College Policies

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  • College of Fine Arts and Communication Annual Faculty Evaluation Policy

    Effective Date:  3/3/2022

    These guidelines supplement AA/PPS No. 04.02.10 Performance Evaluation of Continuing Faculty and Post-Tenure Review. Consult the AA/PPS for additional information.

    1. In accordance with university policy all faculty and staff within the College of Fine Arts and Communication are evaluated annually.
    2. Due to the diverse nature of the disciplines that make up the college, there are no specific college-wide criteria beyond those outlined in the faculty handbook and the university expectations as outlined in the template for the faculty vitae.  Each Department/School within the College of Fine Arts & Communication follows specific procedures that have been reviewed by the Dean for that unit.  Those procedures involve input from students, peers and the department chair/school director.  The peer evaluation involves review from the Personnel Committee or Executive Personnel Committee.
    3. After reviewing the student perceptions and the peer evaluations, the department chair/school director provides each faculty member with a written summary that addresses all three areas of performance – teaching, scholarship/creativity, and service.
    4. Chairs/directors will annually certify to the dean that all merit-eligible faculty members have been evaluated and have received a written review of their performance.

  • College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean’s Seminar Award Policy

     Effective Date:  3/3/2022

    1. The purpose of the College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean’s Seminar Award is to give Texas State faculty members an opportunity to present their research, creative work, or other scholarly efforts to their colleagues, and to be recognized for significant accomplishments. The presentation is intended to be of interest to faculty, as well as students and members of the community.
    2. Faculty members will be nominated by the Chair or Director of their unit.
    3. If two or more people at Texas State are engaged in a single project, all may be recommended to the Dean for his/her consideration.
    4. The criteria established for selection of the Dean’s Seminar Award includes:
      1. Demonstrated recognition
      2. Significant, ongoing contribution to a discipline
      3. Originality
      4. Suitability as a model of excellence
      5. Contribution to the life of the community
      6. Likelihood of relevancy and appeal of public presentation
    5. The honoree will be invited to present a lecture or other appropriate demonstration/performance of his/her project or activity at the Dean’s Seminar. The format (method) of presentation shall be determined by the honoree subject to the Dean’s approval.
    6. Each recipient of the Dean’s Seminar Award will receive a plaque, a $1000 stipend to be used for professional development, and will be honored at a reception.
    7. Two awards will be selected annually. The College Council will decide on the two honorees during the spring of the preceding academic year.
    8. Typically, a third award, the Dean’s Seminar Distinguished Achievement Award, will be given to a senior-level faculty member in recognition of sustained career achievement.

  •  College of Fine Arts and Communication Merit and Performance Policy

     Effective Date:  3/3/2022

    These guidelines supplement AA/PPS No. 04.01.50 Faculty Merit and Retention Salary Adjustments. Consult the AA/PPS for additional information.

    1. In accordance with university policy all merit-eligible faculty within the College of Fine Arts and Communication are evaluated annually to determine merit recommendations.
    2. Due to the diverse nature of the disciplines that make up the college, there are no specific college-wide merit criteria beyond those outlined in the faculty handbook and the university expectations as outlined in the template for the faculty vitae.  Each Department/School within the College of Fine Arts & Communication has outlined expectations for performance and merit that have been reviewed by the Dean for that unit.  Specific written procedures for conducting merit reviews at the School or Department level have also been reviewed by the Dean for each unit.  Annual self-reports, student evaluations, and any required supplemental material are reviewed by the Personnel Committees or Executive Personnel Committees in each unit.  These committees advise the chair/director concerning their perceptions of their colleagues’ merit level.
    3. After reviewing the Personnel Committee or Executive Personnel Committee recommendations, the department chair/school director provides each faculty member with a written summary that informs each faculty member concerning the merit recommendation that the chair/director will forward to the Dean.  Faculty members will be invited to appeal their merit level to the chair/director prior to the chair/director’s submission of the recommendations to the dean.
    4. Each chair/director will discuss his/her merit recommendations with Dean. The Dean will then make final recommendations to the Provost.

  • College of Fine Arts and Communication Outstanding Graduate Student Award Policy

     Effective Date:  3/3/2022

    The College promotes excellence in graduate studies by featuring an award to the outstanding graduating graduate student in each academic unit. This policy works in conjunction with the Graduate College’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award program.

    1. Each school/department selects one candidate in his/her final year of graduate work.

    2. Eligible students will have a GPA of at least 3.75, a record of significant scholarly or creative accomplishments. Other factors that may be considered include awards, recognitions, and a record of service.

    3. The nomination packet should include: the student’s Texas State ID, a letter of support from a faculty member discussing the students’ accomplishments related to the award, and a resume or CV.

    4. The committee will meet in person to discuss the nominees.  Faculty may NOT vote for their own student but will instead rank the remaining four candidates.

    5. A first-place vote equals one point, a second-place vote equal two points, etc. The student with the lowest point total will win the award; in the event of a tie the student with the most first place votes will win. If there is still a tie, the committee will engage in further discussions until a winner is declared.

    6. The Chair of the Committee will send the College’s winner to the Graduate College.

    7. The timeline for the process will be dictated by the deadlines provided by the Graduate College.

    8. The College’s Outstanding Graduate Student will receive $500. He or she will also receive a medallion from the Graduate College; this is typically awarded during the Graduate College Awards ceremony in April.

    9. The 1st runner-up will receive $250.  The remaining three school/department nominees will receive $150. All five students will be recognized at the College’s Circle of Achievement luncheon at the end of the spring semester.

  • College of Fine Arts and Communication Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching, Scholarly/Creative Activity, & Service Nomination Policy

    Effective Date:  3/3/2022

    Texas State University is committed to providing recognition to faculty and reward superior accomplishments for excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative activity, and service.

    These guidelines supplement AA/PPS 02.04.20 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching, Scholarly/Creative Activities and Service.  Consult the AA/PPS for additional information.

    DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL NOMINATION PROCEDURE

    Nomination Process. The faculty of each department/school (unit) will determine the process to select nominees to be forwarded to the College Presidential Award Committees. The nomination process will be timed to take advantage of faculty annual reports. Each unit is encouraged to develop a process for determining nominations that is based on a careful review of accomplishments rather than being determined solely by a general open ballot election. The process is to be completed by February 1, and the nominee names for each unit are to be forwarded to Kindra Colgin (kc04@txstate.edu ), Office of the Dean, and to the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research. Academic units are encouraged to notify their nominees by December 15.

    Nomination Categories.  Nominees may be provided by each academic unit for the following:

    •  Nominee - Teaching (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer)

    •  Nominee - Teaching Award (Assistant Professor)

    •  Nominee - Teaching Award (Associate Professor/Professor)

    •  Nominee - Scholarly/Creative Activities Award (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor)

    •  Nominee - Scholarly/Creative Activities Award (Associate Professor/Professor)

    •  Nominee - Service Award (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor)

    •  Nominee - Service Award (Associate Professor/Professor)

    Eligibility Restrictions. Faculty members may be nominated by their unit in only one of the three categories (teaching, scholarship/creativity, service) in any given cycle.  Clinical faculty and professors of practice are eligible as per the ranks noted above. All nominees must hold full-time appointments at Texas State. Research faculty, chairs or directors, associate deans, and deans, including those in interim roles, are not eligible to apply for these awards.

    NOMINATION MATERIALS

    Nominees should follow the criteria outlined in this document for the college review committee. Those nominees who are selected to move on for review at the University level will then follow the University guidelines. Support letters are not part of the college level review.

    Nomination materials must be submitted by each nominee to the Office of the Dean in mid-February. The Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research will communicate the exact due date and procedures for submitting materials on CANVAS. Materials will not be considered for those who fail to make submission by the deadline.

    Award Criteria. Per AA/PPS 02.04.20, all awards will be based exclusively on work conducted while serving in a teaching appointment at Texas State. In all award categories, a sustained record of achievement must be documented. In their deliberations, the committees will place emphasis on accomplishments over the prior five calendar years. Criteria include:

                •  sustained commitment and activity;

                •  internal and external recognition; and

                •  impact or significance of endeavors.

    Nomination Materials. Each nominee will provide the following:

    1.  Nomination Form. The completed nomination form should be signed and dated by a faculty member within the unit, typically the faculty who made the nomination or a representative from the nominating body. If it is a chair/director nomination, he/she will sign the form.

    (a)  Presidential Award for Teaching Nomination form

    (b)  Presidential Award for Scholarly/Creative Activity Nomination form

    (c)  Presidential Award for Service Nomination form

    2. Introductory and Relevant CV Section (Teaching, Scholarly/Creative Activity or Service) of the Texas State CV. Nominees should submit only the section of their Texas State CV that aligns with the respective nomination category. Nominees should highlight the relevant accomplishments of the past five calendar years in the award category.

    3. Narrative to elucidate accomplishments in the award category. This may include a statement of personal goals or philosophy in the specific award category and a statement that ties together activities. This document is not to exceed five (5) double-spaced, 12-pt. Times font pages with one-inch margins.

     4.    Evidentiary materials - exhibits chosen by you, as the nominee. Click here for examples of each award. Again, focus is to be given on the past five (5) calendar years.

    NOTE: Up to five (5) exhibits may be provided.

    Exhibits may be organized in two ways:

    (a) Nominee materials for an endeavor in the award area, (e.g. documentation and materials from one course taught, one creative/scholarly work, one service role); or

    (b) Materials grouped across endeavors (e.g. a grouping of reviews, awards, etc.).

    An accomplishment should be represented in only one exhibit. All of the documents and materials that comprise an exhibit (A or B above) should be submitted as one PDF document and labeled with the nominee’s last name and exhibit number (e.g., Smith Exhibit #1). Five (5) total examples (individual PDFs) are the maximum allowed. Limit the PDF document to 50 pages or less.

    If a nominee fails to submit evidentiary materials as a pdf, the committee will not review their materials.

    COLLEGE SELECTION PROCESS

    College Selection Committee Membership. A representative from each academic unit to serve on each committee (teaching, scholarly/creative, and service) is to be submitted simultaneously with the names of the nominees on February 1.

    Procedures. Department chairs/school directors, in consultation with the faculty, will appoint department/school representatives to these committees. Nominated faculty will not be eligible to serve as representatives on the committee for the category in which they are nominated.

    The college office will create a separate CANVAS site for each area: Teaching, Scholarly/Creative Activity, and Service. Committee members will be able to visit only the files that are within the assigned committee’s charge. The Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research will forward directions to each committee member for accessing the nominee materials. All materials must be carefully examined before the selection committee meeting). Committee Members should focus primarily on accomplishments from the past five (5) calendar years.

    The Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research will convene and chair the college award committee meetings but will not vote on nominations. During the review, committee members will NOT advocate for their department/school nominees, but should, to the best of their ability, provide information specific to the nominee’s field that will aid in assessing the nominee’s record. Only committee members who have reviewed all nomination portfolios and attend the meeting during which the nominees are determined may vote on such choices. To minimize politics, committee members may NOT vote for the nominees from their school/department.

    The college award committees will select the following to be forwarded to the respective University committees:

    •  1 Nominee - Teaching (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer)

    •  1 Nominee - Teaching Award (Assistant Professor

    •  2 Nominees - Teaching Award (Associate Professor/Professor)

    •  2 Nominees - Scholarly/Creative Activities Award (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor)

    •  2 Nominees - Scholarly/Creative Activities Award (Associate Professor/Professor

    •  2 Nominees - Service Award (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor)

    •  2 Nominees - Service Award (Associate Professor/Professor)

    Faculty members nominated at the College level must submit nomination materials via Faculty Qualifications to quality for the University level review for the Presidential Distinction Awards.

    Each nominee to the University level review will receive at least a $2,000.00 award and will have the designation of “Presidential Distinction Award.” Individuals selected as the college runner-ups may receive a $1,000.00 award with the designation of “College Achievement Award.”

    UNIVERSITY LEVEL REVIEW PROCESS

    Faculty selected by the committee to proceed to the University level will receive information for the submission of documents to the appropriate committee. Criteria outlined in AA/PPS 02.04.20 will again be followed.

    Additional items are required at the University level ONLY and NOT at the College level:  3-6 external letters and a 150-word summary for President’s website. All files must be submitted in PDF format to prevent changes. Members of the University Selection Committee will be the only persons with access to all documents. 

    The University review committees will make their recommendations to the Provost by May 1.

  • College of Fine Arts and Communication Summer Budget Assumptions

    Effective Date:  3/3/2022

    These guidelines work in conjunction with AA/PPS No. 04.01.41 Summer faculty Workload. Consult the AA/PPS for additional information.

    Teaching

    Pending available budget, the University will provide summer salaries to fund instructional priorities based on curricular needs. Areas of consideration include:

    Required core courses – sufficient sections of COMM 1310 and MU 2313, ART 2313, TH 2313, DAN 2313 during SSI and SSII

    Sufficient number of graduate classes to support core course

    instruction and maintain degree progress for graduate students

    Required upper-level courses within the major/minor

    D.  High demand courses with special technical requirements that necessitate year-round availability to service a large number of majors

    E. Lower division courses not in University Core

    Each School/Department will develop procedures for assigning faculty to summer sections.  Such procedures should be based upon providing best quality instruction, regardless of rank or seniority.

    Administrative Service

    In accordance with AA/PPS 04.01.41, the procedures for administrative and service assignments are as follows:

    Within the context of the summer budget, administrative and service assignments for nine-month faculty during the summer term are based on the consideration of university and departmental needs, scope of duties, time and effort, and goals and expectations of the administrative role. Chairs, directors, and deans are responsible for developing and monitoring administrative and service workload to ensure stewardship of the summer budget and the delivery of essential services and support for the mission and programs of the university, college, department, and school.

    Compensation for summer administrative duties and responsibilities is based on factors such as scope of work, performance expectations, assignment dates, deliverables, program size and complexity, and related areas. These assignments are compensated via FTE percentage time or stipend.

    Faculty on administrative and service assignments during the summer are not eligible for teaching overloads or other assignments that result in compensation above 100 percent.

  • College of Fine Arts and Communication Tenure and Promotion Policy

    Effective Date:  3/3/2022

    These guidelines supplement AA/PPS No. 04.02.20 Tenure and Promotion Review. Consult the AA/PPS for additional information.

    I.  Annual Review.

    Due to the diverse nature of the disciplines that make up the college, there are no specific college-wide tenure and promotion criteria beyond those outlined in the faculty handbook and the Academic Affair Policy and Procedure Statements (AA/PPS).  Each Department/School within the College of Fine Arts & Communication has outlined expectations for tenure and promotion that have been reviewed by the Dean and the Provost for that unit.

    Through annual evaluation, annual reappointment of probationary faculty and merit review, chairs/directors will keep the Dean apprised of each faculty member’s status relative to the stated criteria for tenure and promotion within that unit. In particular, the annual reappointment forms are designed to provide specific feedback (from the unit’s Personnel Committee, the chair or director, and the Dean) to tenure-track faculty on their relative progress towards tenure and promotion.

    II.  Process and Procedures

    Faculty who wish to be considered for tenure and/or promotion should notify their Chair or Director by June 1.  Candidates are encouraged to initiate the preparation of documentation and materials for review during the summer prior to application.

    Documentation and materials for each candidate will include the assessment of at least two external evaluators. (See Addendum 1: External Review Policy.)

    When the College Review Group for Tenure and Promotion is convened, each candidate for tenure and/or promotion is reviewed in accordance with criteria stated in university and departmental policies.

    Effective FY 23, all tenure and promotion documents will be submitted electronically via the Faculty Qualifications system. Rather than one large PDF, it is recommended that the submission be broken down into smaller PDFs, such as Vita, External Letters, and separate PDFs for Teaching, Scholarly/Creative, and Service (each with narrative, followed by evidentiary material).

    The College Review Group will rely on peer assessment (internal and external) in verifying the significance of the accomplishments.

     Addendum 1: External Review Policy

    A candidate’s file for tenure and/or promotion must include a minimum of two outside evaluations assessing the quality of their scholarly/creative work from scholars in the field who work outside Texas State University.

    External evaluators should ordinarily hold the terminal degree appropriate to the discipline and should, in most cases, be a professor in rank. It is recommended that the reviewers come from institutions of comparable size and mission. Only one of the external reviewers may have co-authored or co-created works with the candidate. Chairs/Directors should evaluate this reviewer’s credentials to ensure qualifications and avoid perception of undue bias.

    Below is a list of processes for candidates and chairs/directors.

    The candidate, in consultation with the chair/director, proposes a list of up to five scholars/artists who might serve as external evaluators.

    For promotion to the rank of professor, the Personnel Committee should also be consulted for the names of prospective evaluators.

    The chair/director selects two evaluators from the list and invites them to serve as external evaluators for the candidate by forwarding the “Invitation Letter.” (As per university policy, the outside reviewers will be acceptable to both the candidate and the chair or director.)

    If the external evaluators accept the invitation, the chair/director forwards to the evaluators the “Instruction Letter” along with the following materials:

    Candidate’s vita

    Candidate’s narratives. The narratives should feature highlights of the candidate’s achievements and put the candidate’s work into context.

    Samples of the candidate’s scholarly/creative work

    Academic unit’s tenure and promotion guidelines

    University, college, department/school mission statements

    The chair/director will communicate with the external reviewer and receive the letters of assessment that will be added to documentation and materials submitted by the candidate. Candidates should not contact the external reviewers.

     

    Addendum 2: Invitation Letter Sample

    Adjusted for each candidate and for tenure and/or promotion

    Dear Professor _________:

    You have been identified as a person with appropriate expertise to evaluate Dr. ________, Assistant/Associate Professor of ________, at Texas State University. We are inviting you to serve as an external evaluator of _________’s research/creative work as part of his/her review for promotion to Associate Professor/Professor. According to Texas State University’s tenure and promotion policy you are asked to evaluate his/her scholarly/creative work and the significance/importance of this work to his/her field.

    Please let me know by __________ by emailing me at _________ if you are able to serve as an external evaluator. I have enclosed the candidate’s vita for your review. The deadline for your evaluation is September 15, XXXX.  While we endeavor to keep the letters confidential, when making your decision, please keep in mind that any letters could be subject to an open records request.

    If you agree to serve as an external reviewer, I will be sending you information that will help you in completing your evaluation.

    If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 512-245-________ or email me. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for considering this invitation to serve as an external evaluator. 

    Best regards,

    Name

    Title

     

    Addendum 3: Instruction Letter Sample

    Dear ___________:

    Thank you again for your willingness to evaluate Dr. __________’s research/creative portfolio. Attached you will find his/her vita, narratives, and samples of his/her scholarly/creative work.

    It would be helpful to begin by describing how you know ____________ (e.g., if you have ever served as a mentor, co-author, reviewer, etc.), and then provide an assessment of the significance and quality of the candidate’s scholarly and/or creative contributions to the discipline.

    To provide some context for your evaluation, the typical teaching load in the Department/School of _____________ at Texas State University is 3 courses per semester. I have also included in this packet the academic unit’s tenure and promotion guidelines and the university, college, department/school mission statements.

    Please send your signed evaluation to me (either hard copy or electronic) by ___September 15, XXXX_. I would also appreciate having a copy of your vita. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at 512-245-______ with any questions or concerns that you may have. Finally, please accept my sincere thanks in advance for your work on this evaluation. I understand that your time is precious, and I appreciate your efforts to help our university in the tenure and promotion process.

    Best regards,

    Name

    Title