Appendix 1

Media School Guidelines for Tenure and Promotion

Media School Guidelines for Promotion to Full Professor

Review, Reappointment, and Promotion of NTT Faculty

Media School Guidelines for Promotion to Teaching Professor (approved April 28, 2023)

Media School parameters for promotion from senior lecturer to teaching professor fall within the guidelines set by IUB and the College. Media School parameters are deliberately broad in order to encompass disciplinary differences at the unit level. Candidates seeking promotion to Teaching Professor will be evaluated on teaching performance and pedagogical leadership. 

See campus policy

Campus expectations in the above policy state:

• For Lecturers/Senior Lecturers/Teaching Professors, Teaching is the only category considered in evaluation for promotion. Service or Research in support of Teaching consistent with appointments may be included as part of the teaching dossier.

Candidates for promotion to Teaching Professor in the Media School must therefore be Excellent in teaching. As the campus policy also notes: 

• Excellence in Teaching for candidates for promotion from Senior Lecturer to Teaching Professor includes a sustained record of excellence in teaching as a Senior Lecturer (or the equivalent) and pedagogical leadership (demonstrated by activities such as curriculum development; innovation and mentoring at the school, college, campus, or university level; and recognition and impact at the regional or national level). The pedagogical leadership is expected to extend beyond the department level, and to include evidence of impact and quality.

The rank of Teaching Professor in the Media School is thus appropriate for individuals who have demonstrated a sustained record of excellence in classroom teaching as a Senior Lecturer and who are pedagogical leaders at the school, college, campus or university level and recognized at the regional, national or international level. Not every Senior Lecturer in the school is expected to achieve the rank of Teaching Professor; a negative promotion decision or decision not to pursue promotion should not be viewed as a reason for non-reappointment.

The following evaluative categories must be used to rate teaching performance: Excellent, Very Good, Effective, and Ineffective. A ranking of excellent is the minimum consistent with promotion. Research, creative activity, and service in support of teaching are factored into the rating for teaching performance and should not be voted on or rated separately. Faculty considering promotion to Teaching Professor are strongly encouraged to discuss their prospects for promotion with their unit director and with appropriate senior faculty in their units and across the school.

To earn excellence in teaching, candidates seeking promotion to Teaching Professor must provide evidence of visibility and stature in the area of pedagogical leadership beyond their unit (excellence in the classroom and a satisfactory level of service to the unit are necessary but not sufficient). Units may define their own criteria for “excellence in classroom teaching” based on professional and disciplinary expectations. Indicators for pedagogical leadership might include but are not limited to:

• development of substantive and innovative instructional/curricular materials
• pedagogical publications (e.g., textbooks) and/or presentations
• disseminated creative work (e.g., media writing, films, games, photographs) in support of teaching
• active engagement with the scholarship of teaching and learning (e.g., papers/books about teaching)
• leading sessions and panels in national conferences on teaching or in support of teaching.

Indiana University-Bloomington requires six (6) letters, four of which must be from outside Indiana University. These external letters should testify to the candidate’s pedagogical leadership, excellence in classroom teaching, and satisfactory service according to the above-stated criteria. The letters should be solicited from individuals at peer institutions at a rank comparable to Teaching Professor, Tenured Full Professor, or Professors of Practice who have completed their probationary periods. Some, but not all, of the letters may be solicited from referees holding non-academic positions if they are a leader in their field or organization at a level comparable to that of a senior faculty member. Referees should not hold any special relationship with the candidate (mentor, student, collaborator, former colleague, familial attachments, commercial ties, etc.). There may be exceptions to these rules, but they should be justified in the unit director’s (or dean’s) letter. The letters should come from two lists, one proposed by the candidate and one proposed by the department/unit leader (or promotion review committee), and letters in the dossier must include three from each list. Deans must approve all referees proposed in these lists before letters are solicited, and the letters must be requested and received by the department/unit leader. While adhering to these broad requirements, units may further define the qualifications and expertise of external reviewers based on professional and disciplinary differences.

Candidates must demonstrate excellence within the broad area of teaching. The Media School defines two areas where quality pedagogical leadership that has an impact beyond the unit (and IU as a whole) can be demonstrated: 1) research and creative activity available to others and 2) student development, curricular innovation and professional engagement. Candidate dossiers must include evidence of teaching activities that speak to pedagogical leadership in both areas. Candidate performance in these two areas will be considered together and evaluated to determine the case for excellence in teaching.

Research and creative activity in support of teaching is work that improves the quality of teaching and the level of student participation in learning beyond the candidate’s own unit, might include but are not limited to the following examples:

1. Engaging in substantive pedagogical or creative practice resulting in presentations and/or publications.

2. Leading and engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) and other professional development efforts.

3. Engaging in research or creative work that involves students and provides curricular or extracurricular opportunities to practice skills developed in coursework.

4. Developing high-quality teaching materials available for use by others (e.g., textbooks, book chapters, lessons, tutorials, etc.).

5. Creating professional quality media works distributed beyond the unit that demonstrate continued professional/creative practice in the areas of teaching expertise and contribute to instructional reputation and prowess.

6. Receiving instructional development grants and/or contracts.

7. Receiving grants to support creative practice in the areas of teaching expertise.

8. Delivering lectures/presentations about teaching and learning to professional associations or organizations.

Student development, curricular innovation and professional engagement are activities which demonstrate pedagogical leadership outside the unit, might include but are not limited to the following examples.

1. Demonstrating a commitment to student development and mentoring through service and leadership on advisory and research committees.

2. Creating and promoting opportunities which involve students in research, community engagement, presentation, or the publication process.

3. Creating or assisting in opportunities for students to engage in learning about their chosen field through internships, fellowships and/or grants.

4. Providing mentoring in teaching, including to AI, TA, and GA appointments.

5. Providing advice, tutoring, sponsorship, and other forms of support to guide, counsel, and coach students to greater levels of effectiveness, productivity, and development. This may be demonstrated in a variety of ways, including receiving unsolicited letters from students on job acquirement/impact of teaching.

6. Providing leadership and other substantive contributions to the curricular activities of one’s unit, school, campus, or university.

7. Contributing to major curricular advancement, including course enhancement and new course development critical to the teaching missions of the department and school.

8. Mentoring colleagues in the development of teaching skills and/or in the area of pedagogical designs.

9. Contributing substantively to the school’s efforts to engage students and colleagues with media professionals and industry leaders.

10. Guiding students in service-learning and other contemporary forms of or community-engaged teaching.

11. Demonstrating a commitment to pedagogical leadership through participation in workshops, seminars, or courses.

12. Contributing to teaching excellence through mentoring and reviewing junior faculty.

13. Awards and/or recognition of excellence in teaching that demonstrate pedagogical leadership.

14. Leading sessions and panels in national service organizations focused on teaching.

15. Substantial service with a non-profit or government entity related to teaching and pedagogical expertise.

Vote eligible faculty

After the review letters have arrived, typically in the early fall, vote-eligible faculty at the unit level (first) and then school levels meet to discuss the case, rate the candidate’s performance in teaching, and vote on the question of promotion. All Full Professors and Teaching Professors are eligible to vote. If a unit does not have sufficient number (four committee members) of vote eligible faculty to serve on the promotion committee, an ad hoc committee will be created. Faculty are eligible to vote only if they have been “materially engaged” in the review process, as evidence (for example) by their familiarity with the dossier and attendance at meetings where the case is discussed. No proxy voting is allowed.

Major Performance Review and Reappointment of Professors of Practice

I. Description of Responsibilities (modified from the IU Academic Guide)

Professors of Practice are appointees who have achieved distinction in their fields of practice. They bring unique practical experiences and talents that will benefit students and strengthen the reputation of the Media School. The main responsibility of Professors of Practice is teaching, although they may be assigned research, creative and service responsibilities associated with their contributions to student development and placement.

II. Major Performance Review and Reappointment (modified from the IU Academic Guide and from the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs)

Professors of Practice are initially appointed for three years. Assuming a successful substantive midterm review, their contracts are then renewed annually through their seventh year in rank at IU. A major performance review will take place before the end of the seven-year probationary period, and if performance is judged excellent, appointees shall be given long-term renewable five-year term contracts.

Criteria for Major Performance Review and Reappointment

1. Teaching

All Professors of Practice seeking reappointment based on a major performance review are evaluated on teaching. The standard teaching load for a Professor of Practice is 2-2.

A four-option continuum is used to rate candidate performance in teaching: Excellent, Very Good, Effective and Ineffective.

Excellence in teaching must be demonstrated at the local—unit and Media School—level.

Excellence in teaching may include–but is not limited to–the following:

1.1 A record of high quality teaching demonstrated by sustained excellence in classroom performance.

1.2 A trajectory of improved teaching skills as shown by various measures of teaching, including student evaluations.

1.3 Keeping course content and mentoring up to date, in terms of new developments in their field of expertise.

1.4 Student involvement in the PoP’s ongoing creative practice and management activity, as apprentices, assistants, interns, or advisees.

1.5 Evidence of peer observation and evaluation of teaching.

1.6 Evidence of successful teaching across the undergraduate curriculum within an area of expertise and, when applicable, in different teaching environments (large and small class sizes).

1.7 Unsolicited letters from students in addition to those solicited by the unit or school.

1.8 Undergraduate and graduate student advising/mentoring activities.

1.9 Teaching awards and other similar recognition of pedagogical excellence.

1.10 Participation in course and curriculum development and innovation.

1.11 Evidence of leadership/participation in the Media School’s instructional goals and objectives

1.12 Development of new teaching materials such as textbooks, cases, instructor manuals, student guides, websites, and videos.

1.13 Participation in teaching and learning activities within the Media School, IUB or peer professional groups. [For examples, see IUB’s Mosaic Active Learning Initiative and the Faculty Learning Communities hosted by CITL.]

1.14 Published peer-reviewed, non peer-reviewed, and invited articles related to teaching.

1.15 Presentations at local, statewide or national/international conferences about teaching.

1.16 Supervision of independent study students.

2. Service

All Professors of Practice are expected to make service contributions although the extent and nature of these contributions may vary based on initial expectations set forward in each contract of employment. A four-option continuum is used to rate candidate performance in service: Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory. Professors of Practice up for reappointment are expected to be at least Satisfactory in service.

Satisfactory service contributions may include—but is not limited to—the following:

2.1 Participation in service activities that support teaching/learning.

2.2 Membership on graduate student MA/MS committees.

2.3 Supervision and mentorship of AIs with significant instructional responsibilities.

2.4 Involvement in student groups/clubs that support student learning and professional development.

2.5 Development of service-learning components to the Media School’s curriculum.

2.6 Internal or external service awards and grants.

2.7 Participation or leadership in unit, Media School, and campus committees.

2.8 Participation in Media School and IUB activities in support of the teaching mission (e.g., attending commencement, supporting activities related to student scholarship and professional development).

2.9 Development of educational programs, workshops, and other training ventures for Media School constituencies.

2.10 Public service to the community that calls upon professional expertise as a teacher, pedagogical scholar, or practitioner.

2.11 Leadership in service activities of professional organizations.

2.12 Serving as liaison with industry to develop or maintain industry internships, guest lectures and other activities and events that either bring industry to campus or give our students opportunities in the industry at large.

3. Creative practice and management activity

Professors of Practice may be expected to continue their work as creative artists and media practitioners in their chosen fields of practice or to contribute to the management of media industry processes. The extent and nature of these contributions will vary based on initial expectations set forward in each contract of employment.

A four-option continuum is used to evaluate those evaluated on this dimension of activity: Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory. Professors of Practice who are expected to contribute in creative, professional or management activities are expected to be at least Satisfactory in this endeavor when they go up for a major performance review and reappointment.

Creative and professional activities and management contributions may include – but are not limited to – the following:

3.1 Participate in the creative process (e.g., produce, write, direct, perform, stage, shoot, score, edit) with local, regional, national or international groups or outlets.

3.2 Participate in the distribution of creative work with local, regional, national or international groups or outlets.

3.3 Serve as a management consultant in the creative development process or distribution of creative work.

3.4 Collaborate with media practitioners or media industry leaders in innovative projects.

3.5 Create, organize or head an entity that shepherds the creative process or distributes creative work.

3.6 Publish invited or peer-reviewed papers or participate in presentations about creative works, new techniques or other advances in their fields.

III. Timing

No later than the sixth year as a Professor of Practice, a faculty member will undergo a major performance review in order to receive a long-term contract. Shortened probationary periods may be the result of demonstrated teaching excellence that predates appointment in the Media School or an exceptional record of teaching, service or creative accomplishments in the Media School.

Evaluation of a candidate for a long term Professor of Practice position within the Media School results in an up or out decision: Faculty either receive a longer term contract, typically five years (see http://vpfaa.indiana.edu/docs/promotion_tenure_reappointment/ntt-review-reappoint.pdf) or they will not be permitted to teach full-time in the Media School at IU beyond the term of their contract.

Reappointment decisions are made at least one full year in advance (i.e., the decision to renew a contract for a Professor Practice’s fourth year is made during the Professor of Practice’s second year of work). Professor of Practice therefore are guaranteed a full year of employment following a negative performance evaluation (i.e., faculty have voted against reappointment).

The following structure and activities are designed to support a newly hired Professor of Practice:

1. First year

1.1 Orientation to expectations through first semester meetings with deans and unit directors.

1.2 The Unit Director serves as official mentor for the first year.

1.3 Annual review completed no later than the end of the second semester of employment.

1.4 In-person meeting with the Unit Director to discuss the annual review.

2. Second year

2.1 Annual review completed no later than the end of the spring semester, typically the fourth semester of employment.

2.2 Reappointment decision for the fourth year is made during the spring semester.

3. Third year

3.1 Substantive mid-term review. Review completed no later than the end of the spring semester. Professors of Practice are expected to prepare a dossier for this review. In addition to materials listed earlier (i.e., student and faculty evaluations of teaching, all syllabi and relevant course materials), a personal statement on teaching and service contributions at IU must be included. An effective narrative is likely to include broad goals, specific activities and contributions, and an assessment of growth and accomplishments.

3.2 A positive third year review results in a contract for the fifth year, and allows the candidate to be considered for one-year renewable contracts through their seventh year, subject to annual performance reviews.

4. Fourth and fifth years

4.1 Annual review completed no later than the end of the spring semester.

4.2 In-person meeting with the Unit Director to discuss the annual review.

4.3 Reappointment for sixth year is made during spring semester of the fourth year. Reappointment for the seventh year is made during spring semester of the fifth year.

5. Sixth year

5.1 Over the summer months before the start of the sixth year, Professors of Practice prepare their major performance review dossiers.

5.2 The first day of Fall classes is the deadline for submitting their major performance review dossiers to the Unit Director.

5.3 Units have until October 1 to review dossiers, vote, and prepare written assessments of candidates to the Media School deans.

5.4 The Media School Promotion Committee has until November 1 to review, vote, and prepare an evaluative report on candidates to the VPFAA.

Contract Renewal and Reappointment Procedures for NTT Faculty (approved February 1, 2024)

The ongoing contract renewal and reappointment decisions for The Media School’s senior NTT faculty who have completed their probationary periods—Senior Lecturers, Professors of Practice who have completed their major performance review, and Teaching Professors—will be based on a review of the faculty member’s performance since the last reappointment.

For campus policies governing Non-Tenure Track instructional Appointments, please see BL-ACA-A3. As this policy notes, standards for “reappointment to long-term contracts should be formulated by units.”

It is expected that prior to the reappointment review, unit directors will conduct a midterm review of the faculty member’s record based on an evaluation of DMAI and OCQ reports gathered for the academic years since the last contract was issued. The midterm review should take place in the second year of the contract. The unit director’s midterm review will include (1) a brief formal evaluation report and (2) a meeting with the faculty member to discuss their performance and to make any suggestions to strengthen the record as needed. At the meeting, the unit director will also discuss the forthcoming reappointment review and ensure that faculty are prepared for and understand the reappointment review process, including the ongoing collection and assembling of required materials (for example, peer teaching observations) to demonstrate excellence in teaching.

Criteria for the reappointment of NTT Senior Lecturer and Teaching Professor ranks are outlined in the above campus policy BL-ACA-A3:

• The rank of Senior Lecturer is appropriate for individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, based on performance in the classroom, as well as service or research in support of teaching, if assigned.
• The rank of Teaching Professor is appropriate for individuals who have demonstrated a sustained record of excellence in classroom teaching as a Senior Lecturer (or the equivalent), and who are pedagogical leaders (as evidenced by activities such as curriculum development; innovation and mentoring at the school, college, campus or university level; and/or by recognition and impact at the regional or national level).

As per Media School policies on the expectations Senior Lecturers and Teaching Professors will fulfill to receive promotion, Senior Lecturers and Teaching Professors must continue to demonstrate excellence in teaching in order to earn reappointment. The performance criteria that will guide the reappointment review will be the same as those outlined for promotion in the school’s approved promotion policies for Senior Lecturer and Teaching Professor.

Criteria for the reappointment of Professors of Practice are governed by ACA-19 “Regulation of Professor of Practice Appointments” (please see https://policies.iu.edu/policies/aca-19-regulation-professors-practice-appointments/index.html):

• The primary responsibility of Professors of Practice is teaching. Appointees may be assigned research and service responsibilities, but these activities must be in support of teaching, student development, and placement.

As per Media School policy on the expectations Professors of Practice will fulfill at the time of their major performance reviews, these faculty members must continue to demonstrate excellence in teaching in order to earn reappointment. The performance criteria that will guide the reappointment review will be the same as those outlined in the school’s approved policy on the major performance review, with creative activities that support teaching factored into the review of the faculty member’s teaching portfolio.

The review and vote for reappointment will take place in the fall and spring semesters of the fourth year of the faculty member’s contract. Following VPFAA guidelines on the eligibility of faculty who can serve on NTT reappointment committees, unit directors will appoint a small faculty committee of tenured and NTT senior faculty (with a minimum of three members). This reappointment committee will vote on, evaluate the faculty member’s materials, and write a brief advisory report that assesses the faculty member’s performance based on excellence in teaching.

• For Senior Lecturer reappointments, tenured faculty, Teaching Professors, and Professors of Practice who have completed their major performance review can serve on the faculty committee.
• For Professor of Practice reappointments, tenured faculty and Teaching Professors can serve on the faculty committee.
• For Teaching Professor reappointments, tenured full professors and Professors of Practice who have completed their major performance review can serve on the faculty committee.

If units do not have rank-appropriate faculty who can serve on the committee, the unit director will work with the associate dean to constitute an ad hoc committee. The committee’s report must use the campus and school approved four-option continuum to evaluate and vote on the faculty’s performance in teaching: Excellent, Very Good, Effective and Ineffective. After the committee completes its evaluation and vote, unit directors will review the materials and conduct their own independent evaluation using the same four-option continuum. Unit directors will then submit their evaluation report and vote along with the faculty committee’s report and vote to the Media School Dean’s office.

Procedural and timeline specifics are as follows:

• Faculty members will assemble their reappointment dossiers by November 15.
• Faculty members will create a dossier that includes the following materials:
  • Updated CV.
  • Brief teaching statement that also includes service in support of teaching with a focus on teaching improvements (including reflection on and engagement with student feedback), new initiatives, and innovations.
  • List of courses taught since the last reappointment.
  • Course syllabi and sample assignments.
  • Quantitative summary of teaching evaluations for all courses.
  • OCQ evaluations for all courses.
  • Three to four peer teaching observations, with three being the minimum.
• The faculty committee appointed by the unit director will complete an evaluative report and relay that report to the director no later than January 30.
• The unit director will relay the unit reappointment committee’s vote and report and the director’s vote and report to the Media School Dean no later than March 1.
• The Associate Dean and Dean will evaluate the above review materials. The Dean’s recommendation decision is made by April 1, which is the IU Bloomington VPFAA’s deadline to submit all reappointment decisions.

Appendix: A suggested organization of the dossier that contains the above materials. Units have discretion in how they manage this process.

NTT Renewal (master folder)
Teaching (folder):

1. Updated CV.
2. Brief teaching statement that also includes service related to teaching with a focus on improvements, new initiatives, and innovations.
3. List of courses taught since the last reappointment.
4. Course syllabi and sample assignments.

Evaluations and Observations (folder):

1. Quantitative summary of teaching evaluations for all courses.
2. OCQ evaluations for all courses.
3. Three peer teaching observations at the minimum.

Supplemental (folder) OPTIONAL: This is not required nor needed, but you are free to upload anything else you want to share here.