Adopted April, 1993; Revised September, October, 1996
A. NOMINATION FOR TENURE AND PROMOTION
B. DEPARTMENT TENURE, PROMOTION AND RENEWAL COMMITTEE
C. TENURE AND PROMOTION ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
B. SCHOLARLY, CREATIVE, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Criteria for Tenure for Professorial Ranks
B. Criteria for Academic Appointment and Promotion for Tenure-Track Positions
4. Criteria for Tenure for Lecturer Rank
VI. ORGANIZATION AND CONTENTS OF PROMOTION AND TENURE MATERIALS
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW FOR CONSIDERATION FOR TENURE OR PROMOTION
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH STATEMENT ON MLA GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING COMPUTER-RELATED WORK
MLA Guidelines for Evaluating Computer-Related Work in the Modern Languages
MLA Statement on Computer Support
The mission of the Department of English is to foster learning in the fields of language and literature. The Department fulfills its mission by providing instruction in the University's General Education Program and by offering both an undergraduate and graduate major in English and undergraduate minors in English and American literature and in creative writing. In these various curricula, the Department accomplishes its goals by (1) encouraging students to improve their writing skills and teaching them methods to achieve this improvement; and (2) representing literature and language as essential to educated people's understanding of their cultural traditions and the cultural traditions of other peoples. In fulfilling its mission, the Department serves the missions of the University and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, respectively.
To accomplish its mission, the Department of English needs to recruit, retain, and reward faculty members who, by their teaching, their research and creative activities, and their professional service, demonstrate an enthusiastic lifelong commitment to first-rate teaching and scholarship. The Department of English upholds the model of the teacher-scholar who successfully combines the teaching of writing and literature with scholarly and creative productivity.
In writing these Tenure, Promotion, and Renewal Guidelines, the Department of English has followed the criteria established by the University and by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Accordingly, the Department gives the highest priority to teaching performance; second priority to research and creative activity that results in professional development; and third priority to professional service. "While each faculty member should seek to excel in the above three areas, for tenure, promotion and renewal all faculty must demonstrate at least satisfactory performance in these areas of responsibility. No faculty member may be excluded from any of the required areas of evaluation. On a year-to-year basis a faculty member's commitment to each of the above areas may vary considerably, depending on his or her own interests and the University's needs" (LAS Guidelines 1)
Also, in accordance with the MLA Guidelines for Evaluating Computer-Related Work in the Modern Languages, the Department believes that computer-related work, like other forms of scholarship, teaching, and service, should be evaluated as an integral part of a faculty member's accomplishments. Therefore language related to teaching, scholarly/creative activities, and professional service throughout this document also refers to computer-related work. As stated in the MLA Guidelines, "faculty members who pursue computer-related work as part of their formal assignments should be prepared to make explicit the results, theoretical basis, and intellectual rigor of their work, as well as its relevance to the discipline."
Policies and procedures governing tenure, promotion and renewal are described in the Bradley University Faculty Handbook. In all matters relating to tenure, promotion, and renewal recommendations, the policies and procedures contained in the Handbook take precedence over policies and procedures contained elsewhere (LAS Guidelines 3).
This document pertains to tenure, promotion, and renewal procedures in the Department of English. It is written in compliance with the policies and procedures described in the Tenure, Promotion, and Renewal Guidelines of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and becomes effective upon the date approved by the English faculty.
Each member of the faculty will be given a copy of these procedures upon initial employment.
A. NOMINATION FOR TENURE AND PROMOTION
The Dean will initiate the tenure and promotion process each year by calling for nominations. Nominations may be made to the Department Chairperson by any faculty member in the department including a faculty member seeking promotion. It is understood that nomination does not necessarily imply a positive decision. Nominations for promotion may be withdrawn by the nominee at any stage of the review process without prejudice (LAS Guidelines 3).
B. DEPARTMENT TENURE, PROMOTION AND RENEWAL COMMITTEE
The English Department will have a Tenure, Promotion, and Renewal Committee (TPR). Where practical and reasonable, the following procedure will be used: 1) For tenure and renewal recommendations the Committee will consist of all tenured faculty in the Department. 2) For promotion recommendations the Committee will consist of all tenured and tenure track faculty in the Department who possess the rank equivalent to or higher than the rank being sought by the nominee. The Chairperson of the Committee will be elected by the Committee (LAS Guidelines 3).
C. TENURE AND PROMOTION ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
1. The Chairperson of the Department Committee will call a meeting of the Committee to discuss the qualifications of the candidate. The nominee will provide to the Committee, prior to the annual evaluation, a written report which documents teaching, research and creative activities, and service contributions.
2. The Committee may ask the nominee to provide additional information and to respond to questions.
3. The Committee shall vote by secret ballot. The numerical results of the ballot, along with any written comments, shall be forwarded by the Chairperson of the Committee to the Department Chairperson. The Department Chairperson shall notify the nominee of the Committee vote and his/her own recommendation. Reasons for all recommendations by the Department Committee and/or the Chairperson shall be provided in writing. He/she will forward the results of the vote along with his/her recommendation to the Dean. If the Department Chairperson is the nominee, the Chairperson of the Committee will forward the results of the vote directly to the Dean (LAS Guidelines 4)
1. The Chairperson of the Department Committee shall call a meeting of the Committee to discuss the qualifications of the candidate. The meeting should be held prior to February first for first-year faculty members, prior to November fifteenth for second-year faculty members, and at least fourteen months before the expiration of an appointment for faculty members with two or more years of service in the institution.
2. The remaining actions are the same as those contained in Steps B and C of Section III. (LAS Guidelines 4)
Outstanding teaching is characterized by faculty members who exhibit scholarly preparation and a command of the current state of their discipline; develop courses beyond a mere exposition of the textbook; are current in teaching pedagogy and are motivated to experiment and innovate; engage students as active participants in the learning process and in the quest to understand; maintain an environment that will excite and challenge students in the subject matter of the course and cultivate an attitude of lifetime learning; and display interest, patience, and accessibility in interacting with students (LAS Guidelines 5).
While no single method of teaching is superior to another, each faculty member should have the skill to handle effectively several different approaches to teaching. Whatever the approach, ranging from traditional to computer-related, effective teaching should foster critical processes of thought, clarity of expression, comprehension of the subject, and enthusiasm for itspursuit. The methods used to achieve these goals may vary with the subject and the level at which one is teaching, but the quality of mind, the breadth of learning, and the originality and interest brought to the task are essential at all levels (LAS Guidelines 5).
Besides the above criteria for teaching described in the Tenure, Promotion, and Renewal Guidelines of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Department of English also believes that teachers succeed when they meet individual course objectives and departmental program objectives. Those faculty seeking tenure must demonstrate success and development in their teaching since their initial appointment at Bradley. Those faculty seeking advancement in rank must demonstrate both continued success and continued development in their teaching.
The candidate's report should evaluate teaching and student advising performance, efforts to develop and improve that performance, and plans for future development. He or she should divide the report as follows:
1. Performance
; a. course and class preparation
; b. class activities
; c. student support outside of class
; d. student advisement
2. Documentation of Performance
; a. Required documentation
; 1. Course evaluations
; b. Other suggested indicators of teaching success
; &nbs p; 1. course materials (such as syllabi and assignments, handouts, bibliographies, guides, etc.)
; 2. evaluations (peer, self, and student)
; &nbs p; 3. statement indicating student advising activity
; &nbs p; 4. statement indicating supervision of theses and independent study
3. Development
; a. course review (e.g., modification of syllabi or assignments as a result of evaluations)
; b. study in the discipline
; c. curriculum review and development
; d. plans for changes
; e. talks, publications, and/or attendance at conferences related to teaching
; f. other
4. Suggested documentation of development
; a. response to evaluations
; b. participation in mentoring program
; c. supervision of teaching assistants
; d. course proposals (additions/modifications, either for individual or Department curriculum)
; e. statement on the integration of research and teaching
; f. other
B. SCHOLARLY, CREATIVE, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
; The Department of English expects its faculty to be actively involved in research and scholarship. Since the first priority is excellent teaching, the faculty member should engage in research and creative activities that will support and enhance teaching. These activities may include computer-related research and scholarship. Active participation in scholarship and creative production is also a continuing source of professional development through which the faculty member gains personal satisfaction and brings credit to the Department, the College, and the University.
; Evaluation of the faculty member's scholarly, creative, and professional development will include the following documentation, as stated in the Guidelines of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and approved by the Department of English. Evaluation of computer-related research and scholarship will be conducted in accordance with the MLA Guidelines appended to this document.
1. Background
; a. Past research/creativity interests and activities
; b. Present research/creativity interests and activities
; c. Future research/creativity interests and activities
2. Documentation
; a. List of publications or software
; b. Copies or Xerox copies of publications or software
; c. List of grant proposals, copies of the proposals, and their status
; d. Lists of scholarly talks and poetry/prose readings
; e. Lists of other activities (e.g. reviewing, editing, etc.)
; f. Internal or external peer reviews or letters regarding research, creative production or professional development
; g. Awards, special recognition, or other indications of research competence and scholarship (LAS Guidelines 7)
; Service is less important than teaching or scholarly/creative production. Service can not make up for deficiencies in either of the latter. Nevertheless, service is expected from all faculty to some degree according to the stage of academic career. Beginning faculty cannot be expected to participate as actively in university governing levels or in local or national professional and service organizations as their more senior colleagues. Indeed, it is better that junior faculty service be limited so that their time is not diverted from teaching and research (LAS Guidelines 7).
; Obviously service activities vary in importance. The weight accorded the service depends on the service performed. It is, therefore, the candidate's responsibility for justifying the appropriate value of the activity to university and community (LAS Guidelines 7).
; In accordance with both the University and College Guidelines on service, the Department understands that the first priority is given to faculty participation in the governing process of the Department, College, and University. To a lesser degree, but also important, the Department values the sharing of professional expertise with the several communities that comprise the university, the region, and the world. Professional service also includes computer-related service, such as organizing and managing a computer classroom or lab, or training students and colleagues. Evaluation of computer-related service will be conducted in accordance with the MLA Guidelines appended to this document.
; The report should identify each service contribution and supply a one-sentence description of each activity:
1. Committee work and special assignments
2. Professional service to the community
A. Criteria for Tenure for Professorial Ranks
(The criteria used to evaluate the faculty member for tenure are as follows:)
; 1. A record of successful teaching in the fields for which he or she was appointed. Those faculty seeking tenure must demonstrate continued success and development in their teaching since their initial appointment at Bradley.
; 2. A record of achievement in research and/or creative production with the promise of comparable academic performance and professional growth in the future.
; a. Refereed or Editorially Reviewed Publications
; Achievement in research and creativity is demonstrated by capping a record of research and/or creative activity with refereed or editorially reviewed publications. It is not appropriate to the spirit of these English Department Guidelines, however, to specify an absolute number of publications for tenure and promotion decisions.
; Publications may include scholarly articles, book chapters, or books. The articles should be published in international, national, regional, or state refereed or editorially reviewed journals. Among the types of books considered are scholarly and creative books and textbooks. The quality of the publishing house will be considered.
; For candidates in creative writing, published works may include works of fiction or a body of poetry in international, national, regional, or state refereed or editorially reviewed periodicals. The quality of the periodical will be considered. A candidate in dramatic writing is expected to have staged performances or publications of dramatic works at the national, regional, state, or local, if deemed appropriate, level.
; Other publications, such as book review essays, encyclopedia articles, and biographical essays, will be considered on their merits.
; The candidate in critical scholarship and creative writing may submit a combination of scholarly and creative publications to meet the above requirements.
; b. Scholarly and Professional Organizations
; The candidate is expected to have presented papers at regional or national scholarly conferences and/or to serve in an office(s) of national or regional scholarly organization(s).
; The candidate in creative writing is expected to have given public readings and/or to serve in an office(s) of national or regional scholarly organization(s).
; c. Scholarly, Creative, and Professional Development
; The candidate is expected to stay current in areas of expertise through attendance at such scholarly, creative, and professional settings as conferences, workshops, or seminars. The candidate should provideevidence of continued scholarly, creative, and professional development.
; 3. A record of satisfactory participation in professional service.
Computer-related work in any of the three areas listed above will be evaluated in accordance with the MLA Guidelines and attachments in the Appendix.
; B. Criteria for Academic Appointment and Promotion for Tenure-Track Positions
; 1. Assistant Professor. A person appointed or promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor shall be judged to possess the capacity
; a. To become a successful teacher
; b. To develop and exhibit potential to conduct publishable research and/or outside professionally peer reviewed creative production
; c. To show willingness to participate in service
; d. To demonstrate commitment to professional development in the above three areas
; e. An assistant professor shall have an earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree or evidence of progress toward a terminal degree (LAS Guidelines 9).
; 2. Associate Professor. To be appointed or promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, a faculty member shall have demonstrated substantial professional achievement by establishing:
; a. A record of continued success and development in his or her teaching.
; b. A record of scholarly research and/or creative activity.
; (1) Several Professional Publications
; These may include scholarly articles, book chapters, or books. The articles should be published in international, national or regional refereed or editorially reviewed journals. The quality of the journal will be considered. Among the types of books considered are scholarly and creative books and textbooks. The quality of the publishing house will be considered.
; For candidates in creative writing, published works may include works of fiction or a body of poetry. These works should be published in an international, national or regional refereed or editorially reviewed journal or a chapbook of fiction or poetry. The quality of the journal or publishing house will be considered. The candidate in dramatic writing is expected tohave staged performances or publications of dramatic works. These works should be staged at the national or regional level.
; Other publications, such as book review essays, encyclopedia articles, and biographical essays, will be considered on their merits.
; The candidate in critical scholarship and creative writing may submit a combination of scholarly and creative publications to meet the above requirements.
; (2) Scholarly and Professional Organizations
; The candidate is expected to have presented papers at regional or national scholarly conferences and/or to serve in an office(s) of national or regional scholarly organization(s).
; The candidate in creative writing is expected to have given readings as an invited guest of a university, college, or other appropriate forum and/or to serve in an officer(s) of national or regional scholarly organization(s).
; &nbs p; (3) Scholarly, Creative, and Professional Development
; The candidate is expected to stay current in areas of expertise through attendance at such scholarly, creative, and professional settings as conferences, workshops, seminars, or fellowships. The candidate must provide evidence of continued scholarly, creative and professional development.
; c. A record of active participation in professional service
; Computer-related work in any of the above areas will be evaluated in accord with the MLA Guidelines and attachments in the Appendix.
; d. The minimum time of completion in the previous rank shall be five years, except for rare and extraordinary cases. An Associate Professor shall have an earned doctorate or other terminal degree appropriate to the faculty member's teaching field.
; 3. Professor. To be appointed or promoted to the rank of Professor, a faculty member shall have manifested a deep-seated and on-going commitment to teaching, to research and/or creative production, and to professional service. Specifically, this faculty member shall have:
; a. Reached a highly successful level of teaching performance based upon continued development
; b. Progressed with published research and/or outside professionally peer reviewed creative production to the point of recognized accomplishments in his or her field. In addition, a faculty member shall have developed a well-formulated, self-sustaining program of research and/or creative production with both immediate and long-term objectives. Specific criteria are as follows:
; (1) Publication
; The candidate is expected to have published works beyond those presented for promotion to Associate Professor. Among works that will be considered are scholarly articles, book chapters, and books. The articles should be published in international, national or regional refereed or editorially reviewed journals. The quality of the journal will be considered. Among the types of books considered are scholarly books and textbooks. The quality of the publishing house will be considered.
; The candidate in creative writing is expected to have published works of fiction or poetry beyond those presented for promotion to Associate Professor. The works should be published in international, national or regional refereed or editorially reviewed journals. The quality of the journal or publishing house, in the case of a chapbook or book, will be considered.
; The candidate in dramatic writing is expected to have staged performances or publications of dramatic works beyond those presented for Associate Professor. These should be staged at the national or regional level.
; Other publications, such as book review essays, encyclopedia articles, and biographical essays, will be considered on their merits.
; The candidate in critical scholarship and creative writing may submit a combination of scholarly and creative publications to meet the above requirements.
; (2) Scholarly and Professional Organizations
; The candidate is expected to have presented papers at regional or national scholarly conferences beyond those presented for promotion to Associate Professor and/or to serve as officer of a scholarly regional or national organization beyond the service presented for promotion to Associate Professor.
; The candidate in creative writing is expected to have given readings as an invited guest of a university or college beyond those given for promotion to Associate Professor, and/or to serve as officer(s) of a national or regional scholarly organization(s) beyond the service presented for promotion to Associate Professor.
; (3) Scholarly, Creative, and Professional Development
; The candidate is expected to stay current in areas of expertise through attendance at such scholarly, creative, and professional settings as conferences, workshops, seminars, fellowships. The candidate must provide evidence of continued scholarly, creative, and professional development.
; c. Accepted responsibility as a member of the academic community by contributing his or her talents, leadership and expertise to the needs of department, college, University, community and profession.
; Computer-related work in any of the above areas will be evaluated in accord with the MLA Guidelines and the attachments in the Appendix.
; d. The fulfillment of the above standards qualifies one for promotion to Professor, not merely the completion of a minimum period. However, the minimum time for the completion of the previous rank shall be five years. A Professor shall have an earned doctorate or other terminal degree appropriate to the faculty member's teaching field.
4. Criteria for Tenure for Lecturer Rank
; The Department of English bases its criteria for this rank on the following section from the Bradley University Faculty Handbook (Appendix B, 130b): "Because the purpose of the Lecturer rank is specifically to provide teaching for introductory courses, the appointment, annual evaluation, and tenure requirements are specific to this rank. Faculty members at the rank of Lecturer will be evaluated on teaching effectiveness and professional service only, with particular emphasis on teaching. Lecturers are engaged for the exceptional contributions they can make to the classroom and/or laboratory in their courses and are not, therefore, expected to engage in the research and creative production activities of the type appropriate and necessary for the professorial ranks."
; a. A record of successful teaching in the fields for which he or she was appointed. Those faculty seeking tenure must demonstrate continued success and development in teaching since their initial appointment at Bradley.
; b. A record of achievement in professional development related to pedagogical skills with the promise of comparable development in the future. Achievement in professional development related to pedagogy may be demonstrated by any of the following activities:
; &nbs p; (1) Attending local, regional, or national conferences or workshops
; &nbs p; (2) Presenting scholarly papers at local, regional, or national conferences
; &nbs p; (3) Conducting workshops or sessions at the local, regional, or national level
; &nbs p; (4) Taking additional course work related to teaching areas
; While not required for tenure, publications related to teaching areas will be highly valued. The quality and place of the publication will be considered.
; c. A record of satisfactory participation in professional service.
; Computer-related work in any of the above areas will be evaluated in accord with the MLA Guidelines and attachments in the Appendix.
VI. ORGANIZATION AND CONTENTS OF PROMOTION AND TENURE MATERIALS
Faculty submitting Promotion and Tenure materials should follow the outline given below (LAS Guidelines).
A. Title Page
B. Table of Contents
C. Application Information
1. Nominee's Name
2. Type of Action (check one)
; ____a. Advancement in Rank (check one)
; ____ Professor
; ____ Associate Professor
; ____ Assistant Professor
; ____b. Tenure Present Rank _____ Date of Rank _____
; Previous Ranks _____ Date of Ranks _____
; &nbs p; _____ &nbs p; _____
; &nbs p; _____ &nbs p; _____
D. Nominating Letter(s)
E. Current Vita (Resume)
F. Information Related to Teaching
1. Background
; a. Critical Self-Evaluation: Teaching Philosophy and Specific Teaching Objectives
; b. Teaching Responsibilities: Credit and Non-Credit Courses
; 2. Teaching Evaluations (Official course evaluations must be included. Other evaluations may include one or more of the following and possibly also additional items)
; &nbs p; a. Summations of evaluations that were not given to current classes [e.g., evaluations given to all alumni who took class, or just majors after graduation, or some other group of present students or alumni (include copies of the forms used and state to whom they were directed)]
; b. List of and copies of prepared (published or unpublished) teaching materials
; c. List of activities furthering teaching (e.g., short courses, Chautauquas, and field courses)
; d. Letters (solicited or unsolicited) from current or past students (specify group) evaluating teaching
; e. Peer reviews by faculty and/or chair
; f. Awards, special recognition or other indications of teaching competence
G. Information Related to Research, Creative Activity, and Professional Development
1. Background
; a. Past research/creativity interests and activities
; b. Present research/creativity interests and activities
; c. Future research/creativity interests and activities
; 2. Desirable Research Materials (the applicant should include at least some of the following items, and possibly also some not mentioned)
; a. List of publications or software
; b. Copies or photocopies of publications or software
; c. Lists of grant proposals, copies of the proposals, and their status
; d. Lists of scholarly talks and poetry/prose readings
; e. Lists of other activities (e.g. research, other creative activities, short courses, field courses, Chautauquas, reviewing, serving as delegate, official, or editor for a scholarly group)
; f. Internal or external reviews or letters regarding research, creative activity or professional development
; g. Awards, special recognition, or other indications
H. Information Related to Service
; 1. Committees (give names, function, applicant's level of involvement, and dates of service)
; a. University
; b. College
; c. Department or institute
; d. Interdepartmental
; 2. University administrative duties [give duty(duties), applicant's level of involvement, and date(s) of duty(duties)]
; a. University
; b. College
; c. Department or institute
; d. Interdepartmental
3. List and explain any other university service
4. List of service talks
; 5. List and explain service to local, national, and international community
6. Awards, special recognition, or other indications of significant service
I. General letters of support
; J. Copy of the Approved Departmental Document on Tenure and Promotion Guidelines
PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW FOR CONSIDERATION
FOR TENURE OR PROMOTION
Adopted April, 1993
These procedures are intended as amplification of Section VI ORGANIZATION AND CONTENTS OF PROMOTION AND TENURE MATERIALS, pp. 10-11, of the Department Tenure, Promotion, and Renewal Guidelines. By following the specific guidelines listed in Section VI and amplified below, faculty members who wish to be considered for tenure or promotion should be able to develop the best case possible.
It is the Chair's responsibility to set the date on which all material for tenure or promotion must be delivered to the Department Tenure and Promotion Committee for consideration by the relevant subcommittee.
It is the faculty member's responsibility to let the Chair know at least six weeks in advance of the announced date for consideration for tenure or promotion. It is also the faculty member's responsibility to present the best and most succinct case possible.
1. Concerning the formal letter of application:
Provide a self-analysis of why you believe you should be granted tenure or promoted, following the format of the University/College Department criteria: (1) teaching effectiveness, (2) scholarly and creative production, (3) service. The analysis should explain points in your resume, particularly on those matters that have relevance to why you should now be granted tenure or promoted to associate professor or professor in the Department of English.
2. Concerning letter(s) of nomination:
These letters should address the three criteria for promotion, as stated above, and make specific references to the candidate's resume.
3. Concerning the resume:
It should be in a professional format and date back to the start of your professional career.
4. Concerning documentation of your teaching effectiveness scholarship, and service (from students, alumni, and internal and external colleagues, etc.):
These recommendations should be solicited by the Chair from those you believe may best speak for you. According to the Department's need for information, additional evaluations may be sought with your consent.
5. Concerning historical evidence of teaching effectiveness, research/creative production, and service:
Provide as much historical evaluative evidence as you feel is necessary for the various committees to understand the quality of your teaching, research/creative production, and service.
Include examples of those publications which you believe most effectively represent your work. Remember that some of this material will be sent forward. You do not want to offer an unwieldy package or otherwise obscure the principal case that you are making.
6. Package your materials in a folder or file or notebook so that they are manageable--clearly labeled, coherently organized, and readable. Remember that if the appropriate department professorial committee votes to send you forward for tenure or promotion, your case will be reviewed by at least two committees that have as their majority members who are unfamiliar with the discipline of English.
STATEMENT ON
MLA GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING COMPUTER-RELATED WORK
SEPTEMBER, 1996
The attached MLA "Guidelines for Evaluating Computer-Related Work in the Modern Languages" offer a starting point for our Department's dialogue on the matter. These guidelines constitute a gathering of useful suggestions -- not the definitive prescription -- for arguing how one's computer related work contributes to teaching, research/creativity, and service. As technology and its applications evolve, so will the means of presenting and evaluating how faculty apply that technology in their professional lives. Current guidelines will no doubt give way to future guidelines revised and renewed to reflect evolving standards.
At the moment, however, how do faculty present and evaluate computer related work in our discipline? First, one can only rely on parallels with judging more traditional means of teaching, research/creativity, and service. In each area faculty are asked to provide evidence of how their efforts produced salutary results in the classroom, in research and/or creative efforts, and in service to the University and profession. In short, faculty must make the case that computer related work has produced demonstrable results. Among other things, faculty must show how computer related work enhances students' learning, extends their scholarly and/or creative efforts, and promotes service.
In some areas, these parallels with conventional modes of teaching, research and creative production, and service prove particularly useful. For example, making the case for the quality of a publication in an on-line journal which relies on referees to make editorial choices ought to be relatively easy. However, other areas, such as contributions to on-line discussion groups and listserv postings, provide less obvious parallels and thus require further documentation and explanation by the faculty member. In general, the newer the technology and its application, the more challenging the task of articulating their usefulness to the profession. It is incumbent upon the faculty member to present a coherent and persuasive case.
In fact, the MLA guidelines emphasize that the individual faculty member is obligated to explain the theory, usefulness, and intellectual rigor of his/her computer related work -- and to provide evidence of the same. This is nothing more than what is asked of faculty members working with more conventional means, but it will require faculty to present this information -- some of which may be technical -- to a faculty audience with various levels of computer expertise.
in the Modern Languages
in Teaching and Research
(Source: http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/mla.guidelines.html
October, 1996)
The Statement on Computer Support, adopted by the Modern Language Association in 1993, highlights the importance of new electronic technologies for the humanities and provides the basis for departmental and institutional support of modern language faculty members who use such technologies and integrate them into their work. As the statement notes, "Generating, gathering, and analyzing texts electronically is becoming a necessity for all education, especially for the contributions made by the humanities." As a supplement to the 1993 statement, the following guidelines address means of evaluating the scholarship, teaching, and service of faculty members who study, develop, and use electronic technologies in their work.
Because the role of computer technologies in the study of language, literature, and writing is evolving, departments wishing to hire and retain faculty members centrally concerned with the application of these emerging technologies to the humanities need to consider the tasks, support, and evaluative procedures involved. And faculty members who pursue computer-related work as part of their formal assignments should be prepared to make explicit the results, theoretical basis, and intellectual rigor of their work, as well as its relevance to the discipline. The following guidelines, which deal with both the hiring and promotion processes, are designed to help departments and faculty members build productive working relations, effective evaluation procedures, and means of disseminating the results of computer-related work.
Guidelines for Search Committees and Job Candidates
When departments seek candidates with computer expertise or when candidates wish to have such work considered an important part of their positions, there should be an initial understanding of the recognition given to computer-related work and of what electronic facilities are available or planned.
Departments should ensure that computer-related work can be evaluated within their tenure and promotion procedures. In particular, search committees should be prepared to discuss the following with all candidates
; - how the department evaluates research and publication in computers and the humanities,
; - what importance is attached to the development of new software and what criteria are used to evaluate such software,
; - what credit is given for the integration of electronic technologies into courses,
; - what recognition is given to professional activities relating to computing, and
; - what criteria are used to evaluate faculty members who provide computing support to colleagues, staff, and students.
As candidates discuss the teaching, scholarship, and service responsibilities of an academic position, it is important that they ask questions, such as the following, about the role of electronic technologies in the department and the university: Are technical support staff members available to the department's faculty members and students? Does the department plan to undertake initiatives in the use of electronic technologies? What access do faculty members and students have to computer facilities and resources?
Guidelines for Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion Reviews
Computer-related work, like other forms of scholarship, teaching, and service, should be evaluated as an integral part of a faculty member's dossier, as specified in an institution's guidelines for reappointment, promotion, and tenure. Faculty members are responsible for making a case for the value of their projects, articulating the intellectual assumptions underlying their work, and documenting their time and effort. In particular, faculty members expecting recognition for computer-related work should ensure that their projects remain compatible with departmental needs, as well as with criteria for reappointment, tenure, and promotion. Periodic reviews provide an opportunity to assess the match between a faculty member's scholarly and pedagogical development and the department's needs and expectations.
Because appropriate roles for computer technology in the study of language, literature, and writing are still emerging, faculty members should be prepared to explain
- what theory informs their work.
- why their work is useful to the discipline.
; - the evidence of rigor and intellectual content in their work.
Documentation of projects might include internal or external funding, awards and professional recognition, and reviews and citations of work either in print or in electronic journals.
For subsequent evaluation of professional service, faculty members should maintain a record of the duties involved in activities such as organizing and managing a lab facility,increasing the meaningful use of electronic media in instruction, training student aides or faculty colleagues, and moderating an electronic discussion group.
Pedagogy and scholarship involving technology often entail collaborative or interdisciplinary work. Departments need to find appropriate ways to evaluate the faculty member's role in such work. This process may include finding evaluators with expertise in both specific disciplines and computer technology; these experts are best qualified to evaluate and translate accomplishments in a rapidly changing field. Sources that may help departments choose appropriate evaluators include the editorial boards of computer-related journals (e.g., CALICO Journal, Computers and the Humanities, Computers and Composition, Hypermedia), the committees focusing on electronic technologies in appropriate scholarly and professional organizations (e.g., the MLA, CCCC, ACTFL, the AATs, NCTE), the courseware review sections of modern language journals (e.g., CALICO Journal, Computers and the Humanities, Computers and Composition, Foreign Language Annals, French Review, Hispania, IALL Journal, IDEAL: Issues and Developments in English and Applied Linguistics, Language Learning Journal, Literary and Linguistic Computing, the Northeast Conference Newsletter, the Institute for Academic Technology's Newsletter and Research Reports, TESOL Journal, Tongues Untied, Unterrichtspraxis), Humanities Computing Yearbook (Oxford UP), and the latest edition of the CALICO Resource Guide (Durham: CALICO).
Statement on Computer Support
(Source: http://perseus.h olycross.edu/ITC/MLA.html
October, 1996)
Computer technology is quickly becoming indispensable for teaching and research in language, literature, writing, and linguistics. Electronic media are already essential for the representation, storage, and transmission of knowledge generally and for knowledge in the language-and text-centered humanities particularly. Computer technologies make possible ways of learning, teaching, writing, and conducting research that have never before been available. Specific types of text-based research and literary and linguistic analysis rely on computers for concordances, searches, statistical analysis, modeling, and access to literary or linguistic databases. Computers with speech and interactive-video capability are increasingly useful for the language laboratory, as are classrooms with word-processing and text-sharing capabilities for the teaching of writing. The increasing availability of electronic texts and of dramatic literature in videodisk format makes the computer equally useful to the teacher of literature. In addition, word-processing facilities both for scholarship and for the preparation of teaching materials are no longer a luxury, since the computer greatly facilitates manuscript preparation, including the creation of indexes, bibliographies, and camera-ready copy. Insofar as resources permit, colleges and universities should recognize and support these changes.
Guidelines for Access and Support
1. Personal computer and printer. A shared computing facility is usually not an adequate substitute for a personal computer or workstation in the office. Faculty members in language, literature, writing, and linguistics also require connections to international networks and easy access to nearby printers. Routine maintenance and replacement of outdated equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner are essential.
2. Choice of hardware and software. Faculty members should play a major role in decisions about equipment and software purchases. The hardware and software configuration should be in line with the state of the art and appropriate to the needs and preferences of the faculty member. Among the tools that humanities scholars may need are high-performance computers, scanners, digital and optical storage devices, audio devices, and special software and hardware suitable for multiple languages or specialized applications.
3. Technical support and training. Faculty members and students need access to basic training and support in using electronic technologies. Institutional support should go beyond strictly technical training. As Brian Hawkins suggests, "This means providing support by people who understand both the technology and the methodologies and disciplinary content of a givenfaculty member. This would constitute a new kind of support person in most of our computing organizations"(31).
4. Computer networks. All members of the academic community, from undergraduates to senior faculty members, should have access to computer networks, which facilitate use of electronic text repositories, library catalogs and materials, databases, electronic mail, and professional bulletin boards.
5. Integrating technology into teaching and learning. Where possible and appropriate, colleges and universities should begin designing, implementing, and preparing for routine administration of electronic classrooms, including multimedia classrooms, starting with equipment that can be wheeled into a traditional classroom for the teaching of language, composition, and literature. Students deserve to be taught using the technologies widely available outside the university. Just as important is equitable student access to the computer facilities necessary to course work.
6. Development of educational materials and tools. Because faculty members are in the best position to know what software tools are appropriate for humanities education and research, colleges and universities should actively encourage them to participate in the development of computer-based educational and professional materials. Integral to the development process should be a realistic assessment of the human and other resources required.
7. Recognition of contributions by faculty members. Faculty members who develop computer-based educational applications and scholarly works should be recognized for their curricular, pedagogical and scholarly contributions. Electronic material should be evaluated as other comparable materials would be, through external review by experts as part of the review process. Colleges and universities should develop a written policy concerning the evaluation of electronic publications in the tenure and promotion process so that faculty members can make decisions about appropriate ways to distribute their research (see Burstyn). In addition, if faculty members are expected to provide computer support within the department, they should be appropriately compensated or rewarded.
8. Responsibility for graduate student training. Graduate students should be trained in the potential uses of electronic technology as an aid to teaching and research, including (as appropriate) desktop publishing, database and spreadsheet programs, computer-assisted language learning, authoring systems and tools, hypertext, telecommunications, and access to the networks and to databases. Such training should also include the use of electronic technology as a tool for language and text analysis.
Generating, gathering, and analyzing texts electronically is becoming a necessity for all education, especially for the contributions made by the humanities. Therefore, while immediate implementation of all these recommendations may not be feasible at small colleges or a schools facing financial difficulties, all institutions of higher education should develop long-term plans for working toward these goals.
Works Cited
Burstyn, Joan N., ed. Desktop Publishing in the University. Syracuse: Syracuse UP, 1991.
Hawkins, Brian L. "Preparing for the Next Wave of Computing on Campus." Change Jan.-Feb. 1991: 24-31.