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Long-term faculty appointments at EMU are made within a system of tenure with post-tenure review, which provides the context for regular contract renewal and promotion. Tenure with post-tenure review is constituted by a presumption of job security and contract renewal , and by an assumption of continued performance to expectations in teaching, scholarship, and service. The purpose of tenure with post-tenure review is to develop and maintain a high quality faculty; to promote professional growth of faculty members by supporting the unique gifts of individuals within the standards and expectations of specific disciplines; and to recognize the commitment to service to EMU, the community, and the larger worldAs a teaching university, EMU holds growth in teaching to be an essential criterion for promotion through the ranks.The specific goals of EMU tenure with post-tenure review are:
To provide a system of fair remuneration and recognition for services rendered, and periodic opportunities for advancement in professional rank.
To provide regular occasions for formative and summative feedback on performance and consideration of the quality of a faculty member's contribution to university mission and needs.
To facilitate growth as a scholar, educator, and a contributing member of the EMU community.
To safeguard professional autonomy, academic freedom, and the ability to take risks in innovative pedagogy and scholarship.
Faculty Performance and Rank
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University Faculty Performance Criteria
Faculty members are responsible for making contributions to the fulfillment of EMU’s mission in the domains of Teaching, Scholarship, and Service. EMU recognizes that these three domains are integrated. Growth in one domain will likely impact growth in another domain. The following definitions provide a university-wide benchmark of quality. Individual programs maintain guidelines for discipline-specific interpretation of the criteria; such guidelines are reviewed and approved by the Faculty Status Committee every six years.Faculty , and faculty candidates are evaluated by their peers in each domain as demonstrating Competent, Proficient, or Outstanding levels of performance. EMU faculty strive to integrate the three domains, to keep them complementary, while recognizing that they sometimes represent distinct and competing pressures. Faculty are not expected to reach or maintain outstanding in all three domains, and the criteria for rank and promotion accommodates various combinations of focal areas. As a teaching university, EMU allocates significant faculty load to the teaching endeavor. Movement across the levels of performance is progressive in nature, reflecting reflects greater breadth, depth, or scope of influence in a domain. Precise definition of Competent, Proficient, or Outstanding performance is difficult and may be too constraining; the narrative rubrics criteria are not intended to be exhaustive or rigid measures. Rather, the following narratives criteria are exemplars to set the standard for reaching intended to help faculty candidates gauge their own growth and performance and help faculty colleagues reach consensus in making decisions on contract renewal /promotionand promotion. The criteria below provide a university-wide benchmark of quality. Individual programs maintain guidelines for discipline-specific interpretation of the criteria; such guidelines, as well as the university criteria, are reviewed and approved by the Faculty Status Committee every six years.
Teaching
Teaching facilitates learning. Effective teachers assist the learner in acquiring new knowledge, skills, and values. This includes the thorough understanding of a discipline, sound pedagogy, clarity of communication, use of engaging strategies, the evaluation of student learning, and the capacity to remain current in pedagogies and learning technologies.
Competent: Competent performance in teaching includes creating a safe learning environment marked by mutual respect between teacher and students and among students. A competent teacher sets clear expectations, invites participation, gives constructive feedback, uses inclusive language, and establishes clear accountability processes. Teachers foster psychological safety when they encourage students to be candid in class, raise concerns, engage with difficult conversations, report mistakes and problems, and bring their authentic self to the learning endeavor. A competent teacher possesses currency of knowledge of the subject matter and is able to convey passion about learning the subject matter, effective communication in the classroom, sound pedagogical practice, and a willingness . Some engagement with evidence-based and inclusive pedagogy should be evidenced, including active learning strategies. A competent teacher uses multiple modes of communication, has an awareness of the affective domains of teaching and learning, and is willing to work with students both inside and outside of the classroom. A Competent teacher clarifies expectations for the learning process , demonstrates enthusiasm, and contributes to student learningand uses both formative and summative assessments.
Proficient: A Proficient teacher contributes to student formation by providing an engaging learning environment. A Proficient teacher extends the learning beyond the textbook, guiding students to use critical thinking and understand the broader nature of the discipline. Proficient teachers can assess both student outcomes and their own praxis to enrich the academic environment. Proficient teachers make contributions to the curricular work of the program and remain current in pedagogy and technology.
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Scholarship is creative, intellectual work. It is the systematic, disciplined attempt to discover, transmit, and apply knowledge. Scholarly activities grow from the ideas and methods of the arts, humanities, sciences, and professions, including the visual and performing arts. Scholarship and creative activity are measured by the contribution to generating and disseminating knowledge within and across disciplines. We recognize multiple modes of scholarship, including discovery, integration, application/engagement, and teaching (Boyer, 1997). At EMU we are a community of learning, and we affirm the importance of active scholarship and scholarly learning in maintaining our faculty's capacity to teach effectively, compellingly, and creatively. Our scholarship reflects our Anabaptist the University’s values of collaboration, linking theory and practice, and pursuing peace and justice, and removing barriers of inequality. EMU recognizes the standards of scholarship as defined by Glassick, Huber, and Maeroff (1997):
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clear goals for scholarship that identifies an important question in the field
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demonstration of understanding of existing scholarship around the question
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appropriate methodology in considering the question
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significance of contribution to the field
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effective presentation to intended audiences
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Teacher/Scholars and Teacher/Artists at EMU make significant, publicly recognized contributions to their fields.
Competent: Competent scholarship/creative activity includes consistent and creative application of literature and research to teaching and practice within the discipline. It involves participation in professional conversations and conferences in order to gain and disseminate knowledge. Sharing original work through print and public presentations is an important part of this scholarship.
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Outstanding: Outstanding scholarship includes the highest standard of research, creativity, and practice. Scholarly contribution within and across disciplines regularly results in critical and public responses by others and is used and applied by others. Scholarship frequently includes research funded by highly competitive grants in the discipline. Outstanding scholars are often characterized by public recognition of their leadership in their discipline or professional body.
Service
EMU educates students to serve and lead in a global context. As a shared value of EMU, service activities on the part of faculty are collaborative efforts to meet the needs of the institution and to further its mission in the worldFaculty service is composed of active contribution to the academic program and its students, involvement in university governance through membership on university committees and task forces, engagement in a faith community or broader community, or contribution to the discipline. Faculty are essential to the achievement of the mission of EMU, and faculty service is both highly valued and recognized as integral to the tenure and promotion system. Faculty service is composed of active contribution to the academic program and its students, involvement in university governance through membership on university committees and task forces, engagement in the church and in the broader community, and contribution to the disciplineshould be conducted in keeping with the University’s values of collaboration, pursuing peace and justice, and furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Competent: Competent service includes consistent and meaningful full participation in program-level meetings and activities such as academic advising, program and curriculum development, assessment of student outcomes and program effectiveness, student recruitment, and accreditation activities (when applicable). Competent performance also includes regular attendance at school/university meetings , membership on program/school committees, university committees, regular participation in a local community of faith, and involvement in professional associations.Proficient: Proficiency in service involves contributions that are more extensive in scope or natureand participation in a university committee. Competent service is conducted in keeping with the University's mission and values and supports the University’s commitments to equity and justice.
Proficient: While maintaining competent-level service, proficient includes further university-wide involvement beyond the program level. Proficient service includes membership on elected or appointed committees, special task forces, significant search committees, more extensive roles in advising and mentoring students, and/or advising student organizations/groups. Significant or long term administrative positions like program director, or significant search committees at EMUassociate dean, or dean may also build a case for proficient service. Proficient performance also includes involves active contribution to the governance or activities of a local church, the broader church, the broader community, or professional organizations.Outstanding: Outstanding service involves taking on a significant leadership role or in-depth contributions on campus, larger community, which may include activities in faith communities, local and regional civic bodies, or professional organizations. Proficient service reflects the spirit of the mission and values of the University including commitments to justice, peacebuilding, and DEI.
Outstanding: While maintaining proficient-level service, outstanding adds leadership roles that are typically invited, appointed, or elected. Outstanding service often involves public recognition of the faculty member’s significant contribution to church or civic organizations, and organizational or opinion leadership in broader professional, church, or community organizationsin committee work, student advising and mentoring, or university leadership. This level of service may also have an impact beyond the campus including in national or international disciplinary associations, community or faith organizations, or national organizations in higher education. Outstanding servant-leaders walk in the way of peace and make the University and broader community more just and equitable.
Criteria for Rank
Rank is assigned according to: level of advanced degree, years of teaching service, and the quality of faculty performance in the 3 domains.
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Professor: Completion of at least one six-year contract at EMU or its equivalent elsewhere is required. In addition to Proficient performance in Teaching, Scholarship, and Service, Outstanding performance is required in either Teaching or Scholarship. (Alternate: A faculty member may seek to make the case that Outstanding Service be substituted for Outstanding Teaching or Scholarship. The Dean, with support from the program/school faculty, may grant the exception based on evidence that Outstanding Service has made a significant contribution toward the achievement of EMU’s mission in the world or broader faith community.)
Merit Advancement: In lieu of promotion to Professor, after completion of at least one six-year contract at EMU, an Associate Professor may seek a one-time, 3-step merit advancement. Proficient performance in Teaching, Scholarship, and Service is required.
For the definitions of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, social justice, and community, visit the Office of DEI website here.
Approved by Faculty Senate and Provost's Council, May 2020
Revisions approved by Provost’s Council February 6, 2024
Responsible Party
Responsibility for this policy lies with the Provost.
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