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Guidelines for the Promotion of Full-time, Non-Tenure Track Faculty in the Altoona College

Purpose
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a process for promotion to recognize the cumulative exceptional accomplishments and contributions of regular full-time faculty who are not on the tenure track. This promotion is based on consistently demonstrated outstanding performance related to the individual's assignments in teaching and related activities, scholarship, and service.

Eligibility
These Altoona College guidelines cover all regular full-time faculty not in the university's tenure system who are subject to the review and evaluation procedures of the Altoona College.

Criteria for Promotion
In all cases the following criteria will apply:

1. The performance of the candidate must consistently demonstrate, as appropriate within his/her professional assignment:
   1. Excellence in teaching: Evidence of excellence in teaching should include, but is not limited to, SRTEs, written student evaluations, peer evaluation, and other documentation.
   2. Excellence in activities related to teaching: Examples include, but are not limited to, advising, supervision of internships, supervision of clinical experience, supervision of undergraduate research assistants, contributions to the development of curriculum, pedagogical improvements, participation in professional organizations, scholarship, and creative accomplishments.
   3. Efforts to remain current in the discipline(s) being taught: This can be demonstrated through a variety of activities, including, but not limited to, continuing education, creative accomplishments, professional publications, participation in professional meetings and symposia, and other scholarly activities that can be documented as described under Supporting Documents.
   4. Commitment and service contributions to the campus, the college, the public, and the profession: Examples include, but are not limited to, service on division and college committees, professional service to the local community, organizing workshops or programs for the college community, or administrative support work for the Altoona College.
2. The faculty member must have served the Altoona College full-time for at least eight academic years, or the equivalent of sixteen academic semesters if the period of continuous service is broken by a leave-of-absence for health, dependent care, or approved scholarly activity.

Promotion Review Procedures

1. The faculty member must be nominated for promotion by his/her Division Head by the end of the spring semester so that they can prepare the required documentation for delivery to the Division Head at the start of the fall semester.
2. The Division Tenure and Promotion Committee will review the supporting documentation provided by the Division Head and write a joint letter indicating their recommendation(s) to the Division Head by the end of the fall semester.
3. The Division Head will review the supporting documentation and the letter from the Division Tenure and Promotion Committee and write a letter indicating his/her recommendation to the College Tenure and Promotion Committee by the end of the fall semester.
4. The College Tenure and Promotion Committee will review the supporting documentation, the letter from the Division Tenure and Promotion Committee, and the letter from the Division Head and write a letter to the Dean of the Altoona College indicating their recommendation(s) by the end of February.
5. The Dean of the College will review the recommendation from the College Review Committee and notify the candidate of the outcome of the review by the end of the spring semester. Approved promotions will become effective July 1 for the following academic year.

Supporting Documents
The basic documentation for the promotion review will be the Faculty Activity Reports (FARs) for the eight or more academic years prior to the review, including SRTEs, a representative number of peer evaluations, and the accompanying annual letters of evaluation. Each division may identify additional materials to supplement the FARs. Such materials might include professional performance review and adjudicated juried review. The nominated faculty member will assist the Division Head in the preparation of supporting documents to be used in the review. Each nominee will write a narrative statement of no more than three pages identifying the accomplishments and contributions of her/his Penn State career that support the promotion.

Promotion Award

1. A salary increase in addition to an annual merit increase will accompany the promotion. The same percentage increase in salary will be given to all faculty approved for promotion in any given year. The percentage increase will be determined annually. A merit-based salary increase is a prerequisite for a promotion-based salary increase during the year in which the promotion is received.
2. A regular full-time, non-tenure track faculty member with the title of instructor or lecturer who is promoted according to this procedure will receive the rank of senior instructor. A faculty member with the title of assistant professor may choose to retain their current title or change their title to senior instructor.