Procedures for Promotion of a Professional
Procedures for Promotion of Faculty
Promotion of Faculty (Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor) 
Policy Guidelines for Faculty Promotion
Reclassification of Classified Staff

Procedures for Promotion of a Professional
Contact Human Resource Management at ext. 3042 for information about the college’s policies and internal procedures, forms, and guidance on requesting reclassification or promotion of a professional employee. 

Detailed information may be found online regarding the Memoranda of Understanding between State University of New York and United University Professions relating to systems of evaluation and promotion for professional employees.

Procedures for Promotion of Faculty

1. Each professional staff member holding academic rank desiring to be considered for promotion will complete the Promotion Recommendation Form and return it to the department chair.
2. The appropriate department committee will review each completed form in accordance with the criteria of the Policies of the Board of Trustees and specific procedures developed by the individual department.
3. The department chair, in conference with each candidate for promotion who requests such a meeting, will review his/her form and recommendations. A copy of the chair's recommendation will be given to the candidate for promotion at the time of the conference. The appropriate department committee will review the promotion application if the candidate for promotion requests such action. Should the committee deem it necessary, a conference of the department chair and the committee will be arranged.
4. Recommendations on promotion will be forwarded by the department chair to the dean of the faculty for his/her recommendations.*
5. Faculty personnel committees, where they exist, shall review applications for promotion and submit their recommendations to the dean of the faculty for transmittal to the vice president.
6. The deans of the faculties will forward recommendations on all promotions to the vice president for academic affairs for his/her recommendations.*If a dean rejects any of the recommendations for promotion made by department chairs or a departmental committee, the vice president for academic affairs will schedule a meeting with that dean, the department chair, and the appropriate department committee. At that meeting a careful and full review of the case will take place.
7. The vice president for academic affairs will forward recommendations to the president.*
8. The president will notify in writing each individual who has applied for promotion as to whether the promotion has been approved or denied.*
9. The individual faculty member may request a review of the president's action and may be accompanied for this review by his/her department chairs, chair of the appropriate department committee, and the dean of his/her faculty.

*Dates by which these actions must be taken will be published annually in the administrative calendar. 

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Promotion of Faculty

1. Consult depart by-laws and Academic Affairs policy and procedures regarding promotion. 
   (Policy Guidelines for Promotion) 
2. Receive supporting documentation from employee regarding promotion. 
3. Submit recommendation to promote employee to department personnel committee for review. 
4. Receive recommendation form department personnel committee and prepare a Request for Faculty Personnel Action Form. 
5. Review department personnel committee's recommendation and Request Form with employee. Secure employee's signature, attach all required documentation, and route for approval. 
6. Receive fully approved Request Form, update the employee's records and file. 

Buffalo State College Directory of Policy Statements 
Policy Number: VI:05:01, dated October 5, 1989 

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Policy Guidelines for Faculty Promotion

General Statement
Three major promotion criteria are outlined in the Board of Trustees Policies: 

1. Effectiveness in Teaching 
2. Scholarly Ability 
3. University and Public Service 

Scholarly ability will be evaluated in the context of the approved departmental statement on research, scholarship, and creative activity. The other two criteria, mastery of subject matter and continued growth, are interrelated with the major criteria in the forms of sustained contributions and demonstrated excellence. 

Instructor
The rank of "instructor" should be used for a full-time academic appointment when a regular (i.e., not "qualified") appointment is appropriate but the candidate is minimally short of the requirements for an assistant professor, i.e., absent of a finished terminal degree or absent minimal experience in fields traditionally requiring a terminal master's degree plus experience prior to the assistant professorship. The initial appointment may be for two years, but reappointment should normally be for not more than one year. Initial appointments for those who are some years away from the terminal degree might better be made in a lecturer rank so that the faculty member can have sufficient time after the terminal degree, but prior to the determination of continuing status, in which to build scholarly credentials. 

Promotion to Rank of Assistant Professor
Assistant professor is the normal beginning rank for a faculty member with a terminal degree or its equivalent and less than five years' experience elsewhere. A person promoted to the rank has established himself or herself as being qualified in the discipline/profession. In addition, there is the expectation that the person has the potential for achieving excellence in the discipline/profession and for attaining the highest rank in the department. 

The "terminal degree" is a doctorate in most fields but may be the master's in certain applied and studio fields. Some departments may require a doctorate for certain posts and less than a doctorate for others, depending on the particular teaching and scholarly expectations. 

1. Teaching - The person demonstrates knowledge of the discipline/profession, skills of pedagogy, including clear and precise communication and methods of instruction, and interest in the educational achievements of students. The person should provide the following evidence: syllabi which reflect the use of contemporary sources; a good correlation of method, content, and student interest and need; student evaluation appropriate to the course objectives and academic standards of the institution; and other appropriate indices of teaching effectiveness. 

2. Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity - In the area of scholarship, research, and creative activity, competency is demonstrated by completing successfully a doctoral dissertation or project that is required for the terminal degree. In addition, there should be some indication from the individual that he or she will continue scholarly/creative work. 

3. Public, University, and Professional Service - The person demonstrates a willingness to serve the department, college, university, community, and discipline/profession by participating on departmental program and service committees, by providing students regularly with accurate academic advisement and information about college services, and by involvement in community service activities and professional organizations. 

Promotion to Rank of Associate Professor
Promotion to associate professor requires both a high and a consistent level of performance on all of the Trustees' Policies criteria. Evaluation and recommendation for promotion to associate professor and for continuing appointment will normally take place within the same cycle of departmental, faculty, and administrative considerations. Although the Trustees' Policies do not permit continuing appointment being made contingent upon promotion to associate professor, or vice versa, a recommendation for one substantially reinforces a recommendation for the other. 

1. Teaching - The person's teacher effectiveness dossier evidences continued excellence in the classroom in the rank of assistant professor. This is to be done in the following ways: 

1. By demonstrating that courses taught are in a continuous state of development and reflect extensive and current resources. 
2. By undertaking successfully new course assignments; by designing, developing, and successfully teaching new courses not previously part of a department's offerings; and by participating successfully in the college-wide instruction programs. 
3. By providing whole-class student evaluations of teaching effectiveness in a variety of courses over a reasonable period of time since appointment or promotion to the rank of assistant professor. 
4. By confirmation of teaching excellence by departmental colleagues who are directly familiar with the person's work. 
5. By demonstrating consistent and successful involvement with independent studies, research projects, final major student works, and/or theses.

2. Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity - The person has advanced significantly in the area of scholarship beyond the level of assistant professor. This progress is demonstrated by providing the following evidence: 

1. Scholarly/creative work or performance record beyond that demonstrated for the terminal degree. (There should be evidence that the person promoted to the rank of associate professor has completed substantial work in new or continuing investigations that demonstrate a cohesive line of thought in the discipline.) 
2. Scholarship, creative works, and performance record (documented in visual media or through reviews) should be national in scope. (Reputation of the journals, sources of reviews, and extent of the performance record will be an important consideration.) 
3. Significant work/research conducted, but not yet published, can also be provided at this stage of professional development. (The significance of the creative research/work should be attested to by reputable and established individuals in the field. It is important in these cases to attain a number of objective evaluations that testify to the quality and the value of the research, product, or performance.) 
4. Invitations (particularly if unsolicited) to give readings, presentations, exhibitions, demonstrations, or workshops at major conferences, institutes, or universities should also be included. 
5. Grants, awards, and particularly the quality of the works resulting from them are important for promotion to associate professor. 

3. Public, University, and Professional Service - The person ought to be able to demonstrate excellence on a continuous basis in the area of service during the period of tenure as assistant professor. This is demonstrated by providing the following evidence: 

1. Increased administrative responsibilities and major leadership roles. (The important point is that the assistant professor has consistently played an active and constructive role in departmental meetings and committees and in college-wide service, including academic advisement, recruiting, and in student service activities. 
2. Substantive letters of recommendation which cite and describe the success of specific contributions in providing initiative and direction in committee efforts. 
3. Active role in the resolution of issues in professional and/or community organizations.

Those assistant professors already holding continuing appointments should be considered periodically for promotion, at least by their chairs and deans. Although not all of these assistant professors on continuing appointment can be expected to be promoted, chairs and deans should consider each case and discuss with the candidate whatever criteria are still being insufficiently met, to the end of facilitating the promotion to associate professor of those "tenured assistants" that are meeting our expectations for promotion and continuing status. 

Promotion to Rank of Professor
The promotion to professor should signal maturity and demonstrated excellence as scholar, teacher, and contributing member of the college. Promotion to professor demands substantial and sustained growth and evidence of contributions beyond the level upon which promotion to associate professor was based. There are no hard and fast rules for time in rank or promotion to the next higher rank, and faculty may apply for promotion at any time. 

1. Teaching - The person must demonstrate continued excellence in the classroom in the rank of associate professor. This is to be done in the following ways: 

1. By demonstrating that the courses taught are in a continuous state of development and provide students with extensive resources. 
2. By undertaking successfully new course assignments and by designing, developing, and successfully teaching new courses not previously part of curricular offerings. 
3. By providing whole-class evaluations in a variety of courses since promotion to the rank of associate professor. 
4. Confirmation of teaching excellence by departmental colleagues who are directly familiar with the person's work. 
5. Evidence of a major contribution to the department or college-wide instructional program. 
6. External assessment/reviews of student accomplishments/creative works which have a direct link to the faculty member.

2. Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity - Accomplishment in this area should be significantly greater than was expected to achieve the rank of associate professor. There should be evidence of new and more sophisticated levels of achievement. Successful research has led by now to publication or creative work which has been subject to further review. Furthermore, the significance of the person's accomplishment is attested to by peers and reputable figures in the field away from campus. 

1. Recognition of the quality of the work (publications, works of art, or performance record) should be made evident and available in the form of reviews, comments, and citations in the works of others; direct letters of assessment by recognized authorities off campus solicited by the department and by the candidate; and such evidence as invitations from leaders in the field to contribute to publications, conferences, and exhibitions, to serve on editorial boards, to review books, etc. (Reputation of the place--journal, gallery, theatre--in which the articles, research projects, poems, short stories, works, etc., have appeared will be an important consideration, as will the publishers or sponsors.) 
2. Honors or awards serve to recognize the person's contributions for long-term work in the field and/or new interpretations and applications of research. 

3. Public, University, and Professional Service - Accomplishment in this area should be significantly greater than was expected to achieve the rank of associate professor. Not only has the person consistently played a constructive role in departmental meetings, committee, academic advisement, and in college-wide faculty governance since the last promotion, he or she is now accepting leadership roles in the department, the college, and the profession. This is demonstrated by providing the following evidence: 

1. Increased complexity in administrative duties. (For example, the person has chaired a variety of committees, both inside and outside the department.) 
2. The excellence of his or her contributions to the committees is testified to by colleagues and can be illustrated in tangible ways. 
3. The work/product of the committees is exemplary and significant to the college or organization.

As a general guideline, from associate to professor could come as quickly as four or five years after promotion for the most exceptional faculty, i.e., those who are clearly outstanding on all promotional criteria. Most associate professors should aspire to and seek promotion to full professorial status from six to ten years after their promotion to associate status. Those associate professors whose further growth is undistinguished or poorly balanced (i.e., very strong on some promotional criteria but undistinguished on others) may expect to serve longer as associate professor before promotion to professor. Some associate professors can be expected never to become professors. 

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Reclassification of Classified Staff

1. Employee or supervisor contacts Human Resource Management to discuss reclassification of the incumbent’s position.  Please note the following elements are not considered as reclassification factors according to the New York State Department of Civil Service Division of Classification & Compensation:

• The employee has passed an examination for a higher position.
• The employee has reached the maximum of the salary grade.
• Comparison with other jobs when those jobs are improperly classified.
• Unusual diligence or hard work.
• Volume of work produced by an employee.
• Relative efficiency.
• Qualification of the individual beyond the minimum required by the duties to be performed.
• Recruitment difficulty.
• Length of service or seniority.
• Financial need.
• Personality or gender.
• Approaching retirement.

2. Human Resource Management will determine the employees eligibility for promotion by reviewing civil service lists. Employees not eligible for promotion due to their rank on the controlling list will be so advised. If the employee is reachable, the incumbent or supervisor completes a job description detailing the current or proposed duties. A memo highlighting changes, which support reclassification, is provided. A current organization chart accompanies the request. This entire package is sent to Human Resource Management. 
3. The Manager of Employment & Classification will analyze the material submitted and as necessary, meet with the supervisor or incumbent to seek additional information. 

• If a decision is made to reclassify the position, the Manager of Employment & Classification will meet with the supervisor and the employee and explain the subsequent changes in the incumbent’s status. A written notice requesting vice presidential approval is sent to the appropriate vice president.
• If a decision is made not to reclassify, the decision and supporting logic are communicated to the department. The supervisor or incumbent may respond to the information provided. If information is provided, it will be considered and a determination made by the Manager of Employment & Classification.
• Human Resource Management will forward the reclassification package to the Department of Classification & Compensation in Albany. HRM will receive the determination form Classification & Compensation and advise the employee and supervisor.

4. The supervisor will complete a Current Employee Change Form and a new Performance Program and route for approval. 
5. File the fully approved Change Form and update employee and department records. 

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