5.6 Promotion - Non-Tenure Track Faculty

Promotions are not granted automatically for satisfactory performance. Non-Tenure track candidates must make strong, positive cases in the application for promotion.

Minimum service must be six years as a lecturer at the University of North Georgia for consideration of promotion to senior lecturer (BOR Policy 8.3.8.3). Senior lecturers may be considered for promotion to principal lecturer after six years in rank at UNG (BOR Policy 8.3.8.3).  However, for exceptional candidates, early promotion to principal lecturer may be considered in the fourth year of service (USG Academic and Student Affairs Handbook 4.6).

A maximum of three years’ credit toward the rank of lecturer may be allowed for service in full time service at the same institution or other institutions. Individuals serving in part-time, temporary, or limited-term positions are not eligible for probationary credit towards promotion. Such credit for prior service shall be approved in writing by the President at the time of the initial appointment at the rank of lecturer (USG Academic and Student Affairs Handbook 4.6.1).

When a non-tenure track faculty member applies for promotion, the minimum and maximum percentages of the sliding scale (75%-100% for teaching, and 0%-25% for the other two factors) used in the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Annual Report shall be preserved. Prior to starting the application for promotion to a higher rank, each non-tenure track faculty member will reach an agreement with their immediate supervisor regarding the weight distributions of three factors: teaching, service, and scholarship to be considered for promotion.

5.6.1 Procedure for Promotion Review

The purpose of these guidelines are to assist lecturer faculty members in presenting professional experiences and accomplishments for a promotion review and to recognize excellence in teaching and high impact practices in instruction focusing on student success.

5.6.2 Documentation

The following documentation will be presented in a university electronic portfolio system:

  • Cover sheet providing the following information in order as applicable:
    • Name of individual
    • Review Type and Level (e.g. Promotion to Senior Lecturer, Principal Lecturer)
    • Name of department and college
    • Degrees earned (highest first)
    • Years, dates, and current rank and title in non-tenure-track position
    • If applicable, area(s) of specialization within the discipline
    • Date of hire and total number of years at the university, including the current academic year
    • Total number of years at the university at rank of lecturer or higher
    • Credit awarded toward lecturer rank at time of appointment
  • Full Professional Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Summary Statement of goals, accomplishments, and plans for each of the three areas: Teaching, Service, and Scholarship/Professional Development. Page length for each summary statement may vary by candidate; however, the combined page length for summary statements should not exceed 6 pages total. Faculty effort and activity level in promoting student success should be included as applicable. See also the departmental guidelines and the Appendix of the Faculty Annual Report for details regarding each category. For each area, summarize the following:
    • Overview of professional goals
    • For the years under review, outline progress toward those goals, using past achievements to detail progress. Highlight areas of special interest and competence.
    • Future goals with an overview of means by which the goals will be accomplished
  • Individual Teaching, Service, and Scholarship Curriculum Vitae for the period under review: Detailed lists of accomplishments/activities in each area for the period under review. Candidates should prepare three separate lists, one for each area. Lists should include the following where applicable. Following each CV, the candidate should provide relevant supporting documentation for significant activities in each area:
    • Teaching CV
      • List of all courses taught (prefix, number, title, semester)
      • Course/curriculum development (new courses, significant changes to existing courses, new teaching modalities, etc)
      • Complete set of evaluations with students’ comments from all the years under consideration in a non-tenure track position and a written summary of trends and responses to student evaluations for the years under review
      • Documented mentoring and/or supervision of students’ honors, research, thesis, creative activities
      • Documentation associated with teaching practices that lead to student academic success
      • Honors and awards associated with teaching
      • Other
    • Service CV
      • Involvement in service activities and/or committees that foster recruitment, retention, academic success, and positive college experiences of UNG students.
      • Service to the North Georgia community. Community service must be related to professional discipline.
      • Honors and awards associated with service
      • Other
    • Scholarship CV
      • Updated degrees, institutions, dates since last review
      • Advanced studies or continuing education
      • Professional certifications
      • Publications and creative activities with complete bibliographic information
      • Academic and professional activities
      • Contracts and grants
      • Honors and awards for professional achievements
      • Other
    • Departmental Promotion Guidelines for Non-Tenure Track faculty
      • More details for this resource will be available when announced.
    • Copies of signed performance evaluations – annual self-reports with department head's/coordinator's or dean's evaluations for years under consideration.
    • Letter from primary campus academic administrator if different than the department head/coordinator.
    • Peer letters in support of promotion application- two from peers with at least one from a tenured colleague
    • Letter from the DPTRC – added after the review with an explicit recommendation
    • Letter from the department head/coordinator – added after the review with an explicit recommendation
    • Letter from the dean – added after the review with an explicit recommendation

5.6.3 Process and Timeline

see section 5.1

Faculty members submit the documentation identified in Section 5.6.2 above to the online portfolio according to the 5.1 timeline.

Members of the DPTRC shall review the candidate’s documentation and provide a review letter with positive or negative recommendations. The letter must be signed by all members of the committee. Signing the letter is an indication of participation in the review process and not an indication of agreement with the recommendation. A count of satisfactory and unsatisfactory votes shall be taken for each candidate.

The department head/coordinator shall review the faculty member’s documentation and the DPTRC’s review letter and make either a positive or a negative recommendation to the dean.

The academic dean shall review the faculty member’s documentation, the department head/coordinator’s recommendation and the DPTRC’s review letter and prepare a signed report with his or her decision for each lecturer being considered for promotion to senior lecturer / Principal Lecturer.

Candidates who have been denied promotion by the recommendation of the dean have the right to appeal the recommendation to the provost. Appeals must be based on one of the following circumstances and should be addressed in the written appeal: (i) discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual identity, age and/or a physical handicap; (ii) procedural improprieties, or (iii) a violation of academic freedom. A candidate may not appeal the final determination if they simply disagree with the decision.