New faculty hires, promotions and tenures

Along with additional and returning faculty for the next academic year (see box), several faculty promotions have been awarded. Professor of Economics Tarron Khemraj and Professor of Mathematics Necmettin Yildirim have both been promoted from assistant to associate professor, along with receiving tenure. Professor of Political Science Barbara Hicks, Professor of Asian Religions John Newman and Professor of French Language and Literature Amy Reid have been promoted from associate to full professor. These promotions are effective Aug. 7, 2012.

“It’s usually three to four years that you have to be in a certain rank before you can be promoted to the next rank,” Associate Provost Raymonda “Ray” Burgman said. “The time frame is longer going from associate to full [professor] … it’s more like seven to nine years.”

Burgman said that usually, a promotion from assistant to associate professors comes with tenure, but that is not always the case. The Faculty Handbook indicates that a promotion to full professor does confer tenure.

To be awarded tenure, professors go through a review process that takes at least half an academic year to complete. “There’s a review of your teaching, your research or scholarship and your service not only to the college but to your particular discipline and to the community as a whole,” Burgman said.

Tenure candidates must put together a file demonstrating their contributions to teaching, scholarship and service. The Provost Advisory Committee (PAC), made up of two individuals from each of the academic divisions, reviews the file and sends their recommendation to the Provost. The Provost also reviews the file and sends a recommendation to the President, who also reviews the candidates. The final decision is made by the Board of Trustees (BOT). The Faculty Handbook outlines the methods for evaluating tenure and promotion candidates.

“It really is a very rigorous and, I would say, stressful type of review because you know that there are all of these different layers,” Burgman said.

With a promotion comes an increase in pay, although Burgman said there is no set amount that is awarded. Additionally, every seven years, post-tenure faculty members are reviewed. “During that review, there may be the question of whether or not you should be retained, so tenure is not a job for life,” Burgman said.

According to Burgman, no faculty members have so far announced an intention to retire for the next academic year.

 

For the 2012-2013 Academic year:

 

Returning Visiting Professors

Brendan Goff: History

Laura Hirshfield: Sociology

Ivan Ramirez: Environmental Studies

Richard Skinner: Political Science

Diana Weber: Biology and Environmental Studies

Heather White: Religion

 

Returning Adjunct

Jieun Lee: Environmental Studies

 

Faculty Addition

Catherine Cottrell: Assistant Professor of Psychology

 

New Visiting Professor/Consortium for Faculty Diversity fellowship

Tracy Collins: Social Sciences

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