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Putting Together an Effective Package for Promotion
Stephen H. Kolison, Jr.
Cooperative
Agricultural Research Program
Seminar Series
Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN
October 9, 2002
One of
the important tools that institutions of higher education utilize to
reward exceptional faculty (research and instructional) productivity is
promotion. When conducted carefully, meaningfully, and fairly, faculty
promotion as a reward can be a powerful means of achieving departmental
or institutional goals. Let me hasten to add that the lack of faculty
promotion or scarcity of faculty promotion as a result of institutional
structure, while it can be a constraining factor, does not necessarily
prevent the achievement of institutional goals. This is because the
motivation or desire of an individual to do well in carrying out their
responsibilities can grow from various sources including personal work
ethics, the desire of being respected by peers, and the fear of being
asked to seek employment elsewhere.
In
most promotion cases, the burden for promotion is on the faculty
member. The contrary would be unusual in this age. In other words,
normally, the faculty member must demonstrate unequivocally that he or
she deserves to be promoted. This unequivocal demonstration usually
involves the putting together of a package for promotion. Some call
this package “promotion dossier”, or “curriculum vitae”. Regardless of
what it is called, it is the presentation of one’s self as an
academician to his or her peers. Hence, what is presented and how it is
presented has the potential of not only determining the success of the
package, but also of leaving an impression (positive, negative, or
indifferent). Therefore, developing an effective package for promotion
is one of the most important efforts that can be expended by a faculty
member who is interested in gaining promotion.
This
presentation is intended to provide some simple, but easily overlooked,
tips on developing an effective package for promotion. It is most
useful for the new Assistant Professor (teaching or research).
Keywords/phrases:
Institutional Values or Culture; Departmental Expectations; Departmental
Priorities; Measures of Accountability; Timing; Documentation.
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