> Home > Presidential Memorandum > 1987-06 University Library Faculty RTP Policies, Procedures and Criteria 

PM 87-06, Revised

4/8/87

President John A. Brownell

Policies and Procedures for Reappointment, Tenure

And Promotion of University Library Faculty

[Supersedes PM 81-14 and PM 83-10]

I.  The University Library Committee on Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion (hereinafter referred to as the Committee):

A.     This Committee is equivalent to a school RTP committee, and there is no other level of peer review committee.

B.     Membership

1.  The Committee shall consist of three tenured full-time University 

     Library faculty in Unit Three (excluding those whose responsibility in

     a given annual RTP cycle includes writing RTP recommendations to be

     considered by the Committee).  No person shall serve on the

     Committee during the year in which she/he is to be reviewed by the

     Committee.  In promotion considerations, committee members must

     have a higher rank than those being considered for promotion.

2.      The Committee shall be elected by the University Library faculty (Unit Three) holding regular full-time appointments (including joint appointees) at the beginning of fall semester.  In the event sufficient qualified members of the University Library faculty are not available, all those eligible may serve, and if there are not enough eligible members to constitute a full committee, tenured full-time faculty from outside the University Library shall be elected to make a committee of sufficient size.  The University Librarian* shall consult with each eligible member of the University Library faculty to determine her/his willingness to serve.  The election shall be conducted by secret ballot through the Office of the University Librarian*.

3.      A quorum shall consist of three members of the Committee.  If any member is unable to participate because of illness or other serious reason, a replacement shall be chosen in accordance with paragraph 2 above.

4.      At its first meeting in the fall semester, the Committee shall elect its Chairperson and inform the University Librarian* of its choice.

*Current title is Dean, University Library

II.  Procedures for Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion

A.     A list of faculty members who are eligible for consideration for reappointment, tenure, or promotion will be provided by the Dean of Faculty Affairs** to the University Librarian*, who will notify eligible faculty, heads of appropriate units, and the Committee.

B.     Each faculty member who has completed the period of pre-tenure service, who has reached the top salary step of her/his rank, and who possesses the terminal degree must be considered each year for promotion, except that a library faculty member may withdraw from consideration.

C.     The University Librarian* and the head of the faculty member’s unit shall prepare written evaluations.

In separate meetings with the University Librarian* and the unit head, the faculty member shall be provided a copy of the evaluation, and the evaluation shall be discussed.  The faculty member shall sign the original copy of the evaluation acknowledging that a copy of the evaluation shall be placed in the faculty member’s personnel file.  In the event this procedure is logistically impractical, a note on the evaluation shall so indicate.

If the faculty member refuses to sign the evaluation, the evaluator will certify that a copy was given to the faculty member and discussed with him/her.

D.     The Committee will review the official personnel file of each faculty member being considered for reappointment, tenure, or promotion, including the cumulative annual Supplementary Information Forms filed by the faculty member and other relevant materials.  The Committee will evaluate each faculty member in the light of the criteria set forth below and will prepare a written report of its evaluation and recommendations, which will be forwarded to the personnel file.

E.      The Committee shall submit to the Dean of Faculty Affairs** its recommendations for promotion in a listing by priority order.

F.      In the event of disagreement between the Committee and the University Librarian*, the Committee will request evaluation of the faculty member by the University RTP Committee with a copy of the request to the concerned faculty member, who may choose to withdraw from the promotion process.  Disagreement is defined as a difference in opinion about whether the faculty member should be retained, granted or not granted tenure, or promoted or not promoted.

*Current title is Dean, University Library

**Currently, Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs

Criteria For Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion

of  University Library Faculty

I.  Criteria for Evaluation

     The criteria for evaluation are successful performance of professional assignment;

     scholarship, creative activity, or professional growth; and effective functioning in the

     institution and in the community.  The three criteria are interrelated, but individuals

     achieve distinction in various ways and degrees; therefore, circumstances may justify

     placing greater weight on a candidate’s outstanding achievements in one or another

     area.  However, since providing excellence in access and instruction is the primary

     function of the University Library, successful performance of professional assignment

     shall be the most important criterion for promotion.

II.  Degree Requirements

     A master’s degree in Library Science is normally required of all library faculty at

     California State University, Dominguez Hills for reappointment, tenure, and

     promotion and is the terminal degree.

III. Professional Performance Illustrations

     The following list of particulars is illustrative of professional achievement but is not

     exhaustive.  Not every illustration must be used; illustrations may be adapted to fit the

     needs of individual departments or units within the University Library, and other

     evidence may be added.  It is essential that the evidence be relevant to the University

     Library, the University, the CSU System, and/or the profession.

            Although the criteria for evaluation of teaching faculty may be used for reference,

the criteria for evaluating librarians must be especially tailored to meet the

characteristics of the library profession; the requirements, organization and

mission of the campus library; and the qualities and responsibilities appropriate

for academic librarians.  Both the professional environment and work of librarians

are different from those of teaching faculty because of the special nature of a

library, which is a cooperative and sequential enterprise involving interdependent

departments and interrelated functions.  In addition, the work of librarians

requires the application and continued acquisition of knowledges [sic] and

abilities unique to the profession of librarianship.  The factors used in the

assessment of librarians for professional competence and advancement must

capture these unique professional/academic elements and responsibilities.  (FSA

78-64, Personnel Plan for Librarians, p. 12.)

A.     Evidence of professional performance.  Such evidence as the following will be

considered:

• Ability to work independently.

• Application of special knowledge or current developments.

• Recommendations of solutions to problems and ability to carry them out.

• Planning or instituting improved procedures or services.

• Development of innovative approaches.

• Coordination of activities with other organizational units.

• Ability to accomplish work with and through others.

• Judgment and maturity in human relations.

• Ability to communicate clearly, openly, and effectively.

• Ability to assess and evaluate the literature of a particular discipline to develop successfully a collection geared to the needs of California State University, Dominguez Hills.

• Development or improvement of tools for making the University Library facilities more accessible to students and faculty.

• Ability to fulfill organizational goals.

• Teaching performance as outlined in the Faculty Handbook (for faculty involved in teaching courses offered by the University Library).

• Ability to supervise others.

• Ability to develop and implement successfully training and career development plans for colleagues and staff.

• Ability to resolve conflicts.

• Ability to plan and organize work, meet deadlines, follow regulations, and suggest improvements.

• Ability to make decisions, be objective, and acquire facts upon which to base and implement decisions effectively.

• Participation in the development of building plans and specifications, and projection of program requirements for organization, staffing, budgeting, and reporting purposes.

B.     Evidence of scholarship, creative activity, or professional growth.  Such evidence as the following will be considered:

• Significant research and innovation resulting in publications and reports or, if unpublished, clearly     resulting in benefit to the operations or stature of the University Library.

• Publications which may not be research-related.

• Active participation through papers, panels, symposia, etc., in meetings and conferences of professional organizations.

• Significant activity in the leadership of professional organizations, such as holding office, committee membership, etc.

• Major editorial responsibilities for publications which have local, state, or national distribution and which shall serve informational or bibliographical needs.

• Effective sharing of research findings and innovations, consulting experience, and related activities with colleagues and students.

• Receiving significant awards, commissions, prizes, honors, fellowships, or grants.

• Preparing, writing, and submitting grant proposals.

• Planning and giving workshops.

• Effective sharing of knowledge acquired by attending professional meetings and workshops, investigating approaches used by other institutions, and conducting literature searches.

• Training in such related areas as computer technology, administration, human relations, and foreign languages.

• Attainment of additional knowledge and expertise through course work, degrees, specialized training, travel, or other means.

C.     Evidence of effective functioning in the institution and in the community.  Such evidence as the following will be considered:

• Effective participation and contribution as a member of departmental,

   interdisciplinary, school, university, and system-wide committees.

• Representation of the University in community groups or agencies (other than

   those of a purely social nature) through such activities as speeches,

   consultantships [sic], and committee memberships.

• Participation in student activities as sponsor or advisor.

• Teaching of courses offered outside the University Library.

PM 87-06, Supplement No. 1                                                                                 8/22/88

President John A. Brownell

University Library Faculty RTP Policies, Procedures, and Criteria:

Instructional Media Faculty RTP Criteria

The Academic senate has recommended that specific criteria be used in the evaluation of Instructional Media faculty.  I am pleased to adopt the recommendation (FPC 88-05) as campus policy, effective immediately.  During the RTP review of Instructional Media faculty, the policies and procedures set out in the first section of the original PM 87-06 shall be followed.  The RTP criteria for Instructional Media faculty shall be as follows.

CRITERIA FOR THE REAPPOINTMENT, TENURE, AND PROMOTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA FACULTY

I.  Evidence of professional performance.  Such evidence as the following will be

     considered.

     Application of special knowledge of current developments to the production of

     instructional materials.

     Planning and implementing improved or innovative procedures or services.

     Making and implementing sound decisions.

     Effective communication.

     Effective supervision of others.

     Evaluation of existing mediated materials or electronic media for acquisitions or

     editorial review.    

     Development or improvement of tools for making Instructional Media’s facilities

     more accessible to students and faculty.

     Designing, creating, and producing media programs for curricular use and for

     university public relations projects.

     Effectiveness in planning, organizing, and scheduling requests and related work.

     Coordination with Instructional Media production staff on upgrading production

     skills, purchasing new equipment, obtaining supplies, and budget allocations.

     Developing and implementing training and career development plans for colleagues

     and staff as they relate to Instructional Media goals.

     Working effectively with other faculty to design and develop instructional materials.

     Coordination of production activities with other organizational units.

     Teaching performance, as outlined in the Faculty Handbook (for faculty teaching

     courses offered by Instructional Media).

II.  Evidence of scholarship, creative activity, or professional growth.  Such evidence

     as the following will be considered.

     Significant research and innovation resulting in publications and reports, or, if

     unpublished, clearly resulting in benefit to the operations or stature of Instructional

     Media.

     Active participation, through papers, panels, symposia, etc., in meetings and

     conferences of professional organizations.

     Significant activity in the leadership of professional organizations, such as holding

     office, committee membership, etc.

     Major editorial responsibilities for publications or programming which have local,

     state, or national distribution and which shall serve informational needs.

     Effective sharing of research findings and innovations, consulting experience, and

     related activities with colleagues and students.

     Acquisition of significant awards, commissions, prizes, honors, fellowships, or grants.

     Preparation, writing, and submission of grant proposals.

     Workshop presentations.

     Effective sharing of knowledge acquired by attending professional meetings,

     seminars, and workshops, investigating approaches used by other institutions, and

     conducting literature searches.

     Training in related areas, such as telecommunications, computer technology,

     communications, media arts, administration, human relations, and foreign languages.

     Attainment of additional knowledge and expertise through course work, degrees,

     specialized training, travel, or other means.

     Production or consulting on mediated program materials to include writing,

     producing, photography, editing, sound, and directing beyond duties required.

     Acquisition and sharing of knowledge that supports the transfer of new and changing

     telecommunications-related knowledge to the campus community.

III. Evidence of effective functioning in the institution and in the community.  Such

      evidence as the following will be considered.

     Effective participation and contribution as a member of departmental,

     interdisciplinary, school, university-wide, and system-wide committees.

     Effectiveness in student advisement.

     Availability for consultation with students.

     Representation of the university in community groups or agencies (other than those of

     a purely social nature) through such activities as speeches, consultanships, and

     committee memberships.

     Participating in student activities as sponsor or advisor.

     Teaching courses offered outside of Instructional Media.

     Involvement in professional activities that support the advancement of

     telecommunications and utilization of media at the campus level and beyond.

     Creation of instructional and/or informational programming or other material that is

     directed at community audiences through such outlets as the university cable

     television channels, broadcast media, or print media.