Approved 11/24/03 by the Administrative Council
Update approved 9/11/06
Reviewed and still accurate as of 7/1/2023
Tenured and tenure-track faculty in the College of Engineering and Applied Science are expected to be effective contributors in teaching, research and service. For the purposes of annual merit evaluation, the efforts and accomplishments of these faculty are normally assessed according to the standard formula of 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service.
It is noted, however, that the proportions of teaching, research and service may vary within a full assignment, depending on individual circumstances and the particular needs of a faculty member’s unit. Thus, variations in assessment weightings may be made by written agreement between a faculty member and his/her Department Chair or Program Director within the ranges of 40 ± 15% teaching, 40 ± 15% research, and 20 ± 10% service. For a faculty member who takes a one-semester leave primarily for research (e.g., sabbatical, faculty fellowship, tech-transfer activity) during an evaluation year, these ranges become 25 ± 10% teaching, 60 ± 15% research, and 15 ± 10% service for the year. For such a leave during an entire evaluative year, the ranges are 10 ± 10% teaching, 80 ± 20% research, and 10 ± 10% service.
Annual evaluation weightings outside of the ranges cited above require a written request and justification by the faculty member, with signed approval by the Chair or Director and the Dean. These exceptions are generally restricted to administrative appointments and to senior faculty with a short-term emphasis on teaching, research or service to meet a particular need or for career development.
In all cases, proportionate adjustments in performance expectations will be made when a faculty member’s weightings for annual evaluation are different from the standard 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service. For example, a faculty member with a 55% weight in teaching would be expected to have a differentiated workload that emphasizes teaching, such as serving as instructor for one more class each year than a faculty member with a 40% weight in teaching. Similarly, a faculty member with a higher weight in research would be expected to place a greater emphasis on research and scholarly work, and have higher productivity measures, than a faculty member with the standard weighting in research. For those tenured faculty whose engagement in research is less than the norm, the Chair or Director may assign additional teaching or service responsibilities so that a full contribution to the needs of the unit is made.