Instructors play an important role at OSU-Cascades. Both full-time and associated (part-time) instructor appointments are considered “fixed-term appointments,” meaning that they are not eligible for indefinite tenure but they are eligible for promotion within their classification.
For most full-time positions, 80% of effort allocation is devoted to student related activities, 10% to maintaining currency, and 10% to service. For associated faculty positions, typically 100% of workload is devoted to student related activities although additional workload can be allocated to service at the discretion of the Dean.
To support the promotion of instructors, we use the baseline promotion criteria as the minimum qualifications for all instructor positions:
- a graduate degree appropriate to the assigned duties, or comparable educational or professional experience
- special skills or experience needed in the unit
There are three Instructor ranks: Instructor, Senior Instructor I, and Senior Instructor II. Across these ranks there are both common and graduated expectations. Promotion from one rank to the next is an acknowledgement of professional accomplishments, a recognition of the willingness to assume greater position duties, and an acknowledgement of progressive and expanding levels of influence (from program and campus, to university, community, region, nation). Promotion is an option, not a requirement. To be promoted to Senior Instructor I, an Instructor must have an exceptional record of achievement in assigned duties. To be promoted to Senior Instructor II, a candidate must have a sustained record of exceptional achievement and evidence of professional growth and innovation in assigned duties.
Timing: Unless granted credit for prior service, instructors are eligible for promotion when both of the following conditions are met: at least four years have elapsed since their initial hire date or last promotion, and they have accumulated a minimum of 3.0 FTE years in service since their initial hire date or last promotion. Senior Instructors I and II are eligible for extended fixed-term contracts. Promotions cannot be made from non-professorial to professorial ranks. At OSU-Cascades, the timing of reviews is as follows: (see http://oregonstate.edu/admin/hr/sites/default/files/documents/general/fixed_term_contract.pdf).
Years of Full Time service or FTE* | Instructors without prior service credit, promo from Instr > SI 1 > SI II | Instructors with prior service credit, promo from Instr > SI I |
1 | Annual review in July for previous year |
Annual review in July for previous year |
2 (1.0 FTE) |
Peer Review of Teaching (PROT) |
Mid-term review |
3 (2.0 FTE) |
Mid-term review |
Submission and review of promotion dossier |
4 (3.0 FTE) |
Annual review in July for previous year |
* Associated faculty should use their accumulated FTE as a guide for where they are in the promotion cycle.
For additional details, please see the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Promotion Criteria: Promotion to Senior Instructor I requires an exceptional record of achievement in assigned duties. Promotion to Senior Instructor II requires a sustained record of exceptional achievement and evidence of professional growth and innovation in assigned duties. In the promotion context, we define exceptional as a record of Exceeding Expectations in the category of Student Related Activities and, at a minimum, Meeting Expectations in the categories of Maintaining Currency and Service. Consideration for promotion will not be given to faculty who fail to Meet Expectations in any category. The definitions for Meets Expectations for each of the categories and for each of the ranks are described below. Evidence of Exceeding Expectations would occur when an individual 1) engaged in activities expected for the next rank, 2) contributed above and beyond effort allocations as specified in the annual scope of work (Workload Units), or 3) or provides evidence of extraordinary achievement in their assigned position duties. Faculty seeking promotion must provide documented evidence of their ability to assume the duties and succeed in and sustain the responsibilities of the next rank.
1. Student Related Activities: Activities that are directly related to the education and curricular achievement of students through instruction, assessment, and the curation of the curriculum/program.
A. Teaching
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Expected Instructor Performance: Meets expectations as documented by:
- SET scores near department medians.
- Formal Peer Review of Teaching (PROT).
- Informal evidence of teaching effectiveness: other peer reviews of teaching, student letters, pre and post-tests of student learning (with analysis), informal mid-term feedback from students (with analysis).
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As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor I, meets expectations is documented by the evidence of meeting criteria for the previous rank and two or more of the following:
- Consistent and strong reviews of teaching.
- Mentorship of other faculty.
- Serving as a role model for implementing pedagogical strategies that meet the needs of all students.
- Use of student feedback to refine courses and document classroom success.
- Other activities.
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As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor II, meets expectations is documented by evidence of meeting criteria for previous ranks and two or more of the following:
- Consistent, strong, and sustained reviews of teaching.
- Leading mentoring efforts across campus for other faculty.
- Presentation of pedagogical strategies and successes to audiences beyond the university.
- Leading student recruitment, success, and retention strategies.
- Other activities.
B. Curriculum Development
- Expected Instructor Performance: Meets expectations as documented by:
- Innovation in the classroom, continuous improvement of courses, helping with curriculum development.
- Continuous data collection and analysis of course and program assessments for improvement.
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As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor I, meets expectations requires leading curriculum development via activities such as:
- Developing or implementing new courses.
- Participating in new program development and/or significant program change.
- Key supporting role in the assessment, accreditation process, or 10-year university assessment process.
- Continuous data collection and analysis of course and program assessments for improvement.
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As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor II, meets expectations requires an ongoing record of achievement in leading curriculum development via activities such as:
- Leading new program development and/or significant program change, including the Cat I process.
- Shaping university, state, and/or national standards, accreditation, and assessment processes.
- Continuous data collection and analysis of course and program assessments for improvement.
II. MAINTAINING CURRENCY: Activities that lead to personal investment and growth within an area of expertise (either the instructor’s discipline and/or educational pedagogy).
- Expected Instructor Performance: Meets expectations as documented by a record of achievement that represents investment in self to maintain currency in area of expertise. Many options are available from attending conferences, workshops, and/or training opportunities or certifications; engaging in professional development activities, such as belonging to professional societies; designing individual learning experiences that result in course improvement; and/or sharing and contributing expertise within the program or campus.
- As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor I, meets expectations requires a record of achievement that represents investment in others in addition to self.Activities that demonstrate investment in others include: presenting at workshops, conferences, or training opportunities or certifications; publishing in practitioner publications, research journals, or newsletters; designing individual learning experiences that result in course improvement; securing and implementing grants; holding leadership positions at the local or regional level.
- As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor II, meets expectations requires an ongoing record of achievement that represents investment in others in addition to self with influence beyond the university to the region, state, or national levels. Activities that demonstrate investment in others include: holding leadership positions at the regional, national, or international level related to area of expertise; being an editor or on an editorial board; being an invited speaker at national or international conferences; being on committees with regional, national, or international implications.
III. SERVICE TO THE PROGRAM, CAMPUS, UNIVERSITY, AND PROFESSION: Activities that demonstrate a willingness to engage in work that maintains, promotes, and/or enhances the mediation of processes related to the needs of the program, campus, university, and/or profession.
- Expected Instructor Performance: Meets expectations as documented by willing participation in activities such as program service including advising, program administration, and student recruitment; serving on campus committees; service to the profession; and/or engaging in opportunities that advance the campus equity, inclusion, and diversity commitments.
- As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor I, meets expectations requires a record of both serving and leading in activities such as service to the program including advising, program administration, and student recruitment; serving and chairing campus committees; recognition as a teaching mentor; service to the profession; and/or engaging in opportunities that advance the campus equity, inclusion, and diversity commitments.
- As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor II, meets expectations requires an ongoing record of service that includes leadership roles in: campus-wide efforts with significant, longer-term impact; university/campus level committees; inter-institutional committees that are impactful; recognition as a teaching mentor; service to the profession; and/or engaging in opportunities that advance the campus equity, inclusion, and diversity commitments.
IV. EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND DIVERSITY: Oregon State University is committed to maintaining and enhancing its collaborative and inclusive community that strives for equity and equal opportunity. All faculty members are responsible for helping to ensure that these goals are achieved. Such contributions can be accomplished as part of teaching, currency, service, and/or other activities. They can be, but do not have to be, part of scholarly work. Faculty members’ efforts to promote equity, inclusion, and diversity are part of the review process.
- Expected Instructor Performance: Meets expectations as documented by collegiality
- As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor I, meets expectations requires meeting the expectations of an Instructor and engaging in behaviors that contribute to ethos.
- As a faculty member is awarded the rank of Senior Instructor II, meets expectations requires meeting the expectations of an Instructor and Senior Instructor I as well as recognition by others in multiple programs outside of their own for activities such as committee work, presentations, and co-teaching; and leading others in behaviors that contribute to ethos.
Revisions:
The criteria in this document was defined for OSU-Cascades by the Dean’s Advisory Council in AY 2008/09 then updated in AY 2013-14 to include Senior Instructor II criteria. In May 2018, this document was reviewed and revised for consistency with the Workload Unit template and revised position descriptions to include information related to new university expectations related to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, and to clarify the definition of Meets Expectations in each category. The criteria outlined in this document will be used for annual and promotion reviews starting in June 2018. The document was shared with the faculty on May 16, 2018 and endorsed by the Faculty Executive Committee on May 31, 2018. On November 19, 2020 the document was updated to reflect the United Academics Collective Bargaining Unit agreement ratified in June, 2020, to include part-time instructors in the promotion process and timing related to promotion eligibility for all instructors.
Ethos Statement
The guiding vision of OSU-Cascades is to contribute significantly to intellectual, cultural, ecological, social and economic vitality. To achieve that goal, the OSU-Cascades community will strive to model principles and practices of a thriving, equitable and sustainable society. A culture of learning and exploration provides significant rewards to its members; those rewards are best achieved when all community members (faculty, staff, administrators, students and Board of Advisors) strive to honor the following principles:
- Respect the dignity and uniqueness of individuals. This principle applies to a diversity of cultures, belief systems, academic ranks and academic/ professional disciplines.
- Aspire to excellence and integrity in every endeavor.
- Consider current and future generations in every deliberation.
- Demonstrate leadership in service to community.