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APPENDIX F: College Documents for Fixed-Term Faculty

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Non-Tenure Clinical Educator Track

Faculty Appointment, Promotion and Tenure

[College of Nursing and Health Sciences]

 

Title:

 

All full-time faculty on non-tenure-track status within the Texas A&M International University Canseco School of Nursing will carry the title of Clinical Educator Faculty.

 

Criteria:

 

All appointment criteria will adhere to general regulations specified by the TAMUS and by Texas A&M International University and Canseco School of Nursing.

 

Definition:

 

  1. Non-tenure Clinical Educator Faculty perform professional service whose primary responsibilities are classroom teaching and providing clinical education and supervision of student instruction in a clinical setting.  Non-tenure track faculty members are expected to provide appropriate institutional service to meet the program development and other faculty responsibilities associated with the faculty teaching role at the Canseco School of Nursing and to the mission of Texas A&M International University.
  2. Non-tenure Clinical Educator Faculty members make substantial contributions in areas of teaching, service, and clinical practice.
  3. Non-tenure Clinical Educator Faculty may vote in all Canseco School of Nursing matters based on the Faculty Bylaws with the exception of matters related to tenure and promotion of tenured faculty members.

Appointment:

 

  1. Initial and subsequent contracts will be determined by the Dean of the Canseco School of Nursing in collaboration with the Texas A&M University Provost and President.
  2. Appointments may be made at the ranks of Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor.
  3. Clinical non-tenure appointments shall be for a period of one year for the first two years.  Subsequent appointments may be for a period of time up to three academic years.  Clinical appointments may be renewed within 12 months prior to expiration of the stated period of time of the contract.  Contract renewals and promotions will be based on the quality of the clinical educator faculty contributions within their primary responsibilities.
  4. Non-tenure Clinical Educator Faculty may request to move to the tenure track.  Approval of the change to the tenure track will be recommended by the Dean of the Canseco School of Nursing and determined by the Provost and President.  Time spent in the Non-tenure Clinical Educator Track shall not apply to the tenure probationary period.  Clinical educator faculty who move to the tenure track may subsequently request to return to the clinical track, but they may not subsequently request to return to the tenure track.
  5. If the request to move from clinical track to the tenure track is approved, the rank held in the clinical educator track shall not be determinative of the tenure track rank.
  6. Canseco School of Nursing faculty hired in a tenure-track position may request a move to the clinical educator track.  If the request is approved, the faculty member may request to return to a tenure-track position after a period of three years.
  7. All time spent in the tenure track is cumulative.
  8. If a tenure track faculty member is denied tenure, the faculty member may be appointed to the nontenure clinical educator track upon request and with the approval of the Dean of the Canseco School of Nursing.

 

Ranks:

Three non-tenure ranks are defined to accommodate the diverse contributions of the Canseco School of Nursing faculty.  Clinical educator faculty are expected to aid in the communication of new knowledge in an effective and scholarly way to students, colleagues, and other professional groups, and to facilitate or assist in the generation of new knowledge by their collegial relationship with other TAMIU faculty.

  1. Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing:  This rank is for those individuals who have completed a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and hold an unrestricted license to practice nursing in the state of Texas.  Individuals holding this rank are qualified as independent educators and are responsible for teaching and supervising students in the classroom and clinical setting.  They must be recognized by students, colleagues, and/or peers for clinical expertise and teaching abilities.  These faculty also carry significant service responsibilities on behalf of the Canseco School of Nursing within the School, University, community and profession.
  2. Clinical Associate Professor of Nursing:  This rank is for those individuals who have completed a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Ph.D. or other appropriate terminal degree with advanced practice certification and who hold an unrestricted license to practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse in the state of Texas.  Promotion to this rank requires excellence and creativity as an independent educator and teaching and supervising students in the classroom and clinical setting as demonstrated by local and/or regional reputation.  These faculty also carry significant service responsibilities on behalf of the Canseco School of Nursing, within the School, University, community and profession.  These faculty must demonstrate active scholarship of application in the form of grantsmanship and/or research to address issues in the School, community or clinical setting.
  3. Clinical Professor of Nursing:  This rank is for those individuals who have completed a Ph.D. or other appropriate terminal degree with advanced practice certification and who hold an unrestricted license to practice as an Advanced Practical Nurse in the state of Texas.  Promotion to Clinical Professor requires a regional reputation for clinical and teaching excellence and innovation, as well as a record of nationally recognized scholarship of application in the form of grantsmanship, research, and publication to address issues in the School, community, or clinical setting.  These faculty also carry significant service responsibilities on behalf of the Canseco School of Nursing within the School, University, community and profession.

 

Annual Review:

  1. All clinical educator faculty shall be reviewed annually following the same process as tenured and tenure-track faculty, including student, peer, self, and director evaluation in the four areas of teaching, scholarship, service, and clinical practice.
  2. Copies of all evaluations shall be placed in the faculty member’s personnel file and given to the clinical faculty member.

 

Promotion in Rank:

  1. Review of clinical educator faculty for promotion will be independent from the process used for tenure and/or promotion of tenure-track faculty.
  2. The Clinical Educator Promotion Committee (CEPC) will be composed of three members elected from the ranks of Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor.  If there are less than three faculty members in these ranks, tenured nursing faculty may be elected.
  3. The Canseco School of Nursing shall maintain written standards which detail expectations for promotion to each rank.  The standards must be approved by the Dean and voting members of the Canseco School of Nursing faculty.  A copy of these standards shall be made available to all faculty.
  4. Clinical educator faculty may request promotion in rank by submitting a letter to the Dean of the School of Nursing.  A copy of the letter will go to the CEPC.  A minimum of three years in rank is required to request promotion to the next rank.  Faculty members who are denied promotion remain in their current rank and may request promotion in subsequent year(s).
  5. Candidates for promotion will meet with the Dean of the Canseco School of Nursing to discuss requests for promotion, promotion criteria and process, and both tenure and non-tenure-track options.

 

 

Promotion Review Process:

  1. Each candidate for promotion will submit a dossier to the CEPC by February 1 of the year requesting promotion.  The dossier for promotion in clinical educator rank must include the following:
    1. A copy of the letter to the Dean of the Canseco School of Nursing requesting promotion in rank.
    2. Current curriculum vita.
    3. Copies of the last three Professional Performance Profiles.
    4. Copies of the Dean of the Canseco School of Nursing, self, student, and peer teaching and clinical evaluations.
    5. Documentation of Nursing Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
    6. Letters of documentation from three individuals speaking to the quality of contributions and accomplishments of the faculty member.  Letters may address one or more areas.  Candidates are responsible for assuring that the areas of teaching, clinical teaching and supervision of students in the clinical area, scholarship of application, service to the Canseco School of Nursing, University, community, and profession, and clinical expertise are documented as outlined by the criteria for promotion.  At least one of the letters shall be from outside the Canseco School of Nursing and at least one from outside the University.
    7. The CEPC will meet, review the dossier, and forward its recommendation to the Dean of the School of Nursing by March 1.
    8. The Dean will review the recommendation and forward the Dean’s recommendation to the Office of the Provost by April 1.
    9. The candidate will be notified of recommendations at each step of the process.
    10. The Provost will advise the candidate of the final decision on promotion.

Fixed-Term Professional Track Librarians

Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library

 

Title:

 

All librarians not appointed as tenured or tenure-track faculty (as per the TAMIU Faculty Handbook) will carry the title of Professional Track Faculty.  These faculty are appointed under TAMUS Policy 12.07.

 

Criteria:

 

All appointment criteria will adhere to general regulations specified by the TAMUS and by Texas A&M International University and Killam Library.

 

Definition:

 

Library faculty have three areas of responsibility, as defined in the TAMIU Faculty Handbook: professional assignment, professional enrichment, and service.  The responsibilities of professional track librarians will be detailed in their individual position descriptions, under the following guidelines:

 

  1. Professional assignment incorporates the regular professional duties of librarians, including but not limited to providing library services, acquiring and organizing library collections, managing and updating databases and other electronic applications, supervising staff, and library assessment.  Professional assignment duties are position-specific and must be described in detail in the position description.
  2. Professional enrichment incorporates professional development, applied research, and scholarly and creative activities.  Professional track librarians must remain current in the profession and develop new expertise as needed to be successful in performing professional assignment responsibilities.  Any additional professional enrichment requirements would be position-specific and described in detail in the position description.
  3. Service includes participation in library governance and on library committees and task forces to accomplish collaborative projects in the library.  Service on campus committees and participation as faculty in shared institutional governance is optional (professional track librarians have the same voting rights and the same right to serve on committees as other non-tenured faculty).
  4. In general, the responsibilities of and expectations for professional track faculty will not exceed those of tenure-track or tenured faculty.  Exceptions can be made for faculty whose responsibilities are almost entirely in one area (professional assignment, professional enrichment, or service) to the near-exclusion of the others.

Appointment:

 

  1. Initial and subsequent contracts will be determined by the Director of the Killam Library in collaboration with the Texas A&M International University Provost and President.
  2. Appointments may be made at the ranks of Assistant Professional Track Librarian, Associate Professional Track Librarian, and Senior Professional Track Librarian.
  3. Initial professional track appointments shall be for a period of three years.  Professional track appointments may be renewed at any time prior to the final year of appointment.  Renewals will be for a period of five years, beginning in the year after the renewal decision was made.  The Library Director will solicit the input of a librarian’s peers in making any decision regarding renewal, and renewals must be approved by the Provost.
  4. Professional track librarians may request to move to the tenure track.  Approval of the change to the tenure track will be recommended by the Director of the Killam Library and determined by the Provost and President.  Time spent in the professional track shall not apply to the tenure probationary period.  Professional track librarians who move to the tenure track may subsequently request to return to the professional track, but they may not subsequently request to return to the tenure track.
  5. If the request to move from professional track to the tenure track is approved, the rank held in the professional track shall not be determinative of the tenure track rank.
  6. Librarians hired in tenure-track positions may request a move to the professional track, to be approved by the Library Director and the majority of the library faculty.  If the request is approved, the librarian may request to return to a tenure-track position after a period of three years.
  7. All time spent in the tenure track is cumulative.
  8. If a tenure track librarian is denied tenure, the librarian may be appointed to the professional track upon request and with the approval of the Director of the Killam Library and the majority of the library faculty.

 

Ranks:

Three non-tenure ranks are defined to accommodate the diverse contributions of the Killam Library faculty.

  1. Assistant Professional Track Librarian:  This is the entry level rank for fixed term librarian positions.  Assistant Professional Track Librarians must have an earned MLS or equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited program; must demonstrate a basic knowledge of librarianship, professional responsibilities, and a willingness to assist library patrons; must maintain and update professional knowledge and expertise required for assigned responsibilities, and must participate in library governance and collaborative activities.
  2. Associate Professional Track Librarian:  Librarians in this rank must meet all the criteria for Assistant Professional Track Librarians, and must demonstrate a broad knowledge of librarianship in general and an in-depth knowledge of the parts of the field that apply to his or her professional assignment responsibilities; must assist in the training of new librarians and/or other employees, and demonstrate consistently meritorious professional performance; must pursue opportunities for professional development and contribute innovative programs and procedures to the library; and must be active in library governance.  Scholarly and creative activities and service to the university, profession, and community may also be considered toward promotion to the Associate rank.
  3. Senior Professional Track Librarian:  This is the summit rank conferred on fixed term librarians, ordinarily after their performance has been considered exemplary over a period of many years.  Senior Professional Track Librarians must consistently provide leadership in improving library collections and services, in professional development for themselves and for other librarians, in library governance, in university affairs, and in the library profession (at least at the local / regional level).

 

Annual Review:

  1. All professional track librarians shall be reviewed annually following the same process as tenured and tenure-track librarians.
  2. Copies of all evaluations shall be placed in the librarian’s personnel file and given to the librarian.

 

Promotion in Rank:

  1. Review of professional track librarians for promotion will be independent from the process used for tenure and/or promotion of tenure-track faculty.
  2. The Professional Track Librarian Promotion Committee (PTLPC) will be composed of three members elected from the ranks of Associate Professional Track Librarian and Senior Professional Track Librarian.  If there are less than three faculty members in these ranks, tenured library faculty may be elected.
  3. Killam Library shall maintain written standards which detail expectations for promotion to each rank.  The standards must be approved by the Library Director and voting members of the library faculty.  A copy of these standards shall be made available to all faculty.
  4. Professional track library faculty may request promotion in rank by submitting a letter to the Library Director.  A copy of the letter will go to the PTLPC.  A minimum of five years in rank is required to request promotion to the next rank.  Faculty members who are denied promotion remain in their current rank and may request promotion in subsequent year(s).
  

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