3.5 Guidelines for Promotion of Ranked Non-Tenure Track Faculty 

1. There are two main types of full-time, ranked NTT faculty in the Department of Communication. They would each have primary responsibility in a single area: teaching or research. The titles would identify the area. Within each area, there would be three ranks: 
   • Research faculty (Research Professor, Associate Research Professor, Assistant Research Professor) 
   • Teaching faculty (Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, Assistant Teaching Professor). 
2. Evaluation for promotion will be based on the workload of the appointment; 80% in the NTT faculty member’s area of focus, and 20% service, unless otherwise specified in an appointment letter. 

3.  Faculty on probationary appointment will receive annual reviews from the Department Chair. These letters should offer advice about progress toward promotion with specific recommendations for improvements if needed. 

4.  Preliminary Review Process: 

• Before applying for promotion to the associate rank, NTT faculty are encouraged to request a preliminary review. 
• When an NTT faculty member requests a preliminary review from the Department Chair the Department Chair in consultation with the Full-time, ranked, NTT faculty will select the preliminary review chair. 
• The faculty member will provide the preliminary review chair with a preliminary review dossier. The dossier will include a vita, copies of scholarly articles (if applicable), evidence of teaching effectiveness (if applicable; including peer teaching evaluations and student evaluation data for each year), and evidence of service. No external letters are solicited for the preliminary review. 
• The preliminary review chair will draft a review letter and submit the dossier and the letter to the tenured faculty and to full time NTT faculty of higher rank. 
• The entire tenured faculty and full time NTT faculty of higher rank will approve a final draft of the letter. 
• Copies of the final letter will be submitted to the Full-time, ranked, NTT faculty member, the chair, and the Dean of the College of Arts & Science. 

5. Promotion Process: 

• Assistant NTT faculty who have excelled in their primary responsibility for at least five years may be considered for promotion to the associate rank. Associate NTT faculty who have demonstrated extensive and sustained excellence for at least five years beyond the associate level may be considered for promotion to the rank of NTT professor. Candidates for promotion to either the associate or full level may be considered with less than five years of experience, but these cases are rare and should be restricted to truly exceptional cases.  
• If a faculty member hired in a new appointment wishes to count work completed prior to this appointment, be it at a previous institution or as part of an unranked (i.e., visiting, lecturer, etc.) appointment at the University of Missouri, that arrangement must be documented within the offer letter through the process of granting work and/or time toward the probationary period.  
• Candidates for NTT positions are expected to contribute to the campus or UM System and, when appropriate to the discipline, at the regional and/or national level. Examples include serving on campus-wide committees, presenting at campus or system level workshops or conferences, publishing a textbook, serving on regional or national accreditation teams, recognition by national professional organizations, etc. 
• To be eligible for promotion to NTT Associate Professor, the faculty member must do the following: 
• Have accumulated a sustained record of teaching/research/service.  
• Inform the department chair of a desire for promotion. 
• The promotion decision will be based on research or teaching and service, as agreed upon in the initial or subsequent appointment and as indicated in their NTT faculty title. 
• Candidates for promotion are strongly encouraged to include within their dossier information about their contributions to inclusion, diversity and equity in research and creative activity, teaching (including individual instruction and mentoring), clinical practice, extension, and/or service. Such evidence could be provided in personal statements about research and creative activity, teaching, service, etc., and/or in additional materials provided. Examples of activity related to diversity, inclusion, and equity include research on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, class, LGBTQIA inclusion, disability, and other forms of social difference related to systems and patterns of exclusion and inequality; participating in professional development programs, workshops, or trainings to enhance skills and knowledge of inclusive pedagogies or to enhance cultural diversity awareness; teaching Diversity Intensive courses or developing/implementing diversity-related curricular initiatives; mentoring underrepresented and/or marginalized colleagues, students, teaching assistants, or postdocs; recruiting and/or retention efforts focused on underrepresented minorities; service on departmental, college, and/or campus committees focused on inclusion, diversity, and equity. 

6. When determining excellence in teaching, candidates for promotion will provide the following: 

• An updated CV 
• Student evaluations (both scores and written comments) conducted in accordance with departmental and campus policies.  
• Peer evaluations of teaching that include observation and review of course materials. Peer evaluations should be conducted on a regular basis and should represent the range of courses taught. There should be between 4-6, and no more than 8, peer evaluations.  
• Information regarding how one’s teaching supports inclusion and diversity goals of the college and the university (e.g., curricular revision designed to be more inclusive, efforts to recruit and retain a diverse student body, implementation of inclusive pedagogy).  
• Evidence of teaching-related professional development. 
• Statement of teaching philosophy. 
• Other material that documents excellence in teaching should be included, if available. Examples include documentation of curriculum development, teaching or advising awards, information about individual instruction. 
   

7. Evidence of exceptional teaching commensurate with consideration for promotion with less than five years of experienceat current rank may include many (but need not include all) of the following:   

• Exceptional teaching evaluations characterized by overall effectiveness ratings consistently above departmental averages 
• An exceptionally large number of student credit hours generated  
• Peer teaching evaluations that make an especially strong case for promotion  
• Evidence of professional development well beyond general expectations. This could mean, for example, that the candidate exceeds expectations:  
  • With an exceptionally high quantity of professional development experiences  
  • With a qualitatively impressive set of professional development experiences (for example, by participating in highly rigorous, time intensive, and/or prestigious professional development activities)  
  • By leading professional development sessions for the department, campus, or field.  
  • Attending and presenting at conferences in area of teaching expertise to maintain up-to-date understanding of relevant field.  
• Evidence of exceptional commitment to the inclusion and diversity goals of the Department and University such as: 
  • Significant curriculum revision to include DEI content 
  • Development of Diversity Intensive courses  
  • Mentoring at the undergraduate, graduate, or peer level of individuals from groups that are historically underrepresented in the field or commonly face discrimination due to a group membership  
  • Substantial improvements in pedagogy to align teaching with best practices for inclusion and accessibility 
  • Attended professional development sessions to expand knowledge and capacity in the area of DEI  
  • Led professional development sessions to expand the knowledge and capacity of citizens of the Department, campus, or field in the area of DEI 
  • Provide evidence of high-impact (e.g., number of students to receive DEI curriculum revision; number of people to attend professional development session; number of students/peers mentored).  
• Other evidence of exceptional teaching such as:  
  • Teaching awards form the Department, campus, or field  
  • Documentation of curricular development 
  • Testimonials of unusual excellence in instruction (i.e., from peer evaluations or student feedback)  
  • Contributing to graduate education, for example, by serving on graduate committees and mentoring graduate students in research and teaching. 
  • Engagement in activities that contribute to the Departmental enhanced student experience by:  
    • Mentoring student research, honors students, or service learning 
    • Contributing to the study abroad experience  
    • Contributing to the internship experience 
    • Serving as a mentor to student organizations   
    • Publications and conference presentations focused on teaching, pedagogy, and content expertise.  ​​​​​​​

8. Candidates appointed as NTT Research Professors will be evaluated for excellence in research. When determining excellence in research, candidates will be evaluated according to the criteria outlined in Departmental Policy 3.31: Promotion and Tenure Publication Expectations.   

9. NTT faculty can contribute to service in one or more of the following areas: 

• The department, including serving on one-to-three department level committees and regularly attending faculty meetings and other departmental functions.  
• NTT faculty can also demonstrate excellence in service by administering departmental programs that are beyond the scope of their appointment (e.g., Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director of Online Program).  
• The field, including for example participating in academic conferences, holding service roles with international, national, regional, or area-specific organizations, conducting reviews for conferences and journals, and/or serving the field in other capacities.  
• The university and/or college, such as serving on a university or college level committee, assisting with campus events, or serving the campus community in some other way. 
• Although not a formal requirement, the department will consider service to the community in line with our flagship mission to bring our scholarly expertise to the state and beyond. 

Approved 10/6/2021