In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), each faculty member's position description reflects the relative responsibilities assigned to teaching, research, extension and service activities in relationship to the unit's mission and strategic plan. This position description provides the context for evaluating a candidate's success in meeting performance expectations for promotion and/or continuing status. Both formal and non-formal instruction are defined as teaching by CALS, including classroom sessions, demonstrations, workshops and distributed learning. Research/creative activities may be basic and/or applied and may include the use of innovative approaches and new technology. The requirement of excellent performance and the promise of continued excellence necessary for the granting of promotion and/or continuing status includes compliance with relevant University and Board of Regents policies.
Promotion to Associate Research Scientist
Promotion to Associate Research Scientist is based on research accomplishments. Excellence in teaching, Extension and/or service activities can also be considered. For such appointment or promotion, the candidate should have performed independent and productive scholarly activity appropriate to the candidate's field. A reputation for excellence among peers at this and other institutions should be emerging as evidenced by publications, grants, attendance and presentations at national meetings, and invited participation in post-graduate programs, national meetings and symposia.
If the candidate's scholarly activities concern innovations or non publishable activities, the promotion dossier may not show as much tangible evidence in terms of numbers of publications and grant support as would be the case were the products to be research reports and articles. The candidate's efforts should be carefully documented, however, and such efforts should be attracting attention and respect of professional peers.
For promotion to Associate Research Scientist, an individual should include quality non formal or formal teaching, service on graduate student committees, and supervision of graduate studies. Those scholarly activities should be documented and will serve as a secondary priority for promotion in the context of the candidate's position description.
Promotion to Research Scientist
The major criterion for promotion to Research Scientist is continuation of high quality research as demonstrated by publications in refereed journals and successful competition for research grants, service on national and international committees, recognition as reflected by participation in meetings and symposia and by letters of recommendation and evaluation.
The candidate should express a wider perspective and greater maturity of judgment than usual for junior professional personnel. Although difficult to characterize, these advanced attributes should be revealed in effective communication, strong leadership and research innovation, in cognizance of other fields and awareness of interdisciplinary interactions, and in acceptance of responsibilities in the College, University and community. Promotion will be based primarily on research accomplishments. However, excellence in teaching, extension and service will also be considered and will contribute to the final decision. The candidate's position description is to be used in assessing the outcomes of the identified expectations.