POLICY 06:03:00

FACULTY PROMOTION

Promotion in rank is recognition of past achievements of the individual being considered for promotion. In addition, the advancement in rank is recognition of future potential and a sign of confidence that the individual is capable of greater accomplishments and of assuming greater responsibilities. Pellissippi State Community College will promote faculty strictly on consideration of merit tempered by college and fiscal considerations. Promotions are made objectively, equitably, and impartially, and awarded in recognition of merit consistent with the provisions below. Each promotion in rank is rewarded with a 5% salary increase. If the 5% increase does not raise the faculty member’s salary to the minimum of the salary range for the appropriate rank, the salary will be increased to that minimum.

The following policy on faculty promotion acknowledges compliance with Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Policy 05:02:02:30 Faculty Promotion at Community Colleges.

1. Definitions
   1. Teaching. Teaching applies to any manner in which information is imparted so that others may learn, and may include, but is not limited to, a variety of techniques including instruction; development of course materials, assignments, and courseware; and development of innovative approaches to teaching.
   2. Service/Outreach. Service applies to service within the community as defined by the college’s role and mission; service to the college; and service within the bounds of the applicant’s academic discipline and budgeted assignment.
   3. Scholarship/Creative Activities/Research. Research applies to the studious inquiry, examination or discovery that contributes to disciplinary and interdisciplinary bodies of knowledge. Scholarship/creative activities/research may include, but is not limited to, typical professional growth and development activities, disciplinary and interdisciplinary activities that focus on the boundaries of knowledge, community-based scholarship, creative activities (e.g., performances or other artistic creations), and the development of cutting-edge teaching approaches.
   4. Faculty Member. A regular, full-time employee who holds academic rank as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. Further definition is in TBR Policy 5:02:01:00 Definition of Faculty and Pellissippi State Policy 06:01:01 Faculty.
   5. Peer Group. A group consisting of all tenured and tenure-track faculty from the promotion candidate’s academic department or division who vote whether or not to recommend the candidate for promotion to the candidate’s supervisor(s). For candidates in departments with fewer than five faculty members, a peer group offaculty from related departments will be assembled as the candidate’s peer group. In order to be eligible to participate in the peer group for the promotion process, the faculty member must not have been released from more than 50 percent of the faculty member’s teaching load or other departmental duties for four of the last six academic semesters.
   6. Vote. Peer group members vote by casting a ballot to recommend the candidate for promotion, to not recommend the candidate for promotion, or to abstain. An abstention is not a refusal to vote; rather, it signifies that the voter would be equally satisfied with either outcome (i.e., the candidate being promoted or not being promoted).
   7. Peer Group Meeting. A meeting of as many members of the peer group as possible in which the members of the peer group may ask questions of the candidate, discuss the candidate’s qualifications, and cast individual votes. To participate, members of the peer group must have read and signed off on candidate portfolios.
   8. Supervisor. An individual who oversees and evaluates faculty members. A supervisor may have the title of discipline chair, assistant dean, academic department dean, or chief academic officer.
      
      
2. Minimum Rank Criteria
   The following are minimum criteria for each academic rank in accordance with Tennessee Board of Regents Policy 5:02:02:30 Faculty Promotion at Community Colleges. These minimum rank qualifications must be met in every recommendation regarding appointment to an academic rank and for promotion in academic rank.Faculty must demonstrate minimum criteria to be eligible for promotion in rank. Promotions must be sequential; a faculty member may not bypass a rank. Minimum criteria may be waived if approved by the president and the chancellor when a candidate offers extraordinary qualifications in lieu of the stated minimum rank criteria. Such approval must be supported by evidence of the extraordinary nature of the qualifications. For example, a candidate with recognized, national prominence and expertise might qualify for such a waiver.
   1. Instructor
      1. Potential ability in teaching, service/outreach, and scholarship/creative activities/research.
      2. As determined to be appropriate for the instructional discipline, either an associate’s or baccalaureate degree (i.e., Career Programs) or an earned master’s degree or higher in the discipline or related area from an accredited institution.
      3. Evidence of good character, mature attitude, and professional integrity.
      4. Demonstrated potential for continuous professional growth and the ability to achieve the objectives of the faculty member, the division or department, and the college.
   2. Assistant Professor
      1. Documented evidence of ability in teaching, service/outreach, and scholarship/creative activities/research.
      2. As determined to be appropriate for the instructional discipline, either a baccalaureate degree (i.e., Career Programs) or an earned master’s degree or higher in the instructional discipline or related area from an accredited institution.
      3. Evidence of good character, mature attitude, and professional integrity.
      4. Pattern of continuous professional growth and demonstrated ability to achieve the objectives of the faculty member, the division or department, and the college.
   3. Associate Professor
      1. Documented evidence of high-quality professional productivity in teaching, service/outreach, and scholarship/creative activities/research.
      2. As determined to be appropriate for the instructional discipline, either a baccalaureate degree (i.e., Career Programs) or an earned master’s degree or higher in the instructional discipline from an accredited institution.
      3. Evidence of good character, mature attitude, and professional integrity.
      4. Pattern of continuous professional growth and demonstrated ability to achieve the objectives of the faculty member, the division or department, and the college.
   4. Professor
      1. Documented evidence of sustained high quality professional productivity in teaching, service/outreach, and scholarship/creative activities/research.
      2. Earned doctorate or TBR recognized terminal degree in the instructional discipline or related area from an accredited institution.
      3. Documented evidence of teaching excellence and superior contribution to student development or superior scholarly or creative activity. The absence of such evidence may prevent advancement to the rank of professor. Since there is no higher rank, promotion to professor is taken with great care and requires a substantial level of achievement. This rank is not a reward for long service; rather it is recognition of superior achievement within the discipline with every expectation of continuing contribution to the college and the larger academic community.
      4. Evidence of good character, mature attitude, professional integrity, and a high degree of academic excellence and responsibility.
      5. Pattern of continuous professional growth and demonstrated ability to achieve the objectives of the faculty member, the division or department, and the college.
   5. Eligibility for promotion in rank under these minimum criteria does not automatically result in promotion. Once minimum criteria have been met, the decision on promotion will be based on additional criteria outlined in Section IV below.
      
      
3. Terminal Degree Designation
   The TBR uses national discipline standards to determine which degrees areconsidered to be “terminal” within each discipline and provides each college with a list that delineates these degrees. Blanket exceptions to these standards by classification may be requested based upon the college’s mission and hiring practice. Also the TBR may be petitioned for “equivalent work experience credit” when a candidate has not obtained a terminal degree but has a record of extraordinary achievement in the candidate’s professional field.
4. Promotion Criteria
   Candidates for promotion in rank must meet the minimum criteria for the rank for which they are applying as outlined in Section II. In addition, candidates must meet criteria described in each area below.
5. Time in Rank
   INSTRUCTOR 3 years – During the third year in the rank of instructor, faculty members may apply for the rank of assistant professor, with the promotion becoming effective the next academic year.
   ASSISTANT PROFESSOR 3 years – During the third year in the rank of assistant professor, faculty members may apply for the rank of associate professor, with the promotion becoming effective the next academic year.
   ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR 5 years – During the fifth year in the rank of associate professor, faculty members who have a terminal degree may apply for the rank of professor, with the promotion becoming effective the next academic year.
   1. Teaching
      As a teaching college, Pellissippi State places the most emphasis on this category. The evaluation of the candidate’s teaching ability will be based on the following criteria:
      1. Curriculum and/or program development—creating effective course materials and courseware either on the classroom, discipline, or institutional level; organizing subject matter in a logical way to motivate students and improve student learning; and generally stimulating academic engagement in students within the discipline area
      2. Development and application of current instructional techniques, such as innovative online and computer-assisted techniques. Many possibilities might be applicable to this category, including use of multimedia stations, visual aids, mobile technology, and other enrichment activities.
      3. Documentation of teaching methodologies—being mindful of approaches that result in outstanding student products and/or student learning. A variety of methodologies might be appropriate, including group work, student-created projects, discussion, etc.
      4. Documentation of application of current developments in the faculty member’s field, discipline or specialization. Knowledge of such developments may be acquired through reading relevant publications; conducting research through various avenues; and attending seminars, conferences, and workshops. This category also includes regularly revising all elements used in the individual teaching environment.
      5. Student perceptions of teaching performance—Rather than simply attaching Student Perception Results, the faculty member summarizes the data and responds to the students’ perceptions. Responses may include explanation, agreement, disagreement, plans for revision or improvement, etc. The faculty member should demonstrate use of student perceptions in improving teaching and delivery.
   2. Service/Outreach Overall evaluation of the service component should be based on performance in three areas: service to the college; public service to the community as defined by the college’s role and mission; and service within the bounds of the candidate’s academic discipline and budgeted assignment. Evaluation should be based on all three areas although differences in emphases may exist. Specific criteria for evaluation of service/outreach may include college committee and administrative responsibilities, community service programs, public service consultation, and active contributions to professional associations. Specific evaluative criteria may be developed using the following guidelines:
      1. Performance in relation to assigned and budgeted duties (as described in the candidate’s position description, which includes a statement of the mission or purpose of the position and of the objective(s) of the nominee’s service unit, as well as the specific assigned tasks and responsibilities of the nominee).
      2. The candidate’s effectiveness, as judged by his/her impact on the institution, individuals, groups, or organizations served. This should include documentation of the success of his/her internal and external service, in terms of improvement of communities, programs, operating agencies, production processes, or management practices. It should also include indications of satisfaction with the service provided by the nominee and of the magnitude and complexity of his/her work (as opposed to perfunctory activity that does not lead to useful results).
      3. Service/outreach work is sometimes not publishable. The results may be in the form of direct consultations, planning reports, or instructional time directed largely to the recipients of college service programs. But certain aspects of service work are suitable for publication in professional journals. For example, unique techniques developed to motivate students or others or new approaches to the transfer and application of knowledge would be of interest to peers in other public service programs.
      4. Examples of service to college and community include the following:
         1. Chairing or participating in departmental, program, or college- wide committees or undertaking special projects or assignments.
         2. Giving of the faculty member’s time and professional expertise outside the college to the community at large, i.e., contributions to organizations related to the faculty member’s discipline or to the teaching profession generally. Examples might include working with area K-12 schools, consulting, providing professional expertise, supporting charitable organizations or causes, serving on statewide or TBR committees, guest lecturing on other campuses and other appropriate activities.
         3. The advising and mentoring component of the faculty member’s service, including such activities as advising, mentoring, offering help sessions, holding individual conferences, sponsoring student organizations and/or participating in student-oriented events, writing letters of reference for students, etc. If necessary, the faculty member describes the nature of the faculty member’s participation and assesses the benefit to students of the interaction.
            
            
6. Scholarship/Creative Activities/Research
   Examples of appropriate activities for professional development include the following:
   1. Scholarly pursuits in support of the discipline or the teaching profession, including typical professional development activities, such as taking classes; attending workshops, seminars and professional conferences; reading relevant publications, and conducting research through various avenues.
   2. Certifications earned or maintained.
   3. Performances, compositions, and other artistic creations that are evaluated by written reviews and by qualified peers, either in person or aided by other forms of reports, or both).
   4. Professional or scholarly papers presented at international, national, or regional/state meetings.
   5. Publication of research or scholarly works, such as books, journal articles, and other scholarly papers.
      
      
7. Portfolio Development
   The faculty member must develop an electronic portfolio that includes the faculty member’s formal annual faculty evaluations conducted by the candidate’s academic supervisor in combination with relevant narratives for the most recent three calendar years for candidates applying for the rank of assistant professor or associate professor and the most recent five years for candidate’s applying for the rank of full professor (the year in which promotion is applied for and the two or four prior years), providing evidence that the candidate meets all the criteria for the rank for which the candidate is applying. This portfolio will comprise the primary input for promotion consideration. It will be reviewed and assessed by all levels of personnel involved in the decision-making process as outlined in this policy. The portfolio must be created electronically through a digital notebook application as specified by the Promotion and Tenure Committee. The portfolio will have the following sections:
   1. Vita/Résumé. The candidate must submit a current resume or teaching vita.
   2. Teaching. Effective teaching is an essential qualification for promotion, and promotion will be granted only with clear and documented evidence of thecandidate’s teaching ability and potential for continued development. Effectiveteaching may include the use of research-proven methods of active learning, such as common academic experiences, learning communities, writing assignments, collaborative learning activities, research projects, global or international course components, service-learning, internships, and capstone projects. The following items will be included in the portfolio, as appropriate, as evidence of effective teaching. (Although appropriate documentation in the teaching category must be kept by the candidate for a minimum of three years after receiving promotion, it is not required to be included in the portfolio.)
      1. Statement of teaching philosophy.
      2. Summary of the “teaching” section of the self-evaluation for the last three (or five) years, along with reflections on teaching experiences during that time and descriptions of the perceived impact of teaching activities and assignments on student retention and student learning.
      3. Limited documentation if it is of an extraordinary nature or provides clarity to the teaching narrative.
   3. Service/Outreach. This category includes the faculty member’s activities in college service, outreach or public service, and professional service. Narratives to provide evidence of the faculty member’s activities in one or more of these areas should be included in the portfolio. (Although appropriate documentation of these activities must be kept by the candidate for a minimum of three years after receiving promotion, it is not required to be included in the portfolio.)
      1. College service refers to activities other than teaching and scholarship performed at the department or college-wide level and is expected of every faculty member. Such service includes, but is not limited to, serving on departmental, faculty, or collegewide committees and participating in college activities. More extensive functions, such as membership on a specially appointed task force, serving as advisor to a student organization, and membership on a search committee may also be taken into account in consideration for promotion.
      2. Outreach, or public service, is the college’s outreach to the community and to society at large, with major emphasis on the application of knowledge for the solution of problems with which society is confronted. Outreach primarily involves sharing professional expertise and should directly support the goals and mission of the college. A vital component of the college’s mission, public service must be performed at the same high level of quality that characterizes the teaching function.
      3. Professional service refers to the work done for organizations related tothe faculty member’s discipline or to the teaching profession in general. Service to the profession includes such activities as service on statewide or TBR committees, guest lecturing on other campuses, and other appropriate activities. Membership in professional organizations is also considered outreach.
      4. Limited documentation may be included if it is extraordinary or provides clarity to the narrative.
   4. Scholarship/Creative Activities/Research. Candidates for promotion must include narrative descriptions of their scholarship, creative activities, and research. Such narratives should cite typical professional development activities, such as participation in professional organization meetings, faculty development workshops, and conferences; presentations at professional meetings; journal editorship; article and grant proposal reviews; performances, exhibitions, and other creative endeavors; and other appropriate activities. (Although appropriate documentation of these activities must be kept by the candidate for a minimum of three years after receiving promotion, it is not required to be included in the portfolio.)
   5. Annual Evaluations and Classroom Observations. The portfolio must include the candidate’s annual evaluations for each of the three (or five) years of the evaluation period and classroom observations conducted by peers and department deans, as appropriate, for each of the three (or five) years.
      
      
8. Promotion Guidelines and Procedures
   1. When a tenure-track employee is hired, that employee’s supervisor assigns the faculty member a mentor who is a senior member of the faculty (tenured with at least a rank of assistant professor) to aid and assess that employee’s progress toward promotion and tenure. Should a mentor be unable or unwilling to serve for any reason, the supervisor appoints another mentor as soon as possible. Upon the tenure-track faculty member’s receiving tenure, the official mentoring relationship may end.
   2. The supervisor has a specific conversation about a tenure-track employee’sprogress toward promotion and tenure at each annual evaluation.
   3. During each spring semester, the chief academic officer notifies faculty members of their eligibility to apply for promotion the following academic year.
   4. By the end of the first week of classes in fall semester, candidates notify their supervisor of their intent to apply for promotion.
   5. At their first fall semester meeting, the Faculty Senate selects the Promotion and Tenure Committee (PTC) chair(s) according to Senate guidelines. Each academic department will have a departmental representative serving as a member of the PTC. The PTC chair(s) will work with the academic department deans to select departmental representatives to the PTC. PTC members cannot be candidates for promotion or tenure.
   6. The chief academic officer or designee meets with the PTC chair(s) to discuss peer review group procedures, candidates, and to establish the promotion and tenure calendar. The calendar will be established by the end of fall semester. Once approved, the calendar is published by the office of the chief academic officer and distributed to faculty members who are eligible to apply for promotion and to academic department deans. The PTC chair informs academic department deans and candidates for promotion of the guidelines for compiling portfolios. The peer meetings will be held during the spring semester.
   7. Each candidate compiles an online promotion portfolio that addresses promotion criteria as outlined in Sections II and IV of this policy and as provided in guidelines developed by the chief academic officer and the PTC. Each candidate submits the portfolio to their supervisor, who verifies that, to their knowledge, the content is accurate and the guidelines for format have been met. After the portfolio is reviewed by the supervisor and the supervisor’s verification form is added, the portfolio is made available for review to members of the peer group for a minimum of two weeks prior to the peer group meeting. Once the candidate for promotion or tenure turns in the portfolio and the supervisor signs it, the candidate must refrain from making major (ie, non-editorial) changes to the portfolio. If the candidate deems it is necessary to include something of substance (e.g., another piece of scholarship or another narrative about a conference), they may do so with their supervisor’s permission. After the change is made, the supervisor then needs to initial the change to make it official. Members of the peer group must review the portfolio to be eligible to vote.
   8. Each departmental representative works with their supervisor to determine a date, time, and location for the departmental peer meeting during the appropriate week as identified in the approved promotion and tenure calendar. The departmental representative and dean ensure that the candidates for promotion and as many members of the peer group as possible are available to attend the meeting. The PTC departmental representative announces the day, time, and location of the departmental meeting to all members of the peer group.
   9. The PTC assigns two members of the committee to monitor each peer review group meeting. The monitors may not be a member of the peer review group they monitor. Before attending the peer group meeting, faculty who intend to vote are required to read promotion packets and sign a roster to verify their review. Faculty members who do not review portfolios are not a part of the peer group and cannot send comments or questions to be read aloud by those attending the meeting.
   10. Attendance at the peer group meeting is limited to the peer group itself, the PTC representatives, the candidates, and the supervisor(s) of the candidates. PTC representatives are present only to conduct the meeting and administer ballots, and supervisors are invited for the purpose of answering any questions that may arise that cannot be answered by anyone in the peer group. Each candidate’s supervisor does not otherwise participate in the meeting or discussion for that candidate. A faculty member who has a supervisory role may participate as a peer group member for candidates they do not supervise. If a supervisor is a candidate for promotion, their supervisor must be present.
   11. During the peer group meeting, the monitors introduce the promotion candidates, one at a time, to the peer group. Candidates under consideration for promotion must be in attendance to answer any questions put forth by members of their peer group. The candidate for promotion remains in attendance to answer questions but must leave the room during the peer discussion and vote. Prior to the vote on each candidate, there is an opportunity for discussion. The discussion must be limited to items outlined in the job description, qualifications of the candidate, and categories by which faculty are evaluated. Peers then vote by secret ballots which are collected and sealed by the PTC monitors. Vote results are not announced to the peer group or to the candidates.
   12. Peer group members are strongly encouraged to attend the peer group meeting; however, absentee votes will be counted if the absentee ballot is approved by the PTC chair(s). The request for an absentee ballot must be made in writing by filling out the Absentee Ballot Request form. An absentee ballot must be requested a minimum of 72 hours prior to the peer group meeting for the requestor’s department, and the ballot must be submitted 24 hours prior to the peer group meeting. Peer group members who vote absentee are not able to participate in the peer group discussion as outlined in section K. This includes sending comments or questions to be read aloud by those attending the meeting.
   13. In the event that an extenuating circumstance prevents a promotion candidate from attending the peer group meeting, the peer group must agree via a simple majority vote, conducted by the PTC monitors, to one of the following three options. Options must be presented in the order listed, and voting will continue until a simple majority is reached.
       1. Vote to continue the discussion on a candidate’s application and hold thesubsequent peer vote in the candidate’s absence.
       2. Vote to defer discussion and subsequent vote and agree to reconvene the peer group with the absent candidate in attendance at an alternate time. The rescheduled peer review meeting must occur before the posted deadline for the supervisor to submit written recommendations to the chief academic officer according to the approved promotion and tenure calendar.
       3. Vote to disallow the candidate to proceed during the current promotion/tenure cycle. In this case, the candidate is eligible to apply for promotion again in the following academic year.
   14. After the peer review meeting, the PTC monitors count the ballots and record the results of the peer group votes for each candidate using form approved by the Academic Affairs and the PTC. In the case of a tie vote, the recommendation form indicates that the vote was a tie. By the close of the working day following the peer group meeting, the PTC chair delivers the recommendation form and results form to the candidate’s academic department dean or supervisor and a copy of the results form to the chief academic officer. The PTC chair(s) or designee delivers all ballots to the Executive Director of Institutional Compliance to be held until the promotion process is satisfactorily completed. By the end of the second working day following the peer group meeting, the dean or supervisor adds the recommendation form to the candidate’s packet and informs the candidate in writing of the recommendation or non- recommendation of the peer group. If a supervisor is a candidate for promotion, the results of the vote are sent to the candidate’s immediate supervisor.
   15. If a candidate for promotion wishes to withdraw from promotion consideration at this point in the process, the candidate may do so. If the candidate elects to exercise this option, the promotion process is halted at this point, and thecandidate’s employment records will not reflect denial of promotion. The candidate may, however, reapply for promotion to the same rank in the following promotion and tenure cycle.
   16. The academic department dean or supervisor writes a statement or recommendation or non-recommendation and sends the statement to the chief academic officer. Recommendations must be forwarded within the time frame allowed in the approved promotion and tenure calendar.
   17. The chief academic officer submits their written comments and recommendations to the president. If the recommendation is negative, the chief academic officer also informs the candidate. Recommendations must be forwarded within the time frame allowed in the approved promotion and tenure calendar.
   18. The president recommends candidates for promotion to the TBR chancellor and informs the candidates. Recommendations must be sent to the chancellor within the time frame established in the approved promotion and tenure calendar. Candidates may appeal the president’s recommendation to the chancellor.
   19. The president provides a written report of the TBR’s final decision to candidates after receiving the results of the TBR’s June meeting vote.
   20. If a candidate is denied promotion or chooses to withdraw their candidacy prior to recommendation to the chief academic officer, the faculty member may apply for promotion to the same rank in the following promotion and tenure cycle. Once a candidate is eligible for promotion to a particular rank, the candidate remains eligible.
   21. After the chief academic officer’s office forwards the appropriate documents (i.e., supervisor’s verification, the recommendation form , the candidate’s current year annual evaluation, and recommendations of the chief academic officer and thepresident) to Human Resources, where the documents are added to the candidate’sfile, “access ” to electronic portfolios is removed for anyone but the candidate.

Source: Tennessee Board of Regents, Policy No. 5:02:02:30

Approved: Executive Council, March 4, 1991
Executive Council, October 15, 1991
Executive Council, November 2, 1992
Editorial Changes, April 21, 1993
Executive Council, November 22, 1993
Editorial Changes, August 10, 1994
Reviewed/ Recommended: President’s Council, February 19, 1996
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, February 21, 1996
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, November 12, 1997
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, November 29, 2000
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, December 21, 2001
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, January 13, 2003
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, March 1, 2005
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Staff, October 30, 2006
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, October 30, 2006
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Staff, March 26, 2007
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, March 26, 2007
Editorial Changes, July 2008, July 1, 2009
Reviewed/Recommended, President’s Council, August 25, 2014
Approved President L. Anthony Wise, Jr. August 25, 2014
Editorial Changes, November 13, 2014
Reviewed/Recommended: President’ Council, March 28, 2016
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., March 28, 2016
Reviewed/Recommended: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., Nov. 21, 2016
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., Nov. 21, 2016
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, March 6, 2017
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., March 6, 2017
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, September 14, 2020
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., September 14, 2020
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, November 27, 2023
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., November 27, 2023
Review/Recommended: College Council, June 2, 2025
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., June 2, 2025