Policy for Demonstration of
Acceptable Achievement for Promotion in
Academic Rank and Tenure
The following criteria in the areas of teaching/advising,
scholarly/creative activity, and leadership/service have been
established by the Division of Nursing for promotion in academic rank.Faculty must meet the length of service requirements for
academic rank as outlined in the University of West Alabama Promotion
and Tenure Process statement.
Terminal
Degree
Professor
The appropriate terminal degree
for appointment tot he academic rank of Professor for the discipline
of nursing is the doctor of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Philosophy
in a related area approved by the National League for Nursing.
Associate
Professor
In that there is a critical
shortage of nursing faculty with the terminal degree, and the
Master’s Degree in Nursing meets SACS and NLN accreditation criteria
for nursing faculty in an associate degree program, a Master of
Science in Nursing (MSN) will be accepted in lieu of the terminal
degree for promotion of nursing faculty to the rank of Associate
Professor.
The
minimum appropriate degree for appointment to the rank of Instructor
and Assistant Professor is the Master’s Degree in Nursing.In exceptional cases, fro a person not holding the MSN degree,
but with demonstrated competency through experience in the area of
clinical expertise required of the position, appointment to the rank
of instructor may be made with a contractual agreement that the MSN
with emphasis in the area of clinical expertise required of the
position will be achieved within three years following appointment.
Division
of Nursing
Demonstrated
Achievement Criteria
I.Teaching
and Related Activities
A.Teaching
and Related Activities
Maintenance
of current knowledge of theory and clinical management in his/her area
of clinical expertise
Planning
and organization of assigned teaching responsibilities in an efficient
and timely manner. (This includes preparation of course syllabi, class
and clinical schedules, learning modules, and specific assignments
that facilitate achievement of course objectives)
Knowledge
of and consistency in adherence to all division policies including
classroom and clinical evaluation, classroom and clinical absences,
demonstration of critical skills, dress code, etc.
Effective
classroom instruction including adherence to the published schedule,
presentation of material in a clear, concise, and organized manner,
use of appropriate illustrations and audiovisual media, maintenance of
an atmosphere in which students feel free to ask questions and express
ideas
Providing
students with a verbal explanation of grading policies as outlined in
the course syllabus at the beginning of the course
Providing
adequate supervision and support for students in the clinical area
Adherence
to division and clinical agency policies and procedures during
clinical instruction
Adherence
to established academic standards in the classroom and clinical areas
as outlined in the Criteria for Progression, course syllabus, and
clinical evaluation tools
Appropriate
and timely evaluation of student performance with final theory grade
based upon an examination for each learning module in the course and a
final examination, and final clinical rating determined by the
criteria established in the clinical evaluation tool
B.
Counseling
and Academic Advising
Knowledge
of division policies regarding admission, progression, graduation, and
readmission
Availability
for counseling and academic advisement through appropriate office
hours
Demonstration
of concern for students and sensitivity to student’s needs
Willingness
to provide individual assistance to students according to division
policies
Evaluation
Performance in this area will be evaluated by documentation in
the portfolio.Documentation
may include but is not limited to:Chairperson’s faculty evaluation based upon activities such
as classroom visitation, consultation with students, observance of
relationships with students, observance of officehours, and adherence to division policies and procedures;
students through student conferences andfeedback from written course and faculty evaluations; etc.
PROMOTION IN RANK REQUIRES EVIDENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL
CRITERIA FOR TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES.
II.Scholarly/Creative
Activity
A.Research
Scientific
research directed toward improving professional clinical practice or
enhancement of increasing knowledge related to current advances in
clinical technology
Citations
or annotated bibliography from current literature for papers,
articles, books, etc.
Research
addressing a community problem or concern
Research
addressing a university issue
Research
related to promoting the role of a professional organization
Research
involved in preparation of presentations at professional meetings
Research
required for preparation of grant proposals
B.Continuing
Education
Participation
in Continuing Education Activities (minimum of 24 contact hours
biennially)
Enhancement
of clinical skills through approved employment in a clinical setting
C.Creative
Activity
Development
of creative approaches to classroom and/or
clinical instruction
Development
of alternative approaches to client teaching in the clinical setting
Evaluation
Research, continuing education, and creative activity will be
evaluated through documentation in the faculty portfolio.Documentation may include, but is not limited to: annotated
bibliography or citations as described in item A2; documents
validating research in progress (i.e. proposal, data collected, etc.);
copies of completed research; certificates of attendance at workshops
or professional activities; letters from clinical agency
administrative officials validating permission for and completion of
creative activities involving clients; copies of presented and/or
published papers; student evaluation of creative classroom activities;
etc.
It is recommended that all faculty submit a written request for
prior approval of such activities, with the exception of B1 and C to
the division chairperson including the purpose, objectives,
procedures, and resources required for the activity.
PROMOTION IN RANK REQUIRES EVIDENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT OF THE
FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
Assistant Professor
A6 and B1
Associate Professor
A6, B1, and one or more of the
remaining activities under A, B, or C. (A6 may be repeated as the
remaining activity if focus or topic of research is in a different
area)
Professor
A1, A6, B1, and two or more of
the remaining activities under A, B, or C. (A6 may be repeated as the
remaining activities if focus or topic of research is in a different
area)
III.Leadership/Service
A.Professional
Affiliations and Service
Active
participation in professional organization(s), i.e. regular attendance
at meetings, presentation of programs, holding office or committee
chairmanship
Coordination
of continuing education programs for nursing personnel within the
service area
B.University
Service
Member
of a division committee
Member
of a University committee
Advisor
to the Nursing Students Association
Preparing
and/or directing a grant
C.Public
Service
Consultant
for a clinical agency or group
Presentation
of programs for lay groups
Member
and/or officer of public service groups, i.e. Heart Association,
Cancer Society, etc.
Participation
in activities which promote public health, i.e. blood pressure
screening, health fairs
Evaluation
Leadership/Service will be evaluated
through documentation of achievements in the portfolio.Documentation may include, but is not limited to: letters of
appointment to committees and/or positions in professional
organizations; membership certificates for professional organizations,
letters of appreciation for public service activities; grant
proposals; etc.
PROMOTION
IN RANK REQUIRES EVIDENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT AS FOLLOWS:
Assistant
Professor
A1,
A2, and one or more activities in B or C
Associate
Professor
A1,
A2, and one or more activities in B or C
Professor
A1,
A2, and two or more activities in B or C
Criteria
for Tenure
In
addition to meeting the length of service requirements for tenure as
specified in The University of West Alabama Promotion and Tenure
Process statement, faculty members approved for tenure in the Division
of Nursing shall, at a minimum, meet the following requirements:
They
shall possess the academic credentials necessary for promotion in
rank.
They
shall have demonstrated a commitment to professional development by
having met the minimal criteria in the categories of teaching,
scholarly/creative activities, and leadership/service required for
promotion to the next rank.
They
shall perform an essential role in carrying out the division’s
current mission.
