Overview of Academic Affairs

John C. Volin, Vice Provost for Academic AffairsProfessor of Natural Resources and the Environment

New Faculty Orientation Thursday, August 22, 2019

UConn’s Core Beliefs

• Outstanding faculty are the most critical element of our status as a world-class university

• Our goal is to recruit, develop and retain outstanding faculty

We value all faculty and welcome different talents and areas of expertise — but there are many categories of faculty:

Tenure-Track, Visiting Instructor, Assistant Clinical Professor, Visiting Assistant Professor, Assistant Research Professor, etc.

Faculty Categories

• The probability of success is high

• Most faculty who remain at UConn and apply for promotion with tenure receive it. Some faculty leave UConn before applying for tenure, or in the case of promotion to professor – choose never to apply

Promotion and Tenure Realities

Standards for Tenure and Promotion

• Standards must be met in teaching, scholarship, and service

• The activity weight of each depends on the faculty member’s position description

• Teaching, Scholarship, Service

• These factors combine to reach a decision, but the specific combination varies widely across the institution and is related to specific positions and departmental requirements

Factors Considered

“Tenure and promotion in the professorial ranks will be granted only

to persons of outstanding achievement consistent with standards

expected of a top public research university. Specific evidence of

superior performance in scholarship and in teaching is of

primary importance. As a minimum standard for tenure and/or

promotion, there must be evidence of strong performance in both

scholarship and teaching and superior achievement in at least

one of these areas. In addition, other contributions to the

University will be considered” (University By-Laws, XIV.D.1).

University By-Laws

Publications or Creative and Artistic Products

• Demonstrate contributions• Provide evidence of productivity and impact• Numbers and types vary among disciplines• Different expectations at different promotion

points• Used to assess the quality of work produced

• Citations, Impact Factor, Journal Quality

• Grants• Important national review of work• Demonstrate ability to secure funding for

research• Presentations

• Invitations reflect status and engagement in the field

• Reflect on level of focus in work and, if broad, engagement of multiple communities

Grants and Presentations

Teaching

• Effectiveness• Often evaluated by students (SET) but other

information is valued (peer observations, CETL observation, student letters, products, awards, model syllabi, teaching prizes).

• Ask assigned or selected mentor to provide review• Innovation/Creativity

• Engage students• Assess broadly (beyond multiple choice

tests/quizzes)

Teaching

Maintain a teaching portfolio with teaching philosophy and: • Teaching innovations (new courses developed)• Undergraduate and Graduate courses taught

and SET• Other evidence of teaching success • Undergraduate Major Advisees

• Undergraduate Research or Independent Study

• Honors Mentoring

Service, Outreach, Engagement

• Department• School / College• University• National organizations• Civic/K-12/Arts

Make selections carefully, wisely, and make a difference

Resources

• Office of the Provost– http://provost.uconn.edu/faculty-and-staff-

resources/promotion-tenure-and-reappointment/

• By-Laws of the University of Connecticut– http://policy.uconn.edu/2011/05/17/by-laws-of-the-

university-of-connecticut/

• Departments and Schools/Colleges often have their own PTR information or websites

Faculty Should Understand

• Department, School / College, and University guidelines

• Specific responsibilities – Percentage teaching, research, service

• Impact of leaves (medical, research) on probation period. The tenure clock can be extended through a medical leave or emergency or by taking a leave without pay

Intensive Pre-Tenure (Third-Year) Review

• Usually in fall of forth year

• Formal feedback before tenure (procedures vary across departments)

• Provost’s Office reviews dossier, weighing whether the faculty member is on track for tenure and promotion

Tenure and Promotion

• Very thorough

• Usually in 6th year

• Similar procedures are used for promotions

“Faculty who wish to be considered for promotion and tenure before the end of the probationary period will be evaluated by the same standards applied to faculty who have taken the full probationary period” (XIV.C.4)

Early Review

Tenure and Promotion Procedures

• The faculty member assembles a file– Curriculum vitae– Teaching information– Research information– Engagement and service information– Exhibits

External Letters

• At least 5 external letters are solicited (in the summer)– This may be optional for clinical track faculty (check

department and school/college)

• Candidate and department head both suggest names

• Writers are distinguished professors with no personal or professional (usually) relationship with the candidate

Departmental Review (September - October)

• The Department considers the file

• The faculty PTR committee meets and votes about the case

• The Department Head independently summarizes the file and sends it to the Dean

College/School Review (October - November)

• The Deans Advisory Committee votes

• The Dean summarizes the case for the Provost

• A recommendation that is inconsistent with the department will most likely be closely reviewed at the next level

The Provost can disagree with the prior decisions, but rarely does.

Provost Review (December- January)

If a tenure and/or promotion decision cannot be made or if questions emerge, the Provost will refer the file to the Faculty Review Board (FRB) within 30 days.

Following the FRB, the Provost makes his/her recommendation, and any negative recommendation can be appealed to the Committee of Three, then the President, and finally the Board of Trustees.

Further Review and Appeal

Academic Affairs

Excellence in Teaching and Learning

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is dedicated to the support and advancement of best practices in teaching and learning.

The staff of CETL work with individual faculty, teaching assistants, students, departments and the academic administration to create a culture which values teaching and learning, supports and rewards faculty for innovation in teaching, encourages respect for differences in learners and provides an environment where faculty, staff, and students work together to accomplish the learning objectives.

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCDD) • A virtual program supporting faculty success with resources and

programming designed to increase productivity, facilitate professional networking, and promote work-life balance

• Free membership for all faculty and TA’s• Weekly Monday Morning Mentor, Expert-led webinars, 14-day writing challenge,

writing accountability partners, multi-week online courses

• Faculty Success Program• 12-Week virtual bootcamp program designed to increase research productivity

and enhance work-life balance using proven cognitive/behavioral strategies (31 participants to date)

• for new tenure-track junior faculty and select mid-career tenured faculty (space available basis) CETL picks up the cost $4K per faculty

• Requires 5-6 hour per week time commitment (comprised of 30 minutes of writing every day, 40-60 minute weekly training modules, 75 minute group support and accountability conference calls once per week

• Optional 60 minute personal coaching session

Enrichment Programs

Enrichment Programs provide enhancing experiences for UConn students, encouraging them to elevate their studies.

• Honors (Invitation Only)• Individualized and Interdisciplinary Studies Program• National Scholarships and Fellowships• Undergraduate Research• Pre-Medical/Dental and Pre-Law• University Scholars

Student Success

The Institute for Student Success provides one-on-one holistic support, strengthens student readiness, increases access to higher education and research opportunities, and promotes the recruitment, transition, retention, and graduation of UConn students.

• Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES)• Center for Academic Programs (CAP)• First Year Programs & Learning Communities (FYP & LC)• Bachelor of General Studies (BGS)• Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)• Academic Achievement Center (AAC)

Career Development

The Center for Career Development is dedicated to excellence through offering the highest levels of service to our students across all schools, colleges, campuses, and disciplines. We support the intellectual growth of our students by providing programs and experiences that promote self-awareness and engagement as they identify a course of study and pursue opportunities to become contributing members of the state, national, and world communities. Through partnership with employers, alumni, faculty, and staff, we connect students to quality career development resources, internships, experiential learning, and post-graduate opportunities.

Student-Athlete Success Program

The Student-Athlete Success Program (SASP) supports the overall missions of the University and Department of Athletics by providing resources dedicated to empowering student-athletes to become independent thinking, successful, ethical student learners. SASP and our students are expected to uphold the highest level of academic inquiry while promoting intellectual growth and expression, social responsibility and citizenship. SASP is committed to outreach, service, and leadership training, which promotes the holistic development of our students and acts as a foundation for lifelong learning.

Veterans Affairs and Military Programs

The Office of Veteran’s Affairs and Military Programs (VAMP) provides a full range of benefits and services to students that have served or continue to serve in our Armed Forces. These services include benefits processing, event programming, community outreach, connecting students with employers, and more.

The Veteran Community at UConn is an open, welcoming, supportive community of people that encompasses nearly 1,200 students, staff and faculty across all campuses who are:• Current Active Duty military• Current members of the Air or Army National Guard• Current active or inactive Reservists of any of the armed services• UConn Army and Air Force ROTC Programs• Those who have previously served in any capacity in the uniformed services• Spouses, children, and any other dependents of any current or prior

member of the uniformed services