9.22 – [Pre-AY 18/19] Faculty Promotion and Tenure – Glossary

(fka 5.90.2)

Key terms used throughout this document are defined here.

1. Allocation of Effort: The percentage of effort, agreed upon by the faculty member and department head or supervisor, that the faculty member will devote to each of the major categories of teaching and advising (or its equivalent), scholarship and creative activity, service, extension, outreach and other assigned duties.
2. Annual Performance Review: See ARP 9.20 — [Pre-AY 18/19] Faculty Performance Evaluation.
3. College Faculty: A faculty member on a regular (0.5 FTE or greater) appointment, who is not eligible for tenure. (See also ARP 6.03 Employment Categories; ARP 6.35 – Non-Tenure Track Faculty Appointments).
4. Core Document: A document submitted in the portfolio for promotion or tenure that includes several specific elements: a routing form, cover sheet, table of contents, curriculum vitae, executive summary, department head and dean letters, prior and current allocation of effort statements, annual performance evaluations, summary of teaching evaluations, and letters of support.  (See Rules ARP 9.25 Parts 1 and 5).
5. Curriculum Vitae: A detailed summary that reflects the candidate’s educational and academic experiences that are relevant to the position.
6. Documentation File: An organized collection of supplemental documents and other materials that supports, explains, or clarifies the quality and significance of the candidate’s work. Administrators and committee members must have access to this file, which is stored by the Principal Unit.
7. Executive Summary: A summative report and personal statement by the candidate that addresses their activities in and philosophies regarding teaching and advising (or its equivalent), scholarship and creative activity, service, extension, outreach, and other assigned areas.
8. Extension: The process of defining and building relationships between communities and the university to extend university resources and intellectual expertise through coalition building, non-formal educational programs, and applied research designed to address locally identified needs.
9. Flexibility in Tenure-Track: The extension or reduction of the pre-tenure probationary period under certain circumstances.
10. Formative Evaluation: Evaluation that allows for continuous feedback and improvement.
11. Joint Appointment: A faculty line shared between two departments or colleges; the appointee enjoys all the privileges and incurs all the responsibilities normally given in each area.
12. Mid-probationary Review: A formal, non-mandatory mid-term assessment requested by a tenure-track faculty member of their professional development and progress toward tenure.  The mid-probationary review is in addition to the annual performance evaluation.
13. Outreach: Entails an organized and planned program of activities which are offered to citizens of New Mexico and the nation; these activities bring the resources of the university to bear in a coherent and strategic fashion for the benefit of the receiving entity.
14. Peer Evaluation: Assessment of teaching style, content, and effectiveness gained through observation by colleagues; the observations may come in such forms as classroom visits, participation in web-based courses, review of videotaped teaching, or reviews of course materials collected/created by the faculty member being reviewed.
15. Performance Evaluation: An annual report prepared by the faculty member documenting activities in the areas of teaching and advising (or its equivalent), scholarship and creative activity, service, extension, outreach, and other assigned areas.  The department head (or other assigned supervisor) provides the faculty member with a written appraisal of the faculty member’s performance.
16. Portfolio: Consists of the core document and documentation file that supports the candidate’s case for promotion or tenure.
17. Post-tenure Review: An annual review designed to identify strengths and weaknesses of the tenured faculty member in the areas of teaching and advising (or its equivalent), scholarship and creative activity, service, extension, outreach and other assigned areas.  The Performance Evaluation generally serves the above aim; however, if deemed necessary due to deficiencies, a more extensive review may be initiated.  (See ARP 9.36 – [Pre- AY 18/19] Post-Tenure Review).
18. Probationary Period: The cumulative amount of time spent under term appointments while on the “tenure-track.”  (See ARP 9.23 Part 6 – Flexibility in Tenure Track).
19. Principal Unit: A tenure home unit responsible for conducting annual faculty performance evaluations and making promotion and tenure decisions. This definition includes Departments, Colleges, Community Colleges, Cooperative Extension Service, and the Library, but not centers, clusters, or institutes.
20. Research: (See Scholarship).
21. Scholarship: Both activity and product, scholarship includes discovery through original research; integration through synthesizing and reintegration of knowledge; application through professional practice; and teaching through transformation of knowledge.  (See Boyer, 1990 and ARP 9.24 Part 2 Scholarships and Creative Activity).
22. Supporting Documents: Material available to the Promotion and Tenure Committee in the Documentation File that serves to further support, explain, or clarify the Core Document.
23. Tenure: Continuous contract granted after a probationary period to a faculty member that gives protection from dismissal without due process; the primary purpose of tenure is to protect academic freedom and offer economic security.
24. Tenure Clock: (See Rule ARP 9.23 Part 6 – Flexibility in Tenure Track)
25. Tenure Home: The principal unit where tenure and rank resides or will reside.
26. Tenure-Track Faculty: A faculty member who is eligible for tenure but who has not yet been granted tenure.
27. Tenured Faculty: A faculty member who has been granted a continuous contract by the university.