Governance Document

Last revised June 2024

I. Media School Faculty

1. Definitions

1.1 Voting core faculty consists of faculty members with at least 0.5 FTE in the Media School.

1.2 Partial FTE faculty consists of faculty members with less than 0.5 FTE in the Media School.

1.3 Affiliated faculty consists of faculty members with formalized affiliation but no FTE in the Media School.

2. Founding Faculty Members

Until the Media School units were constituted, the Media School’s faculty was limited to faculty from Journalism, Telecommunications, and Communication & Culture who had indicated they wished to join. These faculty members were permitted to join the Media School with partial FTE. It was decided that all faculty appointments would need final approval from the Executive Dean of the College.

3. Transfer of FTE to Media School

The process for FTE transfer will be as per University and College procedure. Prior to constitution of the Media School on July 1, 2015, the Faculty Advisory Board represented the Media School faculty with regards to the requests for FTE transfer into the school from faculty who do not originate from Journalism, Telecommunications, and Communication & Culture. FTE transfers will require approval from the Executive Dean and the Dean of the Media School. Faculty whose transfers were approved had the opportunity to participate in school and unit organization during the 2014-2015 academic year.

The process for FTE transfer will follow College procedures.  A member of the university faculty may seek reassignment to another department or unit with a full or partial transfer of budgeted FTE to the new department or unit.  The procedures are as follows:

3.1 To initiate the process, the faculty member must submit to the Dean of the Media School a letter of intent to transfer that outlines: (a.) the reasons for the transfer; (b.) the percentage of FTE the faculty member aims to transfer and the effect that the transfer would have on the tenure or promotion home of the faculty member; (c.) a statement outlining how the faculty member’s work aligns with the Media School’s research, teaching (including a specific list of courses the faculty member is prepared to teach), and service mission; and (d.) the home unit and tie unit (choosing a tie unit is optional) with which the faculty member aims to affiliate. 

3.2 Pending initial approval by the Dean, the home unit, as identified by the faculty member, will vote on whether it is in favor of proceeding and pass that recommendation on to the Dean.

3.3 Pending approval by the Dean, the faculty member will give a research talk open to the entire Media School faculty.  The talks will be recorded on video and be available to Media School faculty who were unable to attend the live talk.

3.4 The faculty member’s transfer will then be discussed in a forum led by the director of the intended home unit and voted on by the entire media school faculty.  A two-thirds majority vote constitutes a recommendation by the school faculty.  After the vote, the unit director will write a letter to the Dean of the Media School with a recommendation for acceptance or rejection of the proposed transfer. 

3.5 The Media School Dean will accept or reject the proposed transfer in consultation with the Executive Dean.

Addendum 1: College Policy on FTE Transfer:

A member of the College faculty may seek reassignment to another department or unit (i.e. Program, Center, or Institute with affiliated faculty) with a full or partial transfer of budgeted FTE to the new department or unit. The approval process requires written statements from the chairs or directors of all departments or units whose budgets are affected by the proposed transfer. The statements should address any changes in the tenure or promotion home of the faculty member. All requests and supporting statements should be submitted to the Dean by no later than the first week of the fall or spring semester prior to the effective date of the transfer. The Dean will consult with the College Policy Committee prior to making a decision. The Dean will then communicate his or her decision in writing to all parties identified above.

4. Transfer of Media School faculty between Media School units

A member of the Media School faculty may seek reassignment to another Media School unit, provided the process is initiated at least one full semester before any period of unit review. 

For example, this means the first transfer window closes at the end of the first week of the spring semester of the second year, in a standard contract, since the unit would require the full fall semester to prepare for the spring review in the third year.

Other, subsequent transfer requests should follow a parallel pattern.

All transfer requests should follow these steps:

(i.) Faculty member indicates interest in moving to destination unit director

(ii.) Faculty member meets destination unit faculty to discuss research/teaching alignment

(iii.) Faculty member receives comments from destination unit faculty in a written response by the unit director

(iv.) Faculty member communicates decision to destination and departure directors. Destination unit votes, with a majority being sufficient to approve transfer

(v.) Transfers take place on schedule that matches external transfers into school; namely, requests must be made before end of first week of fall or spring semester before transfer date.

5. Units of Voting Core Faculty

5.1 Home Unit: Each voting core faculty member has a designated home unit -- Cinema and Media Studies, Communication Science, Journalism, or Media Arts & Production).

5.2 Tie Unit: A tie unit is defined as a second unit (different from the home unit) in which voting core faculty have voting rights and service responsibilities. Each voting core faculty member may designate one tie unit. Faculty members who designate a tie unit also designate whether their merit evaluations will occur in the home unit or by both units. A core faculty member may choose to engage in the activities of more units, within the parameters of the policies of the units, but his/her voting privileges will be limited to his/her home unit and tie unit (if s/he has one). Each unit will develop policies for admission to and continuation of tie member status.

5.3: When eligibility on a School-wide vote or committee is determined by unit, faculty must vote and run as a member of their home unit. No faculty member may vote twice on the same issue.

5.4 During the transition period ahead of the Media School’s founding, faculty members from Journalism, Telecommunications, and Communication & Culture who had chosen to join the Media School selected their home unit. In addition, those who wished to have a tie unit could provisionally select their tie unit. Tie unit membership was to become final after the units had developed and put into practice a policy of admission of tie members.

6. Partial FTE Faculty (<.5)

Faculty members with < .5 FTE are designated as non-voting faculty for School-wide votes. They will have a designated home unit. The policies of the home unit will determine the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of the partial FTE faculty member within that unit. 

7. Relationship of Affiliated Faculty

Ordinarily, an IU faculty member may seek affiliation with The Media School by petitioning the Faculty Advisory Board after making evident his/her commitment to the Media School by investing in at least two of the following activities (or their equivalents): (i) teaching joint-listed courses, (ii) serving on graduate student committees, (iii) serving on media-related Individualized Major Program (IMP) committees, (iv) serving on advisory boards of Media School centers and institutes, (v) publishing in Media School-related areas, (vi) serving on editorial boards of media journals, and (vii) collaborating on grants with Media School faculty (core and/or affiliated). The School may consider other kinds of extraordinary activities not listed here when considering affiliation requests.

7.1 Affiliated faculty members will be affiliated at the level of the Media School but will not have a home unit.

8. Eligibility for Media School Grants, Fellowships, and Awards

The awardee or designated leader of a project shall be a voting core faculty member.

II. Media School Administration

1. Dean

The Media School Dean will be the chief administrative officer of the Media School. The Dean will:

• Have a 100 percent administrative appointment;
• Be a tenured member of the faculty of a unit of the School with a full-time FTE in the School with preference going to full professors;
• Engage in fundraising;
• Maintain and enhance relationships with alumni, donors, foundations, corporations, government funding agencies, and other School constituencies outside of the University;
• Work with the College Executive Dean, School Associate Dean, Faculty Advisory Board, and unit directors to develop long-range plans for academic programs;
• Work with the School Associate Dean, unit directors and faculty search committees to recruit faculty;
• Hire faculty recommended by the faculty search committees, in consultation with the School Associate Dean;
• Make salary recommendations, in consultation with the Associate Dean, to the Executive Dean;
• Work with the School Associate Dean and unit directors to develop interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate programs within the School and with other units outside of the School;
• Shape and manage overall School structure and systems in consultation with the School Associate Dean, Faculty Advisory Board, and unit directors;
• Meet regularly with School unit directors;
• Represent the Media School when necessary;
• Meet at least twice per semester with the School Faculty Advisory Board;
• Perform such other duties as assigned by the College Executive Dean;
• _­Report to the College Executive Dean.

2. Associate Dean

The Media School Associate Dean will be in charge of day-to-day operations of the Media School. The Associate Dean will:

• Be appointed by and directly report to the Media School Dean;
• Be a tenured member of the faculty of a unit of the School with a full-time FTE in the School with preference going to full professors;
• Have a 100 percent administrative appointment;
• Represent the School at Campus and College Associate Deans meetings;
• Work with the College Executive Dean, School Dean, Faculty Advisory Board, and unit directors to develop long-range plans for academic programs;
• Work with the School Dean and unit directors to develop interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate programs within the School and with other units outside of the School;
• Work with the School Dean, Faculty Advisory Board and unit directors to develop priorities for faculty and staff hiring within the school;
• Work with the School Dean, unit directors and faculty search committees to recruit faculty;
• Shape and manage overall School structure and systems in consultation with the School Dean, Faculty Advisory Board and unit directors.

In consultation with the Media School Dean:

• Develop the School budget and prepare budget documents;
• Hire faculty recommended by faculty search committees;
• Recruit and hire staff for the School and approve staff hires for the units;

And:

• Meet regularly with School unit directors;
• Attend all or parts of the Faculty Advisory Board meetings upon invitation of the Board;
• Perform duties of the Dean in the School Dean’s absence;
• Support the School Dean in development efforts, particularly alumni relations;
• Work with tenure and promotion committees on thorough and timely processing of all personnel matters, including the selection of outside reviewers;
• Perform such other duties as assigned by the School Dean.

3. Director of Graduate Studies

The Director will:

• Be appointed by the School Dean in consultation with the School Associate Dean;
• Serve a three-year term;
• Be a tenured member of the faculty of a unit within the School;
• Receive a compensation package set by the School Dean;
• Chair the school-wide graduate committee to coordinate enrollment for the school;
• Lead the graduate course-development process;
• Work with Units to develop graduate curricula;
• In consultation with the School’s Graduate Committee and the School’s Director of Undergraduate Studies, oversee the recruitment, training, and assignment of Associate Instructors/Graduate Assistants for teaching or research;
• Work with the Director of Career and Internship Services[1] on professional opportunities for graduate students;
• Ensure that the School is complying with Campus and School policies regarding the compensation for Associate Instructors/Graduate Assistants and their working conditions;
• Lead and manage the grievance procedure for graduate students;
• Work with unit directors and faculty committees in the School and graduate associate deans and directors in other Campus units to develop interdisciplinary curricular programs for M.A. and Ph.D. students;
• Work with Director of Undergraduate Studies, unit directors and individual faculty to assign faculty to graduate courses;
• Report to the School Associate Dean.

4. Director of Undergraduate Studies

The Director of Undergraduate Studies will:

• Be appointed by the School Dean in consultation with the School Associate Dean;
• Serve a three-year term;
• Be a tenured member of the faculty of a School unit;
• Receive a compensation package set by the School Dean;
• Lead and manage the grievance procedure for undergraduate students;
• Lead the undergraduate course-development process;
• Recruit, hire, and mentor adjunct instructors and visiting instructors in consultation with the Associate Dean;
• Monitor enrollments and propose plans for improving them;
• Chair the School Undergraduate Curriculum Committee;
• Represent the School when necessary;
• Oversee the academic misconduct process;
• Oversee and manage the School’s student organizations;
• Supervise the Honors Director in the School;
• Work with the Director of Graduate Studies, unit directors and individual faculty to assign and schedule faculty to undergraduate courses;
• Work with the Director of Career and Internship Services on internship and employment opportunities for undergraduate students;
• Report to the School Associate Dean.

5. Director of Research and Creative Activity

The Director of Research and Creative Activity will:

• Be appointed by the School Dean in consultation with the School Associate Dean;
• Be a tenured member of the faculty of a unit in the School;
• Serve a three-year term;
• Receive a compensation package set by the School Dean;
• Aid faculty in finding appropriate sources of University and external funding for research and lead the School’s efforts to increase levels of sponsored programs;
• Chair the School Research Committee, which oversees allocation of the School’s research budget;
• Supervise School compliance officers, grant writers and other School staff aiding in faculty research efforts;
• Develop plans and programs to encourage collaboration between researchers in different School units and with other University academic units;
• Work with faculty committees and research center directors to develop policies regarding the use of shared research space in the School;
• Work with research center directors to help them develop plans for sustainability of the centers in regard to funding and programs of research;
• Help research centers and faculty develop partnerships for research with centers, faculty, and other appropriate co-investigators on Campus, in the University, and outside of the University;
• Report to the School Associate Dean.

6. Honors Director

The Honors Director will:

• Be appointed by the School Associate Dean;
• Be a voting core member of the faculty;
• Serve a three-year term;
• Report to the Director of Undergraduate Studies;
• Receive a compensation package set by the School Dean;
• Work with standing or ad hoc committees in the School to expand and enhance existing honors programs to include students in all units;
• Serve as a liaison with the Hutton Honors College on shared or cooperative programs;
• Supervise the selection process for students entering honors programs;
• Engage in outreach with parents, students and other constituencies to recruit students;
• Keep track of honors student academic performance to ensure that students maintain at least minimum requirements for the honors program;
• Work with partners in the United States and abroad in planning special programs for honors students.

7. Unit Directors

The Unit Director will:

• Be appointed by the School Dean in consultation with the School Associate Dean, after having received a recommendation from the voting faculty of the unit;
• Serve a three-year term, with the possibility of renewal at the discretion of the School Dean and consistent with unit by-law limits;
• Be a tenured and home member of the faculty of the unit or hold the rank of senior lecturer or professor of practice (who passed the first probationary review) in units with no or few tenured or tenure-track faculty;
• Receive a compensation package set by the School Dean;
• Oversee the process of developing, maintaining and altering unit governance policies and procedures;
• Mentor tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty within the unit to ensure they are progressing toward tenure, promotion to full professor or promotion to senior NTT status;
• Oversee tenure and/or promotion process for unit faculty, including the selection of external reviewers and writing a letter, independent of the unit’s tenure and/or promotion committee, that is entered into the dossier. If the Unit Director is non-tenure track or an Associate Professor, please see additional policy details on under Tenure and Promotion Expectations and Procedures, General Procedure;
• Nominate and write letters of support for unit faculty applications for fellowships and other honors and monetary awards when required;
• Work with faculty to develop appropriate Unit committees and populate those committees;
• Meet regularly with other unit directors in the School and with the School Dean, School Associate Dean and directors to develop shared programs of study and research and to ensure that the units are not duplicating efforts;
• Oversee unit merit review process and make recommendations to the dean for salary raises;
• Handle unit-specific inquiries from upper administration;
• Report to the School Dean.

III. Media School-Level Committees

General Policies

• Committee members will serve staggered three-year terms (one-third of a committee will be replaced each year);
• No committee member may serve in the same capacity on the same committee for more than two consecutive terms;
• Units will determine their own policies concerning the appointment or election of their faculty representatives on the school-wide committees;
• This document can be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Faculty Advisory Board, subsequently submitted for ratification, by a simple yes/no vote, to those persons who are eligible to vote in the election of members to the Faculty Advisory Board. A majority of votes will determine the outcome. Should a tie occur, the amendment will fail, and the present document will remain unchanged. If the amendment is approved, the change will be posted promptly on the Committee’s website.

1. Faculty Advisory Board

Effective Spring 2015, the Media School constituted a permanent Faculty Advisory Board (FAB), replacing the interim FAB board. The FAB will meet twice each semester with the Dean and on other occasions as needed. 

In consultation with the School Dean, the FAB shall:

• Formulate and approve strategic direction and goals of the School;
• Advise the School Dean on major budgetary allocations in the School (by subcommittee);
• Communicate to the School and College Deans faculty concerns in the School;
• Apprise the School Dean of collaborative initiatives between units in the School;
• Serve as liaison with the External Board of the School (representative selected among elected members of FAB);
• Serve as the School’s policy committee;
• Provide advice on Media School Dean searches;
• Review and vote on a unit’s recommendation for reappointment or promotion in cases where a unit consists of fewer than 60% tenured or tenure track faculty. The FAB’s recommendation will then be submitted to the Media School Dean.

1.1 Membership

The Board will be comprised of nine members, all elected.

Unit directors are not eligible to be elected, and no FAB member can serve concurrently as a unit director. If a member of FAB is elected director of a unit, the unit should hold an election for a replacement member before the new director assumes unit duties. The new member serves the remainder of the unit director’s term.

Neither the Director of Undergraduate Studies nor the Director of Graduate Studies is eligible to be elected or serve on the FAB for the duration of their term. If a member of FAB is appointed as DUS or DGS, the member should be replaced either by the unit he or she represents or by faculty vote in the case of an at-large or balancer member. The replacement member will serve the remainder of the outgoing member’s term.

Membership will be for three years. Committee members must have a minimum .75 FTE in the School. To ensure continuity, beginning in the third year, one third will rotate off and be replaced by newly-elected members, who will serve beginning the following fall. ​Effective November 2017, a 10th “balancer” board member position was created to ensure adherence to university policies requiring a balance of 60-40 between tenured and tenure-track faculty, and NTT faculty, with this position effective for one full academic year.

By the last day of April every year, the FAB will elect a chair for the coming academic year.  To provide continuity, the Chair must be elected from the FAB members who served during the current year and will continue to serve on the FAB in the coming year.  The name of the incoming FAB Chair should be announced to the faculty before the summer recess. 

The FAB Chair duties will include scheduling regular meetings, soliciting and setting agenda items for meetings, keeping the FAB on task, and serving as liaison between the faculty, the FAB, and the deans

1.1.1 Election of members

Core faculty will be elected from among core faculty with at least .75 FTE in the School.

• 8 – two from each core unit, each elected at the unit level for three years
• 1 at-large from the Media School faculty
• 1 “balancer” board member for one academic year

1.1.2 Election procedures

Every three years, the at-large member of the Faculty Advisory Board (FAB) will be selected by ranked voting. On a secret ballot, each eligible voter will list candidate preference in order. Faculty members may choose any eligible faculty member, which is any faculty member with a .75 or greater FTE in the Media School. After all ballots are collected, the FAB will use the following process to determine the winner. The number of first-place votes will be counted. The lowest first-place vote recipient will be removed from the pool. All voters who voted (1) for that candidate will have their votes transferred to their 2nd-place preference. Votes will again be counted and the lowest vote recipient will be dropped; those who voted (1) or (2) for that candidate will have their votes transferred to their next preference. The process continues until one candidate remains. That candidate is selected as the at-large member.

Any ties in the process will be broken by a majority vote of the FAB, excluding any member who is a nominee for the at-large position. Ties include (but are not limited to) nominees tied for the lowest vote and nominees tied for the highest vote. If, for any reason, a majority of the FAB determines that the overall process has failed, vote-counting will cease and a new election will be held.

The same process will be used for choosing balancer members of the FAB when that position is required.

Core units will be responsible for determining their own policies for election of FAB representatives.

2. Standing School-level Committees

The following standing School-level committees shall be established.

2.1 Graduate Committee

• Members of this committee shall include: Director of Graduate Studies; two members from each unit, one appointed by the unit director and one elected by the unit faculty; and one non-voting graduate student representative elected by graduate students.
• The charge of this committee is to coordinate and administer graduate degree programs. This includes: graduate student admissions; resource allocation for graduate student assistantships and fellowships; graduate degrees and curriculum modifications; graduate program promotion; and graduate student orientation. This committee will recommend graduate program policies and procedures to the deans and will work in consultation with the School’s Curriculum Committee.

2.2 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

• Members of this committee shall include: Director of Undergraduate Studies; at least one (1) full-time faculty member from each academic unit, and six (6) total (each appointed by the Media School’s Director of Undergraduate Studies in consultation with unit directors); the undergraduate scheduling officer; and a representative from academic advising appointed by the Associate Dean. The Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of Student Services should be invited on an annual basis to act as non-voting ex-officio members who may be asked to provide counsel on matters related to graduate education and undergraduate student relations, respectively.
• The charge of this committee is to: work with curriculum committees and faculty across the school’s degree, concentration, certificate, and minor tracks to coordinate curricular specifications and requirements; propose, debate, and approve curricular modifications and additions within existing Media School degrees for consideration by the College Undergraduate Curriculum, Policy, and Records Office; evaluate and approve proposals for new and modified courses under the aegis of the Media School; work with internal and external stakeholders to craft proposals for new degree programs for consideration by the Faculty Advisory Board; undertake periodic evaluations of undergraduate courses to ensure that learning objectives and course structures meet Media School degree guidelines and expectations; recommend to the deans policies and procedures regarding undergraduate programs and online initiatives; and consult with the school’s Graduate Committee when appropriate.

2.3 Research and Creative Activity Committee

• Members of this committee shall include: Director of Research and Creative Activity and one faculty member from each unit. Each unit will determine if their representative is elected or appointed.
• The charge of this committee is to: support faculty and student research and creative activities; identify and facilitate funding opportunities; evaluate faculty proposals for Media School funding; promote lectures, workshops and colloquia; identify potential partners for collaboration outside the School and the University. 

2.4 Student Advisory Council

• Members of this eight (8) person council shall include: seven (7) student representatives drawn from an application pool, selected based upon Media School involvement and other qualifications and stratified to provide academic program and diversity representation; one (1) representative from the Director of Student Services’ University Student Organization Council representing the officially sanctioned USO student groups. All members of the Student Advisory Council must be full-time undergraduate students actively pursuing a major degree through the Media School. Students are appointed to the council in April, officially start their term in August, and serve through the end of the following spring’s academic calendar.
• The Student Advisory Council serves as undergraduate students’ representative body to The Media School administration and deans. The charge of this committee is to: serve in an advisory capacity to the School and Associate Deans and the School’s committees; represent interests and concerns of Media School students; provide input on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion at The Media School; appraise and evaluate the effectiveness of current and future Media School academic and extracurricular programs; work closely with the Director of Student Services and the Director of Undergraduate Studies to contribute thoughtful and informed student perspectives on issues that affect students at The Media School.

[2] For the 2014-15 academic year only, the School Associate Dean appointed members representing the undergraduate curriculum areas.

2.5 Diversity Committee

• Members of this committee shall include two representatives from each Unit, appointed by the Unit director. The Associate Dean will serve as an ex-officio member and will ensure administrative support to achieve the committee’s objectives.
• The charge of this committee is to: meet at least once per semester and report to the Media School faculty at least annually; establish quantitative and qualitative measures that indicate the success of the Media School’s diversity efforts; act as a liaison for coordination with diversity committees and officers in other schools and units on the Bloomington campus; serve as a resource for faculty, staff, and students to offer suggestions or share concerns about diversity issues; solicit, at least annually, input from faculty, staff, and students on diversity matters; work with Media School administration and relevant campus offices to establish a process and platform for submission of sensitive and/or confidential concerns; work with Media School administration and relevant campus officers during its first year to conduct a survey to assess perceptions among faculty, staff, and students about the School’s climate with regard to diversity and inclusion; draft a plan within a year after the climate assessment to address diversity issues as they pertain to Media School staff and students.

3.1 Advisory Committee

• Members of this committee shall include: [at least] two faculty members.
• The charge of this committee is to: represent unit faculty; advise the unit director; develop and interpret unit policies. 

3.2 Merit Review Committee

• Members of this committee shall include at least three faculty members.
• The charge of this committee is to evaluate faculty and recommend annual merit salary increases to the unit director. The director shall send recommendations to the School Dean.
• Members of this committee shall be selected by the unit.

4. Tenure and Promotion Review Committee

• All members serve two-year terms.
• The charge of this committee is to: evaluate faculty and make recommendations on tenure and promotion cases to the Media School Dean.
• The Committee consists of a Tenure Review Committee, which handles tenure cases, and a Promotion Review Committee, which consists of only members of the Tenure and Promotion Committee who are full professors and which handles promotion cases.

4.1 Tenure Review Committee

• Members of this committee shall include: ten appointed members of the Tenure and Promotion Review Committee. All must be tenured.
• Eight shall be appointed by the Media School Dean to represent the four units, with equal representation from each unit.
• Two members from outside the Media School shall be appointed by the Executive Dean to represent the College.
• Two alternate members, who must be full professors, shall be appointed by the Dean to serve in cases where, due to recusals or other circumstances, a quorum of six is not available.
• The Media School Dean will chair this committee.

4.2 Promotion Review Committee

• The Promotion Review Committee will be constituted following the exact procedures as for the Tenure Review Committee described above, except that all members must have attained the rank of full professor. For NTT promotion cases, the Media School Dean, in consultation with the director of the faculty member's home unit, will expand the committee to include two NTT faculty with appropriate experience and rank and who have completed their major performance reviews. 
• The Media School Associate Dean shall chair this committee, provided he or she holds the rank of Professor. In the case that the Associate Dean does not hold the rank of professor, the Dean shall appoint a committee chair for these deliberations.

IV. Tenure and Promotion Expectations and Procedures

Faculty with a tenure home in the Media School will undergo a process of review for tenure and promotion in accordance with established university and College of Arts and Sciences criteria.[3]

[3] It was decided that during the transition period some candidates may be governed by slightly different procedures in accordance with existing Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). It is understood that the School hopes to minimize the use of MOUs in favor of school-wide procedures. MOUs are not to be used to negotiate issues such as teaching expectations, salary, or any other issues outside the purview of the tenure and promotion process.

1.1 General Procedure

• Tenure and Promotion review will begin in the home unit. The home unit will carry out the initial review and vote on the recommendation for tenure or promotion.
• Following the home unit vote, the unit director will write a recommendation that will be sent, with the case, to the School Tenure and Promotion Review Committee.
• The School Tenure and Promotion Review Committee will consider the case and vote on a recommendation, which will be forwarded to the Media School Dean.
• After the Media School Tenure and Promotion Committee records its evaluation and recommendation, the Media School Dean prepares a letter evaluating the research/creative activity, teaching, and service, together with a recommendation (vote) on tenure and/or promotion. Before submitting the letter and recommendation, the Media School Dean will make the dossier available to the Executive Dean of the College and will consult with the Executive Dean. Following consultation, the Media School Dean will submit the letter and recommendation to the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs by November 1 for tenure cases and December 1 for promotion to full cases.
• If an assistant professor or associate professor comes up for tenure or promotion in a unit with a non-tenure track unit director, a tenured associate or full professor (as required) from the Media School will be selected by the deans in consultation with the unit director, to direct the tenure/promotion case. If a lecturer goes up for promotion to senior lecturer in a unit with a non-tenure track unit director, a tenured faculty member from the Media School will be selected by the deans in consultation with the unit director, to co-direct the promotion case. The co-director will be chosen for expertise particular to the case.  If an associate professor comes up for promotion in a unit with an associate professor as the unit director, a tenured full professor (as required) from the Media School will be selected by the deans in consultation with the unit director, to direct the promotion case. 
• If there are fewer than five faculty members eligible to serve on a tenure/promotion committee in a unit, the director, in consultation with the deans, will select faculty members outside the unit (but in the Media School) to serve on the unit’s committee.

1.2 Criteria and Expectations

• The School has developed expectations for tenure and promotion in its various domains of scholarly and creative activity. These expectations are included as Appendix 1 of this document.
• To that end, each unit with tenure lines in the Media School shall develop tenure and promotion expectations and criteria concerning teaching and service, as well as expectations and criteria that reflect the disciplinary and interdisciplinary foci of the research/creative activity of that unit.
• The FAB will develop teaching and service expectations for promotion and tenure in the School.
• The School in consultation with the FAB will review and publish these expectations, combining and integrating the expectations and criteria developed by each unit.

1.3 Annual Review Procedures

• Each tenure-track faculty member will be reviewed annually by the Unit Director. These annual reviews provide an opportunity to evaluate whether the faculty member is progressing favorably and offer units an opportunity to bring potential problems to the candidate’s attention in a timely fashion. A written summary of the annual review must be provided to the candidate.

1.4 Midterm review for tenure-track candidates

• No later than the third year of the probationary period for a tenure-track faculty member, the member will receive a midterm reappointment review. The midterm review is a thorough review that involves a unit review, a vote of eligible unit faculty, a review by the Unit Director, which is then sent to the School Dean. This is an opportunity for senior colleagues to learn more about each junior colleague’s work, provide mentorship, and evaluate the progress towards meeting the criteria towards tenure. In the case of a decision not to reappoint, candidates may appeal the decision. In the case where reappointment is made, it is important to emphasize that this decision does not guarantee tenure.

1.5 Review Procedures for Tenure

• Each unit shall establish the specific procedures for faculty participation in the review and vote for tenure and promotion, in accordance with University and College policy, with the following guidelines and conditions:
  • An ad hoc committee of three people will be formed from faculty in the unit with expertise in the candidate’s research.
  • This committee will conduct, draft, and present the tenure review to the unit faculty, which will vote on the case in accordance with university and College policies. The unit review will become part of the tenure/promotion dossier.
• The Unit Director will write a letter summarizing the case and the unit’s vote on the candidate. This will become part of the tenure or promotion dossier that will be forwarded to the Media School Tenure and Promotion Review Committee for consideration.
• The Media School Tenure and Promotion Review Committee will consider each case, vote on the recommendation, and write a report.
• After the Media School Tenure and Promotion Committee records its evaluation and recommendation, the Media School Dean prepares a letter evaluating the research/creative activity, teaching, and service, together with a recommendation (vote) on tenure and/or promotion. Before submitting the letter and recommendation, the Media School Dean will make the dossier available to the Executive Dean of the College and will consult with the Executive Dean. Following consultation, the Media School Dean will submit the letter and recommendation to the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs by mid-December.

V. Policies Relating to Responsibilities and Review of NTT Faculty (e.g., Professors of Practice, Lecturers and Senior Lecturers) in the Media School

It is recognized that lecturers and senior lecturers in the units come into the Media School with a wide variation in the tasks that they have been contracted to perform, the number of courses they are expected to teach and the extent to which they are expected to perform other activities, including those related to professional development and service. Further, merit and promotion evaluations have been made using different criteria in each of the original units. Within the limits imposed by these variations, the following criteria shall be met.

1. Service Responsibilities

An NTT faculty member’s duties are normally heavily weighted toward teaching. NTT Faculty are also encouraged to perform service work at both the unit- and school-levels. The individual units will determine on which unit-level committees NTT Faculty are eligible to serve. Normally, this committee work would focus on the pedagogical and curricular activity of the unit or School. The Faculty Advisory Board will determine the school-level committees on which NTT Faculty are eligible to serve, in consultation with the Deans and in accordance with university policies.

2. Contractual Teaching Responsibilities

The default teaching responsibility of NTT Faculty in the Media School is six courses—or the equivalent in instructional support work—as approved by the Media School Dean. Within that framework, the Media School will consider teaching reductions for lecturers and senior lecturers to enable professional development, and creative activity, as relevant to the needs of the units and the School. Procedures will be developed by the Dean and Associate Dean of the Media School through which faculty can apply for these reductions.

3. Merit and Progress Evaluation Procedures

The preponderance of evaluation for NTT faculty members is focused on teaching. However, as noted above, the School recognizes very valuable service contributions that are being made by individual NTT faculty. Each unit within the Media School will develop procedures for evaluating the merit of NTT faculty in their unit. These may include separate assessments of teaching and service as specified by the unit. Procedures for evaluating each of these areas shall be established by each unit. The School shall consider the expectations developed by each unit, and develop a broader set of expectations to guide future hiring and promotion.

4. Promotion Procedures

NTT faculty are eligible for promotion from the rank of Lecturer to the rank of Senior Lecturer, and from the rank of Senior Lecturer to Teaching Professor, following the College Policy on Non-Tenure Track Faculty. Evaluation of cases will take place in the Tenure and Promotion Review Committee.

VI. Merit Review Policies and Procedures

1. Elements common across units:

1.1 Merit Review committees will consist of at least three members of the unit, with at least one member from among untenured or NTT faculty in that unit.

1.2 Committee members are elected for two year terms. The Unit Director appoints one member to the committee. That member serves a two year term as well.

1.3 The committee elects its own chair – although the Unit Director attends its meetings.

1.4 Materials for annual merit reviews include each faculty member’s FAR, resume, student evaluations, grade distribution report – and whatever supplemental materials, including, course syllabi, that each faculty member wishes to include.

1.5 Merit allocations will be based on the following breakdowns:

• Assistant professors: 50-40-10 (research, teaching, service)
• Associate and full professors: 40-40-20 (research, teaching, and service)
• Lecturers: 90-10 (teaching, service)
• Senior lecturers: 80-20 (teaching, service)
• POPs expected to continue doing creative work: 80-20 (teaching, service         including creative work)
• POPs expected to focus internally: 90-10 (teaching, service)

1.6 Committee members will use the following five point scale for evaluating research, teaching and service contributions: 5 = outstanding, 4 = very good; 3 = adequate, 2 = needs some improvement, and 1 = inadequate.

1.7 Merit allocations will be based on rolling three year averages.

1.8 Merit raises will be based on performance using the following formula:

• Merit raise = (M/T)*P where M is the faculty member’s merit score, T is the total of all merit scores for faculty in the unit, and P is the total pool of merit money allocated to the unit.

1.9 Committee merit allocations are recommendations and are advisory to the chair. Chair merit allocations are advisory to the deans. 

2. Elements not common across units:

2.1 Evaluation criteria, a function of unit and field expectations.

2.2 The role of the Unit Director in preparing reports for each member of their unit’s faculty.

VII. Other Ranks

Nothing in this document is intended to preclude the establishment of other ranks in the School, such as clinical or research titles.

VIII. Equity Review Policy and Procedures

Equity review in the Media School focuses on analysis of salary trends, scholarly performance, teaching evaluations, and the national market among faculty within disciplines at a comparable stage in the career cycle. Three faculty comparators need to be identified by the faculty member in seeking an equity review. Compensation for administrative service, retention in response to an outside offer, and salary compression due to recruitment are outside the boundaries of an individual equity review.

A faculty member who believes that an inequity exists over an extended period at the School or unit level should first discuss the matter with the unit director. Ideally, the unit director and faculty member will agree about the names of three faculty comparators. If three faculty comparators cannot be identified within the unit or school, then comparators can be identified from other departments with a similar disciplinary emphasis.

Deadline: 5 pm first Friday in November. Requested but not required notification by unit directors to Media School Dean of all equity cases anticipated from their unit.

Deadline: 5 pm Friday four weeks later. Required documentation submitted to Media School Dean from unit director and faculty member seeking an equity review. 

It is the unit director’s responsibility to compile the following documents:

1. A current CV for the faculty member and 3 comparators identified by the faculty member. In addition, a current CV for up to 3 alternative comparators if the unit director does not agree with the comparators identified by the faculty member.
2. Recent merit-ranking data for the comparators and the petitioning faculty member.
3. Teaching evaluations and Activity Insight (DMAI) Reports over the past three years for the petitioning faculty member.
4. A rationale (two to three pages) for an equity adjustment, including an explanation of why the department merit policy failed to reward the faculty member for their achievements. 

It is the faculty member’s responsibility to write and submit:

1. A one- to two-page rationale in support of an equity adjustment.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs will determine if the case is considered Undisputed or Disputed. An Undisputed case shows clear evidence of agreement in all critical elements of the rationales for an equity adjustment from the unit director and faculty member. Undisputed cases are submitted by the School Dean directly to the VPFAA with a recommendation for the level of salary adjustment. Disputed cases show clear evidence of disagreement or divergence between one or more critical elements of the rationales for an equity adjustment from the unit director and faculty member. Disputed cases are submitted to a faculty committee for review and recommendation. The VPFAA makes a recommendation for or against salary adjustment on the basis of equity to the School Dean, who makes the final determination.

Please note: faculty may only submit a petition for a salary review once every three years, irrespective of the decision.

The expected date for decisions on Undisputed cases is the first Friday in February and for Disputed cases the Friday four weeks later.

IX. Recusal (approved Oct. 11, 2023)

When a faculty member's contract, raise, promotion, reappointment, or a scholarship/grant/financial award is being discussed, their spouse/partner shall automatically be recused from meetings/discussions/emails/votes regarding their spouse/partner.