Library Committee Handbook

PTA Committee

Committee Charge

Committee Documents

Statement on Promotion and Tenure to the Library Faculty at UIUC

Introduction

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library provides professionally managed collections and information services that meet the needs of the instructional, research, and public service constituencies of the University. The University of Illinois Library faculty are partners with other academic faculty in the pursuit of the University's goals for instruction, research, and service. Librarians apply professional knowledge in a series of related functions: selecting, acquiring, and organizing materials; teaching in both formal and informal settings; and providing organization and management of the staff and resources that facilitate access to materials and services for our users.

The faculty of the UIUC Library have an obligation to remain professionally informed, to pursue the discovery of new knowledge related to their field of expertise, to disseminate the results of their scholarly work, and to seek opportunities for service to the Library, campus, state, nation and profession.

The faculty of the UIUC Library is governed by University statements on promotion found in Article IX of the Statutes, in Communication Number 9 from the Office of the Provost, and in Communication Number 13 from the Office of the Provost regarding "Review of Faculty in Year Three of the Probationary Period."

Promotion and Tenure

Tenure is granted when retention of the faculty member is expected to advance the quality of the University Library, as evidenced by the candidate's performance in the areas of 1) librarianship and 2) research, creative, and scholarly activity, with consideration also given to 3) valuable professional service. It is the policy of the UIUC Library that the level or scope of administrative responsibility shall not be a criterion for advancement in rank.

The University Library employs a two-level review process. The Faculty Review Committee, composed of one tenured faculty member of the rank of associate professor or professor elected from each of the Library's nine divisions, is responsible for initiating and insuring the preparation of documentation for promotion and tenure and for serving as the first level of review. The Faculty Review Committee also evaluates the progress of untenured faculty toward promotion and tenure and advises the University Librarian on their status. The Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee is composed of seven elected associate professors or professors, who may not simultaneously serve on the Faculty Review Committee. The Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee serves as a second level of review by reviewing recommendations for tenure and promotion and advising the University Librarian on tenure and promotion decisions.

For promotion to Associate Professor

Candidates for promotion to Associate Professor shall show tangible evidence of achievement and a high likelihood of sustaining contributions to the field and to the department in the future, including:

For promotion to Professor

Candidates for promotion to Professor shall demonstrate promise fulfilled, including:

Review for Promotion and Tenure

Areas of review for promotion to all ranks are expressed in a general fashion in the Statutes. Section 3e of Article IX states:

In determining appointments to, and salaries and promotion of the academic staff, special consideration shall be given to the following: (1) teaching ability and performance; (2) research ability and achievement; and (3) ability and performance on continuing education, public service, committee work, and special assignments designed to promote the quality and effectiveness of academic programs and services.

Within the UIUC Library, these areas are defined as librarianship; research, creative and scholarly activities; and professional service. Elements of these areas for review are described below:

A. Librarianship

The educational role of academic librarianship is evidenced in the following: developing, providing access to, managing, and preserving the Library's diverse collections and

instructing students, faculty, and others in the use of the Library's collections, services, and resources. These activities support the University Library's primary role in providing service to the instructional, research, and public constituencies of the University, and may include a combination of, but are not limited to, the following:

B. Research, Creative, and Scholarly Activities

A candidate's scholarly and creative work shall be evaluated in terms of its originality, depth, and significance in the field. There should be evidence that the faculty member has been continuously and effectively engaged in scholarly activity of high quality and significance. The Faculty Review Committee and the Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee shall look for evidence that the scholarly accomplishments of the candidate make a significant contribution to the field of librarianship or other discipline.

The Committees shall consider the type, scope, and impact of the research or other creative work, and consider both the evidence offered by the candidate and that solicited by their members from external referees at other research universities. The dossiers of candidates should demonstrate a strong record of publication. The faculty member's degree of responsibility for jointly produced scholarship and creative works shall be considered in the evaluation.

Research may be theoretical or applied, and may be specific to the fields of library science and information studies or may pertain to a disciplinary area to which the faculty member brings particular expertise. Methodologies shall be based on standards used in social science and humanities research.

Articles formally accepted for publication will be considered. Books or other monographic material will be considered when the final manuscript has been accepted by the publisher. Uncompleted or works not accepted for publication will be considered only as supplemental evidence in the promotion decision. In general, works that undergo considerable scrutiny before publication (e.g., by referees, editorial boards, anthology editors, etc.), will be deemed of highest value. Consideration will be given to the significance and reputation within its field of a journal or publisher.

Publications and creative works are evaluated in the following manner:

C. Service

Participation in the work of professional organizations sustains and enhances a faculty member's capabilities. Professional activities are regularly carried out within organizations at the local, regional, national, and international levels. For these reasons a strong service profile is valued. Special recognition shall be given to committee work and offices held at the state, national, or international level. Participation in faculty governance at the college and campus levels also constitutes an important service component. Service may include such activities as holding offices or committee memberships in professional societies, delivering invited papers or public lectures, serving on editorial boards, refereeing manuscripts or grant applications, organizing conferences, preparing grant proposals for campus or public agencies, and serving as a consultant.

Supplemental documentation:

University Library Bylaws

Communication Number 9: Promotion and Tenure

Communication Number 13: Review of Faculty in Year Three of the Probationary Period

University Library Calendar for Promotion and Tenure

University Library Strategic Plan

This document supersedes the following previous statements:

"Statement of Criteria and Procedures for Faculty Appointment, Promotion and Tenure, and Termination," adopted April 3, 1981 by the Library Faculty; "Criteria and procedures for appointment, promotion, and tenure approved by the University of Illinois Library faculty February, 1975," and "Criteria for tenure below the rank of associate Professor" adopted April 30, 1976 and amended July 28, 1976; Statement on Promotion, Tenure, & Appointments to the Library Faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign" adopted June 17, 1994. This final version of the document was approved and adopted by the University of Illinois Library Faculty February, 2000. Links updated May 15, 2008.