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Southern
Polytechnic State University |
Original Date: Previously part of
P&P 803.08 |
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Librarian Promotion and Tenure |
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Overview |
This P&P includes the following main sections: · Background · General Criteria for Promotion for Librarians · Criteria for Promotion to Specific Ranks · Criteria for Tenure for Librarians · Procedures for Promotion and Tenure for Library Faculty |
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Background |
This document contains the Southern Polytechnic State University's policy and procedure for the promotion and tenure for librarians. This P&P is, by reference, part of the Statues of the University.
This document should be interpreted as consonant with the Board of Regents and SPSU policies published as introductory to P&P 803.08 and 803.09.
This applies only to librarians hired before July 1, 2004. Librarians hired past this date are ineligible for tenure.
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General Criteria for Promotion for Librarians
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A candidate for promotion shall be judged primarily by their professional competence and quality of service and, to the extent they are relevant, by professional activity, service to the institution, and academic achievement.
1. Degree
2. Professional Competence and Quality of Service within the Library The candidate's performance and potential will be evaluated in the relevant five major areas of librarianship: selection and development of resources; bibliographical control of collections and their organization for use; reference and advisory service; development and application of specialized information systems; and library administration and management. Evidence of effective service may include the evaluations of professional colleagues, particularly those who work closely or continuously with the candidate and have direct knowledge of the librarian's work; the opinions of other faculty members, or other members of the University community as to the quality of the candidate’s performance; the effectiveness of the techniques applied or procedures developed by the candidate; and relevant additional educational achievement, including programs of advanced study or courses taken toward subject knowledge.
3. Professional Activity Outside the Library A candidate's professional commitment and contribution to the library profession should be evaluated by taking account of activities such as: membership and activity in professional and scholarly organizations and that fit into an overall professional plan; participation at library and other professional meetings and conferences; consulting or similar service; professional development as evidenced by attendance or participation in workshops; outstanding achievement as evidenced by awards, fellowships, grants; teaching and lecturing; and editorial activity.
4. Service to the Institution This could be demonstrated by serving on library, campus-wide, or System-wide committees and by professional librarian services to the local or state library community.
5. Academic Achievement (Scholarship) and Other Activities Research and other activities could be demonstrated through papers presented at professional meetings, and articles, book reviews, and/or books published in the candidate's area of expertise.
6. Time in Rank To be considered for promotion, librarians must have completed the number of years at SPSU specified in the Criteria for Promotion to Specific Ranks below. It is understood that the year of candidacy is not counted as a year of service. Note: When a candidate for promotion has not served the minimum time indicated below, the package will be treated as a request for early promotion. Early promotion may be proposed only in exceptional cases when the Library Director believes there is sufficient justification. The Library Director must provide a letter documenting this strong justification.
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Criteria for Promotion to Specific Ranks
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Librarian - Associate Professor
A
candidate must serve a minimum of five years at the rank of Librarian -
Assistant Professor at Southern Polytechnic
Librarian - Professor
A candidate must serve a minimum of five years at the rank of Librarian - Associate Professor at Southern Polytechnic to be eligible for promotion to the rank of Librarian – Professor. The candidate must possess an earned doctorate appropriate to library or information science, or its equivalent in training, ability, and/or experience. Neither the possession of a doctorate nor longevity of service is a guarantee per se of promotion. The candidate must provide evidence of equivalency to a doctorate. The subsequent reviewing bodies must comment on the merits of the evidence in their respective letters of evaluation and recommendation. In addition to the degree or its equivalent, the candidate must demonstrate evidence of noteworthiness in the field of librarianship. Such evidence may include annual performance reviews and other creditable evidence of leadership in the profession, such as the respect of colleagues and recognition as a leader in the profession at statewide, regional or national levels. The candidate must also demonstrate noteworthy achievement in his/her major area of librarianship and in two of the following service areas: service, academic achievement, and professional growth and development.
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Criteria for Tenure for Librarians
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Academic tenure at Southern Polytechnic shall be granted in accordance with published procedures. Southern Polytechnic's policy regarding tenure, as stated in the Statutes, is exactly the same as the Board of Regents policy, with the following additional statements contained within the Statutes of the University.
a.In granting tenure to a faculty member, the University considers the past performance and future potential of that individual.
b. Tenure may be awarded independently from promotion. A candidate for tenure shall be judged primarily by his or her professional competence and quality of service. Evidence of noteworthy achievement in one of the areas of professional activity, service to the institution, or academic achievement is also required.
1. Time in Rank Normally candidates are considered for tenure after completing the fourth year of probationary service at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher. The probationary period may include the probationary credit granted for full-time service at the rank of Instructor at Southern Polytechnic or for service in tenure track positions at other institutions. A minimum of two years must have been served at SPSU prior to consideration for tenure.
2. Degree A candidate for tenure must hold an appropriate graduate professional degree from an accredited library school.
3. Professional Competence and Quality of Service within the Library The candidate's performance and potential will be evaluated in the five major areas of librarianship: selection and development of resources; bibliographical control of collections and their organization for use; reference and advisory service; development and application of specialized information systems; and library administration and management. Evidence of effective service may include the evaluations of professional colleagues, particularly those who work closely or continuously with the candidate and have direct knowledge of the librarian's work; the opinions of other faculty members, or other members of the University community as to the quality of the candidate’s performance; the effectiveness of the techniques applied or procedures developed by the candidate; and relevant additional educational achievement, including programs of advanced study or courses taken toward subject knowledge.
4. Professional Activity Outside the Library A candidate's professional commitment and contribution to the library profession should be evaluated by taking account of activities such as: membership and activity in professional and scholarly organizations that make an active contribution and that fit into an overall professional plan; participation at library and other professional meetings and conferences; consulting or similar service; professional development as evidenced by attendance or participation in workshops; outstanding achievement as evidenced by awards, fellowships, grants; teaching and lecturing; and editorial activity.
5. Service to the Institution This may be shown by service on library, campus, or System-wide committees and by professional services to the local or state library community.
6. Academic Achievement (Scholarship) and Other Activities Research and other activities could be demonstrated through papers presented at professional meetings and articles, book reviews, and/or books published in the candidate's area of expertise.
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Procedures for Promotion and Tenure for Library Faculty
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1. Each year by April 15, the Vice President for Academic Affairs will notify each library faculty member who is completing or has completed the minimum number of years in rank for tenure or promotion. Any eligible library faculty member may initiate his or her own package for review. It is the responsibility of the library faculty member to prepare his or her package, which must include a current resume, a narrative statement describing his or her activities, accomplishments, and plans for the future in the context of the criteria for the promotion or tenure. This document should address how the activities meet the criteria and how they have benefited the library faculty member and the University. The library faculty member who is the candidate for promotion or tenure has the option to continue or to discontinue candidacy at any point in the process.
2. Any faculty member who decides that he or she wishes to be reviewed must notify the Library Director, or in the case of the Library Director, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in writing by June 1 of his or her wish to be reviewed.
3. Upon receiving the letter from the faculty member requesting a review, the Library Director, or the Vice President for Academic Affairs in the case of the Director, will convene a peer committee to review the faculty member's package during a fall semester. The committee shall consist of three members, all tenured librarians or with at least seven years of professional academic library service. In the event that there are not enough eligible library faculty at SPSU, librarians from other college or University libraries will be substituted. There must not be more than one committee member from the same University or college library outside of SPSU. In the event that these conditions cannot be met, the final member(s) must be from the SPSU Library Committee. The Chair is selected by the Committee and votes as a matter of course.
4. The department peer committee will meet, discuss, review, and evaluate the promotion or tenure package, and vote on the candidate's request. The peer committee shall write a letter to the School of Arts and Sciences Peer Committee to assess the candidate's case. The letter shall address the noteworthiness of the candidate's performance in the context of the criteria appropriate to the promotion or tenure request. The letter shall include an assessment of the candidate's (1) professional competence and noteworthy quality of service within the library, (2) professional activity outside the library, (3) service to the institution, and (4) academic achievement (scholarship) and other activities.
5. The candidate’s package will be submitted with the letter to the School of Arts and Sciences Peer Committee. The library shall have a permanent tenured representative on the Arts and Sciences Peer Committee. The Arts and Sciences Peer Committee will review the candidate’s package and write a letter to the Library Director, recommending approval or disapproval. The recommendation must include documentation to support the School Peer Committee’s decision.
6. The Library Director shall then review the case and write a letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs recommending approval or disapproval. The recommendation must include documentation to support the Director's decision. Candidates for promotion or tenure who receive two negative recommendations from the Library Director, the department peer committee and/or the School Peer Committee must be notified by the Library Director at this time by a letter documenting areas where the candidate meets and does not meet established criteria. The candidacy of a faculty member who receives two negative recommendations at this stage is ended for the current round unless the faculty member appeals to the faculty council on the grounds of discrimination, violation of procedure, or infringement of academic freedom. The faculty council may uphold the decision to end the current candidacy or forward the promotion package to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
7. The Vice President for Academic Affairs shall review all cases advanced to his or her office and the accompanying evaluation letters, and forward those receiving recommendation for approval; along with the Vice President's independent evaluation to the President. Those not receiving the Vice President's approval will be notified in writing by the Vice President. This letter will document areas where the candidate meets and does not meet established criteria. Candidates disapproved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs may appeal to the President.
8. The President shall review all packages advanced to his or her office and forward those receiving his or her approval to the Board of Regents. Those not receiving approval by the President will be notified in writing by the President. This letter will document areas where the candidate meets and does not meet the established criteria.
9. Candidates disapproved by the President may appeal to the Board of Regents, which makes the final decision regarding promotion and tenure. Matters dealing with promotion and tenure are considered by the Board of Regents during the spring semester.
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