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Faculty Promotion – Library Services

POLICY STATEMENT

Delta State University Library Services faculty appointments are at the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor. Minimum standards for these ranks are given below:

DEFINITIONS

TENURE-TRACK RANKS

Assistant Professor: A terminal (i.e. Master of Library Science) degree in the library field or in some instances a graduate degree in a related scholarly field and potential for achievement in professional competency, scholarship, and service.

Associate Professor: (1) Six years of professional library experience. (2) A minimum of three years experience at the rank of Assistant Professor. (3) Documentation of effectiveness in areas of professional competency. (4) Documentation of scholarship or creative activities. (5) Documentation of professional, university, and community service.

Professor: (1) Twelve years of professional library experience. (2) A minimum of five years experience at the rank of Associate Professor. (3) Documentation of sustained effectiveness in professional competency. (4) Documentation of substantial accomplishment in scholarship or creative activities that have led to recognition in professional circles at the state, regional or national level. (5) Documentation of leadership in the form of service to the community, the profession, and the university.

CRITERIA FOR AWARDING PROMOTION

Decisions in favor of awarding promotion are made in recognition of accomplishments in response to the following criteria: professional competency, scholarship, and service, as well as the appropriate academic background for a tenure appointment. Evaluation shall be based on all three areas, although it is realized that differences in emphasis may exist depending on the nature of the individual’s assignment. Each of the criteria is defined below.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY DEFINED

Delta State University is primarily a teaching institution. However, most individuals who hold appointments as Library Services faculty do not engage in teaching semester-length formal courses. Thus, for Library Services faculty, professional competency is essential for promotion consideration. Effective Library Services faculty demonstrate qualities which may include, but are not limited to, the following: high academic standards, concern for learning, a thorough knowledge of the subject, excellent organizational skills, excellent communication skills, service ethic, respect for Library Services patrons, innovation in professional practice, and continuing professional development and education. Contributions to Library Services include, but are not limited to, instruction in accessing information and technology, collection development, reference and user services, access and control of information and equipment, leadership and supervision of personnel, providing instructional support services, development of instructional aids and research sources, and preservation or conservation activities.

SCHOLARSHIP DEFINED

Delta State University recognizes the important contributions that scholarship makes in the advancement of Library Services. Scholarly inquiry and learning in Library Services are reflected in, but not limited to, the following: dissemination of research and scholarly findings through books, journal articles, monographs, abstracts, reviews, indexes, and presentations at professional meetings, workshops, and training sessions; presentation of creative achievements through exhibitions, performances, and publications; development of new research methodologies, studies, and surveys; compilation of bibliographies, collection research guides, and pathfinders; identification and evaluation of scholarly resources that are appropriate for the educational mission; production of instructional multimedia materials; obtainment of grants or contracts that support scholarly and creative activity; achievement of honors and awards for significant scholarly and creative activity, and participation as an editor and/or referee in support of scholarly and creative publications.

SERVICE DEFINED

Delta State recognizes the importance of service as a part of its mission. The service component is based on performance in three areas: service to the Library Services faculty member’s profession, service to the University, and public service to the community that is related to the nature of the Library Services faculty member’s assignment. Efforts to advance accreditation-related initiatives, such as the Quality Enhancement Plan, shall be considered as service to the University.

PROCEDURES and RESPONSIBILITIES

Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee

Library Services shall have a standing tenure and promotion committee. This committee shall consist of at least three persons. All of the tenured faculty members of Library Services, excluding the Dean of Library Services, shall serve on the committee. The committee shall elect a chair each year. If there are not at least three tenured faculty members within Library Services to meet this criterion, the tenured faculty, in consultation with the Dean of Library Services, shall appoint to the committee faculty who are from the same discipline, and are tenured at another university. Candidates for promotion shall receive notification of the non–departmental appointees to the committee who shall be reviewing their application prior to the initiation of their review for promotion. Any concerns of the candidate regarding non-departmental appointees shall be forwarded to the chair of the University Tenure and Promotion Committee, who shall meet with the Library Services Tenure and Promotion committee to seek resolution. In the absence of agreement, the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs will mediate a resolution. The Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee shall have the responsibility for reviewing portfolios of candidates for promotion and making recommendations, with reasons, as to whether promotion should be granted. The Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee shall also be responsible, with assistance from the Dean of Library Services and tenure-track faculty, for recommending promotion procedures and for recommending guidelines for the portfolio to be used by candidates from Library Services for tenure or promotion consideration.

University Tenure and Promotion Committee

Membership

The University Tenure & Promotion Committee shall be composed of eleven tenured faculty members, three from the College of Arts & Sciences, three from the College of Business, three from the College of Education, one from the School of Nursing, and one from Library Services.
No two members shall be from the same department/division.
Members shall be elected by the tenured and tenure-track faculty in the college or school they represent and shall serve for staggered three-year terms.

Committee Chair

The chair shall rotate among the colleges and schools based on the following schedule: Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing, and Library Services
The faculty member within the appropriate college/unit with the most longevity of service on the committee shall serve as chair.
The chair will
- Make contact with each faculty member who has applied for tenure and promotion to assess his/her perception of compliance, by the respective department/division committees, chairs, and deans, with university policies and procedures.
- Any complaints of non-compliance by a faculty member will be noted and discussed by the committee.
- If necessary, meet with the appropriate college/school deans to seek resolution of any policy compliance issues.
- Submit a letter to the Provost/VPAA.
  - If compliance issues are identified and not resolved in the meeting with the college/school dean, the letter will identify the issue(s), report the committee’s discussion regarding the disposition of the application, report the committee’s vote, and recommend either delaying action on the application or allowing the application to proceed.
  - If there are no compliance issues, the letter will indicate that and recommend further consideration of each applicant.

Charge

To advise and consult with the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs on criteria, policies, and procedures related to tenure and promotion.
To review all tenure and promotion policy recommendations transmitted from department/division committees (not faculty portfolios) to ensure compliance with Board, University, and department/division policies and timelines.

Meeting Procedure

The members of the University Tenure & Promotion Committee will meet during the first two weeks of March to review tenure/promotion documents for policy compliance.
All proceedings by this committee are strictly confidential in nature.
All members of the committee will independently review the candidate’s letter to department/division tenure and promotion committee chair and letters from the department/division tenure and promotion committee chair and the dean at the scheduled meeting.
Following the review, the committee will deliberate and vote.
A simple majority vote is required for the committee to recommend that the process complies with Board, University, and department/division policies for a given candidate.

Guideline for Recommending Further Consideration of an Applicant

By a simple majority vote the University Tenure & Promotion Committee will determine whether to recommend that an applicant be given further consideration.

Tenure and Promotions Appeals Committee

The University shall have a standing tenure and promotions appeals committee. The Tenure and Promotions Appeals Committee shall consist of three tenured faculty members at the rank of Professor. No two members of the committee shall be from the same college or school, nor shall they be members of the University Tenure and Promotion Committee. The members shall be appointed by the Faculty Senate as a standing committee at the beginning of the academic year and shall serve one-year terms. Committee members shall not hear appeals from members of their respective academic department/division. If a member of the committee cannot hear a particular appeal, the Faculty Senate President shall appoint a temporary replacement.

Application for Promotion

Application for promotion will be initiated by the Library Services faculty member. When a faculty member believes that he or she has met the University and Library Services criteria for promotion to the next higher rank, the faculty member shall notify the Chair of the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee in writing of his or her desire to be considered for promotion by September 1. Application for promotion must be submitted by December 1 of the academic year in which the candidate wishes to be considered. Since the probationary period in a tenure-track position is six years, and the period of service for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor is also six years, a faculty member may apply for tenure and promotion to that rank simultaneously.

Pre-Tenure and Pre-Promotion Review

By October 1 of the first year of the appointment, faculty who received years of credit toward tenure or promotion at the time of hiring shall receive written notification from the Library Services dean with copy to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs stating if and when a pre-tenure and/or pre-promotion portfolio is to be submitted. The Dean of Library Services shall notify faculty in writing of their responsibility to submit a portfolio for pre-tenure and pre-promotion review by October 1 of the academic year in which the portfolio is to be submitted.

By February 1 of a Library Services faculty member’s second year and fourth year in a probationary appointment at the University, the Library Services faculty member shall submit his/her portfolio to the Chair of the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee. This Committee shall review the portfolio and make written recommendations and shall, by March 1, forward the portfolio and the committee’s written recommendations to the Dean of Library Services. The Dean of Library Services shall review the portfolio and make written recommendations and shall, by April 7, forward the portfolio and all written recommendations to date to the Library Services faculty member. Copies of all written recommendations to date shall be retained in the dean’s office. In cases where minimal progress is made between the second year and fourth year, as determined by the committee or the Dean of Library Services, the Library Services faculty member shall, in consultation with the Dean of Library Services, develop and have on file in the Dean of Library Services’ office by May 1 a plan of action for improvement. This pre-tenure and pre-promotion review process shall serve as a mentoring function for the Library Services faculty member to identify strengths and weaknesses, not as a vote on promotion consideration.

Portfolios

Library Services faculty who are eligible for consideration for promotion shall compile and maintain a portfolio that provides evidence of their accomplishments in response to all three criteria used to make promotion decisions. These include: professional competency, scholarship, and service. Unless otherwise specified in the Library Services faculty member’s contract, the primary emphasis among the three criteria shall be professional competency. Evaluation shall be based on all three areas, although it is realized that differences in emphasis may exist, depending on the nature of the Library Services faculty member’s assignment. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate through the portfolio an excellent record of Library Services faculty productivity, through performance on the three criteria: professional competency, scholarship, and service. Guidelines and suggestions for portfolios are available through the Dean of Library Services. The faculty Vita will describe applicable professional training and experience and a personal statement in the portfolio should address interpersonal relationships.

All new faculty members as of August 2018 are required to submit an e-portfolio for their 2 year, 4 year, and Tenure or Promotion applications. All faculty are encouraged to begin using an e-portfolio at their earliest convenience for pre-tenure reviews and Promotion or Tenure applications. All faculty are required to submit an e-portfolio for their 2-year, 4 year, or Tenure or Promotion applications beginning fall 2020. Refer to the Handbook on Tenure and Promotion for additional information regarding the e-portfolio requirement.

Portfolio Review

A candidate applying for promotion must submit for review, no later than December 1 of the year in which the candidate is being considered for promotion, his/her portfolio to the Chair of the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee. The chair forwards a list of tenure and promotion candidates to the Dean of Library Services, University Tenure & Promotion chair, and the Provost/VPAA by December 1. The Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee shall meet and make its recommendation (with reasons) as to whether promotion should be granted to the candidate and forward the portfolio and recommendation to the Dean of Library Services by January 20. The Chair of the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee will send a copy of the recommendation letter to the candidate. If the Dean of Library Services’ recommendation for promotion is in disagreement with the recommendation of the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee, it shall be the responsibility of the Dean of Library Services to meet with the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee to inform the members of such and provide an explanation. The dean will send a copy of his/her recommendation to the candidate. By February 15, the dean shall send the portfolio and the recommendations from the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee and the Dean of Library Services to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. The dean shall send a copy of all the recommendations to the Chair of the University Tenure & Promotion Committee. The University Tenure & Promotion Committee shall schedule a meeting between February 15 and March 1 to review the recommendations for compliance with IHL Board, University, and Library Services policies and procedures. The committee chair shall contact all promotion candidates to identify any potential grievance and/or concern. In the event procedural problems and/or concerns are discovered, the Chair of the University Tenure & Promotion Committee shall meet with the Dean of Library Services to seek resolution. Annotation of any unresolved procedural problems shall be forwarded by the chair of the University Tenure & Promotion Committee to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs as soon as possible after the meeting of the University Tenure & Promotion Committee and no later than March 15^th . The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs shall review each candidate’s portfolio and make a recommendation (with reasons) regarding the award of promotion and shall forward the portfolio and the promotion recommendation to the President by March 15, citing any unresolved procedural problems and/or concerns from the University Tenure & Promotion Committee. If the recommendation regarding promotion from the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs or the President is in disagreement with any of the previous recommendations, it shall be the responsibility of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs or the President to inform the candidate, the Library Services Tenure and Promotion Committee chair, the dean, and the chair of the University Tenure & Promotion Committee and provide an explanation. Upon approval by the President, successful candidates shall be notified in writing by April 15 by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Appeal

Candidates who are not recommended for promotion shall be notified in writing by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs by April 1. Library Services faculty members who wish to appeal must refer the case to the University Tenure and Promotions Appeals Committee by April 15. This committee shall hold a hearing within fifteen days to review the decision and submit a recommendation to the President, who shall make a final determination within seven days and notify the candidate of such in writing.

Responsible Office and/or Policy Owner: Office of Academic Affairs