Factors for promotion and tenure
Preamble
Chapter XXII of the Agreement between Wayne State University and the Wayne State University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors-American Federation of Teachers Local 6075 states that the basic functions of the university are the transmission and generation of knowledge. The unit factors for promotion and tenure of the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures reflect the department’s commitment to the continuing realization of these goals.
Scholarship
The Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures considers the continued intellectual growth and development of its faculty as central, indeed vital, to academic life. Since ongoing scholarly research and publication present the clearest evidence of such intellectual activity, the department assumes that candidates for promotion and tenure are actively engaged in and professionally committed to scholarly research and publication. Ordinarily, a candidate for tenure must show clear evidence of having successfully completed substantial original research in appropriate fields. Such scholarly work will be indicative of a research program that will continue to develop in the future. The results of this research – such as peer-reviewed articles and monographs (1) – should have appeared in or been accepted for publication by refereed national or international professional journals or highly regarded university or other academic presses. Moreover, there must be evidence of promising continued scholarly publication in the future. The candidate for promotion will have achieved increasingly higher levels of proven scholarly ability and potential.
(1) For promotion and tenure deliberations, the department adopts the definition of ‘monograph’ published by the National Research Council of Canada: A monograph is a specialized scientific book. As learned treatises on clearly defined topics, which may be intra-, inter- or cross-disciplinary, monographs generally are written by specialists for the benefit of other specialists. Although usually regarded as a component of the review literature of science, monographs are works that demand the highest standards of scholarship. Their preparation calls for exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge on the part of their authors, who, inter alia, must be able to collect, collate, analyze, integrate and synthesize all relevant contributions to the archival literature of the scientific and engineering journals and to add original material as required. The value of monographs lies in the coherence and comprehensiveness of the information and knowledge they contain, which is important to the specialized researchers to whom they are directed and, therefore, to the advancement of science and engineering generally. Most monographic manuscripts are critically reviewed and tightly edited. The resulting books can be expected to have a reasonably long shelf life.
Other forms of original research such as book chapters, particularly when peer-reviewed, are recognized as scholarly contributions. Essays, translations and book reviews also represent contributions to the field. In some cases, textbooks and creative works may be an appropriate demonstration of scholarship. However, book chapters without peer review, essays, translations, textbooks, creative works and book reviews will not ordinarily carry as much weight as refereed book chapters, articles and monographs. Other forms of scholarly or pedagogical publication, including digital humanities projects, may be considered as well. Other evidence of a candidate's accomplishments in scholarship may include activities such as acting as the primary editor of a book or journal, presentation of scholarly papers at meetings or conferences of professional organizations, the refereeing of manuscripts for professional journals or presses, service on editorial boards and receipt of fellowships, grants for research, prizes and awards — in short, the recognition of one's peers at the national and international level.
In scholarship and/or creative activities, excellence consists in making contributions to knowledge and to creativity that reach at least the same levels of magnitude, quantity and importance as is expected of faculty at other national research universities. In addition to independent scholarship and/or creative activities, collaborative/team-based/interdisciplinary scholarship and/or creative activities and publicly engaged scholarship and/or creative activities may also be considered. Scholarship that is concerned with advancing equitable practices and reforms in the professional, academic, local or broader public/global communities may also be considered.
In all cases, and whether print or electronic, the quality of publications, their value as significant contributions to scholarship in the candidate's field and their impact on other scholars in the field at both the national and international level are the primary criteria for tenure and promotion. Judgment of an individual's performance and potential is based on comparisons with the achievements of those expected to gain tenure and promotion at other research universities in appropriate fields. Recognized specialists from peer institutions will be consulted to provide information relevant to such judgments by assessing the quality and impact of the candidate’s scholarly work within his or her expertise.
Teaching
In teaching, excellence consists in both outstanding methods of pedagogy that serve the department’s diverse student body and in demonstrated high levels of learning by the students who are taught. Activities that assist in achieving educational equity, increase student retention and help students transition to work or to further education may be considered. Excellence in teaching should also be judged by contributions to curricular development, by student advising and other support and by preparation of curricular materials or publication of pedagogical articles, textbooks or other pedagogical work. The supervision of independent student work, including the direction of long projects, independent studies, master's theses and doctoral dissertations should also be taken into consideration.
Clearly established excellence, not simply adequacy, of classroom teaching across a disciplinary spectrum is essential for a departmental tenure recommendation. Excellence may be assessed by such measures as student and peer evaluations, a teaching portfolio and teaching awards. Performance of particular responsibilities in support of basic course coordination and study-abroad program development may be considered in evaluating candidates. Since teaching takes place both inside and outside of the classroom, availability to students and the keeping of regular office hours are also important factors.
Non-instructional service
As part of their regular duties, all faculty are expected to serve actively and constructively when called upon for various departmental needs, such as committee work related to the normal functioning and mission of the department, college or university. In general, these duties are considered normal and routine and will not carry great weight in consideration for tenure and promotion, although a deficiency in their respect would be seriously detrimental. Similarly, all faculty are expected to serve when called upon at the college and university levels, but since the occasion for such service tends to increase with seniority, less service is expected of non-tenured faculty than of tenured members of the department.
Particularly distinguished departmental, college or university service, special service in regional, national or international professional organizations and significant service to the ethnic groups represented by the department or to civic or cultural groups important to the mission of the university may enhance candidacy for tenure when present alongside sufficiently strong scholarly and teaching qualifications. Service will not be considered apart from or as a substitute for excellence in either scholarship or teaching.
In service, the standard of excellence is measured not so much by the number of offices held or activities undertaken, although that may be considered, as by the demonstrable substantive value of the faculty member's contribution to the quality of the University, to the well-being of the community and/or to the advancement of their profession or discipline. In all cases, service consists in the application of a faculty member's knowledge in their professional field to benefit the University, the community and/or their profession. Service that improves inclusiveness and equity in the academy and more broadly in society may also be considered.
Factors for promotion
The factors governing scholarship and teaching are similar to those for tenure, except that, in cases of promotion to professor, more weight is given to scholarship and to national and international recognition within the discipline and the profession. The factors governing service are also similar to those for tenure, except that more service is expected of tenured than of untenured faculty and candidates for promotion to professor are encouraged to become active in college and university as well as departmental committees. Assessments of a candidate’s qualifications for promotion must take into consideration performance to date, prospects for continued excellence and professional growth on the basis of that performance, and, especially in the case of promotion to professor, professional experience.
Revised February 2024
Approved by the Dean’s Office Feb. 23, 2024