Administrative Policy Memo 5

Revised December 2, 2024

Tenure and Promotion Guidelines
UW School of Drama

1. Tenure Track Ranks
2. Teaching Track Ranks

The following guidelines and expectations for tenure and promotion in the UW School of Drama have been compiled here to help promote a clear process for career advancement for all faculty members. A career is conceived as a trajectory, but this trajectory is measured at certain critical moments, such as hiring, promotion, and tenure. When promoting, we are making a decision that combines an assessment of the individual’s records to date as well as a projection of a career into the future. To ensure success, transparency, and fairness, the standards of measurements should be clear to all parties involved in the process. Chapter 24 of the University of Washington Faculty Code contains university-wide guidelines for tenure and promotion (https://policy.uw.edu/directory/fcg/fcg-chapter-24-appointment-and-promotion-of-faculty-members/).

We wish to underscore two elements of university promotion policy: work done prior to an appointment at UW does count as part of the candidate’s portfolio – what matters is the candidate’s cumulative record, regardless of whether that work was done at UW or elsewhere; and, once appointed, years at rank are immaterial to promotion provided that the candidate meets all stated criteria for successful advancement. That said, the Faculty Code (Section 24-41) stipulates that for assistant professors, their second three-year appointment “must include a tenure decision.” This means that the sixth year of an assistant professor’s appointment – excluding any excused pauses in their tenure clock – is a mandatory year for promotion consideration. For information on initiating non-mandatory promotions (i.e. “early” promotions from assistant to associate professor and all promotions from associate to full professor), please see section E below.

Also, we affirm the School of Drama’s commitment to the work of fostering diversity and equity. In accordance with the 2012 and 2018 revisions to the Faculty Code (Section 24-32), we value “any contributions in scholarship and research, teaching, and service that address diversity and equal opportunity,” and will include and consider them among “professional and scholarly qualifications” at all stages in the tenure and promotion process.

Please note that these guidelines are a living document. Approximately every five years, voting members of the School of Drama faculty will review this document and either vote to affirm its content or revise its content and vote on the revision. For any questions in the application of this document, please also refer to the College’s “Guidelines for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure” and the University Faculty Code, mentioned above.

The processes for applying for reappointment and promotion at the University of Washington, including timelines and full list of materials to be included in the candidate’s docket, are found on the UW Academic Human Resources Website. (https://ap.washington.edu/ahr/). Candidates should also consult the guidelines and expectations for promotion in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Administrative Gateway. (https://admin.artsci.washington.edu/personnel/academic-personnel).

When applying for reappointment or promotion in the School of Drama, the candidate is responsible for providing at minimum 1) a CV, 2) a self-assessment statement, and 3) evaluations of teaching from students and peers. It is to the candidate’s advantage to include supplementary materials such as publications, portfolios of creative work, activity reports, and so forth. Reappointment and promotion committees may collect additional materials, including impressions of the candidate from the School of Drama community. For tenure-stream and teaching-stream faculty going up for promotion to Associate or to Full, the promotion materials also include external letters of review solicited by the Executive Director.

The self-assessment statement regarding the candidate’s research/creative work, teaching, and service is particularly helpful to faculty and administrators outside the candidate’s field who will be assessing their trajectory of accomplishments. It also serves as a useful document for successive applications when the candidate is narrating their trajectory between point of hire and reappointments/promotions. As stated in the College’s Guidelines for Promotion: “The personal statement provided by the candidate is an important guide to the significance of each scholarly [or artistic] piece and their connections to each other.  The statement should articulate the intellectual [or artistic] agenda(s) that motivates the individual’s work.” Candidates preparing the self-assessment statement should provide a description and significance of past and current activities and future projects and goals and their relationship to the criteria for promotion of the school and/or college. The narrative of this self-assessment should be developed in consultation with the Executive Director and the candidate’s area head beginning in the first year of appointment and reviewed regularly.

I. TENURE TRACK RANKS

A. For Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure

Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure is a university commitment to a lifetime career. It is predicated on three standard metrics used across the university: research/creative work, teaching, and service. 

1)  Research/Creative work

At a premier research university like UW, the most critical factor in awarding promotion and tenure is whether the candidate has amassed a substantial independent record of research/creative work. As the College’s “Guidelines for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure” explain, “quality is more important than quantity, although there must be sufficient quantity to provide evidence of a significant level of scholarly productivity.” The metrics used for faculty in the School of Drama are similar to those employed across the university. They should include, but are not limited to, a body of original research/creative work that has been vetted, and published, produced, or performed in high-quality, peer-reviewed venues. The work should offer new contributions to the candidate’s field or fields. With both research and creative work, it is essential to document some measure of impact. 

For scholars of theatre history and performance studies, an academic monograph usually stands as the centerpiece of their research portfolios. The centerpiece, however, may also be comprised of a series of articles, edited volume chapters, and other publications that are equivalent in both quality and quantity to an academic monograph. Ideally, a candidate’s book should be published by the time the file goes to vote in the department. If not published, the book should be under contract and in production or about to go into production. The press should be a high-profile and reputable publisher of scholarly titles either in theatre and performance and/or in field(s) in the area of the candidate’s specialization.

Additionally, conference and symposia papers, and other forms of public presentation and sharing of research findings are an expected component of the research portfolio for scholars of theatre history and performance studies. The receipt of outside funding and foundation grants and awards are also viewed as contributions to a candidate’s research portfolio. Public scholarship may be an element of the portfolio of work, but cannot stand in for more traditional forms of publication. Moreover, we concur with the Association for Theatre in Higher Education-American Society for Theatre Research Joint Subcommittee on Non-Print Publication’s recommendation that “criteria for tenure and promotion . . . be expanded to include peer-reviewed electronic publications of substantial research projects on a par with print publications.” Taken all in all, the research portfolio should reflect the range and significance of the author’s contributions to their field or fields. 

The College encourages scholars, artists, and practitioners to engage in collaborative work such as edited volumes or anthologies, multi-partner grant projects, or creative projects. When including collaborations in promotion portfolios, it is essential to document the individual’s singular contribution to the collective work with a clear assessment of the magnitude of involvement. Moreover, the College’s “Guidelines for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure” stipulate that “A significant portion of the overall research record should include articles and works to which the candidate has made the primary contributions.” They also note “although many junior scholars continue to do some collaborative work with a former Ph.D. or postdoc advisor, it is important to establish a record of growing independence from former advisors.”

For artists and practitioners, a set of documented and vetted productions usually stands as the centerpiece of their creative work portfolios. For promotion consideration, these productions should occur outside of the UW School of Drama. For the purposes of this document, we define “production” broadly to include dramatic productions such as dance, opera, film, television, digital media, and theatre as well as less traditional forms including but not limited to experimental events or performances that might be described by terms such as “immersive/participatory,” “performance art,” or “installations.” It is our intention to acknowledge the diversity of our field and to be inclusive in considering a wide range of events with design, storytelling, and/or performative elements.

While we recognize that the arts can stretch traditional definitions of scholarship, the university has developed a broad menu of assessments for work within the Division of the Arts. These standards can be summarized in general terms as the creation of a body of work, documentation and vetting of that body, and some assessment of its impact.  The College’s “Guidelines for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure” state, “In the creative and performing arts, tenure portfolios will reflect the faculty member’s creative work – including exhibitions, performances, and reviews thereof. As with all faculty members, the significance of the work and career trajectory are of paramount importance.”

The School of Drama welcomes and recognizes faculty artists who take traditional and non-traditional career paths and approaches to their work. A candidate’s achievements as a practicing artist might include multiple engagements as a union or guild-affiliated creative artist (director, performer, designer, etc.) at professional theatres/venues with significant regional, national, or international profiles. The reputation of the institution indicates that vetting of the artist has happened prior to the engagement, as does membership in a union or guild. In less traditional career paths which might include devised, community-based, socially engaged, avant-garde, or other forms of work, such institutional reputation might not be evident and the vetting of the artists, company, or production would require a more involved process.

Whether practicing artist candidates take a traditional approach or not, they must provide documentation that speaks to the work’s quality and impact. “Impact” may include the level of engagement with local, regional, or national communities; the work’s influence on other artists or the originality of the work; the receipt of grants or awards; or becoming the subject of reviews and scholarly articles.

In the case of productions that are central to the candidate’s portfolio but are not readily documented and archived through photographs, video, or other forms of recording, the practicing artist, at least two months in advance, should instruct the Executive Director to arrange for a confidential description and review of the work by a professional practitioner or scholar (see Appendix for a sample letter soliciting such a review). These reviews should entail the same level of rigorous assessment that we expect from outside reviews of promotion files and will become part of those files. Such reviews will not replace the requirement of regional, national, or international recognition of the candidate’s body of work but will provide useful context and a fuller assessment of their work in light of what is often incomplete or inadequate coverage by popular and scholarly publications. In short, the promotion files of all practicing artists should include rigorous assessments of their key works in order to document their regional, national, or international impact, reputation, or reception.  

To provide practicing artists with a clearer sense of the work usually included in successful assistant to associate professor promotion cases, we offer the following: their portfolio should exemplify a growing body of work featuring an ongoing trajectory of continued production. It can also demonstrate deepening relations with, for example, significant artists, institutions, or funding sources. We agree with the College that “quality is more important than quantity.” Moreover, the scale and scope of productions, and the centrality of the artists’ contributions to them are carefully considered in evaluating creative work portfolios. We value substantial and sustained contributions to the artist’s field or fields. We also value contributions the candidate’s work may make to other fields.

2) Teaching

All candidates should have developed a strong and documented teaching portfolio with positive student and peer evaluations, comparable to their colleagues in the School of Drama and across the Division of the Arts. As effective teaching is essential to advancement, candidates should include in their promotion file a clear narrative about their teaching so that readers of the file can understand and distinguish between various arenas of pedagogical practice including of labs, studios, seminars, or lectures.

The College’s “Guidelines for Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure” explain that candidates should have student evaluations of “a large percentage, if not all, of the courses taught at the UW” and the Faculty Code (Section 24-57A) stipulates that all faculty must have at least one course evaluated by students in any year in which they teach. The Faculty Code (Section 24-57A) requires that assistant professors should have a peer review of their teaching done each year. Mentoring, according to the College, is also vital to teaching: “a very important part of our teaching responsibilities takes place outside of any specific course. The advising of students, both undergraduate and graduate, is a significant contribution to the teaching mission of the University.”

While research and teaching are typically viewed as separate categories, if a candidate believes there is a compelling narrative around the relationship of these areas, such as the influence of the research on the teaching, then the candidate should make that case in their personal statement. Nonetheless, strong teaching alone is not sufficient for tenure and promotion. 

3)  Service

Service takes many forms, but an investment in the School and the Division should be clear by the time of tenure. The forms can range from committee service, such as search committees, or area service like advising, public outreach, recruitment, or university-wide service, like task forces or divisional standing committees, but it should demonstrate an ongoing commitment to citizenship in the department and should be comparable to that of peers of equal rank in the School. National and international service, within professional organizations or unions, or editorial service with presses or journals, is recognized as citizenship to the broader profession, though not required at this level of promotion.

B. For Promotion to Full Professor with Tenure

For promotion to Full Professor with Tenure, the same three standard metrics are used across the university: research/creative work, teaching, and service. 

The body of research/creative work – and again it is a body of work – should have grown since the last promotion, though the time to promotion from associate to full professor is not fixed. As the College’s “Promotion to Full Professor Guidelines” puts it, “the faculty member should have established him/herself as a major researcher, scholar, or creative artist at the national and often international level. At this stage of career, the scholarly record will normally be larger and also reflect a more mature formulation of questions and a richer exploration of them. A faculty member’s entire scholarly career is evaluated, with emphasis placed on work developed since the time of promotion to associate professor.” Such scholarship will involve a degree of visibility and documentable impact on the candidate’s field or fields. It should advance the candidate substantially forward on the career trajectory or represent a substantial new body of work. Strong teaching and fulsome service are not sufficient for advancement. As with promotion to associate professor, “impact” may include the level of engagement with local, regional, or national communities; the work’s influence on other artists or the originality of the work; the receipt of grants or awards; or becoming the subject of reviews and scholarly articles.

For scholars of theatre history and performance studies, a second academic monograph often stands as the centerpiece of their research portfolios for promotion to full professor. The centerpiece, however, may also be comprised of a series of articles, edited volume chapters, and other publications that are equivalent in both quality and quantity to a second monograph.

For artists and practitioners, a new set of documented and vetted productions and performances usually stands as the centerpiece of their creative work portfolios. The pace and volume of that work might be similar to that usually found in successful assistant to associate professor promotion cases but the work should be more mature in terms of the scale and scope and/or impact of the productions, the significance of the venues, and/or the centrality and noteworthiness of the roles and responsibilities within the productions. An alternative trajectory for creative artists’ promotion from associate to full professor might entail fewer productions, but with an even more marked increase in the scale and scope and/or impact of the productions, the significance of the venues, and/or the centrality and noteworthiness of the roles and responsibilities within the productions or the profile and impact of community-based or socially engaged creative work.

The same guidelines and procedures, discussed above for promotion to associate professor, related to documenting a candidate’s contributions to collaborative works, and providing rigorous assessment of all significant research/creative work, also hold true for promotion to full professor.

For promotion to full professor, a candidate’s teaching record should be consistently strong and documented by both student and peer evaluations. The College’s “Promotion to Full Professor Guidelines” explain that “Candidates are expected to have course evaluations for a substantial percentage of the courses taught at the UW.  At a minimum, candidates are expected to have numeric scores above 3.0 on the typical 5-point scale.  Special interest is placed on evaluations of the instructor's contribution to the class, the overall quality of the class, and, especially, the amount students learned.” The Faculty Code (Section 24-57A) stipulates that all faculty must have at least one course evaluated by students in any year in which they teach. The Faculty Code (Section 24-57A) requires that associate and full professors have a peer review of their teaching done at least once every three years. Regarding mentoring, the College guidelines note that “at the time of promotion to Professor, a faculty member will have a significant record of working with and mentoring students, including, where appropriate, chairing graduate student committees.”

The service expectation is greater for promotion to full professor and should involve a component of leadership in the School and continued investment in the Division. Such leadership might include serving as an area head or committee chair within the School or participating in division- or university-wide standing committees or responsibilities. National and international service, within professional organizations or unions, or editorial service with presses or journals, is recognized as citizenship to the broader profession, and is desirable at this level of promotion.

C. Regular Conferences with Faculty

The Faculty Code (Section 24-57C) requires that the Executive Director hold regular conferences with faculty members to discuss their scholarly, teaching, and service responsibilities and requirements; their shared goals for the coming year(s); and strategies for achieving those goals. These discussions should be documented with the agreed upon documentation then placed in the faculty member’s file. For assistant professors, such conferences should take place each year; for associates, every other year; and for full professors, once every three years.

D. External Evaluations and Assessing Creative Artists’ Collaborative Skills

As part of promotion and/or tenure cases, the University requires three to five evaluations of the candidate's scholarly or creative work by external experts in the discipline. External evaluators are solicited by the Executive Director. College of Arts & Sciences guidelines stipulate that “at least three of the reviews should be from persons who have no substantial personal connection or professional collaboration with the candidate.” In the case of creative artists whose work depends upon collaboration, the College specifically recognizes that at least one of the external evaluators should, in fact, have experience working with the candidate so that the file can contain some assessment of the candidate’s collaborative skills.

E. Initiating Non-Mandatory Promotion Cases

Requests to initiate non-mandatory promotion cases may come from an individual interested in becoming a candidate for promotion, the Executive Director, or the review committees for assistant and associate professors. Individuals interested in becoming a candidate for non-mandatory promotion should meet with the Executive Director to discuss the possibility and process. Similarly, if the Executive Director or a review committee believes that an individual is ready for non-mandatory promotion, the Executive Director should invite the individual to meet to discuss the possibility and process. If, after that meeting, the request still stands, the Executive Director should bring the matter to faculty of senior rank (associate and full professors in the case of assistant to associate promotions, and full professors in the case of promotions from associate to full).  To assist in determining whether a candidate is ready for non-mandatory promotion, the Executive Director or review committees may require the potential candidate to provide documentation of creative and research accomplishments, and teaching effectiveness. It is University policy that a candidate for non-mandatory promotion has the right to insist that a full promotion packet be prepared and voted upon by all eligible faculty superior in rank, even if the majority of the eligible voting faculty believe that the case is premature.  Senior faculty have the right to advise candidates that they believe the case is premature, but they may not prohibit candidates from exercising their right to have their case be fully prepared and formally voted upon by all eligible voting faculty members.

The final decision to initiate a non-mandatory promotion case should be made no later than the middle of winter quarter in the academic year prior to the autumn when the case will be voted on in the School of Drama and forwarded to the College Council. This timing will enable the Executive Director to begin recruiting external reviewers in early March. Promotion files containing documentation of creative and research accomplishment as well as candidates’ personal narratives should be complete and ready to send to external reviewers by June 15^th

II. TEACHING TRACK RANKS

For teaching track ranks, the School of Drama adopts the criteria from the College of Arts and Sciences below until the faculty of the School of Drama chooses to supplement or replace these criteria with Drama-specific criteria.

 A. Promotion to Associate Teaching Professor (Approved by the College Council, June 2021)

The University of Washington Faculty Code specifies the following qualifications for appointment to Associate Teaching Professor: Associate Teaching Professor is an instructional title that may be conferred on persons who have special instructional roles and who have extensive training, competence, and experience in their discipline: [Section 24-34, B2]. The College is guided by the faculty code in assessing whether candidates’ cases provide evidence of broad and sustained contributions to instruction. This document elaborates on the scope and meaning of “extensive training, competence, and experience in their discipline” while recognizing that there is no single scale that can be used to judge the quantity, quality, and trajectory evidenced in promotion cases. The particular portfolios of candidates for promotion to Associate Teaching Professor may vary widely depending on opportunities and expectations across units within the College. Given the nature of teaching track positions, it is important to note that the activities described below are assumed to be grounded in a strong record of teaching excellence within the faculty member’s home unit. In the context of diverse Associate Teaching Professor profiles and experiences, the general principles detailed here are applied as uniformly as possible across all promotion cases by the College Council and the Dean. In keeping with the traditional functions of all faculty, we use the categories of “Teaching,” “Service,” and “Scholarship” to structure the general principles below.

Within the School of Drama “Scholarship” in the College’s guidelines should be supplemented with “Creative Practice and/or research”.

1) Teaching

The University expects a trajectory of high-quality classroom teaching from Assistant Teaching Professors. This alone, however, is not sufficient for consideration for promotion to Associate Teaching Professor. The promotion case must provide evidence of the faculty member’s “extensive training, competence, and experience in their discipline”. Some examples of evidence of “extensive training, competence, and experience in their discipline” include:

• A strong record of excellence in student and collegial teaching evaluations
• Supervision and mentoring of students in independent study, fieldwork and research projects
• A nomination for a teaching or mentorship award (e.g., from departmental/unit, college/university, or field-specific regional/national association
• Creative and effective use of innovative pedagogical strategies including new technologies
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity, access and inclusion in student instruction

2) Service

Service to the unit, College, University, and/or discipline can serve as evidence of a faculty member’s “extensive training, competence, and experience in their discipline”. The key to service in the promotion to Associate Teaching Professor is a sustained record of contributions to the teaching mission of the
University through greater involvement with a higher level of responsibility in unit-level teaching issues and engagement in University or discipline wide teaching programs.

Service that indicates contributions to teaching at the University level may include:

• Participation in programs including, but not limited to, the Center for Teaching and Learning, Faculty Fellows, Teaching Assistant training workshops, UW Advance, teaching workshops for faculty, and bridge/enrichment programs for students.
• Membership in division or college level advisory groups related to teaching and student affairs
• Outreach activities to the community beyond the University that is directly tied to the faculty member’s teaching expertise
• Service as faculty advisor for student associations at the university level.

Service that evidences contributions to teaching at the unit level may focus on curriculum development and/or coordination in the following ways:

• Participation in department level curricular and/or administrative activities
• Participation in department-level committees focused on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion
• Mentoring colleagues, teaching assistants, and peer facilitators in instructional matters
• Service as faculty advisor for student associations at the unit level
• Participation in student services related to teaching and learning (e.g., study centers, computing laboratories)
• Participation in academic advising and counseling

Service that evidences contributions to teaching at the field level may include:

• Participation in workshops, conferences, competitions and exhibitions
• Service to scholarly journals related to teaching and learning
• Membership in professional associations that focus on teaching and learning

3) Scholarship, Creative Practice, and Research

The Faculty Code states that “Scholarship, the essence of effective teaching and research, is the obligation of all members of the faculty.”  Section 24-32.A] With respect to teaching faculty of all ranks, the Code further states that teaching faculty “may demonstrate their scholarship in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: introduction of new knowledge or methods into course content; creation or use of innovative pedagogical methods; development of new courses, curricula, or course materials; participation in professional conferences; evidence of excellent student performance; receipt of grants or awards; contributions to interdisciplinary teaching; participation and leadership in professional associations; or significant outreach to professionals at other educational institutions. While they may choose to do so through publication, such publication shall not be required.” [Section 24-34.B.4]

Published scholarship is thus not an explicit component of most teaching track faculty positions, nor is it a requirement for promotion to the rank of Associate Teaching Professor. However, where published scholarship is considered as part of the promotion case, such scholarship should directly enhance the faculty member’s teaching expertise. Through this work, the faculty member makes contributions to the teaching in their unit or field. Some examples might include:

• Research on pedagogy, either published or presented at scholarly conferences
• Research on the scholarship of teaching and learning, either published or presented at scholarly conferences
• Research on the content area of the faculty member’s teaching specialty, either published or presented at scholarly conferences

Creative practice or research are also not explicit components of most teaching track faculty positions, nor are they a requirement for promotion to the rank of Associate Teaching Professor. However, where creative practice or research is considered as part of the promotion case, such practice or research should directly enhance the faculty member’s teaching expertise. Through this work, the faculty member makes contributions to the teaching in their unit or field. Some examples might include:

• Directing, performing, designing, or writing for a professional theatrical production
• Publication of books, articles, essays, or other materials focused on an area of practice in the performing arts.

B. Promotion from Associate Teaching Professor to Teaching Professor (Approved by the Arts and Sciences College Council, November 2020).

The University of Washington Faculty Code specifies the following qualifications for appointment to Teaching Professor:  Appointment with the title of teaching professor requires a record of excellence in instruction, which may be demonstrated by exemplary success in curricular design and implementation, student mentoring, and service and leadership to the department, school/college, University, and field.  [Section 24-34.B.3.c)

The College is guided by the faculty code in assessing whether candidates’ cases provide evidence of broad and sustained contributions to instruction beyond the classroom and beyond the department.  This document elaborates on the scope and meaning of “exemplary” contributions, while recognizing that there is no single scale that can be used to judge the quantity, quality, and trajectory evidenced in promotion cases.  The particular portfolios of candidates for promotion to Teaching Professor may vary widely depending on opportunities and expectations across units within the College.  Given the nature of Teaching Professor positions, it is important to note that the activities described below are assumed to be grounded in a sustained record of teaching excellence within the individual’s home unit.  In the context of diverse Teaching Professor profiles and experiences, the general principles detailed here are applied as uniformly as possible across all promotion cases by the College Council and the Dean.  In keeping with the traditional functions of all faculty, we use the categories of “Teaching,” “Service,” and “Scholarship” to structure the general principles below.

1) Teaching

The University expects consistently high-quality classroom teaching from Associate Teaching Professors.  This alone, however, is not sufficient for consideration for promotion to Teaching Professor.  The promotion case for promotion to teaching professor must provide evidence not only of the faculty member’s sustained excellence in instruction in their unit, but also at the College, University, and/or field level.

Some examples of evidence of recognition of teaching excellence include:

• Sustained excellence in student and collegial teaching evaluations
• A departmental or unit-based teaching award
• A field-specific teaching award from a regional or national association
• A university teaching award
• Leadership in curricular or pedagogical innovations beyond the faculty member’s own department
• Commendations or awards for excellence in mentorship
• Demonstrated success in promoting diversity, equity, access and inclusion in student instruction
• Success in securing national grants to support instructional excellence

2) Service

Service to the unit, College, University, and/or field can also serve as evidence of a faculty member’s contributions to exemplary teaching.  The key to service in the promotion to Teaching Professor is a sustained record of contributions to the teaching mission of the University through university-wide teaching programs, central leadership in unit-level teaching issues, and/or engagement in discipline- or field-level curriculum development. The promotion file should build a case for sustained, substantive contributions to teaching through service at the University, unit and/or field, regional or national level.

Service that indicates contributions to teaching at the University level may include:

• Participation as a planner or facilitator in programs including, but not limited to, the Center for Teaching and Learning, Faculty Fellows, Teaching Assistant training workshops, UW Advance, teaching workshops for faculty, and bridge/enrichment programs for students.
• Membership in or chairing of faculty councils related to teaching.
• Participation in university-level advisory groups or selection committees related to teaching.
• Outreach activities to the community beyond the University that is directly tied to the faculty member’s teaching expertise.
• Service on unit-, college-, and/or university-level committees that foster diversity, equity, access, and inclusion of students, faculty, and/or staff.

Service that evidences contributions to teaching at the unit level may focus on curriculum development, coordination, and/or oversight in the following ways:

• Serving as chair, associate or assistant chair of the department or unit
• Serving as director of undergraduate or graduate studies
• Leadership in formulating departmental or unit-level learning goals
• Membership in interdisciplinary committees charged with curriculum development
• Serving as faculty advisor for student associations
• Directing clinics, organizing experiential learning opportunities, or special academic training programs where these are not a regular element in the faculty member’s duties

Service that evidences contributions to teaching at the field level may include:

• Service to scholarly journals related to teaching and learning
• Membership in professional associations that focus on teaching and learning
• Receipt of grant funds to pursue research in the scholarship of teaching and learning

3) Scholarship, Creative Practice, and Research

The Faculty Code states that “Scholarship, the essence of effective teaching and research, is the obligation of all members of the faculty.” [Section 24-32.A]  With respect to teaching faculty of all ranks, the Code further states that teaching faculty “may demonstrate their scholarship in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:  introduction of new knowledge or methods into course content; creation or use of innovative pedagogical methods; development of new courses, curricula, or course materials; participation in professional conferences; evidence of excellent student performance; receipt of grants or awards; contributions to interdisciplinary teaching; participation and leadership in professional associations; or significant outreach to professionals at other educational institutions.  While they may choose to do so through publication, such publication shall not be required.” [Section 24-34.B.4]

Published scholarship is thus not an explicit component of most Teaching Professor positions, nor is it a requirement for promotion to the rank of Teaching Professor.  However, where published scholarship is considered as part of the promotion case, such scholarship should directly enhance the faculty member’s teaching excellence.  Through this work, the faculty member makes contributions to the teaching in their field or discipline.  Some examples might include:

• Research on pedagogy, either published or presented at scholarly conferences
• Research on the scholarship of teaching and learning, either published or presented at scholarly conferences
• Research on the content area of the faculty member’s teaching specialty, either published or presented at scholarly conferences.

Creative practice or research are also not explicit components of most teaching track faculty positions, nor are they a requirement for promotion to the rank of Associate Teaching Professor. However, where creative practice or research is considered as part of the promotion case, such practice or research should directly enhance the faculty member’s teaching expertise. Through this work, the faculty member makes contributions to the teaching in their unit or field. Some examples might include:

• Directing, performing, designing, or writing for a professional theatrical production
• Publication of books, articles, essays, or other materials focused on an area of practice in the performing arts.

Guidelines first established 2019
Tenure-stream faculty vote approval: January 16, 2019; revised & approved October 9, 2019
Divisional Dean approval: November 4, 2019
College Council approval: January 2, 2020

Revised & approved by faculty December 4, 2024