Reappointment of Instructor-Rank and Scholar in Residence Faculty

[Draft materials for the AY 2023-24 process were shared with Department Chairs and HR Liaisons via an email from Jess Rosso on October 16, 2023.]

Unless the faculty member is eligible for an expedited review, the reappointment of an instructional track or Scholar in Residence faculty member requires an evaluation by the primary-unit evaluation committee and a vote of the primary unit. In general, as specified in the university Administrative Policy Statement (APS) 5060, instructors are expected to demonstrate excellence in teaching and meritorious performance in leadership and service and creative/scholarly work (if included in their merit formula).

The College requires the following documentation to be submitted to the Dean’s office by the last Friday in January for reappointments. Please use this dossier template for all standard evaluation submissions.

  1. Chair or Director letter to the Dean summarizing the evaluation of the candidate by the primary unit review committee and reporting the primary unit vote on the candidate’s reappointment. The letter should state if teaching, leadership and service, and creative/scholarly work (if relevant) are each “not meritorious,” “meritorious,” or “excellent.”
  2. Candidate’s vita. (Sample format for CV)
  3. Faculty Statement on Teaching
  4. Faculty Statement on Leadership and Service
  5. Faculty Statement on Scholarly/Creative Work (if applicable)
  6. Multiple measures of teaching evaluation including the unit-specific or college Teaching Quality Framework (TQF) Evaluation Summary form and rating key, FCQ summaries and the student narrative sections from all courses taught since last review, and at least two additional measures, which could include any of the items described in Appendix A of Administrative Policy Statement (APS) 1009.
  7. Evaluation of the candidate’s engagement in the field, in a manner consistent with the terms of the candidate’s discipline and appointment. 
  8. Drafts of the reappointment offer letter and the university contract, using the templates on the Office of Faculty Affairs website.    

The reappointment of an instructor-rank or Scholar in Residence faculty member will be based according to performance and the instructional needs of the units they are serving. Such reappointments should be for three years and are recommended by a vote of the permanent faculty of a discipline. A reappointment for less than three years requires justification and approval by the Office of Faculty Affairs.

As of academic year 2021-22, the Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science has final authority over the reappointment of Instructor-rank and Scholar in Residence appointments.

Promotion of Instructor-Rank Faculty

The promotion of an instructor-rank faculty member requires an evaluation by the primary-unit evaluation committee and a vote of the primary unit. In general, Senior Instructors (Teaching Associate Professors) are expected to demonstrate excellence in teaching and at least meritorious performance in leadership and service and scholarly/creative work (if relevant) beyond the level demonstrated by Instructors (Teaching Assistant Professors). Principal Instructors (Teaching Professors) are expected to demonstrate a record of distinction, as described below. The College requires the following documentation to be submitted to the Dean’s office by the last Friday in January for reappointment and/or promotion:

Promotion guidelines from Instructor to Senior Instructor (from Teaching Assistant to Teaching Associate Professor)  

We recommend following the procedures suggested above for reappointment, with modifications as appropriate to the particular academic unit. The criteria are set by the units and must be included in their official reappointment and promotion of teaching faculty criteria document.

  1. Faculty must be at least six years in rank as Instructors before advancing to Senior Instructors, but promotion is not simply a function of time in rank.  
  2. Promotion from Instructor to Senior Instructor requires a record of exemplary teaching.  Evidence of exemplary teaching would include FCQ summaries and at least two additional measures from those described in Appendix A of the CU System Administrative Policy Statement (APS) 1009. 

Promotion guidelines from Senior Instructor to Principal Instructor (from Teaching Associate Professor to Teaching Professor) 

We recommend following the procedures suggested above for reappointment, with modifications as appropriate to each particular academic unit.

  1. We recommend at least three years in rank between Senior Instructor and Principal Instructor, but promotion is not simply a function of time in rank.
  2. Promotion from Senior Instructor to Principal Instructor requires a record of distinction.  Typically, this includes evidence that the Senior Instructor has had a major positive impact on the disciplinary unit (or at the college and/or university level) and its students (e.g. on pedagogy and curriculum).  Evidence of exemplary performance constituting a record of distinction could include, but would not be limited to the following:
    1. Consistently strong teaching metrics as demonstrated by FCQs
    2. Peer evaluations of teaching in multiple contexts
    3. Letters from students, including from graduates, and/or feedback on Senior Exit Surveys
    4. Contributions to course and curriculum development
    5. Evidence of student engagement as evidenced, for example, through mentoring of students, service on honors thesis committees, etc.  
    6. Leadership and service that have an impact on the unit, school/college, campus, and/or national communities.
    7. Contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning, including the following:
      1. Contributions to local or national workshops on teaching
      2. Relevant publications such as textbooks, lab manuals, articles on pedagogy, etc.
      3. Work that improves teaching across multiple units
      4. Papers, posters, or presentations on pedagogical topics delivered at conferences
    8. Outreach to communities and partners beyond the university, including nonprofits, or marginalized groups, that draws upon the Instructor’s expertise.
    9. Practitioner experience that supplements a teaching career.

Non-Favorable Unit Vote

If a unit vote for reappointment is non-favorable (reappointment is not recommended), the unit Chair/Faculty Director will partner with College HR to supply a notice of non-favorable vote letter to be sent to the faculty member via email.

  • The faculty member will have 30 days to appeal to the Dean, who will provide a final recommendation.
  • The Dean will consider the recommendation of the Unit including the arguments and body of evidence, and render a written decision regarding the reappointment.

This procedure is not intended to restrict the rights of a teaching faculty to pursue other campus or university-level appeal processes to which they are entitled.

Revised August 2023
Assessment information to a separate website on May 25, 2022.