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Nov 21, 2023


CALS "Collective Wisdom"

Information on Promotion and Tenure/Continuing Status Issues Updated March 2006

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty have many diverse responsibilities and are assigned to units around the state. The "Collective Wisdom" website was developed as an accessible, internal resource to provide practical, informal guidance and answers to frequently asked questions for college faculty navigating the process to promotion and/or the award of tenure or continuing status. The information below brings together some helpful suggestions from recent committee chairs and experienced administrators in the college and information presented by university-level reviewers at annual workshops conducted by the Office of the Provost. Candidates, mentors, and unit heads should ALWAYS refer to the most recent set of Provost's Instructions (for either tenure or continuing track) and CALS Guidelines and Criteria for specific requirements and recent changes before preparing a dossier.

WHO MIGHT FIND THIS SITE USEFUL? New faculty seeking tenure or continuing status Faculty seeking promotion to higher rank Administrators and mentors advising candidates Staff assisting with dossier preparation THE "COLLECTIVE WISDOM" GUIDES A Common Sense Guide for New Faculty and Administrators Initially designed for new faculty in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, this common sense advice from Vice Provost and Dean Eugene G. Sander offers insight for administrators as well. Designing a Strong Dossier A composite of practical advice and answers to frequently asked questions on the content, format, style, and purpose of each section of the dossier submitted for promotion and/or the award of tenure or continuing status.

The Evaluation Process for Promotion and Tenure, Promotion and Continuing Status

A summary of basic information about the following topics:

  • Faculty Appointments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Clock Dates and Delays
  • 3-year Review for Tenure- and Continuing-eligible Faculty
  • 4-year Review for Tenure- and Continuing-eligible Faculty (hired before 7/1/2003)
  • Early Consideration for Tenure/Continuing Status 6-year (Mandatory)
  • Review for Promotion and Tenure/Continuing Status Role of Teaching, Research, Extension, and Service Role of Committees and Administrators
  • Appeals to the President
  • IMPORTANT DATES - PLAN AHEAD! Unit heads notified regarding next year's personnel actions -
    • March-April Provost's Annual Workshop -
    • April Updated Provost's Instructions released -
    • April All dossiers (P&T, P&C, promotion only, and 3-year reviews with recommendation for non-renewal) due to CALS Dean's Office -
    • November 1 All 3-year reviews with recommendation for renewal due to Dean's Office -
    • December 1 Deadline for dossier submission to Provost's Office -
    • January 15 Provost's notification to candidates regarding decisions -
    • April-May

GUIDELINES AND POLICIES

  • All candidates should also be given a copy of the appropriate written guidelines and criteria for their department or school or for Cooperative Extension agents.
    • Provost's Instructions,
    • University Guidelines and Online Forms
    • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Guidelines and Criteria for Promotion and Tenure/Continuing Status (Rev. 2001)
    • Abstracts of CALS Guidelines and Criteria for Use in the Dossier
    • University Handbook for Appointed Personnel,
      • Chapter 3: Faculty Personnel Policies and Procedures (tenure track)
      • Chapter 4: Professional Staff Personnel Policies and Procedures (continuing track)

CALS Guidelines & Criteria for Continuing Status and Promotion

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR PROMOTION AND TENURE AND PROMOTION AND CONTINUING STATUS Revised February 2001

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has revised its guidelines and criteria for promotion and tenure and promotion and continuing status to include a statement regarding compliance with relevant University and Board of Regents policies. An earlier revision (June 1999) emphasized the use of the position description in evaluation and advancement decisions and added an appendix with examples of instruction, research and service activities that may be used in the evaluation process.

A valuable online resource, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences "Collective Wisdom", provides practical, informal guidance and answers to frequently asked questions regarding the promotion process and preparation of dossiers for CALS faculty, administrators, mentors and staff. All new tenure- or continuing-eligible faculty hired after July 1, 2003 must have a probationary review in their third year and a mandatory review for tenure or continuing status in their sixth year. Annual reviews for tenure- and continuing-eligible faculty must have an extra component that addresses progress toward tenure or continuing status.

CALS Common Elements for Promotion and Tenure/Continuing Status Review Process for 3-, 6-Year Review Model Promotion and/or tenure or continuing status dossiers are due to the Dean's office by November 1. Three-year reviews are normally due to the Dean by December 1 (unless there is a possibility for non retention). Consult your unit head for earlier unit deadlines.

The University of Arizona Promotion and Tenure and Promotion and Continuing Status Guidelines are available from the Associate Provost's website. (Always verify any recent changes before preparing a dossier.) Promotion and Tenure Process and Preparation of Dossiers (UA) Continuing Status and Promotion Process and Preparation of Dossiers (UA)


Calendar of Events

Extension Yearly Calendar of Events (non-inclusive)

  • January New Faculty Tour
  • February 1 Annual Performance Reports Due (UA Vitae)
  • February - March Peer Review Committee Meets
  • May 15 Faculty Reviews Completed
  • May 15 Complete Spending on State Targeted Programs
  • May - June - July Working Group, State Initiative, Enhancement Reports Due
  • May - June - July Working Group, State Initiative, Enhancement Proposals Due
  • June 30 End of State Fiscal Year
  • September 7 3/6 Year Packets for Promotion and Continuing Status Due to State Office
  • September 30 End of Federal Fiscal Year

Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

Like any other large organization, Cooperative Extension has developed its share of acronyms and uses terminology specific to its organization or to that of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences or the University of Arizona. Those commonly used in and around Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona are:

  • AAO Affirmative Action Office
  • AAP Affirmative Action Program
  • AID Agency for International Development (federal)
  • ANR Agricultural and Natural Resources (program area)
  • AzAE4-HA Arizona Association of Extension 4-H Agents
  • ABOR Arizona Board of Regents
  • AEAA Arizona Extension Agriculture Association
  • AEAFCS Arizona Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
  • ANREP Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals
  • BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs (Department of Interior)
  • CAFT Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure (University)
  • CARET Council on Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (NASULGC) CE Cooperative Extension (state partner)
  • CED County Extension Director
  • CENTRL Center for Rural Leadership (Project CENTRL)
  • CES Cooperative Extension System
  • CFSA Consolidated Farm Service Agency (USDA)
  • CID Consortium for International Development
  • CALS College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (University)
  • CRIT Colorado River Indian Tribes
  • CSREES Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (USDA)
  • ECOP Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (NASULGC)
  • EEO Equal Employment Opportunity
  • EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  • EFNEP Extension Food and Nutrition Education Program
  • EIRP Extension Indian Reservation Program
  • ESCOP Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy
  • ESP Epsilon Sigma Phi (National Extension Fraternity)
  • FACSED Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Development fund
  • FCNS Family, Consumer & Nutritional Sciences (program area)
  • FmHA Farmers Home Administration (USDA)
  • FSNEP Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program
  • FTE Full Time Equivalent
  • ICOP International Committee on Organization and Policy
  • IPM Integrated Pest Management
  • JLBC Joint Legislative Budget Committee (state)
  • MOA Memorandum of Agreement
  • MOU Memorandum of Understanding
  • NACAA National Association of County Agricultural Agents
  • NAE4-HA National Association of Extension 4-H Agents
  • NASULGC National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges
  • NEAFCS National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
  • OEO Office of Equal Opportunity OMB Office of Management and Budget (federal)
  • PDU Professional Development Units
  • PLC Program Leadership Committee
  • PO Purchase Order
  • POW Plan of Work
  • REA Rural Electrification Administration
  • REE Research, Education and Economics (USDA division administering Extension)
  • RICOP Resident Instruction Committee on Organization and Policy (NASULGC)
  • RNR Renewable Natural Resources (CALS school)
  • RREA Renewable Resources Extension Act
  • Three D (DDD) Deans, Directors and Department Heads (university)
  • USDA United States Department of Agriculture
  • WIC Women, Infants and Children (USDA nutrition program)
  • WRDC Western Rural Development Center
  • WRPLC Western Region Program Leadership Committee
  • YD Youth Development

Other Terms

  • 1862s Land grant institutions established by the passage of the first Morrill Act of 1862
  • 1890s Land-grant colleges and universities and Tuskegee University established by the second Morrill Act of 1890 primarily in the south to serve African-Americans
  • 1994s Native American Institutions receiving land-grant status in 1994 as a provision in the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act Terms Agent: Agents conduct non-formal educational programs and applied research. They are responsible administratively to the County Extension Director in the county or counties to which they are assigned and to the Cooperative Extension director for statewide outreach in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
  • Annual Performance Evaluation: The University requires annual performance evaluations based on criteria developed by the department and incorporates peer comment. The purposes for these evaluations are several and may include data for merit salary increases and identification of professional development options as well as feedback on general performance; other purposes are identified in UHAP 3.10.01, #2, 4.08.01.02. The College requires an Annual Performance Report as supporting data for the evaluation. This report is done on line using UA Vitae.
  • Area Agent: An agent assigned to more than one county.
  • Clock Date: Defines the reference official time point for all major reviews of personnel and the granting of tenure/continuing status. It is defined as July 1 for the calendar year of hire. For example, a hire date of November 1989 has a clock date of July 1, 1989; a hire date of January 1989 also has a clock date of July 1, 1989. There are special circumstances where the clock date can be extended (e.g., childbearing leave). These requests should be made through the Head/Director/CED to the Dean, and must be approved by the Provost. Clock dates may reflect prior service, with up to two years of prior service automatically awarded for tenure-eligible faculty (UHAP 3.06); there is no prior service option for continuing appointments. This prior service can be waived but must be negotiated and documented at the time of hire. A FULL year leave of absence without pay will change the clock date, but a semester's leave does not.
  • Continuing-Eligible Appointment: These appointments apply to academic professionals (UHAP Chapter 4) and follow similar reviews and obligations as the tenure-eligible appointment. Primarily these appointments relate to Cooperative Extension specialists and agents and research scientists.
  • Customer-Clients/Clientele: Those whom Extension serves through education including adult learners, 4-H and other youth, youth and adult volunteers and all those who plan and participate in Extension's educational programs.
  • Dossier: The compiled information provided in formal promotion and tenure or continuing reviews; the contents are carefully specified and special care should be taken to follow the stated formats.
  • Educational Effort: Part of an Extension program, planned and conducted to meet stated objectives; a non-formal (non-credit) event such as a meeting, field day, workshop, consultation, media program, presentation, discussion, and so on; also may be applied to other program delivery methods, such as newsletters and correspondence courses.
  • Extension Indian Reservation Program (EIRP): A CSREES-USDA funded, state land-grant and tribal partnership Extension program for Native Americans residing on reservations.
  • Extension Education Program, or (simply) program: A non-formal educational effort guided by specific program objectives and desired outcomes. The program may include teaching activities and events that are planned, conducted, and evaluated for their impact on participants' learning, skills, and behavior over time. The Extension Education Program may include applied research and should demonstrate scholarship.
  • Extension Mail Standards: The federally-funded Extension mail budget provides each state a yearly allocation to cover regular mailing costs. It is not designed to cover grant-funded projects which should incorporate into their grant proposal funds to cover all postage and mailing costs. Formerly called "Penalty Mail," this budget was made a part of the annual Smith-Lever allocation as of October 1, 2003.
  • Extension Partnership: The unique tripartite organizational structure of the Cooperative Extension System, including the federal partner (ES-USDA), state partners (Cooperative Extension, units of land-grant colleges and universities), and local county-based partners.
  • Faculty: There are several definitions of faculty. Those of primary concern to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are general faculty and Faculty. General faculty includes anyone that is considered appointed personnel (e.g., not classified staff); examples are tenure, continuing, year to year, adjunct, or non-tenure eligible). Faculty (without modifier) generally means teaching faculty (tenure track). Federal Base Funds: A critical element of the state/federal partnership, these funds are matched by state funds to maintain a strong, responsive infrastructure at the state level for research, extension and teaching.
  • The Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences: It was established by Congress in 1977 to encourage and coordinate research, extension, and higher educational activities in the food and agricultural sciences throughout the United States. Its members, who are from both the public sectors, represent producers, industry, and state and federal agencies and institutions. The Council's role is to plan and coordinate research, extension, and higher education within both the public and private sectors and relate the federal budgeting process to the overall functioning of the system. All major units of the NASULGC Division of Agriculture are represented through voting membership on the Council; home economics, forestry, and veterinary medicine are represented as well. The Council is co-chaired by a representative of the land-grant system and the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Science and Education.
  • Land Grant College/University: An institution of higher education sustained and supported by the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, and expanded by the Hatch Act of 1887, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994, and subsequent legislation.
  • Land Grant System: A term used to describe a set of U.S. state and territorial institutions of higher learning that receive federal support for integrated programs of agriculture and home economics teaching, research and extension. Four important Acts of Congress support this national system and the resultant state/federal partnership for conducting these activities.
  • Market Salary Increases: These increases are based on evaluations from data external to the University of Arizona. They compare salary of specific disciplines, rather than individual performance within the University of Arizona.
  • Merit Salary Increases: These are increases in salary based on individual performance and subject to availability of funding for that purpose. There must be written criteria developed with faculty involvement at the unit level for awarding merit and these can be part of the annual evaluation process (UHAP 3.10.01-.02, 4.08.01-.02).
  • NASULGC (National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges): A higher education association whose membership comprises 149 major U.S. public research universities, including all U.S. land grant institutions.The NASULGC Board on Agriculture had its origin in 1887 with the establishment of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations. In 1919, when that Association became the Association of Land Grant Colleges, a Section of Agriculture was established along with Sub-Sections for Experiment Stations, Agricultural Extension and Agricultural Instruction. This terminology for Agriculture remained through the Association's name change in 1926 to the Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities. The term Division of Agriculture came into use in 1946 and remained until 1992. In 1963 the Association changed its name once more to the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.In 1992, the Division of Agriculture became the Board on Agriculture, in a reorganized NASULGC. Also, in the 1992 organizational structure, the Board on Agriculture became one of five boards comprising the new NASULGC Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources (CFERR). The other four boards of CFERR are: Home Economics Natural Resources Oceans and Atmosphere Veterinary Medicine Other changes in terminology resulting from the recent NASULGC reorganization are: The former Division of Agriculture Board of Directors is now the Board on Agriculture Executive Committee. The former Division of Agriculture Executive Committee became the Board on Agriculture Steering Committee. The Council of Administrative Heads of Agriculture will be the Administrative Heads Section (AHS). The NASULGC Senate was replaced by the NASULGC Assembly. The NASULGC Executive Committee became the NASULGC Board of Directors. The Section titles within the former Division of (now Board on) Agriculture remain: ESS -- Experiment Station Section CES -- Cooperative Extension Section APS -- Academic Programs Section IAS -- International Agriculture Section Nonformal Education: Off-campus, non-credit education formats; the essential form of Extension education.
  • Paraprofessional: Paid educational and organizational aides who work on specific assignments and are supervised by Extension agents.
  • Peer Reviews: This term is used in various ways. It is used to evaluate faculty as well as scholarly works. Peers do not have to be in the unit, but they should be in a related discipline. For example, a committee could include the whole administrative unit for purposes of commenting on a person's annual performance. There are no exclusionary requirements for membership (UHAP 3.10.01 and 4.08.01).
  • Six Year Review: The 6 year review is the final review, and must result either in awarding of tenure or continuing appointment or awarding of a terminal year contract. (UHAP 3.12.04, 4.10.03).
  • Specialist: Specialists conduct applied research and non-formal educational programs in their area of expertise in partnership with agents, to statewide clientele. Subject matter specialists are administered by the appropriate department head/school director in cooperation with the Cooperative Extension associate director. The subject matter specialist's responsibility to Cooperative Extension is in direct proportion to the budgeted financial contribution of Cooperative Extension to that specialist's position.
  • State/Federal Partnership: A term referring to the close collaboration of the land-grant system with relevant units supported by federal funds at land-grant institutions.
  • Tenure-Eligible Appointment: This term shall mean those members of the faculty who hold full-time as yet untenured appointments as professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors and whose title does not include such designations as "visiting," "adjunct," "research" or "clinical." However, instructors who are candidates for degrees will be appointed as nontenure-eligible instructors. The ranks of assistant professor and instructor are not tenurable ranks. Persons whose initial appointments are as lecturers are not eligible for tenure as lecturers. All tenure-eligible faculty members shall have the words "tenure-eligible" on their Notice of Appointment.
  • Three-Year Review: The 3-year review is the midpoint review and becomes, in effect, a dress rehearsal for the sixth year review. It is the only probationary review opportunity to terminate a candidate prior to the sixth year review (although a person could be terminated at any time for cause).
  • Volunteers: Unpaid lay and professional persons who offer their services in support of the Cooperative Extension organization and its educational programs, often taking on the role of educator under the supervision of Extension agents. Year-to-Year Appointments: Appointed personnel who do not have continuing eligible or tenure eligible appointments serve as year to year (UHAP 4.12). There is no limit to the number of annual renewals, which do not require special review. However, if during the annual evaluation process it is determined that non-renewal is appropriate (or for any other reason), no justification is required for non-renewal.


Mentoring

Mentoring University of Arizona Cooperative Extension CALS Resources:

  • Family, Youth and Communities Extension Scholars Program Mentors for women in agricultural education
  • Desert Roses Mentor Program
  • Mentor in a Manual: Climbing the Academic Ladder to Tenure by Robert Magnan and A. Clay Schoenfeld. Atwood Publishing; 2nd edition. ISBN 1891859099.

Peer Review

Peer Reviews

Extension agents and specialists, as faculty of the University of Arizona, are reviewed annually by their peers and by their immediate supervisor.

  • Peer review of agents is established by guidelines from the Director of Cooperative Extension.
  • Peer review of specialists is established by guidelines from the Department Head or School Director.
  • Reviews are accomplished through an Annual Performance Report (APR).
    • The APR is a cumulative summary of your educational objectives, implementation strategy, results, and service efforts for the calendar year. It serves an important planning document for your succeeding years' program efforts. APRs are submitted online via UA Vitae.
    • UA Vitae is located at: http://uavitae.arizona.edu.
    • UA Vitae also allows faculty, staff and administration easy and fast 24/7 access to information that is needed for legislators, county board members, news media and the general public. It helps in the development of marketing tools such as news releases, news articles, brochures, websites, poster presentations, and much more.

Peer Reviews for Agents

In a continuing effort to develop more uniform criteria across program areas, one peer review committee made up of representatives of our three major program focus areas is appointed. The suggested composition of the peer review committee is three sub-committees; one with 5 agents from agriculture and natural resource programs, one with 5 agents from 4-H youth development, and 5 agents from family, youth, and consumer sciences programs.

  • Agents on year-to-year contracts, from EIRP, area agents, and those who have returned from sabbatical or family sick leave may be considered as "special cases".
  • Agents in this category will be included in the makeup of the peer review committee.
  • County directors who have more than 50% administrative responsibility will not be included in the peer review committee.
  • The chair is elected by the members.
  • All county Extension faculty, after employment for at least three years, or after completing their 3-year continuing appointment review, will be eligible to serve on the peer review committee.
  • The committee is on a rotation schedule and terms are for one or two years.
  • Time line for peer review:
    • October - Director appoints committee in consultation with Associate Director December - Agents develop plan of work and major commitments for future year; have job descriptions up to date
    • January - draft APR completed; agents have APR reviewed in county; plan of work approved by county director and advisory board; CED gets input on agent from clientele
    • February 1 - APRs due via UA Vitae
    • February/March - committee meets prior to May
    • May 15 - CED meets with agent for annual evaluation