6.2 Criteria for Promotion

6.2.1 Assistant Professor: appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor will be made when a full-time faculty member at the rank of instructor has earned a doctoral or terminal degree in their discipline.

6.2.2 Associate Professor: to be eligible for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor, the College requires that a faculty member fulfill the following criteria:

  • An earned doctoral or terminal degree in the discipline.
  • Tenure at the College of Mount Saint Vincent (untenured faculty may apply for advancement in rank at the same time that they are being considered for tenure should they meet all other requirements for this rank at that time.)
  • Ordinarily (in rare circumstances, the Rank and Tenure Committee will have the discretion to recommend early promotion for outstanding applicants who are clearly above the norm), completion of five years of full-time teaching at the college level at the rank of Assistant Professor, with at least two full years at CMSV. (Initial appointment at the rank of Associate Professor is possible when (1) a candidate has achieved that rank at another institution and (2) that institution has criteria for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor consistent with those of Mount Saint Vincent.)
  • Evidence of excellence as a college teacher, shown through successful performance in teaching assignments, as demonstrated by:
    • Commitment to meeting the needs of his or her students;
    • Ability to motivate students, organize and communicate complex material;
    • Willingness to experiment, evaluate and adapt various teaching methods as needed in the classroom;
    • Ability to work with his or her colleagues in developing new courses or revision of existing ones;
    • Evaluations across a range of upper and lower divisions courses by department chair, faculty colleagues, and students;
    • Recent syllabi and other instructional handouts demonstrating effective course structure, communication and classroom management skills;
    • Tests or other evaluation instruments, together with grade distribution records, indicating fairness in setting standards for and evaluating student achievement.
  • Evidence of continued professional development, with a range of significant scholarly achievement in several areas (teaching, discovery, integration, and/or application) since the last promotion, including some of the following:
    • Leadership roles in professional organizations;
    • Presentations at meetings of professional organizations;
    • Presentations at workshops or seminars on pedagogy;
    • Direction of or participation in research projects in the discipline or in cross-disciplinary areas;
    • Peer-reviewed publications, whether in print or online;
    • Creative work in the discipline;
    • Discipline-related audio or video tapes, films, computer software, multimedia presentations and other new forms of information technology;
    • Grant writing for individual scholarly projects.
  • Evidence of appropriate participation in the responsibilities of the department and the faculty, shown in:
    • Active involvement at meetings, department and College-wide committee work;
    • An active role in curriculum evaluation and reform;
    • Awareness of and responsiveness to the needs of the department and its students;
    • Grant writing for department or College initiatives;
    • Academic advisement; and,
    • Other service roles to which he or she has been invited, such as mentor or advisor to a class or student activity.
  • Evidence of dedication and commitment to the mission and values of the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

6.2.3 Professor: to be eligible for promotion to the rank of Professor, the College requires that a faculty member fulfill the following criteria:

  • An earned doctoral or terminal degree in the discipline
  • Tenure at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
  • Ordinarily, before applying, completion of five years of full-time teaching at the rank of Associate Professor, of which at least two full years have been at CMSV.
  • Evidence of achieved distinction and commitment to sustained growth as a college teacher, shown through:
    • Successful performance in teaching assignments;
    • Commitment to meeting the needs of his or her students;
    • Ability to motivate students, organize and communicate complex material;
    • Willingness to experiment, evaluate and adapt various teaching methods as needed in the classroom;
    • Leadership in developing new areas of expertise to be used in new courses or revision of existing ones;
    • Evaluations across a range of upper and lower divisions courses by department chairs, faculty colleagues, and students;
    • Recent syllabi and other instructional handouts demonstrating effective course structure, communication and classroom management skills;
    • Tests or other evaluation instruments, together with grade distribution records, indicating fairness in setting standards for and evaluating student achievement.
  • Evidence of continued professional development, with a record of significant and superior scholarly achievement in areas of teaching, discovery, integration, and application, including but not limited to:
    • Leadership roles in professional organizations;
    • Presentations at meetings of professional organizations;
    • Presentations at workshops or seminars on pedagogy;
    • Direction of or participation in research projects in the discipline or in cross-disciplinary areas;
    • Peer-reviewed books and journal articles, whether in print or on-line;
    • Creative work in the discipline;
    • Discipline-related audio or video tapes, films, computer software, multi-media presentations and other new forms of information technology;
    • Grant writing for individual scholarly projects.
  • Leadership in fostering the vitality of the College’s academic life shown in:
    • Consistent participation at meetings and in departmental and College-wide committee work;
    • An active role in curriculum evaluation and reform;
    • Awareness of a responsiveness to the needs of the department and its students;
    • Mentoring of junior faculty;
    • Grant writing for department or College initiatives;
    • Academic advisement;
    • Other service rolls to which he or she as been invited; and
  • Evidence of dedication and commitment to the mission and values of the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Approved May 15, 2014