Promotion and Tenure Procedures, Indigenous Studies Program

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DOCUMENT TYPE:

Procedure

PURPOSE:

To articulate the standards and procedures for promotion and/or tenure for the Indigenous Studies Program.

APPLIES TO:

Faculty within the Indigenous Studies Program.

CAMPUS:

Lawrence

PROCEDURE STATEMENT:

GENERAL PROVISIONS 

Scope and Purpose. The award of tenure and/or promotion in rank are among the most important and far-reaching decisions made by the Program because an excellent faculty is an essential component of any outstanding institution of higher learning. Promotion and tenure decisions also have a profound effect on the lives and careers of faculty. Recommendations concerning promotion and tenure must be made carefully, based upon a thorough examination of the candidate’s record and the impartial application of these criteria and procedures, established in compliance with the Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations (FSRR) Article VI. 

It is the purpose of this document to promote the rigorous and fair evaluation of faculty performance during the promotion and tenure process by (a) establishing criteria that express the Program’s expectations for meeting University standards in terms of disciplinary practices; (b) providing procedures for the initial evaluation of teaching, scholarship, and service; (c) preserving and enhancing the participatory rights of candidates, including the basic right to be informed about critical stages of the process and to have an opportunity to respond to negative evaluations; and (d) clarifying the responsibilities, roles, and relationships of the participants in the promotion and tenure review process. 

Each level of review, including the initial review, the intermediate review, and the University-level review, conducts an independent evaluation of a candidate’s record of performance and makes independent recommendations to the next review level. Later stages of review neither affirm nor reverse earlier recommendations, which remain part of the record for consideration by the Chancellor. It is the responsibility of each person involved in the review process to exercise their own judgment to evaluate a faculty member’s teaching, scholarship, and service based upon the entirety of the data and information in the record. No single source of information, such as peer review letters, shall be considered a conclusive indicator of quality.  

Additionally, the Indigenous Studies Program broadly acknowledges that institutions of higher education were historically tools of colonialism intended for non-Indigenous settlers' purposes of conquest and settlement. Yet, Indigenous Studies scholars must work within these systems, at times challenging the systems themselves, to obtain influence and rank in society. Furthermore, the Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Kansas shares an intertribal community with Haskell Indian Nations University, an institution originally designed as a boarding school to erase cultural and linguistic traditions. These historical traumas are inherently tied to the research, service, and teaching responsibilities for faculty in the field of Indigenous Studies, as well as the populations faculty and staff work with. Additionally, the status quos of these systems are still heavily Eurocentric in nature, and this can create tension in the field of Indigenous Studies because Indigenous methodologies in teaching, scholarship, and service can be deeply connected to non-Western philosophies, epistemologies, ontologies, and axiologies. Often, this can create tensions and misunderstandings when Indigenous Studies faculty are working their way through the promotion and tenure processes and being reviewed by faculty of rank who are less familiar with the field of Indigenous Studies. Broadly speaking, these unique and specific perspectives are considered throughout the promotion and tenure process, particularly when faculty are aligning their teaching, scholarship, and/or service with specific Indigenous communities and prioritizing the knowledges and priorities of those communities in their work--a common standard of rigor in the international field of Indigenous Studies. Overall, there is an acknowledgment that Indigenous Studies teaching, scholarship, and service can look very different than Western traditions of academia.  

Academic Freedom. All faculty members, regardless of rank, are entitled to academic freedom in relation to teaching and scholarship, and the right as citizens to speak on matters of public concern. Likewise, all faculty members, regardless of rank, bear the obligation to exercise their academic freedom responsibly and in accordance with the accepted standards of their academic disciplines. 

Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest. Consideration and evaluation of a faculty member’s record is a confidential personnel matter. Only those persons eligible to vote on promotion and tenure may participate in or observe deliberations or have access to the personnel file (except that clerical staff may assist in the preparation of documents under conditions that assure confidentiality). 

No person shall participate in any aspect of the promotion and tenure process concerning a candidate when participation would create a clear conflict of interest or compromise the impartiality of an evaluation or recommendation. 

If a candidate believes there is a conflict of interest, the candidate may petition to have that person recuse themself. If a committee member does not recuse themself, a decision about whether that person has a conflict of interest shall be made by a majority of the other committee members.

PROMOTION AND TENURE STANDARDS 

General Principles. The University strives for a consistent standard of quality against which the performance of all faculty members is measured. Nonetheless, the nature of faculty activities varies across the University and a faculty member’s record must be evaluated considering their particular responsibilities and the expectations of the discipline. These criteria state the Indigenous Studies Program’s expectations of performance in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service necessary to satisfy the University standards for promotion for the award of tenure and/or promotion to associate professor and for promotion to full professor, or equivalent ranks. 

Teaching and scholarship should normally be given primary consideration, but the weight to be accorded to each component of a faculty member’s activities depends on the responsibilities of the faculty member. The College has traditionally recognized the 40-40-20 formula for weighting research, teaching, and service, except when weight is differentiated for unclassified academic staff members pursuant to their job description. 

All prospective faculty members applying for tenure have an option to request two tenured ISP faculty or affiliate faculty mentors be appointed by the Director of Indigenous Studies who can assist, edit, and advise a faculty member's candidacy toward tenure. The mentors can set deadlines, assist with draft versions of statements, review potential publications, and assist with key deadlines to help prepare an assistant-level professor for promotion to associate or tenured status. Mentors can also write letters of support and help to evaluate teaching, research, and service.  

Teaching. Teaching is a primary function of the University, which strives to provide an outstanding education for its students. The evaluation of teaching includes consideration of syllabi, course materials, and other information related to a faculty member’s courses; peer and student evaluations; a candidate’s own statement of teaching philosophy and goals; public representations of teaching; and other accepted methods of evaluation, which may include external evaluations. 

High-quality teaching is serious intellectual work grounded in a deep knowledge and understanding of the field and includes the ability to convey that understanding in clear and engaging ways. The conduct of classes is the central feature of teaching responsibilities at KU, but teaching also includes supervising student research and clinical activities, mentoring and advising students, and other teaching-related activities outside the classroom. 

Under the University standards for the award of tenure and/or promotion to associate professor, the record must demonstrate effective teaching, as reflected in such factors as command of the subject matter, the ability to communicate effectively in the classroom, a demonstrated commitment to student learning, and involvement in providing advice and support for students outside the classroom. 

In the Indigenous Studies Program, the following teaching expectations to meet University standards also apply for the award of tenure and/or promotion to the rank of associate professor: 

  • Effective teaching of at least one course per semester (considering the standard .50 FTE appointment in the Program), with exceptions for approved leaves or reduced teaching loads. 
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in teaching courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate level, evidenced by, though not exclusively, student and peer teaching evaluations and participation in activities that enhance and improve their pedagogical abilities, as needed. 
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in advising evidenced by, though not exclusively, successfully chairing or mentoring undergraduate research and/or honors theses, and graduate student research. 

Under the University standards for promotion to the rank of professor, the record must demonstrate continued effectiveness and growth as a teacher, as reflected in such factors as mastery of the subject matter, strong classroom teaching skills, an ongoing commitment to student learning, and active involvement in providing advice and support for students outside the classroom. 

In the Indigenous Studies Program, the following teaching expectations to meet University standards also apply for the promotion to the rank of professor: 

  • Continued effectiveness and growth as a teacher of at least one course per semester (considering the standard .50 FTE appointment in the Program), with exceptions for approved leaves or reduced teaching loads. 
  • Continued effectiveness and growth as a teacher at the undergraduate and/or graduate level, evidenced by, though not exclusively, student and peer teaching evaluations and participation in activities to enhance and improve their pedagogical abilities, as needed. It is recommended that peer review occurs once if not twice a year by senior faculty members. All peer reviews on teaching must be discussed with the faculty member under review before being added to their faculty file. 
  • Continued effectiveness in and commitment to advising, evidenced by, though not exclusively, successfully chairing or mentoring undergraduate research and/or honors theses, and graduate student research. 
  • The Teaching component of the tenure review file must include a teaching statement, evidence of student and peer evaluations (minimum of 2 faculty peer evaluations), descriptions about special programs/grants/community-engaged projects, seminars, or symposia created by the faculty that expands teaching in their field(s). 

Scholarship. The concept of “scholarship” encompasses not only traditional academic research and publication, but also the creation of artistic works or performances and any other products or activities accepted by the academic discipline as reflecting scholarly effort and achievement for purposes of promotion and tenure. While the nature of scholarship varies among disciplines, the University adheres to a consistently high standard of quality in its scholarly activities to which all faculty members, regardless of discipline, are held. 

As mentioned previously we also recognize that the history of colonization, conquest, and erasure are inherently connected to institutions of education, such as ours. As an Indigenous Studies Program we inherently acknowledge that patterns of publication and scholarship may diverge from the traditions of western academia. Therefore, faculty coming from varied backgrounds may experience different patterns of publication and scholarship. As an example, our faculty are often asked to contribute more op-eds, reviews, professional statements, and other forms of expertise as journals and professional societies work to address biases and inequities of the past. With the efforts of the academy to bring varied perspectives to enhance rigor, we recognize that ISP faculty are often called on for more service work both on and off campus, including providing ongoing and emergency support to colleagues, faculty and students. Many of our colleagues who work with unique communities and on issues of  urgency, are called on by professional societies, the media, and the public early in their career. They may be on panels, planning committees, administrative roles, etc. much earlier than their colleagues in other fields. They may be called upon to speak about controversial topics related to social critique much earlier than discussing their actual research and often for public-facing venues outside professional and scholarly settings. The ISP program values these activities. While this does not mean that individuals from different backgrounds will be judged by a different standards of rigor, we recognize that faculty backgrounds and perspectives may result in unique patterns of publication and scholarship, which should be taken into account when looking at the total body of labor in trying to produce impact across multiple communities. In other words, we value many interpretations of rigor and impact, which may differ from other disciplines in academia, which is inherently part of the field of Indigenous Studies.  

In the Indigenous Studies Program, scholarship is defined as the study of cultural, social, and natural/physical phenomena (and any combination thereof) that comprise the ecosphere of Indigenous Peoples and lands. The Program expects faculty to make the study of Indigenous issues a focus of their research. Faculty members are expected to use methodological standards of particular disciplines in addition to demonstrating an effort to use frameworks and methods that transcend disciplinary boundaries. Such research may include critical evaluations and artistic creations as appropriate to the faculty member’s disciplinary training and is expected to culminate in some combination of books, referred journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings papers, grants, reports (reviewed by community organizations, nonprofits, government agencies, Native Nations, etc.) and other similar works. Submissions that are currently under review may also be included for consideration, and the labor and effort of these manuscripts will be assessed with consideration to the broader context of potential future contributions to the field. These manuscripts may also be assessed with some consideration to the degree in which they are approaching full publication (under review, accepted, in press, etc.). Faculty members are also expected to show leadership in research. Leadership is often demonstrated through, but not limited to, PI and co-PI status on grants and primary and/or senior authorship on publications, participation on grant proposal review panels and other review boards, reviewing book proposals and journal manuscripts, serving as external members for tenure/promotion review committees, and editorial positions. Furthermore, Indigenous Studies faculty mentorship contributions are also considered in the evaluation process, which can be demonstrated through shared publications, grant submissions, joint academic presentations, student award nominations, and more.  

Under the University standards for the award of tenure and/or promotion to the rank of associate professor, the record must demonstrate a successfully developing scholarly career, as reflected in such factors as the quality and quantity of publications or creative activities, external reviews of the candidate’s work by respected scholars or practitioners in the field, the candidate’s regional, national, or international reputation, and other evidence of an active and productive scholarly agenda. 

In the Indigenous Studies Program, the following scholarship expectations to meet University standards apply for the award of tenure and/or promotion to the rank of associate professor:  

  • The study of Indigenous issues as a focus of the faculty member’s research. 
  • Publication of research results. While there is no strictly enforced number of publications, obtaining the rank of associate professor with tenure is evidenced typically by publication of, on average, the equivalent of one or more journal publications per year in peer-reviewed outlets appropriate to the faculty member’s research area. The Indigenous Studies Program recognizes that faculty member publications may take a wide variety of forms, including but not limited to, monographs, edited volumes, chapters, articles, reports, databases, exhibits, and other creative products; the quality of publications may be judged by, though not limited to, external review letters, citation records, journal impact factors, and stature of presses. 
  • Presentations of research to professional audiences. 
  • Pursuit of research support from internal or external public or private funding organizations, as appropriate to the candidate’s area of research. 
  • Academic mentorship activities associated with any of the above endeavors.  

In addition: 

  • ISP candidates for promotion and tenure should reflect the most current trends in research and practice that inform the field of Indigenous Studies and model modes of alternative representation. A candidate’s research can reflect scholarship as well as teaching practice, which leads to scholarly activities, teaching, curriculum, and service that can make a significant contribution to Indigenous communities and nations.  
  • ISP recognizes that publication forms and forums in the field of Indigenous Studies are quite diverse and vary widely within the field. As an interdisciplinary field it is not desirable to set a numerical quota or bar on the total number of publications or creative projects necessary for tenure/promotion to associate professor or promotion to full professor. It is critical that each candidate focuses on quality over quantity of publications or other research forms. Faculty must demonstrate their excellence in research through works-in-progress, publications, government- or community-reviewed reports, conference/meeting presentations, performances, creative projects, curriculum development, community involvement, digital, or public humanities projects. Each of these activities designated as research for the individual faculty member requires documentation evaluating the quality of these endeavors by experts in their respective research area.  
  • ISP weighs creative expressions (poetry, creative writing, oral histories, digital histories, museum exhibits, documentaries, films, audio, music, and visual arts productions) as equivalent to written publications.  
  • ISP will also consider the impact and significance of a scholar’s impact or contributions to the larger field of Indigenous Studies that includes but is not limited to: Citations of work in published forums; reviews of work; circulation and standardization of publications in curriculum; invitations for conferences and talks; grant writing; and service to Indigenous communities and nations.  
  • Candidates for Indigenous Studies promotion and tenure must provide a comprehensive research statement. The statement must include a detailed description outlining their contributions to the larger field and the discipline of Indigenous Studies. All referenced scholarship should be made available in digital or print format with the promotion and tenure file.  

Under the University standards for promotion to the rank of professor, the record must demonstrate an established scholarly career, as reflected in such factors as a substantial and ongoing pattern of publication or creative activity, external reviews of the candidate’s work by eminent scholars or practitioners in the field, the candidate’s national or international reputation, and other evidence of an active and productive scholarly career. 

In the Indigenous Studies Program, the following scholarship expectations to meet University standards also apply for the promotion to the rank of professor: 

  • Continued publication of research results. While there is no strictly enforced number of publications, obtaining the rank of professor is evidenced typically by publication of, on average, the equivalent of one or more journal publications per year in peer-reviewed outlets appropriate to the faculty member’s research area since the promotion to associate professor. The Indigenous Studies Program recognizes that faculty member publications may take a wide variety of forms, including but not limited to monographs, edited volumes, chapters, articles, reports, databases, exhibits, and other creative products. The candidate’s records should demonstrate achievement of high-quality and impactful work, judged by, though not limited to, external review letters, citation records, journal impact factors, and stature of presses. 
  • Evidence of national and/or international recognition of the candidate’s research, as appropriate to the candidate’s area of work. 
  • Invited presentation of research to professional audiences. 
  • A record of successful grant writing to internal or external public or private funding organizations, as appropriate to the researcher’s area of research. 

Service. Service is an important responsibility of all faculty members that contributes to the University’s performance of its larger mission. Although the nature of service activities depends on a candidate’s particular interests and abilities, service contributions are an essential part of being a good citizen of the University, as well as being engaged with Indigenous Nations and communities. The Program accepts and values scholarly service to the discipline or profession, service within the University, and public service at the local, state, national, or international level. 

In the Indigenous Studies Program, faculty are expected to perform service for the Program, the College, University, the professional and scholarly community, and the general community at local, state, national, or international levels.  

Service activities of particular importance for the Program include Program committees, both standing and ad-hoc. Possibilities for fulfilling service obligations may include, but are not limited to:

  • serving on Program, department, College, University or other campus committees; 
  • serving in special appointments or administrative positions (e.g., Director/Chair); 
  • giving public lectures; 
  • serving as advisor or sponsor for student activities or organizations; 
  • serving on local, regional, or state boards; 
  • reviewing papers, proposals, or other manuscripts; 
  • holding office or committee responsibilities in professional societies; 
  • serving as editor of professional journals or serving on editorial boards; 
  • serving on grant review panels; 
  • serving on advisory boards and evaluation reams; 
  • participating in University outreach programs; 
  • organizing/conducting workshops, symposia or lecture series; 
  • serving as a peer reviewer for instructional feedback or academic mentor for junior faculty or staff; 
  • serving in advisory or consultation roles with Indigenous Nations and/or professional organizations. 

Under the University standards for the award of tenure and/or promotion to associate professor, the record must demonstrate a pattern of service to the University at one or more levels, to the discipline or profession, and/or to the local, state, national, or international communities. 

In the Indigenous Studies Program, the following service expectations to meet University standards apply for the award of tenure and/or promotion to the rank of associate professor: 

  • Regular service to the Program through attendance and participation in Program meetings and on Program committees; 
  • Service to the University through participation on committees or initiatives outside the Program; 
  • Service to the profession; 
  • Service to the community: local, state, national, or international. 

In addition: 

  • ISP candidates are required to produce a Statement of Service which outlines their major contributions to the Program, department, College, University, city, region, nation, globally, or within particular Indigenous community(ies)/nation(s). These relationships are key to amplifying ISP’s teaching and research objectives. The statement should help a faculty member contextualize their personal and professional goals that can situate their service within a larger framework of professional and community relationships/partnerships.  
  • In addition to a statement on service, ISP will also consider peer, student, and community letters of support that outline the types of responsibilities and time demands that come with participation in professional or community organizations. ISP considers both professional and community-based service of equal significance as well as relevance to teaching and professional development.  
  • ISP also will take into consideration in the promotion of associate or full professors a faculty member’s responsibility to work effectively and professionally with all colleagues, students,  and the community toward accomplishing the academic mission of the Program, department, College, and University. Professionalism, honesty, cooperation, commitment, and leadership relative to the work of a candidate in Indigenous Studies represent key evaluative criteria used in the evaluation for tenure and promotion. These traits are evaluated through the inclusion of all student and peer evaluations and through a scholar’s total body of professional work as submitted by the candidate for promotion and tenure. Professionalism is crucial to maintain an effective program and department and has direct bearing on the overall evaluation of a candidate for tenure and promotion. Additionally, professionalism should be interpreted across multiple points of evidence and viewpoints, including interactions with faculty, staff and students outside of class. Furthermore, the university policy on Faculty Codes of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct also factors into the evaluation.  

Under the University standards for promotion to the rank of professor, the record must demonstrate an ongoing pattern of service reflecting substantial contributions to the University at one or more levels, to the discipline or profession, and/or to the local, state, national, or international communities. 

In the Program, the following service expectations to meet University standards, after promotion to associate professor, apply for the promotion to the rank of professor: 

  • Regular and substantial service to the Program through attendance and participation in Program meetings and leadership of Program committees; 
  • Substantial service to the University through membership on committees in the College and University; 
  • Substantial service to the profession; 
  • Substantial service to the community: local, state, national, or international.  

Ratings for Performance. Using the criteria described above, the candidate’s performance in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service will be rated using the terms “excellent,” “very good,” “good,” “marginal,” or “poor,” defined as follows: 

  1. “Excellent” means the candidate substantially exceeds expectations for tenure and/or promotion to this rank. 
  2. “Very Good” means the candidate exceeds expectations for tenure and/or promotion to this rank. 
  3. “Good” means the candidate meets expectations for tenure and/or promotion to this rank. 
  4. “Marginal” means the candidate falls below expectations for tenure and/or promotion to this rank.  
  5. “Poor” means the candidate falls significantly below expectations for tenure and/or promotion to this rank. 

Absent exceptional circumstances, no candidate may be recommended for promotion or tenure without meeting standards in all applicable areas of performance. A strong candidate is likely to exceed expectations in one or more areas.

Pre-Tenure Matters. The Director of the program will aid new faculty and unclassified academic staff in developing a mentoring plan to guide pre-tenure faculty through the early stage of their career. Mentoring plans will provide appropriate information and guidance to assist faculty members in the development of their teaching, scholarship, and service, as well as recommendations to document their achievements in these areas for the purpose of the tenure process. 

The unit shall provide faculty members with information concerning the standards and procedures for award of tenure and promotion in rank, including copies of the written criteria and procedures approved by the program (this document), as well as the Provost’s guidelines and forms. 

To assess faculty progress, the Indigenous Studies Program conducts a Progress Toward Tenure Review (PTTR) assessment in accordance with the policy defined by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences here.

Neither the record of the PTTR review nor its results shall be included in a faculty member’s promotion and/or tenure record. Recommendations for or against promotion and tenure should not by influenced by favorable or unfavorable results of the PTTR process. In certain cases, the PTTR process may culminate in recommendation for non-reappointment prior to tenure, in compliance with the Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations section 6.4.3.  

PROMOTION AND TENURE PROCEDURES 

The Program conducts the initial review of the candidate pursuant to the procedures and requirements of section 5 of Article VI of the FSRR in connection with the candidate’s responsibility in the Program.

Promotion and Tenure Committee. The Promotion and Tenure committee shall evaluate the candidate’s teaching, research, and service. This committee is made up of all faculty of rank who have a partial line affiliated with the Indigenous Studies Program.  Those who qualify will vote on all promotion and tenure cases.  

No students or untenured faculty members, except unclassified academic staff with the rank equivalent to or higher than associate professor, shall serve on the Promotion and Tenure Committee or vote on any recommendation concerning promotion and/or tenure. If there are not three faculty of rank to serve on the committee, the committee will be completed with ISP Affiliate Faculty of Rank from an appropriately related field of study. 

The ISP Director shall provide faculty members with information concerning the standards and procedures for award of tenure and promotion in rank, including copies of the written criteria and procedures approved by the department, college or school, or other administrative unit, and of the Provost’s guidelines and forms.  

No person shall serve simultaneously on more than one committee (department/program, college or school, or university) considering promotion and tenure, except when serving as a member of the ISP Promotion and Tenure Committee. The Indigenous Studies Director, having an independent responsibility to evaluate the candidate, shall not serve as a member of the college committee conducting the intermediate review, nor on the University committee on Promotion and Tenure (UCPT).  

Additionally, in consultation with the Director, an applicant for promotion and tenure may request to form a Promotion and Tenure Mentor Advisory Group of three rank-appropriate faculty members from the Program’s Executive Committee, with collective responsibility for overseeing development of the applicant’s dossier in teaching, research, and service, and fulfillment of College and University requirements for review.  

Initiation of Review. Prior to the beginning of the spring semester, the Provost shall notify all faculty whose mandatory review year will be the following academic year, with copies provided to unit administrators and the dean. Upon receipt of this notice or if a faculty member requests it prior to the mandatory review year, the unit shall initiate procedures for evaluating the candidate for the award of tenure or tenure and promotion in rank. 

At or before the beginning of the spring semester, the unit shall consider the qualifications of all faculty members below the rank of full professor, with a view toward possible promotion in rank during the following academic year. After considering a faculty member’s qualifications, if the unit determines that those qualifications may warrant promotion in rank, or if the faculty member requests it, the unit shall initiate procedures for reviewing the faculty member for promotion to full professor. 

Preparation of the Promotion and/or Tenure File. NOTE: Candidates who hold joint appointments prepare only one set of promotion and tenure materials for review by both units in which they hold an appointment. The initial review units (i.e., departments, centers, etc.) shall consult with each other on their evaluations and the evaluation process, but each initial review unit must provide a separate evaluation of the candidate’s performance in the unit. 

Please refer to the College’s Promotion and Tenure Statement for detailed instructions. It is the responsibility of the candidate to complete the appropriate portions of the form and provide necessary documents and information in accordance with the Provost’s guidelines, with assistance from the Indigenous Studies Program staff and members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee. 

The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall receive the form and accompanying materials from the candidate and finish compiling the record of the candidate’s teaching, scholarship, and service in accordance with the Provost’s guidelines. The committee and the candidate shall verify that the required components of the form have been completed, that all necessary documents have been compiled, and that the record has been organized in the proper format.  

The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall work with the candidate’s primary unit of their appointment to solicit outside reviewers to assist in evaluating a faculty member’s scholarship and in accordance with College procedures. Emphasis shall be placed on selecting independent reviewers in the same or a related discipline who hold academic rank or a professional position equal to or greater than the rank for which the candidate is being considered. The committee shall give the candidate the opportunity to suggest individuals to be included or excluded from the list of reviewers. The committee, however, is responsible for using its judgment in the final selection of reviewers. For College-specific guidelines, please refer to “Section B. Process for Obtaining Evaluation Letters from External Reviewers” within the College’s posted policy for promotion and tenure. 

When soliciting external reviews of a candidate’s scholarship, the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall inform prospective reviewers of the extent to which the candidate will have access to the review. The College's confidentiality policy regarding soliciting external reviewers for the promotion and tenure review process is as follows: 

"As a part of the promotion and/or tenure review process, we are soliciting assessments of Professors research contributions from academic colleagues and distinguished professionals. These letters will become part of the candidate's promotion and tenure dossier and are treated as confidential by the University to the extent we are permitted to do so by law."

Recommendations. Upon completion of the record, the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall evaluate the candidate’s record of teaching, scholarship, and service based on the applicable standards and criteria and make recommendations in accordance with the voting procedures detailed below. 

In the Indigenous Studies Program voting procedures are as follows: 

The completed promotion and tenure file will be made available to the Promotion and Tenure Committee for at least 10 working days before a vote takes place. At a meeting specifically scheduled to consider promotion and tenure cases, the Promotion and Tenure Committee discusses its evaluation and rating recommendations for the applicant’s teaching, research, and service records. All discussions and deliberations in the tenure and/or promotion process are strictly confidential, and the only records of this meeting will be communicated through the appropriate unit-level forms.  

After discussion ends, all members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee will complete a secret ballot that asks each individual to mark their judgment of the candidate’s record as excellent, very good, good, marginal, or poor for each area of research, teaching, and service. Another mark will be required for whether the candidate should be promoted with tenure (for the cases of assistant professors being considered for promotion to associate professor with tenure) or whether the candidate should be promoted to full professor (for the cases of associate professors being considered for promotion). These votes are counted and tallied by at least two members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, identified by the Program Director, to arrive at the final recommendation. A simple majority of votes is required. 

The two individuals who counted the ballots on the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall prepare the evaluation and summary evaluation sections of the promotion and/or tenure forms. Both the review committee and candidate will go through the checklist of the review form to ensure all required items are included and the candidate’s dossier contains all required items. Both the committee and candidate shall verify this by signing the form.  

The forms and recommendations shall be forwarded to the Director, who shall indicate separately, in writing, whether they concur or disagree with the recommendations of the committee. The Program Director shall communicate the recommendations of the initial review, and their concurrence or disagreement with the recommendation, to the candidate and provide the candidate with a copy of the summary evaluation section of the promotion and tenure form. Negative recommendations shall be communicated in writing and, if the review is not forwarded automatically, the Director shall inform the candidate that they may request the record be forwarded for further review.  

Favorable recommendations, together with the record of the initial review, shall be forwarded to the College Committee on Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure conducting the intermediate review. Negative recommendations resulting from an initial review shall go forward for intermediate review only if it is the candidate’s mandatory review year or if the candidate requests it. 

Intermediate Review. The candidate may submit a written response to a negative recommendation by the Program, or to a final rating of teaching, research, or service below the level of “good” included in the evaluation section of the recommendation. The written response is sent separately by the candidate to CCAPT. 

A request for information by CCAPT and/or UCPT shall be sent to the Program Director who shall immediately provide a copy to the candidate and inform the Promotion and Tenure Committee. The Director and/or committee shall prepare the Program’s response in accordance with the initial review procedures. 

The candidate shall be afforded an opportunity to participate in the preparation of the Program’s response and/or to submit their own documentation or comment to the CCAPT and/or UCPT as applicable.

CONTACT:

Indigenous Studies Program
315 Snow Hall
1460 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
indigenous@ku.edu   
785-864-2660

APPROVED BY:  

Indigenous Studies Program Executive Committee Faculty

APPROVAL DATE:  

2025-03-28

EFFECTIVE DATE:  

2025-03-28

REVIEW CYCLE:  

1 year​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

CHANGE HISTORY:

08/22/2025: New procedure added to the Policy Library. 

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