Department of Consumer Science and Education

Tenure and Promotion Guidelines

Revised December, 1996

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. The Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives of the Department

II. Composition of the Tenure and Promotion Committee

III. Procedures to be Followed by the Tenure and Promotion Committee

IV. Basic University Guidelines in Regard to Tenure and Promotion

V. Specific Evidence as Required by the Departmental Committee

VI. Specific Evaluative Evidence for Faculty Tenure and/or Promotion Recommendation

Information regarding tenure and/or promotion presented in the most recent The University of Memphis Faculty Handbook takes precedence over the departmental tenure and promotion guidelines.

A major midterm evaluation of untenured faculty in tenure-track positions will be held near the end of the faculty member's third year and will be conducted by the tenure and promotion committee and the chair. As faculty members begin year six of a probationary period, they must make application for tenure and promotion to associate professor if they have not already attained that rank. Candidates for tenure must meet eligibility requirements for promotion to associate professor or have already attained that rank.

I. The Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives

Vision: The Department of Consumer Science and Education in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences at The University of Memphis empowers individuals and families across the lifespan to manage the challenges of living and working in a diverse, technological, and global society.

Mission: The mission of the Department is to prepare educational leaders to affect the optimum well being of individuals and families by:

Developing the knowledge and skills to promote leadership, citizenship, and ethical behavior needed for successful career development in a multicultural and global community.

Developing critical thinking, interpersonal skills and technological skills to enable individuals to function effectively within the family, the work environment, and the urban setting.

The Department of Consumer Science and Education's mission is an integral part of the University, the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, and the urban community. Through teaching, research/scholarly activities, and service, the Department seeks to improve the quality of individual and family life. The Department is committed to the essential nature of a common base of appropriate educational experiences for all students, while regularly refining the preparation of leaders in selected areas of emphasis.

Goals: The mission of the Department strongly supports the mission and emphases of the University and the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences as it pursues the following goals:

To provide innovative learning experiences that enable students to become effective, competent, contributing educational leaders in the urban community and global society.

To promote urban education through the practical application of educationally related research and scholarly activities.

To emphasize the use of critical thinking/problem solving skills in each consumer science and education area of emphasis.

To continuously review and refine the total home economics program in relation to the mission of University and College of Education, Health and Human Sciences related accrediting bodies, the changing multicultural society and the individual needs of students.

The Department of Consumer Science and Education at The University of Memphis provides educational opportunities to meet various needs within the urban community as well as approved degree programs. This mission is consistent with the University's efforts to become a major urban research university through teaching, research and public service.

Objectives: Undergraduate concentrations in Consumer Science and Education are offered in the areas of Dietetics, Food Systems Management, Fashion Merchandising, Home Furnishings Merchandising, and Home Economics Instruction.

A. Dietetics is structured to:

1. Emphasize the importance of food and nutrition in wellness and disease;

2. Present an in-depth study of the science of food;

3. Present the effects of food nutrients on the human body;

4. Qualify students for post-baccalaureate experience towards registration eligibility by the American Dietetic Association.

B. Food Systems Management is structured to:

1. Prepare students for careers in the area of food management;

2. Emphasize the importance of nutrition, food science, food systems management, and business administration;

3. Present an in-depth study of the food industry;

4. Provide actual working experiences in the area of food production and service.

C. Concentrations in Fashion Merchandising and Home Furnishings Merchandising are designed to:

1. Give the students a comprehensive background for careers related to merchandising and marketing of fashion and home furnishings products and services:

2. Provide actual experience working in a retail/wholesale and educational setting.

Career opportunities in fashion merchandising include retail merchandising, textiles, apparel manufacturing, fashion services, wholesaling, advertising, communications, entrepreneurship, visual merchandising and education (upon completion of endorsement requirements for teach education programs).

Career opportunities in home furnishings merchandising include retail merchandising, textiles, space planning, residential design, and design consultation, manufacturer's representative, visual merchandising, and entrepreneurship.

D. Home Economics Instruction is designed to:

1. Provide a comprehensive background in all areas within the Home Economics discipline;

2. Emphasize the importance of professionalism and effective teaching-learning styles when working with a variety of client groups;

3. Offer experiences with Home Economics related educational, business, and government agencies in the community;

4. Qualify students to apply for post baccalaureate licensure

Career opportunities in Home Economics Instruction include position in secondary school (with appropriate licensure), adult education, cooperative extension services, business, industry, and government.

Tennessee Licensure is met through courses in Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Humanities and all areas of Home Economics and appropriate graduate courses.

E. Graduate education is offered which culminates in:

1. Master of Science Degree in Consumer Science and Education

2. Master of Science Degree in Clinical Nutrition

II. The Departmental Committee on Tenure and Promotion will be selected and function as follows:

A. The departmental tenure and promotion committee shall be composed of all tenured associate professors and professors with the exception of the departmental chair, any tenured faculty member applying for promotion, and departmental representative(s) to the college of Education Tenure and Promotion Committee.

B. One of the departmental tenure and promotion committee members will be elected by the committee members to serve as the chair of the committee.

C. The departmental committee on tenure and promotion will periodically review the guidelines for tenure and promotion. Proposed revisions will be reviewed and recommended for approval by the departmental faculty members.

D. One additional tenured associate professor or professor will be elected by the faculty of the department to represent the department on the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences tenure and Promotion Committee. This member will not concurrently serve on the Departmental Tenure and Promotion Committee. This faculty member must have served on the departmental committee at least one year (when a departmental candidate is applying for tenure and/or promotion) to be eligible to serve on the COE Tenure and Promotion Committee.

Note: No faculty member can participate or vote in deliberations involving the same individual at more than one tenure and promotion committee level in a given academic year.

III. The following procedures are to be followed by the Departmental Committee on Tenure and Promotion:

A. The candidate shall submit a letter indicating eligibility and desire to be considered for tenure and/or promotion to the Department Chair along with a current curriculum vita and a list of five names (including telephone numbers, addresses, nature of professional relationship, and brief professional profile) of potential external reviewers.

B. Faculty members to be considered for tenure and/or promotion must assume responsibility to insure that all-pertinent information in the areas of teaching, research and service is available to the chair and departmental committee.

C. The departmental chair and the review committee must not only determine each candidate's present potential for tenure and/or promotion, but must also consider the potential for each candidate for development. The appraisal of each candidate must be more than a mere review of his or her activities in teaching, research and service. The faculty member should be evaluated according to his or her assigned Teaching Load Equivalent.

D. All University criteria (teaching effectiveness, research and public service) and specific criteria decided upon by the department should be applied to the candidate's accomplishments before recommendations are made. In order for a faculty member to receive tenure/promotion in the Department he/she must show evidence of having fulfilled all the terms stipulated in his/her employment contract. The departmental committee is the evaluation and advisory body to the department chair. Its recommendations, whether positive or negative, along with those of the chair are forwarded to the dean.

E. The specific procedures of the departmental committee are as follows:

1.Schedule (Dates vary annually)

The committee will meet on to determine procedures. All dossiers must be in the hands of the chair of the department by the date of .

After above date, committee members may check out dossiers from the chair of the department or through the secretary. Dossiers may not be taken out of the department.

Committee members are particularly requested to look for areas in the candidates' dossiers, which need additional evidence and support.

The committee will meet as follows:

The final recommendation of the Committee together with reasons and other justification will be submitted to the chair of the Department by.

2. Dossiers

All dossiers will be considered confidential, kept in the office of the Chair of the Department and will be available only to members of the Committee.

The candidate's materials should:

a. Be organized according to the University of Memphis Summary Vita;

b. Include a copy of the Faculty Member's contract;

c. Include a letter to the Department Chair indicating eligibility and desire to be considered for tenure and/or promotion;

d. Include external peer reviewers' letters of assessment (see attached CSED External Peer Review Policy).

The material will be forwarded to other college and university personnel involved in the process of awarding tenure and promotion.

3. Deliberations

Each candidate will receive individual consideration for tenure and/or promotion in accordance with the application. If additional information is required by the Committee, the Committee Chair will so advise the candidate(s).

All deliberations will be held in strict confidence. No records will be made of the discussions. However, the Committee Chair will make a final report on the decisions of the Committee to the Chair of the Department.

Discussions will be objective and will adhere to the consideration of the established criteria for tenure and promotion.

All members of the Committee must be present for each meeting.

A candidate may be requested to appear before the Committee to speak in his or her own behalf. Likewise, a candidate may initiate such procedure him/herself. However, in both instances, the Committee determines the need and makes the decision regarding the personal appearance of the candidate.

4. Voting

Voting will be by secret ballot.

Approval of an application for tenure or for promotion will require at least 2/3 in favor.

The results of the balloting will be given to the Chair of the Department.

In addition, the Committee will rank the candidates for tenure and those for promotion. A report of such action will also be given to the Chair of the Department.

Candidates will learn of their status with regard to tenure and promotion at each stage, with the final notification coming from the President of the University.

IV. The University policy on tenure and promotions is viewed as a general statement upon which departmental criteria are based. The departmental committee and chair of the Department should consult The University of Memphis Faculty Handbook for university guidelines relevant to decisions concerning the awarding of tenure and promotion.

V. Specific Evidence as Required by the Departmental Committee:

A. Teaching Effectiveness

The faculty member must submit evidence of teaching effectiveness as follows:

1. Actual printouts of the currently accepted Faculty-Student Evaluation must be submitted. Such assessments should cover a two-year period, or the period specified by the faculty handbook.

2. Reports from the Department Chair's current evaluation (Faculty Evaluation and Planning Report) of the faculty member's teaching effectiveness must be submitted.

3. Evaluation by faculty colleagues (Faculty Evaluation and Planning Report) must be submitted.

B. Research and/or other Scholarly and Creative Activities in Area of Specialization

The faculty member should submit evidence of activities from among the following areas:

1. Publishes or edits books or journals

2. Publishes monographs

3. Publishes articles in refereed journals

4. Serves on editorial boards for professional journals

5. Conducts other scholarly or creative activities, e.g. juried exhibitions, invited or refereed research presentations, seminars or workshops based on faculty member's research in area of specialization.

C. Service

The faculty member should submit evidence of service in the following areas:

1. Public Service

The faculty member's service to community agencies and organizations as consultant or advisor is to be evaluated.

2. Institutional Service

a. The faculty member's service to the department is to be evaluated. Service to the department may include committee chairmanship and membership, program development and/or student organization advising.

b. The faculty member's service to the college is to be evaluated. Service to the college may include committee chairmanship and membership.

c. The faculty member's service to the University is to be evaluated. Service to the University may include committee chairmanship and membership.

VI. Specific Evaluative Evidence for FACULTY TENURE AND PROMOTION RECOMMENDATION

a. Instruction

1.Course and Instructor Survey Results

a. Courses taught

b. Nature of courses taught (seminar, activity, lab, etc.)

c. Composite scores

d. Teaching ability

e. Course demand

f. Student-instructor interaction

g. General evaluation

2.Department Chair's Evaluation (Scores and/or rank)

3.Survey of Recent Graduates (Scores and/or comments)

4.Peer Evaluation (Scores and/or comments)

5.Tenure and Promotion Committee (Score and/or comments)

B. Research, Scholarly Activity and Writing

1. Books published in professional field Number Nature of use

2. Major reports and/or projects Number Nature of use

3. Chapters in books and/or monographs Number Nature of use

4. Articles published in refereed periodicals Number Nature of use

5. Editorship of journal Number Nature of use

6. Juried Exhibitions Number Nature of use

7. Professional Abstracts Number Nature of use

8.Invited and/or refereed Presentations at State, Regional, National & International Meetings Number Nature of use

C. Service

1. Committee membership/chairmanship Number Nature of use

2. Officer of professional organization Number Nature of use

3. Workshop program planner or director Number Nature of use

External Peer Review Policy

The Candidate shall submit a letter indicating eligibility and desire to be considered for tenure and/or promotion to the Department Chair along with a current curriculum vita and a list of five names (including telephone numbers, addresses, nature of professional relationship, and a brief professional profile) of potential external reviewers. The Chair will add one name to the Candidate's list. The Candidate's list, along with the name added by the Chair, will be forwarded to the Departmental Tenure and Promotion Committee. The Tenure and Promotion Committee will rank order the potential reviewers and forward the list of names to the Chair. Reviewers will be qualified peers who are not affiliated with The University of Memphis. Every effort will be made to minimize biases for or against the candidate when selecting qualified reviewers. Letters from doctoral and postdoctoral mentors are discouraged but if included should be so identified. A minimum of three external reviewers should be included in the candidate's tenure and promotion file.

The Chair will subsequently write to the top three reviewers (with the remaining three serving as ranked alternates), requesting a confidential, written assessment of the Candidate's scholarly activity. A copy of the Candidate's curriculum vita along with the University's guidelines for tenure/promotion will be included. The external reviewers' letters of assessment will be part of the tenure and promotion materials at all stages of review.

Departmental Tenure and Promotion Timeline:

March 15 Candidate's letter of eligibility, curriculum vita, and external reviewer information due to the Department Chair.

April 15 Confirmation of external reviewers' willingness to participate in evaluation process.

September 1 Submission of all credentials for review by the Departmental Tenure and Promotion Committee.

External Peer Review Policy and Departmental Tenure and Promotion Timeline Approved by CSED Faculty 12/2/96.