Consultation
Review of Personnel Policies and Procedures
Recruitment of Probationary Faculty
Additional:
In accordance with the provision that each college strive to maintain a ratio of tenured and tenure-track faculty to Lecturer faculty sufficient to ensure that activities requiring full-time faculty are adequately staffed, departments shall make every effort to convert current qualified Lecturers to tenure-track positions when available.
Appointment of Probationary Faculty
Confidentiality of Personnel Deliberations
Personnel Action Files
Additional:
Each member of the College RTP Committee will read and initial the personnel file of every faculty member being considered for retention, promotion or tenure.
Insertion of new materials after the filing deadline must have the approval of the College Faculty Policy Committee (FPC).
When being reviewed for tenure and/or promotion, the Personnel Information Form shall be cumulative.
Working Personnel Action Files (WPAF)--also known as supplemental files--of candidates for retention shall focus on the years under review. Work from previous years may be included only if it pertains directly to current activities. Additional materials from previous years may be requested by the appropriate committee if the committee believes they are necessary.
For promotion of faculty members to full professor, the supplemental file should not contain materials that relate to promotion to associate professor, unless the materials represent selected significant milestones in career development.
Individualized Professional Plans
Additional:
Individual Professional Plans (IPP) shall be submitted and approved in the semester prior to their being implemented in a faculty member's evaluation. The IPP may be modified only at the request of the faculty member, subject to approval by the Department Chair and the Dean. All faculty members who are joint appointments in a CoES department and a department or program in another college will be highly encouraged to develop an IPP in conjunction with both departments that delineates how they will be evaluated in Category A, B, and C.
College Faculty Evaluation Committees
Additional:
The College shall elect annually one (1) personnel committee made up of full and associate professors. All probationary and tenured faculty members of the College shall be eligible to vote in these elections, including FERP faculty.
The College RTP Committee, as a whole, must take responsibility for the following tasks: Retention, Tenure and Promotion; Evaluation of Probationary Faculty; Range Elevation; and Evaluation of Tenured Faculty (Post-Tenure review). Associate professors on the committee will only be able to evaluate probationary candidates and those going up for tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.
Elected faculty members serving on the College RTP Committee have an obligation to participate in the meetings. All committee members are able to be present, clarify information, answer questions, but not vote on their own department's candidates.
If a faculty member is elected to both the College RTP Committee and a Department Personnel Committee, University policy states that the faculty member may choose which committee to be a member of. If the faculty member's decision results in no departmental representative being available to serve on the College RTP Committee, consultation between the faculty member, department chair, and the Dean will be held to determine if the department will forgo their departmental representation on the College RTP Committee.
The term of service of an elected faculty member to the College RTP Committee is two years. Eligibility for service on the College RTP Committee is limited to tenured professors. Each department in the College shall be represented in the committee but no department shall have more than two representatives on the committee.
Composition of College Personnel Committees (RTP)
Committee Title and Responsibilities
Retention, Tenure, and Promotion Committee:
- To consider the promotion of associate professors to full professors
- To consider Lecturer faculty for range elevation
- To consider the retention and tenure of assistant professors
- To consider the promotion of assistant professors to associate professors
Number of Members:
Six (6) members--five full professors and one associate professor--with no more than two faculty members-regular or alternate-from each department shall be elected by the College faculty at large.
The names of all tenured full professors, eligible FERPs, and associate professors in the College are to be placed on the RTP Committee ballot with the exception of the names of those who have served on the Committee in the previous two academic years. Nominees for the RTP Committee shall be arranged alphabetically, by department, on the ballot by the CoES Steering Committee, and the ballots submitted to the faculty for vote. On the occasion where there are not enough eligible tenured professors available, the College may include names of tenured full professors from outside the College in a related discipline on the ballot for election.
Voting will consist of ranking the choices of full professors and then ranking the choices of associate professors. The top five (5) full professor-vote receivers and top one (1) associate professor will constitute the RTP Committee.
Number of Alternates:
The one (1) full professor who is ranked next in the voting counted from any department with fewer than two representatives shall serve as an alternate. An alternate will be present for and participate in all deliberations of the committee, but shall only vote when a regular committee member is not present.
Quorum: Five (5) members shall constitute a quorum.
Other relevant factors, if any: In all deliberations the committee will consult the appropriate departmental RTP document as guidance for evaluation. Associate professors on the RTP Committee will only be able to evaluate probationary faculty.
Committee Procedures
Additional:
The CoES Dean is not to participate in College RTP Committee decisions except for the purposes of policy clarification.
Review of Faculty Holding Joint Appointments and of Faculty Active in Interdisciplinary Programs
Additional:
Faculty with a joint appointment with a department/program outside the College will be encouraged to develop an Individualized Professional Plan in consultation with their chairs and Dean. The IPP will articulate the specific process for RTP evaluations.
Evaluation of Permanent Instructional Faculty
Additional:
Category A: Educational Performance
Effective teaching can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, or virtually when faculty work with students to disseminate knowledge and skills through personal experiences, scholarly research, creative endeavors, and community-engaged pedagogy, research, and service. Faculty in CoES are urged to break down barriers and established hierarchies to develop partnerships within our communities in the education of our students, while recognizing the importance of knowledge production outside the academy.
1. Teaching Performance
The evaluation of teaching performance is an assessment of the quality and effectiveness of the efforts of faculty members that contribute to student learning. The evaluation must include multiple measures: Student Opinion Surveys, Peer Observations, and Other Instructional Materials.
a. Student Opinion Survey on Instruction
All faculty shall have Student Opinion Surveys administered in all classes taught. The College Faculty Policy Committee views these surveys as important to faculty evaluations because they illustrate a representative sample of student opinions about a faculty member’s teaching effectiveness, and faculty in CoES value student input and opinions. However, the size and format of the class will be considered when interpreting the summary of quantitative responses from Student Opinion Surveys. In addition, the College RTP Committee will take into account ethnic studies and social science research that documents how the race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression of a faculty member can elicit biased feedback from students. Thus, CoES evaluators will remain cognizant of these studies in the analysis of Student Opinion Surveys.
b. Peer Observations
All faculty being considered for periodic evaluations or performance reviews shall have a peer observation conducted at least once per academic year. These observations must be conducted by a tenured or probationary faculty in an equal or higher academic rank as the faculty member being observed.
Each department shall develop its own process for conducting peer observations in adherence with the Faculty Handbook. Faculty may submit a self-reflection of the same session covered by this peer evaluation. The following are suggested areas in which to evaluate classroom teaching:
- Description of Information covered during the observation
- Classroom Atmosphere (e.g. rapport with students, inclusive environment)
- Teaching Strategies (e.g. pedagogical techniques, active involvement, clarity in articulation of knowledge or technique being covered, time management)
- Community/Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching (e.g. content and teaching methods are relevant to mission of department and college)
- Quality/Effectiveness of Teaching Materials
- Integration of Technology in the lesson, course, and/or assignments
- Relevant Assignments or Activities
- Any Evidence of Collaboration
- Overall Teaching Effectiveness (if there are obvious problems observed, the peer observation can include recommendations for improvement)
- Overview of Instructor's Syllabus
c. Other Instructional Materials
- Syllabi
- Instructional materials
- Course assignments
- Sample papers
- Examinations
- Evidence of grading practices
- Student learning objectives
- Evidence of community engagement and civic learning
- Reading lists
- Unsolicited emails, messages, or signed letters from students
2. Related Educational Activities
For the Related Educational Activities category, each faculty member being evaluated is expected to provide evidence of at least three activities including but not limited to the following:
- Course design/redesign
- Curricular and program development
- Programmatic assessment of learning outcomes
- Academic advising
- Advising student groups related to Ethnic Studies
- Serve as coordinator for College or department study abroad program
- Community-engaged learning activities including service learning
- Chair or member on thesis/honors committee
- Supervision of research and directed study
- Writing letters of recommendation
- Providing questions for and grading comprehensive exams
- Participation in conferences, workshops, seminars, and lectures that improve teaching efficacy
Category B: Professional Achievement
The College of Ethnic Studies recognizes the importance of its faculty to make contributions in the diverse fields of Ethnic Studies. As such, the College Faculty Policy Committee has developed a “spectrum of expectations” related to evaluating professional achievement. In addition to traditional scholarly research and creative endeavors, faculty in the College are urged to develop Community-Engaged Scholarship predicated on interrogation, analysis, and the diverse production and dissemination of knowledge based upon mutually beneficial and reciprocal partnerships involving CoES and community members. Moreover, faculty are also encouraged to work collaboratively with networks of students, faculty, and community stakeholders to establish spaces for critical scholarship grounded in the mission and principles of the College.
All tenured and probationary faculty going up for tenure are expected to have produced critical examples of rigorous scholarship in academic, creative, or community-oriented outlets related to Ethnic Studies and/or subfields of study, which include, but are not limited to:
- Publication of full-length manuscript in university and non-university presses
- Publication of peer-reviewed articles in reputable outlets
- Publication in edited books and anthologies in reputable outlets
- Book chapters in scholarly texts and textbooks
- Publication of research conducted with community partners in academic or non-academic outlets
- Publication of academic conference/meetings proceedings
- Publication of peer-reviewed case studies
- Publication of peer-reviewed teaching materials
The RTP committee will also take into consideration other contributions that may substitute for the above publications, including:
- Creative works: films, dance and theatre performances, art installations, exhibits, festivals/events
- Sponsored grants, fellowships, and leaves secured through external or internal competitions
- Digital dissemination of research including blogs, webinars, podcasts, and journals
- Media and public presentations to wider audiences for which the faculty member is considered an expert
- Service as an editor or reviewer for peer-reviewed journals
- Book reviews in peer-reviewed outlets
- Provide scholarly expertise for community-engaged activities
- Participation in research conferences, scholarly programs and/or regional and national research forums and professional meetings
- Organization or participation in workshops related to relevant field
The College RTP Committee takes a holistic approach to evaluating the balance and cumulative body of work of an individual faculty member, given their unique commitments, contributions, and strengths in all areas of professional achievement.
Category C: Contributions to the University and Community
The CoES has a broad definition of community-engaged service that includes service on and off campus. Community engagement is central to the College’s mission and principles. This includes participation in department, college, and university governance, as well as to developing collaborative working relationships with communities of color in the academy (students, staff, and other campus constituents) and at the local, state, national, and transnational level.
University
Early probationary faculty are expected to provide service to their departments and students. Those faculty who are advanced assistant professors (prior to tenure and promotion) are also expected to provide service to the College and be involved in university-wide activities. Faculty who are post-tenure are expected to be engaged in service to university committees in addition to each of these aforementioned areas.
All faculty members up for review are expected to provide evidence of participation in service in all campus service activities that may include but are not limited to:
- Department committees
- CoES committees
- University-wide committees
- Academic Senate
- California Faculty Association (CFA)
- Faculty advisor to student clubs and organizations
- Interdisciplinary committees and programs
- Organization and co-facilitation of campus forums, symposium, and conferences
- Mentoring other faculty members
- Participation in student outreach and recruitment activities
- Leadership/participation in professional organizations related to the field of ethnic studies
Community
The CoES RTP Committee expects faculty to place emphasis on community-engaged service in combination with that provided to their department, the College, and campus. Effective community engagement will be determined by its relevance to the field of Ethnic Studies and/or to People of color, as well as the time spent and direct involvement in such service.
- Community organizing and grassroots activism
- Participation on boards of community and non-profit organizations
- Professional service and consultation given to community organizations, advocacy groups, NGOs, or public sector organizations
- Convening workshops and trainings for community groups and/or educational institutions
- Holding an office in community organizations or non-profit group
Eligibility for Tenure and Promotion
Additional:
The appropriate terminal degrees for the College are: Ph.D., MFA, JD, Ed.D., or equivalent degrees.
The appropriate College Committee to make recommendations on the “equivalent degree” statement is: The CoES Faculty Policy Committee.
Normal consideration for promotion to full professor requires the completion of four (4) years of service at Cal State LA at the rank of associate professor, and this time period is not affected by credit having been given (at the time of appointment) toward the granting of tenure. That means, evaluation for promotion to full professor occurs in the fifth year, and if granted, is effective at the beginning of the sixth year.
Procedures for Determining that a Faculty Member's Years of Service are Meritorious:
- A faculty member after ten (10) years of service, although technically not eligible for consideration to the next higher rank under regular criteria (e.g., a terminal degree or equivalency), may be considered for promotion if: after a review of the faculty member's total performance, such performance is determined to be meritorious.
- Meritorious performance shall be defined as excellence in teaching, scholarship, and/or service to the University/College/Department/Community.
- The candidate shall make a written request to the Dean on or before the date promotion files are closed. The College Faculty Policy Committee shall determine whether he/she is eligible for consideration for promotion under this provision.
- Once the individual's service has been determined meritorious, the faculty member must be judged by the same qualitative standards as are other promotion candidates and shall remain eligible for such consideration thereafter until promotion to the rank of Professor.
Procedures for Nomination and Recommendation for Promotion
Oral Testimony
Appointment of Temporary Faculty
Additional:
Temporary faculty unit employee positions are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between California State University (CSU) and California Faculty Association (CFA). The title “Lecturer” is synonymous (and preferable) to temporary faculty unit employee as defined by Article 2.13(e) of the CBA.
Appointment as a Lecturer is typically for a semester, one academic year, or three academic years.
Unless otherwise specified in a position announcement, the appointment of Lecturer faculty will be based upon the possession of appropriate qualifications and demonstration of currency in the field relevant to their work assignment.
Eligible faculty initially appointed to temporary positions may apply for a tenure-track appointment when available.
Offers of appointment will be made by the Dean, AVP for Academic Affairs, the Provost, or the President. Official notification of appointment shall include the start and end date of the appointment, classification, time base, rank when appropriate, employee status, assigned department or equivalent unit, and other conditions of employment.
In general, Lecturer appointments (full- and part-time) should be made sufficiently in advance of the beginning of instruction to allow adequate time for course preparation, and the acquisition of appropriate texts and instructional materials.
Departments in the CoES shall adhere closely to Article 12.29 of the CBA, which stipulates Order of Assignment for Lecturer appointments:
- Three-year full time appointees
- Continuing multi-year (not three-year) full-time appointees
- Three-year part-time appointees
- Article 38.48 recall list up to their time base entitlement
- Continuing multi-year (not three-year) part-time appointees up to their time base entitlement
- Visiting faculty
- All part-time and full-time temporary faculty with no multi-year appointments who were employed in the last academic year
- May be appointed in any order
- Must satisfy all entitlements up to their time base entitlement
- Any remaining temporary work to Lecturers as “new or additional” work in the following order:
- Three-year part-time appointees up to a 1.0 time back
- One-year part-time appointees up to a 1.0 time base
- Any other qualified candidate
Lecturer faculty are encouraged to provide an updated list of courses they are qualified to teach each year to their department chair or program director.
Evaluation of Temporary Faculty
Additional:
Lecturer faculty members assigned solely to teaching shall be evaluated only on the basis of educational performance, which under University policy includes instructional performance and demonstration of currency in their field(s). Three-year contract Lecturers will be evaluated in year three of their contracted term. All other Lecturer faculty members will be evaluated once a year.
Faculty members are expected to provide the necessary materials to their Working Personnel Action File (WPAF) and turning the WPAF in to the dean's office on or before the published date of file closure. To be complete, the file must include the following:
- An updated curriculum vitae.
- A Personnel Activity Report (narrative) summarizing and describing activities and accomplishments for the current review period. This could include teaching activities / accomplishments and/or other assigned responsibilities and deliverables as outlined in the letter of appointment.
- Evidence of these activities and accomplishments. This shall include student opinion surveys, a peer observation of instruction, and several of the following:
- Course syllabi
- Course assignments
- Sample papers
- Examinations
- Evidence of grading practices
- Student learning objectives
- Reading lists
- Unsolicited emails, messages, or signed letters from students
Currency in the field will be determined by the currency of the materials used to teach assigned courses, as well as the teaching methods utilized. Lecturer faculty may also choose to submit materials related to research and service, including publications, film/media credits, academic presentations, community engagement, and university service.
- Course design/redesign
- Curricular and program development
- Programmatic assessment of learning outcomes
- Advising student groups related to Ethnic Studies
- Serve as coordinator for College or department study abroad program
- Community-engaged learning activities including service learning
- Chair or member on thesis/honors committee
- Supervision of research and directed study
- Providing questions for and grading comprehensive exams
- Participation in conferences, workshops, seminars, and lectures that improve teaching efficacy
- Publication of full-length manuscript in university and non-university presses
- Publication of peer-reviewed articles in reputable outlets
- Publication in edited books and anthologies in reputable outlets
- Book chapters in scholarly texts and textbooks
- Publication of research conducted with community partners in academic or non-academic outlets
- Publication of academic conference/meetings proceedings
- Publication of peer-reviewed case studies
- Publication of peer-reviewed teaching materials
- Creative works: films, dance and theatre performances, art installations, exhibits, festivals/events
- Sponsored grants, fellowships, and leaves secured through external or internal competitions
- Digital dissemination of research including blogs, webinars, podcasts, and journals
- Media and public presentations to wider audiences for which the faculty member is considered an expert
- Service as an editor or reviewer for peer-reviewed journals
- Book reviews in peer-reviewed outlets
- Provide scholarly expertise for community-engaged activities
- Participation in research conferences, scholarly programs and/or regional and national research forums and professional meetings
- Organization or participation in workshops related to relevant field
- Community organizing and grassroots activism
- Participation on boards of community and non-profit organizations
- Professional service and consultation given to community organizations, advocacy groups, NGOs, or public sector organizations
- Convening workshops and trainings for community groups and/or educational institutions
- Holding an office in community organizations or non-profit group
However, unless these activities are relevant to performance in their assignment, the lack of submission of these items shall not negatively impact the review of the faculty member's performance thereof.
Consideration for Range Elevation
Additional:
To be considered for range elevation, a Lecturer faculty member must submit a complete file for review containing all information listed in the preceding section on Evaluation of Temporary Faculty. To be recommended for range elevation, Lecturer faculty must be found to be at least satisfactory. A terminal degree will be considered a requirement for consideration of elevation to ranges C or D if appropriate to the faculty member's assignment, based on the faculty member's performance of the essential duties of the position, and if specified as a requirement for employment in the faculty member's appointment letter.