P&T Resources

6.1 Revision Takeaways Training Presentations Department Criteria University P&T Committee Faculty Dashboard

Major Takeaways of Revised Policy 6.1

Policy 6.1 underwent major revisions during the 2018-2019 academic year. A summary of those changes are outlined below:

The revised Policy 6.1 definition of Faculty Engagement (full definition below*) focuses on evidenced-based contributions that meet SUU's student-centric mission. The policy also describes a developmental approach to the evaluation, promotion, and tenure process by utilizing Promotion & Tenure (P&T) Mentorship Teams. To prepare for full implementation of the revised Policy 6.1 beginning in Fall 2019, faculty, departments, and colleges/schools are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these ideas and collaboratively revise their departmental evaluation criteria and other processes accordingly.
The revised Policy 6.1 improves the allocation of mentorship, evaluation, and oversight responsibilities. For example, departments have the responsibility to align departmental evaluation criteria with SUU's student-centric mission to encourage contributions that match the Faculty Engagement definition*. Departments also have the responsibility to create a process by which P&T Mentorship Teams are constructed so that Associate and Full Professors can provide effective guidance to Lecturers and Assistant Professors. Deans have the responsibility to ensure departmental evaluation criteria align with SUU's student-centric mission and have parity with other criteria across the College/School. The Provost's Office has the responsibility to ensure criteria have parity across the University.

*Faculty Engagement: Faculty at SUU actively engage with students in ways that deepen learning and enhance the overall university experience. Faculty engagement consists of evidence-based curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities that help students become informed, responsible, and productive members of society who explore diverse ideas, disciplines, skills, cultures, and places. Efforts in faculty engagement may include, but are not limited to, using evidence-based teaching practices, mentoring student projects and creative endeavors, coauthoring student-generated scholarly papers or professional presentations, participating in scholarship, utilizing High Impact Practices as defined by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, supervising alternative breaks or other formalized community engaged learning projects, supervising student clubs and other organizations, providing educational opportunities for the university community, implementing cooperative educational programs with community partners, and participating in programs that enhance students' global perspective. Faculty engagement also extends to meaningful participation in service/leadership and the shared governance of the university, faculty Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Mentorship Teams, service/leadership opportunities outside the university, and scholarly contributions in their fields of expertise. The specific types of activities and expected level of faculty engagement are outlined in departmental evaluation criteria.