At the April 11, 2013 meeting of the Faculty Senate we completed the work to implement new faculty ranks (Instructor, Faculty Research Assistant, and Professor of Practice series). President Ray approved these changes on May 10, 2013. The Faculty Handbook has been updated, and you can see the details of the changes on the Faculty Senate webcast site (http://oregonstate.edu/senate/webcast/2012-2013/1304/).

We are writing to you today with some important matters related to the implementation. Below we will provide a brief summary of the new ranks and who is eligible. In italics we note several process issues to be aware of. Finally, at the end of the email we announce upcoming opportunities for faculty to develop teaching portfolios to use for promotion. The Faculty Senate will also sponsor a panel early in Fall of 2013 for “how to be an effective external reviewer” for promotions in the new instructor and FRA ranks.

Professor of Practice

Faculty members with significant responsibility for non-traditional education or community outcomes may be defined as professors of practice. It is to be used only for faculty members whose primary work assignments are in professionally related community education and service, though scholarship and university service are also expected. Professor of Practice faculty are not eligible for tenure, but are eligible for extended fixed-term contracts at the Associate and Full Professor ranks.

Note: Because this is a new category of faculty, we ask units to work with the Office of Academic Affairs before establishing and/or recruiting for professors of practice.

Instructor series: Instructor, Senior Instructor I, and Senior Instructor II

A faculty member currently in the rank of “Senior Instructor” will become “Senior Instructor I.” Promotion to the rank of Senior Instructor II may be considered after four years of full-time service at the rank of Senior Instructor I or the accumulation of its equivalent for part-time Senior Instructors at 0.50 FTE or greater. To be promoted, a candidate must have a sustained record of exceptional achievement and evidence of professional growth and innovation in assigned duties. Senior Instructors I and II are eligible for extended fixed-term contracts.

Note: Units need to develop clear criteria for promotion to Senior Instructor II.

Note: Promotions for instructors include a requirement for external review letters. These letters must come from people who are at, or above, the rank to which the faculty member is being promoted. A majority of the reviewers should be from outside the faculty member’s unit and you are encouraged to seek reviews external to OSU.

Faculty Research Assistant series: Faculty Research Assistant, Senior Faculty Research Assistant I, and Senior Faculty Research Assistant II

A faculty member currently in the rank of “Senior Faculty Research Assistants” will become “Senior Faculty Research Assistant I.” Promotion to the rank of Senior II Faculty Research Assistant may be considered after four years of full-time service at the rank of Senior Faculty Research Assistant I or the accumulation of its equivalent for part-time Senior Faculty Research Assistants at 0.50 FTE or greater. To be promoted, a candidate must have a sustained record of exceptional achievement and evidence of professional growth and innovation assigned duties. Senior Faculty Research Assistants  I and II are eligible for extended fixed-term contracts.

Note: Units need to develop clear criteria for promotion to Senior Faculty Research Assistant II.

Note: Promotions for faculty research assistants include a requirement for external review letters. These letters must come from people who are at, or above, the rank to which the faculty member is being promoted. A majority of the reviewers should be from outside the faculty member’s unit and you are encouraged to seek reviews external to OSU.

Note: Currently the promotion to Senior Faculty Research Assistant ends the formal review at the College level. However, for those going up for promotion to Senior II Faculty Research Assistant, reviews will continue on to the university level committee.

Fall 2013 Workshops to Support the Promotion Process

• The traditional dossier used for promotions are not always the best approach for summarizing the impact of faculty work in instruction. The Center for Teaching and Learning will be sponsoring workshops next year on “Creating Effective Teaching Portfolios.”
• Getting good external reviews is always a challenge, and is especially a challenge for promotion of instructors. Part of the reason is the way we put together dossiers. But more important is that we are never really taught how to be an external reviewer. In the fall the Faculty Senate will sponsor a panel on “Being an Effective External Reviewer.” We encourage all senior ranked faculty (including senior instructors and FRA’s) as well as administrators to attend the workshop. Reminders will be sent out late summer and early fall.

If you have any questions about the new ranks, or the process of appointing and promoting faculty in them, please let us know.

Becky Warner                                                                    Kevin Gable
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs               Faculty Senate President