculty in any year of employment when they are not undergoing a third-year or tenure review, the department chair (or dean) should submit the questionnaire and letter by February 1.
4. Committee Action: If members of the Faculty Personnel Committee determine that this review indicates satisfactory performance, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the candidate summarizing the Committee’s assessment and the candidate's appointment may continue. If in the Committee’s assessment areas of concern are raised, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will bring these to the candidate's attention in the letter. If the chair's report and/or student evaluations raise concerns that performance in the classroom is unsatisfactory, the Committee will initiate prompt observations of the candidate's teaching. The Faculty Personnel Committee will select appropriate individuals to make these observations. Based on the information gathered, the Committee will make a recommendation regarding the untenured faculty member's continuation at the College. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will issue a letter of review, subject to contractual provisions discussed in Section 11, no later than thirty days after the Faculty Personnel Committee makes its assessments and recommendations.

1. Purpose: To assist probationary faculty members and to provide an effective means of communicating Centenary's expectations for tenure, the department chairpersons, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College will conduct a thorough evaluation of the status of each probationary faculty member during that individual's third year of full-time service at Centenary or its equivalent as determined by the probationary faculty member’s initial contract.
2. Schedule: The due date for receipt of third-year review materials is the first working day in December. All materials should be sent to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and Dean of the College by the chairperson of the candidate for review, except for the letters from tenured faculty members, which should be sent directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's office.
3. Candidate's Portfolio: The chairperson and candidate assemble a portfolio of material, which should be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the review functions of the chair. In any case, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will have the final decision on which tenured faculty member to select. For portfolio contents, see Candidate Portfolio section below.
4. Additional Material: The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplementary material from the candidate's personnel file.
5. Committee Action: After careful study of the faculty member's material, consultation with the appropriate chairperson, and an interview of the faculty member, the Faculty Personnel Committee will make clear and definite recommendations to the administration that the faculty member:
   a. Has received a favorable third-year review and should therefore continue in the probationary period. The Committee will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost that all faculty members whose overall performance is evaluated as "satisfactory" will receive a uniform merit pay raise.
   b. Has deficiencies or areas of concern which must be addressed. The Faculty Personnel Committee should specify these areas and the time and scope of an additional review.
   c. Has received an unfavorable review and therefore should be released in accordance with Section 11 of the faculty handbook.
   
   A statement concerning college governance that applies to this process may be found in the faculty handbook, Appendix B, section V

1. Schedule: The due date for receipt of tenure review materials is the first Friday of the fall term. All materials should be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's office.

2. Candidate's Portfolio: The chairperson and candidate assemble a portfolio of material, which should be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for tenure review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the review functions of the chair. In any case, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will have the final decision on which tenured faculty member to select. For portfolio contents, see Candidate Portfolio section below.

3.  Additional Material: The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplementary material from the candidate's personnel file.

4. Committee Action: After careful study and discussion of the faculty member's portfolio and other relevant information, consultation with the appropriate chairperson, and an interview of the faculty member, the Faculty Personnel Committee will make a recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost regarding tenure.

5. Final Action: The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost makes a recommendation to the President based on the Faculty Personnel Committee's recommendation and his/her review of the tenure material. The President in turn makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees makes the final decision regarding tenure. In the case of non-tenure the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the faculty member explaining the reasons for failure to award tenure no later than thirty days after the Board of Trustees makes its recommendation. At the candidate's request the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and chairperson of the Faculty Personnel Committee will meet with the faculty member to discuss the reasons for failure to award tenure. If the candidate so desires, the department chairperson may be present at this meeting to discuss the decision with the candidate.

   In the case of the awarding of tenure the President will inform the faculty member of the results in writing and send copies to the chairperson of the department and the Faculty Personnel Committee.

1. Schedule:
   • April 1 - Faculty Personnel Committee will review the faculty roster and notify by April 1 those faculty members who are eligible for promotion consideration in the subsequent year. The chairpersons of their departments will also be notified.
   • The due date for receipt of tenure review materials is the first Friday of the fall term. All materials should be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's office. Failure to submit materials by this date will be interpreted as a decision not to be considered for promotion review.
2. Procedures:
   • Notification: The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will automatically notify faculty members when they become eligible for consideration for promotion to a given rank.
   • b. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will maintain a faculty roster which contains the following data on each faculty member:
     
     • Number of years of full-time service at the rank of instructor or above. These will include years at regionally accredited colleges or universities other than Centenary. Full-time service is defined in Section 7, Paragraph 2.
     • Date of appointment to present rank.
     • Date of appointment to Centenary's faculty.
     • Tenure status
     • Status regarding a terminal degree in her/his field.
   • By April 1 of each year, all faculty members who are eligible will continue to be notified each year, regardless of their response to such notification.
3. Special Considerations: The following rules will be followed in this promotion review process:
   
   • Members of the Faculty Personnel Committee may not be considered for promotion. Committee members reaching eligibility for review during their service on the Committee should either delay their review until their service on the Committee has ended or resign in order to be considered. This decision must be reached in time for Faculty Personnel Committee elections to be held to fill that member's slot.
   • Recommendations for early promotion consideration should come to the Faculty Personnel Committee only in exceptional cases. Such nominations should be made only to reward extraordinary achievement by the faculty member. These nominations may be made by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College or by a department chairperson through the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office. Such nominations should be bound by the same scheduling timetable as normal eligibility notification.
   • Persons being evaluated for both tenure and promotion should use the Tenure Review Procedures as a guide for composing their portfolios and submit all materials by the first Friday of the fall semester.
4. Candidate's Portfolio: All of these materials, with the exception of certain items noted below, will be collected by the department chairperson, who will forward them to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College for review by the Council. In cases where the candidate for review is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department to perform the review functions of the chair. In the case of one-person department or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for promotion review, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In any case, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will have the final decision on which tenured faculty member to select. For portfolio contents, see Candidate Portfolio section below.
5. Additional Materials:
   • The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will provide college-administered student evaluations for the candidate for the last three years.
   • The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall provide supplementary material from the candidate's personnel file.
6. Committee Action: After careful study and discussion of the faculty member's materials, and an interview with the candidate and the appropriate chairperson, the Faculty Personnel Committee will make a recommendation regarding promotion to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the College. The Committee will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost that all faculty members awarded promotion will receive a uniform merit pay raise.
7. Final Action: Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost makes a recommendation to the President based on the Faculty Personnel Committee's recommendation and his/her review of the promotion material. The President in turn makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees makes the final decision regarding promotion. In the case of non-promotion the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the faculty member explaining the reasons for failure to promote. At the candidate's request the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and chairperson of the Faculty Personnel Committee will meet with the faculty member to discuss the reasons for failure to promote no later than thirty days after the Board of Trustees makes its decision (5/2012). If the candidate so desires, the department chairperson may be present at this meeting to discuss the decision with the candidate.

In the case of promotion the President will inform the faculty member of the results in writing and send copies to the chairpersons of the department and the Faculty Personnel Committee no later than thirty days after the Board of Trustees makes its final decision.

1. Purpose:
   The Faculty Personnel Committee will conduct periodic evaluations of the professional activities of all tenured faculty who have not been evaluated in the last six years of full-time service. These evaluations are to ensure: 1) that such faculty are performing in accordance with the expectations for faculty as described in the preamble for Section 12 in the Faculty Handbook, “Guidelines for Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure”; and 2) that the faculty are receiving sufficient institutional support for meeting those expectations. These evaluations will proceed as follows:
2. Procedure:
   Department chairs (or deans) will provide the Faculty Personnel Committee with a brief evaluation of all faculty members in their department (or school) who are to be evaluated. In the case of one-person departments or departments without a tenured faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the member of the department who is a candidate for evaluation, will select a tenured faculty member from a related discipline to perform the functions of the chair. In cases where the candidate is the chair of the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the candidate, will select a tenured faculty member normally of the same department or a related discipline to perform the evaluation functions of the chair. The chairperson, in addition to one of the two members of the Faculty Personnel Committee who represent the faculty member’s division, will visit the classroom of the faculty member under evaluation. The Committee encourages unannounced visits. In addition to visiting the classroom, the chairperson may review other relevant materials such as annual reports, teaching evaluations, publications, and the curriculum vitae, as well as have a conversation with the faculty member about her/his own hopes and plans for further professional development. The chairperson will then submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office a letter describing the faculty member's development, possibly including suggestions the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and/or Faculty Personnel Committee might make to the faculty member for further development.
3. Schedule:
   These evaluations will be conducted during the spring term of the sixth year of full-time service since the last evaluation. By April 1 of the previous year, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will notify those faculty who meet the criteria specified above that they will be evaluated the following academic year. Department chairs (or deans) should submit their evaluation letters concerning the tenured faculty members by February 1.

4. Committee Action:
   The Faculty Personnel Committee will evaluate the candidate based on the annual reports of the previous six years, the curriculum vitae, teaching evaluations, the chairperson’s letter, and the classroom visits by a selected member of the FPC. The Committee will determine if the candidate’s performance of the past six years is either “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”. The Committee will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost that all faculty members whose overall performance is evaluated as “satisfactory” will receive a merit pay raise. Based on the Committee’s recommendations, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will send a letter to the faculty member summarizing the Committee’s evaluation of the faculty member and making suggestions for further development. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will issue such letters no later than thirty days after the Faculty Personnel Committee makes its recommendation. If the Committee finds the faculty member’s performance “unsatisfactory,” the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will bring the Committee’s concerns to the attention of the faculty member in the letter. The faculty member will be expected to address any concerns or suggestions expressed in the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost’s letter by the time of the next regularly scheduled review in six years. The faculty member may have one opportunity to request an earlier review, no sooner than three years after the current year. The request must be made in a letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in which the faculty member describes the actions that will be taken or has been taken to address the Committee’s concerns.

    

1. Candidates for third-year review, tenure, and promotion should provide portfolios documenting their work. The portfolio should contain the following:

• A current curriculum vitae.

• Summary Statement: A summary statement from the faculty member, detailing professional and voluntary contributions to both Centenary College and to the larger academic and civic community, in the following categories:

1. Teaching and advising effectiveness: knowledge of subject, teaching style and skills, course preparations, academic responsiveness to students, methods of evaluating students, promptness and fairness in grading, academic program and major/minor planning, course scheduling, academic, personal, and social consulting, degree planning.

2. Scholarship and creative activity: Scholarly publications, presentation of papers, concerts, exhibits, etc.; research activities leading to publication, submission and funding of grants, offices held in professional organizations, and other professional honors and awards. The faculty member is to submit examples of her/his scholarly and creative work.

3. Service to college, profession, and community: advising of student organizations, serving as mentor, faculty committee work, departmental administrative work, other extracurricular service to the college (for example, recruitment), service to professional organizations, and community service.

c. Letters and statements submitted by others to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office:

Persons writing recommendation letters are to be informed of Centenary's policy regarding letters of evaluation. It is the policy of Centenary College that letters solicited to support evaluation decisions relating to faculty and staff be held in strict confidence. Access to such letters shall be limited to appropriate personnel of Centenary College officially charged with making the evaluation and to officers and trustees of the college. Upon completion of the evaluation process, confidential letters shall be retained in closed files in the Office of the President, accessible only to Centenary College personnel as authorized by the President. After a reasonable period of time, such letters shall be destroyed at the discretion of the President. They shall not be archived. Outside reviewers must be notified of Centenary’s family leave policy as they apply to the particular candidate they are evaluating. If the Council solicits additional letters, the candidate will be informed of the names of persons writing such letters.

These letters should come from:

1. Students: After consultation with the faculty member, the chairperson will solicit letters from at least six of the candidate's current or former Centenary students. The faculty member will be informed of the names of all former students whose confidential letters are solicited.
2. Departmental Colleagues: Written statements from each tenured person in the candidate's department after he or she has made one or more classroom visits to observe the candidate's teaching. Unannounced visits are encouraged. In cases where there are few tenured departmental colleagues, the department chair may ask tenured faculty in a related discipline to perform this function.
3. Faculty Colleague Evaluations of teaching: Three letters of evaluation from at least three tenured faculty members - one from each division. At least one of these letters will come from a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee who has visited the faculty member's classroom one or more times. Unannounced visits are encouraged. These letters should be sent to the Faculty Personnel Committee by way of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost's Office.
4. External Evaluators: For promotion and tenure, letters shall be solicited from persons outside the campus with specific knowledge of the faculty member's scholarly activity. The candidate should provide the chairperson with at least two names of persons competent to make such an evaluation. The chairperson will then solicit these letters. The chairperson may also solicit additional external letters of evaluation. The faculty member will be informed of the names of all persons whose confidential letters are solicited. If any unsolicited letters are received by the Committee, the candidate will also be informed of the names of persons sending such letters. For third-year review, these letters are optional but recommended. For tenure review, at least one letter is required, and for promotion to associate or full professor, at least two letters are required.

d. The chairperson's written report: This evaluation is to be based on consultation with colleagues, including some in the candidate's department and division, interview of the faculty member undergoing review, and perusal of solicited letters detailed above in section c1. The chairperson should include her/his own recommendation regarding the award of tenure and/or promotion. The chairperson's written report should specifically summarize the candidate's strengths and weaknesses in the following categories:

1. Teaching effectiveness: knowledge of subject, teaching style and skills, course preparations, academic responsiveness to students, methods of evaluating students, promptness and fairness in grading.
2. Scholarship and creative activity: The chairperson should contextualize the appropriateness of the candidate’s scholarly progress for the field, including scholarly publications, presentation of papers, concerts, exhibits, etc.; research activities leading to publication, submission and funding of grants, offices held in professional organizations, and other professional honors and awards.
3. Service to college, profession, and community: Academic advising and mentoring students, advising of student organizations, serving as mentor, faculty committee work, departmental administrative work, other extracurricular service to the college (for example, recruitment), service to professional organizations, and community service.

e. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness: The faculty member's statement explaining her/his philosophy of teaching, including class preparation, course design, evaluation of students, methods of instruction, and other topics of importance. Syllabi for all courses should be supplied.
f. Future plans: The faculty member's statement outlining plans for her/his professional future.
g. Any additional material the candidate wishes to submit.

G.   FACULTY PERSONNEL COUNCIL REPORTING