Promotion in step, rank, or employment status is, in part, a recognition of past achievements and an expression of confidence that the faculty member will continue in professional development. The successful, productive faculty member will be considered for advancement, ordinarily one step annually, but promotion is not automatic. It is based on employment Levels 1-3 and depends upon satisfactorily fulfilling the following criteria:
- The Faculty Promotions Committee, in consultation with school deans/department chairs, annually reviews the progress of each faculty member. The committee’s confidential recommendation for promotion in step, rank, or employment status is submitted to the president, who in turn makes a recommendation to the Board for final action. That decision is communicated to the faculty member and the school dean/ department chair by the president or vice president for Academic Administration.
- The primary considerations for promotion are teaching effectiveness, scholarly productivity, professional activity, and faculty service. Other considerations include interpersonal relations, personal commitment to the objectives of the university and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, acceptable fulfillment of extra and co-curricular assignments, and faithfulness in meeting university obligations.
- The central responsibility of faculty is to teach. Accordingly, classroom effectiveness is a significant factor in decisions regarding a faculty member’s academic rank and level. School deans and department chairs assess classroom effectiveness using direct observation, student input, and additional valid information as sources of evidence.
- Faculty are expected to participate in professional activities and to achieve scholarly productivity as a regular part of their duties. The following policies apply to professional development:
- The institution may require, or faculty may negotiate, doctoral studies programs in schools/departments with specific needs for credentialed personnel.
- Faculty must substantiate regular use of funds for membership in learned societies and attendance at professional meetings.
- Faculty not enrolled in graduate studies must participate in self-directed scholarly work and or professional activities planned in consultation with deans/chairs and the vice president for Academic Administration. Such activities include but are not limited to research, writing, presentations at professional meetings, productivity in the fine arts, and participation in the workplace to upgrade or maintain professional skills.
- For advancement in rank or level (promotion), faculty members must submit professional portfolios examining and evaluating their teaching effectiveness, scholarly productivity/professional activity, and faculty service. The portfolio includes a review of their teaching effectiveness, an explanation of measures taken to improve teaching effectiveness, and an account of professional activities in which they have participated during the portfolio period. Portfolios are submitted to the senior vice president for Academic Administration when a faculty member is eligible for promotion in rank or level and for those at the top of the rank and level system, every five years. The faculty member’s portfolio will be made available to the Faculty Promotions Committee and will become part of the basis for a recommendation or a promotion. New faculty must plan to submit their portfolios three years after the date of their first contract.
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- For promotion in rank or level, a faculty member must demonstrate effective teaching, scholarly productivity, and service. Promotion requires activity in all three areas. Generally, the Faculty Promotions Committee will allocate:
- 70% of the weight in a promotion recommendation to effective teaching.
- 30% will come from scholarly productivity/professional activity and faculty service. (No less than 10% of the weight will come from scholarly activity/professional activity or faculty service.)
- For deans and chairs, administrative load may replace up to 90% of the teaching component. Administrative load is assessed independently by the senior vice president for academic administration and is documented through annual evaluations.
- Faculty Service - All faculty members are required to participate in university governance through university-wide committee service.
- Other forms of service, such as holding church offices, serving on boards, serving in local service organizations, and so on, may contribute to the faculty service percentage.
- For porfolios that fully meet university expectations, the Promotions Committee may approve a portfolio for up to five years. For those that do not meet expectations, shorter approval periods may be assigned by the committee or the portfolio may be rejected. For any faculty member who exceeds 6 years since the last committee reviewed and approved portfolio, professional growth funds will be frozen until a portfolio is submitted to and accepted by the committee. When the committee is inactive, the senior vice president for academic administration may accept portfolios on behalf of the committee; however, portfolio evaluation is always completed by the committee.
- Faculty denied promotion may appeal their cases to their school dean/department chair, the Faculty Promotions Committee, or the president. When an appeal is initiated, the dean/chair, the Faculty Promotions Committee, and the president will be notified.