Reappointment
The review of non-tenure faculty member’s contract should be regular, systematic, and rigorous and should be conducted by a departmental review committee. The criteria for performance should align with the duties and responsibilities described in the contract letter and/or job description. In general, departments should design criteria commensurate with performance expectations typically demanded of other faculty of the department with similar responsibilities. For example, faculty whose primary responsibility is teaching 1000/2000-level undergraduate courses should be expected to perform similarly to all faculty teaching at that level. In cases where a faculty member’s duties include responsibilities in multiple departments or programs, the departmental review committee and chair of the home department should receive feedback on the faculty member’s performance from the chair or director of the other unit(s) involved.
A comprehensive evaluation, including review by the department review committee and the department chair should occur in the final year of a non-tenure track faculty member’s contract as the basis for renewing that contract. Normally, the initial appointment is a contract for three years; renewal of that contract results in a second three-year term. After six years of effective performance, usually at UNC Charlotte, non-tenure track faculty may receive a five-year contract.
Reappointment of a Lecturer
For reappointment as a lecturer, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in any rank order)
- Evidence of knowledge and currency in subject matter;
- Knowledge and use of effective instructional strategies;
- Ability to design and implement a course curriculum;
- Ability to formulate and measure course goals, expectations, and outcomes;
- Ability to provide effective oral and/or written feedback to student learning;
- Evidence of effective teaching.
- Contribution of service to the department/college/r university/profession/ or community;
- Continued professional development in relation to discipline or pedagogy
If the lecturer is responsible for duties in addition to teaching, criteria for performance will be outlined by the lecturer’s supervisor and presented to the lecturer at the beginning of the contract or whenever the duties are assumed.
Promotion or Reappointment of a Lecturer to Senior Lecturer
The rank of Senior Lecturer is a unique (and not automatic) recognition for Lecturers who have distinguished themselves in their careers at UNC Charlotte. Senior Lecturers help to provide a stable core for leadership and curricular development in departments and the college. They help maintain a sense of continuity in programs, in the classroom, and through service. Normally, departments do not request initial appointments at the rank of Senior Lecturer. For promotion or reappointment to Senior Lecturer, the college dean shall consider the following criteria (not listed in any rank order):
- A minimum of six years of full-time teaching experience (usually at UNC Charlotte).
- A demonstrated record of consistently excellent performance in instruction and dedication to student success.
- A Demonstrated evidence of leadership in instruction and instructional innovation
- Demonstrated continued professional development in pedagogy or other area related to instruction.
Since the duties of lecturers vary considerably across departments, departmental policies should specify the criteria for demonstrating excellence in these areas.
Consideration for promotion to Senior Lecturer should be initiated by the candidate with the department chair, normally at the time of reappointment. Promotion to Senior Lecturer should not be considered automatic following a successful comprehensive review and there is no “up or out” requirement. The Department Review Committee will review a request for consideration for promotion to Senior Lecturer and make a recommendation to the department chair. The Chair will make an independent recommendation to the Dean.
Promotion to Senior Lecturer should be accompanied by an increase in salary. Senior Lecturers may be appointed for renewable terms of up to five years with comprehensive evaluations every five years thereafter.
These guidelines are the result of the work of the following task force:
Ad Hoc Committees > The Status of Lecturers Policies and Procedures
Source Documents:
Lecturer Reappointment Checklist (September 2018)
Report of the Task Force on the Status of Lecturers Policies and Procedures, (September 2008)
Reappointment as an Assistant Teaching Professor
For reappointment as an Assistant Teaching Professor, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in any rank order)
- Terminal degree as appropriate to the discipline
- Evidence of knowledge and currency in subject matter;
- Knowledge and use of effective instructional strategies;
- Ability to design and implement a course curriculum;
- Ability to formulate and measure course goals, expectations, and outcomes;
- Ability to provide effective oral and/or written feedback to student learning;
- Evidence of effective teaching from peer reviews and student evaluations.
Normally, an Assistant Teaching Professor’s initial appointment is a contract for three years; renewal of that contract results in a second three-year term. After six years of effective teaching, usually at UNC Charlotte, Assistant Teaching Professors may receive a five-year contract.
Promotion or Reappointment to Associate Teaching Professor
For promotion or reappointment to the position of Associate Teaching Professor, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in any rank order)
- Terminal degree in appropriate discipline
- Six years of full-time teaching experience (usually at UNC Charlotte)
- Demonstrated excellence in teaching, curriculum development and innovation
- Demonstrated commitment to student success
- Evidence of on-gong programmatic contributions to the University’s teaching mission.
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to participate in department, college and university affairs.
- Evidence of promise in at least one additional area, such as scholarship of teaching, external funding for pedagogical activities, the scholarship of engagement, or extensive involvement in non-classroom activities with students. Such non-classroom activities with students could include, but not be limited to, advising, program supervision, recruitment, workshops for undergraduate teaching assistants, club supervision, experiential learning (such as internships, study abroad, undergraduate research, etc.).
Promotion to Associate Teaching Professor should be accompanied by an increase in salary. Associate Teaching Professors may be appointed for renewable terms of up to five years with comprehensive evaluations every five years thereafter.
Promotion or Reappointment to Full Teaching Professor
For promotion or reappointment to the position of Full Teaching Professor, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in any rank order):
- Terminal degree or equivalent professional experience in the candidate’s field of specialization;
- Approximately eleven years of full-time college-level teaching experience, or a combination of teaching and relevant work experience, with at least five years of teaching performed at UNC Charlotte.
- An outstanding record of teaching/instruction with numerous strengths and few weaknesses. Such strengths should include current knowledge of subject matter; clear organization of course design and material; capacity to instill and sustain interest, enthusiasm, and dedication in students; and a record of innovative teaching practices. Nominees should be acknowledged to be among the most notable teachers in the College.
- Clear evidence of on-going and significant programmatic contributions to the University’s teaching mission. Such contributions will normally include the systematic assessment of instructional processes/outcomes, the application of findings to enhancing course and program effectiveness, and ongoing contributions to Department-, College-, and University-defined needs, priorities, and initiatives in the areas of teaching and pedagogy.
- A demonstrated record of service. This record may include activities such as the active participation on appropriate departmental, college and university committees, the recruitment of undergraduate students, the supervision of undergraduate research and/or independent study projects, and the peer review of teaching. Service to the community or to the profession may also be included when it is related to teaching or educational outreach.
- Substantial evidence of success in at least one additional area, such as scholarship of teaching, external funding for pedagogical activities, the scholarship of engagement, or extensive involvement in non-classroom activities with students. Such non-classroom activities with students could include, but not be limited to, advising, program supervision, recruitment, workshops for undergraduate teaching assistants, club supervision, experiential learning (such as internships, study abroad, undergraduate research, etc.).
Promotion to Full Teaching Professor should be accompanied by an increase in salary. Full Teaching Professors may be appointed for renewable terms of up to five years with comprehensive evaluations every five years thereafter.
Research Professor
The primary effort of Research Professors is in published research and grants rather than instruction. They participate in the educational activities to a degree consistent with their research responsibilities. They may contribute to seminars, classes, and symposia as arranged within the academic unit. In many cases, research faculty can assist in the research training of dissertation candidates or post-doctoral trainees.
Reappointment of Assistant Research Professor
For reappointment as an Assistant Research Professor, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in rank order):
- Terminal degree in appropriate discipline.
- Potential for eventual distinction in research.
- Potential for securing external funding.
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to participate in department, college, and university affairs.
Promotion to Associate Research Professor
For promotion to Associate Research Professor, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in rank order):
- Terminal degree in appropriate discipline.
- Approximately six years of full-time research experience (usually at UNC Charlotte).
- Demonstrated excellence in academic publication or established reputation in the individual’s
- field of scholarly activity.
- Record of securing external funding.
- Record of departmental, college and university service obligations as deemed appropriate by the unit.
- Projected growth as a scholar and university citizen that could lead to promotion to Research Professor.
Promotion to Associate Research Professor should not be considered automatic following a successful comprehensive review and there is no “up or out” requirement.
Promotion to Research Professor
For promotion to Research Professor, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in rank order):
- Terminal degree in appropriate discipline.
- Eleven years of full-time research experience (usually at UNC Charlotte).
- Established reputation in the individual’s field of scholarly activity.
- Record of securing significant external funding.
- Record of distinguished leadership in departmental, college and university service as deemed appropriate by the unit.
Promotion to Research Professor Lecturer should not be considered automatic following a successful comprehensive review and there is no “up or out” requirement.
Professor of Practice
Professors of Practice bring extensive practical experience to the teaching field to which they are assigned. Generally, they are licensed professionals or hold similar certifications or credentials, and have documentation of their experience that demonstrates their qualifications in the subjects they are assigned.
Reappointment to Assistant Professor of Practice
For reappointment to Assistant Professor of Practice, the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in rank order):
- Master’s or higher degree in the assigned field and a minimum of ten years of professional experience in their realm of assigned responsibility.
- A professional license or similar certifications or credentials in their field.
- Extensive practical experience in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility.
- Potential for directing curricular, co-curricular or extracurricular activities in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility.
- Ability and willingness to participate in unit, department, college, and university affairs.
Associate Professor of Practice
For promotion to Associate Professor of Practice the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in rank order):
- A Master’s or higher degree in the assigned field and, for initial appointment as an Associate Professor of Practice, a minimum of fifteen years of professional experience in their realm of assigned responsibility.
- A professional license or similar certifications or credentials in their field
- Recognized ability and distinction in practice in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility.
- Demonstrated ability to direct activities in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to participate in unit, department, college, and university affairs.
- Projected growth as a teacher and university citizen that could lead to promotion to Professor of Practice.
Promotion to Associate Professor of Practice should not be considered automatic following a successful comprehensive review and there is no “up or out” requirement.
Professor of Practice
For promotion to Professor of Practice the college dean will consider the following criteria (not listed in rank order):
- Master’s or higher degree in the assigned field and, for an initial appointment as Professor of Practice, a minimum of twenty years of professional experience in their realm of assigned responsibility and substantial professional experience, typically at a managerial level.
- A professional license or similar certifications or credentials in their field.
- Distinguished achievement as a practicing professional in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility.
- Demonstrated ability to direct activities in the mutually agreed upon realms of responsibility
- Established reputation in the professional field.
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to participate in unit, department, college and university affairs.
Promotion to Professor of Practice should not be considered automatic following a successful comprehensive review and there is no “up or out” requirement.
Process for Non-Tenure Track Reappointments and Promotions
I. For promotions, by May 1, the Department Chair notifies the Dean that the Department will forward a promotion file to the College in the next academic year.
II. The deadline for providing a promotion or reappointment file to the Dean’s Office is due early in the Spring semester by a date established by the College office, usually in early February. The file should include the following:
- A. Faculty personal statement;
- B. Faculty curriculum vitae;
- C. Letter from Department Review Committee as constituted for Non-Tenure Track faculty and Letter from the Chair;
- D. For promotion files:
- i. For promotion to Senior Lecturer: At least three letters of support that address the faculty member’s qualifications for promotion, with at least two from outside the department. The department chair will solicit letters from a list of potential reviewers supplied by the faculty member.
- ii. For promotion in the teaching professor, research professor and professor of practice tracks: At least four letters of support that address the qualifications for promotion from outside the department, with at least one external to the University. The department chair will solicit letters from a list of potential reviewers supplied by the faculty member.
- E. Appropriate evidence in support of the reappointment or promotion.
III. For Non-Tenure track faculty reappointments and promotions, non-tenure track faculty are eligible to serve on the Department Review Committee as voting members, and departments are encouraged to include non-tenure track faculty on the committee.
IV. The Non-Tenure Track Faculty Promotion Review Committee will assess materials in the cases of promotions and make a recommendation to the Dean. The Dean makes the final decision by March 1.
Source Documents:
CLAS Criteria for Reappointment and Promotion (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) (approved September 7, 2022)