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Overview of Academic Affairs
John C. Volin, Vice Provost for Academic AffairsProfessor of Natural Resources and the Environment
New Faculty Orientation Thursday, August 22, 2019
UConn’s Core Beliefs
• Outstanding faculty are the most critical element of our status as a world-class university
• Our goal is to recruit, develop and retain outstanding faculty
We value all faculty and welcome different talents and areas of expertise — but there are many categories of faculty:
Tenure-Track, Visiting Instructor, Assistant Clinical Professor, Visiting Assistant Professor, Assistant Research Professor, etc.
Faculty Categories
• The probability of success is high
• Most faculty who remain at UConn and apply for promotion with tenure receive it. Some faculty leave UConn before applying for tenure, or in the case of promotion to professor – choose never to apply
Promotion and Tenure Realities
Standards for Tenure and Promotion
• Standards must be met in teaching, scholarship, and service
• The activity weight of each depends on the faculty member’s position description
• Teaching, Scholarship, Service
• These factors combine to reach a decision, but the specific combination varies widely across the institution and is related to specific positions and departmental requirements
Factors Considered
“Tenure and promotion in the professorial ranks will be granted only
to persons of outstanding achievement consistent with standards
expected of a top public research university. Specific evidence of
superior performance in scholarship and in teaching is of
primary importance. As a minimum standard for tenure and/or
promotion, there must be evidence of strong performance in both
scholarship and teaching and superior achievement in at least
one of these areas. In addition, other contributions to the
University will be considered” (University By-Laws, XIV.D.1).
University By-Laws
Publications or Creative and Artistic Products
• Demonstrate contributions• Provide evidence of productivity and impact• Numbers and types vary among disciplines• Different expectations at different promotion
points• Used to assess the quality of work produced
• Citations, Impact Factor, Journal Quality
• Grants• Important national review of work• Demonstrate ability to secure funding for
research• Presentations
• Invitations reflect status and engagement in the field
• Reflect on level of focus in work and, if broad, engagement of multiple communities
Grants and Presentations
Teaching
• Effectiveness• Often evaluated by students (SET) but other
information is valued (peer observations, CETL observation, student letters, products, awards, model syllabi, teaching prizes).
• Ask assigned or selected mentor to provide review• Innovation/Creativity
• Engage students• Assess broadly (beyond multiple choice
tests/quizzes)
Teaching
Maintain a teaching portfolio with teaching philosophy and: • Teaching innovations (new courses developed)• Undergraduate and Graduate courses taught
and SET• Other evidence of teaching success • Undergraduate Major Advisees
• Undergraduate Research or Independent Study
• Honors Mentoring
Service, Outreach, Engagement
• Department• School / College• University• National organizations• Civic/K-12/Arts
Make selections carefully, wisely, and make a difference
Resources
• Office of the Provost– http://provost.uconn.edu/faculty-and-staff-
resources/promotion-tenure-and-reappointment/
• By-Laws of the University of Connecticut– http://policy.uconn.edu/2011/05/17/by-laws-of-the-
university-of-connecticut/
• Departments and Schools/Colleges often have their own PTR information or websites
Faculty Should Understand
• Department, School / College, and University guidelines
• Specific responsibilities – Percentage teaching, research, service
• Impact of leaves (medical, research) on probation period. The tenure clock can be extended through a medical leave or emergency or by taking a leave without pay
Intensive Pre-Tenure (Third-Year) Review
• Usually in fall of forth year
• Formal feedback before tenure (procedures vary across departments)
• Provost’s Office reviews dossier, weighing whether the faculty member is on track for tenure and promotion
Tenure and Promotion
• Very thorough
• Usually in 6th year
• Similar procedures are used for promotions
“Faculty who wish to be considered for promotion and tenure before the end of the probationary period will be evaluated by the same standards applied to faculty who have taken the full probationary period” (XIV.C.4)
Early Review
Tenure and Promotion Procedures
• The faculty member assembles a file– Curriculum vitae– Teaching information– Research information– Engagement and service information– Exhibits
External Letters
• At least 5 external letters are solicited (in the summer)– This may be optional for clinical track faculty (check
department and school/college)
• Candidate and department head both suggest names
• Writers are distinguished professors with no personal or professional (usually) relationship with the candidate
Departmental Review (September - October)
• The Department considers the file
• The faculty PTR committee meets and votes about the case
• The Department Head independently summarizes the file and sends it to the Dean
College/School Review (October - November)
• The Deans Advisory Committee votes
• The Dean summarizes the case for the Provost
• A recommendation that is inconsistent with the department will most likely be closely reviewed at the next level
The Provost can disagree with the prior decisions, but rarely does.
Provost Review (December- January)
If a tenure and/or promotion decision cannot be made or if questions emerge, the Provost will refer the file to the Faculty Review Board (FRB) within 30 days.
Following the FRB, the Provost makes his/her recommendation, and any negative recommendation can be appealed to the Committee of Three, then the President, and finally the Board of Trustees.
Further Review and Appeal
Academic Affairs
Excellence in Teaching and Learning
The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is dedicated to the support and advancement of best practices in teaching and learning.
The staff of CETL work with individual faculty, teaching assistants, students, departments and the academic administration to create a culture which values teaching and learning, supports and rewards faculty for innovation in teaching, encourages respect for differences in learners and provides an environment where faculty, staff, and students work together to accomplish the learning objectives.
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCDD) • A virtual program supporting faculty success with resources and
programming designed to increase productivity, facilitate professional networking, and promote work-life balance
• Free membership for all faculty and TA’s• Weekly Monday Morning Mentor, Expert-led webinars, 14-day writing challenge,
writing accountability partners, multi-week online courses
• Faculty Success Program• 12-Week virtual bootcamp program designed to increase research productivity
and enhance work-life balance using proven cognitive/behavioral strategies (31 participants to date)
• for new tenure-track junior faculty and select mid-career tenured faculty (space available basis) CETL picks up the cost $4K per faculty
• Requires 5-6 hour per week time commitment (comprised of 30 minutes of writing every day, 40-60 minute weekly training modules, 75 minute group support and accountability conference calls once per week
• Optional 60 minute personal coaching session
Enrichment Programs
Enrichment Programs provide enhancing experiences for UConn students, encouraging them to elevate their studies.
• Honors (Invitation Only)• Individualized and Interdisciplinary Studies Program• National Scholarships and Fellowships• Undergraduate Research• Pre-Medical/Dental and Pre-Law• University Scholars
Student Success
The Institute for Student Success provides one-on-one holistic support, strengthens student readiness, increases access to higher education and research opportunities, and promotes the recruitment, transition, retention, and graduation of UConn students.
• Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES)• Center for Academic Programs (CAP)• First Year Programs & Learning Communities (FYP & LC)• Bachelor of General Studies (BGS)• Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)• Academic Achievement Center (AAC)
Career Development
The Center for Career Development is dedicated to excellence through offering the highest levels of service to our students across all schools, colleges, campuses, and disciplines. We support the intellectual growth of our students by providing programs and experiences that promote self-awareness and engagement as they identify a course of study and pursue opportunities to become contributing members of the state, national, and world communities. Through partnership with employers, alumni, faculty, and staff, we connect students to quality career development resources, internships, experiential learning, and post-graduate opportunities.
Student-Athlete Success Program
The Student-Athlete Success Program (SASP) supports the overall missions of the University and Department of Athletics by providing resources dedicated to empowering student-athletes to become independent thinking, successful, ethical student learners. SASP and our students are expected to uphold the highest level of academic inquiry while promoting intellectual growth and expression, social responsibility and citizenship. SASP is committed to outreach, service, and leadership training, which promotes the holistic development of our students and acts as a foundation for lifelong learning.
Veterans Affairs and Military Programs
The Office of Veteran’s Affairs and Military Programs (VAMP) provides a full range of benefits and services to students that have served or continue to serve in our Armed Forces. These services include benefits processing, event programming, community outreach, connecting students with employers, and more.
The Veteran Community at UConn is an open, welcoming, supportive community of people that encompasses nearly 1,200 students, staff and faculty across all campuses who are:• Current Active Duty military• Current members of the Air or Army National Guard• Current active or inactive Reservists of any of the armed services• UConn Army and Air Force ROTC Programs• Those who have previously served in any capacity in the uniformed services• Spouses, children, and any other dependents of any current or prior
member of the uniformed services