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Guidelines for Library Term and Library Term with Continuing Appointment Faculty Reappointment and Promotion 听
Approved by the Office of the Provost January 13, 2025
Contents
I. Values-Based听Faculty听Actions
III. Criteria for Term Reappointment and Continuing Appointment
IV. Rank-Based Criteria for Appointment and Promotion
Document History
- 3/14/18 approved by ULCFA
- 4/11/18 approved by ULFC
- 1/23/19 approved by ULCFA
- 11/16/22 approved by ULFC
- 9/18/24 Revised, approved by ULFC
- 1/13/25 Approved by the Provost
Term and continuing faculty appointments fundamentally enrich American 青瓜视频鈥檚 mission 鈥渢o advance knowledge, foster intellectual curiosity, build community, and empower lives of purpose, service, and leadership.鈥 Appointments and reappointments of library term faculty and appointments of library term faculty with continuing appointment are contingent on the faculty member demonstrating relevant qualifications and satisfactory performance; on sufficient budget and enrollments; and on the faculty member鈥檚 fit with other needs of the teaching or academic unit (Faculty Manual, section 12). All teaching or academic units are required to establish standards and expectations of faculty applying for faculty actions in accordance with the 鈥淕eneral Criteria for Evaluation of Faculty鈥 (Faculty Manual, section 16).听
听Following a statement of values in Part I of these Guidelines, Part II provides definitions of the three criteria for evaluation of library faculty members: excellence in primary responsibilities, currency in the field, and meaningful service, including a non-exhaustive list of examples of how term and continuing appointment faculty can demonstrate achievements in each area. Part III presents criteria for term reappointment and continuing appointment. Part IV provides instructions for appointments and promotions of term and continuing appointment faculty in the professorial lecturer and non-tenure professor sequences.听
I. Values-Based Faculty Actions
American 青瓜视频 is committed to equity in faculty actions. All faculty appointments, reappointments, and promotions must support the university鈥檚 mission by demonstrating AU鈥檚 commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as expressed in AU鈥檚 Plan for Inclusive Excellence (2018 and 2021), as amended, and the ethos and culture of inquiry, as articulated in the Faculty Senate鈥檚 Statement of Values on Free Expression (May 2022), as amended.听
Every faculty action presents an opportunity to acknowledge and reward the full range of a colleague鈥檚 achievements. Faculty reviewers are encouraged to recognize multiple pathways taken by candidates to achieve excellence in all areas of their work. Substantive weight should be given in faculty reviews to cross-disciplinary and community-based accomplishments and contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching and activities associated with service and currency in the field.
听II. Standards of Excellence
Library term and library term with continuing appointment faculty at American 青瓜视频 are expected to 鈥渄emonstrate excellent teaching/primary responsibilities, currency in the field and/or across fields, and evidence of a willingness to provide appropriate levels of service to the university and the professional community鈥 (Faculty Manual, section 16). In addition, the university expects all faculty members, as 鈥渕embers of the learned profession responsible for educating the community 鈥 to exhibit civility, collegiality, and respect for different points of view in the academic community鈥 (Faculty Manual, sections 10 and 16). Failure to model these core values is considered unsatisfactory performance and grounds for denying term reappointment, continuing appointment, or promotion.
The quality of the performance of a library term or library term with continuing appointment 听faculty member in carrying out their primary responsibilities is always the chief criterion for evaluation. The percentages assigned below to primary responsibilities (80% for Assistant/Associate/Librarians and 80% for Professorial-promotion sequence Librarians), 听professional contributions (10% for Assistant/Associate/Librarians), or currency in the field (10% for Professorial-promotion sequence) and service (10% for all term library faculty) represent the customary distribution of workload. In certain circumstances, these percentages may be differently distributed to reflect special concentrations of effort in any of the three areas. 听
The library faculty value diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related work in all areas of evaluation and encourage faculty to include it in their files following the examples in the criteria described below.
Primary Responsibilities
These activities are the main functions performed by library faculty members. Primary responsibilities may vary among individuals. However, diversity, equity, and inclusion is a commitment shared by all library faculty in their primary responsibilities. As the library is a complex organization where many different functions that support the educational mission of the university take place at the same time, a library faculty member鈥檚 job may include some of the following:
Library faculty may assist researchers through multiple modalities that meet AU community needs. For example, they may anticipate research needs through the development of online resources such as subject guides which can reflect diverse voices and other content that supports inclusive excellence, or they may meet individual needs with individual consultations that provide general guidance and recommendations on parameters for research while helping individuals identify and use sources appropriate for their research.听
Library faculty may participate in classroom instruction at the invitation of teaching faculty, through specific curricular programs, or in the creation of learning objects. Library faculty engaged in teaching support the development of information literacy for AU students and are encouraged to incorporate critical, anti-racist, or inclusive pedagogy and practices into their instruction. They build their instructional design based on best practices in librarianship and pedagogy. Their engagement may include teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate curriculum level and participation in special programs such as the CORE.
- Library faculty may engage in student mentoring that goes beyond typical instruction activities or research support. This service can be invaluable to the growth and retention of AU students and should be acknowledged in files for action.听
- Library faculty may engage in developing, assessing, implementing, and maintaining library collections in appropriate formats to provide access to all potential community users. Library faculty establish and follow collection development policies that support current and emerging curricular programs and research and that emphasize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in building collections. They develop and maintain strong relationships that facilitate communication between teaching faculty and library faculty about appropriate collection development. They provide information literacy instruction in specific curricular areas and support students in those areas with research consultations.
- Library faculty may focus on the processes associated with acquiring items for library collections, including selecting vendors, maintaining vendor relationships, negotiating license agreements, and maintaining usage statistics as well as reviewing and implementing new acquisitions programs. They may serve as administrative heads for other faculty or supervise staff engaged in these processes. They may have a prominent role in developing, allocating, and managing aspects of the library鈥檚 budget. They prepare budget requests and reports and share information about market forces that impact the library budget for collections.
- Library faculty may evaluate, implement, develop, and maintain systems, databases, and knowledge bases which support activities related to accessing library resources. They may be 听responsible for describing library resources, demonstrating knowledge of local, national, or international cataloging and metadata standards that enable discoverability of and access to library resources for the university community. They may have oversight for creating metadata for library resources that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive particularly in its use of terminology and vocabulary and in its descriptions of digitized collections in library catalogs. Assigning such metadata may be both retrospective and current. They may be involved in evaluating, testing and implementing new library systems.
- Library faculty may support access to research data and statistics through selection and communication about appropriate resources, and they may interpret the use of those resources for individuals and groups. They may also promote community knowledge about best practices and standards for the retention of and access to data developed through research projects. They may also promote practices that ensure the unbiased collection and retention of data.听
- Librarians may engage in a range of activities associated with scholarly communication including promotion and implementation of open access to scholarship. They may foster an understanding of traditional and alternative metrics for research and particularly promote the ways in which to make those metrics more inclusive. At the university level, they support the system through which research and scholarship is created, evaluated, distributed, and preserved.
- Library faculty may have significant management or administrative responsibilities. Library faculty may be responsible for portfolio or project management, including strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, assessment, and aligning human and fiscal resources to meet program needs. They may engage in hiring, training, mentoring, or evaluating library staff and faculty or oversee these responsibilities when delegated to others. They follow all university policies and procedures and best practices to ensure that hiring and retention decisions promote diversity and that the processes of making assignments and conducting evaluations are equitable. They work toward creating and ensuring inclusive environments. Librarians with management responsibilities have a special responsibility to mentor library faculty. Library faculty without formal management responsibilities may also serve as formal or informal mentors to colleagues. Informal mentors should acknowledge such 鈥渋nvisible labor鈥 in files for action.
- Library faculty may engage in a variety of other responsibilities, projects, and assignments. For instance, they may engage in special long-term or short-term projects or liaisons that connect the library with special curricular programs, or they may facilitate communication about library services and resources to the campus community. They may act as campus resources for promotion of best practices in a variety of teaching and research-related areas such as copyright. They may work to enhance the university curriculum in a variety of other ways. They may represent the library in a variety of settings, such as contributing to Washington Research Library Consortium committees.听
For library faculty members, metrics on activities will vary. There is no typical number of classes taught, no benchmarked number of research consultations or number of items added to a library system. Activities and time spent will vary from function to function and from semester to semester. Library faculty members can differ widely in their case-by-case primary responsibilities so it is not possible to determine what a typical workload would be.
It is the duty of the library faculty member to discuss their workload with their administrative head and how it compares from year to year. It is also the expectation that evaluative letters from the administrative head, the 青瓜视频 Library Committee on Faculty Actions (ULFCA), and the 青瓜视频 Librarian will contextualize the workload.
Currency in the Field (Professorial Ranks only鈥擯rofessor Ranks should see Professional Contributions in the Continuing Appointment Guidelines)
Currency in the field typically means staying up to date with developments in one鈥檚 professional and/or scholarly area(s). The university recognizes that many term and continuing appointment faculty conduct research, publish, and contribute to the scholarly profile of the university, while some also practice professionally. Some participate in the scholarship of teaching and learning, and many innovate pedagogically. Many also contribute to the development of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism practices that build community, collaboration, and civil discourse within their fields, disciplines, or areas of practice.听
Librarians in the profession, unlike library faculty in a school of library or information science, are generally focused on practical applications in the profession. Scholarship for library faculty at AU may be theoretical or applied and may be specific to the fields of library and information sciences. Advancement in the field of librarianship is often achieved through the work of individual librarians under the auspices of professional organizations. Leadership in associations and on committees that advances theory and contributes to best practices in the library profession is recognized as scholarship in the field. Although the outcome of such activities often results in publications in which authorship is credited to an organizational body rather than to individuals, it is understood that the members of the group that wrote the publication are its co-authors. The faculty member should describe their role in projects or publications sponsored by a professional organization. The faculty member may also include letters from project leaders or others who can verify the scope of their contribution.听
Scholarship in any field deepens the practitioner鈥檚 knowledge of that field and is valuable in many areas of librarianship. Scholarship for a library faculty member may also pertain to disciplinary areas to which the faculty member brings additional expertise. Any of the above activities provides evidence of currency. The Faculty Manual (section 16.a) encourages such activity because faculty are better equipped to help students 鈥渁cquire knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and become active participants in the learning process鈥 to the extent that they themselves 鈥渞emain current in their field.鈥澨
The currency-in-the-field portion of an application file provides an opportunity for term and continuing appointment faculty to report what they have been doing to maintain their intellectual and professional capital and stay engaged in their field(s) of expertise.听
Candidates for library term reappointment, library term with continuing appointment, and/or promotion within these categories should explain how the activities described in the currency portion of their files enrich their primary responsibilities. Faculty reviewers are expected to view the candidate鈥檚 currency-related activities holistically and in the context of the candidate鈥檚 rank and years of academic and/or professional experience.
The list below illustrates a few of the many ways to demonstrate currency in the field.
Research and Scholarship Activities:
- Publishing in peer-reviewed outlets, including electronic journals and platforms, and especially open-access electronic outlets that enable wider dissemination and use of findings;
- Presenting research in public-facing venues;
- Developing new cases, databases, or experiments with open-access sharing where possible;听
- Engaging in creative activities or producing creative works.
- Contributing to publications published by professional associations that influence developments in practice in librarianship, such as standards, best practices, and major studies to advance the field, among others.听
- Engaging with the academic field (e.g., manuscript review, editorial work, panel participation, conference participation);
- Developing or applying methods that increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of study or creative practice, including methods that expand opportunities for participation and agency by groups that are the subjects of research and those whose lives may be affected by research results;
- Scholarly focus on traditionally overlooked topics that fill important gaps in the knowledge base;
- Research and scholarly activity with demonstrated public impact; and
- Pursuing grant development and other avenues of external funding.
Professional Practice and Public Engagement:
- Giving briefings, conducting trainings, and engaging with external organizations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, with attention to reaching diverse and historically underrepresented audiences;
- Engaging in public outreach and education (e.g., talks, lectures, panels, etc.), with attention to reaching diverse and historically underrepresented audiences;
- Service within local, regional, national and international professional associations,
- Media publications and appearances (e.g., op-eds, blogs, interviews, podcasts);
- Testimony at legislative or other hearings, contributions to public comments on policy proposals, and related activities with public impact;
- Product development; and
- Patent development.
Service
The rights and privileges associated with faculty membership evoke a responsibility for service. In fulfillment of these responsibilities, all term and continuing appointment faculty are expected to engage in meaningful service to their teaching units, academic units, or the university as a whole (Faculty Manual, section 16.b). Such internal service should be done at levels appropriate to a faculty member鈥檚 rank and years at AU.
According to the Faculty Manual section on 鈥淪ervice鈥 (section 16.b), 鈥渆ngagement in the university community鈥 includes 鈥漨entoring and advising of students鈥 and 鈥減articipation in major campus-wide events, such as commencement.鈥 Examples of mentoring, advising, and participation include:听
- advising students on academics;
- advising students on professional development, networking, and placement;
- mentoring of all student populations;
- mentoring students for prestigious awards; and
- active attendance at recruitment events, events for new students, faculty-student functions, convocations, commencements, and many other community-building occasions.
Additional internal service opportunities include work on committees at the teaching-unit, academic-unit, or university level. Committee work, including chairing of committees, is vital to maintaining basic functions of all units and the university. At the university level, faculty may seek election to the Faculty Senate and/or Senate committees or serve on various ad hoc task forces and working groups established in partnership with the Faculty Senate to address specific topics.听
Service also may include less formal, and often less visible, contributions to campus climate, culture, and community, which come in many different forms. The 2020 AU Equity Task Force Report (p. 7) included the following non-exhaustive examples of equity-minded and DEI-attentive internal service:
- Participating in inclusive initiatives to recruit and mentor faculty, staff, and students;
- Serving as faculty advisor for student groups in an inclusive manner;
- Working on processes, policies, and tools that promote equitable and inclusive practices within one鈥檚 teaching or academic unit or across AU, including revising search committee criteria, job descriptions, and evaluative criteria and evaluating proposed curricula changes, etc.;
- Working on events to promote a diversity of perspectives and ideas;
- Participating in workshops aimed at facilitating community discussions about DEI issues;
- Representing the teaching unit, academic unit, or university at community events; and
- Efforts by faculty in elected roles to represent the breadth of their constituents by gathering diverse perspectives from colleagues and AU community members.
III. Criteria for term Reappointment and Continuing Appointment听听
The following criteria articulate the university鈥檚 expectations at each stage of what the Faculty Manual (section 15.b) refers to as 鈥渢he normal progression鈥 for eligible faculty from single-year term contracts to a three-year term contract to a continuing appointment. This progression and the corresponding standards are detailed below.听
听A. One-Year Term Reappointment 听
Term faculty typically join AU on a one-year contract, with opportunities for reappointment to two additional one-year contracts contingent on the library faculty member demonstrating relevant qualifications and satisfactory performance; on sufficient budget and enrollments; and on the faculty member鈥檚 fit with other needs of the teaching or academic unit (Faculty Manual, section 12).
Term library faculty applying for one-year term reappointment at American 青瓜视频 are expected to have:
- Made progress toward building a record of excellence in primary responsibilities (defined in II.A above), as displayed in a file for action;
- Developed plans for, and made initial efforts toward, professional contributions (for Professor ranks) or maintaining currency in their field(s) defined in II.B above (for Professorial ranks);
- Provided library-level service (defined in II.C above) appropriate to rank and years of service at AU;
- Maintained a campus presence that reflects a commitment to connecting with students and to the university community; and
- Demonstrated civility, collegiality, equity-mindedness, and respect for diverse perspectives and voices in all areas of their work.
B. Three-Year Term Reappointment 听
Reappointment after three one-year contracts is normally for a three-year term. In rare cases, deans may recommend different lengths of term, subject to approval from the dean of faculty. Three-year term reappointments are contingent on the library faculty member demonstrating relevant qualifications and satisfactory performance; on sufficient budget and enrollments; and on the faculty member鈥檚 fit with other needs of the teaching or academic unit (Faculty Manual, section 12).听听
Term faculty applying for a three-year term reappointment at American 青瓜视频 are expected to have:
- Attained a record of excellence in primary responsibilities (defined in II.A above), as displayed in a file for action;
- Demonstrated efforts to fulfill their plan for professional contributions (Professor ranks)/maintaining currency in their field(s) defined in II.B above (Professorial ranks);
- Provided internal service (defined in II.C above) appropriate to their rank and years of service at AU;听
- Maintained a campus presence that reflects a commitment to connecting with students and to the university community; and
- Demonstrated civility, collegiality, equity-mindedness, and respect for diverse perspectives and voices in all areas of their work.
C. Continuing Appointment
Under the normal progression, term faculty may apply for continuing appointment in their sixth year of full-time service at American 青瓜视频. (See Faculty Manual, section 15.b, for information about crediting of prior service.) Approvals of continuing appointments are contingent on the faculty member demonstrating relevant qualifications and satisfactory performance; on sufficient budget and enrollments; and on the faculty member鈥檚 fit with other needs of the teaching or academic unit (Faculty Manual, section 12).听听
Term library faculty applying for continuing appointment at American 青瓜视频 are expected to have:
- Attained a record of excellence in primary responsibilities (defined in II.A above) and demonstrated continuous commitment to development, as displayed in the file for action;
- Shown evidence of progressive activity over time to maintain professional contributions (Professor ranks)/currency in their field(s) defined in II.B above (Professorial ranks);
- Accumulated a record of meaningful internal service (defined in II.C above) at the teaching-unit level and above, appropriate to rank;听
- Maintained a campus presence that reflects a commitment to connecting with students and to the university community; and听
- Demonstrated civility, collegiality, equity-mindedness, and respect for diverse perspectives and voices in all areas of their work.
IV. Rank-Based Criteria for Appointment and Promotion
Rank-specific performance expectations for term and continuing appointment faculty in the professorial lecturer promotion sequence and the non-tenure-track professor promotion sequence are provided in the Faculty Manual.听Candidates for promotion in either sequence may include a wide variety of activities in their application files as evidence of excellent teaching, currency in the field, and meaningful service. Part II (above) provides details, including examples of activities that demonstrate equity-mindedness, inclusion, and appreciation for diversity.
Faculty reviewers of promotion files are encouraged to recognize and value multiple pathways to academic excellence, which includes giving substantive weight to candidates鈥 contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and the ethos and culture of inquiry in teaching, service, and activities related to currency in the field (including scholarship, where relevant).听